Fic Rec: Barefoot in Texas by Planetblue. This is an awesome WIP that has me sucked in. Check it out; you'll be glad you did :)
Previously, in Chapter Twenty-five...
"I guess you need to buy two of everything, because from what I hear, there's two heartbeats in there," she told us with a small smile.
"Two of everything?" I muttered, the blood draining from my face. "Twins? What the...what?"
Edward's grip on my hand loosened as the word 'twins' slipped from my lips. His handsome face grew even paler and his mouth opened and closed. Edward tried to say something, but the words never came out of his mouth as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The good doctor and I yelped in horror as he slid from the chair, effectively fainting on the clinic floor.
Chapter Twenty-Six: New Year's, Cullen Style
The first hour after Edward fainted on the clinic floor was hectic and horrifying. As he slid to the floor he slammed his head on the metal step situated on the bottom of the examination table where I sat screaming. He lay on the floor, unresponsive, as Dr. Marcy shook him, yelling his name. She removed a penlight from her deep, white lab coat pocket, pulling his eyelids open and shining the light into his eyes. Edward never made a peep. Dr. Marcy pulled her cell phone from her pocket and called 911 while I stumbled off the examination table, landing on my sock feet at Edward's side crying his name as I shook his arm. There was no blood, thank God, but he had a huge goose-egg near the back of his head that slowly began to swell. The paramedics arrived and loaded him on a stretcher while I shuffled around in the small, adjoining room, shoving my clothes on haphazardly. I followed them to the hospital in Edward's car, chewing my nails down the entire time.
The second hour after Edward's fall was nerve-racking. I sat in a tiny room in the ER waiting for him to return from his CAT scan. The doctor, Dr. Glover, walked in chatting about concussions and temporary memory loss. I stared up at the tall, man in horror, his black hair graying at the temples. He had a no-nonsense attitude that I appreciated as he assured me that he didn't believe Edward would have any long-term effects from the fall. I slumped in the uncomfortable plastic chair in relief as Dr. Glover nodded his head and shuffled from the room. The nurse entered soon after, placing a plastic bag full of Edward's belongings near the small sink in the room, explaining that they emptied his pockets before performing the CAT scan. Distracted, I nodded, asking how long it'd be before he came back to the room, the nurse assuring me he was on his way.
The following hours after Edward's fall were...irritating. Edward returned, pushed into the room by a man and woman dressed in maroon colored scrubs. He laid on the hospital bed as I hovered over him, my eyes full of worried tears as I chewed on my bottom lip. His eyelids would flutter occasionally, and he glanced up at me from time to time. Then he began muttering about barbeque sandwiches and a nine millimeter glock, causing me to scowl and fall back into place in the stupid plastic chair, glaring at him. How in the hell this man could think about food and guns at a time like this was beyond me, but I told myself that he couldn't help it. He did have a head injury after all.
Dr. Glover returned sometime later, confirming that all Edward's tests were negative for any long-term complications. I sighed in relief as he told me with a serious face that I needed to wake him throughout the entire night, explaining how to do simple neurological checks. As he left the room, the stress of the past few days slammed me, and I tittered on my feet where I stood near Edward, clutching his cool hand. Stumbling to the plastic chair, I sat down, rubbing my temples and yawning tiredly as I leaned back and closed my eyes, promising myself I would simply rest for a moment as I waited for Dr. Glover to return with Edward's discharge papers. Before long I drifted to sleep, only to awaken to the most irritating thing I'd ever heard.
"As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left
Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long that
Even my mama thinks that my mind is gone."
"What the hell?" I moaned, raising my head from where it slumped against the wall, glancing through hazy eyes at the room in front of me. At first I was slightly confused about where I was, but one glance at a restless Edward, still laying on the hospital bed but now wiggling around, told me exactly where I was. I was still in that stupid hospital.
"But I ain't never crossed a man
That didn't deserve it
Me be treated like a punk you
Know that's unheard of
You better watch how you're talkin' and where you're walkin'
Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk."
I stood up, glancing around the room for the source of the muffled, aggravating music, if you could even call it that. My right hand twitched, my fingers drawn in towards my palm, the urge for a cool, metal gun overwhelming. I imagined blasting the source of the music that temporarily stopped as I froze near the head of Edward's bed. That's when he awoke and gazed up at me.
