Warning: Read at your own risk! This story is rated M and for good reason. The prologue alone is going to be hard for some to handle. If you're uncomfortable with language, drug use, and borderline non-consensual sex, I wouldn't recommend this story.
I don't own the characters. I'm just a poor college student borrowing them from someone else.
Chapter 10: Brand New Colony
EPOV
"It's funny, but even as we were sliding down the hill we thought we saw a giant pat of butter at the top, and we could almost smell mashed potatoes..."
Bella recited the final lines before shutting the book. She placed a soft goodnight kiss on our son's forehead.
It was about time. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs was the third book we'd read to Seth. Normally, he fell asleep on his own. Bella still read to him every night, but more so to bond than to bore. Tonight was different. After the first book, he tried to follow downstairs. He said he wasn't tired but we knew better. It was 10:30; far later than Seth's usual bedtime. After the second book, he outright asked if he could sleep with us. I wouldn't have minded, but Bella seemed pretty adamant that he stay upstairs. By the third book, he couldn't rely on his own excitement to fight sleep anymore. His eyes were shut by the time Bella made it half way through. By the end of the book, Seth was out like a light, just as we hoped he would be.
I followed his mother's lead, giving my son a goodnight kiss before grabbing Bella's hand. We paused at his bedroom door, looking back to admire our creation. It was amazing how far we'd come in such a short amount of time. I couldn't blame him for being too excited to sleep. In one night, his entire world came together. He'd been given what every five year old deserves- stability, happiness, and two parents who were madly in love.
"Come on, Daddy," Bella whispered, "Let's sneak down to our room before we wake him up again."
I shut the bedroom light off and kept his door open before leading Bella down the stairs. "He had an eventful night. We all did."
"It went well, though," she smiled.
It did. It went so well. I knew telling my parents would be the least of our concerns. They already loved Bella. When it came down to it, Mom and Dad probably loved her far more than they loved me. With all of the opposition Bella had already met, and that which we were soon to meet, it felt good to feel like someone was actually on my side. It was my own parents, of course, and even though they had some sort of an obligation to support us, it still felt good.
For once, it felt like my parents were actually fucking proud of me. It was such a relief to eat an entire dinner without being faced with Emmett's triumphs and my travails. On the way out, dad even shook my hand. Everyone seemed happy, Isabella and Seth most of all.
My family.
"Do you think he liked playing the piano?" I asked, still unsure of the impression I'd made.
"I think he loved it," she assured as we made our way into our bedroom, as Bella had put it earlier.
"I hope so. I was thinking maybe that could be our thing. You know, since sports are out of the question."
Bella gently put her hands on my face, forcing my eyes to meet hers.
"How have you ever doubted yourself?" she asked, "You're such a good father."
I scoffed. She was always way too nice to me.
Bella leaned up to kiss my jaw. "Edward, I'm serious. Please stop discrediting yourself. If you start to over think things and freak out... he'll never be the same. Don't ruin our little boy's life because you think you're not good enough. You are!"
Regardless of whether I was good enough or not, I knew Bella was right. If I left now, he'd never be the same. They would never be the same. I didn't know what I could do other than to reassure I was in this for the long run. I told her I was far too selfish to leave again. I planned on being around until she ordered me away.
I hoped, for Seth's sake and my own, she never would.
When Bella locked the bedroom door, I paused. She'd never done that before. I tried unsuccessfully to mask my uneasiness. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Just different. Sensing my apprehension, she offered me a cautious smile.
"Look, Edward," she began. "I know we need to take things slow."
I grinned, resting my hands on her hips. Bella was so sexy when she tried to negotiate, which is exactly what I knew was about to happen. "Go on," I encouraged.
"I want to be close to you."
"Baby, you are close to me."
"And you promised..." she trailed off and began to blush.
I knew exactly what I promised, but I couldn't believe she did. "How do you even remember that?" I laughed.
She eyed me warily, suddenly catching on to what had been my plan the entire time. "Was that your plan? Promise me something assuming I wouldn't remember, and you wouldn't have to follow through?"
"Bella," I asked, "Is this something you really want to do? Or are you just trying to make me happy?"
She thought for a moment. "A little of both."
"You already make me happy. So happy... Bella, if you had any idea..." I didn't finish. I didn't want to tell her about my almost suicide attempt a week ago. Things seemed so different now and I didn't want my own emotional baggage to ruin the moment. I'd be perfectly content if Bella never knew about the gun I'd put to my head. I never wanted to revisit the thought again; never wanted a reason to reconsider my life.
"Take a shower with me."
My eyes almost shot out of my head. She laughed.
"No, really, Edward," she coaxed, "It doesn't even have to be sexual. We can just get to know each other again, you know?"
No, I didn't. I didn't know anything at that point because my sexy fucking girlfriend was begging me to shower with her. As she began to strip down, my dick harden and I'm pretty sure I forgot my own name. Without saying anything else, she retrieved two towels from a pile of freshly folded laundry on top of her dresser and made her way into the bathroom. I stood frozen, fully clothed, and unable to process even simple math until the sounds of running water brought me back to reality.
Bella. Naked. Wet. Tits. Ass. Pussy.
I expected my thoughts to be accompanied by panic. Instead, my mind screamed Jesus Christ, what are you waiting for?
And just like that, my clothes joined Bella's on the bedroom floor.
Bella's shower was small. Tiny. Microscopic. I'd showered at her house several times over the past few days, but never paid attention to the amount of space, or rather, the lack of it until the moment I stepped in to accompany her. I watched as water cascaded down Bella's back, almost afraid to touch her for fear I might wake up.
Unfortunately, it was impossible not to touch her in such a confined space. Or at least, that's what I told myself. I started simple enough, placing a hand on her hip to alert her of my presence. She turned around, allowing me a full frontal view.
