Disclaimer: Stephenie owns the names, I just do fun stuff with them.

A/N: Thanks to killerlashes as per usual, for your work and for keeping me sane.

Messynachos - I love you despite your flames, h00r.

My Twitter girls: lie_2me, daisy, mystik, demons - you're all fabulous :)

Chapter 17 - Don't Look Back

BPOV

It was the quiet shuffling of tiny feet that woke me up one night in the middle of the week. I didn't make a fuss about it. I simply stayed still, pretending to be asleep as my son climbed into my bed and snuggled up to my side.

"Are you awake, Mama?" he asked softly.

"Mmmhmm." I pulled him to me and tucked his head under my chin.

"I love you," he mumbled. I squeezed him tighter as I fought the urge to cry.

"I love you," I whispered, running a hand through his bronze mop and kissing the top of his head. It wasn't the first (and I was sure that it would not be the last) night that he would sleep all night in my arms. Of course, if he was sleeping in my arms… I wasn't sleeping at all.

~*~

"You okay?" I vaguely heard Angela's voice call to me on Wednesday at lunchtime.

"Hmm?" I asked. My eyes fluttered and the staff lounge disappeared briefly.

"I asked how you were… but you look like hell, Iz," she laughed softly.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned. "When that thing," I pointed to her pregnant belly, "starts crawling into your bed at all hours of the night then you can talk to me." I sighed and pushed my lunch out of my way so I could lay my head down on the table.

"What's going on?" she asked softly, looking worried as she took the seat next to me. I lifted my head slightly so I could face her. I was too tired to control my face so I could only imagine my expression.

"Masen isn't sleeping… Wait, let me correct that. He is sleeping. But only in my arms, and therefore, I'm not sleeping," I told her, my worlds muffled by my face resting on my arms. She patted my hand gently and I closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Iz," she whispered and I nodded, squeezing my eyes tighter to hold my tears in. They leaked out anyways, spilling hot on my cheeks. I quickly sat up and brushed them away. Ang handed me a paper towel and rubbed my shoulder gently.

"I don't know why it's like this," I whispered. "I don't know why I'm so fucking sad all the time. Before, when I was pregnant, it wasn't this bad. I'm trying so hard to be strong for him. But I think he can see through it."

"Things are different now, Iz. And he's not stupid, of course he can see through it," she replied, but it didn't make me feel better. "Masen knows you and he's knows you aren't happy."

"I am happy," I grumbled.

Angela laughed softly. "I don't mean with life in general. I just mean with the current situation. Both of you are hurt and confused," she said. "And you're got a right to be. Because this situation sucks."

"I hate him," I whispered and she frowned.

"No. You don't."

"I hate that I don't hate him." I met her eyes and a look of understanding crossed her face.

"Oh, Bella…" she said quietly.

"I hate myself the most, though," I chuckled dryly, wiping away the remnants of my tears. "For letting myself get drawn in again. For being confused." Edward wasn't confused; maybe that's why I was angry. He had it all figured out. Asshole.

"Honey… I don't think something like what you two had will ever go away," she smiled and I nodded.

"I know."

I felt slightly better after talking to Angela, relieved even. The reemergence of my feelings for Edward were an enigma I wasn't ready to figure out. The thought was difficult to consider, let alone say aloud. I simply told myself it was seeing him with our son that made me feel that way. It was the leftovers of our friendship and relationship that we had both so obviously grown out of in our five years apart. But then…then there were a few times when he looked at me that I could feel a fire ignite deep in my belly, threatening to spread like wildfire. The same fire I had felt for him every day since I turned seventeen. Are you sure it's not heartburn?

September 13th, 1999

I sighed and looked around the crowded room again. Most of the junior class and half of the senior class were crammed in the Cullens' spacious home, spread out between the dining, living, and kitchen area. Alice had really outdone herself. Deep purple streamers hung from the ceiling and teal tablecloths covered any flat surface she could find.

Alice was, of course, mingling with everyone while I nervously made my way through the crowd, smiling at unfamiliar faces and waving at those I did know. I was relieved when I finally found Angela and Ben.


"She's awful, isn't she?" Angela whispered and both Ben and I stared, shocked. Angela didn't say anything mean, ever.

"Who?" I followed her gaze and frowned when I saw who she was speaking about. Lauren was across the living room from us, leaning against the arm of the couch and twirling a strand of her bleach blond hair around her finger. Her tank top was cut low and her deep red bra straps were hanging out on her shoulders, the look on her face was clearly lustful. And then I saw why.

