Hi everyone. Can i just say WOW!! I have been overwhelmed by the kind words and the reviews that everyone has put in and all the alerts too!! Glad to see so many people are following this! I will be honest and say i have hit a bit of a mental book, rewriting one chapter 3 times, but your reviews are reassuring and helpful!
Chapter 6 – Out of the Blue
Bella watched as Alice held the sticks in her hand, trying not to think about how she had just peed on them and now they were in Alice's ungloved hand. Her phone dinged showing that the allotted time was up.
Alice slowly held up the tests, side by side.
"There is no plus sign." Alice exclaimed.
"Oh Alice, I am so sorry. We can try again if you want."
"No, it doesn't come with a plus or minus sign. It comes with words. Pregnant!" Alice explained, waving the sticks at Bella.
"Huh?" Bella was confused.
"The window says pregnant. We're pregnant, Bella."
Alice handed off the sticks to Bella before throwing her arms around Jasper.
Bella looked down and sure enough in blue, bold letters was the word 'PREGNANT'. "Wow, pregnancy tests for dummies."
Bella stood up and made her way over to Alice and Jasper. Alice stood up with her and threw her arms around Bella, the girls jumping up and down. When they finally settled, Jasper joined the hug trying to keep the squeals to a minimum as Cassie slept upstairs.
~*-*~
Bella nodded to the doorman before she made her way up to Edward's apartment on the seventieth floor. To say she was nervous was a dramatic understatement. Edward was cooking her dinner, in his apartment. To any normal person, this wouldn't be a problem and the guest would probably be glad to have the night off from cooking. Not Bella. She had watched as Edward had even managed to botch up mac and cheese...from a box. They ate out that night. She had been running late from work as well, so she hadn't had a chance to eat beforehand just in case Edward provided a meal that was inedible. She was eating for two now. With a slightly shaky hand, Bella knocked on his door.
A few seconds later, Edward opened the door. He was still wearing his work suit, minus a tie and covered with a black and white checked apron with the works "Show the Chef Some Lovin'" with an orange looking sauce splattered across it. Bella had to laugh.
"Come in, I'll take your coat." He pulled her coat from her shoulders, running his fingertips as a track, trailing behind the fabric. He had to swallow back as he felt the elastic straps of her bra.
Bella entered cautiously, sniffing the air for any tell tale signs of burning or decay. She found neither. "No fire department visit yet then?"
"The night is young."
Bella laughed. Edward felt his tense body relax at the tinkling sound.
"Hello, Bella." A female voice sounded through the apartment though sounding rather tinny.
Bella spun her heel looking wildly about the apartment. Edward hadn't mentioned additional guests. Her heart sank at the thought of a third or fourth party joining them but she quickly quashed them. She had no reason to be disappointed, they were friends. Friends.
"Over here."
The woman's voice sounded again. She looked over at Edward in confusion and frustration. Edward was shaking in silent laughter.
"Come on."
He picked her hand up from her side and tugged her in the direction of his open plan kitchen. It looked like a disaster zone. There was a saucepan with the same reddish, orange sauce in it, but it was burnt to the pan in places. A frying pan and cheese grater was also amongst the debris. Edward pulled her in front of him and turned them until they were looking at his laptop. His arms crossed around her shoulders, her back flush against his chest. Bella sighed at the realisation that she could feel the rise and fall of his abdominal muscles as he breathed in an out against her. There was an older looking woman, well older than Bella was. She was beautiful. Edward rested his chin on her shoulder, and she had to quell the building tingles as she felt his breath by her ear.
"Bella, this is my mother, Esme." He gestured at the screen. "Mom, this Bella."
"So this is Bella. Finally, I get to meet you."
Bella felt the blush building in her face. She moved, trying to hide, but instead his arms tightened, pulling herself further into Edward's chest. She could feel him take a deep breath and rub small circles of reassurance onto the top of her shoulders.
"Oh, she is as beautiful as you described."
Bella buried her head into his shoulder, seeking shelter from the obvious blush of embarrassment that was spreading up her cheeks.
