AN: I'm back! This chapter took a lot longer than I expected because I wanted to make it perfect for you guys. It's been building to this moment so far and this is pretty damn close to how I originally pictured it. I hope you all like it. :)
Thanks to everyone who's been reading, reviewing, and alerting. It makes my day to see all the stats keep rising and to read the reviews. Also, big thanks to my my beta, SwallowedxInxThexSea. I still don't own Twilight and I never will.
Chapter 15 – I'm Done
BPOV
The simple manila folder was resting innocently on the edge of my bed. If it were any other folder, I probably wouldn't have paid it much attention. But this folder contained – hopefully – every piece of information that would help me get rid of the gigantic rock on my finger and the gigantic pain in my life.
And yet, I was sitting all the way across the room with my knees tucked under my chin and my arms wrapped tightly around my legs.
"Just get it over with," Alice urged.
"It's not that easy," I answered. "There is so much more to it than just saying, 'Oh, by the way, my fiancé is basically a rapist and I'm in love with a tattoo artist. Thank, Mom and Dad.'"
"That's why Edward found you proof, Belly," Jasper said encouragingly. "Besides, we'll be with you the whole time."
I took a deep breath. "You're right. I just need to get it over with."
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I opened it to find a text from Edward.
Don't be scared; just tell them the truth. And know that I love you. –E
"How does he do that?" Alice huffed as she looked over my shoulder. "I swear to God that boy can read minds and it's really creepy."
"Let her be, Ali," Jasper whispered. "She needed that."
I looked up to see him smirking at me, realizing he must have told Edward something. "Thanks, Jasper," I said gratefully.
He smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "He would have done it anyway."
I looked over to the folder and scrounged up some semblance of determination. "Okay. Let's do this," I whispered before snatching up the papers and heading down the stairs. Alice and Jasper were following close behind me, but I didn't dare look back for fear of losing my nerve.
My hand paused above the door to my father's study. I'd given myself a pep talk on the way down the stairs, but it was a lot harder to actually make myself turn the knob and set off the whirlwind that would be sure to follow. Jasper's hand shot forward and knocked on the door before I could chicken out. I gave him a look of gratitude as my father said through the door, "Come in."
"Daddy?" I asked as we walked in. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Bella, Alice, Jasper, come in," he said with a smile. "Please, sit down. What did you want to talk about?"
"Well, it has to do with James," I started nervously. My father visibly tensed. After a second, he cleared his throat and gestured for me to continue. "Actually, I think it would be better if Mother joined us for this conversation."
I fidgeted anxiously as we waited for one of the cleaning women to request that my mother join us. She entered calmly a few minutes later, looking slightly annoyed to be pulled away from whatever she had been doing. When she saw us all sitting there, she looked surprised.
"Is something wrong?" she asked my father.
"I'm not sure," he answered. "Our daughter wanted to talk to us about something. She says it's about James Whitlock."
My mother whipped around to look at me. "I told you to just let it go," she hissed. "You will never find anyone that compares to him. He's a good match for you."
My father put a hand on my mother's arm while I sat back, stunned. She'd never spoken to me that harshly before. It seemed completely out of character, even for her. I thought again of backing out, but it was too late by that point. Both of my parents were standing in front of me. I couldn't not tell them.
"Renee, we should hear her out," my dad said quietly. "This is important to her."
My mother softened a bit as she looked back at me. She nodded reluctantly and went to stand by my father. I looked back at Jasper and Alice, still incredibly nervous, but I felt a little better when they nodded at me in encouragement.
I took a deep breath before speaking to my parents. "As you both know, I don't feel comfortable marrying James," I began. "Both of you told me that simply a hunch wasn't enough of a reason to end our engagement, but I believe the information that I now have is more than sufficient."
"What are talking about?" my mother asked skeptically.
"Well, I went out for lunch with Alice and Jasper a while back and I happened to see James there. With another girl. I wouldn't have thought anything of it if he hadn't been all over her and if she hadn't looked like it was normal," I said. "He is obviously accustomed to using girls. Ed- um, one of my friends became concerned at the situation and looked into James' record."