Edward.

I couldn't deny that the way I looked at Edward had changed drastically in the past year or so. He'd gone from a scrawny sophomore to a lean junior the summer he joined the football team. Now he was a senior, untouchable. He was tall and muscular, though nothing like my beefy brother. His green eyes were captivating and stood out against his pale, clear skin. His auburn hair was cut short, but still unruly. I longed to run my hands through it. Just the thought of touching it made me blush. It wasn't like I was six and he was letting me play hairdresser. He was eighteen. And he was gorgeous. I felt the heat rise in my face any time he looked or spoke to me these days, or when anyone else mentioned him, actually.

"Yeah… she is," I muttered, looking down at my feet, then back at Edward. He was smiling and talking with Lauren, waving his hands like he was in the middle of a great story. He was an amazing storyteller, always keeping us up at night telling ghost stories or fairy tales (for Alice) when we were younger.

My seventeenth birthday was the night that everything changed. As I watched Edward flirt with Lauren, an unknown feeling came over me. It took me a moment to realize I was jealous. Really fucking jealous.

"What does he see in her?" Ben brought me out of my thoughts and I shrugged, turning my back on the two. Though Angela and Ben kept me locked in conversation, I couldn't help but shift myself in our little circle back to Edward and… her. They were total opposites. She was trashy; that was obvious by the clothes she wore, not to mention her reputation around school. Even standing next to each other, they clashed. Edward was dressed in a dark green polo and his old faded Levi's that he wouldn't let Esme throw out even though one of the pockets was nearly coming off. He just kept making her sew it back up so he could wear them.

I watched him shuffle his feet, clad in a pair of white classic Adidas, and look around the room. Just before I turned back to my friends his eyes caught mine. That was the first time I felt the fire. It was small, just an ember, but it was there. Something flashed in his deep green eyes that I thought only ever happened in movies. I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks. He smiled. It was shy and coy and I felt my lips moving, too.

And just before he turned back to Lauren, he winked at me.

Winked.

A little giggle escaped my lips and I shook my head. His smile turned into a full-blown grin as he caught my eye once more, then he returned to the blond in front of him.

I didn't see much of Edward for the rest of the night. I maintained a safe distance from Mike out of respect to Jessica, who was head-over-heels for him, but that left me in the company of other junior classmen who were apparently unafraid of my big brother. I didn't mind too much. The attention was nice and helped keep my mind off of Edward and what's-her-face and wherever they'd run off to. It wasn't until Tyler Crowley grabbed my ass that I excused myself to the restroom. I climbed the stairs and headed for Alice's bathroom, knowing that the third floor was off-limits and I wouldn't find anyone doing anything dirty. Until I passed Edward's bedroom, that is. I could only see a faint blue light from under the door, but I was certain that he was in there with HER, seeing as both of them had disappeared.

I fought the urge to cry or scream or throw up as I finished in Alice's bathroom. I composed myself as I walked past his door again on my way back to my birthday party, but I was not prepared for the door to swing open.

"What are you doing up here?" Edward asked, confused.

"I was just going to the bathroom," I squeaked. I looked him over quickly. He was wearing a pair of gray sweats and blue t-shirt, his hair adorably mussed.

"Avoiding the fornicating downstairs?" He leaned against the doorframe and grinned.

"And upstairs…" I mumbled and he raised an eyebrow. He pushed his door open all the way so I had a clear view of his bed. His very empty bed.

"Lauren? Really? Do you think so little of me, Izzy?" I scrunched my nose at my nickname. "Are you too old for that now?" he asked softly. When I met his gaze, the burning was back and his question was heavy with unspoken meaning. It felt more like "Are you too old for me now?"

"No," I whispered. "What are you watching?"

"Goonies." He grinned. I rolled my eyes. "What? Goonies never say die."

"Loser."

"Want to watch with me?" he asked, moving aside so I could come in. Like he even had to fucking ask. I slipped off the ballet flats Alice had let me borrow and crawled onto his Queen-sized bed, snuggling up against his pillow.

He frowned. "That's my side and you know it." He stood on his knees in front of me.

I grinned as I looked up at him. "But it's my birthday," I replied.

He sighed and nodded in defeat. Instead of lying next to me he pulled me up and settled himself on his pillow then smiled up at me.

"Hello?! It's my birthday!"

He laughed. It was beautiful.

Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me down to him. I rested my head on his shoulder and he played absently with my fingers that rested against the thin blue material of his shirt. His chin, slightly scratchy with stubble, grazed my forehead and I could feel his breath caressing my hair. The arm that was wrapped around me tightened and his thumb rubbed little circles on the exposed skin on my arm, raising goosebumps there. I shivered involuntarily.

"Are you cold?" he murmured.

I was most definitely not cold.

But I agreed anyways. I was too afraid of what my voice would sound like, so I nodded and pressed my face into his shirt. He smelled like Tide detergent and Dove soap and delicious boy. He pulled the comforter over from the side of the bed and covered us with it, then wrapped both of his arms around me.

I moved my head further down to rest on his chest, a safe distance away from his face. I thought the move would be better, that it would keep me from wanting to lick the beautiful stubbly jaw that I could see out of the corner of my eye. I could tell it was clenched tight and I couldn't help but wonder why. I was startled when I settled against him and I could feel his heart beating, because it wasn't just a normal rhythm, pumping blood through his veins. It was pounding.

"Are you okay?" I sat up and rested my hand over his heart. He bit down on his bottom lip and nodded silently. "Your heart… it's like… flying."

"I know," he said in a hoarse whisper as he slowly sat up and faced me. Our legs were tangled together, my hand resting on his thigh. "I just – I'm nervous," he said as he ran his hand from my knee to my hip.

"Nervous?" I snorted. "About what?"

"I – you – I've never had a pretty girl in my bed before," he muttered, looking down at my hand on his leg. He gripped my hip tightly with one hand and moved his other to cover mine, squeezing it tightly.

"No… that's usually in the back of the Volvo, right?" I pulled my hand from his and attempted to move away. Both of his hands gripped my hips and he pulled me to him so quickly that I was practically sitting in his lap. His hands snaked around my back and he locked them together.

"Alice doesn't know everything, you know?" He breathed the sentence into my ear. I shivered again. "You're awfully cold tonight." He pulled away and cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Thin blood," I muttered, looking away from his burning gaze. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" He rested his chin on my shoulder and his arms wrapped around my torso tighter. I fought the urge to wrap my own around him, hold him just as tight and breathing in his Edwardy-smell.

"I mean, what is going on with you?" I pushed him away and his green eyes were sad when they met mine.

"I'm sorry," he said as he gently pushed me away and leaned against his headboard. He let his head fall back against he wall and closed his eyes while I sat in the middle of the bed, utterly confused by his behavior. He was my brother's best friend. He thought of me as a little sister, right? Or was I not the only one who had starting seeing things differently?

"Edward…" I reached for his hand but he jerked it away. Before I could say anything else he'd jumped up from the bed and started pacing the length of his room, tugging at his hair. It was times like these when you doubted his adoption; he was so like Carlisle when he was anxious. He was muttering profanities and names as he paced and I fought the urge to laugh.

"Charlie… fucking shoot me… Esme… disappointed… fucking hell… goddamnit Alice!" He finally stopped pacing and stood in front of me, his eyes burning into mine. "You should get back to the party," he said, his voice muted.

"Yeah…" I slid off the bed and put my shoes back on. "I should."

I didn't glance back at him as I opened the door. It took me by surprise when I'd barely cracked the door and it slammed in front of me; then I was pressed up against it, Edward's hands on either side of my face.

"I always fuck stuff up," he whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. I could feel my heart rate increase at the feel of his skin against mine, our noses almost touching, his lips so close…

"What did you fuck up?" I brought a hand to his face and he leaned into it. As he did I gave into the urge I'd had earlier and ran my hand slowly through his disobedient locks, letting it come to rest at the back of his neck.

"This," he groaned, pushing himself away from me. I stayed pressed against the door as I watched his lean frame kneel down to his bedside table. He pulled a small box, wrapped only in blue tissue paper, from the drawer and stood up to face me. "Happy Birthday," he said softly as the corner of his mouth turned upward.

I held out my hands and smiled as he placed the box in my hand. My throat tightened as I peeled the paper off, revealing a small wooden jewelry box adorned with intricately painted green vines and red flowers. I carefully opened the small metal clasp on the front and lifted the lid. My eyes widened as I looked at him.

"Edward," I breathed. He smiled and took the jewelry box from my hands and set it on his bed, then removed the smaller box inside; its contents were what had startled me. A dainty ring was nestled in the black velvet. He took my right hand in his and smiled as he slid the ring on. It fit perfectly.

I pulled my hand up to admire the ring that he had just placed there. It was a simple white gold band with a single, oval sapphire in the middle, flanked by two small diamonds.

"Thank you!" I threw my arms around him and felt his chest vibrate with laughter.

