Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Man its like a little late but its here. I will rant at the bottom.
Chapter 38 ETL:
BPOV:
I picked up the phone to make a phone call I knew I would regret. This phone call was probably going to result in the end of a beautiful friendship once everything was said and done. But I knew I had to make this call or I would suffer the repercussions of not making the call.
I was sitting at my desk contemplating the words that I would say to the person on the other line before I dialed the number. After a few minutes I couldn't hold it off anymore so I just pressed send and waited.
"Hello preggers. How are you doing this fine day?" she sung into the phone.
"Hi Ali. Are you busy?"
"No Jasper is with a patient so no sexy receptionist role playing for me today. It sucks." she said glumly.
"Well thanks for that tidbit of knowledge I could have done without." I grimaced as the visuals sprang before my eyes.
"Sorry. So how is my little niece doing today?"
"Bouncing on my bladder and giving me the worst heartburn ever. I think I have eaten almost a whole bottle of Rolaids today."
"Aw, it will all be worth it you just wait." she laughed.
"Yeah I know but I called for a reason." I paused.
"Yes?" she asked.
"Ineedyoutohelpmedecoratethenursury." I said all at once.
"What?"
I repeated myself in the same manner and somehow the little pixie heard me. After what felt like forever I was able to return the phone to my ear without hearing her screeching. I'm guessing Jasper told her to shut her trap.
Thank you Jasper.
"So will you?" I asked.
"Will I? Will I? Do you seriously have to ask that question B? Come on you know me."
"Yeah. But I have full veto power. Edward and I already agreed on a theme and you have no say whatsoever okay?"
"Alright lay it on me." she said excitedly.
"Fantasy. I want flowers, butterflies, mushrooms and fairies." I said.
"Oh that is so cute. I can't wait. Ooh and you have to do the whole Cheshire cat thing too. It's like Alice in wonderland."
"Yeah that's what I thought." I said sarcastically when really it was the first time it crossed my mind. "So will you help me please?"
"Of course. When do we start?"
"When you reveal where you live you crack head." I laughed.
Alice and Jasper had been in town for a couple of days and his office was already open for business. They refused to tell us where they lived though because it was a surprise. I knew that she would want to start on the nursery as soon as possible so I used it as blackmail.
"Damn it B we aren't ready and you know it." she whined.
"Alice what is so important? I could help you move in you know?" I said.
"We are already moved in thank you very much. I just have some minor details to work out." I could hear her rustling through something. "How about tomorrow night? I shall do the unveiling of our new home tomorrow night and we can start Saturday."
"Well actually Esme is coming to do some murals for me and she is bringing my mother with her. They will be here Friday. I was hoping you could talk your boss into letting you off on Friday?"
"Of course he is my bitch." she laughed.
"So it's settled then. Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be getting the nursery painted and the weekend after that we can go shopping for furniture."
"Ooh, okay I can't wait. Um, well I have to go duty calls. I will call you tomorrow and we can set something up for the unveiling of my house." she laughed.
"Alright bye."
"Bye B."
I hung up and went to bother Chris and Marnie for a few minutes. They were in the studio setting up a couple of instruments arguing about something playfully. I grabbed a couple of bottles of water and went to greet them.
"Hello world's best bosses." I said as I handed them their waters.
"Hello best clumsy klutz in the world." Chris laughed. "What can we do for you today?"
"Nothing I am actually bored. I already put away all of those files you left on my desk so I was wondering if I could help you two out with anything." I said looking around.
"Well we have everything covered here. A new band is coming in to do a demo tape in a little while. You're welcome to sit in with us and listen." Marnie offered.
"Are you sure?" I asked I had never sat in the studio during recordings before partially because I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off to pacify the starving musicians and all of their demands.
"Of course Bella you work really hard even in your condition so take a few and listen to this new band. You can tell us if they are worth it or not."
"Thanks let me go grab my phone so I can tell Edward that I won't be meeting him for lunch. Do you guys want to order something or do you want me to put something together?" I asked before walking out the door.
"Why don't you invite Edward to listen to the band too and tell him the price is an extra large cheese pizza. That would cover lunch." Chris laughed.
"Sure." I rolled my eyes.