"You have friends in the firm?" my dad asked, surprised. He worked a lot with the one major firm in town, so he knew most of the people there.
"Well, not exactly," I said. "But that's not the issue right now. I will explain everything after."
They nodded and I leaned forward to place the manila folder in the middle of my father's desk. I'd reviewed the information in it beforehand and knew exactly what was in there.
"If I may, sir," I heard Jasper say from behind me. I didn't dare look back; I needed to keep my resolve. My father's hand paused over the folder and nodded to my friend. "I just wanted you to know that this is not just Bella who believes that James isn't who he claims to be. He was always the one to give half-baked excuses and charm his way out of a situation. None of this information comes as a surprise to me, but it may to you and others, unfortunately. I wanted to apologize for any false conclusions he may have led you to."
"Thank you, son. That is much appreciated," my father answered before returning his attention to the folder.
My parents spent a good five minutes looking over the information. My mother gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, when she saw the pictures of the injuries some of the girls had. My dad paid the most attention to the letter Victoria had included with the information she saved. I bit my lip as I waited for a reaction from them.
"Has he hit you?" my father asked, his voice icy as he set down the pages. My mother looked to be on the verge of tears as she waited for my answer.
"No, thankfully not," I said. They both let out sighs of relief. "But he has done it to others. He's never been openly aggressive to me, but he has never been alone with me for long enough, either. I don't feel safe around him."
My father nodded and went back to flipping through the information I'd given him. "Well, I suppose the next question would be how I can know this is all accurate information," he said. I was thrilled to note that he sounded as if he already believed me.
"My friend has connections with a very prestigious private investigator's office," I said. There was no way to get around telling them about Edward, but I wanted to delay it as long as possible.
"Who is this friend? Do we know him or his parents? Can we trust him?" my mother questioned.
"Of course we can trust him," I snapped. Then I sighed, not wanting to yell at my parents. "Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that we can trust him. I've known him for over three years and he has never done anything that would make me suspect him to be dishonest."
My father picked up on something in my tone that my mother obviously couldn't detect. Apparently he could tell I was leaving out some important information. "And just how did you meet this boy? What is his name?"
I sighed and played with the hem of the blouse I was wearing. "Edward saved me," I finally admitted. They both wore confused expressions when I looked up at them. It would be easiest to just explain everything. "Do you remember that night a few years ago when I came home with a torn dress and I told you I fell? Well, that was a bit of a lie."
I went on to explain that night in as much detail as I could manage. Alice leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me when I started getting to the tough parts, letting me go only when she felt me relax at the mention of Edward. My mother looked horrified that something like that could happen to me and my father looked downright murderous. I made sure to mention that Edward spared no expense in teaching me how to defend myself after that night.
"He's been the most wonderful friend," I finished with a smile.
Recognition flashed in my father's eyes and I knew I was done for. "The drawing," he breathed. "The one in your room. It's from him, isn't it?"
I nodded, sheepishly, not bothering to hide anything anymore.
My mother looked between my father and me before settling on me. She studied my expression for a minute before gasping. "You love him," she stated. There was no need to make it a question. I was sure it was written plainly across my face. "Is this the reason you want to get out of the engagement? Is this all a ploy so you can run off and be with that riffraff?" she added angrily.
"No!" I gasped. She didn't believe anything I'd just proven to her? "I've been telling you the truth! I can't be with James. Yes, I love Edward and want to be with him, but I knew that I didn't want this marriage – this life – long before Edward ever came into the picture."
"Then why is it only coming up now, hmm? You conveniently wait until you have a reason and then shove this in our faces?"
"Renee," my father cautioned, trying to make her see reason.
"No, I will not have her do this to me," she said, raising her voice. "After all we've done for her, she will not just throw this away!" She came around the desk and leaned down in my face. "You will marry James," she hissed. "You will marry him, and you will be content with your place."
Alice gasped behind me. She knew my mother was set in her ways, but none of us knew what she was capable of when she meant business. I would never complain about cake testing again.
