Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

I want to thank to supernova in the sky and Team Edward Rules All for fixing the chapter for me. :))

CHAPTER 16

Two steps back

"I can't stand him anymore! Why is he like that?" I sat on the couch, exhausted and immensely annoyed.

"He's always been like that, Bella. He's three. He'll make noise." Angela laughed and started cleaning up Nathan's toys from the floor.

"No, he didn't used to be. He was a sweet and quiet little boy. Now, he's a monster!" I threw my arms in the air, frustrated. Nathan, my sweet nephew, was running around the house nonstop, leaving toys everywhere. I nearly tripped once, and God is he loud! I was surprised people from Alaska didn't call to say to keep it down. He was out of control!

"Honey, you only saw him two hours a week." Angela patted my shoulder. "Kids aren't always the sweet angels TV commercials show. They are loud!"

"Now, that's encouraging for a young to-be mother," I said sarcastically.

"You'll be fine, don't worry!" And with that, she left the room.

I took the opportunity to take a nap. It was two o' clock in the afternoon, and I was already exhausted. Pregnancy was really tiring! When I finally found a position that was comfortable, and let me tell you that took time, I closed my eyes, ready to have a much needed nap but someone obviously hated me. Just as I was ready to fall asleep, my phone started ringing.

"What?" I growled to the person into the phone.

"Bella?" Carlisle's voice reached my ears.

"Dr. Carlisle! Hi!" I squeaked. That was embarrassing! "What can I do for you?" I asked, banging my head against my pillow.

"I need to talk to you. In person." His voice was serious, and I immediately knew what he wanted to talk about.

"About Edward and Harvard, right?" I asked. Edward had talked to me about that. He and his father weren't speaking about it. Well, they weren't speaking at all. They preferred to avoid each other.

"Correct!" I sat up on my bed and started rubbing my belly so I could calm down a little.

"I don't think you should be talking to me about that subject. You should be talking to your son!" I was really pissed at him. He had no right to pressure Edward like that. If he didn't want to go to Harvard, he shouldn't have to go.

"Oh, Bella, I think you are exactly the person I should talk about this with."

Finally, I gave in and agreed to talk to him. He wasn't going to let me go, and I really wasn't in mood to fight with him. I didn't say anything to Edward about the call or the date I had planned with his father. I didn't want him to worry, and I didn't want him to have another fight with his family about me. That was enough!

"So, you're going to meet him?" Renesmee asked when she came over for coffee.

"Yes, I will. I couldn't get out of it. He was really persistent," I answered while I was fondling some little white onesies Renesmee bought for the baby. "Thank you for the clothes. I love them!" I hugged her before I sat at my bed next to her on my bed.

"You're welcome. I can't wait for Baby Cullen to get out." She rubbed my belly. "Its last name is going to be Cullen, right?"

"Yes, it is. It's Edward's baby, and it's only right for it to have Edward's last name." I smiled. We had talked about it, and we were both on the same page. There was no reason for the baby to have my last name. It was tradition for the baby to have their father's last name and we were going with that. Edward was over the moon when I told him I wanted my baby to be a Cullen.

"When are you due?" She took a sip from her coffee. I lay down and tried to soothe my aching back.

"June 20th. Just in time to finish school." But I was sure the baby would decide to come out in a total inappropriate time. Like in the middle of an algebra test.

"That's nice! I can't wait. I'm sure Charlie is over to the moon with the baby."

I laughed. "Yeah, you can't imagine. At first I thought that he wasn't going to be happy with the baby. I'm only seventeen. But he's actually happy about it."

"Well, maybe he saw that there wasn't anything he could do and decided to just be supportive."

"Yeah. He's been really supportive throughout all of this. I don't know how I'm going to ever repay him for what he did and still does for me." Charlie was the best father I could have asked for. I was really proud of him and I loved him to pieces. Especially when he could easily disown me and leave me, he was by my side and held my hand through everything.

"You could repay him by finding out the gender of the baby." Renesmee gave me her best smile.

"Not you, too!" I growled. "He made you do it, didn't he?" He made everyone try to change my mind about the gender. He wasn't considering the fact that I didn't want to learn the gender of my baby.

"He really wants to know. Everyone does. Hell, I do too! I didn't even know what to buy for the baby," Renesmee protested.

"The onesies are great!"

Two hours later, Renesmee drove me up to the park behind the school where I was supposed to meet Dr. Carlisle. He had already arrived and was sitting on a bench, waiting for me.

"You sure you don't want me to come with you?" Renesmee asked just before I got out of the car.