Holy fucking shit fuck!
She looked even better than I remembered. Bella's body was amazing. Perfect. My eyes lingered on her small, tantalizing tits before moving lower. I couldn't stop gawking, even when Bella tried to snap me back to reality.
"Like what you see?" she teased.
"Very much so," I replied, making no attempt to look away.
She laughed. "I could say the same."
As if it were possible for my dick to get any harder...
She stepped away from the steady stream of water and into my arms. Skin on skin. It felt fucking amazing. I ran my hands up and down the small of her back, each time drifting a little lower. I would have been content to stay like that forever. Eventually, she pulled me into the water and grabbed the soap.
Our attention to detail made the entire experience completely opposite than the one six years ago. We were clear headed and calm. I wasn't ravaging her body like some sort of animal and while lust was definitely present, it didn't define our interactions. I wanted her, obviously. My attraction to Bella's sexy body was made clear by the massive hard on I'd sported from the moment we entered the bedroom. I knew she wanted me too. I caught her eyeing me several times as she scrubbed the upper half of my body and gradually moved lower.
And then, she finally touched my dick.
She was careful and cautious, as if she expected me to pull away at any second. When I didn't, her hand continued to roam in exploration, masked by the purpose of lathering me up. I almost caved. A hand job wouldn't be so bad. After all, her hand was already on my dick. If I just asked her to lose the soap, squeeze a little tighter and stroke... Shit. I was already about to come.
She pulled away.
"It's your turn," she enticed, handing me the bar of soap as if it were a key to the goddamn city.
"Fuck soap" I smirked, setting the bar aside and rubbing my own soapy body against hers. I stole plenty of kisses in the process.
Ten minutes later, we were still laughing as we played around and fought for the remainder of the hot water. I would have been content to stay in the shower with Bella all night, but it began to go cold and I knew I'd soon be a victim to shrinkage. Much to my relief, our progression hadn't gone any further than casual touching. As much as I wanted to take Bella against the wall or at least have her suck me off, the scene was all too familiar. My anxiety hadn't gotten the best of me yet, and I wasn't about to push it.
I took great pleasure in the sight of Bella as she stepped out of the cramped shower and began to towel dry her hair. I dried myself off, paying extra attention to the friction created between my towel and my dick. It felt fucking amazing. To be honest, I don't think my balls and shaft had ever been so thoroughly clean. Or dried. Or blue.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad. Not yet at least. I did need to get off, but I didn't want to push Bella. If she wanted to go further, I wanted her to be the one to make the first move. Not only did it ease my anxiety to know she actually wanted it, but it also turned me the fuck on when she took control.
She was everything I could ask for.
Her body was perfect. If not for the c-section scar resting just below her trimmed hair line, no one would ever be able to guess this woman had given birth to my son. She didn't even have stretch marks. I assumed the lack of them probably had a lot to do with the amount of time Seth actually spent in his mother's stomach. When she delivered at 32 weeks, Seth was still tiny and she was too. I hoped we'd have a healthy full term baby next time. Stretchmarks were nothing compared to the years we'd aged worrying about our premature baby boy.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
Not wanting to reveal the true reason for my smile, I quickly saved myself by stating the obvious. "Just trying to figure out how I got so lucky."
"Whatever, Edward."
Was she kidding? How could she not see it? The fact that Bella gave me a chance six years ago was nothing short of a fucked up miracle. Today, I still found it hard to believe she actually wanted to be my girlfriend. I had no right after everything I'd put her through. I didn't deserve to read Duck For President to my sonor to watch him pout as he begged to sleep downstairs between his mother and me. I wasn't good enough to stand next to this beautiful woman or for what I knew would probably happen if Bella didn't at least put on some panties soon.
How could I possibly express how much I absolutely cherished my girl?
"Lets go lie down," I suggested, leading Bella into the bedroom.
As soon as we did, I realized all of Bella's confidence was still in the shower.
Or maybe she wanted me to... do... something?
"Is everything okay?" I asked.
She let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. Everything's fine."
"Do you want me to get dressed?"
"No! God, no! Please. Don't. It's just..."
I had to laugh. With my kisses, I beckoned for her to continue. I wanted to hear what she had to say. I knew the battle between my shy, innocent girlfriend and the tigress within her was raging.
… And so was my boner.
"Look, I didn't want to ask in there... I don't want you to freak out, and you're doing so well," she stalled and I hated it. I didn't want Bella to be afraid to be open with me. I wanted to try harder for her; wanted to know and fulfill all of her desires.
"Baby, I'm fine," I reached out to grab her hand as we laid on our sides, facing each other. "See, I'm not shaking or anything. Hit me with your best shot. Or don't, because I'm not really into the whole BDSM thing."
She giggled.
"No anxiety, gorgeous. I promise," I lied. I was actually really fucking anxious. What if she didn't like what I was about to do? I'd never gone down on Bella before. I didn't even finger her the night I'd taken her virginity.
"Okay. Well, since you promised... Can I take care of your, uh, problem?"
"No," I answered without even giving it a second thought. Her face fell and I had to clarify. "What I mean is, no. Not yet."
Shit. I hoped she wouldn't get the wrong idea.
She did. "Yeah, Edward. I get it. Maybe tomorrow, right?"
Before I could clarify, Bella rolled over and asked me to turn out the light. I felt terrible. I wasn't trying to tease her.
"Baby?" I asked, pulling her closer to me and unintentionally grinding my rock hard cock against her bare ass.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't entirely unintentional.
Her breath hitched. "What?"
"When we... made Seth, was it good for you?"
"I guess," she answered after a few seconds of silence, "After it stopped hurting, it wasn't so bad."
