28

Bella hadn't seen Peter Cullen since the night before she and Carlisle snuck out of town. While their parents hadn't attended Edward's high school graduation ceremony, Peter and his wife Charlotte had shown up for Carlisle's. When he walked onto the stage to receive his diploma, Peter stood and yelled a string of profanities that had Bella raging. Carlisle had been embarrassed and quickly rushed off stage to try to quiet him.

It hadn't worked, of course. It wasn't until Coach Clapp and Mr. Varner, who taught trig, grabbed Peter by the arms and quite literally dragged him from the auditorium, with Charlotte stumbling drunkenly behind them, before things calmed. Carlisle managed to keep his composure, but Bella saw the humiliation in his eyes. After that, their decision to leave for New York the next day was a no-brainer.

And now, Peter was standing before her, leering from her face to her swollen belly and smirking. However, before she could utter a sound, Edward was pulling her behind him. It would have been endearing if she hadn't felt the way Edward's hand shook when he gripped her arm.

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked.

Peter's green eyes hardened as he looked from Bella to Edward. "I'm here for my daughter's birthday. What are you doing here? I hope they locked the liquor away. Though, a locked cabinet never stopped you before, did it?"

Edward's jaw tightened, but instead of responding to his sperm donor, he moved to shut the door. Peter, however, threw his hand out, stopping him. Edward flinched, which only seemed to amuse Peter. What kind of father enjoyed inflicting fear on his son?

"I'm here for my daughter, boy."

"What is going on here?"

Bella looked over her shoulder, finding Esme, Garrett, and the two bodybuilder guys behind them. Esme looked from her to Edward to her father, her eyes widening in surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected him to show up.

"What are you doing here?"

Peter's smirk dropped. "What do you think I'm doing here? I'm here for your birthday."

"First of all, my birthday isn't for another three days, not that you would know. You were never here for my other birthdays, so why should this one be any different? Secondly, who told you there was a party? I know for a fact that neither Garrett nor I invited you?"

Peter's eyes shifted behind them, and that's when Bella realized most of Esme and Garrett's guests were watching. Bella wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she'd taken Charlie up on his offer for takeout and a movie.

"Your mother told me, though she shouldn't have had to. You should have told me."

Esme inhaled a sharp breath before she shook her head. "I told you I want nothing to do with you ever again. What part of that do you not understand?"

"Don't talk to me like that, Esmerelda. I am your father."

"No, you were never my father. Phil was more of a father to me than you ever were. Unlike you, he was there when I needed him. You're not welcome here, so please leave."

"Esme, honey, you don't mean that," Peter stammered, his eyes shifting around the entranceway. "Why don't we talk about this in private?"

"How about we don't?" Esme responded, ignoring the way Garrett reached for her as she moved around Bella and Edward, grabbing the door and slamming it in her father's face. She then placed both hands on the thick wood as Peter began to beat his fists against it, his muffled threats about this not being the end coming through loud and clear.

"Why don't you guys go back to the party and give us a few minutes to . . . I don't know . . ." Garrett said, looking around at their guests. One by one, Kate, Heidi, the bodybuilders, and the woman with long black hair nodded before they headed back upstairs. Once they were alone, Garrett clasped his hands and said, "I am so sorry, babe. I promise I didn't know he would show up."

"It's okay." Esme leaned ridged against the door, but Peter seemed to have given up seething as he was no longer knocking. "Can't believe she told him about the party. I should have never told her."

"Yeah, can't say I was expecting that, either," Garrett said slowly. He shifted his attention to Bella. "You okay, Izzy?"

"I . . . I want to go home," she whimpered, and when Edward reached for her, she put her hands up and stepped away. "I shouldn't have come. I need to go home."

"I'll take you," Edward said, his hand still stretched to her.

"I don't think so," she muttered.

"It's not safe for you to be alone out there. Not with him hanging around."

"Doesn't feel too safe in here, either. Just go back to your little girlfriend in there, Edward, and go back to ignoring me," she quipped before turning to Garrett. "Will you walk me to my car?"

"Izzy, I'm sorry," Edward stammered, but when she turned her back toward him and looked at Garrett, he seemed to get the hint.

"Please, walk me to my car."

"Maybe you should wait? He could still be out there," Garrett fretted, though when his eyes shifted to Edward, she knew he was hoping they would talk.

But Bella couldn't right then. She needed to leave, needed to put some space between them. "That's why I'm asking you to escort me to my car. Please, Garrett."

Sighing, he nodded.

Edward started to protest, but Esme placed her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. He clamped his lips shut and moved out of their way. Bella wrapped her arms around herself as Garrett opened the front door, looking around before motioning for her to follow him onto the front stoop.

"I'm sorry for ruining your birthday," she whispered before following him outside. Once across the street, her fingers trembled as she dug her keys out of her bag and tried to unlock her car.

"Here, let me." Garrett slipped the keys from her hand and hurried to the passenger side. "Let me drive you."

"I can drive myself."

"I'm sure you can, honey, but seeing as that asshole couldn't have gotten far, I would feel better if I made sure you got back to Woodbury safe. And so would Esme and Edward."

Bella sighed.

"Humor me, Izzy. Please?"

"How are you going to get back?"

"Esme will come get me."

"You don't need to do this. It's her birthday. You should be here with her."

"If I don't, she's going to kick my ass." He looked over at her and Edward. "She considers you a part of her family, Izzy. If you insist on leaving, I will have to insist on driving you."

"Fine, whatever."

Bella's eyes flickered to Edward before she slid into the front seat, letting Garrett close the door behind her. She put on her seatbelt while he hurried across the street, watching Edward shaking his head. He even took a few steps toward her car but stopped when Garrett cut him off. He gestured back toward her, and Edward nodded before he walked back into the house, leaving Bella with a longing she hadn't felt in a long time.

