Next chapter will be better I promise.:)

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Stephanie Meyers

Edward Pov

"Clean yourself the fuck up Jessica. If you're not here for your shift in twenty minutes I swear to god-"

"-What Edward? You'll fire me? You'll send me back to rehab? Come on, I've heard it all" She laughs maniacally, and I pinch the bridge of my nose. She is beginning to wear on my patience. I have been more than nice to her for years, and she still doesn't respect me.

I look up and see Angela walking past me typing away on her phone. She doesn't see me, but I reach out grabbing her arm and she looks up. I thrust the phone at her and her eyes widen. "Jesus!"

"I desperately need you to handle this. I have plans with Bella tonight, and I'm-" I look down at my watch. "I'm late, I have to go."

She lets out a heavy sigh and looks at the phone, frowning when she sees who it is. I give her a thumbs up, and she shakes her head.

"You owe me a raise" I hear her say as I walk away.

Thirty minutes later I'm in front of Bella's apartment knocking frantically, hoping that she's not too pissed that I'm late.

She opens it with a smile, and the sight of her takes my breath away. I walk towards her, reaching for her waist, not able to take another second of distance or separation. She closes the door behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck, as I pull her closer to me. I sigh, shaking off the worry of the day, happy to finally be with her.

"You don't know how bad I need this" I breath out into the crease of her neck.

I feel her smile against my chest. She pushes her hand into my hair, lightly massaging, and my eyes fall closed, enjoying the feeling.

I squeeze her body so close I can feel her heart beat, and it's still not close enough. I want every inch of us bound together, I need it.

i haven't seen her in days, opting for her taking a few days off to get everything settled.

I made a mistake in letting her come to work one day last week and I found her in one of the offices balling her eyes out. It broke my heart to see her like that.

I pull back to look into her eyes, needing some reassurance. "I love you" I rest my forehead against hers, and close my eyes, hoping she still felt the same way about me. We haven't talked much since her dads death and I need to hear her say it. I need to know that she loves me without a shadow of a doubt.

Her hands move from my neck to the sides of my face, and she pulls my face down to her lips, kissing me softly, telling me without words, showing me that her feelings haven't changed. I don't know how I doubted it. I felt it the moment we touched.

"You two are sickening" Alice says, but I don't stop kissing Bella. I pull her closer, trying to trap her in the kiss. I'm not ready to let her go yet.

"Go away" I mumble against Bella's lips trying to ignore her since Bella's sucking on my lips, and tongue like she can't get enough of me. I wave my hand dismissively to Alice, and open one eye to see her roll her eyes and walk away from our insanely intense make out session. I don't know how long we stay like that, but when Bella pulls away she rests her forehead against my chest to catch her breath.

"We need to talk" I whisper and after I feel her heart rate slow a bit I feel her reach up to kiss my chin, before grabbing my hand and pulling me towards her room.

"Oh fuck, am I going to need to put earbuds in" Alice asks from her seat on the couch. I shake my head laughing at her. "Should I just leave" Neither of us answer her as we walk into Bella's room and she closes the door behind us, leaning her back against it.

I walk over to her bed and sit on the edge with my legs apart, and I reach my arms out for her. She slowly walks to me, standing between my legs with her arms on my shoulders and her hands working their magic running through my hair.

"I checked with my dad this morning, and he said that they found James dead in his cell. He killed himself four days ago" I explain to Bella, needing one thing to be out in the open, one thing that's keeping us apart, so that I can broach the other topics. I need us to move forward together, I can't stand being away from her.

She sighs. "I know. He called me" She turns to the side, and takes a seat on my leg, resting her head on my shoulder. "I saw Tanya the other day with Alice"

I run my hand down her cheek, needing to feel her underneath my fingertips. "How did that go"

She rolls her eyes and lifts her head, staring down at her nails. "She wasn't thrilled that I was there but-" She shrugs. "-what could she do" She runs her hand through my hair at the nape of my neck, watching her fingers as she does it. "Hey, I need you to promise me something"

"Anything" I pull her closer, holding her waist tighter, and her eyes snap to mine, and I see fire and desire there. She kisses me sweetly, and when she pulls back she looks between my eyes.

