Chapter 12
On Saturday, after the first week of school, the pack is meeting for a bonfire. It's going to be one of the last ones us imprints actually enjoy – namely, the last time it won't be freezing cold. Paul can keep me warm but when he's not right next to me, it goes from toasty to frosty instantly.
I'm sitting on a log right now; everyone is over getting food. My insane food cravings from my first couple weeks of pregnancy has past and now I'm into the morning sickness phase. It's horrible. It's not just in the morning and it normally happens while I'm teaching and can't leave.
Despite Paul's attempts to understand and be comforting, he's not much use. Especially since his stomach won't allow him to believe the thought of food could ever make someone sick. I lean forward onto my elbows. Someone sits beside me and although at first I think it's Paul, I feel no heat radiating from them so I realize quickly it's not.
Looking up, I see Emily sitting beside me. She's set her food down beside her but I notice she isn't appalled at the sight of it. She's four months pregnant – well, at least I know it goes away eventually. "Hey, how ya holding up?" she asks gently.
I smile, biting back a laugh. "I guess I've been better."
She laughs. "Still want to be pregnant?"
I swat at her. "Of course. I just wish food didn't make me sick. I like food; it sucks not eating it."
Shooting me a sympathetic look as Paul comes back over, she gets up and heads back towards Sam. "Don't worry; it'll go away. But I can't guarantee worse things won't come."
I laugh and lean into Paul's shoulder, keeping his plate of food out of my line of sight. "Yay," I say sarcastically.
Kim laughs from her place at Jared's lap. "Another reason I don't want to be pregnant." Jared pouts, making most of the guys around the fire laugh or snort.
"It's not that bad," I lie reassuringly.
She rolls her eyes. "You're a horrible liar, Ev, so you're really just confirming my reasons even more." Okay, I guess it wasn't that assuring.
"Whatever, Baby Hater." I stick my tongue out at her childishly and I'm not surprised when she flips me off.
"Settle down, children," Paul teases, kissing my temple lightly before going back to eating his food. Instantly my stomach churns as I catch sight of it. My face contorts, something that Paul doesn't miss. He frowns. "Do you want me to eat over there?"
"No," I swallow the acid at the back of my throat. "I'm fine." He sends me an "are you sure?" look but I just nod. "If you leave, I'll freeze."
Chuckling, he places his plate on the log on his other side and pulls me into his side. "It's not even cold out yet, silly."
I roll my eyes. "It's freezing out."
He rolls his eyes dramatically, mocking me.
I lean forward so I can see Kim and Emily. "You guys are cold, right?"
Kim shrugs – probably since she's completely buried in Jared's embrace – but Emily nods which makes Sam pull her closer to him. Sometimes I wonder how people who aren't with werewolves are able to survive this type of weather.
After the guys are done pigging out on the revolting food, Billy starts the legends. Five years later and it's still the same way it was on the first bonfire I went to. Glancing around the fire while listening to the stories, I notice a girl I've never seen before. She's looks about eighteen but I of all people know that doesn't mean much.
She's Quileute by the looks of it with tan skinned, long black hair, big brown eyes and rosy cheeks that's most-likely from the weather. Unlike the rest of us, she's not curled up into anyone and I wonder if she's one of the guys' sisters.
"Who's she?" I whisper, nudging Paul and nodding towards the girl.
Glancing over lazily, he shrugs. "She's Brady's imprint."
This perks me up. Since when did Brady have an imprint? "He imprinted?"
Paul nods. "Yeah, took him fucking long enough."
I shove him playfully. "Stop swearing, jerk."
"Wyatt's not around," he whispers back, smirking.
"So? There's two fetuses," I inform him smiling while I cradle my stomach with my two hands. I'm only seven weeks but there is the tiniest trace of a bump on my belly. Initially this worried me since Emily was at least fifteen weeks before she started showing even a little, but my doctor warned us that since I'm so small to begin with I'll likely begin showing early.
He chuckles, placing his hands on my stomach tenderly and whispering in my ear. "Well, I don't think he can hear us yet."
"He?" I say back quietly. "Since when are we having a boy?"
He smirks. "It's gonna happen."
I shake my head, resting my head on his chest. "Well, I think it's going to be a girl."
"Too bad. You're going to be upset when you realize I'm right and you're wrong."
"All right," I smirk, "keep thinking that, babe."
After Billy finishes with the legends, we don't stick around like usual. I'm tired and kind of hungry. I guess I'll have to have crackers and ginger ale... again. We drive home and even though it's an extremely short drive, I manage to almost fall asleep.