"Hey, baby," he whispered, shooting me a sexy grin. I raised one eyebrow at the expression on his face as his eyes traveled down my body. My braid hung limply from my head and I'm sure there were probably bags under my exhausted eyes. My clothes looked wrinkled and in disarray from falling asleep in the chair. Edward didn't seem to notice though as he gave me a hungry look.
"You're the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen," he purred, before glancing down at where he lay in the hospital bed in confusion. His forehead wrinkled as he peered back up at me. "Where in the hell are we?" Sighing, I opened my mouth to respond but something annoying interrupted me.
"I really hate to trip but I gotta loc
As I grow I see myself in the pistol smoke, fool
I'm the kind G the little homies wanna be like
On my knees in the night sayin' prayers in the streetlight
Been spendin' most their lives,
Living in the gansta's paradise
Been spending most our lives livin' in a gangsta's paradise."
"What is that?" I growled, turning on my heel as I glared in any direction the source of music seemed to come from. It was muffled, but somewhere nearby and I heard Edward clear his throat behind me. I turned and gave him a questioning look.
"That's my cell phone," he admitted, looking quite sheepish. "Emmett programmed that song as my default ringtone a while back, before y'all disappeared."
"Well, why didn't you change it back? That's the most annoying thing I've ever heard!" I snapped, stepping over to where the nurse placed the plastic bag. Shoving my hand inside, I removed Edward's wallet and cell phone, glaring down at the cell phone in animosity.
"I didn't change it back because...I kinda like it," Edward admitted, looking slightly ashamed as I stared at him.
"Well, that's the dumbest song I've ever heard. Who is that anyway?"
"Collio," he replied looking slightly surprised when I shook my head and shrugged in confusion. "You don't remember that song? They played it on the radio over and over..."
"When was that, Edward?" I asked, handing him the silver phone.
"Uh, hell, I don't know," he mused, looking slightly thoughtful before scrolling through the phone. "Maybe ninety-five...ninety-six..."
"Edward...I was five in ninety-five," I said, rolling my eyes and huffing as he glanced up at me. "I'm not old like you."
His eyes narrowed as he glared up at me. "Why are you acting so bitchy?" he seethed. "I'm the one laying in the hospital bed with a pounding headache. Looks like you'd be a little more sympathetic..."
That's when I snapped.
"Did you just call me a bitch?" I hissed, my face turning red as we glowered evenly at one another.
"No, I said you were acting bitchy. I'd never call you a bitch," he spat back, clutching the phone so tight I thought it'd break in his white-knuckled hand.
"Let me tell you something," I told him in a low, serious voice, pointing my finger right in his stupid, handsome face, marked with a scowl. "In less than three months I've been attacked in a grocery store, and chased down by a stranger, who I fell head over heels in love with. I was nearly kidnapped in a dark alley in the middle of the night before I fucking murdered a man. My freaking stalker pulled me in a hallway and fondled me! I got drunk off Yager and fought your ex-girlfriend in my workplace like some white-trash country music video. I got engaged to a man I knew less than two months. During Thanksgiving your father humiliated and degraded me in front of both our families. I watched you bleeding on the dining room table after a group of thugs broke into the house and shot you. Oh, and I murdered yet another person in said house. My cousin and brother took me against my will to hide out in a cabin in the middle of Nowhere, Mississippi. Am I leaving anything out? Oh, yeah! I burned a man to death after your father tied him to a bed and removed his genitals with a pair of plier thingies. And let's not forget that I've had about four hours of sleep in the past two days and just found out that I'm not only pregnant, but pregnant with twins. And then I've sat in the emergency room for hours on end worrying that something was wrong with that stupid head of yours with Collio playing in the background like the soundtrack to my fucked up life. But you think I'm acting like a bitch? I'm still standing here after all that. I'm not the one who passed out on the clinic floor. Who's the little bitch now?"
My hormones were raging. I was tired and pissed off that he had the audacity to claim I was acting like a bitch. His face was blood-red and he was breathing hard, his eyes darting just past my shoulder, pissing me off because of his distraction from the speech I'd given him. I leaned down close to him during my spill, my face just as red, breathing just as hard, my nostrils flaring. Someone behind me cleared their throat. With wide-eyes, I turned and met the serious face of Dr. Glover, who stood nearby clutching a handful of papers. The expression on his face told me exactly what I needed to know; that he heard everything I'd just said. I swallowed dryly as he handed me the paperwork. The look passed from my face as he chose to ignore my confessions of mayhem and murder.