"I don't deserve how good you are to me" She whispers and I quiet her with a kiss of my own, taking her bottom lip into my mouth and sucking, moaning into the kiss. I cup the back of her head, and our kiss becomes heavy. I need to wash away her worries, her frets.

"I have, and always will do anything to make you happy B, that's never going to change"

She smiles, and takes her bottom lip into her mouth still smiling as she searches my eyes. "And I will do anything for you, my Cullenboy"

She smiles brighter, and I can't help but kiss her again. Our teeth clink from all the smiling we do in our kiss, but I could care less. She giggles in that adorable way that stops and restarts my heart. This wonderful woman makes me so happy, and if she will let me, I will spend every waking day of my life making her just as happy as she makes me.

"What do you need me to promise" I ask her, and she looks up as if trying to remember what it was she had intended to bring up. I let out a chuckle at her forgetfulness and she shoves my shoulder playfully, and rolls her eyes.

"Shut up, I can't think" She looks back up heavenward. "Oh yeah! Okay, so, Alice doesn't want me to ask you this, but she desperately needs your help with this menu. If you don't help her we're going to end up eating big macs at this fine dining event and I'm sure Tanya will make sure every one know who's responsible for that gaffe" She's so protective of Alice and doesn't want her to look bad, eventhough she's aware that Alice doesn't give a flying fuck what those people think of her.

She runs a finger along my jaw as she speaks and plants a kiss at the corner of my mouth.

"I'll steer her in the right direction." I tell Bella and she pulls back and looks into my eyes.

"Why won't you just cater it? It'll be good for business"

"Esme is adamantly against-" I begin to explain how every year I ask to cater this event and she shuts me down stating that The Cullen's have to address every family member in need and help match them with a sponsor.

"I know, I know. What do you think about letting me do it?" he asks softly and I want to say yes, I would say yes, and I trust that she would do a fantastic job, there's just one problem.

"I fired Newton" I tell her and her eyes widen in shock. I can't even tell her the reason I did it, well atleast I can't tell her until I know for sure she won't flip.

"When did this happen" She asks and I look away trying to remember exactly how long I've been back in the kitchen. It feels like months because we've been so busy, and I'm just now getting the hang if it again, but I'm sure it's only been maybe a week.

I run a hand through my hair and tug. "I don't know, maybe a week, or two. I can't remember."

"So who's in the kitchen tonight" She asks, worry evident on her face. I smooth out the worry line in her forehead and smile, kissing her lips.

"Don't worry" I tell her, kissing her frown away. She has to know that I've been doing this for years and I wouldn't leave my restaurant understaffed. "I hired an assistant for Mike about a month ago, and he's good. I worked with him this week. I'm sure he can handle things for one night. You forget there's six other chefs in there. He's not alone"

She nods, but I still see worry in her eyes. "Edward, I have to tell you something" She whispers, and my heart sinks to the pit of my stomach, and something's gnawing at me, I can't help but feel like I'm not going to like whatever it is that Bella is about to tell me.

I stare at her, rubbing her back, showing her support, encouraging her to continue. She looks at me and nervously bites at her lip.

"You know how Carlisle said that he had nothing to do with me leaving, or me not seeing you all those years?" She asks and I nod. "He was telling the truth" I already knew this, I just never brought it up to her. I didn't want to bother her with the past. When my father explained his side of the story, most of it didn't match with Bella's but I don't think either of them were lying, I just couldn't separate the truths from the lies so I gave up. My father was right, things got complicated so I let it go.

"My mother lied, because she hates that Carlisle helped my father, and always helps him. She hates him and loves Esme, and you know why" She asks and I nod.

"Because they are friends. They have been since the day we became friends"

"No. It's because Esme and Elena gave her hush money and made her take me away" Bella replies quite harshly, like she hasn't quite gotten all the facts straight, but the parts she does understand have royally pissed her off.

"This is a misunderstanding Bella. Why would they-"

"-Because they hate me" She stands from my lap and turns to face the door, seemingly in deep thought. She puts one hand to her hip, one to her temple and her shoulders slouch as she sighs. Then her arms drop like theres a weight on them, she slaps her thighs from the impact, almost in defeat.

