Chapter 13: The Way it Used to be

Edward was sitting on his couch when Tanya came in. "Hey Eddie," she greeted smiling. She kissed him briefly when he let out a sigh.

"Tanya, we need to talk," he informed.

"Oh I have to talk to you too. My parents are coming into town…" she started.

Edward moved his fingers through his hair. "Tanya…I think I should find my own place," he told her. Her smile disappeared as fast as it came.

"What? Why?" She asked.

He stared at her, letting out a sigh. "It's her isn't it?" She asked. He kept quiet. "Oh I see, just because she comes into your life and says the kid is yours you're suddenly wanting to go back to her," she commented.

"I want to be near my daughter, Tanya. She is mine, you can't deny that when you look at her," he answered.

"You listen here Edward Cullen, I won you fair and square, you're not her boyfriend anymore," she hissed.

Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm not a trophy," he answered. He got up went into the bedroom to grab his things.

"You're not serious!" she gasped.

"Does it look like I'm serious?" He asked as he started throwing things into a bag.

Tanya let out hiss. "She's nothing but a whore and you still want her! I hear you say her name at night in your sleep," she hissed. Edward spun around and pushed her against the wall.

"Don't you ever call Bella that again," he snapped.

He grabbed his bags. "Goodbye Tanya," He told her before leaving the apartment.

As soon as the door closed, Edward heard her let out a scream and something crashed into the door. Now he had another problem, he had nowhere to go.

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Edward pulled up to an apartment, closing his eyes. "I have to be desperate to be doing this," he muttered. He got out of the car and walked up the steps to the front door, knocking once he reached it. He waited a couple of minutes and the door opened.

"Well, this is a surprise," Rosalie commented, her arms crossed over her chest.

Edward sighed, closing his eyes. "Rosalie I am the scum of this earth for leaving Bella behind. I'm a selfish bastard and this selfish bastard needs a place to stay," he told her.

"I don't know," she answered, tapping her foot on the floor.
"Come in Edward," Emmett said from behind Rosalie.

Rosalie stepped aside and Edward grabbed his bags, going into their house. "As long as you can handle screaming in a week," Emmett commented.

"Don't worry about it," Edward answered, setting his bags down.

Edward sat down on the couch and Rosalie disappeared into the kitchen while Emmett sat across from him. "Alright Emmett what do you have to say?" He asked.

"One thing's for sure if it weren't for me I can guarantee your ass will be out on the street," Emmett replied.

"I've been a good father to Renesmee since I found out about her, are you guys going to keep punishing me?" He asked.

"That's not the point. The point is you hurt my baby sister. Never in my life did I see Bella cry. You left and she cried for months. We couldn't even mention your name without her bursting into tears," Emmett replied.

Edward closed his mouth, rubbing his hands together. "However, Bella's happy, and she seems to be on good terms with you. I'll be good terms with you Edward, as long as you don't hurt her again and do what you promised me six years ago," he explained.

"What?" Edward asked.

"Protect her when I can't," Emmett replied.

"What about her new boyfriend?" Edward asked.

"Between you and me I don't trust this guy," he replied.

Edward was silent, closing his eyes. "Emmett, I would do anything to take back all the things I did and said to your sister. It's because of me she's with this guy," he muttered.

"And I know you'll be the one to pull her out of this. She thinks she likes the guy, but she doesn't look at him like the way she still looks at you," Rosalie said coming out of the kitchen.

Edward moved to a chair so his sister could have the couch. "And we see the way you still look at her," she added, letting out a deep breath as she got herself situated.

"Kid giving you troubles?" Edward chuckled.
"You try carrying around a watermelon for nine months and then tell me how it feels," she answered.

Emmett got up and moved pillows behind her back and under her feet. Rosalie let out a deep breath, her hand on her stomach. "Anyways, Edward, she loves you yet, it's obvious," she told him.

"I can hardly get her to speak to me," Edward answered.

"You're slowly gaining her trust back," she told him.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, exhausted. "She loves you though. Don't know why but she does," she said tiredly.

"Just rest Rose," Emmett told her quietly putting the blanket over her.

Rosalie closed her eyes and sleep claimed her. Emmett gestured to go outside and Edward followed him.

