New Chapter. Yay! Sorry for the wait. I've been overwhelmed with readings from school that I haven't had time to write. I hope you like the chapter, it's longer than my other chapters so I hope that makes up for the lateness. There is a lot of drama here. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Though I would love to own Jasper. Sigh.

Chapter 6

One Dinner

My first day at work was surreal.

It was weird to be back and I missed Georgina like crazy. She was so used to having me home with her that she had a panic attack when I dropped her off at daycare. I think she was worried I wouldn't come home.

Ms. Mary, the daycare director, literally had to pull her away from my leg. I kissed her on the forehead and left hearing the sound of her cries. It broke my heart.

Work was great. Aro Volturi, my boss, was very nice and showed me around the office. My assistant, Holly, was shy but she knew what she was doing. It was amazing how different working at Volturi Publishing was from working at Jasper's company.

Holly gave me a couple of manuscripts to read through. By the end of the day, I managed to get through about one and a half.

"Holly, I'm going to go." I said. "Go home and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Bye Bella."

I left the office and went home. All the lights were on and I could see Edward standing at the window, holding Georgina. I saw her face light up when she saw me and struggled out of Edward's arms to get there. I walked up the stairs and met her half way.

"Mommy!"

"Hi, baby doll. How was daycare?"

She shrugged and wrapped her arms around my neck, holding on tight. I peeked over at Edward. He shrugged his shoulders. Apparently, he didn't know either.

"Are you hungry?"

She nodded and buried her face in my neck.

I set Georgina down on the highchair and started making dinner. Edward leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. "You've been spending a lot of time around Clay."

I glanced at him. "You make it sound like that's a bad thing."

"It's not." He said. "I'm glad you're finally getting out there. You deserve to be happy, Bella."

"He makes me laugh." I mumbled. "We can talk about things and I don't... I don't know. It's nice. I can tell him things about Jasper that I can't tell you."

"You can tell me anything."

I rolled my eyes. "Not without having to hear you slam him. Clay is... he's neutral in this situation because he's never met Jasper or seen me with him."

"I guess." Edward looked at my slyly. "Does this mean you and Clay might...?"

The idea of dating Clay was strange. He was an amazing guy and I really liked him but somehow I doubted he would want to date me. I came with so much baggage. Things normal people wouldn't want to have to deal with.

"I don't know." I mumbled. "I don't know why he would want to date me."

"Bella, you really don't see yourself clearly. You are beautiful and smart and any guy would be lucky to date you. Just because one guy was a jackass doesn't mean all guys are that way." Edward wrapped his arms around my shoulder, resting his chin on my head.

I stirred the pasta. "Maybe."

"Mommy, I'm hungwey."

"I know, Georgie. Dinner's almost ready."

"Think about what I said, Bella." Edward said. "You deserve happiness just as much as anyone else."

"I don't even know if Clay wants to date me." I reminded him.

"Bella, he spent an entire day with you and Georgina last week. And you told me on Sunday that he was going to take you two to the carnival this weekend. For someone who doesn't want to date you, he's sure trying to spend a lot of time with you."

"Alright, alright, I get it." I looked at him and smiled. "You really are annoying."

"It's why you love me, love."

I put the pasta onto the plate, covered it in sauce, and gave it to Georgina. She was swinging her chubby little legs, staring at the ceiling and mumbling under her breath. "Thanks Mama."

"Enjoy, darling." I kissed her on the forehead.

Edward and I sat down and finished our dinner. Afterwards, Edward cleaned up and I gave Georgina a bath. She had sauce all over her face.

"Okay, Mommy?" Georgina asked, studying me intently. I was surprised she was able to perceive my mood. She was like Jasper in that way. I forced a smile, feeling anything but okay.

"Mommy's fine, baby girl."

I kissed her on the forehead as I helped her dress into her pink pyjamas. I put her to bed and went downstairs. Edward handed me a glass of wine and smiled lightly. "I figured you'd need it."