"Yes. I'll call you when I'm done." I closed the door behind me, and I walked up to Edward's father.

"Hello, Dr. Carlisle." I sat down next to him, with a little difficulty. The belly wasn't making things easy, that was for sure.

"Hello and thank you for meeting me. I would have invited you to my house, but I didn't want Esme or Edward to find out about out meeting." He sounded professional. I had a feeling he was going to corner me really badly.

"Well, I'm here now. Talk." I crossed my arms and waited for him to begin talking.

"As you know, Edward was going to apply to Harvard before you and your baby came along." Carlisle started and he was, already pissing me off.

"Mine and Edward's baby. I didn't make it on my own," I added.

"Fair enough. When he found out about the baby, he dropped the idea of him going. Edward had a bright future ahead of him, and he wants to throw everything away."

"Edward doesn't want to go to Harvard. I didn't do anything. You were the one who pressured him to go," I interrupted him.

"That's what he told you? Edward wanted to go to Harvard. He had always wanted to go. It was his dream!"

I shook my head furiously. "Edward would never lie to me."

"Well, when you're ready to have a kid, you put your needs and wants behind and the only priority in your life is your child. That was what Edward was doing. He was putting the baby first."

"You're saying he doesn't want to go to Harvard because of me?" I whispered, afraid to talk any louder.

"Yes, Bella. He is too smart to waste himself at a community college." He patted my shoulder. "The best you can do is to let him go."

Tears started rolling down my cheeks. "I can't do that."

"So, you're going to destroy him just because you're selfish?" Was I selfish?

"I'm not going to destroy him. I'm giving him a baby." I stood my ground weeping my tears. I was not going to let him get to me.

"And that's enough, for now. But what about when in five, ten years when he realises he doesn't like the life he's living, the job he's doing. What about then?"

I stood up from the bench ready to leave. "You don't know what he'll want so far ahead," I said and started going toward the street.

Carlisle followed me, still talking. "I know my son, Bella. Edward is restless. For years, he was in a relationship he didn't want. Now he's free again, and you're going to take that away from him. For years, he was doing things for other people. Don't you want for him to be free for once? Without having to care about anyone and anything?"

Oh my God, he was right! Edward was bound to get restless sometime in the future. He didn't live the life he wanted and definitely wasn't going to now with the baby. I was going to hold him back, and he was going to resent me for that. I was just like Tanya. I was keeping him by my side, because I needed him. He only stayed because he was felt like he had to stay.

My worst fear had come true. Edward had voiced his concerns to me, and I took them lightly. I should have given them better attention. He was getting worried and he was suffocating. I could see it now. He said it so himself: We're still in high school. How are we going to make it? Was he dropping hints for me to pick up? Maybe Edward was the one to make Carlisle talk to me, because I didn't understand that he wanted out. Edward was sweet person. He would never have told me that himself. Was I blind this whole time?

I was sure that he loved me! But he wasn't ready for a baby. I was not ready either, and I was worried all the time, but I wanted this. I was going to try my best and raise it. I was in for the long haul, but Edward wasn't. I couldn't believe I was going to say that, but Carlisle was right. Edward was going to get tired of me, of the baby. He couldn't do this. He had just gained his freedom, and I was imprisoning him once again in a sea of obligations. He was going to drown.

It was better to leave him now than to have him run out on the baby and me in a few years. I had to go first. I wouldn't survive otherwise.

"Don't worry, Dr. Carlisle. I'm not going to destroy your son. He'll be free from me in no time." I sat at a bench in front of the school. It was Saturday, so there wasn't anyone around. I was thankful for that. I didn't want anyone to see me break down.

"Thank you, Bella, and I'm sorry." He gave me a sympathetic look. "Do you want me to take you home, or anywhere else?" he offered.

"No, thank you." Please leave!

In seconds, he was in his car and out of the parking lot, and that was where I began sobbing, clutching my big belly.

"Mommy loves you, baby. Mommy will always love you," I whispered to my belly over and over again while rubbing my very active baby. It was like it knew that outside the our whole world was falling apart.

I had to let Edward go and that it wasn't going to be easy. I knew he wasn't going to take this very well. I had to find a good excuse. I couldn't tell him about my discussion with his father, and I certainly couldn't tell him that I wanted him to go to Harvard because I knew that was best for him. He was going to flip.

I had to find something more drastic.

I picked up my phone and called the only person I could talk to this about.

"Tanya? I need to talk to you."

So, what do you think? Hope you liked. Leave me a review and let me know! :))