Hey, howdy, hey! It's Monday...all. freakin. day. Good news is that we've got a chapter for you!
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Chapter 7
After receiving excited hugs from Esme and Carlisle, Edward and I settle back into our seats at the table and finish our meal. I'm relieved Edward and his parents are happy about the baby, and I can only hope my parents will accept the news as well as the Cullens have.
The four of us make quick work of clearing the table and cleaning the dishes before my world turns to shit again.
It starts innocently enough. Esme simply asks when the baby is due, and I, being of pregnancy brain and not thinking before I speak, answer her.
"Well, when I saw the doctor two weeks ago, he told me I was already seven weeks along. That makes me nine weeks now, so I guess I have around seven months to go."
I immediately notice Edward's body freeze next to mine, but it's not until he removes his hand from mine that I realize what I've just admitted.
Oh, shit.
"I need some air." He stands and walks out of the front door, not even glancing my way, and I know I've fucked up something fierce.
Gradually, I look at his parents, hoping for some clue as to what I should do. Do I leave him alone and let him blow off some steam? Do I run out there and beg him to forgive me and risk being rejected completely by him? He's never been this angry with me before, and I'm at a loss as to how to fix this. Esme gives me a sad smile, and my glassy eyes turn full-on torrential.
Going on instinct, I stand, ready to fight for my man. My hand shakes as it hovers over the doorknob, and I mentally pull on my big-girl panties before opening the door and walking onto the porch. I'm the one who's put myself into this position, so I need to fix it.
Seeing Edward sitting on the opened tailgate of his truck both turns me on and breaks my heart. It's hot because Edward doing anything is hot, but it breaks me because he's out here alone and sad, and it's all because of me.
Fuck these pregnancy hormones.
I wipe my face with my hands and clear my throat before stepping up to the truck.
"Hey."
"How long have you known, Bella?"
Damn, Edward. Don't beat around the bush or anything.
"I, uh, took a pregnancy test three weeks ago."
This is where he's going to storm off. I just know it. He's going to tell me to go fuck myself, and he's going to leave. But I won't stop him. I know I deserve it.
It's like the wind getting kicked out of me when he turns to me with tears in his eyes and asks, "Why?" To be honest, I don't know what he's referring to. Why did I keep it from him, or why am I such a heartless bitch?
"Edward, I'm so sorry. I never meant to wait this long—"
"Do you not want the baby?"
Just the thought of not wanting this baby puts a huge lump in my throat, and I'm forced to swallow it down. That is the furthest thing from the truth. Sure, I was freaked the hell out, and this was definitely not planned, but I want this baby more than anything. Actually, that's not the whole truth. The whole truth is that I want Edward's baby more than anything.
"Yes! Of course I do! When I took the first test, I didn't believe the results. I'd been told I'd never get pregnant, remember? So, I took a few more tests, and when they all came back positive, I needed some time to wrap my brain around the fact that those doctors who said it was impossible were wrong. I was in shock and didn't truly believe it until the doctor confirmed it."
"But, how could you wait two more weeks after that? I know we didn't see each other a lot because we've both been working so hard, but we still talked. You could've told me any time. You know that."
"So many times I wanted to tell you. So many times I almost did, but I wanted it to be perfect—not some middle-of-the-night phone call or text.
"The truth is, I was scared. I'm still scared." I turn my head away so Edward doesn't see my chin quiver, which is a sign I'm about to hit the ugly-cry stage. I do love the man, so it's best I hide that from him as much as possible. Otherwise, he'll be scarred for life.
Strong hands wrap around my biceps and pull me until I'm standing in between his dangling legs.
"Why on earth would you be scared?"
"We weren't even officially a couple until a couple of hours ago!" My voice cracks as it raises and echos against the night sky.
Edward moves his hands to the sides of my face, holding it firmly so I can't look away. "Did you think I'd leave you? Leave our baby?"
"I lost someone I didn't love because I couldn't have a baby, and I went nutso. I finally meet someone who means more to me than anyone, and I immediately get knocked up. Edward, there isn't a word strong enough to describe how crazy I'd be if you left. I didn't know how you felt about me or how you'd feel about being a daddy so soon, so I put off telling you. I know I fucked this up. I fuck everything up, and I'm so sorry."
I'm a sobbing mess at this point, but who the hell cares? If Edward's gonna stick around, he might as well get used to it. I'm pretty sure I've cried more than I've thrown up at this point, and neither one is very attractive.
"I'm sorry, too."
"Wh—what are you talking about? You didn't do anything wrong."
"I'm sorry you were so scared. I'm sorry you were married to that sack of shit who made you feel you were less than what you are. I'm sorry I didn't push you harder when I knew—I fucking knew—something was going on. I promise, from now on, I'll fight for you, even if it means fighting you. You're it for me, Bella. I'll never want anyone the way I want you and our baby."
