A/N: Hi ladies! There's so many of you now. I'm really overwhelmed. And I want to thank Nicki for rec'ing my story at The Lemonade Stand. It sent a lot of you my way.
Okay, so this chapter, Edward will meet Renée and Charlie. Anyone interested to see how that'll go? Well, here you go …
… But only after the necessary credits. I'm very grateful to my wonderful betas evelyn-shaye and EdwardsMate4ever for putting up with my bad punctuation and all my other flaws. And I guarantee you I have a lot of those, many due to the fact that English is not my first language. I also can't thank my sister-from-another-mister and pre-reader LaPumuckl enough for her constant support and help at all times of day or night.
Now, we're off to Folk. Enjoy! See you at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight …
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Chapter 7 – Behind Closed Doors
BPOV
From the passenger seat of our rental car with, driving from Seattle to Forks, I watched the familiar landscape pass by. I hadn't been home since last Christmas, which was more than seven months ago. I loved my parents, and missed them a lot, but I was happy in Chicago. Although the view out of the car windows made my heart swell with nostalgia, I'd never actually contemplated moving back to Washington.
Edward looked over at me, shooting me a reassuring smile. Until that moment, I hadn't been aware of how nervous I was. Things would undeniably be awkward with me bringing Edward home so shortly after my break-up with Riley, but if I wanted my parents to believe the story of me and Edward being in a relationship, they needed to meet him.
"Edward, uhm, I'm not really sure about telling my mom and dad about the baby this weekend. After all, I'm not even in my second trimester, and so much can still happen until then."
I'd been thinking about that a lot since Edward offered to come with me. I wanted to tell them in person, but it was still so early. What if something happened, and I worried them for no reason? The thought alone of losing the baby made me feel a sudden jolt of pain. It had definitely been an accident that had led to the life growing inside of me, but I loved my little Peanut with everything I had.
"Bella, it's not like one out of two pregnancies ends in a miscarriage, but I get what you mean." He quickly looked at me with an understanding expression before his gaze returned to the highway.
I took a long breath before I continued. "I want to use this weekend to give them a chance to get to know you and to make them believe that we're a couple. And whatever I tell them about us, please, just go along with it. I'll try to make it as easy as possible for all of us." I bit my lip, glancing nervously at Edward.
He reached over the center console and gave the hand that was resting on my leg a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. Just do whatever feels right. I'll be your doting boyfriend for the next couple of days." He smirked at me, and his emerald eyes twinkled conspiratorially. I couldn't keep myself from smiling right back. Yes, if we were like that, I was quite sure we could pull off the lovebird act.
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"Oh, honey, it's so good to see you," my mom cheered as she pulled me into a tight hug. She'd come running down the porch steps as soon as Edward shut off the engine.
I patted her back a few times, trying to make her loosen her grip. "I'm happy to be home again, Mom."
She let go of me reluctantly, but when I looked at her face, I noticed her gaze fixated on Edward, who was just stepping out of the car. My mother was practically eye-fucking him with a strange mixture of awe and lust evident on her face.
"And who's that gorgeous specimen over there?" She moved closer, whispering right into my ear. "You said he was handsome, but you didn't say he looked like he jumped right off a magazine cover." If I hadn't known better, I would've been sure my mom was drooling over my pretend-boyfriend.
"Mom," I choked out in embarrassment.
She smiled at me sheepishly and shrugged her shoulders as if to say she couldn't help herself. I shook my head to erase the image of my mom hitting on Edward and gestured toward him as he was walking over to us. "Mom, this is Edward Cullen. Edward, my mother, Renée Swan."
Like the gentleman he was, Edward quickly extended his hand for my mother to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Swan."
Ignoring his outstretched hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her. "None of that nonsense. I'm Renée. I'm so happy you could come with Bella."
Edward looked a little shocked and subtly tried to free himself from my mother's clutches. That was the moment my dad chose to make an appearance.
