Hello Again… as promised, Part Two.

Confessions…

~(~)~

"Oh, would you tell Charlie I'm sorry about everything? I really don't know what got into my mom."

Bella nods, rocking slightly in her desk chair. "I'll tell him. And as for Esme, well…"

"What?"

"Well, I think it's possible that we've been concentrating so hard on ourselves these last few months, that maybe we didn't stop to think how things looked from the outside. You know, failing to see the forest through all the trees?"

"I guess so. Not that it's anyone's business."

"No, it's not," she agrees. "But we don't exist inside a bubble. We'll have to deal with other people eventually." Her mind darted to Alice even as Edward continued on.

"Well, I've dealt with my mom. I don't think she'll interfere with us again."

Lacking his confidence, she has to ask him, "What, um… what exactly did you say to her?"

He laughs humorlessly. "Well, for starters I told her she was way out of line with Charlie and that she had no right to speak out of turn about us like that. I also told her that there wasn't anything for her to concern herself with, that the things we have to reconcile are between us, and that I'd let her know when and if that changed."

"Wow… that was a good response."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"I wish I could have been firmer. You know what she's like."

"I do, or at least I used to. But it sounds like you were actually very firm."

"Well, this is my mother we're talking about. Overbearing is just the tip of the iceberg with her, and that's on a good day. I love her, but God! There are times Bella when I swear I'd divorce her if I could. I don't know how my father puts up with her the way he does."

"Hmm… well, I have no comment on that."

"No?" Edward chuckles.

"Trust me. You wouldn't want to hear my theory."

He laughs again, then grows more serious.

"That's really the reason I called you, you know. She was just… she was especially bad today. It was like I was fifteen all over again. I felt exactly like that kid again. For a few minutes, I even wanted to be that kid again. You know… the one with those friends and those Friday nights that would just make it all go away and stick it to her in the worst way possible: Her golden boy getting high like a common junkie."

Bella shifts in her chair. "Is that really how you felt?"

"Oh, yeah. There was more to it, but that was a big part of it."

"I never realized."

"I know, sweetheart. If I was ever good at anything, it was acting like I was somebody other than who I truly was. I was very angry inside and expressed it in horribly destructive ways."

Her eyes grow moist, her heart clenching for the boy he'd been, for the pain he'd been in while the world thought he had it all. The fact he called her sweetheart doesn't even register with her.

"How are you feeling now?" she asks, trying to move the conversation forward despite whatever desire she has to hash out more of the past.

"I'm okay. I mean, I can deal with my mom. I've learned to set boundaries with her, and I know I have a right not to have them crossed. She can be as overbearing as she wants to, but at the end of the day I don't have to listen to her ten-thousand questions, or her theories on what she thinks is really going on inside my head."

"No you don't," Bella says, frowning at the thought of Esme treating him that way. She also can't help but think that if that's what his mother's like on a regular basis, no wonder Esme and Carlisle split for a while.

Not surprisingly, Edward has one of his more intuitive moments.

"She's not usually this bad anymore, Bella. I think with everything going on, she's slipped into mama-bear mode."

"Yeah, well, she's not the only one."

"Is that so?"

Bella's face heats to an alarming degree with the realization of what she's said. As if he knows, he laughs softly.

"It's okay. I think I know what you mean."

"I don't even know what I mean," she mutters.

He laughs again and then takes a slow breath Bella can hear through the phone.

"You've been a good friend to me, Isabella. And not just today…"

"Yeah, well, you're important to me, E. You always have been."

Her embarrassment ebbs some as she speaks the truth, then ratchets up when he answers in kind.

"I know, sweetheart. You, too."

~(~)~

Aww…

So, some feelings have been brought in to the mix, and we got a little more info about Esme and her issues. On that subject, I know a lot of people will judge her, but before you call her lots of nasty names just ask yourself if you've ever loved someone and still been completely oblivious to the way your actions and attitudes affect them. I promise you, there are no evil characters in this story, merely imperfect ones. Thanks for reading!