Where's My Happily Ever After?

“Oh, Edwin, do you honestly think you could take me?” Jasper mocked, taunting my fiancé. I bit my lip. I used to be madly in love with that man and I didn’t want Edwin killing him.

“Eddie, don’t do this,” I murmured, pleading. Edwin rolled him eyes, growling at Jasper.

“I do think I could—and I will—if you don’t leave right now.”

“Edwin! Do you really want Monique and Avery to see you do that?” I whispered, tugging my wrist from Jasper and my body from Edwin. “Do you want them to think that their daddy is a monster?”

Edwin’s eyes darted to his children. Monique was still sitting on the floor and by the wall, holding Avery close to her. She met his gaze and offered a small, painful smile. Avery was wailing like all babies do. I watched as a small smile tugged at Edwin’s lips.

“I’m a dad now, Jade,” he reminded me, kissing my cheek.

“Yes, you are. Are you going to start thinking about your actions now?” Edwin scowled before nodding reluctantly.

“Jade...You had kids?”

I glanced over to Jasper. He looked even paler and bewildered. I grimaced, nodding slowly. “But one is adopted, and I just recently had the boy.”

“I thought you said that there was no way you would ever want to raise a family...” He bit his lip. “Was that just a lie to get me off your back?”

“No!” I tore myself from Edwin’s side and hugged Jasper warmly. “I swear that’s not it. I loved you, I did. It’s just that I didn’t want kids at that time. Monique changed that and now... I’m so sorry, Jasper. But if I recall correctly, you told me that I wasn’t willing to change for you. I never denied it.”

“So we broke up for no reason?” There was betrayal in his voice, and I wanted to cry.

“No, we had a reason. You wanted me to be something I didn’t want to be: a mommy. You threatened to leave me if I didn’t tell you we’d have a kid or two. I told you I wouldn’t, so you dumped me. There was a perfectly good reason. Times just change. I haven’t changed one bit, I can assure you. I just met a really great guy who helped me figure out who I really was.” Well, I thought I’d met a really nice guy anyway...

“But I’ve changed, Jade. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since that day, and I haven’t felt as alive as I did when I had you in my life. I was always this close to calling you up, but I was afraid you would tell me something I didn’t want to hear,” he whispered in my ear. “I don’t need to be a father.”

“But I’m already a mother.” This man was the man I was so sure I had fallen unfailingly in love with; this was the man that had never opened up and been completely serious with me for once; this was the man that had gotten down on one knee and proposed to me as a bus full of little kids drove by! Mostly, though, this was the man that had broken my heart beyond repair. He had driven me to the arms of a vampire.

I couldn’t linger in my sadness for long since Edwin jerked me back to his side. His eyes were incredibly soft as he looked into my confused and dazed pupils. He smiled even more sweetly as he pulled me closer and kissed me. I melted in his arms, but when I opened my eyes to see my angel’s face...His eyes were hardened again as he glared at Jasper! I pushed him off of me.

“Don’t kiss me just to put on a show for him!” I hissed, pointing at my ex-boyfriend. “And here I thought you were just being nice again!” Edwin’s glower was turned on me, and I shrunk into myself, apologizing though I didn’t know what I was saying sorry for.

“Don’t talk to me as though you’re better than me! Stop being such a bitch!” he hissed so low that Monique wouldn’t hear.

“Wow, and you’re marrying him?”

Wait, how did he even hear Edwin?