"If there's a party going on out here, why wasn't I invited?" he bellowed from the porch, then made his way over to join us.
Upon hearing my father's voice, Edward tried more forcefully to get out of my mom's clingy embrace. She finally seemed to realize that she was being inappropriate and let go of him as inconspicuously as possible, moving a few feet away.
"Hey, Dad!" I mumbled as my father wrapped his arms around me.
"Oh, Bells, I missed you so much," he answered, his face buried in my hair.
We stayed like that for a long moment, reveling in the feeling of being together again. When we broke apart, I noticed a warm smile on my mom's as well as on Edward's face.
"Dad, I want to introduce you to my boyfriend." Man, that felt weird. "This is Edward Cullen. Edward, Chief Charlie Swan, my dad."
The two men eyed each other carefully for a minute — Edward with worry on his face, the Chief looked like Edward was a suspect in a crime. Then my father flashed him a bright smile, holding out his hand.
"Welcome, son. I'm glad you could make it. It's good to meet the man who takes care of my baby." Edward cringed slightly as the word baby left my father's lips, but I hoped no one but me noticed. If they did, then at least they didn't acknowledge it.
So, instead of answering, Edward just nodded his head at my dad.
The Chief didn't pay any heed to Edward's discomfort. "Come on, kids, let's go inside. We're in Forks. It could rain any minute."
Edward was roused from his daze and jogged around the car to open the trunk and get our luggage. Charlie joined him, and together they carried our suitcases into the house while my mom linked her arm with mine and led me inside.
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"So, I'm dying to know, how long have you two been seeing each other? How did you meet? Oh, this is so exciting." My mom shot off her questions as we sat down for an early dinner.
Chuckling humorously, my dad shook his head. "Renée, you're being impossible. Let the kids eat, for God's sake. They've been traveling for eight hours or more. Give them a little peace," he chided.
"Oh, you old grumbler." She playfully swatted his forearm. "No matter how much you try to hide it, you're bursting with curiosity just like me." Then she turned to look from me to Edward and back. "Come on, now, don't make me beg for it."
I sighed deeply, knowing I'd have to tell them something eventually. "We met a few months ago at a bar. I was there with Rose, and Edward was out with a few of his friends. We talked the whole night and exchanged numbers. But I was still with Riley, so we were just friends. We met with a group of people a few times, and soon after Riley had broken up with me, Edward asked me out."
I'd rehearsed that speech for the past week, trying to come up with a way to not make our relationship look like it happened too quickly. But I didn't want them to think Edward had anything to do with Riley and me breaking up either — or worse, that I'd cheated on my ex. So I needed them to think Edward and I had actually known each other a while before we started dating and that our friendship had been clearly platonic until I was free and single.
"You know, it's not like Riley and I had actually spent any amount of time with each other since he left for London." I tried to make them believe that I didn't do anything wrong.
My mom raised her brows inquisitively as she asked, "So you weren't actually that devastated when he broke up with you?" To my surprise she sounded rather hopeful.
"Well, no. I mean, I was totally hurt hearing that he cheated on me for almost a year, but he's been away for so long that it didn't really feel like he left me two months ago but when he first left for England." I was nervous, desperate for my parents to not think of me as someone who changed men like her underwear. Then I felt Edward's hand carefully squeezing mine. I didn't know why, but the gesture made me relax considerably. Grateful for his support, I turned my head to throw him a little smile and found him smiling right back at me.
"Whatever happened between you and Riley, seeing you two sitting there and looking at each other like that, I know it was for the best. You seem to have found someone way better suited for you than he was." The tone of my mother's voice showed that she really meant what she said. We seemed to actually be able to make them believe we were in love.
After swallowing the bite in his mouth, my father turned his attention to Edward. "So we know how you met. Now, tell us a bit about yourself, Edward. Where are you from? What do you do for a living?"
