Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Bella's P.O.V.
"Seriously, Craig, I'll be fine. Besides, you're only gonna be gone for two weeks. I'm a big girl." I laughed into the phone. It had only been a day since he had gone back to New York for some important deal.
He was already threatening to take the next flight out here.
Fuck, I so wished I could love him.
"I know, I know, but you can't blame me for missing you so damn much." He cooed back.
"Well, how could you not?" I teased.
"Listen, Bells, I gotta run. I've got a meeting in ten. Call me if you need anything. I love you. Bye." He clicked off before I could answer.
Maybe he needed to get off the phone fast, or maybe he feared me not saying I love you back. Either way, I felt guilty as hell. And I needed something salty to kill the killer cravings.
I hobbled into my semi-kitchen thing in the crappy apartment. The only reason I had my house before was because Renee, Phil, and Charlie had all helped me out. This crumbling piece of....whatever, was all I could afford right now, but I called it home. I mean, hello, my truck looks like an old shit, but I love it just the same. And I finally get to see it again!
I nearly jumped out of my skin when someone knocked on the door.
Alice.
"Some best friend you are." She huffed, pulling herself into the apartment.
"Whatever do you mean, Alice?" I batted my eyelashes at her.
She rolled her eyes, "Don't tell me you forgot already! No way am I letting you back out now. I never ever hear you asking me to take you shopping. Either you've gone daft or you really are desperate for clothes."
"Actually, I want food court food," She laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, and I'm too fat to wear anything but dresses."
I just handed myself over for torture. She shrieked, throwing her arms, gently, around me. I choked on her spiky hair.
"I've missed you so much, Bella." She murmured, the mood in the room shifting instantaneously. I gripped her tighter.
"I'm here, Ali, I'm not going anywhere." I whispered.
She pulled back grinning and I could tell she was plotting in her head.
"C'mon, let's hit the stores," She rubbed my protruding stomach lovingly, "and yes, we can get greasy, nasty food court food. How 'bout some faux Chinese food? Hmm?"
"I love you, Ali."
"Don't let Jazz hear you say that. Now, hurry up!"
"Alice!" I whined, "Where's the fucking food you promised me."
Currently, we were in the maternity section of some store shopping for more sundresses, even though I repeatedly asked her for more jeans, even if I did have to buy the ones with the elastic in them.
Shudder.
"Fine. You're the only person who thinks seven dresses is enough!" She bellowed, carrying all of the items, practically drowning her pixie form.
Ahh, there are some perks of pregnancy. Not having to carry stuff.
We ended up getting take-out Chinese from the food court and driving back to my place.
"This place really is a shithole, Bella." So blunt and loving, she is.
"Thanks." I shot back sarcastically.
"You should have just stayed with me and Jazzy." She pouted, bringing a piece of chicken to her small mouth.
"I'm fine here. I told you already, I'm not going to be a burden to anyone anymore. Plus, it isn't really that bad here and it's only temporary."
"Bella, you aren't a burden and this place is crappy and you know it."
We held a staring contest to see who would crack first. We both did. Laughing our asses off, because it was just so damn funny to be defending this piece of shit apartment.
My phone beeped and Alice looked down, still laughing. "You gonna get that?"
"Hello?" I answered, not bothering to look at the I.D when I should have.
"Hey, umm, it's Edward. I just wanted to know if it would be alright if I stopped by so we could talk. You're still at Charlie's, right?" My eyes shifted nervously to Alice, hoping she couldn't hear him.
Let's just say that she wasn't in a family friendly mood when it came to her least favorite brother. It didn't help much that he is the father of my child.
My laughter subsided after he spoke like it was a popped balloon. "Yeah, I guess that would be okay. I actually have something to ask you. Oh, and, I'm not actually at Charlie's. Since I've decided to stay in Forks, I figured I'd try not to be a bother to him. I got my own, little apartment."
Alice narrowed her eyes at me and I gulped before quickly giving Edward my new address.
"He. Is. Not. Good. For. You," She seethed through clenched teeth.
"Precisely why we aren't together. But, we are bringing a baby into the world together, so I might as well be civilized with him." She snorted at that.
"Does that mean I have to be, too?"
Edward's P.O.V.
I woke up to loud, ear-splitting bangs on my door.
My arm was flung over my head, blocking the sun and half my vision. I vaguely remembered stumbling into my bed sometime after dawn. My hand was still clutching the Jose Cuervo.