I nodded. "Thanks, Edward."

"Okay." He led me to the living room and sat down on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"I've been thinking about Jasper."

"Again?"

I shrugged and looked at the pictures on the wall. Most of them were of Georgina, posing with various other people. She loved being the centre of attention.

"You two really need to talk." Edward muttered. "It's getting ridiculous."

"Edward,"

"No, Bella. You need to settle this for the last time. Who knows, maybe he finally grew a pair and wants to talk." Edward looked me in the eye. "Call him, Bella."

"I'll think about it."

OOO

A couple of days later, I was sitting in my office, staring out the window. I was supposed to be reading over manuscripts but I was too distracted.

"Ms. Swan, you have a call on line two." Holly said.

"Thanks, Holly." I picked up the phone. "Isabella Swan."

"Bella?"

Jasper

I sat staring at the phone for over an hour. I knew what I wanted to do but I didn't know how she'd respond.

My mind wandered to the day I learned Bella gave birth. Seeing my daughter, looking absolutely perfect... I didn't even know her name. What if Bella told me to go to hell? I wouldn't be surprised but it wouldn't stop the pain. I've been a total bastard in the very beginning.

The phone in my hand startled me when it rang. "Hello?"

"I heard you finally dumped that good for nothing, gold digging whore."

I rolled my eyes. "Quite the colourful language you're using there, Ma. What would the society women think of that?"

"Who cares what they think?" she demanded indulgently. "I'm just glad you dumped the bitch."

"Mom!"

"What? You've known what I thought about Alice Brandon in the very beginning. Just because she's Josephine Grey's niece doesn't mean I have to like her."

I rolled my eyes. "Was there a reason for your call, Ma?"

"Do I need a reason to call my only son?"

"Mom."

"Alright, alright. You'll never guess who's working at the Volturi Publishing."

"I can't imagine, Ma."

"Bella Swan."

I nearly dropped the phone when I sat up. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, apparently Aro called your father and asked for a reference. Despite being out of work for four years, Peter gave him a great reference." She paused thoughtfully. "You know, I always liked her. She knew how to get things done."

I swallowed. Bella was doing what she loved. I was surprised to hear that she was out of work for so long. "Any idea why she was out of work so long?"

"Mm, some kind of family thing. Peter went to go visit her at the office to congratulate her but she was out."

"Dad went to her office?"

"Yep." She chuckled. "He was disappointed when he heard she was gone. He was really looking forward to seeing her again."

"Yeah, great. Mom, I have to go."

"Okay, dear. See you at dinner Friday. Don't forget."

"I won't."

I hung up and sat back against the chair, stunned. Bella was working at Volturi Publishing. I turned on my computer and went to the website. Usually they had a list of editors who worked there. I would have easily been able to get a hold of her.

Her name popped out immediately. I stared at the number before finally dialling. I held my breath when I heard the voice. "Volturi Publishing, how may I help you?" A perky voice answered.

"Yes, I'd like to talk to Bella Swan please."

"One moment please."

There was a short wait until her voice came on. "Isabella Swan."

"Bella?"

Bella

My voice was caught in my throat as I recognized the voice. I swallowed a few times, biting my lip. "Jasper." I tempted the idea of hanging up but—

"Don't hang up." He begged. "Please, I need to talk to you."

I clenched my hands into fists. "How did you get my number?"

"My mom told me you were working at Volturi Publishing. I looked up your name on their website."

Of course. "What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you."

I considered it. The pleading in his voice hit me like a ton of bricks. "You have five minutes."

"What I need to say is going to take more than five minutes." He argued. "Please, Bella. I need to see you."

"Why?"

"I make a mistake." He whispered.

"What?" I looked at the phone in disbelief.

"Please, just one chance."

I took a deep breath before considering my options. What choice did I have? "When and where?"

"Our usually restaurant? Tomorrow at seven thirty?"