Edward let go of my hand, reached for his glass and drank a few sips of water. "I'm from Chicago, born and raised." He started answering my father's questions. "I went to a prep school, then Northwestern College and medical school. Last year, I started my residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. In two years, I'll be a specialist in internal medicine, then I plan to apply for a fellowship in cardiology." His voice sounded neutral until he spoke the last part. We hadn't talked about it before, but from the way he said it I got the impression that he wasn't really looking forward to where his career would go. But instead of calling him out on it, I decided to store the thought away for later.
"Wow! A doctor!" My mom mused. "What do your parents do? Have they met Bella?"
I noticed Edward clenching his jaw for a quick second before he began to speak again. "My father's a cardiologist, too, Chief of Cardiology, actually." His voice was tense, and I began to suspect that somehow his father was the reason Edward wasn't happy with his future. "My mother's a homemaker but she's very active in lots of charities." He paused for a moment, apparently contemplating his next words. With a determined expression, he continued. "I'm not very close to my parents. And they're busy a lot. That's why Bella hasn't met them. She knows my sister, though. Alice and I are very close." The corners of his mouth turned up in an affectionate smile when he spoke about her.
My parents seemed to be satisfied with Edward's account for himself, and the conversation moved on to other topics.
****TBL****
After we were done cleaning up the kitchen, Edward couldn't hold back his yawn.
"You look tired," my mom stated, taking a closer look at him.
Edward waved her off, trying to get his obvious exhaustion under control. "No, it's okay. I worked the night shift and didn't get much sleep. But I rested a bit on the flight. No need to worry."
"Don't be embarrassed. Bella doesn't look very fresh, either. You two go on to bed. We'll have the whole day tomorrow to get to know each other better. Now, shoo." She motioned for us to move out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
"But, Mom, what will you do the rest of the evening if Edward's asleep on the couch?" I asked with a frown. I couldn't remember an evening my parents hadn't spent in front of the TV.
She stared at me as if I was dense, then shook her head. "No, silly. Edward sleeps in your room, of course."
At her words, my jaw dropped several inches. Incredulous, I looked from her to my dad, who actually seemed to be okay with her suggestion, and back to her. After swallowing a few times, I was finally able to form words again. "But, Dad, you've never let a guy into my room!" This couldn't be happening. Not only did Riley always have to sleep on the couch or at his parents' house whenever we'd come for a visit, but I couldn't sleep in the same bed as Edward. We weren't a couple! And the one time we'd ever shared a bed brought us nothing but trouble — and Peanut, of course. But still, I couldn't do it.
"Honey, I've come to terms with the fact that you're a grown woman." My dad's voice interrupted my nervous internal chatter. "Although Riley never gave me reason — well, until recently, that is — I never trusted the boy. But that's over now. I promised your mother to treat you as an adult, which includes letting your boyfriend share your bed. It's not like it's the first time, anyway." He chuckled humorously, but instead of feeling at ease, I felt my stomach threaten to churn.
"I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own house with me in Bella's room." Edward, who seemed just as uneasy as me, made one last attempt at changing my father's mind. But he waved us off, sending us on our way.
"Have a good night, kids. And, please, keep the volume down. I may know what goes on behind closed doors, but I don't need to hear it." He wrinkled his nose before laughing at his own joke.
Slowly and awkwardly, Edward and I made our way up the stairs and into my bedroom. After I opened the door, I took a look around, realizing that Edward was about to see my childhood bedroom, which hadn't changed much since I'd been fifteen. My gaze wandered from the movie posters of Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter to my teddy bear collection on my window seat.
This was not the kind of room I wanted Edward to see. But since he'd already entered behind me, setting our bags on the floor next to the door, I had no chance to hide the embarrassing evidence. Carefully, he took a few steps into the room, curiously scanning his surroundings. "Nice posters. The Pirates saga was great," he commented, apparently sensing my unease. When his eyes met my army of stuffed animals, he chuckled. "Your dad doesn't have to worry about me touching you inappropriately. I wouldn't dare to with that many eyes watching me."
