The Gift
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns all Twilight and the Characters
Chapter 16 Can't Change the Past
EPOV
As I pulled into her driveway I realized that I should've done this so many years ago. I should've gone after her, but I can't change the past. What I can do is to make sure that never happens again. I got out of the car and walked up to her front door. I stood there for a minute taking a couple of deep breaths before knocking.
"Coming," I heard her yell as I stood there trying not to shake from nerves.
"Bella," I said when the front door opened. As quickly as the door opened the faster it slammed shut in my face. "Please Bella."
"What do you want," I heard her say on the other side of the door.
"I want to talk to you," I said placing my head against the door.
"We're done remember," she said coldly. Then bits and pieces from the other night came back to me. That's what I told her when she said we weren't finished talking.
"I'm sorry," I told her. I stood there knowing that because of my own stupidity I was on the verge of losing the love of my life. "Please just give me five minutes. That's all that I'm asking for is just five minutes."
She didn't say anything at all to me. After standing there for a few more minutes I straightened myself back up taking a deep breath. I was done, there was no way that she was going to listen to me. I was turning around to head back to my car when the front door opened.
"Alright," she said motioning me into the house. "Five minutes."
"Thank you," I said stopping in front of her. I leaned down to give her a kiss but she turned her head to the side. I deserved that, and I don't blame her for her actions. "Did you get the message that I left you?"
"Yes," she said when we were in the living room. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I need to apologize," I said watching her move about the room. She was picking up a cup, a blanket, and before she could reach the book I picked it up. I looked at the title and wanted to laugh to myself it was Wuthering Heights. I knew exactly what she was doing when I called her. "I'm sorry about the other night."
"There's nothing to be sorry for," she said reaching for the book in my hand. I handed the book to her, but I noticed something different about her. This wasn't the Bella I knew, not the Bella that had been around the past couple of weeks. This was the Bella that I saw at the mall, the Bella that longed for hope. It was if she had lost hope, and had nothing to hope for in the future.
"I shouldn't have reacted like that," I told her following her into the kitchen.
"There was no other way to react," she said placing the cup in the sink.
"Yes," I said stopping her before she could make it out of the kitchen. "There were better ways to react to the news you told me. It wasn't fair to either you or Carly with how I reacted. You need to know something about what happened before you told me the truth."
"What," she said before I could say anything. "What do I need to know?"
"That night when I was putting her to bed," I said taking a breath. "She asked if she could call me daddy."
"She did," she said looking down at the ground.
"Yeah," I said lifting her chin. "It's all I ever wanted."
"What," she said shocked with a puzzled look.
"All I've ever wanted was a family of my own," I said. "You've given me that with Carly."
"Then why aren't you at your house with her," she shot back. "I made it easier so that there wouldn't be a scene or any weird feelings between us. I was going to pick her up tomorrow morning, that way she got to spend the whole day with you and your family."
"You're not there," I told her quickly. What do I have to do to get through that stubborn head of hers. "My family is not complete if you're not there. My family is myself, Carly, and you, Bella."
"I don't know," she said quietly.
"What do you mean," I asked her. I looked down to see that I had a hold of her arms.
"Edward," she said looking up at me. "I don't think I can go through this again. What happens when things get thrown at us. Are you going to run away again? Or are you going to find something better than us."
"Bella," I said pulling her towards me. "I'll admit that I was stupid with how I have handle things. There is nothing that I wouldn't do to protect my family. You and Carly are the most important things in my life."
"She doesn't even know that you are her real father," she told me. I pulled us apart and looked down at her smiling.
"I told her already," I said still smiling. "I saw that she was wearing Grandmother Lizzy's locket. Alice was the first person to point it out to me. Carly said that you told her that her real daddy gave it to you."
"Yes I did," she said still looking puzzled.
"I took it off of her," I started to say quickly but had to stop long enough to take a breath. "I opened it up to show her the picture that was in it. She was excited to know the truth."
"That's great that she knows the truth," she said walking past me.
"Damn it Bella," I said following her back into the living room. "You want to know what she wanted at that moment. She wanted her mommy to be there with us."
"I'm sorry but I can't," she answered me facing out the window.
"Can't because you don't to," I started to say walking up behind her. What if she really didn't want to come back to me. "You can't because you don't to get hurt."
"I'm sick of getting hurt," she answered me still looking out the window. "I'm sick of getting hurt by you."
"It kills me to hurt you," I told her wrapping my arms around her. She tired to move out of my arms but I held her tight. "I had a talk with mom and dad yesterday. When she told me how bad I had hurt not once but twice. Bella I couldn't believe that I did that to you."