"I will not," I answered defiantly. My father groaned, sensing that there was something bad coming. "Everything in my life up to this point has been about you, Mother. Every show, every dress, every party, every date has been for you. Sure, you've clothed me, had the servants feed me, done what you saw fit in raising me, but never once have you considered what was good for me."
Her expression grew more furious by the second, but I wasn't finished. The floodgates had been opened and I was powerless to stop them.
"You never once saw how everything affected me. You never cared if I wanted to do something else," I accused. "You had a plan and, goddammit, you were going to stick to that plan. But that was your plan, Mom. What about what I wanted?" My tone grew softer here as all the pieces finally clicked together in my head. "Nothing I did was ever good enough for you. I wanted to make you happy, but I couldn't. You wanted more than I could give. Why couldn't you just be happy for me?" My voice broke at the last question.
My mother looked stunned. Her mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water, searching for something to say. I could have sworn I saw a tear fall before she turned and hurried out of the room. I choked back a sob as my dad wrapped his arms around me.
"Shh, Bella, it's okay," he said, soothingly running his hands up and down my back.
By the time I'd cried myself to the point of exhaustion, I was curled up like a little girl on my father's lap. The room was empty except for the two of us. He must have finally figured out what I needed in a father.
"I remember when I used to do this for you when you were little," he whispered. "But your mother insisted that you couldn't be coddled anymore when she thrust you into those pageants. I didn't know how to react, so I backed off. I'm so sorry, Bella."
I curled further into him, silently forgiving him. After a while, I finally needed to speak. I needed to know what he was thinking.
"Daddy?" He softly hummed an acknowledgement. "You believe me, right?"
"Of course," he assured me. "If you hadn't meant it, you would have given up long before now. Your love for this Edward has nothing to do with you wanting to end your betrothal – well, it does, but that's not my point – it simply gave you the courage you needed to finally fight for you instead of trying to make everyone else happy. You needed that, and I am so proud of you, Bella."
"Thanks," I said with a small smile. I reluctantly moved off his lap having calmed down. "So what happens now?" I asked, curling up in the wingback chair in the corner.
"Well, I suspect I will have to calm your mother down and get her to see reason," he answered. "Then you need to tell James. We will invite them over for dinner tomorrow night, but you need to tell him."
I nodded solemnly. There was no way out of it. I knew I had would have to step up and claim responsibility.
"Once all of this blows over – and it will, Bella, I promise – I think it would be a good idea if we met this Edward," he said carefully.
To be honest, I'd expected it. I'd been waiting for my father to ask more about Edward. By finally realizing that I was still that little girl, he was finally being the father I always needed. With that, however, came the over-protectiveness that had been missing for a long time.
"You know he's not from any of the families Mother deems acceptable, right?"
"If he was, you wouldn't have been so hesitant to tell us about him, would you?"
He had a point. None of this would be an issue if Edward had been born into the right family. But none of that mattered to me, and I needed to make my mother see that.
"You'll get to meet him," I conceded. "But I have a few conditions."
"Conditions? My, my, Bella. You're getting demanding," my father teased.
I juvenilely stuck my tongue out at him. He just laughed and I knew it was safe to continue. "Well, first of all, I don't want Mother to be there the first time. It will be better for everyone involved if you can assess the situation first." He nodded, but there was still one more condition that I knew would make all the difference. "Also, I want to be able to pick where we meet."
"Why can't he just come over for dinner on a night when your mother has some function?" he questioned, clearly confused.
I sighed. "He's not used to this, Dad. He's used to the occasional fancy meal and minimal family contact. He's been rebuilding his life after a tough five years and it wouldn't be fair to thrust him into something completely new like this," I tried to explain.
My father, having stepped back into the protective role, noted the one thing I hoped he wouldn't. "Rebuilding? How much did he screw up to need to rebuild?"
"Daddy, he's not a bad person," I began.