"Mrs. Cullen, Edward, here's everything you need to know about aftercare," he explained smoothly, pointing at the instructions on the papers. "He can take over the counter medication for the pain and swelling. I have the type listed right there. The instructions I explained to you on waking him during the night are printed there as well. There's no reason for a follow-up appointment with a physician unless you notice any of the symptoms listed on the paperwork. If you do notice any of the symptoms, please call his routine physician or 911 immediately. Do you have any questions Mrs. Cullen...Edward?"
"Swan," I told him distractedly, glancing over the printed words on the papers. "I mean, my name is Bella Swan, not Bella Cullen. We're not married yet." I glanced up at him, slightly embarrassed that I'd corrected him. Edward was right; I was acting a little bitchy.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Swan," he apologized, glancing hesitantly over my shoulder where a silent Edward lay. "When Mr. Cullen came back for his follow-up appointment after being shot, he named you as his spouse...I'm sorry for the confusion." He gave me a soft smile, explained that the nurse would return with a wheelchair and we'd be free to leave. A lump formed in my throat at his words, and I nodded at the doctor as he exited the room before I turned to Edward who stared stubbornly at the wall, a look of irritation on his face. Edward looked like a damn war victim with his sling on his left arm, the side of his head swollen and his pale skin. I felt like a giant piece of shit.
"I'm sorry baby!" I babbled, covering my face with my hands as I began to cry, becoming and emotional mess. "You're right. I'm a total bitch! I'm just so stressed out!" Sobbing harder, I sat on the plastic chair, leaning down and effectively falling apart. I heard the bed creak below him as he swung his legs over and slowly stood up, shuffling over to where I sat. He stooped down, pulling my hands from my face and staring up at me intently. I gazed at him with sad, tear-filled eyes, shameful of the way I'd behaved.
"No, I'm sorry," he sighed, wiping the tears from my face as his green eyes stared up at me in remorse. "I shouldn't have said that. When I heard the doctor say...'twins'...I don't know what happened. One minute I'm sitting there listening to the heartbeat and the next minute I'm laying on a hospital bed. I'm so fucking worried about being a good enough father for one child...the thought of being that man for two children just overwhelmed me. Bella, I've never been so happy, yet so terrified at the same time."
"Edward, how do you think I feel?" I asked, sniffing as he gazed up at me. "Don't you think I feel the same way? I didn't have a good raising. My mother died when I was very young...I don't know anything about being a mother, but don't you think everyone feels this way when they find out they're pregnant? We're supposed to be scared of making mistakes. It wouldn't be normal for us to not worry about messing up." He stared at me for a long time, a sense of understanding passing between the two of us. We were in this together, sharing the same concerns and the same worries. He nodded his head, kissing me gently on the lips just as the nurse entered the room with a wheelchair. We left the emergency room and headed home, not to the loft but to our real home, in Germantown.
The next few days were exhausting. Edward barely slept after we got home that night, at first insisting that he didn't want to sleep, feeling guilty that I were to wake him on the hour every hour. Sleep eventually overcame him and I set the bedside alarm clock to wake me up every hour, shaking him awake as he mumbled grumpily.
Emmett and Jasper were still staying at the house, but Jasper confessed with a jaded expression that he was to return to Jackson in a few days. I watched him through the windows strolling around the property in deep thought, smoking his cigarillos as he ran his fingers through his honey locks, sometimes sitting on the very same garden swing where I first spied him and Alice kissing. Sadness overcame me as I thought of the two of them finally reuniting only to be torn apart, even if for a few months while his transfer went through. When he wasn't restlessly pacing the grounds he was spending time with Alice, free from his old burden of watching over me as he slowly learned to breakaway from his protective nature while in my presence. They went out on the town night after night, returning with wistful smiles on their faces. I dreaded his departure.
