Sorry for the delay, my schedule is absolutely insane. Thanks so much for sticking with me :)
EPOV
My eyes fell over Bella's beautiful skin under the pale light from the window beside our bed. Our bed. Even though I had spent my summers as a boy in this bed, it didn't belong to me anymore. It wasn't really mine without her in it. Her body was stretched out elegantly beneath cotton sheets and my old fleece blanket. She fit so perfectly here in the house, in my arms. This place just wasn't the same without her here.
Esme had lovingly convinced Charlie to let Bella stay with us. He admitted her room had become some what of a storage space and she needed some room to recover. Though I could see the hesitance in his eyes, all of us were in agreement that she would not be returning to her apartment.
Bella had been reluctant to agree to this until she knew that Mrs. Faye was being well taken care of. In the weeks following the incident, Annie and Roy had been caught on the outskirts of town. With further investigation, and with the help of Bella's police statement, Annie lost her nursing license and was taken to jail along with Roy for a list of various felonies. Mrs. Faye was offered a beautiful room at St. Rose nursing home by a local outreach program.
Bella had insisted on seeing the home for herself before letting Mrs. Faye move in. It only made sense that she had trouble trusting nurses. I thought back to her smile as Charlie brought her back home from their visit that day. Her eyes were glassy with emotion...relief, happiness, and a little nostalgia. I felt these things for her. Finally, my girl would be given the chance to take of herself for once. And Mrs. Faye was safe and happy in her new home.
My family was falling madly in love with Bella every day she spent with us. And I could see by the look in Bella's eyes that the feeling was mutual. Esme took meticulous care of Bella's wounds. I'm convinced that's why she was healing so fast. The bullet holes had become small, raised, pink scars on Bella's chest and back. I shuddered when I thought of what could have happened. I could have lost her for good. I could have lost my daughter. Everything I had dreamed of with her...a life, a family, a future. It could have disappeared in an instant.
With that thought, the need to touch her overwhelmed me. I shifted my body closer to her in bed until my chest was pressed perfectly against her back and my arms rested over her waist, hands around her swollen torso. I smiled into her hair, breathing her in. Moments like these with Bella made me feel whole. I usually had to pry Alice away from Bella's side if I wanted any alone time with her. The two had become inseparable friends, not to mention, Emmett was constantly making her laugh. Getting him, a bear of a brother, to buzz off wasn't always the easiest thing to do. Especially when he enjoyed telling Bella all of my most embarrassing boyhood moments.
Bella stirred in her sleep and rolled over, her belly perfectly round...I always wanted to touch it, to know the being inside of her was safe there, under my hands. She came to rest on her other side, now facing me. Her eye lids fluttered slightly as she mumbled to herself. I smiled, happy to hear her slurred speech as she dreamt. It put me at ease. That first night in the hospital, she was so still. Too still. It was the most intense, stressful night of my life.
Suddenly, Bella's eyes shot open, her whole body flinching. Her deep brown eyes held no fear as I searched them frantically for explanation. She sat up straight in bed and I mirrored her actions just as quickly.
"Bella...?" I pushed her curtain of brown curls aside from her face. She had both hands on her stomach, her eyes were wide with shock, and a strange grin growing on her face. I thought maybe she had had a nightmare or a bizarre dream. Sometimes she would wake up from especially vivid ones dazed and confused. Nothing scared me more than a 6 months pregnant Bella jumping awake in the middle of the night. But something was different this time...
"Edward -" before she could finish she flinched again. Her hand flew to her mouth and she started to giggle, turning to look at me with a light in her eyes. "Give me your hand."
Her small, warm hands wrapped around mine and brought them to rest on her belly. My heart beat faster with anticipation. I had seen Bella make this face several times in the past couple weeks and somehow I had always missed it, my hands never reaching her belly in time to feel it. I had been waiting anxiously to finally catch it. It was another reason I couldn't keep my hands off of Bella.
Sure enough, I felt a soft flutter underneath my hands. I looked at Bella, my expression matching hers. Our eyes were wide with joy and amazement. Slowly, she laid down again, her hand over mine against her abdomen. She was beaming up at me with a smile that could have killed me.
"She's hyper tonight." Bella said softly. I leaned down to press my lips on her round middle, feeling the pressure of my daughter moving beneath my hands. I laid down beside Bella, kissing her gently, feeling her fingers running through my unruly hair.
"I'm so glad I finally got to feel that." still in awe.
There was a long pause between us. It was comfortable, but I could tell Bella wasn't telling me something. My eyes traveled over her face, trying to read her thoughts.
"What is it, Bella?" I whispered.
"I just...I just think it's time, Edward."
I sighed, my head falling gently in the crook of her neck. We had had this discussion several times over the past couple months. I remembered the first time she brought it up.
"Edward, I think...I think we shouldn't have to hide anymore." she said meekly. I paused, registering what exactly she meant.