"Make it eight thirty." I wanted to be there for Georgina before she went to bed.

"Okay." He agreed. "I'll see you there."

"Yeah." I hung up and looked at the picture of Georgina. She and I were sitting together, her arms wrapped around my neck. Edward had taken the photo without either one of us noticing but it was one of my favourites.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. I didn't even remember getting into my car and leaving work but at six o'clock, I was walking through my front door and Georgina was running towards me, wrapping her little arms around my legs. "Mommy!"

I picked her up and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her little cheeks. "Hey baby doll. Did you have a good day at daycare?"

She nodded and whispered, "Uncle Emmy visited today."

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. "I hope he didn't scare you."

Georgina shook her head. "I'm a big giwl."

"Yes, you are."

"Where's Uncle Eddie?"

She pointed to the kitchen. I set her down in the living room and let her play with her dolls. I walked to the kitchen, the delicious smell of baked chicken wafting to my nose. "Hey, you. I thought I heard your voice."

I jumped up onto the counter and watched him. Edward handed me a glass of wine. "You'll never guess what happened at work today."

"Yeah? What?"

"Jasper called."

"You're kidding."

"Nope." I shook my head, sipping the rich, delicious red wine. "Unfortunately not."

"What did he want?"

"He wanted to talk."

"It's almost like he heard my conversation to you yesterday." He chuckled.

"Not funny."

"Are you going to talk to him?"

"Yep."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"It's what he wanted."

"Well, good luck." He said. "I hope it turned out the way you want."

"I don't even know what I want to happen."

"You'll figure it out, Bella. You always do."

Jasper

I couldn't stop fidgeting. I was worried Bella was going to stand me up. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if she did but I hoped she wouldn't.

I looked at my watch for the fourth time. She was ten minutes late. Bella was never late. The waiter once again came by, asking if I wanted anything. Feeling like a fool, I ordered a bottle of wine. In the case that Bella didn't show up, I could always nurse my wounded pride with alcohol. Not that it ever did any good before.

Finally, fifteen minutes late, Bella showed up. I was shocked by how beautiful she looked. Her figure was slightly curvier, her hair curling against her shoulders. She cut it since the last time I saw her. Her brown eyes (the eyes I loved so much) were wary. With a sinking heart, I realized that Bella might not want anything to do with me.

I stood up and held the chair out for her. "Thanks for coming, Bella."

She nodded and looked at the menu. "Are you going to talk to me at all?"

Her eyes flashed to mine. "I came here to listen, not talk."

She was exactly as I remembered. "Please talk to me, Bella."

Her eyes tightened. Before she could respond, Marco, the owner of the restaurant, showed up. "Isabella, how lovely to see you again."

"Thank you, Marco. It's nice to see you too."

"And you are with young Mr. Jasper." He smiled. "It's been a while since I've seen you two together. Jasper used to come here by himself, sit at the same table and order the same thing once a month for four years." he shook his head. "It was almost as though he were waiting for you to show up."

"Thank you, Marco." I interrupted, embarrassed.

He seemed to get the point. "Well, I'll leave you to your dinner."

"Thank you. It was nice to see you again, Marco."

He left shortly after. Bella and I sat in silence, unsure of what to say. At least, on my end.

"I want to apologize." I blurted out. I winced when I realized how pathetic I sounded. "I've screwed up royally."

She studied me carefully. I knew she was probably trying to see if I was telling the truth. "Bella, you have to believe me. I've been miserable since you left."

"For someone who's been so miserable, you certainly didn't have a problem stringing Alice Brandon around like a dog on a leash."

I flinched at the venom in her voice. She was right of course. "Jasper, you just can't act like you're the centre of the universe. One day your past is going to come up and bite you in the ass. Take it from me. My past is sitting right across from me."

I should have realized she wouldn't be so forgiving. I hurt her more than I hurt any other woman. And of all the women I've dated in the past, Bella was always the most important one.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry is not going to cut it."