I guess being pregnant also gives you super-strength because I somehow manage to pull myself up into the bed of his truck and onto his lap in mere seconds. We're completely wrapped around each other, as close as we can be with our clothes on, holding on to one another like our lives depend on it.
"I'm sorry I wasn't at the doctor's office with you," he whispers.
"I'm sorry I didn't take you with me. Wanna see a picture of our baby?" I ask. Why I'm playing it shy now is beyond me.
Those damn green eyes light up brighter than the fireflies that surround us. "Yes!"
I can't help but laugh as I reach into my back pocket and pull out the sonogram picture I've been carrying since it was given to me. Placing it in his hand, I keep my eyes on his face because I don't want to miss a single reaction. I'll remember this moment forever. Of course, I'm not disappointed. Every crack and every hole in my heart is instantly sealed, and every doubt is simply blown away with the smile that covers Edward's face as he looks at our baby. If he's this glorious looking at a picture, my mind boggles at how he'll look when he holds him or her in his arms for the first time.
He sniffles a bit before looking back at me. "Thank you."
"No, Edward. Thank you. You've given me what I never thought I'd have, what I never believed I deserved—my own family."
He kisses me until my toes curl, and I wonder if it's too risky to have sex in the bed of his truck right now, considering his parents are still inside his house. Just as I'm about to reach for his belt, he pulls his mouth away from mine.
"A February baby, huh?"
"February fourteenth, to be exact," I say with a smile. I've never been an overly sappy girl, and Valentine's Day, to me, is only an extremely busy day at the bakery. But I can't think of a more perfect due date for this baby.
I'm nestled in Edward's arms, relishing our perfect bubble, when he blurts out, "Let's go tell your parents."
"Right now?" He inspects the are-you-completely-insane look I'm giving him, and I guess he thinks I'm joking because he laughs at me.
"Yes, right now. My parents know. It's only fair yours know, too."
"You do remember my dad is your boss, right? And the sheriff of our little town. Don't let his easy-going demeanor fool you. He'll now have proof that you stuck your dick in his little girl before marriage at least once."
"Regardless, love, it's only going to get harder, the longer we wait."
He's right. I know he's right. As much as I dread telling them I'm pregnant, there's also another part of me that's beyond happy. My mama cried with me when I wasn't able to get pregnant. She's always assumed that her chances of being a grandmother, in the traditional sense, were slim to none. So I hope they love this baby as much as I do. My grandma always told me that love finds you when you're not looking for it, and at this moment, I realize how right she is. I wasn't looking for Edward, and I sure as hell wasn't looking for this baby growing inside me, but miraculously, they found me—crazy Bella. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
I turn and nod at Edward, gripping his hand tighter, signaling that I'm ready to face the music.
We step inside the house to show Carlisle and Esme we're both fine and tell them we're going to my parents' house to tell them the good news. Just before I follow Edward out the front door, I feel a light touch on my shoulder. Turning around, I see Esme beaming at me.
"Bella, I know this isn't how either of you planned to start your relationship, but sometimes it's the unexpected that makes life so grand. I'm thrilled you and Edward found each other and you're having a baby, and I just wanted you to know."
I barely make out the words "thank you" before I embrace this woman that's only known me for a few hours and accepts me unconditionally. The people of this crap-town I live in could learn some manners from Esme Cullen.
The drive is quiet on the way to my parents' house, but I like it. What I like even more is the feel of Edwards's thumb brushing against the top of my hand as he holds it. It's a simple gesture, but it's full of tenderness and comfort. It's also turning me on in the most inappropriate way, and I can't help but imagine it's my nipples he's rubbing against instead of my hand.
Thankfully, there's a cool breeze to clear my head as Edward helps me out of his truck.
"You ready?" he asks.
"Absolutely. Let's do this." I give him two thumbs up.
He laughs while kissing my forehead and grabs my hand, leading me to the front door.
"By the way, Edward, you should probably know being pregnant makes me horny—like, Southern Baptist virgin teenager horny. In fact, I'm pretty fucking horny right now, so let's not stay here too long, 'kay?"
I glance over my shoulder as he groans and catch him adjusting himself before I let us inside.
It's been far too long, and Mama's gonna get her some tonight!
Well, it was a little bumpy there for a sec, but Edward had every right to be upset. We promised fluff and funny, and that's what we plan on giving y'all. They're gonna have some things to work through, but we'll never leave you hanging or make it too angsty. Hope you guys are good with that. So, next up they've gotta break the news to Mama Renee and Chief Swan...how do you think that's gonna go?
We want to thank our beta, Geekchic12! She's so good to us and she makes our words better. All leftover mistakes are our own.
We also want to thank all of you for being so awesome and embracing our crazy...and Bella's. Thank you so much for the reviews. We're working our way through replies. We love hearing from y'all! So, keep 'em coming!
XOXO,
Jiff and Jenny Kate
