Chapter 5

EDWARD POV

I had driven straight to my parents house. I was trying to let everything that Bella had told me sink in.

My mom, the person I trusted most in the world did this to me. She knew how much I loved Bella. I know they had their differences, but I never thought she would do something like this to me. I was crushed when Bella left. I turned to alcohol, drugs, and whores. I had reached the bottom of the bottom, when my mom found me at some seedy hotel with two strippers. She said she couldn't bare to see her son like this, and would try and help me find Bella. She knew the whole time where she was, we searched for months for her before I finally gave up.

I walked in the front door and immediately went to the sitting room. Everyone was there. Carlisle at the head of the table, my mother next to him. Emmett with his two black eyes and busted face sitting across from him, and Alice and Jasper at the end of the table. I took my place next to my father.

"Edward how could you do that to your brother?" My mom started to scold me.

"I don't' know ma. How in the hell could you do what you did to me?" I asked angrily.

"Son, you watch how to talk to your mother? You got me." Carlisle said very calmly. He was the calmest of all of us Cullen's, the calmest but the deadliest. When he was angry you knew it, and when he told you to do something you didn't question it.

I reigned in my anger because going off on my mother no matter how much she deserved it. I knew better than to disrespect my mother, especially in front of my father. That was a death sentence right there.

My mother of course was curious about what I was asking her, and I knew Esme Cullen was not going to let anyone put her in her place.

"You got something to say to me, Edward?" she asked.

I chose my words carefully and spoke very calmly even though I wanted to scream at her.

"Yes, ma I do have something I want to tell you. How could you sit by and watch me look for her for months knowing where she was the whole time?" I asked.

I saw the faces of my siblings. Shocked and puzzlement was on their faces, but what surprised me the most was my father's expression he looked as about lost as the rest of them. I just assumed he knew that my mother had Bella shipped off and helped her with her new identity but maybe I was wrong.

"What?" Alice said next.

"Our mother here had a little talk with Bella the day she left. She threatened her and made her leave. She was even so kind enough as to provide Bella with a whole new identity. Isn't that right mother?" I asked clearly losing some of my calmness.

"Edward Anthony Cullen you listen to me. I did what I did back then to protect this family. I am not going to apologize for it. You were slipping away from us, and had just told your father and I you were planning to move out of the state. You wanted no part in this family, and it may seem wrong to you, but at the time what I told Bella was true. You would be targeted and you would have been vulnerable, just because you wanted out this family and out the state was not going to stop our enemies from attacking you or Bella for that matter. I did what was necessary to protect you. It was the right choice. You looked at us like we were the enemy, but this family is the glue that keeps us together. I'm sorry you were hurt in the process, but I wont apologize for it."

"That's it?" Alice asked clearly upset.

"Mom, you knew the whole time where she was. Edward was miserable. He almost died trying to forget Bella. Hell, I was in a state of depression. It could have all been avoided if you would have just left it alone. How could you do that to us?" She asked with tears falling down her face.

My dad reached out and grabbed her hand. He had still not said anything.

"I'm Sorry." Emmett said and I don't' think I had ever seen him more remorseful. He was clearly beating himself up over the things he had said and done in the past, and especially tonight. "I had no idea, man"

"Give me a moment with your mother." Carlisle said. He was clearly upset with my mother, but he would never have an argument in front of us with her. He respected her too much. He loved her too much.

I couldn't take my eyes off my mother. Everyone started to stand and walk out and I was still sitting in the chair.

"Edward, son. I need a moment with your mother. I will come find you later." He said.

I got up and immediately walked straight to the gym. I needed to get some of this pent up anger out of my system I started running on the treadmill when Emmett walked in.

"Dude, I am really fucking sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. I can't imagine what you are thinking right now. Don't question what I am about to say. I know what mom did was wrong. She should have never threatened Bella, but her heart was in the right place. Her actions were off, but if you would have left what do you think would have happened?" He asked me seriously.

I stopped the treadmill.

"Fuck, Emmett I don't know. Maybe Bella and I would be married with a few kids. Maybe we would have split up. The problem is I don't know what would have happened, and I never will know. Mom took that chance from me. I love her, God knows I do, but I am so fucking angry at her right now." I said walking to the mini fridge and pulling out a water.