I winced. It wasn't so bad. What was that supposed to mean? Instead of pressing the matter, I tugged on Bella's arm and hoped she might roll over. She resisted at first, and I tried harder to coax her onto her back. When she finally caved in, I was shocked to see tears in her eyes.
"Isabella," I gasped, "What's wrong?"
"Leave it alone, Edward."
Shit. I hurt her feelings. Bella needed me and I knew I needed to fix things, and quick.
"Baby, do you know why I said no? Do you know why I'm asking you these questions?"
"No," she sniffed.
I rolled onto her, supporting most of my weight with one of my hands while the other got tangled in her wet hair. I needed her to know why I said no, or at least not yet. It wasn't to push her away. Quite the opposite, actually. I had places to go... Little dudes in row boats to meet...
"You silly," kiss, "gorgeous," kiss, "oversensitive girl."
"Edward," she tried very futilely to protest before my mouth won her over. My tongue moved in and out of her mouth and little did Bella know, I was only warming up. My kisses continued and began to travel south. I lingered on her neck, sucking and nibbling on her collar bone before swirling my tongue around her pert nipple. She moaned, bringing her hands to my hair and pulling me closer.
"Isabella Marie Swan," I vowed, "You are my soulmate. I promise to love you every single moment of forever. Part of that promise means that I will always put your wants, needs, and pleasure above my own."
I kissed lower. And lower. My tongue ghosted over her belly button, down to the scar left by my son's entrance into the world. I focused all of my attention on it, exerting as much love as I could for the symbol of our unity. I kissed every fraction of skin, praising her beauty. By the way she melted into my touch, I could tell she loved it.
She loved me.
"Let me taste you, baby," I begged, "You say you need to be close to me. Let me be close to you."
She whimpered, gripping my hair tighter and gently pushing my head further down. Bella's confidence was back, and I loved it. My fingers rubbed her c-section scar one last time before I took them lower.
It was finally time for me to nut up and take Jasper and Emmett's advice.
Mister Edward Anthony Cullen, please shake hands with the man in the canoe.
"Ohhh," Bella gasped as I began rubbing tiny circles over her clit with my index finger. "Edward," she moaned.
I already had a shit eating grin on my face, and I hadn't even tasted her yet but behind my shit eating grin was a boy, scared shitless. I took my time familiarizing myself with her outer core. To be honest, I was stalling. The anticipation in Bella's voice only added to the pressure I felt. I didn't have any idea of what I was doing and suddenly, I worried what would happen if Jasper and Emmett had been full of shit. What if they had given me terrible advice?
It didn't make sense. I was a fucking nurse, for Christ's sake. I had taken several anatomy classes and I knew how the female body operated. None of that compensated for my lack of hands on experience. Even though I'd been balls deep in Bella's pussy before, the confidence I had in my ability to pleasure her remained low. When she looked back on tonight, I wanted her to be able to say more than it wasn't so bad. I just wanted to make my girl feel good. Really good.
As I began to make wider rotations, my fingers barely brushed against her slick entrance.
She was so fucking wet. I stopped for a moment, bringing my finger to my mouth for a taste test. Bella was delectable. It created a frenzy within my veins. The feeling was nothing less than indescribable. My brain, heart and my dick screamed "more, more, more!" in unison.
I placed a gentle kiss on my girlfriend's lips. Yes, those lips.
"Please," she begged, "Keep going."
"Mmmm, gladly," I assured her.
I began to lick. And finger. And suck. And fuck, it was the most satisfying five minutes of my life even if I wasn't the one being pleasured. Bella's tight little pussy felt amazing, and she tasted even better. I quickly realized I had a new favorite past time. Fuck the piano. There were much better ways for me to utilize my long fingers. I plunged another finger inside of her and struck the hidden key.
"Umpfff, Edward," she managed to force out as her breathing became erratic and her muscles began to contract around my buried fingers. Bella lost touch with reality and practically screamed her pleasure. I didn't want to hush her, but I really worried she might wake Seth up. God, I hoped she didn't.
It was daddy's turn.
As I slid my fingers out of Bella's center, I placed a few more gentle kisses on and around her was so fucking wet. With the taste of her core still on my lips, I made my way back up her body and we began to aggressively make out. I pulled back to look into her eyes. They were still dark with lust.
"Sweetheart, do you want to make love?" I whispered, desperately wanting to bury myself inside her again.
I was fully okay with rejection but I had to ask. If Bella wanted to stop now, I wouldn't be upset.
Or at least that's what I told myself.
Her silence said it all. She didn't want to go all the way and I sure as fuck wasn't going to push her.
"Don't worry about it, baby. It's perfectly okay if you don't want to," I assured her.
"I do, Edward, but... I'm not on birth control."
OH.
"Oh," I sighed sadly, rolling off of her and onto my back. "Okay."
It wasn't that Bella didn't want to. She just didn't want to get pregnant. I could handle that. Hell, I already considered the night a success. She didn't even have to finish me off if she didn't want-
Bella's hand wrapped around my dick and stopped my out of control train of thought. Even though I was painfully hard, the friction as she began to stroke felt amazing.
"Stop over analyzing and tell me how to make it good for you."
"Oh, fuck, Bella," I moaned, "Just like that, baby. Keep stroking. Don't fucking stop."
Please, don't fucking stop.
I was perfectly content with a hand job. I didn't need penetration to feel good, but when Bella lowered and kissed the tip of my dick, I almost lost it.
Holy shit... My girl wanted to give me head.
And I was already so fucking close...
I stopped her. "Babe," I cautioned, bringing my hands to her hair. "You don't have to do that. I'm gonna come soon anyway." So soon it's embarrassing...
The mischievous look on her face said it all. She didn't have to do it, but she wanted to. She knew, pun intended, what was about to come and she didn't fucking care.