I had to smile at his attempt to lighten the mood but quickly turned serious again. "I'm sorry. This is really not how I planned things to go. If you don't want to stay here, we'll make up some excuse to tell my parents." My eyes were pleading with his, desperate to make him understand that I hadn't plotted to get him into my bed.
"Bella, it's okay," he assured me in a soothing tone. "We're both adults, and we'll manage to share a bed for two nights without either ravishing or killing each other." One corner of his mouth turned up in a sexy crooked grin, making my stomach do a strange flip. "It's not like we haven't done this before."
I had to rip my eyes from his intense gaze that seemed to bore into my soul. "Yeah. Like that did us any good," I mumbled, unsure if I intended him to hear me or not.
In less than a second, Edward had crossed the space between us, gripping my shoulder with one hand while the other went for my chin to turn my face back to look at him. "I don't regret anything, Bella. You need to know that. And I don't want you to have regrets, either." Again, his eyes were burning into mine while his hands felt like they were scorching my skin. It wasn't the first time he'd touched me since that night, but it was the most intense and somehow most intimate moment we'd shared so far.
Unable to look away, I held Edward's stare, giving him an infinitesimal nod. His expression became a little softer when he continued. "However and for whatever reason it happened, we made a baby, and I'll never see that as anything other than a blessing."
Unconsciously, my hand moved to cover my still-flat belly, hovering protectively over the little being residing inside. "You're right. Peanut is a blessing. And I'll love him no matter what."
"Peanut?" Edward asked softly with an amused grin on his lips.
I averted my gaze, finding my Chuck-covered toes incredibly interesting, when I sheepishly answered, "That's what I call him, because that's what he looked like in the first sonogram."
He led out a sigh before he whispered in a sad tone, "I wish I'd been there."
"You will be there from now on," I tried to comfort him.
The atmosphere was somehow charged, and I felt a strange pull toward the man standing in front of me. Lifting my head to look up at him again, I found his dark-green eyes smoldering. Before I could give in to the urge to rise to my tiptoes and press my lips to his, I heard a noise from downstairs that effectively broke my trance.
"Uhm, we should get ready for bed," I said, quickly turning away, out of his grasp.
I went over to get my bag, set it on the bed and took out my flannel sleeping pants and a tank top, then made my way to the bathroom down the hall.
When I returned, I clutched my clothes to my chest to hide my enlarged boobs that were straining against the tight fabric. Edward had changed into sleeping pants and a white t-shirt and was placing his folded clothes on a chair. He looked up at me and smiled timidly, raising his brow when he noticed me hiding behind my load of garments. Awkwardly, I put them on the floor next to the bed and slipped under the covers, pulling the sheet up to my chin.
Shaking his head with what seemed like amusement, Edward lifted the covers on the opposite side of the full-sized bed. After flashing me a reassuring smile, he switched off the lamp on the bedside table, and suddenly, darkness surrounded us. There was only about a foot of space separating us, but neither of us moved closer or even crossed the invisible border.
Hidden in the dark, I listened to Edward's deep, regular breathing. There was something that had been on my mind for a while, but I'd never gotten the chance or dared to ask him about it. But unable to see his reaction — or what was maybe more important, with him unable to see mine — there was no time like the present.
"There's something I've been wondering about," I whispered into the darkness. When he didn't answer, I took it as encouragement to continue. "I didn't lie when I said I was on the pill. And I really did take it regularly. Then how could I get pregnant?"
"No kind of protection is one-hundred percent safe," Edward's quiet voice said seriously.
I knew that, of course, but still, it didn't answer my question. "But it worked for seven years. With Riley, I always relied on the pill and it worked. So, why now?"
"There are a few things that can make the pill less effective. For example, if you throw up or have diarrhea. Then you can have an ovulation." For the first time since I told him about the baby, I heard the doctor in Edward talk. The calm and confident way he spoke made me smile at his soothing bedside manner.
"I had neither," I replied a little defeated.