Empty, of course.
I threw the bottle across the room and watched wearily as it landed in a heap of dirty laundry. I picked myself up off of the bed and almost fell back down.
Maybe, I shouldn't have drank the second bottle last night.
Like a drunk, I clumsily made my way to the door. I just really wanted that damn banging to stop before my head exploded. When I opened the door, a short and stoutly man was standing there in casual attire and I just wanted to close the door and go back to sleep.
I rubbed my eyes and blinked, "Edward Cullen. Can I help you?"
He gave a curt nod before removing his hand from behind his back. Presenting a manila envelope. I knew exactly what that meant.
"Here you are, sir." I took the manila envelope in my hand with a weary sigh. "You've been served." He said, turning back and heading to his car.
As I sat at the kitchen table, I ripped it open, staring at the papers with her elegant signature scribbled in various spots. And so help me God, I was smiling. Like it was just a late Christmas present or something. It was horrible and it was almost final and over, but it was also....beautiful, in a way.
Let's back up for a second, I'm not crazy. It's just, seeing the divorce papers, signed and ready for me, made everything that much more real. It symbolized that it was time for me to buck up and makes things right, and I wasn't going to let anything stop me.
Maybe I am crazy. I signed them quickly and shoved them back in the envelope. I felt strange, free, guilty. It was almost over; we just have court to figure out who gets what. I knew I would probably come out of this with the house. Tanya didn't want it, saying 'it probably had cum stains from the escapades', my car, and I knew she wouldn't touch my medical supply business. I didn't care, she could have anything she wanted. I didn't deserve anything except a swift slap in the face. And boy, did I get that a lot.
Then there was Bella. I still hadn't heard from her in weeks, but I knew she was still in Forks. Probably meaning that Craig was, too.
Today was Saturday, and believe or not, I actually had something to do today, and no, it isn't a beer run.
I got showered and dressed quickly, ridding myself of the stench of my stewing. As I got in my car, I glanced at the time. It was already four.
Shit.
I drove faster than I normally would so I could make it to Port Angeles before the store closed. Luckily, I made it with only two hours to spare. I jumped out of my car and hurried to the entrance of the small shop. A small, middle-aged woman met me by the counter.
"You must be Mr. Cullen, right?" She smiled and I took her offered hand for a shake.
"That's me, Miss...?"
"Oh, dear, call me Janice." She had a little southern pitch in her voice. I liked her already.
"I have some nice pieces picked out for you. Don't worry, all gender neutral colors." She scurried further into the shop. I smiled, my hand running over a changing table to my right.
"We have a changing table, a crib, stroller, diaper bag, you know, the works." She presented each item to me.
They all had matching designs. If I squinted, the patterns kind of looked like A Starry Night. I loved it, and I'm sure Bella would, too. I smiled softly to myself, thinking of Bella, carrying my, our, baby in her swollen tummy. And then, I was brought back down, remembering that she wanted nothing to do with me.
"Mr. Cullen? Yoo hoo, are you still with me, darling?" She waved a hand in front of my face, breaking me out of my funk.
"Yeah, sorry, everything looks great. I think I'll take all of these items, and maybe have a look around for other stuff."
"Very well," She murmured, her expression kind of motherly, "All new fathers act like you, going in and out of it, mostly thinking of the mother. My, she must be one lucky woman to have someone like you that would do all this for her and the baby."
My good mood was crushed instantly. I didn't deserve praise for asking for forgiveness almost as much as I didn't deserve Bella.
"No, I'm just a lucky man to have her in my life."
I ended up staying the full two hours until the store closed. I also ended up buying, well, a lot. I just couldn't hold back the excitement that bubbled inside me as I picked out things for my son or daughter. I felt a little guilty for taking this experience away from Bella, but she would have killed me if she saw the price.
That is, if I could even get her to agree to go with me.
As I was headed back home, I tried calling Bella. She had given me, well, Jasper to give to me, her number a couple of days after we had talked. I was about to hit end after the fifth ring, but I heard her sweet voice float through the phone.
"Hello?" She had laughter in her voice. I cringed, my mind thinking of reasons that Craig could be making her laugh with.
"Hey, umm, it's Edward. I just wanted to know if it would be alright if I stopped by so we could talk. You're still at Charlie's, right?" I'm such a douche, it's not even funny.