"I wish someone would just tell the truth, confess everything and just leave us alone" I hear the cry in her voice.

"They have left us alone. Everyone is on our side" I stand, walking behind her and I place my arms around her waist with my head atop hers. She places her hands over mine flat on her stomach.

"They haven't" She whispers, and I wait and wait for her to elaborate.

"Your mother asked me to stay away from you" She says quickly, amd sucks in a deep breath as if she can't completely believe the words she let fall from her mouth, or maybe she ment to say it a different way. I freeze, replaying what she said over and over in my head.

Surely she's mistaken. My mother absolutely adores Bella. She dotes on Bella, and her accomplishments. She's always treated Bella like a daughter, nothing less than family, just as my entire family does. I have no clue where this is coming from and I have a hard time believing what Bella said.

Bella turns and looks up at me. "Don't hate me" She runs her hands slowly up my arms.

"I could never hate you." I kiss her forehead and try to piece my words together. I don't want her to feel like I doubt her words, but honestly I think there's a misunderstanding somewhere. "Bella are you sure you didn't take something my mother said the wrong way. Maybe Esme meant for you to just be careful, because of everything with the baby. She cares so much about you, she-"

Bella stops me by shaking her head. "That's the thing Edward, baby, she doesn't. I'm trying to get you to see that. To see just how fake she is, and maybe-"

Now I'm offended. Did she just call Esme fake? The woman that bandaged her wounds and kissed them, the woman that threw her countless birthday parties as if she was her own child. The woman that stayed up night after night with Bella when it rained because Bella didn't want to be alone. The same woman that opened her house to Bella any and every time Bella needed to escape the hell that was going on in her own home. To get away from the arguing her parents did because her mother was a lazy psychotic drunk, and her dad was only slightly better.

I pull out of Bella's embrace, wondering what good it would do to her to tarnish my mothers name? The look on her face is one of panic and apprehension. "Edward" She breathes out in a rush, her voice breathy and unsteady.

I'm takem aback by all of this and she knows it. How did she think I would take this? My mother has been nothing but sweet to Bella since the day that she stepped in her life.

"Edward, listen to me"

"No, just-" I hold a hand out in front of her to stop her from continuing her hurtful words.

"If you would just listen to me you'll see that what I'm telling you is true" She grabs my hand, and I run my free hand down my face, trying not to get upset at the woman I love. "Esme has always looked at me as a daughter, she never expected there to be something between us, and she doesn't want it to continue."

"Stop it, Bella!" I move away from her, trying to rein in my anger, trying to think. What could my mother possibly have said to make her think that my mom doesn't support us? Every time I talk to my mother-which is every morning- she shows me nothing but support in my decision to be with Bella. She encouraged it. Something is not adding up, and I need to think.

"Esme accepts us. She does. She told me herself"

"She's lying Edward" Bella tugs my arm and I snatch it away from her, ignoring the hurt look in her eyes, ignoring the pleading look as she searches my eyes.

"Esme has no reason to lie. She loves you, adores you. Overall, she knows how happy you make me. She wouldn't say those things because she wouldn't want to hurt you"

"I'm nothing but a charity case to your mother" Bella spits out and I look over at her, anger steaming from her eyes, and rolling off of her in waves. I'm just as angry, not so much at her, but at the audacity of her to speak ill of my mother.

"Enough!" I shout, and she flinches away, taking a step back from me, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I don't want to hear another word from you about my mother"

"You dont believe me" She covers her mouth with her hand, and backs away from me until her back is against the wall by the door. Years ago, Bella's word was law, any and everything she said was fact, so I can see why she's not taking this well. Especially not from me.

But I need to think. I'm not saying that I believe her or not I just...

I sit on her bed with my head in my hands. "I need to think" It's a misunderstanding, and I can clear up by calling my mother right now. That's what I'll do.

I look back up, feeling like I have a resolution in the palm of my hand. If it's true, and my mother did say those aweful things to Bella, then we need to have a conversation, and soon. She has to know that Bella is in my life, and she's not going anywhere ever again if I can help it.