Edward stood outside, leaning against the railing of the porch. Emmett sat down on the chair there letting out a sigh. "I don't like how James looks at my sister. He looks at her like she's something to eat and it disturbs me to no end," he explained. He looked over at his sister's ex-boyfriend. "Protect her Edward, keep an eye on her because you see Rosalie I can't watch my sister like a hawk like I used to," he commented.

"I'll make sure she's safe Emmett, I promise," Edward answered.

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Edward woke up to the sound of his cell phone going off. He reached over and grabbed it. "Hello?" He answered half asleep.

"Edward?" Bella asked scared.

"Yeah, it's me what's going on?" He asked.

"My car broke down and I'm trapped in the middle of nowhere, I hardly have phone reception," she replied.

"Where are you?" He asked getting up.

Bella told him where she was and he grabbed some clothes out off his duffle. "I'm coming just hold on," he reassured her before hanging up. He grabbed his keys and hurried down the stairs, towards his car.

He drove about a half hour when he found Bella standing on the side of the road in the rain. He pulled up and opened the passenger's side door. She got into the car, rubbing her hands together. "What were you doing all the way out here at three in the morning?" He asked.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied.

Edward glanced at her and started driving. "You were always a bad liar Bells," he pointed out. She let out a sigh.

"Okay, I was supposed to meet James somewhere but I got lost," she muttered, rubbing her arms to shake the cold.

Edward stopped the car and pulled off his jacket. "Here," he told her as he pulled his jacket around her.

"Thanks…" she said quietly.

Edward put the car back into drive and drove off again. "Why are you with this guy?" He asked. Bella shrugged.

"He's a kind man," she answered.

He closed his mouth, staring straight at the road. "Bella…I know you won't start trusting me yet…but James is not a good person," he told her. She remained quiet staring out the window. "I don't want you dating him Bella…" he started.

"Stop the car Edward," she told him.

"What?" He asked.

"Stop the car I'll walk home!" She exclaimed.

Edward pulled over and Bella got out, throwing his jacket back at him. Edward got out of the car and went after her. "Since I left you've made stupider decisions than you did when we were together!" he exclaimed.

"What are you saying? I'm dumb now?" She asked angrily.

"No! Your decisions are dumb! I'd rather you date Jacob, Tyler, or even Mike than this guy! At least those guys would give a damn about you!" he answered.

Bella continued walking and Edward ran after her. "Do you want to know why I left?! Besides the fact I thought you were cheating on me with Jacob?" He asked grabbing her arm. Bella ripped her arm from his grasp..

"I don't really care anymore," she told him.

She kept walking away, stuffing her hands in her pocket. "I left because I thought if you wanted Jacob more than me then I should've left you with someone that you cared about! Someone who I know loved you since you were kids! I left because I thought it was the right thing to do!" He called out to her. She turned around and looked at him. "What happened to the Bella that I fell in love with in high school?" He asked.

"She died when you left!" She replied angrily, but her voice cracked as she spoke.

Edward walked over to her. "Bella, I'll be begging for your forgiveness forever and I know I have to. I hurt you, I hurt you in the worse way possible and I wish I could tell you how sorry I truly am…" he started. Bella was stunned when Edward dropped to his knees, holding the hem of her jacket in his hands. "And I'm dead too, I killed myself," he told her, his voice wavering. He pressed his forehead against the spot right above her knees. "I'm dead, Bella, the Edward you knew died the same day the Bella I knew died," he admitted. "I know I hurt you and nothing in the world can change it. I'm trying and the first thing I had to do was step up and be a father and I have been trying," he said quietly.

Bella bit her lower lip and she found herself moving her fingers through his hair. She felt his tears soaking into her pants. She sunk down on her knees in front of him, tears showing in her own eyes. "The worse part of all of this Bella is that I'm still in love with you," he confessed. Bella placed her hands on his face, staring into his tear filled emerald green eyes. "I love you more than my life," he whispered. He pressed his forehead to hers. "I would die for you," he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her.

Bella let out a deep breath, closing her eyes. "I wish it was the way it used to be," he whispered.

"It can't be," she answered.

She pulled away and stood up. "It just can't," she told him. Edward stood up from the ground.

"Bella…" he started.

Bella stared at him. "I don't love you anymore," she told him walking away. Edward stood there in disbelief.