Hello,

I know I've been MIA for a while but it's because I moved yet again... and life in general getting in the way.

Anyways, here's the next chapter. Hope y'all enjoy it!

~~

I had been dreading doing this for days. But who else was I supposed to call? Carlisle and my sister, Esme? No, they'd fucking wring my neck for how I acted.

That left one alternate.

My parents. Who I had more or less, had cut off contact with after they tried to force me to marry Tanya, and she went looney and got obsessed with me marrying her. It didn't help that my parents kept telling her that I was going to do it and to let me have my crazy days before I settled down.

That shit ended with me getting stabbed by her after she found out that I had been going out with Bella. It was why I acted how I acted at the party. Tanya had shown up unexpectedly and had been clinging to me… when I saw Bella and realized Tanya had heard that Bella was pregnant… I knew that crazy bitch was going to try to go after her so I did the only thing I could…. To keep Bella safe… Albeit, stupidly, it worked.

As far as I know, Tanya's parents got her some help before she was married off to some oil tycoon's son from the south. I feel sorry for the bloke but… better him, than me, I guess.

Jasper was sitting on his bed when I finally bit the bullet and called my dad.

"Edward." He answered in the third ring.

"Dad," I replied in the same tone.

"I assume this isn't a social call. Otherwise, you would have called your mother." He sighed, "So, what is it, are you calling about? Did you finally give up this asinine, bogus, and childish dream of becoming a musician and doing what we told you to do?" He asked, sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes, and sighed, "It's not a dream, and it's not childish to do something I love. Besides, I didn't call you to tell you any of that sort." I snapped.

I heard him chuckle, "Then why did you call?" He asked.

"I just found out I have a daughter. I want to know if you can give me a good reference for an attorney." I told him,

'What'd he say?' Jasper mouthed, as I held up a finger.

"What the hell do you mean you have a daughter? When the hell did you have her and with who?" My dad finally growled.

There it was. His anger and annoyance at everything I do.

"Daughter? He— I want to speak to him, Edwin. Let me speak to him!" My mother finally yelled.

I sighed, rubbing my forehead with my fingers as I did. "I had sex. It happens… The mother's name is Isabella Swan, and the girl is probably three or four now." I informed them.

"I want to meet her." My mother finally informed me.

Was she being serious?

Fuck, I didn't want them ANYWHERE near her… I hadn't even met her. They had already fucked me up, I didn't want them to cause any shit with Bella. Especially now. No. Absolutely not.

"Well, first I need to get a lawyer because I'm not even sure I'm going to be allowed near her thanks to your fucking interference in my life. So, Dad, lawyer?" I repeated.

Silence fell between us and I sighed in defeat, and Jasper frowned in his seat beside me.

"Jason Jenks. He's a friend of the family. He'll help you." My dad finally said.

I sighed, and nodded, before realizing that he couldn't see me. "Thank you," I mumbled.

"What will you be applying for? Partial custody? Sole custody? Because we do have room for her here." He told me.

"Partial custody. I don't want to take her away from her mother. I just want to be in her life. Hell, I want to pay her for all the fucking time I've missed. I also don't plan on you two being anywhere near here for now. I want her to be able to meet me first." I told him.

I could hear a sniffle and knew immediately that my mother was probably shedding crocodile tears, but I didn't care. My kid comes first. Fuck them.

"When WILL we be able to meet her?" He asked.

"When she's good and ready. After I feel that I've proven to Bella that I have changed." I told him.

"Prove? What exactly happened between you and this woman?" He asked.

"That's not any of your business," I told him. "I messed it up. That's all you need to know." I replied.

"So redeem yourself… make it known that you want to be in the child's life..." I heard him reply like it was the simplest thing in the world...

"I know… it's easier said than done." I mumbled.

"Yes, well, something in life are that way. But that doesn't mean it can't be done. Don't just say what you think this woman wants to hear. Prove it through actions. By actually being there for both of them, not just your daughter." He added.

I plan to.

"Why didn't you know about the child until now?" My mother interrupted.

I sighed, "Because of you. You sent Tanya after me and when she tried to tell me Tanya was there being a fucking pest… and she apparently had this fucking insane idea that I was going to be some stuck-up lawyer like my dad… and marry her. Any idea how she got that ridiculous idea that I was doing this?" I inquired through clenched teeth.

"Look, that was only a possibility, that doesn't mean it was going to happen." My dad clarified.

Bullshit. He wanted me to go to law school and force me to marry her since she was the daughter of a lucrative businessman.

It's why I left Chicago in the first place.

I scoffed, "You know as well as I do that I was never going through with that shit. I told you two that when I transferred to Jacksonville and you two cut me off. Yet you still told Tanya. You two kept telling her that this was just a fucking phase, that I would do the right thing? Tell me what is it called when a person harasses or persecutes someone else with unwanted and obsessive attention?" I retorted, trying to keep my anger at bay.

