"Not a stranger?" she murmured to herself. I flinched. "What exactly did Edward say to you?" she asked in a low voice.
"Nothing…" I couldn't bring myself to say it. I knew I'd just end up humiliating myself. But what if I could make her see sense? I would save her life. I found myself blurting out, "Bella… what if you and I could…" I trailed off as I saw the look on her face. She looked horrified.
"Jake, be serious! You're my friend! And besides, it's this baby that I want," she glanced down at her belly and lovingly rubbed it. I closed my eyes and tried to think of other ways to convince her. I knew this wouldn't be easy.
"Bella… Edward told me that it's not really a baby. It's some type of mutant. What you're giving birth to isn't normal-looking. It's gonna be a gross thing," I hated lying to her like this, but if this was what it would take to save her life… well, I'd do it, even if it meant lying through my teeth.
Bella's eyes widened to my surprise. "What? How does he even know-?"
"Because he saw one of them being born, that's why, Bells," I sounded strangled, adding to the effect. As I looked into her chocolate brown eyes, I could practically see her brain trying to make sense of this. I'd planted a seed of doubt inside of her head. She wasn't so sure she wanted this baby anymore.
"He never mentioned this before, though…" she mumbled, looking down at her hands, then at her belly, tears forming in her eyes. I sighed and took her hands on between mine, rubbing them comfortingly.
"You can ask him, if you'd like. Here, I'll call for him." This was my cue for Edward. I was talking quickly because I knew that I was winning, that I was convincing Bella of getting rid of that little monster. Bella began to protest, but Edward was in the room in a second, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"Bella… I did see a baby like… ours, sweetheart. It isn't as you expect it to be," he bit out, his eyes pleading with hers as he knelt beside me. Bella gasped.
"Why didn't you mention this before, Edward!? You said that you'd never seen a couple like us-!"
"Bella, shush, don't strain yourself. I lied to you because I knew that it would scare you, and I hoped that it wouldn't be the same for you, but… it is. The baby you'll give birth to will be the ugliest thing ever. It will feast upon your blood and the blood of unsuspecting humans. It will be a blood crazed monster," Edward was so much better at lying than me. I almost believed him myself. I knew that he was only saying all of this crazy stuff to scare Bella and convince her to kill that thing before it could kill her.
Bella raised a hand to stop him from continuing. "Edward... are you sure?" she sobbed. Edward nodded.
"Yes, Bella," he said seriously.
I looked at Edward out of the corner of my eye. I think we did it. We managed to convince her! I said to him in my mind.
He nodded slightly without taking his eyes off Bella, the face of the burning man vanishing. In its place was a hopeful expression.
"I… I want to think about it. Can you give me time to think about it?" Bella breathed eyes boring into mine and the Edward's. Edward reached out and wiped her tears away with his stone hands before I could.
"Yes, Bella… but don't cry. It hurts to see you cry," he pleaded. Bella looked down at her pregnant belly again and then to us.
"It's just that I really want a baby! Before all of this, I never even considered it, but now I am! I really want to become a mother," she gasped out. Edward's eyes hardened at that.
"If it's a baby you want, a baby you'll get. Accept Jacob's deal, Bella. He can give you what I can't," I knew that just saying that made Edward feel like he was on fire with jealousy, and that made me respect him. I just hope she does accept it, I said to Edward as he read my mind.
Bella's eyes widened as they focused on mine. I spoke. "Bella… please. I love you. Marrying Edward was a mistake, and you know it. You'll never be able to start a family with him, and what's the best that he can give you, immortality? I can give you so much more, and you don't have to change for me. We can start a family, we can move to another place. We can live in the Reservation, even. Think of how happy Charlie and Billy will be. And don't deny that you don't love me back, maybe not as much as you love your bloodsucker, but enough that we can begin a life together. Edward will eventually get tired of you as you both live in eternal youth. He'll find someone else that he wants to be with and leave you. I'll never do that," I murmured persuasively. I saw Edward's jaw tighten from the corner of my eye, but he didn't object. He knew it was the only way of keeping Bella alive. Giving her up was the right decision.
Bella's eyes overflowed with tears, and I could tell that she was believing everything that I said. I could tell that she agreed with it, too. She refused to look at Edward as she answered. "Jake, give me some time, okay? Come back tomorrow and I'll tell you what I've decided. Right now I just want some time alone to think." She looked at both of us as she said this.
Edward sprung to his feet and was out the door on a second. I was slower. I bent over and kissed the top of Bella's head. "Think about it, Bells. Please. I love you," I said into her ear.
Then I was out the door, too, leaving Bella contemplative and indecisive.