As I was walking into the office I heard Marnie greeting the band. I grabbed my phone and headed to the kitchen to whip up some salad to go with the pizza and some lemonade because I was addicted to it. I dialed his number and turned the speaker on so that I would have my hands free.
"Hello baby." Edward said.
"Hey, I just called to tell you that I can't meet up for lunch today." I said as I chopped some lettuce up and threw it in a bowl.
"Oh." he said.
"Yeah we have a new band coming in to record a demo and Chris and Marnie asked me to sit in and have a listen." I said.
"That sounds like fun. I'll ask Haley if she wants to join me for lunch." he said.
"Or Chris said you could come too but it will cost you."
"What will it cost me?" he asked.
"An extra large cheese pizza."
"That's it? That hardly sounds fair." he laughed.
"Well I could go for a mushroom and banana pepper pizza so you have to get that too. Do you want to come?"
"Of course." he laughed. "I'll be there as soon as the pizza is done."
"Love you see you soon."
"Love you too baby."
I pressed end call and went back to tossing the salad and grabbing some plates and silverware. I was pulling out a roll of napkins when I heard a familiar voice call from the door way.
"Bella Swan it's been far too long."
I jumped and turned around to find a familiar Indian girl with long black hair and large doe brown eyes. "LEAH!" I screamed rushing over to hug her.
"Don't squish your baby." she laughed. "How are you? I haven't talked to you since graduation."
"I know you went backpacking, I went to college." I laughed. "What are you doing here?"
"Our band is doing a demo."
"You're the band that is recording today? Are the guys here?" I asked excitedly.
Leah and the guys had been close friends of ours since we were in junior high. Our freshman year they formed a band. We used to hang out in Leah's parent's garage while the band practiced every day after school. I hadn't talked to them since graduation because after everything that had happened in college I didn't talk to anyone. The last time I had talked to them, the band decided to go backpacking through Europe as a graduation present.
"Of course they're here. Guess what?" she said.
"What?" I laughed.
"Sam finally proposed. We went backpacking of course it was so much fun but he didn't ask me until we were on the plane home. He told me that he couldn't live without me and proposed to me while we were flying hundreds of miles above the ground."
"And you said yes?" I joked.
"Of course he told me afterwards that if I would have said no he would of jumped out of the plane without a chute." she laughed.
"That's Sam. Always the one for dramatics." I laughed with her.
She helped me carry everything back to the studio while she told me about their trip to Vegas to get married. That was Leah she never wanted anything fancy. They were married by a female Elvis impersonator in a small chapel.
"So you're pregnant. I always knew you would get together with Edward. It was only a matter of you two getting over silly fears." she laughed.
"I know it took forever but we are finally together. We bought a house right on the out skirts of town in a beautiful neighborhood. You should come by some time."
"I can't wait to see Edward, is he still handsome as ever?" she joked.
Before I could answer, a large man picked her up causing her to squeal. "You better not be talking about other men in front of your husband." he said as he tickled her.
"Hi Sam." I said.
He looked up at me and almost dropped poor Leah. "BELLA!" he said pulling me into a hug.
"Hey guys come here." Leah called.
Everyone filed in giving me a big hug as they walked past me. Leah was the lead singer of the band with Sam as lead guitarist. Seth, Leah's twin brother played the drums and Jared was the keyboardist. They all looked the same as they did in high school.
"Where is Edward?" they asked and I decided to mess with them.
"Oh I don't know we stopped talking after high school." their eyes bugged and Leah smiled wickedly. "Yeah this little one is Billy Bob Jr. Too bad he'll have to wait for his daddy to get off parole next year to meet him. I told Big Billy that he needed to stop selling drugs out of the trunk of the pinto but he just didn't listen." if it was possible their jaws would have been on the floor.
"Kidding you guys. Edward will be here in a little bit with lunch." I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants which isn't saying much because little Evie was constantly on my bladder.
"Damn Bella you scared me for a second." Seth laughed hugging me again.
"So when are you due?" Jared asked.
"Mid September." I said. "Yeah before you say it, our birthdays are mid September we know."
"So how is the rest of the gang?" Leah asked.
