Chapter Nineteen: Better Than the Best

Bella's POV

"Mommy, this is perfect!" Ava squealed when I walked her into the backyard. By some miracle, I was able to get everything on my list checked off. I knew Ava would have been happy with a small party and some good cake, but it was amazing seeing her smile so big.

"I'm glad, sweetie." I smiled as she ran into my arms.

"Thank you so much!" She said into my ear before letting go and running over to look at all the decorations. Rosalie was a lifesaver, as usual, and managed to get into contact with a party planner she knew. Rosalie told me that it was her gift to Rosalie to pay for the decorations the planner found and I just accepted the help.

Things had been going a lot smoother since the accident I'd gotten myself into. I managed to actually make a schedule that worked between my parents and I, along with Mrs. Hale. I was getting the same amount of hours, but I was also able to squeeze in my college classes.

Edward was a big part of that as well. If it weren't for him, I probably would have broken down sooner, and I was just thankful he didn't get sick of me and leave. I watched as he stood with Ava as she looked at the giant Sofia the First piñata. I loved that Ava was as big of a part of this relationship that I was.

Once Ava was finished looking around, I took her hand and pulled her into the house to await her party guests. They all seemed to arrive at once and soon enough, the party was in full swing. Most of the moms stayed to help me serve the kids lunch and help with games, and I was honestly really lucky.

When I signed Ava up for preschool, I was nervous for the set of mothers who would be judging me. I was nervous for the looks and the whispers behind my back, but to my surprise that never happened. There were a few moms who snubbed me for getting pregnant in high school, but for the most part they were really helpful. Most of them were older, so I never found myself wanting to hang out with them on the weekend, but for Ava's sake it was good having them.

Most of them hadn't even really noticed Edward and I were dating. We didn't make it very obvious, but it wasn't a secret that we were together. They all seemed to just look away and not even bat an eye at the fact. But, Jessica was relentless and if her kid wasn't one of Ava's good friends, I would have punched her already for the way she continued to flirt with Edward.

"The party's great, Bells." Edward smiled as he came to stand next to me.

Yeah, it really is." I agreed as I watched Ava interact with her friends. They were all having a great time, even though it wasn't anything elaborate like Jason's bouncy house party. "Look at that smile."

"She definitely got her mother's teeth." Edward laughed and I punched him in the arm for it. "I'm kidding."

"Uh-huh." I smirked as my phone buzzed in my back pocket. I looked at the message and walked away from Edward, into the main house. I took a deep breath before answering the door, knowing exactly who I would be face to face with. I slowly swung the door opened and had to bite my lip and squeeze the doorknob so I wouldn't end up attacking him.

"Hi, Bella." Harry said sweetly as I just stared at Jake. No one knew he was coming except for my Dad who arranged Harry and two other officers to escort him to the party and back into his cell. It took a lot of begging and bargaining, but it was for Ava. I felt safe knowing there were four police officers at the party, and I knew he couldn't hurt anyone.

"I swear, Jake...if your ruin this..." I started.

"I won't." He said softly. He looked a lot different than he did when he first attacked Edward. He was skinnier, scruffy, and seemed to have lost a lot of his muscle. "I just want to see my daughter for her birthday and then I'll go back peacefully."

"She's out back with her friends." I told them. The three officers weren't in uniform, and they were friends of my Dad. It wouldn't be weird if they had showed up to Ava's party since they'd been to a few events with us before. I followed them out to the backyard and searched for Ava.

I found her with Edward over by the pin the tail on the donkey game. She was blindfolded, laughing loudly as Edward continued to spin her in circles. I looked over and saw a pain in Jake's eyes that I had never seen before. He was definitely jealous of Edward.

"Edward," I called. He looked up at me and immediately frowned. "Can you bring her over?" I asked. I could see he was biting his lip and I was afraid he'd draw blood. He removed the blindfold from Ava's eyes and helped her catch her balance before turning her in our direction.

"Daddy!" Ava screeched and sprinted towards him. He knelt down and caught her as she ran into his arms. I had to turn around and take a few breaths so I wouldn't start to cry. Whether I loved or hated him, Ava adored him and seeing her so happy when she saw him made me feel over the moon.

I saw Edward standing by the door to the house and I started towards him. I followed him into the kitchen and he shut the sliding door as I leaned up against the counter. He paced around the kitchen for a while before finally facing me.

