Chapter Three: Want You to Know

Bella's POV

"Bella? Sweetie?" Mom asked as she knocked on the door to the bathroom. I had been in there for over an hour, but I was just frozen. I couldn't stop staring at the plus sign on the pregnancy test I'd taken. My life was just turned upside down and the worst part was...the father was Jake. I hadn't slept with anyone since getting back from Florida and he was the only one all summer.

I was just a fling to him and he'd just changed my life forever.

"Just a sec!" I cried as I washed my hands and turned the door knob. "What's up?"

"Are you okay, Bells?" She asked and I bit my lip so I wouldn't start crying again. I handed her the pregnancy test because I couldn't even bear to say what was wrong. "Oh, sweetie." She cried and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Jake's the father, mom." I cried. "What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, sweetie." She sobbed. "I don't know."

"I should call Jake." I whispered as I lifted my head. As much as I hated the situation I was in, he was the father. Whether he wanted to be involved was up to him, but he had the right to know. Honestly, I wasn't even sure if I wanted him to be involved. He didn't deserve it.

"What, Bella?" He groaned over the phone. It was the first time I'd heard his voice since August, which was three months ago.

"Jake?" I asked and I tried holding back the tears, but it wasn't working very well.

"I thought we weren't going to do this?" He sighed and I remembered then how much I actually hated him.

"I'm pregnant." I blurted out and there was silence. "And, it's yours." Silence. "Anyway, you don't have to be involved or anything but I thought you should know." Silence. "So, you can do what you want."

"How do I know your're telling the truth?" He asked. "How do I know this isn't a ploy to get me to be in your life again."

"Trust me, Jake." I seethed. "I would never want you in my life again."

"I don't get it," He sighed. "We used condoms."

"Condoms break." I shrugged. "You don't have to answer now, but I just needed to tell you."

"What do you expect me to do, Bella?" He asked. "I'm three thousand miles away."

"I don't expect anything." I told him honestly. "As I said before, you needed to know." I whispered. "Bye, Jake." I said an hung up the phone. I looked up and saw my mom standing in the doorway, giving me a sympathetic look.

"I'm so sorry this is happening, Bells." She whispered as she came over and brushed the hair out of my face. "But, we're going to be here for you...whatever it is you choose to do."

"I wanna keep it." I said instantly placing my hand on my stomach. I didn't realize how round it had been getting, but knowing that I was pregnant, I noticed it instantly. "I just couldn't imagine carrying him or her for nine months and then watching someone else raise it."

"I understand," She nodded as she kissed my forehead. I heard the front door open and I jumped. Telling my mom was one thing, but telling dad was a different story. He wasn't as understanding and to him, I was still playing tea party with my stuffed animals.

"Come on," She smiled. "There's no time like the present."

"But tomorrow sounds better to me." I smiled as we stood up. I took a deep breath as we walked downstairs. Dad was in the kitchen, stealing a cookie mom had made for after dinner.

"There are my girls." He smiled as he leaned in and gave my mom a kiss. He looked up and gave me a big smile, the same smile he gave me everyday when he came home. "What's wrong, Bella?" He asked, his smile dropping. "You look like you've been crying."

"Dad, you should sit." I whispered. "I have something I need to tell you."

Five Months Later

"I can't do this." I cried after fourteen hours of labor. The contractions had been getting closer together and more painful as it progressed, and I couldn't imagine going any longer. "Mom, I can't."

"You can, baby." She smiled as she held my hand tight. "Just think of that beautiful baby girl."

"It hurts." I wined. I was absolutely exhausted. It was a school day so of course, I'd been up since six o'clock. I had also gone into labor in the middle of sixth period to make matters worse. I wasn't just the pregnant girl, I was the pregnant girl who had to be rushed to the hospital after her water broke in the middle of AP English.

"You gotta do this, Bella." Dad told me. He had taken the pregnancy harder than I did, but he was there every step of the way. He was with me at every doctor appointment and he was the one who helped me settle on a name for her. "Because, I'm dying to meet her."

"Knock, knock." A cheerful voice sang as the door opened. I looked up to see Alice walking into the room. "How're you doing, Bells?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I told you to go home."

"I'm taking a personal day." She giggled. "I had to be here when she got here."

"Well, you might as well just go back to bed and go to school because she's never coming out." I cried as tears filled in my eyes again. I'd been crying for fourteen hours and if being in labor wasn't enough, I'd been crying through the entire thing. But, before anyone could argue, there was another knock at the door.