"And that introduction makes me even more worried…"
"His parents were killed in a car crash," I stated. He grimaced and I knew he'd pay more attention now. "He was devastated. That one night ruined his life. He dropped out of college, got mixed up in drugs. He never got involved in alcohol because of the drunk driver that killed his parents…. By the time he finally started to get a hold on his own life, he saw himself as a monster. Everyone keeps telling me that the only reason he started changing was because of me. He quit smoking. He's clean of all the drugs. He finally went to see his family. I don't think he'll ever be the person he was before, but it doesn't matter. He'll never be perfect, but I don't care. He's perfect in his own right."
My father sat back in his chair with a sigh. This was a lot to take in at once. His daughter was in love with a complicated man. He had been a drug addict, but he was clean. He had been a shell of a man, but he was healing. I saw that he was still not sure of how to react.
"He loves me, Daddy," I added. "I've loved him longer than I want to admit. It just feels… right. Like everything just fits. At least give him a chance."
He finally nodded. "Alright. Just tell me where and when."
I ran over and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Thank you. Don't worry, you'll like him. I just know it."
"You're not the one that has to go talk to your mother about this now," he grumbled. I chuckled and went to leave, but he called my name again. "When your mother hasn't been able to reach you… have you been staying with him?"
"Yes," I admitted reluctantly. "But it's nothing like what you're thinking. There is no reason to clean off the shotgun."
"Just… be careful."
"I will," I promised. "Call my cell if you need me. I'll be back tomorrow. I just…. I can't stay tonight."
He nodded in understanding and kissed me on the cheek before sending me on my way.
I hurried up to my room only to be thrown backwards when Alice charged at me. Her arms swung around my waist and she practically squeezed me to death.
"I'm so sorry, Bella," she said frantically. "I would never have made you do any of this if I knew it was going to be like that!"
Jasper came over with a guilty smile and extracted his wife from my torso. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.
I nodded and went to sit on my bed. "I'm fine, honestly. My dad is being great about all of this. He even agreed to meet Edward somewhere other than here. It's just my mom I need to worry about."
"So everything went well?" Alice prodded.
"Well, it looks like we're having the Whitlocks over for dinner tomorrow," I said nonchalantly.
"And will this dinner include a talk with you and the bastard that chucked that rock on your finger?" she continued.
"In theory," I said. "It may just dissolve into a yelling match, but either way, I'm not going to bed with this thing on my finger tomorrow night."
"And tonight?" Jasper inquired.
I sighed and ran my fingers over the top edge of the frame with Edward's sketch. "I can't stay here," I whispered. "Would you mind driving me over to Edward's?"
Fifteen minutes later, I was saying goodbye to Jasper and Alice before sprinting up to Edward's door. I didn't tell him I was coming, but I knew he would be home. Hopefully he would be happy to see me.
I took a deep breath before knocking. No one answered right away, but I heard some hushed tones inside. After about a minute and a second knock, the door swung open to reveal Emmett's large form.
He looked confused when he first looked at me, but then his face broke into a smile as he swung me around in a huge bear-hug. "Baby Bell!" he exclaimed happily. "We expected a phone call, not a conjugal visit!"
"Emmett!" I heard Rosalie scold. "Put her down before you break her and stop making jokes like that."
I laughed as he finally put me down. "Hey guys, it's good to see you," I said, not daring to look for the one face I desperately needed to see.
Rosalie was looking back and forth between me and him. She sighed and nudged my face, forcing me to look at him. I nearly melted at the sight of him. He looked like a little boy who suspected that Santa wasn't real, but someone was about to confirm it. His eyes were trained on my left hand.
I was frozen in place, not knowing what to do. Was he mad at me? Did he not want to see me? Emmett and Rose looked happy enough to see me, but Edward looked almost broken.
"You still have his ring," he finally breathed.
I sighed internally, hoping that was the only problem. There was a simple solution to that.
"It will be gone tomorrow whether the asshole likes it or not," I stated.
Edward's head snapped up at that, his eyes meeting mine. They finally held some hope. It pained me that he even considered for a second that I would leave him. "Really?" he asked, needing the confirmation.