Emmett became consumed with revealing everything he'd learned about Claire to Rose. Edward found the paperwork beneath Emmett's mattress after we disappeared. He'd torn the house apart looking for any evidence of where we'd gone, finding the file stuffed right under where Emmett lay his big head at night. Edward said nothing to Rose, Alice or anyone else, quietly explaining as we lay in bed beside one another that he never planned on telling Rose that Emmett found her daughter unless we never returned to Memphis. He was nervous of the entire prospect of Emmett's confession of his investigation, concerned that Rose possibly didn't want to know where her daughter was. He explained how Rose never brought her up in conversation and he never questioned her feelings about the forced adoption. His words pissed me off, at first, but the genuine concern in his eyes made me take pause and absorb what he told me. What if Rose did become offended by what Emmett had done? It was almost unfathomable to me, now that I was pregnant myself, to imagine not wanting my children, but I knew there were many women in this world who didn't share the same idea. Was Rose one of those people? I didn't think so, but then again, Rose was a horse of a different color.
On New Year's Eve I received an unexpected surprise. I expected the day to go on the same way as the last couple of days; Edward waking up bitching about his sore shoulder while I listened patiently, cooking breakfast, the physical therapist showing up before lunch to work Edward out in the gym. I'd probably clean the house while listening to some songs on my new iPhone that Edward bought me. Things never turn out the way I expect them to. You'd think I'd be used to the unexpected by now.
Waking up at the crack of dawn, I began cooking breakfast for the boys as usual, humming to myself as I finished with the grits, full of bacon, butter and cheese, just the way my brother liked them. Edward entered the room, wrapping his arms around my waist as I stood at the stove. He nibbled on my neck and pressed his erection into my back.
"Tease," I accused, feeling myself get worked up, fumbling with the spatula as I flipped a pancake. We hadn't had sex since I returned home, but we could. Not that I had time to ask the doctor. I did the next best thing. I googled that shit.
"I have a surprise for you," he whispered, sucking my earlobe into his mouth and causing me to moan. The pancake began to smoke and I yipped in concern, his mouth and arms leaving me as I began scraping the black concoction from the pan with the spatula. Sighing loudly, I dumped the wasted pancake in the trash, hating to waste good food.
"What kind of surprise?" I asked him curiously, switching the vent fan on and turning to wrap my arms around his neck. His hair was a sloppy mess, and he had a lazy, sexy smile on his face. The physical therapist told him yesterday that he could try leaving the sling off for a couple of days, and he happily obliged, now looking like a normal human being once again...well, as normal as an Adonis can look. The swelling from his fall also went down a great deal, barely noticeable beneath his swirling, coppery strands.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," he bantered, pressing his lips against mine and slipping his tongue in my mouth. I kissed him back greedily before he broke free, pressing a small kiss on my nose as I panted breathlessly. "Wear that sweater dress thing Alice bought you," he instructed, staring into my eyes. "And leave your underwear at home."
His words shot a thrill straight between my legs. Grinning up at him, I did exactly as he asked, wiggling around on the bar stool as we all ate together, Emmett shooting me a dubious stare. Jasper was quite and introspective that morning, barely noticing my excitement. Edward grinned at me over his eggs, smirking at my obvious enthusiasm.
After slipping on the slightly tight beige sweater dress, I slipped on a pair of shiny calf-length brown boots and a large brown belt around my waist, curling my hair with a curling iron and even putting on some light makeup. Satisfied with my ensemble, I emerged from our bathroom to find Edward standing near the bed, taking me in from head to toe with his hungry green eyes. He was met with the same expression, for I'd never seen him look so sexy before. Edward wore cream-colored slacks and a matching vest, open, over a white button-up shirt with pair of dark, shiny leather shoes on his feet. He was casual, yet sexy and all I could think of was licking him from head to toe.
"If you keep staring at me like that you won't make it out of this room," he whispered in a husky voice, slowly stalking towards me.
I took a deep breath, swallowed and mumbled, "You promise?" He laughed, wrapping his arms around me waist, hissing slightly with the movement of his left arm. I glanced at him in alarm, but he captured my lips in a deep kiss, effectively distracting me from his pain.
"Bella, I'd love to strip that sexy fucking dress from your body," he mumbled into my ear. "But there's a promise that I aim to keep and we need to get moving now before I lose control and break that promise."
"What promise?" I pressed, still unsure of his plans for the day.
"I made a promise once to take you on a date, and that's exactly what we're doing," he replied, chuckling at my excited grin.
