BPOV
"He's an absolute ass," Alice yelled throwing her hands up for the fifteenth time.
"He's Jacob, it's to be expected," I sighed setting my petition for a paternity test on the coffee table.
"Edward didn't do enough damage," she said taking a seat next to me.
"Edward's lucky he didn't get jail time," I said matter-of-factly.
I lay back placing my hand where Alex was kicking. He started this yesterday and I was kind of in ridiculous awe. Edward wouldn't leave me alone about it he kept putting his cheek right where he was kicking and acting like he was actually being kicked. I just rolled my eyes returning to my book.
"Is he doing it again?" Alice asked eagerly placing her hand under mine.
"Yeah," I smiled.
We sat until Alex decided he was tired. Alice laid her head on my shoulder and sighed.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'm waiting until after he is born and then we'll give Jacob what he wants."
"You know it's not even his," she said wisely.
"I know this but I don't want to deal with him. Once he is tested, Jacob will learn he has nothing to do with me anymore."
"Edward is going to be pissed."
"He'll live with it."
"You're…" she kind of growled in frustration, "such a jerk."
I moved my shoulder. "Excuse me?" I asked incredulously.
"Hear me out before you bitch me out," Alice giggled at what she just said. "You have this gorgeous man that basically comes out of no where. Sure he knocked you up, but Iz he has been nothing but perfect to you. He comes over every night when he's done with work just to hang out with you. He gives you freaking baths… Jasper doesn't even do that. Don't even get me started on the leg shaving," she said pointing her finger at me.
"Alice, he's annoying and childish. He's not my type I agree that he's good looking, but we're just too different. We need to be friends for the baby. Alex is my priority and I have to focus on what I need to do for him."
"You're such a bitch sometimes and blind too. He treats you better than Jacob ever did. Look at the birthday gift he got you. He is special, sure, he has a temper but he's loyal. You say Alex is your priority… you can't be alone forever Iz and you will be if you keep up this holier than thou attitude," she spat.
I flinched at her words. Yes, Edward was good to me, but only because I was carrying his son.
"Don't worry Edward has arrived, the fun may begin," Edward called coming into the room.
Alice laughed at him giving me a knowing look.
"I saw your car out there, pix," he told her with a smile.
"So your boy's been kicking all afternoon," she informed him as he sat on my other side slouching next to me.
"Early training for World Cup," he teased and kissed my cheek. "You good today?"
I nodded wishing he wouldn't kiss me in front of Alice because she was smirking now. It was fine if we were alone. He was a pretty amazing friend I couldn't lie about that. I had told him more about myself than I had even told Alice.
My nose picked up on the smell of Edward and something else. "You were smoking," I accused moving more toward Alice.
"On the way here, yes," he frowned looking defensive.
"Those things will kill you," I said.
"I think it's time for me to go," Alice said cheerfully kissing my cheek then Edward's.
"I see how it is pix leave me to fend for myself."
"You know it," she laughed finally leaving us alone.
We sat in silence and I thought of these weird things. Edward smoking and then the consequences of that entered my mind. He could get lung cancer or emphysema. Lost in thought I didn't notice I was tracing the outer edges of his tattoos where Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix were. I felt him push my hair behind my ear as I looked up.
"I smoke," he said before pausing. "Bella, I've done it since I was sixteen it's… relaxing."
"But it can kill you," I said quietly stopping my fingers.
The truth was that Alex has a dad now and I would like him to grow up with him. If something would happen to Edward then he would be devastated. That is where my concern laid.
"I won't smoke around you and the kid," was all he said and I knew that was him ending the conversation.
He kicked his shoes off and propped his feet onto the table. I handed him the remote knowing he would switch it to one of the movie channels the dish picked up. Charlie would usually go straight to ESPN, but Edward surprised me when he said he preferred movies to TV shows.
His foot was on the petition and as he moved he noticed it.
"Is that important?"
"Uh, yeah…" I trailed off.
He lifted his feet, while grabbing the paper. "What is it?"
"Jacob sent them."
He thumbed through the paperwork his face tense as he ran his hand though his hair. "You're going to let him do this," It wasn't a question.
"We'll wait until after Alex is born," I said slowly.
He was quiet again not really acknowledging me. His arm was hanging over the back of the couch making me a little closer to him than what would be deemed appropriate. We watched a little bit of Taxi Driver until Charlie came home.
"Come on," Edward said helping me off the couch.
"What?" I asked grabbing his forearms to steady myself. I glanced over at Charlie who was wearing an amused expression.
"We're going to my house. I'm going to make you dinner."