"Edward Anthony Masen Jr.," I said firmly, "I love you, not him, and if I had to spend one more second engaged to him, I would have thought about running away. As it stands," I added with a smirk. "My father is very interested in meeting you."
His smile shone brightly on his face as he rushed forward. He leaned down to pick me up, muting my squeal of surprise with his lips and urging me to wrap my legs around his waist. I pulled back after a few seconds to laugh at his exuberance.
"Thank god," Rose sighed. "We thought he was going to shut down."
"Looks like that won't be an issue, babe," Emmett laughed.
Edward was still holding me close to him, kissing every inch of my skin that he could reach and whispering how much he loved me. I savored the passion and longing behind his actions, but I needed him to calm down.
I threaded my fingers into his hair and pulled back. He continued to fight against me as I started whispering to him. "Edward, as much as I love this, and as much as I love you, you need to put me down," I said.
His lips connected with the juncture of my neck and shoulder and he started to suck at it. My breath hitched in my throat and he smiled slightly against my skin. The idiot was proud of himself.
"Edward," I tried again. He sucked harder and I had to restrain a moan. "Baby, Emmett is still here…. He looks like he's about to make popcorn and watch the show…."
That got his attention. He grudgingly helped me back onto the floor, but kept his arms around me. I was more than happy to allow him that; I didn't want to let him go either.
"Damn, I thought we were gonna get free porn," Emmett mumbled.
"Ew, Emmett!" I complained. "Grow up!"
"He never will," Rose lamented. "He'll always be an overgrown five-year old."
"So, Baby Bell, to what do we owe your presence?" Emmett questioned, trying to direct the attention away from himself.
We spent the next half hour going over what happened with my parents. Edward tensed up when I described my mother's reaction, but I distracted him with the discussion I had with my dad. Everyone seemed happy to know that I was on good terms with at least one member of my family.
Emmett and Rose finally left after I assured them more than once that everything was fine. They had no reason to be concerned anymore.
As soon as they closed the door, Edward wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap. I relaxed into his embrace, content to just be with him.
"This is so much better than a phone call," he murmured into my hair.
"I know," I replied. "I figured you'd be worried because of how nervous I was earlier, so I wanted to come in person. Plus, I couldn't stay in my house tonight. Not with my mother contemplating a trip to the courthouse to get me married off as soon as possible."
He cringed. "Is it really that bad?"
I sighed and curled into him further. "I don't know, to be honest," I admitted. "She acted like it was the end of the world, but Dad seems to think he can make her see reason. We'll see how that goes."
"But your dad's fine with it?"
"I'm not sure 'fine' is an appropriate word, but he seems to be accepting the change."
"And he wants to meet me?"
The waver in Edward's voice made me look up. He was trying to keep a calm exterior, but his eyes betrayed him. He looked nervous.
"Well, considering all the great stuff I've told him about you, I'm sure he's got some sort of hero worship for you," I teased. That got him to laugh, but his eyes still held some anxiety. "Seriously, Edward, this is a good thing. If he didn't want to meet you, it would mean that he didn't care. I'll be there the whole time and we're not even going to be at my house."
He looked confused by that and I explained the deal I'd struck with my father. Edward relaxed as I explained the situation. This wasn't just about him, this was about me and helping my dad learn about me.
"So, any idea when or where this will happen?" Edward asked.
"Where else would it be? He needs to meet Jake and the boys eventually," I laughed. Just the thought of introducing my father to a few gay boys was hilarious. Edward seemed to agree and joined in my laughter. "As for when, I'll let you know. Maybe this weekend after everything blows over or something."
We spent the next hour or so just talking. Edward wanted to make sure that I was ready for everything. He knew how worried I was about approaching my parents with the information, but actually talking to James was going to be the hardest part of the process.
But still, I wasn't worried. I'd come to the conclusion that I didn't need to worry about it. Edward was my life now. James no longer had any control over me and I couldn't let him gain it back. I needed to inform him that I was done, and I couldn't leave any room for argument.
I spent that night wrapped in Edward's arms. That was starting to be the only place that I could fall asleep. Spending so much time with him was spoiling me.