"And there are some meds that can interact with hormonal contraceptives. Did you maybe take antibiotics around the time we met or a few days earlier?" he asked further.
"No. The only thing I took is Reglan. My doctor prescribed it when I went to see him for a bad migraine about a week before. I asked him about interactions but he said there were none."
"Then that's it," he stated matter-of-factly. "It almost never happens, but Reglan can — in very rare cases — render the pill ineffective. Many doctors don't know about it, but it can happen. It doesn't matter, though. We can't change the past — and I don't want to, either."
We were calm in the darkness again, while I wondered if I could have done anything differently to avoid what happened, when my thoughts went back to Peanut, making me smile involuntarily.
"Bella," Edward's low voice reminded me that I wasn't alone. "What happened with Riley?"
I hadn't expected that question. Since I'd told him about the baby and that Riley had broken up with me the day before Edward and I met, we hadn't really talked about him again. But now that we were here and his name had come up a few times, it was only natural Edward would have questions.
He seemed to take my silence as unwillingness to answer his question. "You don't have to tell me, of course," he said softly.
I was quick to dispel his concern. "No, it's okay. I just didn't expect you to ask me that now." I'd been lying on my side, facing away from Edward, but now rolled onto my back, staring up at the invisible ceiling. "Riley and I met the first day of senior year in high school. His family had just moved here from Portland." Before my mind's eye I saw the eighteen-year-old boy with dirty-blond hair and twinkling brown eyes who'd wooed me like no one before him ever had. "We started dating and fell in love, and pretty soon, we were inseparable. When the time came to choose a college, he convinced me to go to Northwestern with him instead of going to UDub like I'd planned. That's how I got to Chicago." Nostalgically, I thought back to those first years, smiling to myself. "We lived in the dorms where Rose was my roommate. Then, after we graduated, Riley and I found this nice two-bedroom apartment. Everything was perfect, and we were already talking about marriage and stuff when he came home one day, telling me he'd been offered one year abroad in England. He didn't really discuss it with me, just told me he'd get a raise and we would buy a house when he came back."
I was so wrapped up in my story that Edward startled me when he spoke. "He didn't ask you to go with him?" He sounded sad, but I thought I detected a trace of anger, as well.
"No, he didn't," I answered simply.
"Idiot!" Edward mumbled under his breath.
I shook my head to ignore the comment. "Anyway, he left six weeks later. I hadn't seen him for twelve months until he returned the day before I met you."
"You didn't visit each other?" Edward appeared to be stunned.
"We'd planned to, but then something always got in the way. We Skyped and talked on the phone, but as time went by, we both called less. Then he returned to tell me he'd met someone and waited ten months to tell me in person, all the while being with her behind my back." I was angry at how defeated I sounded, telling him that last part.
"Fucker!" was Edward's short reply, before he turned quiet once more.
Several minutes passed, and I was wondering if he'd fallen asleep when he spoke again, his voice soft like velvet, but at the same time, strangely strained. "Do you still love him?"
I sighed before I gave him an answer. "No, I don't. And I think I haven't in a while." I took a minute to think about it. "It was hard to let him leave for the year, but we kind of drifted apart while he was away. After a few months, I didn't even miss him anymore. So I wasn't heartbroken when we broke up. But I was crushed by his betrayal. You know, when you're together with someone for that long, you become best friends. And the fact that he screwed around behind my back hurt like hell." I hoped Edward understood what I was saying.
"Don't get me wrong, but I'm glad he acted like an ass, because I'm sure, otherwise we wouldn't be here. And I really like it here." I could clearly hear the sincerity in his voice, and his words made my heart swell.
"Good night, Edward," I whispered, smiling into the dark.
"Night, Bella. Sweet dreams!"
As soon as I closed my eyes, I was fast asleep.
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When I slowly woke up the next morning, I felt warm and very comfortable. The sheets were wrapped around me, and as I inhaled, I almost moaned at the deliciously masculine scent that flooded my nostrils. I knew I was wrapped around a warm body, reveling in the sensation I hadn't experienced in so long. So long — far too long. More than one year.