"Everyone is really good. Emmett finally married Rose a little while ago, they live a little away from here. Jasper and Alice moved to Seattle just a few days ago actually. He opened up his own shrink shack." I laughed.
Chris and Marnie came in and introduced themselves to the band once again. They were astounded that I already knew the band and told me not to be biased. We were sitting around joking when I heard the front door beep. I told everyone to be quiet and went to greet Edward.
He was carrying three large boxes and a bag with another box too. "It was buy two pizzas get one free so I figured why not? And I got you some cinnamon bread with frosting." he explained kissing me sweetly.
"Well thank you we sort of need the extra food because the band is a bunch of pigs." I lead him to the studio. "They have been hitting on me all day and it's obvious that I am pregnant right?"
"Didn't Chris say anything?" He growled angrily.
"He told me to do what I had to, to get the band to sign with Rock Gods." I shrugged and Edward growled louder. "Just come on you can meet them yourself."
As soon as we walked in, Leah jumped on Edward's back and he almost dropped the food. I took it from him and set it on the table while he talked with everyone. Marnie helped me get everyone a plate of salad and pizza and we ate before they recorded.
"You are sneaky Bella Swan." Edward whispered in my ear.
"Yeah I try." I laughed.
He kissed my cheek and I turned to kiss his lips when I heard a wolf whistle. "Damn." Seth said.
"What?" I asked.
"Oh nothing it's just you guys used to do the whole whispering thing all the time it just never ended with you sucking face back then."
I blushed and flicked him off.
Chris set them up while we cleaned up the mess. I sat on Edwards lap while they played and even Chris had to admit they were good. Leah's voice was a mixture of Paramore, Evenescence, and Flyleaf. They were awesome.
They recorded a total of twelve songs and Chris decided that their originality was something that Rock Gods needed. He told them that they would get together later to talk logistics and sent them on their way. Leah asked him to give me a copy of the demo before they left and they all signed it for me.
"God I feel like I know celebrities." Edward laughed as I walked him to the door.
"Yeah we will. They are going to be big." I said.
He left after kissing me and my stomach goodbye and I finished cleaning up the studio. Alice had already emailed me ideas for the nursery before I left work. Edward and I decided that we were going to keep the baby's name a secret until she was born but it was hard not to slip up now that we knew what it would be.
It was weird that I named my daughter while sleeping yet I couldn't remember ever thinking of that name. It was perfect thought. Esme and my mother were coming to town tomorrow and staying with us so I cleaned the guest room. That was one of the good things that our parents were best friends they were comfortable enough with each other to share a bed.
Edward came home and we ate leftovers before passing out on the couch. It was weird the stuff we did when I wasn't jumping his bones all the time. He massaged my feet we talked about our daughter's life and what we wanted for her future. Edward told me that he already set up a savings account for her college fund. Of course I cried.
In the middle of the night I woke up and made a fluffernutter sandwich. There is just something about crunchy peanut butter and marshmallow goo that just makes my heart skip a beat. I woke Edward up and we went to bed after I ate my sandwich. I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
He had already left for work when I woke up. I showered and changed for work in my new favorite stretchy denim pants and a baby pink tank top and made some cinnamon toast for breakfast. Alice had already texted me this morning telling me that she would be by to pick the four of us, Edward, my mother, Esme and myself to take us to her house.
I made it into work to find that there was absolutely nothing going on today. Chris taught me how to play checkers with Oreos but got upset when I ate one of his kings. What can I say, pregnant women like their cookies and I'm one of them. Marnie and I attempted to learn how to knit off of Youtube but instead ended up making friendship bracelets like four year olds.
Edward came and picked me up for lunch and we met up with our mothers at Panera bread. We ordered our lunch and they laughed as I practically inhaled my cheddar broccoli soup and bread bowl. I sat back with a satisfied sigh as they chatted about what they wanted to do with the nursery.
"Have you two talked about names yet?" Esme asked.
"We have but we are keeping it a surprise until she is born." I told her.
"Oh but wouldn't you just love her name painted above her little crib?" my mother begged.
"No you wanted to know the sex and we told you let us have this please." Edward said.
"Fine." They both said at the same time, they looked at each other and started laughing.