Jasper came to pick me up the next day before lunch. Edward didn't want to let me go, but I wasn't making it easy either. I kept sneaking in little kisses whenever I could. By the time Jasper got there, I was curled in Edward's lap on the couch, refusing to move.
The car ride home was quiet. I only asked Jasper if he and Alice would be at dinner, but he cautiously admitted that they already had plans with one of his colleagues. I nodded, resigned to the fact that I really did have to deal with this on my own.
I passed the time before dinner in my room. My attention was split between the ring I was hoping to get off my finger and the sketch on my bedside table. I didn't bother hiding it anymore because I couldn't deal with hiding what I felt for Edward.
A few hours after lunch, there was a gentle knock on my door. I turned around to see my mother hesitating in the doorway. I'd avoided my parents when I came home, only alerting my father to my arrival. I had no idea how their talk went the night before, so I had no idea what to expect.
"You can come in," I said, gesturing for her to sit down.
She sat on the edge of my bed while I sat against the headboard. Neither of us said anything right away.
"I see where you're coming from," she finally said. My brow furrowed, but I didn't say anything in the hope that she would continue. "I don't agree with your decision to end the engagement, but I understand your reasoning at least to an extent."
"I wasn't really ever asking for your input," I mumbled. "Shit, that came out wrong…."
"No," she chuckled. "That's rather close to what I expected. I realize after last night that you don't particularly appreciate the way I raised you, but you need to understand that that's how I was raised. I never saw an issue with it, but with the times changing as they are I can understand how you would. When I was little, I just wanted to have a little girl that got even better than I did. It's taken me a very long time to realize just how good I have it with your father. He always treated me like a princess and I took it for granted. When we watched you and James, it looked like that. We really thought this would be a good match for you."
I shrugged and wrapped my arms around my legs. "I didn't want to disappoint you," I said.
She nodded and sighed. "I know that now. But you have to know that we never saw any reason to doubt how he treated you until recently," she said. "We never thought this was a bad match."
"It was in theory," I admitted. "Everything seemed like it would work. But no one anticipated James turning into a quasi-abuser."
"Did he ever hurt you?" she asked quietly.
"No. Nothing more than little comments here and there," I assured her. "He just likes the control he has over me. He wanted me to be one of those 1950s housewives, and that's just not me. I want to do something with my life, Mom. I want to go to college, maybe get a degree in business or something. I can't be the girl you want me to be."
Renee Swan, my stoic, closely guarded mother turned to me with tears in her eyes. "I don't want to force you into anything," she said. "I guess I never realized how much I was hurting you. You obviously love this boy, this… Edward, and it would be a shame to ruin that."
I was taken aback by her change of heart. After her outburst the night before, I didn't expect anything but animosity from her regarding my decision to end the engagement and I wasn't sure that I fully trusted this switch.
"I'll admit that I don't really trust your sudden jump to my side of the bandwagon," I said after a few seconds, "but I'm hoping that this is genuine. So thank you."
She nodded, but didn't say anything else as she left me to myself.
The ring on my finger seemed to gain weight as the day progressed. What used to feel like an insignificant rock finally felt like it meant something. It symbolized the union I'd always dreamt of, but with the wrong person. No, this ring was the final thing tying me to the life my mother planned out for me.
I wanted it gone as soon as possible.
The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. Edward made a point to call me to see how I was doing. He reminded me that he loved me all throughout our conversation. It was sweet, cheesy, and exactly what I needed at that moment.
I made the choice to not wear a dress like my mother always expected and threw on a nice pair of jeans with a blouse Alice had given me. It was a slightly more obvious representation of my newfound control over my own life.
I joined my father in his study once he came home from work. He did a double take when he saw what I was wearing, but only commented that it looked nice. We spent the time going over exactly what I would say to James so as not to go about it in a disrespectful manner. I could give the bastard that much and not stoop to his level.
The sound of the doorbell jolted me out of a daydream. Sadly, that meant it was time to face my fears. Hopefully everything would go smoothly, but I was determined to make it out free to be with Edward.