Edward moved away quickly and moved towards the laptop to close the screen. Bella immediately missed the contact but mentally slapped herself for the feeling. "Right, bye mom. Will see you at Christmas."
"Don't forget, Edward, 350 degrees and take it out when the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has started to go brown on top. Brown, not black. Bye, Bella."
The screen showed that Esme had hung up and silence filled the air.
Edward cleared his throat. "So that was..."
"Did you know that all the two hundred millions starlings in North America are descendant of sixty starlings that were brought over from Europe and released in Central Park?"
Bella turned and looked at Edward's extremely confused face. "Huh?"
"Sorry, I use useless information when there is tension or awkward silences.. I don't like tension. They're not just for tension. In fact I pretty much use random facts for any occasion."
"Good to know. Now did you want to talk about that?" He motioned at the laptop. Bella shook her head with a smile that didn't reach her eyes and started to walk towards the living room. "So what are your plans for Christmas?"
Bella let out a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to push the issue of his mom or why he was talking to his mom about her. "Well Joanna is flying in tomorrow. Alice, Jasper and Cassie spent Thanksgiving at his family's house in Austin so they are staying here. It makes more sense to come out to New York than for all of us to fly there. What about you?"
Edward was momentarily distracted by the sparkle in her eyes as she talked about Cassie. There would never be any doubt about how much Bella loved her niece.
"I will be at my parents in Chicago. Emmett and Rosalie are flying in today so it will be all family together." He flashed Bella a nervous smile. "Don't get me wrong, I love Rosalie, she makes my brother very happy. But…she's hard work sometimes. Her personality is…prickerly? I don't want to put you off before you meet her. She is nice, you just have to get underneath her shell to find all things nice that come with her sugar and spice."
Bella laughed. It was to mask the fact her heart was beating twenty to the dozen. It was not the first Edward had mentioned her meeting his family. She had briefly met Emmett as he rushed out of the door of Edward's apartment. To say Emmett and Edward were physically two different kettles of fish was an understatement. Edward was tall, a slight build with discrete muscles and a discrete personality. Emmett was huge, as in massive. Muscles didn't describe Emmett's physique. If he hadn't been coming out of Edward's apartment, Bella would have felt intimidated. As it was, the dimple-laden smile he had flashed her had softened her nerve and was looking forward to meeting him again.
"So when is Joanna flying in?" Edward asked, drawing Bella back to reality.
"Joanna is getting in on Christmas Eve and staying until the day after New Years Day. She is going to watch Cassie while we go to a party on New Year's Eve that one of Jasper's clients is throwing. Apart from that, we are just looking forward to a quiet holiday time. The last few weeks have just been full on."
"So I won't get to meet the infamous Joanna?"
"Nope."
They both frowned at the clash of timings. Edward had a prior year-on-year arrangement that he attended a fundraising ball that his father's hospital hosted every New Year. He had asked Bella if she wanted to join him, but she had declined. It would have meant missing out on precious time with her step-mother. Also, to Bella, going to the ball with Edward and his family would signify a change in their relationship that she wasn't sure she was ready to acknowledge yet.
The pause hung heavy in the air and Bella started to wander away from him.
"Um...Samuel L. Jackson insisted on being the only person in the Star Wars films to use a purple light sabre. It was the only way he would accept the part of Mace Windu."
"What?" Bella asked, her face scrunched up in confusion.
"Random fact to diffuse tension."
"That wasn't tension, Edward. That was...," she waved her hands dismissively in the air. "a pregnant pause."
Edward chuckled to himself as he opened the now pre-heated oven and slid in the lasagna. Having Bella in his apartment, just wondering around freely was a liberating thought. She seemed to feel comfortable there, no longer a guest but not a resident. He hoped it would mean that she would be open to coming to his apartment more often. His head screamed at him for his stupidity but his heart, God, his heart startled awake as the first shocks of life flowed through his heart in three months.