"You're welcome," he whispered, his lips against my cheek.

"It's beautiful." I pulled back and gazed at my ring again. When I looked back at him he was frowning, wrinkles creasing his forehead. "What?"

"I was just thinking," he mumbled then smiled brightly. "I'm glad you like it. Mom helped me pick it out."

"Really?" I asked softly.

"Yeah… when we went to visit NYU." He shuffled his feet and tugged at his hair. "We were walking around, being all touristy," he smiled, "and there was this tiny little jewelry store between like… a porn shop and fuck, I don't even know, some Indian deli or something. Anyway, it was just there in the window and– and all I could think about was you. Then there thirty other things that made me think of you, so Mom all but threw it at my head," he chuckled quietly.

I couldn't do anything but stare at the beautiful ring on my finger. It made him think of me. And while I rolled that around in my head something else managed to wedge itself in.

It was September.

He had gone to New York in March.

March.

Fucking March.

"I love it," I whispered. He nodded and swung his arms awkwardly for a moment. "I should get back though… Alice is probably going to yell at me for missing my own party."

"Probably," he agreed as he reopened the door for me then handed me the jewelry box.

I walked out, but turned back quickly. He was still standing there, leaning against the doorframe again. I made a split second decision as I walked swiftly back to him.

I stopped directly in front of him and stood on my toes to press a soft kiss on his jaw, the very one I wanted to lick earlier. It was quick and when I was flat on my feet again, his eyes were burning and mine were wide as he slowly leaned down and kissed my temple, then my cheek, and very, very slowly… the corner of my mouth. My eyes closed and I could feel his breath on me as his hands went to either side of my face.

"Happy Birthday, Bella," he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead. He ran a hand through my hair, and then I heard the soft click of the door and he was gone.

~*~

The rest of my day passed unbearably slowly. I was no longer in danger of falling asleep (thanks to Angela who'd made a coffee run during her free period), but saying my revelation out loud did not help in the ways I thought it would. Part of me was hoping Angela would say that I couldn't still have feelings for Edward, that I was being ridiculous. But I knew that she wouldn't, because I'd known Angela nearly as long as I'd known Edward, and Angela was no fool. On the contrary, Angela Weber-Cheney was a fucking saint. When I had moved back to Forks and had Masen it was Angela (along with Sue, my father's own personal "angel") who helped me to adjust. I couldn't have found a better friend than her.

I turned my small CD player on and let the country music station play softly in the background that afternoon as I prepared my class for the next day. I loved to listen to country music when I was younger but I'd always caught flack about it from Emmett, Edward, and Alice. They never let me listen to what I wanted. My brother and Edward always overpowered me while Alice complained of her ears bleeding. I let them shun me. It was something Dad and I enjoyed together. That was enough for me.

I was so engrossed in the quiet melodies that I didn't know anyone was in the room until James' armed were wrapped tightly around my waist.

"Fucking hell!" I cried, dropping the Expo marker I was holding tip-down and producing a huge orange streak down the front of my white top. "Damn it," I groaned.

He laughed softly and pulled me to his chest. "Sorry, sweetheart," he kissed my cheek softly, still sniggering.

"Not funny." I playfully pushed him away. He perched himself on my desk while I finished writing the next day's assignments and gave me the rundown of his day. I listened intently, or at least pretended to. My mind was mainly focused on Masen and hoping he'd made it through his day at school. Sue had agreed to pick him up from school and take him to the small public library; it was one of their favorite things to do together.

"So what do you think?" he asked, watching me expectantly.

"About what?" I turned to him, utterly confused.

"Bella," he frowned. "Were you listening?"

"I was!" I defended myself, capping my Expo and sitting next to him. I laid my head on his shoulder and felt him sigh.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he kissed my forehead.

"I'm just tired," I mumbled, and stifled a yawn.

"I know… Angela told me. That's why I called Sue and asked if they could keep Masen tonight," he explained. My sharp intake of breath could have been taken for a surprised gasp but, in truth, I was suddenly frightened and uneasy.

"But – he – he can't! He needs to be with me!" I cried as I slid off the desk. I frantically grabbed my things as he tried to calm me. I didn't listen until his hands finally stopped me before I reached the door.

"Bella!" He pulled me around to face him and I knew what my expression showed. I was panicked; scared for my little boy and the pain he would be in. Would he think I'd abandoned him, too?

"Please, James. I can't do that to him! He's so upset right now!" I could feel the tears starting to pool in my eyes and watched his face soften.