"Renee! How wonderful to see you!" I heard Mrs. Whitlock in the foyer.
"Charles, did you hear about that new merger across town? Dreadful for business nowadays, just dreadful," Mr. Whitlock drawled to my father. In all my life, I'd never heard that man talk about anything other than work and football.
"Please, come in and sit," my mother told them with a smile, ushering them into the living room.
"Ah, Isabella," Mrs. Whitlock greeted me, kissing the air to either side of my face.
She'd only developed that trait after visiting Europe two summers ago. Alice and I had often groaned to each other when she entered a room, finding the gesture to be fake and pretentious. As much as we admired the woman, she was first and foremost a social climber.
"Great to see you, Mrs. Whitlock," I answered warmly.
Mr. Whitlock gave me a curt nod in greeting before he and my father huddled in the corner to talk about the apparently important merger. James was the last to enter, acting the charmer in front of my mother as usual.
"Ah, Isabella," he said when he saw me. It was anything but a warm greeting. He sounded like he was talking to a four year old. "Oh, have you run out of your dresses already? Well, we'll have to get you some new ones, then. I was sure my sister-in-law had bought you some new ones just last week. No problem. We'll go out tomorrow."
I put on my best smile. "Alice bought me three new dresses last week, actually," I admitted. "But I thought I'd try something different tonight. I just wasn't in the mood for a dress."
His brow furrowed and he must have noticed my mother's groan. It was hard to miss. I almost regretted not changing into a dress, but the confusion on James' face was well worth it.
"I suppose it looks alright," he stated. "A little cheap, but at least you don't look like one of those girl on the corners with their rears hanging out."
"Well, isn't that wonderful," I mumbled tersely. "Actually, James, I was hoping I could talk to you about something in private," I added at a normal volume.
"But of course," he agreed.
I politely excused us from our parents and led James out of the room. My father gave me an encouraging smile as I passed him, but my mother looked less than thrilled at having to break the news to Mrs. Whitlock.
"What is it this time? Did you change your mind on the color scheme? Do we have to change everything now?" he asked as I led him to the formal parlor.
He stopped when we entered the room, but I kept going until I stood in front of the bookshelves on the opposite side, putting as much space between us as I could manage.
I started to open my mouth to answer his questions, but nothing came out. Everything I'd gone over with my father was completely wiped from my brain.
"Isabella? You look pale," he said, coming over to me to get a closer look. I put my hand up to stop him and backed away to where he was previously standing. Thankfully, he didn't try to follow me. "What's going on? As your future husband, I have a right to know what is going on in your life. You have an obligation to tell me." His words were clipped short, accenting his point.
"I'm not marrying you," I blurted out.
I felt a huge amount of satisfaction when his jaw visibly dropped. He obviously never thought I could do this. Of course, there had been no reason for me to do it in his eyes. He believed this match was perfect.
"W-what?" he sputtered. "What are you talking about? That ring on your finger means that you are indeed marrying me."
"I'm not marrying you," I repeated. My voice was stronger than before. "I can't marry you." I took a deep breath before I was able to continue. The proverbial floodgates were finally open and I just said what I felt I needed to say. "My entire life has been about others. I was taught to care about what society thought of me and live in a perfect life from that aspect, never straying from the vision of what they wanted me to be. I would become a housewife. I would marry into a wealthy family. I would bear however many children my husband wanted. I would live up to the expectations of my parents and grandparents. But in the past few years – the past few months, really – my view on the world has changed. Originally, I thought that all I needed was to make my parents happy and I would be happy. But then I saw what Alice and Jasper have and I started to realize that there was more to life than social status."
I forced myself to leave out any mention of Edward, but he was definitely in the foreground of my thoughts. The memories of his kisses and the feeling of his arms around me surged through my mind, and I continued with a new determination.
"When they got married, I figured they were just like any other socialite couple and just happened to have a deeper connection. I figured that if I was to get engaged that I could grow to love him and live the life that was expected of me. I didn't really grasp what they had at first. They are truly happy and truly love each other. I want that.