Bella was wandering over by his piano, running her fingers over the black lacquered wood. Edward shivered at the action, a shiver not from the cold. He loved his piano. In fact he loved his piano so much that he wish he was it, that he was the one under the touch of Bella's fingertips. It sat on a raised level beside the floor to ceiling windows that dominated the open-plan room, which brought the New York skyline in. Edward did a quick inventory of the music on the piano in his head and realised there was no incriminating evidence to his burgeoning feelings for Bella. That was safely tucked away in the recesses of his mind.
"You write?" She motioned to the untidy, scattered papers all over the top. He nodded. "The mess shows frustration. Are you struggling with something?"
Edward was taken back at her observation. "I have music in my head. It is playing on a loop and changing constantly. The pieces are disjointed and I just can't seem to get them onto paper in a order that makes sense or sounds right to me."
"Who says that the order of music has to make sense? As long as it is what you want, just get it down. If not then it will come with time."
Edward contemplated her words while handing her a glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc wine. He had been struggling for over a week with the rather simple tune that was the soundtrack of his mind. Maybe Bella was right, time to forget about it and let it come when it's ready.
xxxx
Dinner had been an easy affair. Conversation flowed seamlessly, not repeats of the awkward pauses from earlier. The lasagna had been fantastic and when toasting the chef, Bella raised her still full glass and toasted to Esme. She felt obliged to take a sip as Edward watched her closely.
Edward cleared the plates to the dishwasher as Bella made her way to the sofas. Her glass 'slipped' from her hand slightly and half the wine ended up in the plant pot of a Swiss Cheese plant before she righted it again with a smug smile to her face.
They sat there watching a football game that Edward had recorded onto his TIVO. Edward tried, unsuccessfully, to explain the rules and plays to Bella. It was all nonsense to her and she wondered, out loud, several times why it was called football when they used their hands the majority of the time. By the time the final whistle blew, the Chicago Bears had beaten the Washington Redskins and Bella was asleep. Her head was burrowed into the hollow of his shoulder as her warm breath blew through his shirt, dancing across his skin.
"Bella?" He gently shook. "Bella!" He raised his voice and she stirred, burrowing further into him. Edward took a deep breath to compose himself and thought of granny pants. "Bella, it's late."
Bella finally opened her eyes and sleepily gazed at Edward, a blush spreading up her face as she realised their position. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to fall asleep. I've been so tired this week and you are so comfy.
Edward chortled softly at Bella's lack of filter. It was enlightening. "It's okay, I really didn't mind at all. Did you mean comfy as in nice-comfy or comfy as in 'I should be back in the gym' comfy?"
"Nice, I meant nice" Bella sleepily stuttered, causing Edwards chest to rumble from a chuckle."
"It's really late though. I don't think I am comfortable with you driving home this late or this tired." Edward swept a stray curl back behind her ear.
"I'll be okay." It wasn't as convincing with the giant yawn Bella let loose.
"That's it, you are staying. It is the weekend tomorrow and you can lie in before driving back home. I'll take the couch, you take my bed. The guest room isn't decorated yet."
"I am not stealing your bed Edward. I'll take the couch and you take your bed."
Edward let out a sigh of exasperation. They were both standing staring at each other, hands on hips and mirror image pouts. "I am not having you sleep on the couch, my mother would kill me for that. Look, Bella, We are adults and I am sure we can share a bed without any awkwardness. I even have PJ's you can borrow if you want."
Bella bit her lower lip, staring at Edward to check he was sure. There was no doubt in her mind she was sure about sharing a bed with him. Even to be near him was enough for Bella as long as she put her doubts of self-control to the back of her mind. "Okay."
Edward nodded in confirmation and took Bella's hand, leading her to the back of his apartment. She hoovered tentatively at the entrance to his bedroom. It was like entering unknown territory. Like this was the step that would decide her future. What was it they said? The hardest step in an thousand miles is the first one. She took a deep breath and stepped forward. Edward let her go and walked over to a chest of drawers, pulling out a pair of blue plaid patterned PJ bottoms and a black t-shirt with the number 2 and CULLEN written on the back.
"I'll just go into the bathroom, feel free to get ready here or the main bathroom is across the hall."