"I know, Bella," he loosened his grip as he spoke and rubbed my forearms gently. "I told Sue we'd be by later and made sure she told him what was going on. Sweetheart, you've got to calm down."

"You don't know what it's like." I shook my head.

"I know," he mumbled, his eyes on the floor. Shit. Shit fucking hell, motherfuck.

"I'm sorry…" I cupped his cheek gently and his eyes closed briefly. "I'm sorry, I keep doing this to you."

"Just… stay with me tonight? Please?" His eyes were pleading. I knew that I wasn't being fair to him.

"Okay," I nodded. He smiled triumphantly and kissed me, a quick peck on the lips.

"I'll meet you at your house, alright?" he called as he opened the door. I nodded again, and then pulled out my phone to call Sue as soon as he was out of sight. Of course she agreed to keep Masen for the night and he was ecstatic as well. Apparently, I was the only one freaking out.

James and I did go by my parents' so I could see my son before we went back to his home. While James spent the time making small talk with the family, I held my little boy and whispered to him how much I loved him until he finally told me to stop.

"I love you too, Mama," he sighed and hopped down from my lap, eager to play with his Uncle Seth.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" he had asked Seth, eyes bright. Having a sleepover with your uncle was apparently the "best thing ever". Seth agreed, of course, bless him, and then started the tent-making process that I was sure would last for hours.

"Good luck with that, Seth." I patted him on the arm as we got ready to leave and he laughed.

"He's a kid, Iz!"

"Yep… with pointy little fingers and toes and a bony little butt and he doesn't care where he sticks them," I said and he laughed.

"We'll manage," he smiled.

"Sure, sure," I rolled my eyes, and grabbed Masen for one last hug. "I love you so much!" I held him tightly.

"Alright, Iz, let the kid breathe," my dad said as he tried to pry my son from my hands.

"Good night, Mama." Masen smiled brightly up at me and I sniffled a bit.

"Go!" Sue all but pushed me to the car, closing the door behind her, my boys safely out of view. "Isabella…" She used my whole name and I frowned.

"You know how I feel about that," I grumbled.

"Then start acting like a grown woman," she scolded. "We are going to take good care of that little boy and you know it. You need to go take care of yourself. Nothing will happen."

I nodded, still sad about leaving.

"I'll have him call you later," she said softly and I smiled.

"I love you," I hugged my mother (because I'd never really ever thought to put the word step in front of it) tightly.

"I know, shug. I know," she grinned and turned back inside as I climbed into James' car. He smiled and squeezed my hand, rubbing small circles on my flesh with his thumb. He grazed over my ring finger, holding my hand up as if he were admiring a picture. I watched him curiously, but he simply smiled and laced his fingers through mine.

We stopped to pick up dinner from the only Chinese place in town and took our time getting home. James lived across town (which wasn't very far considering we lived in Forks) in a modest but newly built three-bedroom house. He had an immaculately groomed lawn, for which he paid dearly, of course. His home décor was modest and masculine, mainly dark colors and bold pieces. I lounged on the dark brown leather couch after dinner, deciding against grading papers and settling on watching old Fresh Prince reruns.

James brought me a large glass of red wine and settled next to me, his arm wrapped around my shoulders. It was moments like this one, sitting there, snuggled together watching nonsense shows that made me remember why I fell for James in the first place. Sure, he could be pretentious and cocky… but he could also be very sweet and thoughtful. He cared for me and my son despite my reluctance to escalate our relationship. Some people thought he was a snob, but in reality he was extremely intelligent and quite humble… he just didn't know any better. Social skills were not something he had ever worried about developing. He was improving though, especially around my family.

It was also in times like these I found myself comparing him to Edward. Edward had no problem making people like him; it was the same with his entire family. There was simply something about the Cullens that made people fall for them.

James was still working on being accepted by my family, Masen especially. I knew the way Masen had grown so close to Edward in such a short time had hurt James' feelings. Though he never talked about it, it was quite apparent to me. I glanced up at him as he watched the figures moving across the wide-screen TV. His blue eyes were slits framed by dark lashes, his face covered in a couple of days' stubble. He stifled a yawn and caught me watching him, smiled simply and kissed my forehead before turning back to the TV. I buried my nose in his shoulder, breathing in his scent.

I'd bought him a bottle of Ralph Lauren cologne for Valentine's Day. It was subtle, not too musky or sweet, perfect for him. That bottle was also the first I'd ever bought. Edward never wore cologne; he always, always smelled of Tide, Dove, and coconut shampoo. Sometimes there was shaving cream shoved in the mix, too. After we'd broken up I found a t-shirt of his in my dirty laundry so I put it on, curled up in a ball and cried for hours, maybe days.