"Well you did," she said quietly. "You can't change the past."
"No," I said resting my head on her shoulder. "I can make sure that it doesn't happen again."
"It was more of a business deal," she said out of the blue. What was she talking about now?
"What," I said shocked.
"The marriage to Mike," she said still standing in my arms. "He needed to get married to keep his trust and share of the family business. He knew that I was pregnant from the start."
"How does my family come into play," I asked puzzled.
"He was always jealous of you," she said in a whisper. "The only way he knew to get to you was to flaunt 'his' family in front of everyone. I wouldn't let allow to happen, because it wasn't right. It didn't matter that you were married to someone else. I couldn't hurt your family like that."
"Why did you have to protect us," I asked as I was still holding her.
"When I told him no that I wouldn't do that to your family," she went on to say not moving a muscle. " He wanted to expose the truth to everyone unless I agreed to certain terms. Carly and myself would be there for anything that was related to his family or the business. He could go out and do anything he wanted with no questions asked."
"What finally pushed you for the divorce," I asked knowing that she had already told me.
"Remember when I said that I found him and Jessica together at the house," she said as I nodded my head against her shoulder. "I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't let her live in a place where she wasn't surrounded with love."
"What did he think about the divorce," I asked her letting her go.
"He couldn't," she said turning around to face to me. "I didn't want anything from him. I just wanted out of the mistake that I made all those years ago."
"What about Carly," I said wanting to know more. "Does he know that we are?"
"Yes," she said quickly. "The other day when he was here he mentioned that when you found the out."
"He mentioned what," I stated to her when she stopped taking. "What would I do?"
"I would loose everything," she said with a tear running down her cheek. "For once that son of a bitch is right. I have lost what meant most to me."
"No," I said going to her as she backed away. She had backed herself up against the wall. I reached up and wiped the tear off her face before speaking again. "You haven't lost anything at all. If anything it's me who has lost what means most. I was the ass who wouldn't listen to you. I was the one who kept telling you that we'll talk about it later."
"I," she started to say before someone came through the front door.
"Merry Christmas you little brat," the voice said. Who in the hell would have the nerve to call a child that. The person came around the corner and that's when I saw who it was.
That son of a bitch Mike Newton.
BPVO
"I," I started to say to him. He was going on about he was the one who lost. No he didn't lose anything at all. It was me because I never should have agreed to marrying Mike in the first place.
"Merry Christmas you little brat," the voice said. What in the hell was Mike doing here? I looked at Edward and saw that his face was turning red.
"What are you doing here," I said looking at Mike and moving so that I was beside of Edward.
"It is Christmas," Mike said with a smug look on his face. "It is about spending time with family."
"They're not your family," Edward said through his teeth.
"What gives you that idea," Mike smarted off to Edward.
"She's not your's Mike and you know it," I told him before Edward slugged the shit out of him.
"Get out," Edward said as Mike got up off the floor.
"This isn't over Cullen," Mike said when he standing up again.
"Yes," he said walking towards Mike. "You will stay away from my girls Newton. Do you understand me? Carly is not a brat either. She is the most brilliant little girl I've ever met. I'm so glad that she is my daughter and not yours you sorry piece of shit. Now get out."
He had walked Mike all the way to the front door. When Mike opened the door he fell backwards down the steps. I went and stood beside Edward as Mike ran to his car and bolted out of the driveway. As we stood there he placed his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. I didn't know what to tell him. Did I love him? Yes with all my heart I loved him. Like I told him earlier I don't know if I could this again. What if something or someone else crosses our path. Would he stay or would he go?
"Let me see your hand," I finally said.
"It's fine," he said hiding it from me.
"You didn't have to do that," I said grabbing his hand. Looking at his hand it didn't appear to be broken or swollen.
"I know," he said smiling at me. "It's time that I start protecting my family."
"Edward," I said backing away and going back into the house.
"Please listen to me Bella," he said following me into the living room. "You and Carly are my family and I wouldn't change it for the world. I love you so much. Please give our family a chance to work?"
Before I could say anything to him the phone was ringing. We both just stood there as it rang. I couldn't answer him. He knew the truth about my so called marriage, and he still wanted me. The phone stopped ringing and the machine picked up.
"Bella," I heard the voice say over the machine. It was Esme and she sounded a little panicked. "Carly woke up from her nap and she won't stop crying."
"I have to," I said quickly thinking. She's woken up and probably by herself.
"We'll finish this later," he said taking my hand.
"Okay," I said as we headed out the door.
We got into his Volvo and head to his house. I still hadn't given him my answer that could wait. My daughter came first and I needed to get to her.