Bella watched his retreating back in silence and, once the click of the lock was in place, began to strip out of her clothes. They were folded and left neatly on a small rocking chair that was in a corner of his room. The PJ's smelt of fresh laundry detergent. They had been worn and washed recently. The thought sent a thrill through her. Once finished, Bella sat on the edge of his bed. She felt like a virgin on prom night. Not that she was sleeping with him in that way, she admonished herself. It was more the feeling of unease and uncertainty of what to do next.
A small shuffling noise to her right caught her attention. Edward was leaning against the doorframe staring at her. She caught a momentary flash of his eyes, dark and intense, before he blinked and his emerald peepers were back. Pushing his body away from the doorframe, Edward made his way over and wordlessly pulled back the comforter. Bella climbed in and turned on her side, her back to Edward's side of the bed. So much for not feeling awkward.
"Night, Edward." Bella muttered before relaxing into the cotton sheets and shutting her eyes.
It was so quiet she thought she had misheard; a sigh from Edward that seemed full of confusion and rejection. "Night, Bella."
xxxx
Why is it so hot?
Bella shifted around as she tried to relieve the oppressing heat that was on the front of her body. A stifled groan and mumbling made her halt abruptly and open her eyes. She wasn't in her room, her room had pale green walls; whereas these were a milky coffee colour. Then it came back to her. Dinner. Edward. Sharing his bed. She tried to move away from the heat source, but instead she felt her body being clamped tightly to it. Sometime in the middle of the night Edward and Bella had gravitated towards each other. Legs intertwined, it was difficult to tell where Edward ended and Bella started. Her head and right side was over Edward's chest as he lay on his back. One arm of his was under her body and around her waist, his hand caressing her hip. The other was on top of her and over her back as his fingers unconsciously rubbing patterns into her skin. His chin sat on the top of her head, his warm breath fanning across her hair, sending tingles through her body. Bella lay still, taking in the feel of his body under hers, closing her eyes in a blissful satisfaction she didn't know she had been missing.
The blissful satisfaction was short lived, very short lived, as a familiar rolling feeling crept into stomach. This time the rolling didn't stop, it grew. Her mouth watered and Bella knew what was coming next. She wrenched herself from her Edward-Prison and bolted for where he said the bathroom was. It took all her concentration to flip up the toilet seat before what was left in her stomach came back up at full force.
Dry wrenching continued but she felt her long hair being pulled back from her face and neck and a strong hand rub comforting rounds on her back. The breeze from her hair being pulled back instantly felt better, and the convulsions of her stomach finally slowed and stopped completely.
Bella pulled herself away from the toilet and sat with her back to the bath, taking pleasure from the cool metal. Edward let her hair go and ran her a glass of water.
"I'm sorry, you shouldn't have seen that."
Edward joined her on the floor and drew her to his side. "It doesn't matter. Are you okay?"
"Yah, I think it's stopped. This is great, thanks." She motioned to the glass of water.
"Do you think it was dinner?" Edward looked so torn.
"No!" She exclaimed and then calmed her face. "It definitely wasn't dinner. Dinner was amazing. If it was dinner I would have been sicker hours ago and you would be too. I'm not sure what this is, but it wasn't dinner." She lied as Edward faced a cool hand across her forehead. Bella almost purred as she leaned into it. "I'm sure I'll..."
Bella never finished her sentence as she reacquainted herself with the toilet bowl.
And so it began...Morning sickness
December 23, 2009 – 4.5 weeks
Bella huffed her way through the front door. She hated Christmas shopping, especially on Christmas Eve. Work had been beyond hectic for the last two weeks and Bella was thankful she was now off for ten days. Morning sickness had kicked in full throttle two weeks previous and Bella felt like she had spent more time bent over the toilet bowl than she did standing straight up. Morning sickness with Cassie had been brief and true to its name; only in the morning when she woke. This time it was morning-noon-and-night sickness. Between them, Alice, Bella and Joanna, they had tried everything. Saltine crackers, rice cakes, flat lemonade and ginger ale. Nothing was making a bit of difference. Her doctor was concerned about it but not overly worried which reassured Bella to no end.