He pulled me from the room as I hopped up and down in excitement, explaining to a confused Emmett and a morose Jasper that we were leaving for the day and wouldn't be back until later tonight. Emmett explained that he and Jasper had plans for the day as well, shooting a knowing grin at my cousin who sat silently staring into space. I wondered briefly what their plans were but didn't question in, happy to be alone with Edward, who left Sam sitting at home with Ben. He had yet to replace Liam, but didn't seem very concerned about it.
We spent the day acting like a couple of tourists, first arriving at Graceland, the home of Elvis Presley, which I'd shamefully never visited. It was smaller than I expected, but I assumed it was probably very upscale for the time it was built. Graceland was situated in Whitehaven, once an very ritzy neighborhood. It turned pretty much into a ghetto over time, the neighborhood around the mansion slowly falling into ruins. I quickly realized it didn't matter where Graceland sat, once I stepped into the house with the fellow tourists. I stared at the jungle room in wonder as it was hideously tacky with it's green, floor to ceiling shag carpet and exotic plants running amuck. Animal print was everywhere and one wall dripped water among the rocks embedded there. We left the room an my eyes roamed the staircase leading to the second story, which was roped off, restricted from visitors. I whispered my conspiracies to Edward, that maybe the king himself sat upstairs, eating a cheeseburger and watching MTV. He chuckled and rolled his eyes as we stepped outside, staring at the massive tombstones in the Meditation garden where the king, his parents and his grandmother were buried. A round fountain sat in the middle of the tombstones, spraying water into the sky before cascading into the clear blue pool below.
"See? His name is misspelled on the tombstone," I whispered to Edward, pointing as Edward glanced down at it curiously. "His middle name was spelled A-A-R-O-N. The tombstone only has one 'A'. Mmmm hmm...he ain't dead."
"What does his name being misspelled have to do with anything?" he asked, with a raised eyebrow. "And how do you know that, anyhow?"
"Elvis was born and raised in Tupelo, Mississippi. Duh," I replied, rolling my eyes as he shook his head at me with a small, patient smile. "And who would allow the king of rock and roll to have a misspelling on his tombstone? Someone who knows he's not really dead, that's who."
Edward snickered as I stared at him with a straight face. As we left the property with the groups of Japanese and German tourists, I cast one last glance at the mansion, gasping as I saw the curtains move in an upstairs room. Edward said it was a cleaning lady, but I had my doubts.
By the time we finished at Graceland, and viewed the Lisa Marie, Elvis's jet plane he christened after his only child, it was lunchtime. Edward explained that he had plans for our dinner, but it was my decision where to dine for lunch. Craving comfort food, I chose to eat at The Elegant Farmer, frowning at the menu as I saw old school salmon patties listed as a meal. When Edward saw my expression he questioned me, and I explained my indiscretion with the salmon patties and pregnancy tests, causing him to throw his head back and burst into laughter. I smiled at the carefree, happy expression on his face, lost for a moment in the purest form of freedom and...peace that'd I'd never felt in my life until that moment. This man, this beautiful, loving, smirking man was willing to spend the rest of his life with me. He gave me a confused smile as I glanced back down at the menu, fighting to hide happy tears.
Sticking to my roots, I ordered the pan-seared Mississippi catfish with mac and cheese, fresh corn on the cob, smoked tomato broth and a huge glass of sweet tea. Edward stared at me in wonder as I cleaned the entire plate before hanging my head in shame. He quietly explained that he couldn't wait to see my belly swollen with his children and my cheeks burned at the honesty in his voice and in his eyes. I smiled shyly at him as he left the young waitress a huge tip and we walked hand in hand back to his car.
Our next stop was at the Pink Palace Museum where we watched a movie in the IMAX theater. To tell you the truth, I wasn't paying attention to The Light Before Christmas as it played it's final performance on the huge screen. Edward and I were too busy making out in the back row to pay attention, the reasoning for him demanding I go commando now clear. As the movie finished and the lights slowly came back on, I hid my face from our scowling neighbors as Edward's hand slipped from beneath my dress. Thankfully, there were no children on our row of seats.
"They're just jealous," Edward whispered in my ear as we strolled out of the theater and into the museum, glancing around at the displays of dinosaur fossils.