Bella sucked my dick, taking as much of me into her mouth as she could. The sensation proved to be too much and I climaxed almost immediately. She greedily swallowed every drop of my seed. It was fucking mind blowing.
My entire body was numb. I felt like I was in shock. I couldn't believe we'd just done that. Getting oral from Bella almost felt as good as going all the way. For once, I felt like a normal fucking 24 year old.
I was in desperate need of a cigarette.
I held back. I hadn't quit, but I was still trying. I'd cut down to only five or six a day, mostly to take the edge off at work. I didn't dare smoke around my boy, and I allotted plenty of time to air out before getting in the car or any other confined space with Seth and Bella. If I went out to smoke now, it would mean another shower before bed. Besides, smoking would rid the taste of Bella from my mouth. Fuck that.
After throwing on some boxers and unlocking the bedroom door, we drifted to sleep. Bella promised to make an appointment with her OB/GYN, and I made a mental note to patronize the Trojan Man. If things kept going well, I knew I'd be needing him. Soon.
The next day, I couldn't take my mind off of my girl. The morning kept me busy with patients and paperwork, and it wasn't until the afternoon when I finally got some time to dwell. When I got around to checking my phone, I had a text from Bella, two from Jasper and a missed call from Jenks.
I replied to Bella first. She was taking an impromptu shopping trip to Port Angeles with Seth and Alice. I wish I would have known they were going. I would have offered her my credit card in case she saw something for Seth. It was a little after 3:00, so they must have gone as soon as Seth got out of school. I still had three hours left in my shift, and I hoped they'd be back before I came home from work.
I scrolled on to view Jasper's texts.
-Landlord stopped by to let you know rent is going up next month. Something about being in higher demand or some shit. $650.
Mother fucker! Another hundred bucks? Our rent was already $550 plus utilities. There was no way in hell I was going to let that shit slide. I doubted raising it almost 20% was even legal. Then again, my lease was month to month, so maybe it was. I never spent any time at my apartment anyway. I might as well move my shit back in with my parents and put the money I'd save towards providing for Seth and Bella.
I only had one problem- Jasper.
-Dude, guess who has two thumbs and just got hired on the spot at the PD... That's right. This guy.
Problem solved.
After Jasper assured me he could find a place to stay, I went ahead and called my mom. She seemed fine with the idea of me moving back in, especially when I told her I intended on spending most of my nights with Bella anyway. The woman obviously already wanted more grand kids. I figured if I moved now, it would be easier for Bella and I when we moved to Florida next month. We hadn't discussed whether or not I would be sharing a home with them after the move. We didn't need to. My place in Bella's life was obvious. We were a fucking family.
"Mister Cullen, while we normally require a 30 day notice to terminate, we have experienced an influx of requests within the past month. A couple from Port Angeles was hoping to get in by next week, but I had to refuse them because we just didn't have a unit available. If they're still interested, can you be out by Friday?"
"The fourth?" I asked, looking at a calender. As in, four days from now?
"I understand it might be too soon, but I would be willing to credit you back the full amount for the for September instead of prorating it by day."
I hesitated. Tomorrow was Tuesday, which meant Bella had to work late. It was also my day off, meaning I could get most of the heavy shit moved with Jasper's help before I had to pick Seth up from school. I would have to spend the rest of the week cleaning, but surely it wouldn't be too bad. Bella's birthday was a little more than a week away, and I could definitely use the extra money to take my girl out to dinner.
"Sound's good. I'll be out by the end of the fourth."
After trying unsuccessfully to call Jenks back, I started to think about Bella again. Everything about my woman was fucking amazing. When she woke up today, she had the biggest smile on her face. Actually, we both did. I wanted to remind her to make an appointment with the doctor, but didn't want to seem over eager for pussy. If she was the least bit as horny as I was, she'd remember on her own.
Or maybe she wouldn't. I'd be okay with that. I wasn't opposed to having another little one sometime in the future. I knew realistically we weren't ready but that still didn't keep me from dreaming.
"Cullen, stock the bays," one of the doctors demanded, pulling me from my fantasy. Fucking prick always liked finding things for me to do. I doubted the bays were low on supplies anyway.
Not wanting to argue with Dr. Lutz, I made my way to the supply room and began to gather what I needed- tongue depressors, q-tips, gauze and paper towels. Just as I was about to head back to the nurse's station, a little bin of prophylactics on the top shelf caught my eye. We normally gave them away like candy to anyone who came in with concerns about STIs and STDs.
So I stuffed a few into my pocket.
My phone buzzed. "Edward Cullen," I answered.
"Mister Cullen, so good to finally get a hold of you."
I cut to the chase. "Hey Jay, glad we could finally get a hold of each other. Look, my son's mother and I have reconciled."
"Congratulations!" Jenks gushed, "So I suppose this means you won't be needing my services?"
"Fortunately, no. I'm very sorry for wasting your time."
"Well, Mister Cullen, I'll tell you what. I'll keep all of this on file, just in case something comes up. Are you still living at the apartment on Division Street?"
"Actually, I'm in the process of moving," I explained, providing him with my parents' address. There was no way in hell I was going to have the bill sent to Bella's apartment. "But really, the only thing I want to keep on file is the petition to change my son's last name. All of the custody stuff can be shredded."
"Yes, Mister Cullen. As you wish. So am I to proceed with the petition?"
I thought for a moment. As much as I wanted Jenks to move forward, I knew it was something I needed to talk to Bella about first. After all, she was the one who prevented him from being a Cullen in the first place. I hoped they'd both take on my last name eventually, but I knew going above Bella's head to get it done wasn't the best way to go about it. "Hold off for now, but keep it on file."
"Will do. Best of luck with your family. I love a happy ending!"
Happy endings... I wondered if I would feel up to getting one of those tonight.