The hardest thing was keeping it from Edward. It wasn't as if she was purposely trying to keep it from Edward, but it had never seemed like the right time. They were still exploring the start of their friendship and the last thing she wanted to see was the dust trail as Edward headed for the hills in shock. Bella was pretty sure that he wouldn't but at the moment she didn't want to risk it. So far she had managed to pass off the morning sickness as that of a winter sickness bug that was doing the rounds in the city. There had been one long hug that turned awkward. Edward had pulled her to him too hard as he had been distracted. She had pulled away sharply because as Edward pulled her in, her breasts were pushed up against his chest too hard and hurt her in their increased tenderness.
Bella had never seen someone jump away from her so quickly. The look of confusion and absolute guilt at hurting her that crossed his face cut her to the bone. She knew with a few simple sentences of explanation she would be able to soothe him but she wasn't ready to take that risk yet. It was also painfully obviously that Edward was still dealing with the demise of his previous relationship. No more had been said since the conversation about his ex-girlfriend's father being his client. Bella hadn't wanted to push him but the confusion of where they stood was starting to take an exhaustive toll on her.
Bella glanced at the clock as she dumped her shopping bags unceremoniously on the sofa. It was already eight in the evening and Edward was due in half an hour. She needed a shower, but exhaustion was clawing at her. All she wanted to do was change from her work clothes into something more comfortable and ideally made of stretchy cotton. Bella knew that in the coming weeks, as she got bigger, sweats would become her best friend. Though she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid a shopping trip or twenty with Alice. Bella shuddered at the memory of one torturous shopping session with Alice while they were shopping for maternity bras when she was pregnant with Cassie. Bella was not in a hurry to go again. The thought of Alice made her smile. It was good having her family all together for Christmas. Joanna would be flying in to join Alice and Jasper in their new home now that Alice had deemed it fit for visitors. Christmas with Cassie was always fun, but Bella was just praying that she would manage to keep the morning sickness to a minimum come Christmas Day. She wanted to be able to keep Jasper's Christmas dinner down long enough to enjoy it.
The ringing of her doorbell filled the house. Her breath hitched as she realised that she had been standing in her living room for a full ten minutes and had done nothing with her appearance. She opened the door to reveal her auburn haired Adonis in all his crumpled glory.
"Sorry I am early. I finished and thought I would come straight from work." Edward threw her one of his panty-dropping half smiles. She hated to think what he could do with a full one of those. It would be a global panty dropping of pandemic proportions.
She stood there for a few seconds, dazzled. Something that was becoming an increasing occurrence around Edward. "Come in, sorry. I'm just in myself." She motioned him through to the living room and picked up the bags from the sofa. "I am just going to freshen up." Make yourself comfy and I'll be back in a minute."
Bella dove into the shower and tried to calm her racing feelings as the spray washed through her hair to rid of the days grime. Even in his crumpled suit he still looked like a wet dream. Her stretchy yoga pants were heaven sent and Bella was reassured that Edward had seen her in them before so. They were friends so no need to get all dressed up.
She found him stretched out on the sofa, his tie off and the top three buttons of his shirt undone. He was the picture of perfect to her. She was going to have to do something soon to qualify their relationship or whatever this was that was going on between them. It was going to have to be tonight because she wasn't sure just how long she could keep her hands off the man in front of her.
"So...um...I'll start something for dinner. Anything you would like?"
There was a stirring of movement to her side before arms wrapped around her waist from behind. Bella stiffened, the over friendliness catching her off guard, but then relaxed into his touch. It was coming home, it was what she didn't know she had been missing all day.
Bella let out a sigh as Edward nuzzled at her neck, his five o' clock shadow grazing her skin. "Let's just order take out?" He murmured in her ear, voice heavy and husky.
This is new, where did it come from? Edward continued to run his jaw up and down her neck. So friendly Edward has decided to take a flight and flirty Edward has landed. This I could get used to.
"Okay. I'll order. Why don't you take a shower too? There are some of Jasper's clothes in the spare room in the chest of drawers. You can even use my bodywash."