"Come in," I called and the door opened and I couldn't believe who was standing there. "Jake?"

"Hi, Bella." He said as he looked around the room. I could see dad's face turning red and mom just shook her head at him. He showed no interest in me or this baby before and I had no clue why he was here.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I tried sitting up in the bed.

"I heard you were in labor." He shrugged. "I tried getting here earlier, but the flight I originally got was canceled so I had to wait until later."

"How'd you find out?" I asked.

"I...may have texted him from your phone." Alice said sheepishly. "I didn't think he was going to show up, but I thought he might like to know." She said. "I'm sorry,"

"It's fine." I told her. "You're not coming in the delivery room with me." I told him. "And, my family and friends get to see her before you do, but...you can stay to see her."

"Okay," He nodded. "Can I talk to you though?" He asked. "Alone?"

"No." Dad said. "I think you should wait outside. We'll get you when we're ready."

"Fine," Jake whispered as he turned to walk out of the room. "It's a girl?"

"Yeah," I smiled and I couldn't miss the big smile that appeared on his face as he left the room.

"The nerve of that kid." Dad sighed as he took a sip of his drink.

Three hours later and it was finally time to push. It was complete hell. I'd never been in more pain and I couldn't understand why woman actually had more than one kid on purpose. I think I might have broken my dad's hand I was squeezing it so hard.

But, when I heard that beautiful first cry of my daughter, everything was worth it. The weight gain, being called 'easy', and the seventeen hours of labor. It was all worth it.

"Congratulations, mom." Dr. Long cooed as she placed her in my arms. I looked down at her and cried tears of joy. She was so perfect and pink and then I understood why women had more than one kid on purpose. This was the best feeling.

I was wheeled to recovery with my beautiful baby girl. I just couldn't get enough of her and she was only thirty minutes old.

"Do we have a name for her?" The nurse asked.

"Ava." I smiled. "Ava Jane." I smiled, looking up at my mother who was biting her lip to keep from crying. They knew about the name Ava, but Jane was a complete surprise to them both.

"What a pretty name." The nurse smiled as she finished filling out the paperwork and left us alone. My parents took their turn holding her until Alice, Mike, and Rosalie came into the room. Alice was a natural, Rosalie looked like a fish out of water, and Mike just wanted to look at her.

Finding out I was pregnant was probably the scariest thing I'd ever dealt with. But, as I looked around and saw the people surrounding Ava and I, I knew I had nothing to worry about. I had people to help me, people to love us and I couldn't have been luckier.

Not many eighteen year olds can say that after getting pregnant.

"I think someone should go get Jake." I whispered after a while. As much as I hated it, I told him he could see her. I wanted to stick to my word.

"I'll go." Alice offered before giving Ava a kiss and leaving the room. Rosalie and Mike said goodbye and when Jake got to the room, Mom dragged Dad to get some coffee.

"You good?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, go." I smiled. Jake was standing in the corner of the room when she left and I just couldn't help but stare are him. "Why are you here? I mean, I haven't heard a word from you since I told you I was pregnant and now...you're here. Why?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "When I got that message, I just kind of found myself driving to the airport. I didn't even pack a bag." He laughed. "Can I?" He asked. I hadn't even noticed how close he'd gotten.

"Sure," I nodded. He gave me a smile and reached into the bassinet. "Careful of her head." I warned and he nodded, gently sliding his hand under her small head.

"Wow," He whispered as he looked down at her.

"You're not going to be apart of her life." I told him. He looked up at me like he was confused of why I would say that. "You didn't want anything to do with me after the summer and you've shown no interest at all in her until now."

"She's my daughter," He argued. He was right. She was half his. Biologically. I didn't care at this point, he'd end up breaking her heart just like he'd broken mine.

"Yes, biologically." I said. "But, you haven't been here for her or for me and I don't want you in her life." I told him. I knew I sounded selfish, but until he carried a human inside of him, he couldn't argue with me. I had a bond with her and no one would break that. "When and if she's ready, she can contact you. I won't stop her if she wants to know you, but until then...you're a ghost to her."

"I'll fight this," He argued.

"And I'll just tell the court how you used me, knocked me up, and then gave me no help after you found out."

"Bella," He whispered.

"It's time for you to go, Jake." I heard my dad say sternly as he stood at the doorway. Jake was smart enough to know not to fight with him so he gave Ava a kiss on the forehead and reluctantly handed her to me.