I didn't. I came home to find Bella's Explorer parked outside her apartment and hurried inside, anxious to see my family. The front door was locked, and I had to use the key Bella had given me. Inside, Seth was drawing at the kitchen table. Bella wasn't in the kitchen making dinner like I assumed she would be.
"Hi Daddy!" my son happy shouted before lowering his voice, "Shhh! I forgot. We have to be quiet. Mommy's sleepy."
I glanced into the living room. Sure enough, his mother's sleeping figure was sprawled out across the couch.
"She's sick," he explained, "And she threw up all over Aunt Ali's car."
If I wasn't so worried about my girl, I would have laughed. It served Alice right for the scrutiny she put Bella under the other night. Yes, Bella told me all about it and no, it did not make me happy at all.
I glanced down at his picture. "What are you drawing?"
"Bear," he gushed.
Huh. It looked like a dog to me.
"Very nice," I praised, not wanting to give him some sort of a complex about his stellar artistic ability. "He's kind of skinny for a bear, isn't he?"
My son laughed hysterically. I didn't understand kids. Seth drew a bear that looked like a dog, and somehow he made me feel like the idiot.
"Daddy! Bear is a dog, silly."
Okay, so maybe I was the idiot.
I continued on into the living room to find out what was wrong with Bella. Even from a distance, she looked like shit. Sweaty, pale, miserable shit. Blankets from our bedroom had been kicked down to her feet. The trash can from the bathroom sat near her head and Seth had given her a stuffed animal to snuggle with. I recognized the monkey as something I'd bought for him after he'd gotten his first chest tube. Bananas had tagged along with Seth on almost every hospital visit since.
It looked like I'd be working some overtime tonight, but at least taking care of Bella didn't require spending the night in the ER.
I felt her forehead. She was burning up. I picked her up carefully, hoping she wouldn't wake. She did.
"Edward," she sighed, "What are you doing?"
"Taking you to bed, sweetheart."
"But what about Seth?" she asked.
"Baby, you don't need to worry about Seth tonight. Daddy's got everything under control."
As I laid her down, she stated the obvious. "I think I have the flu. I started feeling bad earlier, but it wasn't until we were half way to Port Angeles that it really hit me. I puked in Alice's car."
"So I heard."
"Yes, you should have seen her face. Seth got a real kick out of that one."
"Do you need anything?" I asked, placing a kiss on her smoldering forehead. The flu didn't scare me. Thanks to the ER, I had a killer immune system. Nothing short of the plague could keep me away from Bella.
"Trash can," she groaned, before I retrieved it and she expelled the contents of her stomach again. I removed and replaced the liner. She must have felt really bad, considering she didn't even attempt to make it out of bed and into the bathroom. I helped her change into pajamas and retrieved her toothbrush and a glass of water.
"Thank you for taking care of me. I love you, Edward."
"Love you too, gorgeous."
Thirty minutes later, I put Bananas in charge and loaded Seth into the Explorer.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"We need dinner, little man, and Momma needs some medicine for her tummy."
Yeah, I was a typical dad. Cooking really wasn't my thing. After spending his entire life with Bella, Seth wouldn't have been content with anything I could make. We picked up a pizza. It was cheap and I knew he'd be happy with that. After stopping by the pharmacy to pick up some Emetrol, we headed back home. Bella hadn't moved a muscle.
I spent the rest of the night juggling my attention between Bella and Seth. After he went to bed at 9:30, I was able to focus all of my energy on Bella. The nausea medicine helped, but it eventually wore off and so did the drowsiness that accompanied it. I took a shower at eleven, and was surprised to see her eyes open and on me when I returned to the bedroom in nothing but a towel.
"Feeling better?" I asked, grabbing my scrubs off of the floor and emptying the pockets.
She eyed my looted contraceptives curiously. "Where'd you get those?"
"Supply closet," I laughed, walking over and depositing the condoms into the top drawer of the night stand. "You know, just in case."
"My appointment is next Tuesday," she told me, "Sorry. It was the soonest they could get me in."
I actually found it humorous that Bella would apologize to me over something so stupid, especially given her current condition. I assured her she had nothing to be sorry about. Honestly, it was probably a good thing she was sick. Her overactive sex drive was bound to get us in trouble and I started to think I hadn't grabbed enough condoms to last until her appointment. It wouldn't be the end of the world if we ran out. Maybe Bella would let me pull out. Even though we'd never done it another way, I knew nothing could compare to taking Bella without any barriers.
Maybe it was my overactive sex drive that was bound to get us in trouble... and pregnant.
As I laid in bed that night, I began to seriously wonder how long it would take Bella to want another baby. As soon as Seth made his request for a little brother or sister, the thought took root in my imagination and since then, it completely consumed me. I wanted more kids with Bella. I was dying for a second chance to do everything again; to make every appointment and allow her to break my hand in the delivery room. I knew I was being greedy, but as long as Bella and I were really going to do this... as long as we were going to be together, I didn't intend on doing anything half-way. As soon as I could get a ring on her finger, I wanted to try for another. And another.
I was having another sleepless night.
Finals were kicking my fucking ass. Namely, anatomy. My professor was a bitch, and she made no attempts to hide the fact. I'd been studying nonstop for the past week, but that wasn't the only reason for my insomnia.
My 15 month old son had just gotten out of the hospital again. Another asthma attack. His mother was pissed at me, but what else was new? After all, I'd spent the better part of the past year ignoring her. Ignoring him. She still didn't see that she was much better off without me. I was too young to be a father and I had no idea how to handle a sick kid. The fact that I wanted to be a doctor was nothing less than a fucking joke. I really needed to look into changing my major.
I tried. I really did. The problem was, between the distance, school, and all of the things I'd already done, I couldn't try hard enough.