I was full but my body was craving something mint and chocolate. I had been craving Andes mints for the past week and stocked up on them the last time I went to the grocery store. The woman looked at me like I was crazy when I unloaded my cart with ten boxes of crème de menthe thins.
Or maybe it was the fact that one of the boxes was half eaten. I had to snack on something while shopping.
I pulled a box out of my purse and started unwrapping them and laying them on a napkin. I listened half heartedly to the conversation until I had eight unwrapped mints on the napkin, the conversation stopped but I was only paying attention to the minty smoothness of the chocolate as it slipped down my throat. I had my eyes closed until I heard my mother snicker.
"What?" I said glaring at her.
"Bella you are the cutest thing ever." she said hugging me.
"What are you talking about I am just eating chocolate?" I was getting mad.
She clearly interrupted my chocolate time and that right there is punishable by death.
"Nothing baby. Your just cute that's all." Edward said stroking my cheek with his cool hand.
I ate the rest of my chocolate in a hurry because they were all looking at me at that point and I didn't want an audience. They watched as the baby kicked happily in her gooey cocoon aka my stomach, amazed how the little feet and fists were visible. Edward dropped me back off at the label so that I could finish being bored as hell, I was surprised that my mother and Esme were waiting for me in the waiting area.
"What are you two doing here?" I asked.
"Oh we thought we would come bother you since you said you weren't doing anything." my mom shrugged.
"And I brought paint swatches." Esme pulled a book out of her giant mom purse and for a second I wondered what I would look like carrying one of those giant bags.
They fit everything I bet I could even fit Evie in there until she gets bigger. I laughed at my inner joke as I led the way to my office.
They spent some time looking through the records along the walls but I cut if off after the third and most ridiculous question ever. They had just made it to the H's section and Esme pulled a record of the shelf. I couldn't see what it was but she turned around looked me straight in the eye and asked me.
"Bella What's a Hinder?"
I told them that I would give them a tour of the record studio before we left and right as I told them that, Marnie stuck her head into my office introduced herself and told me to get the hell out because they were bored to tears. I showed them around the studio, including the kitchen where they pestered me that there weren't enough healthy choices in the fridge. I assured them that snack pack puddings were not a daily part of my diet even though they were and we headed back to the house.
"Are you sure you won't tell me what the babies name is going to be?" my mother begged.
"Positive." I said as we walked into the house.
I showed them the room and told them my ideas of what I wanted. Esme brought out a tackle box filled with graphite pencils and other drawing utensils. She walked over to the far wall of the room and started doing a rough sketch. I sat in an old rocking chair that came with the house and watched as she drew a magnificent meadow that sort of looked like one that Alice, Edward and I used to play in when we were younger.
After she was done with the far wall she went to the one window it was large taking up most of the wall but around it she started sketching a number of fairies and butterflies as if they were coming in through the window.
My mother was sitting on the floor with my lap top looking through local furniture store websites showing me things that she liked every now and then.
Esme transformed the nursery into a fairy tale the second she sketched out a giant castle on the biggest wall of the room. Complete with towers and flags. I fell in love instantly as she sketched out a horse drawn pumpkin carriage coming down a long winding road that lead to the castle.
On the last wall she sketched out a collage of just about every Disney princess movie ever. There was a glass slipper, the poisonous apple, a spinning wheel, the teacup from Beauty and the Beast, she sketched out the shadow of Peter Pan when I asked her and she drew Flounder, and Sebastian from the little mermaid when my mother whined that we couldn't go without Ariel's friends. The magic carpet from Aladdin was flying above everything. A giant Cheshire cat was the last and final touch.
Two and a half hours later the room was nothing but black and white sketch but I could tell that it was going to be wonderful. I forgot about cooking dinner so we ordered just about one of everything from the Chinese delivery place up the road and were sitting around the coffee table looking at swatches of paint when Edward came home.
Esme had gone so far to keep Edward out of peaking into the nursery, she brought her own dead bolt. It was cute how he tried to barter with her but she was relentless until he offered the first letter of her middle name up she almost cracked an Esme almost cracked but my mom wouldn't let her give him the key.
Alice came and picked us up in her banana yellow Saturn View and drove us precisely around a corner stopping in front of a small cottage looking house.