It still smelled like him; like his fucking deodorant and body wash.

Like a sweaty boy and dryer sheets.

I didn't wash it for weeks, not that I'd ever tell anyone that… but still.

I felt James rest his head on mine and I reached up and turned his face to mine.

"Let's go to bed, huh?" I said quietly. He nodded and turned the television off as I started down the hall. I slipped into my comfy pajama pants and one of his t-shirts and crawled into bed, tucking the covers around myself. James come bounding out of the bathroom and leapt onto the bed, making me bounce and lose my grip on the blankets. I laughed and he kissed me, the taste of spearmint toothpaste filling my mouth. He pulled away, grinning, and leaned his body halfway over mine so he was looking down at me.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked.

"I don't know," he shrugged and I laughed softly.

"I like it," I told him.

"I got you something," he whispered.

"Presents?" I queried. He rolled his eyes and hopped off the bed and shuffled to his dresser. He pulled something out and came back to his position on the bed.

He set a small, black velvet box on the bed in front of me. I swallowed loudly and caught his smiling eyes with my own disbelieving ones. Slowly, I opened the box and found exactly what I'd already known to be waiting for me.

It sat there, nestled in the black velvet, sparkly and perfect, and fucking scary as hell.

"Do you want to put it on?" he asked, his voice quiet. Did I want to put it on? I nodded, simply staring at the white gold band and single solitaire, full carat, princess cut diamond. It stared back. He gently removed the ring from the box and slipped it on my left hand, a small grin playing on his lips. My insides had suddenly turned to mush. I could hardly breathe. This would make it official. Really, really official.

Was I ready for that?

I mean, fuck, I'd already said 'yes'… but a ring? A ring meant the real deal. It meant I was buying a pretty white dress and sending out invitations. It mean my daddy was going to walk me down the aisle. A ring meant I was getting married. Married to someone I didn't dream about marrying my entire life.

A ring from James meant that I wasn't going to marry Edward.

"I just… wanted to make it real, you know? I should have done it a while ago. The ring, I mean. You deserve it," he rambled and I watched, amused as his nervousness and how it didn't stop him. "I love you. And Masen… and I want to do what's right by both of you. I know Edward is going to be part of his life, and I've come to grips with that… almost, I mean kind of. Hell, Bella. I just want to marry you."

I sat up and searched his face; his smile was calm and serene, blue eyes shining. He was real and he was here and no he wasn't the one I'd always dreamt about, but fuck I gave up on that one years ago. So I took his face in my hands, and I kissed him fiercely while pulling him back against the pillows with me. As much as I compared him to Edward, I knew that there was really no reason to. Edward was a different time. Things were simple and we were young. I'd always love him but… James was my future. He had a stable job, his own home, and most importantly: our past was free and clear of obstacles. He loved my son. He loved me. And that was enough.

EPOV

"Close the door, son. We have some things to discuss."

I did as he asked and took my seat across from his desk. He slipped his glasses off and gazed at me intently.

"Edward, my brother and I built this company from the bottom up. It used to be the two of us working out of our parent's basement and living on their couch," he told me. I nodded. I knew this.

"I know, sir. That's why I was interested in the internship in the first place," I replied nervously.

"The thing is son, is that we did it together. Eventually we were both married and had the support of some amazing women. We never could have done this without our family," he watched me while he spoke, apparently knowing he was hitting a nerve. Fucking families…

"I'm not quite sure what you're getting at… sir." I shifted in my seat. He laughed quietly.

"I'm not getting at anything, kid," he grinned. "I know you don't have anyone like that over here… and I think you'd rather be somewhere else right now." He looked down at Masen's photo still sitting on his desk.

"Yes, sir," I agreed.

"I have a friend in Seattle…"

I smiled as I looked around the boxes that filled my apartment. EJ sniffed each one, climbing on them and batting them angrily. My parents were more than happy to get the property in Forks out of their name, and Alice was ecstatic at the chance to decorate. The grin on my face felt permanent. I couldn't get rid of it, even if I tried.

After five long years I was going back.

I was going to be able to see my son everyday. I'd watch him grow and change and tell him I loved him. Everyday.

I was going to see my best friend get married and start his own family.

And Bella… Bella was always home to me. When we were kids… at college. Wherever she was is where I needed to be.

Finally, I was going home.

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