"Stalking." My dad replied dryly.

"Exactly. She even told me she was pregnant. How the fuck was she pregnant with my kid when I was all the way in Florida and never went near her, let alone touched her?" I asked.

"Look…" my dad began, but I was tired.

"No, you look, Dad. So, listen well, because this is the ONLY time I'm going to tell you this because both you AND my mother seemed to think that since you two brought me unwillingly into this planet and existence, that you two can control every aspect of my life. That shit is done and over with. Either quit your overbearing, and controlling shit, or you can forget about me and my daughter." I told them.

"You— you would SERIOUSLY cut us off? But we're your parents." My mother whispered, scandalized.

"You cut me off without a second thought the moment I decided to be transferred from Chicago to Jacksonville. Think of it the same way. If you continue this, then forget about me, my daughter, and our existence." I informed them.

I was met with silence before I heard a sigh, "I'll send you the information you need. Your mother and I need to attend a meeting, but we will be in contact with you once we're done." My dad said before ending the call.

As soon as the call finished, Jasper stared at me in disbelief. "Your parents are fucked up." He finally told me, with a furrowed brow.

I chuckled, "You don't know the half of it." I sighed, feeling exhausted by the conversation itself.

"So, I take it that your parents are going to help?" He asked me

"Yeah. I think so." I mumbled, rubbing my face, feeling exhausted.

"Man, you look absolutely exhausted." He told me as he eyed me, carefully.

"I feel beat," I mumbled, running my hand over my face roughly.

"You need to catch a fucking break." He finally tells me.

"Well, staying at the hotel, and actually using a private bathroom is about as much of a break that I'm going to get. So, I'll take it…" I mumbled as I laid back on the bed.

He snorted and went back to throwing a hacky sack in the air and bumping it with his elbow before catching it in his hands.

"Well, look who finally grew a pair… albeit dislocated, but still. Today my boy finally became a man." He goaded.

I chuckled, "Shut up, asshole." I muttered as I threw a pillow at him.

It hit him in the face, causing his hacky sack to fly across the room.

"Aww … you suck," he mumbled as he got up to get it.

That night I fell asleep wondering what my kid looked like.

My dad sent over the contact information the next morning. Just like he promised, and I called him that same afternoon to find out what could be done.

~~

Over the next week or so, Jay Jenks got to work.

As suggested we went through court. Thought my father managed to fuck things up by asking Jenks to apply for full custody behind my back.

I almost fired him on the spot when I found out. But I didn't, at least not before I could get in contact with another attorney.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't find a trustworthy one until after the first hearing. Eleazar Duval.

He helped me correct the situation, eventually get Bella to speak to me directly, and allow me to get visitations, albeit with supervision, but that's worth it.

At least I can meet my kid face to face now instead of receiving photos from Marcus, Bella's attorney.

~~

I sat there dumbstruck as I watched them walk out of that room.

Charlotte.

My daughter.

She was a little sassy shit, I'm not going to lie, she put me in my place in the most painful way. By pointing out that I hadn't been present for the entirety of her life.

She was smart, I'd give her that.

She also didn't shy away from my curious stare. Or questions that pained me to answer.

I felt worse than when I came in by the time they had left the room.

"Mr. Masen?" Jay called my attention, anxiously.

"You're fired." I calmly told him before walking out of the room.

As I got to the door, I saw Bella drive away with Charlotte in the backseat.

~~

I only managed to drive to Stefan's place to meet with him and Eleazar to speak about the entire ordeal.

I must have gotten lost in thought because I suddenly heard my name being called.

"Edward?" Eleazar called my attention in exasperation as I sat there.

I blinked and shook my head, looking over at him and Stefan. "I'm sorry. My mind is on other things at the moment." I mumbled, rubbing a hand over my face, tiredly.

"That's understandable. Now, how did you want to proceed? Do you want to start some sort of payment plan for your daughter and ex-wife?" He asked me.

"Oh. Uh, Bella and I were never married." I mumbled tiredly.

"My apologies." He mumbled apologetically.

" … And yes, I do want to start a payment plan for child support and alimony… Both of them, actually. I owe Bella a shitload. She had my daughter, raised her, and took care of her, all on her own. I want to pay her back for doing so." I replied.

He frowned at me, "Are you sure?" He asked.

I nodded, "Yes. More actually…" I mumbled.

He nodded, "I'll get right on that." He told me.

"Good. Make sure my parents don't have access to any of the money in my accounts. Tell them that as of right now, I want nothing to do with them, until I say otherwise." I told him.

"On it. Stefan? Get in contact with Miss. Swan's attorney and inform him of Mr. Masen's change in attorney and the monthly allowance and alimony." Eleazar said as I stood up and headed out.