"What the hell is he doing here, Bella?" He seethed. I had never seen him so angry before, and it was honestly kind of concerning.

"He's here for the party and then Harry and the other two officers that are here will take him back to his cell." I told him calmly. "I couldn't face her when I told her Daddy couldn't come to the party. It was too much..."

"You're supposed to be keeping him away from him!" He yelled, catching me off guard. "He's dangerous, Bella! Why is this so hard for you to understand?"

"Don't yell at me like that." I told him flatly. "I know what he did, but...with the party being as nice as it is I couldn't afford to get her anything on her list. I thought this would be the best gift she could as for."

"I have to go," He whispered.

"Edward, no." I begged. "Please, Ava wants you here."

"Jake's here, she'll be fine."

"Edward, stop."

"I can't be around him, Bell!" He yelled, turning back to face me. "The last time I saw him he almost killed me!"

"He did not..."

"Yes he did." He explained. "The doctors said if he had hit me harder or longer then it could have done some serious damage. A lot more serious than a concussion and a black eye. They said security came at a good time."

"You never told me that," I whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Bella, you felt guilty enough." He said gently. "You were stressed out enough, I didn't need to add to that. But, I can't stay here while he's here. Tell Ava I'm sorry and I'll see her tomorrow."

"Edward!" I called as he slammed the front door shut. With all the commotion, I didn't even here the sliding door open.

"Where's he going?" Alice asked, coming up behind me and making me jump.

"I shouldn't have let Jake come here." I whispered. "What's wrong with me, Alice? I mean, he's dangerous and yet I keep letting him around my kid. Am I that weak?"

"You're not weak," She assured me. "I think apart of you is just stuck in the past."

"Stuck in the past?" I asked confused.

"Bella, you knew a different Jake than the rest of us." She explained. "You knew him as this sweet, passionate, loving guy from Florida who swept you off your feet. I think...I think you're hoping that guy is still in there and he just isn't anymore."

"But, I don't want him." I shook my head. "I love Edward."

"Jake was still the first guy you ever loved, and when he broke your heart you were still forced to stay in contact with you because of Ava." She told me. "I know you don't still have those feelings for him, but you're still hoping the same guy who got you pregnant is in there."

"I never thought of it like that," I whispered, putting my face in my hands.

"I didn't either until Jasper brought it up." She told me. Her and Jasper had taken a very short break in the middle of April, but they were both too miserable without each other and ended up getting back together two weeks later. Things were going strong again for them, and I was really happy my best friend had found someone.

"I need to let him go, don't I?" I asked, referring to the seventeen year old Jacob I had met at the beginning of summer. I never thought of it like that, but now that she'd brought it up it made a lot of sense.

"Yeah, or else Ava will get hurt." She nodded sadly. I turned to look out the window, and knew that this was going to be the hardest thing I'd ever done. Labor was hard, but my body was made for that and they had good drugs at that hospital. My body wasn't made to break my daughters world apart and no amount of drugs would help.

After singing happy birthday, it was time for Jake to head back to where he belonged. Ava held onto him for a long time and my Dad had to practically pry her off of him. I saw the tears in his eyes as he turned away to go with Harry and the rest of the cops who had come. Mom came up to me and gave me a hug, reminding me what I was doing was going to be best for Ava in the long run.

Once the last kid had left, Rosalie and Alice stayed to help get everything cleaned up. Once the house was clean, I grabbed a piece of Ava's cake and wrapped it in foil. Alice had agreed to stay and hang out with Ava while she tested all of her new toys so I could go and make things right with Edward.

When I got to his building, I prayed he would buzz me inside so I could go upstairs. Thankfully, he didn't even bother asking who it was and let me right in. I took the elevator to the fifth floor and took a deep breath before knocking on his door. He took a few seconds, but the door eventually swung open.

"You were so excited about this cake, I didn't want you to get a stale piece." I said when he saw me standing there. "Can we talk?"

"Is he here?" He asked, and I tried not to let the tone of his voice hurt me. He was pissed and he had every right to be.

"No, he's back in jail." I whispered and Edward stepped aside to let me inside. I wasn't surprised when I saw Emmett and Jasper sitting on the couch with a beer in their hands. When they saw me, they immediately stood up and told Edward they had stuff to do and left us alone.