More than one year? Oh, yes, Riley and I had broken up. … Riley smelled differently. Riley felt differently. With a start, I sat up, freeing myself from the arm around my waist that was holding me to the solid form next to me. Mortified, I looked down at a sleepy Edward who squinted at me with a confused expression.
Before I could say a word to apologize for my inappropriate advance, I felt my stomach churn and with my hand pressed to my mouth, I jumped off the bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom. I didn't even have the time to properly close the door behind me before I lifted the lid of the toilet and retched up the contents of my stomach.
It wasn't long until I heard naked feet hitting the bathroom tiles and smooth hands pulling my hair away from my face. I was too wrapped up in the nausea and the violent heaving to feel embarrassed that Edward was seeing me like that. I closed my eyes to calm down and settle my stomach when I suddenly felt a cold, wet cloth against my forehead.
"It's okay. Just let it all go. Breathe deeply and try to relax," a soothing voice whispered into my ear. Slowly, the nausea died away, and I sank to the floor while Edward tenderly stroked my back.
"Thank you," I choked out while I was still catching my breath.
I closed my eyes to stop the room from spinning and dared to rest my head against his shoulder.
"Is it like that every morning?" Edward asked, his voice laced with worry.
Without looking at him, I nodded my head. "More or less, yes," I mumbled through my rough throat. "But on most days, it gets better after I throw up once."
His one hand continued rubbing my back while the other carefully removed the wet hair that stuck to my face. "And on the other days?"
I sighed. "On the other days, I feel like I want to die until well after noon."
"I'm so sorry," Edward apologized, and the guilty tone of his voice made me open my eyes to look at his anxious expression.
I wasn't sure where it came from, but my lips curled up into a little smile. "I'm not!" I stated with conviction.
His face relaxed and he smiled right back at me before he tenderly touched his lips to my forehead. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."
********TBL********
A/N: Isn't Charlie the best? And Renée's so sweet, isn't she? So, now you finally know why Bella got pregnant. I'm sure most of you have never heard about the interaction Edward mentioned. I'm a pharmacist and I didn't know. It took me a while to find it, too, but it's real, although more theoretical, otherwise I'd have a soccer team of children today ;).
Well, they're in Forks now. And they will be next chapter, as well. What do you think will happen next? Here's a little teaser:
… Her hair was wrapped in another towel, leaving her creamy neck completely exposed. I felt saliva pool in my mouth at the thought of burying my face in either her neck or between her legs — I didn't actually care which one. …
Another bit of sexual tension, yay. But what will they do about it? I guess you'll have to wait and see. Until then, tell me your thoughts, here or on Facebook in the group Payton79's Fanfiction.
And here are this week's recs:
WIP rec:
Tatted Hips and Wicked Lips – Hoodfabulous
Bella can't stand Edward Cullen. She hates his tattoos, his piercings, and his stupid band. But mostly she hates how badly she wants him. He hates her too...or so she thinks. Will one iPhone fail change everything? My entry to LOL Text Message Contest. Won: Public Vote, Best Edward, Hottest Text Fail, Host's Choice- CaliGirlMon, Judges' Pick- SDFanFicChic.
This story is fun and really hot. I'm sure you'll enjoy it if you give it a try.
Complete rec:
The Cullen Legacy – pattyrose
A gift; sometimes unknowingly bestowed. Bella met Edward in a London pub, never imagining where each would be 7 years later: he a Congressman fueled by ever-growing political ambition, she the woman with an explosive secret that can end all his dreams. But Bella might soon find that revenge isn't all it's cracked up to be, and that Edward may harbor his own dark secrets.
I was totally captivated by the emotion and intensity of this story. If you haven't read it yet, you have to start right now.
Enjoy the recs. Next update will probably be Monday, October 6th since I'm on vacay the week before. See you then.