"I've realized that I can't allow myself to be married without that connection, without that love. I can't see how some lying, cheating player like you could ever dream of giving me that happiness. For the first time in my life, I know I deserve more than you. I deserve batter. I deserve to be loved for who I really am and not who society turned me into."
James stared at me incredulously, as if I would suddenly laugh it all off as a joke. That wasn't going to happen. I stayed silent for a minute, letting what I said sink in and giving him a window of opportunity to react. He didn't.
I slid the large diamond ring off my finger and gently set it on the coffee table between us. "I'm done," I said simply.
With that, I turned and walked back to the living room on my own. The scene that I found was surprising to say the least. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock were seated on the sofa opposite my own parents, but it looked pleasant. Nothing looked tense or strained. There was no yelling or arguing.
Mrs. Whitlock smiled when she saw me come back. She hurried over to give me a hug. "Aw, honey," she said soothingly when she noticed my worried expression. "We're not upset. We want you to be happy and if that won't happen with our son, so be it."
"Thank you," I replied sincerely. "That means a lot."
We heard loud footsteps approaching and looked to see James approaching us. He paused to take in the sight of his mother's arm around my shoulders before moving past us into the living room. He joined his father on the sofa and immediately began a conversation about work.
He looked tense, more so than usual. Every once in a while, his eyes flashed to me and I saw his fists clench. For the most part, he did manage to control his temper. The only thing that betrayed his calm was his refusal to even discuss anything to do with me, the end of the engagement, or how that would affect our families. This lasted all through dinner.
When Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock decided to call it a night, James curtly bid both my parents goodnight and fled the area. His mother gave me a weak smile and lightly patted my cheek on the way out. His father muttered a short "Take care" and quickly kissed my forehead. He'd never been one to show affection, but he never failed to make Alice and me feel like we were part of the family.
"So, I'm thinking that not all went well with James," my father said when we were alone.
I shrugged. "He didn't really react while I was in the room," I replied. "He seemed too shocked to process it. But he didn't seem too happy about it after."
"You didn't have to spring it on the poor boy," my mother protested.
"I think it was better this way, to be perfectly honest," I said. "Didn't you always say it was better just to rip the band-aid off instead of going bit by bit? This is kind of like that. Besides, he probably wouldn't believe me otherwise."
"Just know that this may not be a simple thing. It may not go away easily," she said.
I nodded, but didn't offer anything else. "Do you need me to stay here tonight, or can I leave for the night?"
My mother sighed and gave a sweeping gesture, resigned that I would be leaving anyway. My father just chuckled, knowing I was ready to bolt.
"One question," he asked when I turned to leave. "Do I need to beat him up for deflowering my little girl?"
I rolled my eyes. "Nice, Dad. You know me better than that."
Twenty minutes later, I was walking up to Edward's door. I didn't want to bother Alice and Jasper because they had plans and it was only a few blocks. I made sure to stay in the well lit, populated areas with my cell phone out just in case. Edward would never forgive me for forgetting the lessons he taught me over and over. It was still early enough that there were still people around and I made it there quickly and safely.
I was slightly out of breath when I knocked on the door. There was scuffling and a muffled thud before the door opened to reveal a ruffled Edward. He looked like he'd just woken up.
"Bella," he whispered.
A smile broke across my face at the sound of his voice. "It's over," I said.
His eyes widened and shot down to see the lack of a ring on my left hand. When he met my gaze again, his smile was brilliant. He pulled me into his arms and buried his face in the crook of my neck, peppering my skin with kisses.
I knotted my fingers in his hair and reveled in his exuberance. "It's over," I repeated quietly with a smile on my face.
AN: This is not the end, people. I've got big plans for this and I hope you all stick around to read about them. Please let me know what you think about this chapter! Making it to double digits with reviews for this chapter will get a teaser.
Next chapter: Edward meets the esteemed Mr. Swan.
This month is full of work, so I doubt I will be able to post in a timely manner, but I will try. Check my profile for updates! :)
-Kaylee