"I get it. I really do get it. Where does that leave Bella?" He asked me.

My eyes met his, and the anger from him actually hurting her was resurfacing. It was like he was reading my thoughts.

"I know I am a dick. I am going to go over there and apologize to her tomorrow." He said.

"I don't know where that leaves me and Bella, Em. I mean that shit was crazy. It was like we had to be with each other every fuckin' second crazy, Em. The way I feel about her hasn't changed, and I can still go there. I just need to take a minute to figure out what to do. Bella wants to be friends. I think that's for the best right now." I said.

"I mean what kind of life can I offer her now. She knows what my life entails; she is a doctor for God's sake. What kind of future is their for us? I haven't been in a relationship since her. I don't think about seeing all the shit I have seen and doing all the shit I have done that I am ready to just jump back in to some type of committed relationship. Can she handle this?"

It was the questions that had been running in my mind the last few days.

"Jasper and Alice seem to make it work." He said.

"Alice isn't me, Em. I am going to take over this business. I am going to be an even bigger target, and that puts everyone I love and I am involved with in even more danger. I don't' know if I can risk that with her. I don't even know if she would want that kind of life."

"You have time to find out. That's probably the good thing about it. She has grown up man. Obviously, I mean fuck she's pretty fuckin hot." he said and I punched him in the arm.

"Dude, I'm sorry. It's true. Lil' Bella is all grown up. No worries, though. I prefer blondes, like her friend Rosalie. She's a little fire cracker that one. I knew the minute she pulled a gun on me she was my type of women." He said smirking.

"What do you mean? She pulled a gun on you. Where the hell was this?" I asked him.

"Ummmm, yeah. I guess I left that part out. I went to see Bella at work to have a little chat. We were standing outside, and I might have told Bella that if she didn't stay away from you that I might kill her." he said like it was no big deal.

"You fucking moron. Do you not listen to anything I tell you? I told you to stay the hell away from her. What in that pea sized brain of yours told you it was okay to go to her workplace of all the places to have a conversation like this and threaten her. Your lucky all I did was break you nose."

"I know Edward, man. I am sorry. I can't apologize enough. Dude, I just didn't want to see you hurt again." He said and I could tell he meant it.

"So how did her friend come into the picture and pull a gun on you?" I asked getting back on the subject.

"Well in the midst of me threatening Bella, her friend must have heard me, and she actually threatened me. It is kind of funny if you think about it. She told me if I ever threatened Bella again she would kill me. I had no idea who the hell it was talking to me, my back was to her. When I turned around of course the first thing I noticed was the gun pointed right in my face, and the next thing was the hottest woman on the fuckin' planet. Phoenix obviously does a body good. We should plan to visit soon." he said smiling at himself.

"That reminds me the other night I went to Bella's and when she opened the door she had a gun on her. I don't think she intended for me to see it, but I noticed her putting it away. Bella used to be too scared to be in the same room as a gun, much less hold one. I wonder what possessed her to carry one." I asked having forgotten about that until tonight.

"Who knows man? Phoenix is a big city, maybe they wanted them to feel safe. The good news is you can ask her now. You can call her, or text her, or damn drive and see her. She only leaves five minutes down the road. Hmmm. I wonder how long that blonde babe is going to be here for. I will definitely have to make it over there first thing tomorrow to apologize." He stood up getting ready to leave.

"Hey Edward. Promise me something?" He asked.

"Yeah." I said in response.

"No matter what happens between you and Bella, you will always put the family first." He said.

I thought about it for a second and then realized that no matter what was going to happen that my family was always first, but what he didn't realize was that Bella was always a part of my family.

"Family first!" I said.

"Fucking-A" he said walking out the door.

I turned out the lights and was headed out the door when I got a text.

I looked own at my phone, and saw it was from Carlisle.

-We'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight Son-

Given the late hour, I decided that I still wanted to sleep in my own bed in my own house. I jumped in my car turning on the radio, and let myself get lost in my own thoughts. It was the first time in awhile that I wasn't dreading the future or what It might bring. I was ready to embrace it.

Okay so tell me what you thought? Are you ready for the Bella and Esme reunion. Bella isn't the same scared lil' girl anymore. It will get interesting….. PLEASE REVIEW!