I was a monumental fuck up. I knew that. I wasn't a good dad, and I wasn't even good at being a shitty one. Every time Bella called me to tell me how sick he was, I almost caved. I wished I could tell her how I really felt. I still loved her. God, I loved her so much and I loved Seth. I just wanted to be with them, even though I knew now that it would never happen.
Your own fault, douche bag.
My phone buzzed, and my heart immediately sank as I saw another text message from Bella. I clicked on it, convinced my kid was sick again. When it took longer than usual to load, I realized it wasn't a message.
It was a video.
I watched with tears as Seth pulled himself up using the chief's coffee table, and proceeded to walk towards the phone; towards Bella. He laughed and seemed genuinely happy, as did his proud momma. He disappeared off of the lens and she continued to praise him for his hard work. I couldn't have asked for a better mother to my child. Bella turned the phone towards herself and kept it recording. She looked exhausted. Beautiful, but exhausted.
Seth, on the other hand, seemed to be full of energy.
"Well, daddy. We're having a late night and Seth just wanted to show you what he could do now. Maybe he'll go back to bed now."
She removed the pacifier from his mouth. "Say night, night daddy."
"nigh-nigh, dadda!"
She laughed. "Goodnight, Edward."
The screen went black.
I hit play again. And again. I must have watched that stupid fucking video fifty times, wishing I could somehow jump through the screen. It was grainy and fuzzy, but it was still my baby.
I hit play one last time before hitting the delete button. Because even though he was my baby, it didn't change anything.
By the time Friday rolled around, Bella was finally feeling better. She spent most of the week in bed while I stayed busy moving. At Bella's request, most of my shit ended up in her apartment. When I came home from work on Thursday, she'd even cleared out some space in her closet and put the rest of my clothes away. I even had my own sock drawer. Only my furniture and a few odd and ends made their way to mom and dad's house.
Not that I was complaining.
No turning back now.
I decided one thing was for damn sure. If Bella and I didn't move to Florida, I was at least getting us a bigger apartment. As much as the idea of moving again sucked, I knew we needed the space. Hell, I imagined we might even be able to find a rent house within our price range. And speaking of rent, Bella had spent the entire week worrying about how she would pay hers before I handed her a blank check from my account. She protested at first and I finally convinced her that part of me being the father and the boyfriend meant I was also the provider. I jokingly told her I could come up with a few favors for her to pay me back. Surprisingly, she seemed content with that.
Then she went through my mail.
She didn't find the bill from God for that. Instead, she found a quarterly statement from the 529 plan I'd set up for Seth last year. Dad suggested I start one after I got my job at the hospital. He told me they'd continue to pay child support for Seth as long as I contributed an equal amount into his college fund. Dad's salary made the $250 a month to Bella seem like pocket change, and even though I didn't feel comfortable with my dad supporting my son, I did sleep better at night knowing Seth would be getting the same opportunities I had and the ones I took away from Bella.
"Great. Now I'm really going to have to put out," she joked, happy tears streaming from her eyes.
Effortless- that's how everything felt. Isabella was my fucking soulmate. I took care of her and she took care of me. We forgave and forgot, laughed, loved, and argued over stupid things that didn't really matter; things like rent, who got more of the hot water and even my goddamn xBox.
Because most of my games weren't appropriate for Seth, I set it up with a passcode in the bedroom. I assumed the two of us could also take advantage of my Netflix subscription, and I knew Bella didn't like to watch TV in the living room after Seth went to bed. I didn't ask, and I didn't think twice about it until Friday night after Bella and I slipped in bed.
"Edward."
I was too focused the round of Call of Duty I was playing to acknowledge her.
"Edward," she huffed again.
"Hhm."
She switched on her mom voice. "EDWARD ANTHONY!"
"What?"
"Are you seriously going to play that game right now?"
Uh, why not?
She grabbed the controller from me, holding down the center button until the screen went black.
"Jesus, Isabella! What was that for?" I asked, more than a little annoyed.
"This...thing needs to go!"
"Bella, baby, you cannot just turn off my xBox. That's like... the number one rule in the good girlfriend handbook."
My words didn't phase her. She threw the controller onto the floor and rolled on top of me.
Fuck. How long had she been topless?
"Not according to my handbook, it's not," she kissed my neck and grinded against my shaft. I was already hard. "Mmm," she moaned, "I'm feeling better tonight."
The kisses drifted to my collar bone.
I swallowed. "I can tell."
"I think, maybe, we should let Carlisle and Esme hold onto the xBox for when Seth and Henry visit. Don't you?"
"Babe, come on," I groaned, "Don't be like that."
"Like what?" Her kisses drifted lower.
Lower, baby. Go lower.
"This is my room," she reminded me, "I don't even have to have a TV in here if I don't want it."
She stopped at the hem of my boxers. My dick was so close to her pretty mouth. Because of Bella's flu, we hadn't been able to mess around since Sunday night. I'd still seen Bella naked every day over the past week and needless to say, I really needed to get off. It looked like she was more than willing to help me with that.
"Baby, come on. This is my room now, too."
There. I said it. I waited for her to set me straight.
….she didn't.
With a kiss that was painfully close to where I wanted her the most, she rolled off of me and onto her back.
Cock tease.
I rolled onto her.
"Two can play this game, Miss Swan." I whispered seductively, trailing my tongue from her earlobe to her chin.
She made it too easy. As soon as my thumb brushed over her nipple, I gained control of the situation. I moved my hand lower, while keeping my lips pressed firmly against hers.
"Baby, can I please keep my xBox in our room?" I asked, slipping my hand into her sexy sleep shorts.
"No," she answered firmly.
"Please," I begged. And rubbed.
So fucking wet...
"Ohhhh," she moaned, gripping me by the waist.