"Hi there. I'm Zach and I'll be your waiter this evening." Bella and I looked at the kid. He looked tired and bored. "Do you know what you want?"

"Chicken parmesan with garden salad, dressing on the side." Bella said.

"Uh, Steak, medium rare with fries." I muttered.

The waiter walked away, leaving Bella and I in awkward silence. "You missed three years of our daughter's life, Jasper."

I was surprised she spoke of her. I didn't think I'd ever hear about her.

"Do you know how heartbreaking it was to hear her ask me where her daddy was?"

My heart clenched. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her you were gone. I didn't elaborate and she didn't ask questions. One day she's going to ask again. And it will break my heart to tell her that daddy didn't want her because he was an egotistical, man whore with more important things to do than take responsibility for his daughter."

I swallowed. "I'm sorry." She was about to cut in when I stopped her. "No, listen. I know I screwed up. I was scared and I wasn't ready to be a parent."

"And you think I was?" she demanded. "I was a single, jobless woman whose family lived on the other side of the country. If it wasn't for Edward, I would have ended up living on the streets." She shook her head in exasperation.

"Bella, I want a role in her life. I want to be there for her."

"Why now?" she demanded. "Why do you want to be there for her now?"

"Because I realized you are the most important person in my life. I spent these past years walking through fog. The only time I felt alive was when I pictured what my life would have been like if I stayed."

She glared at me, pursing her lips. "How do I know you won't run and break her heart? If you can't commit to this Jasper, there is no way in hell I'm letting you anywhere near her."

"I won't. This is what I want. I want a role in her life and in yours."

Her eyes narrowed. "You will not be playing a role in my life, Jasper. This is for her and her alone. I've giving you the benefit of the doubt for her sake. But I can never forgive you for what you did to me all those years ago."

Any hopes I had of having a relationship with Bella went down the drain immediately.

The waiter came back with our food. We were sitting in silence, staring at each other. The kid looked from me to her before shrugging and walking away.

The rest of the meal was silent. I didn't know what to say. I was just going to have to get accustomed to seeing Bella and not knowing she was mine.

"What's she like?"

Bella's eyes flashed to mine. "She incredible" she said. "She's beautiful and smart and gentle. She can't say her R's." She laughed a little. "I gave up trying to get her to say it right. Charlie said I couldn't say my R's either when I was her age."

I smiled lightly. She continued speaking. "She looks like you." She said. "She's got your hair and your smile. She has your nose too."

"That's unfortunate."

She smiled at me for the first time.

"What's her name?"

"Georgina Avery."

I looked down at the food. Georgina. "Can I meet her?"

She hesitated for a while, staring at me. "I don't know." She finally said. "I don't want to introduce you to her as her father until I know for sure that you're serious about this."

As much as it hurt to hear that, I knew she was being precautious. "It doesn't matter how you introduce me, Bella. I don't mind being whatever you deem necessary until you're sure that I'm serious."

She chewed her lower lip, something she did when she was anxious, worried, or unsure of something. Bella sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Georgina and I are going to the carnival on Saturday with a friend of mine. If you're really serious about this, you can meet us there."

"Yes, of course." I said at once. "What time?"

"One o'clock."

"I'll be there."

We finished dinner and Bella let me pay the bill, despite wanting to pay for her own. As she was leaving, I stopped her. "Bella?"

She looked at me, her beautiful brown eyes cautious. "Do you –do you have a picture of her?"

She nodded and pulled out her wallet. She opened it and pulled out a small picture, handing it to me. "Keep it." She said. "I've got plenty at home."

She left and as I walked out, I looked down at the picture. Georgina was smiling at the camera, her front tooth missing. Her blond hair was curly and in two pigtails, held together by pink ribbons. Her gorgeous eyes were shinning and I felt a pang of regret. I missed three years with this beautiful child.

I wouldn't make that mistake again.

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