—RtW—

Bella crawled out of bed early the next morning, not that she'd gotten much sleep. Garrett had driven her home. Though luckily, he didn't push her to make idle conversation. What was supposed to be a fun evening, had turned into a disaster.

Walking into the kitchen to make coffee, she paused when someone knocked on her front door. Feeling herself tense, she slid her hands protectively over her belly as she walked through her little house and peered through the peephole, closing her eyes when she saw Edward on her doorstep. A part of her wanted to ignore him, to treat him the same way he had been doing to her over the last five weeks, but she couldn't. She'd already lost ten years without him because she was selfish and stupid. So, instead of pretending she wasn't home, she turned off the alarm and opened the door.

Edward's eyes shifted to hers. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"I brought you coffee," he said, holding up the iced coffee from Dutch Bros. "Did I wake you?"

"No," she replied, leaning against the doorway. "But why are you here now when you've ghosted me for weeks?"

Edward sighed. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't . . ." She shook her head. "I've called, texted, come by the bar. You never replied or even opened the door. How did you not mean to?"

"Fine, I did. I just . . ." He paused. "Can I come in?"

"No."

"No?"

Bella shook her head before stepping outside and pulling the door closed behind her. "Why are you here? Why, Edward, after five weeks, are you standing on my doorstep?"

"I was worried about you."

"Worried," she murmured. "So worried you've been ghosting me for weeks."

Edward frowned.

"Just . . . Just tell me why? That's all I want to know. Why, Edward? Why?"

"I . . ." He dragged his free hand through his hair. "I don't want you to regret being with me if . . . if you realize that I'm not the man you want to be with. I'm selfish, Izzy. This is why I didn't want to tell you how I felt."

"What do you mean?"

"As long as I kept my feelings to myself, I could have settled for just being your friend. But once you knew I loved you, I . . . I just couldn't seem to keep pretending."

"I don't want you to pretend, Edward."

"You don't?"

She shook her head, but when he reached for her waist, she put her hands up. "But that doesn't mean you can treat me like I don't exist whenever you get scared, Edward. I put myself out there. I told you I was all in. All fucking in, and instead of . . . of, I don't know, just talking to me, you pretended I didn't exist anymore."

"I'm sorry. I am so fucking sorry, Izzy."

"So you said."

"You don't believe me?"

Bella bit the inside of her lip. "Should I? Just last night, I walked into the kitchen and found you with another woman in your arms."

"She wasn't in my arms," he scoffed. "She was brushing a crumb off my shirt."

"Whatever."

"Emily isn't my girlfriend."

"Her name is Emily?"

Edward nodded. "Emily Uley. Her husband Sam showed up right after you left. They attend medical school with Esme. I just met them last night."

Bella nodded.

"You don't believe me."

"No, I do, but that doesn't change anything."

"It . . . it doesn't?"

She shook her head.

"What can I do to prove myself to you?"

"You could start by giving me that coffee."

Edward smiled and held out the large plastic cup. She wrapped her fingers around it, brushing against his before she pulled out of his grip. After opening the wrapper of the pink straw with her teeth, she took a deep pull, doing her best to keep from moaning. They'd made it perfectly to her specifications.

"Good, right?"

She, once again, found herself nodding. "How'd you know how I like my iced coffee?"

"I paid attention, Izzy. Figured your tastes hadn't changed in the last ten years."

Bella wasn't sure how to respond, so instead, she just took another sip. "Have you had breakfast?"

"No," he replied with a smile.

"Are you going to bail if I invite you in?"

"No."

"You promise?"

"I do."

"Don't make me regret this, Edward. I can't handle losing you, too."

"You'll never lose me, Izzy. Never."

The last five weeks had been the worst of her life. Though she wasn't sure she could truly trust him, she knew she couldn't handle not having him in her life any longer. Edward was a risk she was willing to take.

For herself, and for her son. . .

—RtW—

Bella made eggs, bacon, and toast while Edward stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching. It was oddly satisfying, and she felt like she could breathe for the first time in five weeks. No, make that five months. Maybe even years. But that wasn't something she wanted to dig into now. She knew she loved Carlisle, but the way Edward made her feel was different, unique.

After they ate, Edward insisted on cleaning the kitchen, so while he did, she settled on the couch, her legs stretched out and a pillow behind her back. She had gotten to the point in her pregnancy where she found it difficult to find a comfortable position.

When he entered the living room, Edward hesitated for a moment before he lifted her legs and sat with them draped over his lap, tentatively asking, "Is this okay?"

"Yes."

He began rubbing her feet. "Have you been feeling okay? Everything is good with Little Bit?"

"Um, yeah. He's . . . Dr. Black says he's right on track. Strong, too. He likes to kick all night, especially on my bladder." Right on cue, she felt the baby moving. "Do you want to feel?"

"Are you sure?"

She smiled and reached for his hand. "Yes."

Edward wrapped his fingers around her palm, and she felt her cheeks warm as she laid his hand on her stomach, watching his eyes widen when her son pushed against him.

"Wow."

"Kind of neat, huh?"

He nodded. "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Izzy. I never meant to. I just . . . I just don't want you to regret being with me."

"I know, but when I say I'm all in, Edward, I mean it. I care so much for you. I won't lie and say I'm in love with you because I can't. It wouldn't be fair to declare feelings I don't know I have yet."

"I can accept that."

"Yeah?"

Edward smiled before he leaned toward her. "I'm willing to take whatever I can from you, and if you never love me the way I love you, then I'll settle for being your friend and Little Bit's uncle."

Sliding her hand around his neck, pulling herself closer, she said, "As long as I have you in our lives, I'm happy."

And once again, she kissed him.

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! Big thank you to Sunflower Fran for cleaning up my messy chapters.