I snickered at him, rolling my eyes in response as he wrapped his arm around my waist and we made our way through the largest mansion I'd ever been in, my brown boots clicking against the wooden floors. The mansion was once the dream-home of the man who owned the Piggly Wiggly grocery store chain. Construction on the palace began in the early 1920's, but the grocery store owner went broke, declaring bankruptcy, leaving the palace unfinished. The building was eventually given to the city of Memphis during the late 1920's and turned into a museum. It was named the Pink Palace because the huge mansion was made entirely of pink marble.
We wandered around the building taking our time looking at the various exhibits until the sun began to dip low in the sky. We walked outside, Edward announcing his last surprise of the day. I grew excited as we headed near the river, my thoughts suddenly turning to Angie and Eric, guilt invading my body because I'd failed to all and check in on them since returning home. I pushed the thought aside, reminding myself that I didn't remember her cell number anyway, as it was programmed into my old phone that Jasper tossed from the car window days upon days ago. Vowing to make a personal appearance at her apartment the next day, I gazed through the window as Edward parked the car near the river. That's when I saw the beautiful white and red riverboat, floating lazily on the Mississippi River. It was old and elegant, with huge, red paddle wheels situated on the sides and a large smoke stack protruding from the top.
"Edward, what are we doing?" I asked quietly as we approached the deck, my chest bubbling in excitement. He escorted me onto the riverboat, greeting a man who stood nearby wearing a black suit, a friendly smile upon his face.
"We're having dinner," he explained as we followed the man inside a large room, full of small, round tables covered in white tablecloths with tiny tea lights and red, bloomed roses. "And then I'll ask you to dance. And hopefully you'll say yes..."
That's when I noticed a small group of men nearby, busily gathering their instruments as a handsome man with dark skin and a sparkling, silver vest stood in front of a microphone, adjusting it to his height. He shot me a smile as the man in the black suit gestured to an empty table nearby. Edward cut in front of the man to pull my chair back himself, and I gave the man an apologetic glance. He smiled back gently, seemingly not insulted by my fiancé's brush-off. Edward joined me at the table as the man took our drink order and disappeared. The band started up, the air filling with the sound of soulful blues music as man in the silver vest began singing one of my favorite blue's songs.
"Well, you've heard about love givin' sight to the blind
My baby's lovin' 'cause the sun to shine
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy"
The waiter returned with our drinks and Edward asked me to dance. A nervous knot formed in my belly as I softly confessed that I wasn't a very good dancer. Truth be known, I'd never danced with anyone in my life. Edward, ignoring my voiced concerns, pulled me to the dance floor, wrapping his arms around my waist as he pressed his body closely to mine. Placing my arms around his neck, I rested my head against his chest, and we swayed slowly together, Edward whispering sweet devotions in my ear the entire time. I fell in love with him all over again, standing on that riverboat, swaying in time with the music.
"Yeah, I love my baby, heart and soul
Love like ours won't never grow old
She's my sweet little thing, she's my pride and joy
She's my sweet little baby, I'm her little lover boy"
We finished the night by eating Memphis style pulled pork barbeque, grilled, marinated chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, grilled vegetables and chocolate cake for dessert, a truly eloquent, southern meal. By the time we started home it was after eight o'clock at night. I was as full as a tick and slightly miserable, moaning and rubbing my bulging belly. Edward chuckled at me in humor as we pulled up to the house, the smile falling from his face as he glanced at the driveway in confusion. The driveway was full of cars and a ball of dread formed in my stomach.
"What's going on?" I asked, noticing Alice, Rose and Carmen's vehicles, amongst various other cars. He shook his head, mumbling that he had no idea, just as we parked the car and Emmett's truck rumbled up behind us. We slid out of the vehicle, walking over to where Emmett and Jasper exited his truck as well, staring at the driveway full of cars in confusion.
"What's up with all the cars?" Emmett asked as we all exchanged unknowing glances.
I shrugged and followed the boys up the winding driveway to the front door as Edward entered the security code and pulled the door open. We were greeted by a room full of smiling, shouting friends and family, drinks already in hand. Carmen, Tia, Rose, Angie and Eric, Sam, Ben, Esme and Carlisle stood beaming at us, a mischievous looking Alice standing dead center. I spied a massive white sheet cake perched on the bar near the kitchen, the frosting swooping and swirling elegantly. The room was full of small, lit candles and fragrant white flowers, covering every available surface. I gasped in surprise glancing around the room just as Emmett stepped up beside me.