I take out my phone, and dial my mothers number, staring at Bella as it rings. She's standing across the room from me with one hand limp across her midsection, and her eyes down cast seemingly doing what I failed to be able to do. Think.

Ring

Ring

Ring

"Hello my dear son" She answers, her voice dripping with sweetness. I put the phone on speaker so that Bella can hear.

"Hello Esme, listen I have a question. " I say and I look over at Bella hoping that this will appease her, but when I look over at her all I see is anger, and disdain...for my mother.

"Anything dear"

I rub the back of my head, looking away from Bella, trying to rid that look from my mind.

"Does this have anything to do with you going to my event as Tanya's date" My mother says, and I look at Bella to see her face turn from anger to confusion, to hurt as she stares waiting for me to deny or confirm this.

I turn my back to her and take my mother off speaker phone, realizing she's doing more harm than good. I called to end her condemnation, not begin mine.

"I'm not her date, I'm just escorting here as I do every year" I whisper, chancing a glance back at Bella, wishing I hadn't. I need to show her that I'm on her side, I'm in this with her. "Listen, mom, did you say anything to Bella about our relationship? Anything to make her think that you don't want us to be together"

"Absolutely not, Edward. The last conversation that I had with Bella I was making sure that she was okay with the fact that your attention will be split between her, Tanya, and your newborn, that is all."

And now I see the issue. I look back at Bella. This was an easy fix, she should be proud of me.

"That's where you're wrong Esme. My attention will only be stretched between her, and the baby. Excuse my language mother, but I don't give a shit about Tanya"

"But you agreed to be her date?" My mother asks and I cringe.

"Escort, mother, escort, and it means nothing. It's in exchange for-"

"I know what it's in exchange for Edward. Her mother is my best friend. Elena is worried that you are playing with her daughters heart, and I have assured her that you will do right by her at any cost"

Where the fuck is this coming from? Do right by her?...Absolutely not. I will however always do right by my child. A life with Tanya is far from likely in my book.

"I am not having this conversation with you right now. I do however want you to apologize to Bella when you see her"

"Of course Edward. I will clear this up with her soon. Kisses" She says before hanging up, and I look at Bella, and frown at her facial expression. What else do I have to do?

"How can I make this better" I ask her, taking slow steps to her. What else can i do to prove that this was a misunderstanding? "Tell me, and I'll do it"

Bella looks physically sick to her stomach, she clutches it in her hand, still staring down at the ground.

i lift my hand to her face, and she flinches away from it, refusing to look at me. i lift her chin, and her angry eyes weigh down on me heavily, they bore into me. She is pissed, and for the life of me I can't figure out why. I fixed it.

"What else can I do" I ask, and she lifts her chin from my grasp, looking away from me.

"Nothing Edward. You fixed it" She says, and I nod, chalking her attitude up to the fact that she has to get over my mothers words. I can't take her feelings away, or fix them.

"I'm sorry she said that to you" I put an arm around her waist, and bend my lips to kiss her. She doesn't move away and I take that as a good sign. She's calming down. "She's going to apologize. I promise"

Bella nods, and purses her lips, looking away from me again.

"Where do you want to go for dinner? I was thinking Bellevue, for obvious reasons, but I figure if we go to Swan Lights I can check up on things. I haven't been there in a few weeks"

Bella shakes her head, grasping her stomach in her hand. "You go without me. I don't feel well"

"You want me to bring you back something" I ask and she quickly shakes her head no.

"I don't have much of an appetite"

"You need to eat"

She nods in understanding, her lips still in a straight line. I have a gut feeling that something else is going on here, and I can't shake that feeling but I'm fucking starving, and slowly, that is where my mind is drifting.

I reach up, kissing her forehead tenderly. "I'll call you later"

She nods, and opens her bedroom door for me. I walk out, and she doesn't follow. Thats odd. She slams her room door, and I raise an eyebrow. What the hell?

"What the fuck did you do now asshole" Alice asks and I roll my eyes heading for the front door.

"Bye Alice" I walk passed her and she flicks me off. "Stay excellent" I slam the front door shut on my way out leaving a very confused Alice.

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