I close my eyes, knowing that if I at least pretend to be asleep Paul will carry me in and I won't have to move. However, I actually do end up falling asleep. It can't be too much later but when I do wake up, I'm on our bed with crackers, pickles and apple juice sitting on the bedside table.
I love my husband.
I eat the food quickly, feeling how hungry I am. I'm taking the last gulp of apple juice when Paul comes in clad in boxers. "Hey sleepyhead."
I smile, putting the glass down. "Hey. Thanks for bringing me in."
He lays down on his side of the bed, smirking cockily. "I'm such a great husband," he jokes.
Rolling my eyes, I pull myself into his open arms. "You are. I love you."
He wraps his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. "I love you too. How are ya feeling?"
"Good. I'm not hungry anymore and I also don't feel like puking." He chuckles, reaching over to turn off the lamp. "So I've been thinking."
"Uh oh," he teases. "What about?"
"Well, I know it's early and all but we should probably start thinking of some names for the baby. I mean, we don't know the gender but it'd be good for brainstorming."
He groans, half jokingly. Naming the baby isn't something he's looking forward to, I know. But I'd feel bad if I came up with the name by myself. "How about this: when it's a boy," even in the dark, I know there's a teasing smirk on his face, "we name it Paul Jr. and if it happens to be a girl, we'll name it Everlie Jr."
I roll my eyes. "No way in hell is that happening."
He chuckles. "And why not?"
"First of all, our kid deserves more thought put into its name than that. Plus, do you know how confusing it would be if I had to clarify what Paul I meant every time I went to talk to one of you? And Everlie is the stupidest name in the world. It's not even spelled right! Also, the same thing applies to the whole two people in the same house with the same name thing."
Still chuckling, he agrees. "Okay, you have a point. Although I think Everlie is a beautiful name. So where do you want to start?"
I shrug. "I say a name, you say what you think of it and vice-versa?"
"Sure, you go first."
I sigh. Every girl at some point in her life thinks up what name's she thinks she is going to name her baby, but when it comes time to say it out loud, it's a different story. "Well, I like the name Lana. For a girl."
Paul ponders over it. "It sounds okay, I guess. But it spells 'anal' backwards. We can't exactly name a kid that! It would get tormented."
Taking in his words, I realize he's right. I've liked this name for like three years, though, and I've never noticed that. "Oh, come on. Only a perv would notice that."
He snorts. "Thanks babe."
Smirking, I peck his lips. "You know it's true. Okay, I get it, you don't like it. Your name."
"Rhyan for a girl."
"Rhyan!" I exclaim. "You think a kid would get bullied for having a name with a sexual innuendo that no one in their right mind would notice but you don't think she'd get made fun of for having a boys name?"
"It's a girls name, too," he says defensively.
"Doesn't feel to good to have the name you picked trashed now does it?' I joke.
"Okay. I'm sorry I made fun of your name. But I at least said something nice about it."
"Elena?"
He shrugs. "It's okay, kind of old fashioned. Allie?"
I purse my lips. "That's kind of a nickname. Plus it's really small townie."
He laughs. "We live in La Push."
"So? That doesn't mean our baby has to be subjected to small town names. Anyway, Felicity?"
"I would never be able to spell it. Mara?"
"Bitter."
"Huh?"
"It means bitter. No way."
He chuckles, nuzzling my neck with his nose. "Since we're never going to decide on a girl's name and we're obviously going to have a boy, why don't we talk about boy names."
I snort. "Okay, but you're really pushing this boy thing. You go first."
"Liam?"
"It's all right. I won't say no just yet. Aidan?"
"Um... I like it, but it's also like one of the most used names ever so... I don't know yet." He thinks hard, trying to think of another name. "Xavier?"
"Too European. Parker?"
"Wow. How it that even a name?" he jokes. "Jordan?"
"I like that better as a girl name."
"Yet you don't like Rhyan?" he interrupts.
I laugh. "Exactly. Chace?"
"As in that Gossip Girl guy you like so much? No way in hell. Mason?"
"That's more of a last name and it sounds funny with Walker. It's okay though. Ryder?"
"What's with you and sexual innuendos? Ryder. Ride her."
I burst out laughing. "Oh my god. How do you even notice these things!"
He chuckles. "It's a gift."
"You know, it's a good thing I'm less than two months pregnant because we're never going to be able to pick a name."
Paul cuddles into me, still chuckling. "I think this is supposed to be difficult. I'm sure we'll find a name we both like."
"And with our luck, we'll agree on one name and then end up having the other gender."
"Most likely."
I yawn, resting my head down on the cold pillow. "I'm gonna go to sleep now. Night, baby."
"Good night, love," he mumbles, also sleepily.