"Aw, hells, Bells!" he exclaimed with a grin, slapping me on my back, causing me to wince in pain. "They're throwing you baby shower!"
The smiles dropped from everyone's faces, including Carlisle, who cast Esme a worried glance before he downed what was left of the dark liquid in his glass. Everyone gasped simultaneously as they stared at us, Alice's voice breaking above the sound.
"You're pregnant!" she screamed, clutching her chest in shock. Edward and I glanced at one another anxiously, before he nodded, mumbling something about no time like the present.
Taking a deep breath, I said, "Yes, with twins..." I watched as everyone's mouths dropped open...including Carlisle's.
And in true Cullen style, Esme fainted, landing in her husbands waiting, expectant arms.
"I can't believe you're pregnant," Alice hiccupped into her glass of Jack, some time later, once her mother regained consciousness.
As it turns out, the surprise party wasn't a baby shower at all. It was a welcome home party, orchestrated entirely by Alice and the girls, with the help Sam, of course. Edward seemed a little peeved that Sam kept the party a secret from him, stalking around murmuring about traitors and such until I cast him the evil eye. He'd been pretty understanding since then, sticking by Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle's side as they talked about, of all things, skinning a deer. Apparently a New Year's hunting trip was in the works and I shook my head in amazement as I watched my cousin and my future father in law chat like they were old college buddies.
"Yeah, I can't believe it either, especially since you were on birth control," Rose mused, staring into space. "Edward must have some super sperm." I wrinkled my nose at her mentioning my fiance's sperm.
"So, what have y'all been up to?" I asked Carmen and Tia. Carmen stood behind the bar, cutting a tiny piece of cake that she'd probably take two bites of before declaring she was stuffed. Tia stood behind her near the island, pouring herself a glass of tea.
Carmen glanced around, taking in her surroundings, seemingly satisfied that Rose and Alice were now lost in their own conversation and no one else was paying us any attention. She leaned forward, gesturing for me to do the same. Our heads were so close together they were almost touching.
"Killing people," she whispered, her eyes wide in excitement.
Tia stood behind her staring at me, twirling her finger around in circles near her right temple, the international symbol for crazy before she then began making hand gestures resembling someone pouring pills into their hand and popping them into their mouth. I nodded knowingly and Carmen knotted her eyebrows in confusion, glancing over her shoulder at Tia who now stood quietly sipping her iced tea, glancing casually at the ceiling. My Yankee friend was a strange person, indeed.
Eric was growing like a weed, now stumbling clumsily around on his fat little legs. Secretly, I wished for a couple of fat little babies, though I doubted Edward would agree. Angie still looked as beautiful and sweet as she always had, with her dark skin and warm eyes, her long black hair flowing down her back. We spoke of old neighbors in the apartment building and Angie confessed that she missed me being right across the hallway. I promised to visit her very soon and we hugged, laughing as Eric smeared white frosting all over his pudgy little face, giving us a gap-toothed grin.
Esme acted very peculiar around me, watching my every move, pouring me a glass of milk spewing something about bone health. She snatched a piece of cake from Alice's shocked fingers, mumbling around gestational diabetes. I cast Alice a weary stare, wondering if I'd be subjected to this treatment for the next several months. Alice nodded, answering my unspoken question and I shook my head in disappointment.
It was nearly midnight when the drama began to unfold. Emmett drank way more than usual that night and began working his charm on Rose, who scowled and ignored him, rolling her eyes and turning away in complete rejection. He walked around looking like someone kicked his puppy before disappearing upstairs and I knew in my heart that he was about to do something completely stupid. He would reappear with Claire's file and possibly embarrass Rose and himself in front of all these people. I stood up from the stool to hunt him down before he did something drastic, but Esme pulled me away, chatting about possible baby names as she cooed and rubbed at my abdomen.
Everyone sat in the living room, besides Esme and I. We stood in the kitchen area and I nervously glanced at the stairway from time to time. From the corner of my eye I saw Jasper grasp Alice's tiny hand, a long-lost lopsided grin on his face as he pulled her from the room, disappearing somewhere outside...probably to the garden swing. Finally, Emmett emerged from upstairs, but what he carried in his hands wasn't a file. It was his duffel bag.