"Please, baby. I'll do anything. Anything," I added for emphasis.
I knew from the way Bella began to breathe erratically that she was getting close. I could honestly care less about my xBox. If she didn't want it in here, I really had no problem taking it to my parents. It was just so fun to tease her... and coax her into letting it stay.
"Such a naughty girl. You're thinking about my dick right now, aren't you?" I whispered, "Do you want me, baby? All you have to do is say the words and I'll gladly make you mine over and over again."
"Edward," she moaned, reaching into my boxers and rubbing my dick. "Yes. Please! I need you."
Her answer was more than enough of an invitation for me. I couldn't get the rest of our clothes off fast enough, and unfortunately I didn't even get a chance to try. Just as Bella said the words, our bedroom door flew open and the sounds of hysterics echoed throughout the room. She pushed me off with so much force I almost fell to the ground.
"Shit, Ed! Distract him!" she frantically whispered, pulling the sheets as high as they'd go.
Fuck. Why didn't we lock the door?
Because you were too busy playing video games, you dumb ass!
It could have been worse, a lot worse, but it was already bad enough. Did he see me on top of his mom? If so, I had no idea how I was supposed to explain it without scarring him for life. Bella was topless and my boxers did very little to hide my arousal. I willed myself to go down, but it didn't happen in an instant. I needed more time.
Even still, I was glad he ran to my side of the bed. I glanced over to Bella. She pretended to be asleep. I almost laughed because Bella was such a terrible actress.
Good job, Momma, I thought to myself, Now he'll think I was attacking you in your sleep!
Because of his crying, it took him forever to finish a sentence. He stuttered and stammered as said he told me about his bad dream. I had to let out a sigh of relief, because at least he wasn't having another asthma attack.
"Shh, buddy. It's okay. Calm down. Let's go get a drink of water, and you can lay down with me and Momma, okay?"
I rolled out of bed, thankful for his drawn out explanation. It provided me with enough time for my problem to go away. I picked him up and he began to tell me more about the horrors in his imagination. He dreamt up something crazy, with monsters and aliens and Bella or some shit. I understood why he was scared. I'd had quite a few nightmares involving Bella and they weren't fucking fun. After getting him a drink of water from the kitchen, we returned to the bedroom and I hoped I'd given Bella enough time to get dressed. She'd "woken up" and thrown on one of my t-shirts. Bella extended her arms and he gladly crawled out of mine and into hers.
Cock blocking must have been exhausting to the little guy, because he was out like a light no more than five minutes later.
Bella and I laid with our sleeping five year old wedged between us, and laughed endlessly over what could have been a very traumatic experience for all three of us.
Our barbecue was supposed to be on Sunday, but early Saturday morning Charlie called Bella. Something had come up and the date had been changed to tonight. Unfortunately, it was my day off and I had no way to get out of it. I could tell by the way Bella spoke to him that he still didn't know I would be joining them. I was okay with that. Bella figured that if we surprised him he might not have his gun ready. I still felt like I needed time to mentally prepare myself for what was to come, but as Bella kept saying, the sooner we got it over with, the better.
I mean, we were already living together.
...Not that he needed to know that.
A few hours later, I was hyperventilating in front of Chief Swan's house. Bella did her best to calm me down, giving my hand a final squeeze before getting out of the truck. I retrieved Seth from his booster seat in the back, and held him close as if he were some sort of security blanket. We made our way to the backyard, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Charlie was no where in sight.
Maybe he got called into work.
Keep dreaming, Edward.
A woman around Charlie's age eagerly hugged Bella. I'd met her once or twice. If I remembered correctly, her late husband had been a friend of Charlie's. Bella formally reintroduced us, referring to me as her boyfriend and Sue as Charlie's girlfriend.
Huh. Awkward.
A man in a wheel chair lingered next to the ice chest, which I hoped to be full of beer. I would need a few to make it through the next couple of hours. I retrieved a can of Vitamin R and grabbed a Pepsi for Bella.
"Edward, have you met Billy?" Bella asked, grabbing the Pepsi from my hand.
I offered the man my hand, "Edward Cullen. I'm Seth's dad."
"And mommy's boyfriend!" Seth added enthusiastically.
Billy shook my hand, but didn't give me a second glance. I assumed the Chief had complained enough about me over the past six years, so I didn't think twice about it. I took a sip of my beer.
"Where's grandpa?" Bella asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"He and Jake stepped out to get ice."
Jake? As in motherfucking Jake, the douche bag who wanted to get in my girl's pants? What was he doing here? I quickly remembered Bella telling me that she knew him through Charlie. I put the pieces together and assumed the man in the wheel chair must be Jake's father. I felt my blood start to boil when I realized what Charlie intended on doing today. This barbecue was an elaborate scheme to set Bella up with another guy.
Over my dead fucking body.
I tried to calm down. I knew now was not the time to get all territorial and piss on Bella's leg ...as much as I wanted to. It would not go over well. I had to remind myself of how Bella chose me. I was the father of her son. I was the one who shared a bed with her. She sucked my dick and moaned my name when she came.
His pathetic douche bag of a son couldn't even get her to agree to a second date.
Sensing my tension, Bella wrapped her arm around my waist and offered Seth a drink of her Pepsi. He gladly took it and she placed a kiss on my cheek. A few seconds later, the screen door flew open and Jake made his way towards us.
"Bella!" he greeted excitedly. Then he saw me.
"Hey Jake," she smiled.
I took another drink of my beer.
He ran up and grabbed Bella for a hug, his hands lingered on my girl for far too long.
Jake immediately attempted to undermine my presence. "Is it Ed's day for visitation or something?"