Edward placed a closed mouth kiss on her neck before moving away, running his hands down her arms. She grabbed the counter for support as her heart raced in her chest and the sound of her own pulse echoed in her ears.
What the...? Did I miss something here? The adrenaline from the unease from Edward's arms around her was starting to leave her and the tiredness was setting in again. She heard the shower turn off in the bathroom and she reached for the phone, ordering an anchovies, chicken and pepperoni pizza. If Edward didn't suspect she was pregnant, he might after the pizza arrived.
The smell of her strawberry body wash floated toward her as she took Edward's hand and led him to the couch. Reaching out to under her Christmas tree she pulled out Edward's present. A large square, yet fairly flat object covered in red 'Forever Friends' wrapping paper.
Edward turned it over in his hands before ripping the paper from it like a child. The paper gave way to a slightly bigger than average book covered in very dark blue leather with gold cursive writing, spelling the word 'Music'. Edward's artistic fingers traced the scripted words while he tried to form words, his mouth opening and closing several times.
"Oh, Bella. This is too much." He had opened the hardback cover to reveal yellow-edged pages with lines, staff lines. He ran his fingertips over the pages, feeling their slightly coarser grain tickle over the pads.
"My boss took me to auction at Sotheby's last week. One of his fits of fancy to get out of the office on a Friday afternoon. I saw this in the listings, its mid-eighteenth century. I remember seeing all the messy music all over your piano and thought it would be good for you to have somewhere to put it all in the future. You look like you have been playing a lot more recently."
"I have, I've been...inspired more. Well inspired to write something different to the depressing rubbish I had been composing before."
He placed the book down in his lap. For a moment, time stopped, life stopped, Edward even stopped breathing. Edward took in Bella's face for the first time that night. Behind her pale palour and dark circled eyes, both of which worried Edward, was a glow. Not her usual cherub blush but a glow that seemed to emanate from somewhere deep inside. Edward reached up and cupped his hand to her cheek. She smiled uncertainly but leaned in, in a show of good faith. His thumb caressed the apple of her cheek. Her smiled firmed up and she placed a hand over his, holding his hand in place; revelling in the heat from his palm. After what felt like hours, Edward cleared his throat and dropped their hands. He reached over the edge of the sofa and pulled out a small, professionally wrapped box.
"It's something small. I hope you like it. I didn't wrap it, Alice offered."
Bella squashed the smile at Edward's ease with her family and pulled at the silver bow. Inside was a black gift box. Lifting off the lid, revealing a small clear heart that cast rainbows in the artificial light offered by the living room lights.
"It has a slip ring on it so you can attach it to your charm bracelet." He mentioned to her wrist where her charm bracelet was a constant resident. "It was my grandmother's and came to me as part of my inheritance."
"Is it...Is it a diamond?"
Edward nodded and watched as the colour left Bella's face. "Don't worry, it's insured and she would have wanted you to have it. She told me to give it to someone deserving of it."
"And you think I am deserving of it?"
"I've told you before; you are important in my life, so very important."
Bella let him take her bracelet from her wrist and attach the charm. It rested perfectly alongside a butterfly, a pair of ballet slippers and a gecko.
After he reattached her bracelet, his fingers drifting softly down her wrist and hand causing goose bumps that had nothing to do with being cold to erupt on her arm. Edward kindly ate her bizarre pizza choice without question, telling her to take the couch while he cleaned up.
Bella surfed through the movie channels on her cable package and settled on 'Scrooged' with Bill Murray. She loved this film at Christmas. Edward settled himself behind her, handing her a cooling cup of chamomile tea she had asked for in a vain attempt at keeping the pizza in her stomach for longer than twenty minutes. Bella snuggled herself in between his legs, her back firmly held against Edward's chest, his arm around her waist as his fingers ran up her arm. Gradually the exhaustion from earlier in the day, coupled with the soothing circles that Edward was writing on her forearm, Bella allowed sleep to claim her.
The slumbering couple, tightly wrapped up in each other were woken by the shrill ring of a cell phone close to the floor beside the sofa.