"Oh, shit," I muttered, as he hit the last step, a determined look on his handsome face. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, rimmed in red, as suspiciously watery. I excused myself from Esme, darting across the room just as he passed a solemn-face Rose who watched as I began pulling at my brother's large, muscular arm.
"Emmett! Where are you going!" I asked him, my voice sounding frantic in my own ears. If he wanted to leave he could, but not behind the wheel of any vehicle after drinking.
"I'm out of here. I need to get away for a while," he answered gruffly, swiping his hand below his eyes as he removed my hand from his arm. "Don't worry. I called a cab. I'll wait at the gate for it."
"Emmett! Where are you going? Are you leaving town? What...what about the babies? Don't you wanna stay to see the babies?" I was growing desperate now as I began crying, garnering attention from all the guests remaining in the house, including Rose.
Our of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward crossing the living room to where I struggled to stop my brother from leaving. He'd been locked up for two years and I'd only had a little over two months with him. I'd be damned before I didn't put up a little fight before letting him walk out of my life.
"Bella, I'm not leaving forever. I just need some time to myself. I'll be back for my truck and the rest of my stuff. I...just need some time to think about things, you know? Re-evaluate my future," he muttered as Edward appeared by my side and began speaking quietly to my brother.
Emmett ignored his words, muttering good-bye without a second glance before closing the door behind him. The house went deathly silent, except for my quiet sniffles. Beneath the sadness, my anger began to brew and Edward's stared at me, his eyes big as saucers, knowing exactly what was about to take place.
As my friend Tia would say, I went white girl crazy.
"This is all your fault!" I screamed at Rose, whose mouth fell open in shock as I turned, glaring at her and pointing my finger in her face. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stomped across the room, Rose humorously standing and hold her hands up in defense.
"Why is this my fault?" she asked, the shock falling from her face and replaced with a look of irritation and anger.
"Cause you're a saddity little bitch that doesn't know a good thing when it's standing right in front of you," I heard Tia snap as I nodded my head in agreement. Rose's mouth formed a hard, straight line and she glared across the room at Tia. Sam appeared at Tia's side, placing a hand gently on her shoulder and giving it a squeeze.
"I don't even know what 'saddity' means to defend myself," Rose sneered, rolling her eyes.
"It means that you are a high falutin', pretentious, snobby bitch!" Tia screamed, her hands clenched in tight fists.
Esme gasped, holding a hand over her heart at my friend's outburst. Carlisle refilled his glass with Jack. Edward began talking in a calm voice, trying to settle things down, but Rose softly interrupted him.
"Look, it's not that I don't like Emmett," Rose explained quietly, the anger slipping from her face and replaced by a look of sadness. "I like Emmett...I more than like him. But it's like we're from two different planets. I can only imagine explaining to my father that I'm dating an ex-convict."
"After all he's done for you," I whispered, drying my face with the back of my hands as Rose shot me a confused glance. "You don't even know what he's done for you. He found your daughter, Rose. From the moment he found out about her he began his hunt, spending hours upon hours doing exactly what he's forbidden to do; going online cracking through secure websites. The folder's upstairs if you don't believe me. Oh, and he bought her some clothes too. You might as well take those when you leave, since I have no idea when or if my brother is ever coming back."
She stared at me, her eyes wide and her face pale. Her hands began trembling as she mumbled incoherently below her breath. Rose began sobbing, wrapping her arms around her chest muttering, "Oh, God! What have I done? What have I done?" over and over. Her angelic face crumbled and she hid it with her hands, sobbing before sitting on the couch, her shoulders slumped in defeat.
I suddenly felt horrible, outing Rose the way I did, purposely hurting her because of my hurt I felt deep inside. I opened my mouth to apologize when Alice burst into the room, dragging a grinning, red-faced Jasper behind her, blurting out, "Guess what, y'all? Jasper just proposed! We're engaged!" She held up her left ring finger, the diamond ring flashing in the candlelight. The smile slipped from her face as she took in the somber room and Rose's devastated appearance.
"Uh, oh. What did I miss?" she muttered, looking around the room at our various faces. At that exact moment, the clock struck midnight and I heard Edward snort beside me. Turning to him, I cocked one eyebrow, as he began laughing hysterically, tears streaming down his face.
"Happy New Year!" he managed to blurt out between guffaws as the clock chimed the twelfth time, signaling the end of one very crazy year.
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