"Going public, Bella? Do you realize what that means? No privacy - ever again. For us, for our baby..." As I thought of all the possibilities, I felt my voice raise just slightly. I was starting to panic as I imagined paparazzi chasing Bella with a baby in her arms, flashing cameras, men hounding her.
I felt Bella's hands on my face as she brought my eyes to meet hers.
"You think I haven't thought about it?" she said as she pushed the hair from my forehead lovingly. "I'm not afraid of it, Edward."
I looked up at her, searching her eyes. She was sure. There was no doubt or fear in those beautiful brown pools. She smiled at me, her grin giving me strength. She kissed me, running her index finger down my cheek as she pulled away to look into my eyes again.
"If there is anything I've learned this year," she said. "it's that life is short. Too short, Edward. Too short to lose time with you. Too short to spend it trying to hide or sneak around. Is it so wrong that I want the world to know I belong to you?"
My heart melted. I opened my mouth to speak, but she silenced me with a finger to my lips.
"I know it may not always be easy and that there will be obstacles to face, rumors to ignore and paparazzi to run from. But I want to run with you. Let me run with you."
I wrapped my arms around her, still so in awe that this woman loved me so much, so selflessly. But the thought of her and eventually our daughter being bombarded with this crazy lifestyle...it was hard for me to swallow.
"Just give me some time." I promised her.
"Bella...I..."
I watched as she rolled her head on the pillow, her eyes looking away from me. It broke my heart to see her turn from me that way.
"I just want to protect you, Bella. I never want anything to happen to you...to our baby...I just..."
Bella turned to look at me, but still would not speak. She nodded her head in understanding, smiling at me sadly, trying to reassure me she was okay with my decision. But I knew her too well. Before I could fuss about it she wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me close to her. She was a pro at making me forget about any worries or fears. Just by touching me, the world fell away.
"Soon." I promised. I felt her smile against my neck.
"Kiss me..." she breathed, her lips brushing my ear lobe as she whispered.
God, I love her.
Her lips were warm and soft, dancing with mine as I held her impossibly tighter to my body. I could never get enough of this woman. My tongue begged for entrance, begged to taste her. She did not deny me.
I felt her hands roam over my shoulders and down my bare back. Her lips lingered longer, her kiss became deeper, her breath came faster. Her warm, wet mouth traveled up my neck, making my blood run faster. This dance was a familiar one...I knew what she wanted.
I felt Bella wrap her legs around me and let out an adorable giggle as I kissed her neck. My teeth found the thin strap of her tank top and dragged it slowly down her shoulders.
Our soft laughter continued as we wriggled out of our pajamas. There was nothing sweeter than being completely bare beside her, skin to skin. I had learned how to be careful in the last few months as Bella got bigger and bigger. With some practice we had learned how to move like water, how to function and connect. I was initially afraid of what might happen to the baby, but the doctor assured us we were okay. Thank God.
Because now that Bella and I were together again...there was no way I could keep from touching her.
Bella moaned beneath me as my hands traced her curves, running over her hips, up to her breasts, to her collarbone. My mouth following their trail. Her back arched against me as my mouth back to her breasts, adorning them with kisses.
"Edward..."
Say my name again... I made my way back to her mouth. I kissed her hard, willing all of my love to manifest itself in this kiss before I slowly entered her.
"Edward...!" she gasped beneath me. As I started to move inside her, I saw her lust filled eyes light up with playfulness. Before I knew it I was on my back.
My breath hitched in my throat as I looked up at the beautiful, sexy woman before me. Her new curves were the gift of the child inside her, my child inside her, and nothing could be more stunning.
We fell into an easy rhythm. Bella's eyes were shining brightly at me under eye lids heavy with want and love. She bent down, peppering my chest with open, wet kisses. Time disappeared.
I sat up slowly as we moved, needing my arms around her. Our embrace never broke as we moved faster, the room falling away until there was nothing but us. My lips never left her skin as she moaned in my arms.
"Bella..." I breathed, unable to control the noises coming from my throat. I was so close, so close.
I felt her walls close around me as she climaxed... and I was gone.
I buried my face in her neck as we caught our breath, feeling her kiss my forehead as we eased down into the sheets.
Cool cotton covered me as Bella dragged the sheets up my body, her eyes never leaving mine as she moved.
Can a person die from happiness?
I rolled onto my side to face her. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling, squeezing my hand. I knew then that she was right. We shouldn't have to hide. God, I wanted the world to know she was mine. That I was hers. I wanted to walk outside on the street with her beside me, holding my hand. I didn't want to waste time looking over my shoulder when I could be looking at her.
"Bella," I whispered. Her smile widened.
"Yes?"
"I wanna take you out on a date." Her eyes opened, looking at me curiously. "A real date."
"A real date?" she was grinning with excitement.
"Tomorrow night, I'm going to take you out." I kissed her nose. "But we still have to be careful okay? I don't know if..."
"Edward."
She kissed me sweetly.
"You're safe, remember?"
More on the way. Again, sorry for making you all wait. Please, please forgive me. The more reviews I get the sooner I will update. I just need to know if people are still into this story. much love