Frankenstein and Dracula have nothing on you
Jekyll and Hyde join the back of the queue
The female of the species is more deadly than the male
Edward groaned. "Rosalie. Sorry hun, I have to take this."
Bella extracted herself from Edward. "Come find me when you are done."
She pulled herself from the couch. Edward held her elbow until she was steady on her feet. As she walked away, his hand caught hers loosely, squeezing it, before dropping his hand into his lap. Bella looked back and sleepily smiled. A smile Edward had grown oh so attached to.
It wouldn't be the first time that Edward had stayed the night. Nothing serious had happened between them. . Edward said that he seemed to sleep better these days when he stayed with her, and Bella wasn't complaining at waking up to his warm, luscious body spooning hers. Things between them had shifted. Shifted in a direction and he wasn't sure where it was going. It wasn't as if they hadn't shared a bed before, pyjamas fully in place. But now their friendship teetering on the edge of romance. The stakes were high though. Hearts were on the line and that line was thinning by the minute.
~*-*~
Bella must have drifted off again before she felt the bed dip beside her and Edward swept a curl that had fallen over her face.
"Bella, wake up hun."
Bella came around, sleep grogging her senses. One look at Edward's face and Bella was wide awake. His forehead was furrowed; a sign she knew meant he was stressed. The storm that she had seen in his eyes when she first met him had dissipated over the months she had known him. Now it was back in full force, raging white peaks of storm whipped water. She reached to cup his cheek in her hand, her thumb wiped at freshly shed tears, his gaze slowly coming back to her.
"Edward, what is it? What is wrong? Why are you crying?"
"Rosalie called to let me know some news, news about my ex-girlfriend."
The shock to her system was as if someone had poured ice water over the emotions she had been basking in from being cuddled up on the sofa, extinguishing their warmth. "What's happened, Edward? You have to talk to me."
"My ex-girlfriend, Tanya, will be announcing her engagement to an ex-friend of mine, James Dupont, in tomorrow's New York Times."
Bella slinked away from Edward as if she had been stung, crawling to the other side of the bed, but Edward only moved closer, not sure if why she had moved. Their roles were now reversed. Something had upset Bella and she was pulling away from him. He needed her, needed her close. She was his only anchor now.
"What's wrong, Bella?"
Bella appeared to shake her head and then turned back to him, her face a blank expression, her emotions firmly hidden away again. "Do you want to talk about it, Edward?"
"I'm not sure where to start. Tanya and I split up, just before I met you, as you know." Edward missed Bella's grimace as he continued talking away in his own daze. "I found something that forced her to come clean." Edward realised he wasn't making much sense, he knew, but his words were all tumbling to come out. "I thought she had just been busy with work. The banks were failing and the panic meant that Tanya was pretty much out of her mind busy. I couldn't have been more wrong. She had been seeing someone else, behind me back."
Bella sat up and unconsciously leaned in towards him. "Tanya had been cheating on you?"
Edward nodded his head. "For four months. Four months!" Edward tugged at his hair. That's a third of the time we had been together. James was the guy she cheated on me with." Edward chuckled darkly. "This really isn't a good conversation to be having right now, not before we are about to be apart for eight days." Edward muttered, tiredness creeping into his voice as he got under the covers and pulled Bella to him.
"It's okay, Edward. We'll talk about it whenever you are ready. Right now can we just sleep?"
Maybe tonight wouldn't be the night that she would get her clarification after all.
I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on
I'm barely holdin' on to you
Lifehouse – Broken
God, don't you just wanna hate Tanya, please don't. We only get one side of the story here remember. Just like Alice's visions are subjective, so are a person's point of view.
Thanks go out to Tina72899 who is my most awesome beta. Seriously, you would be reading a pile of drivel without her!
Those who give me the name of the song and band who the artists of Edward's ringtone for Rosalie get an extra long sneaky peak - gotta love the review bribery.
Lastly: I am on the look out for funny pregnancy stories. Thanks you Mommyof3boys who got the ball rolling with her tale. Its bad to laugh at other peoples misfortune but it was fuuuuny.