"How does keeping a girls father away from her solve anything?" He asked before leaving. I looked down at my sleeping daughter and she was the only thing keeping me together.

"Your'e doing the right thing." Dad told me as he came and sat down on the bed. "You thought you could trust him and you couldn't. Ava would think the same thing and one day, he'll just disappear."

"But, what if he's right?" I asked. "What does keeping him from her solve? She'll just be heartbroken when she sees all the girls with their dads."

"Yeah, but what happens if he's an amazing dad to her one day, and then he gets a knew family?" He asked. "Honey, he can't be trusted and you're smart enough to know that."

"Then why do I have this gut feeling that I'm wrong?" I asked as Ava stirred in the blanket. I wanted her to have everything she ever wanted. I wanted to give her the world, but I was starting her life by taking away the most important man in her life.

"WELCOME HOME!" The crowd of people shouted as I walked through the front door to my house, three days after having Ava. I looked around and burst into tears. The doctors said it was normal for me to be overly emotional for a few days after having the baby, but I still felt like an idiot.

"Thank you so much." I sobbed as I hugged Alice. After hugging everyone, I went upstairs to put Ava in her crib. After I was positive she was fast asleep, I grabbed the monitor and went back downstairs.

"So, when did Jake leave?" Mike asked as him, Alice and I stood around the table with all the food on it.

"Yesterday afternoon." I sighed. "Am I doing the right thing?"

"Yeah," Rosalie smiled. "Hurting you was one thing, but if he would hurt Ava...that would be even worse."

"I just have this gut feeling..."

"Bella," Mile stopped me. "He isn't worth it. He'd be around for a while and when he got board, he would leave." He whispered. "Just like what happened down in Florida."

"Plus, it isn't like he was going to move all the way up here." Alice shrugged. "If Ava wants him, you can help her find him. Until them, just worry about her."

The afternoon was one of the funnest I'd had in a while. For the first time in a while, I was able to eat what I wanted and since I wasn't breast feeding, I was able to drink real coffee again. Being surrounded by people made me feel a lot better about having a baby senior year. Sure, I missed out on Spring Break down in California and I spent my free periods at doctors appointments and pregnancy books, but having Ava was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.

"Thanks so much for this," I smiled at my three best friends as they got ready to leave. I watched as they piled into Mike's car and went upstairs to check on Ava. I'd spent countless hours crying on my moms shoulder, fearing I'd be a bad mother and I wouldn't know what to do. But, just like she said, the minute she was born I became a mother and I just knew when she needed me and when she needed to sleep.

When I got into my room and walked over to the crib, her eyes were wide opened. She was staring at the mobile I had when I was a baby and she was just so perfect. I gently lifted her out of the crib and began walking around the room with her while mom prepared her bottle.

"You don't know just how special you are," I cooed. "Do you, baby girl?" I asked and I swear I saw her smile at me.

"It's an amazing feeling, isn't it?" Mom asked as she came into my room with the bottle. "Holding the baby that you created."

"Yeah," I sighed as Ava sucked on the bottle.

"You don't have to do what you said you'd do." She whispered as she played with my ponytail. "Jake can be involved."

"No," I argued.

"Bella, you want him to be involved." She sighed. "Deep down, you do. Because you know that this is his daughter too and no girl should go without a father."

"He broke my heart, how do I know he won't do the same with her?"

"He flew here to see her for the first time right after she was born." She reminded me. "If he didn't want her, he wouldn't have done that."

"How is it even going to work though?" I asked. "He's not going to move and I'm not going anywhere."

"You two will work something out." She smiled before kissing my forehead and leaving us alone. I finished feeding and burping Ava before rocking her back to sleep. As much as I hated to admit it, Mom was right. Ava deserved to have her father, even if I didn't want him in her life. So, when I knew she was asleep, I grabbed my phone and the monitor and headed up to the roof.

"Hi," He said once he finally answered.

"You can be apart of her life." I whispered. "But, I swear Jake if you hurt her I will hunt you down and kill you."

"I won't hurt her!" He argued. "I get it, I was a fucking ass to you but this is my daughter." He reminded me. "It's different."

"It better be." I told him.

"So, how do we do this?" He asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. When he decided to leave me alone after telling him, I was kind of relieved. I knew it was going to be a mess if you tried putting us together again after what happened. But, this needed to be done so we had to suck it up for our daughter.

For Ava.

"I have no clue," I shrugged.