Edward. My name is Edward. I don't know why people got off on calling me Ed. My brother and friends only did it because they knew I didn't like it. The only time Bella had ever done it was last night, and I let it slide because we obviously had more important things to worry about. I knew she didn't intend on making a habit of it.
"Um, no, actually. Edward is with us."
I didn't worry about Bella calling me Ed because I knew she liked my name.
I waited for her to add the because he's my boyfriend. She never did but Jake must have known something was up because of the stupid puppy dog eyes he made.
Fuck, how was my beer already almost empty?
A few seconds later, Charlie made his way into the backyard. His expression turned deadly as we made eye contact.
"Bella," he greeted sternly, refusing to verbally acknowledge me.
"Grandpa!" Seth shouted, struggling to break away from my arms. I reluctantly let him go, knowing the Chief was just as unlikely to shoot me if he was the one holding his grandson.
"Hey buddy," Charlie loosened up a little, "I've missed you. How's school?"
"Good. I missed you too! And I have so much to tell you!"
Oh, shit.
Thankfully, Bella stepped in and saved the day. "Seth, baby, why don't you go help Miss Sue with the hamburger patties? Go inside and wash your hands. I'll be in after a while."
"Okay!" he agreed excitedly, running inside.
Fuck, I'm going to die.
Sue had already gone inside. Sensing the awkward tension, Jake and his dad also disappeared from sight. I grabbed another beer.
Bella spoke first. "Dad, don't freak out."
"This better not be what it looks like," he warned.
"We're having a family barbecue. Edward is family."
"Edward is not family," he seethed, "And he has had a fair warning to stay the hell off my property and more importantly, away from my daughter."
Bella boldly stepped closer to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. Charlie's eyes nearly shot out of his head and I think he seriously considered going to get his gun.
"Dad, we're together."
Terrified and at a loss for words, I comforted myself the only way I knew how- by giving Bella a kiss.
"Like hell you are! How long has this been going on?"
"A few weeks," I answered. I wished Jake was still around to hear my words.
"What about Florida?" he asked.
"I'll follow Bella to the end of the earth if I have to."
"Not if I can help it."
"Daddy, please calm down," Bella begged, "I want this."
"You can't be serious. You show up at my house with him and you want me to be calm? Fair warning would have been nice!"
I offered to leave. Bella protested.
"No. This is something he's going to have to get used to," she told me before turning her attention back on Charlie, "Edward is in my life now. You either support it, or you don't."
"I don't."
Dinner was awkward to say the least. The food was amazing, but I kept worrying Charlie might be trying to poison me. Every time I wanted another burger, I'd send Seth or Bella to get it. I knew he wouldn't fuck with their food.
The more Charlie drank, the more he loosened up. And luckily, Charlie drank a lot. The same held true for myself. I was practically shit faced by the time Bella went inside to help Sue with the dishes. Little man was practicallythe only sober one left.
Charlie mostly left me out of the conversation. Apparently, he and Billy were old fishing buddies. He, Billy and Jake had no trouble finding things to talk about and I wondered if things would be different under other circumstances. What if I wasn't the guy who got Bella pregnant at 18? What if I were someone else?
"So, Jake. Have you and Bells gone on any more dates?" Charlie asked, as if my presence meant nothing to him.
"I wish, Chief. She's been blowing me off for the past two weeks. Now I see why, obviously."
"Too bad, man. Did you at least steal a kiss or two?"
"I did," he boasted.
What. The. Fuck. I knew Bella had kissed the motherfucker, but this was not something we needed to talk about in front of Seth. I knew Charlie was only doing it to fuck with my head and it was working.
"Nice. Well, don't give up. She's a good girl even if she hasn't made the best decisions. One of a kind."
Chief and I didn't see eye to eye on very many things but if there was one thing we could agree on, it was Bella. She was one of a kind and I knew it better than anyone.
Seth joined the conversation. "Grandpa, Jake can't kiss mommy anymore. Only my daddy can kiss mommy."
I love my kid.
"He even kissed her when she throwed up."
"Bella's had the flu all week," I quickly added, assuming Charlie might mistake Seth's words for morning sickness.
His face visibly relaxed.
"But my daddy taked care of her. And when I had a bad dream last night, he taked care of me too! And when I went into their room, mommy and daddy were..."
Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!
"Time to leave!" I shouted, "Son, why don't you go ask Momma if she's ready? It's your bedtime."
"Am I gonna get to sleep with you and mommy again?"
Not if you want me to make good on the little brother request.
"Uh, no, why don't you go ahead and sleep in your own bed tonight?"
"Why don't you," Charlie mumbled.
Oh, I will.
"Okay, dad," Seth said before running into the house.
Three blank faces stared at me as if I were the Anti-Christ. I had choice words for all of them; Jake, most of all. If he could, he'd crawl into bed with Bella without giving it a second thought. He just wanted a fuck buddy to keep him warm at night. I wanted to be her best friend, lover, and the father of her children. I was her fucking soulmate; her provider and protector. What would it take for Charlie to see that?
As soon as Seth was out of sight, Charlie broke the awkward silence. "Like I was saying. Bella's a keeper. Any man would be lucky to have her. But I swear to God, next time she comes home and tells me she's pregnant, there better be a ring on her finger. And I pray everyday it isn't Edward's."
If you can read this, thank a beta. Namely, brodeurgirl30 and simba517. Both have excellent stories listed in my favorites. As always, reviewers will get teased. Sorry if you reviewed in the past day or two and I didn't get to you. Also, I had to change the way I did review replies, so if your personal messages are blocked, you probably didn't get it. :( Thanks for all the surgery well wishes. It was a bitch.
Next chap is BPOV.
Stories that own me right now- Comes and Goes by AlexaET, Sweet Treats and Deadbeats by CitizenCullen25, and In the Skin by ooza. Check them out. :) Okay. I'm done.