And her laughter evaporated as soon as she heard my voice. "Yeah, I guess that would be okay. I actually have something to ask you. Oh, and, I'm not actually at Charlie's. Since I've decided to stay in Forks, I figured I'd try not to be a bother to him. I got my own, little apartment."
I was surprised that she was being almost...cordial to me. But, I'll take what I can get. She gave me her new address, and I didn't exactly like where she was living. This may be a small town, but there are some pretty bad parts of it.
And now, as I was parked outside the building, I didn't like it even more. It was shabby and crumbling and I wanted her away from it. Like hell would she take advice from me, though. My hand was poised over the door, but it was thrown open by....my sister? So it wasn't Craig making her laugh. My chest untightened a little.
Until Alice's face contorted in disgust before she retreated into the apartment.
"Bella, my brother is here." She grumbled.
And then, the love of my fucking life appeared in a light yellow dress with bare feet. I wanted to rub her pregnant belly and hold her close. But I stayed where I was.
"Hello, Edward." She greeted me with a slight, tired smile on her beautiful face. Alice slipped into the 'kitchen' and I silently thanked her.
"What was it that you wanted to ask?" I asked. She gave a squeak, like she was surprised I asked, before speaking again.
"I was just wondering...well, since we decided to go through this together, if maybe you wanted to go to my doctors appointment with me. I transferred back to Dr. Henderson. I'm getting an ultrasound." She looked nervous and on the inside, I was jumping for joy. However, she took my silence as a no. "You're probably busy or something. It's okay. This is actually the second one I'm getting." She was angry, that much I could tell from the glare she gave the carpet.
"No, of course I'll go. I was just a little shocked that you would ask." She looked up at me with a quizzical look and sighed.
"Look, I'm really trying here. I don't want us to fight or be uncivilized toward each other. For the baby's sake." She grumbled. I put a hand on her shoulder, and luckily, she didn't shy away from the gesture.
"I love you, Bella, and I'll do whatever you want." And that's when she shrugged out of my grasp.
"Don't go there, Edward, or I will make you leave," She sat down on one of the chairs in the room. "Now, what was it that you came here to talk about?"
"I actually picked up a few things for the baby. Do you want to see them?" Her eyebrows rose in surprise and she nodded her head, trying to stand up, a hand lying on her stomach.
"Here, let me help." I took her hand and helped her out. She took her hand away and walked in front of me, out the door, grunting about not needing help.
Good thing she lived on the first floor. She gasped when she looked in the back seat and trunk.
"How much did you spend?" She practically yelled at me.
"Enough. The rest is being shipped to my house, if that's alright."
She slapped my arm, lightly though. "Of course it's not okay! I don't want you spending money on me like that."
"Technically, I spent it on our baby." She looked down at her stomach, lovingly, resting a hand atop it. She peeked back up at me with an grateful expression, letting me know how much it meant for me to get this baby stuff. Even if she hated money being spent.
"But won't that be a problem, spending money on another woman while you're married?" She cringed when she said it.
"I actually signed the divorce papers earlier this afternoon." I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't like where this conversation was going, and I didn't think it would be very helpful to talk about it.
She stopped speaking, clearly not wanting to continue as much as I didn't want to either.
"I think I should go," I paused as she nodded her head vigorously. "When is your appointment?"
"Wednesday at two."
"I could pick you up." She looked up, nodding again, slowly.
"Thanks." She murmured, retreating to her door.
Alice was there, waiting for her. She pulled Bella inside with an arm around her. I think I almost cried. I wanted to be the one to comfort her, but I was thankful to have Alice there.
And then, I was back at my empty home, all alone. I went over to my fridge, pulling out another bottle of my favorite, needing to drown out everything. I took a book out of one of the bags and started reading on being a parent. I may be a horrible monster of a person, but I am going to be the best damn father I could be. Hours blurred by as I finished the book quickly. I put the unopened bottle back in the fridge before making my way to the bedroom.
I flung myself facedown on the bed, thinking about everything. At least she was talking to me again. If only she could know how much I love her.
The phone ringing echoed in my head and I was thankful for not drinking tonight, because that ringing would have killed me like the knocking earlier did.
"Hello?" I answered lazily.
"Fuck, Edward, please can you come over here?" Bella's voice was scared and frantic, and it made spring to my feet, running like a madman through my house to get my keys.
"Bella, love, calm down. What the hell's going on over there?" And why the hell would I be her first choice to call?
"Please, just come. I'm really scared."