"You can't cook," I said confused.
"Take-out," he said clasping my hand in his.
"But Dad?" I questioned Charlie definitely couldn't cook; when I first came home I noticed all the frozen dinners in the freezer he had in the garage.
"Don't worry about me Bells," he chuckled shooing at us.
I decided not to argue because they both would have somehow won. I played with Edward's radio because I knew it drove him crazy. He hated the music I liked or at least what he thought I liked. I kept putting it on some top forty stations where Britney's Toxic or Bel Biv DeVoe's Poison played way too much for our present day culture. I actually liked the music he was into though I would never tell him that.
We pulled up to his house and again I was in love with it. Once we were inside, I noticed he had cleaned a great deal since the last time I was here. "Why are we here?"
"I like hanging out with your old man and everything… I'm even taking him golfing next week, but we're adults having a child and sometimes I want to spend time with just you."
I eyed him. His face was sweet and scruffy. Edward was probably one of the most baffling people I had ever met in my life.
"We're not fucking," I said.
"You always seem to go right to that when I just want to know you better."
"You were with someone for ten years, how long have you been apart?" I asked trying to understand him.
"It will be three years next month."
"Were you some sort of man whore before me?"
He smirked and shook his head. "No I was kind of like a monk I guess you can say. I haven't been a man whore since college."
He ended it there going through his mail, he had a small package and his brow furrowed as he read the letter attached. I sat on his now clean leather couch. He pulled a disc out of the case turning on the television across from me.
The screen was fuzzy at first and then three people came on. They were in a bedroom. My bedroom, well the bedroom I shared with Jacob in Seattle. I felt Edward sit next to me. The date in the corner of the screen was April and that was a little over into the start of his campaign. A figure came in front of the lens to adjust it and Jacob's grinning face came into focus.
"What is this?"
"I have no clue. The note was vague," Edward said.
Jacob backed away seeming happier with whatever he did to the camera. I noticed the other two people as Leah Clearwater, William's assistant and the rodent that took my job Vanessa Mayes. Jacob kissed Vanessa then Leah and then the girls kissed each other. Before I could blink, clothes were being ripped off all of them. I sunk further into Edward's side burying my face into his bicep. "Huh," he said.
The noises were disgusting and I just kept my face planted against Edward's arm as he would laugh or gasp sharply. "Jesus," he said in disbelief and I made the stupid decision to look. Leah was sitting on Jacob's face as Vanessa was sucking him off. I couldn't take it and I pushed off the couch leaving the living room. I ventured down the hallway looking in the rooms. There were two rooms at the very end of the hall. One, I guessed was Edward's and the other was a nursery.
Too much had happened in the last five minutes. Jacob was some sort of exhibitionist that had three-ways in the bed I had slept in and Edward was a wise guy who had an amazing heart. I sat in the beautiful white plush glider trying to calm down. Alex was upset enough for the both of us as he kicked a couple times. I closed my eyes rubbing my belly trying to soothe him when I felt another hand on me.
I saw concerned green eyes staring back at me when I opened my eyes. "I'm sorry; I should have turned that off."
"Don't worry about it," I murmured. "The date… I was on a case in New York when that was made."
"You were still with him then?"
"I was still sleeping in that bed, yes," I sighed my fingers reached out to trace his tattoos again. "That was gross."
"The note said I could use it," he stated with slight confusion on his face.
"Who sent it?"
"It didn't say, but I'm taking it to my father."
"Why?" I asked. If Masen was so quick to defend Jacob before who says he wouldn't do it again.
"That woman got your promotion," he said flatly.
"Edward, please." I didn't want him getting into any more trouble than he already was in.
He shifted me so I was now on his lap. His fingers were teasing the hem of my shirt and I caved at the comfort he was giving me.
"What Jacob is… I can't have him in our life anymore," he whispered avoiding my gaze. He wasn't leaving any room for discussion. This was Edward, he just did, no thinking things through.
In that moment, the thought popped into my mind that maybe I wasn't supposed to understand Edward. He was playful, affectionate and caring along with being hot headed and immature. Alice was right with her declarations of Edward earlier. The problem with this was that I couldn't fall for him. He had his own world and I had mine. Alex was bridging the gap between us. Jacob was part of my world and he didn't shatter my heart, but he ruined pieces of that world. I knew with the way Edward was, he could shatter my heart without a thought and that above anything else scared me.
A/N: Do you think they both have feelings, it's one sided, or neither are there yet. I'm interested what you think. The political scandal was a bit much, but it needs to happen. Dolphin62598 is my beta!