"I'm sorry." I said, my voice cracking. I hated fighting with him and I just wanted him to wrap me up in his arms and hold me tightly. "I want to still believe that the guy I met when I got pregnant is still in there and I want Ava to have everything she wants." I cried, tears spilling out. "But, the guy I met was a fraud and it's hard knowing the guy who told me he loved me is the same guy who broke my nose."

"I want Ava to have everything she wants too." He quietly said. "But, at what cost, Bella?"

"I'm calling my lawyer on Monday and getting this all figured out." I told him. "I just want this to be over." I sobbed and he came over to wrap his arms around me. He gave me a tight squeeze and kissed the top of my head.

"It will be." He assured me. "Just be patient."

Figuring everything out with Jake was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I had multiple meetings with my lawyer and with Jake and both of our lawyers. Every meeting I had, I just wished for everything to be over. Since Jake was getting out of jail before our court hearing, Edward and I both filed a restraining order on him.

I didn't want to, but I would throw him back in jail if I had to.

A month and a half after Ava's eighth birthday, my parents and I made our way to the courthouse. I was shaking as we walked up the steps and just wanted this awful day to be over. I just wished it didn't have to come to this, but he wasn't trustful. He wasn't the same guy I fell in love with on the beach, and he never would be.

That Jake never existed.

My parents sat down behind the wooden partition and I sat down with my lawyer at a table. Jake walked in with his own lawyer a few minutes later, and I was surprised that his parents hadn't flown up to be with him. They weren't the greatest people, but they loved their son and it was surprising they weren't here to support him.

The judged walked into the room ten minutes after Jake had sat down. I couldn't even look over at him, but I knew he was hurting. He loved his kid and I was about to take her away from him indefinitely.

"Well, this shouldn't take long," The judge sighed. "Ms. Swan, you are filing for sole custody?"

"Yes, ma'am." I nodded.

"Mr. Black, is there any reason why I should let your daughter be anywhere near you considering your record?" She asked, and I had to bite my lip. She had already made up her mind.

"I love my daughter, and I would never do anything to hurt her." He spoke softly. "She's my entire world, and if you take her away from me...I'll never recover."

"Unfortunately, Mr. Black, punching the mother of your child and beating a stranger in a motel don't give you the best parenting credentials." She told him. "I have no choice to to award sole custody to the child's mother."

"Ma'am, please." Jake begged.

"For at least one year, you are to stay away from your daughter completely." She told him. "You will be attending weekly therapy sessions to work on your anger, and will also go to a support group." She explained. "If you violate any of these rules set, you will face major consequences. We will revisit this case in one year, and if you're doing well, we will discuss supervised visitation rights."

"A year?" Jake asked, his voice cracking. "Please, I'll miss her ninth birthday...her first day of second grade."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black. You left me with no choice." She sighed. "Court adjourned." She said and slammed her gavel on the desk. I jumped at the sound, and turned to look at Jake who looked completely crushed. Part of me wanted to go over and try and comfort him, but the other part of me wanted to get the hell out of there.

"You okay, sweetie?" Mom asked as we walked to the car.

"Yeah...but Ava won't be." I reminded them. "He can't even write her letters, which was the only thing that made her happy while he was in jail."

"She's tough, just like her grandpa." Dad laughed, unlocking the car. "I think she'll be just fine."

"Can you take me to Edwards?" I asked as we pulled out of the parking lot. "I want to tell him what happened." Dad pulled onto the road and made his way towards Alice's building. Rosalie and Alice had taken Ava out on a day of fun and wouldn't be back until dinner time.

When Edward knocked on the door, I burst into tears and he wrapped his arms tightly around me. He let me cry on his shoulder, and gently rubbed my back. He kept telling me everything would be okay, but I just couldn't stop crying. I wasn't sure if they were happy or sad tears, but they wouldn't stop.

I finally managed to stop crying and I lifted my head to look up at Edward. He was giving me a soft, smile and his beautiful green eyes were even brighter than normal.

It was then that I realized Edward was my entire life and I never wanted to be without him.

Through thick and thin. With every high and low, he was there. He was there for every major moment that had happened that year and stuck by my side. He got along with everyone he knew, and loved everyone who was apart of my life. I already knew he loved Ava like his own daughter, and when I was with him, I wanted more kids.

He was it for me.

"Let's get married," I whispered.