"Welcome to my house." she squealed. "I found it right after we helped you and Edward movie in. We are practically neighbors now."
She walked us through the house showing us the two bedrooms. Of course Alice had converted the extra room into a giant closet. We ate apple pie from the local bakery and headed home. I hugged Edward tightly as we both fell asleep.
Alice woke us up at a quarter to eight because apparently that was the best time to go paint shopping. I dragged ass through the store crying because she wouldn't let me have coffee while the three women talked about what colors they should use.
It wasn't until noon that we went through the check out Esme refusing to let me pay for the supplies because she wanted to take home what she didn't use. Instead of heading back home to start painting my mother drug us to every furniture department in Seattle insisting that we pick out the furniture.
I was in tears close to peeing my pants and throwing up because I was starving when I snuck out the side door of one of the departments and called the one person that would pick me up no questions asked.
"Hi Bella didn't think you would call so soon." Leah laughed.
"Oh my god Leah I will love you more than I already do if you come pick me up." I cried
"Where are you? Are you okay?"
I told her my location and started walking until I saw the VW bug pull up and honk at me. I jumped in and told her to just drive. She drove me home and made me a turkey sandwich and french-fries while I ignored my phone that was ringing off the hook.
We had just started eating when the door flung open and Edward called my name. His voice full of panic.
"We are in here sweetie." I called before biting into my sandwich. "Leah you are perfect, if I wasn't already knocked up and in love with Edward, I would marry you."
She laughed as Edward walked in and pulled me out of the chair checking me over. "Where the hell have you been? My mother called, everyone is freaking out because you went to the bathroom and never came back? I calle-"
"Edward calm down." I kissed him. "I couldn't take it anymore Alice woke me up and then drug me across town just to turn around and go back. She wouldn't feed me or let me sit down." tears welled up in my eyes.
"It's true Edward she was a wreck when I picked her up today." Leah said.
"Thank god you're okay. You scared the shit out of me Bella. I don't know what I would have done if anything happened to you or the baby." he hugged me tightly and kissed my face.
"Edward its fine. Calm down." I whispered. "Can I finish my sandwich while you call them and let them know that I'm okay?"
"Alright." he breathed.
I finished my lunch with Leah talking about the good old days while Edward called everyone. I could hear Alice screaming through the phone something about kicking my ass if I wasn't pregnant. Edward cut her off and told her that she should have taken into consideration that I was pregnant and had needs.
Esme, my mother and a very angry Alice showed up a little while later and Leah joined the decorating party. I had to force Edward to go back to work before joining them. Alice refused to talk directly to me until she was about to leave. We decided to show Edward the room tomorrow night because the furniture was arriving in the morning while he was helping Jasper build some shelves in Alice's closet.
"I'm sorry I didn't take care of you B." Alice said.
"It's fine Ali you were on your shopping high." I hugged her and she rubbed my stomach.
"And I'm sorry for not feeding you Alice Junior." she kissed my ever growing bump.
I almost broke my friendship making that phone call. I laughed to myself heading upstairs to get ready for bed.
I fell asleep early only waking up when a freshly showered Edward crawled into bed and pulled me close to him.
______________________________________________________________________________
aww, Bella went a-wall hahaha.
Okay I had to have the little whats a Hinder thing in there becuase I went to Planet fest (A giant rock concert that is coming on Nov, 14th hehe, anyways they do it once a year and it is fuckawesome) anyways, I get home... well my parent's house becuase they lived closer to Jacksonville than me and it was really late and I was talking with them about all of the bands including Hinder and my mom turns to me half asleep and asks... "What's a hinder?" yeah so its a running joke now.
But I have a funnier story that includes Hinder and I have to add it in this becuase you will laugh really hard if you know what song I am talking about. 'Go home get stoned' by Hinder.
Anyways so I was downloading music at my parent's house on my little brothers computer and I turned the volume up when 'Go home get stoned' came on and all of a sudden I hear. THUD. and the pitter patter of little feet. my 8 year old cousin Jaykob skids into the bedroom and jumps on my brother's bed screaming. "OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS SONG. YOU KNOW GO HOME GET STOMPED BY HENRY" cutest fucking thing ever. young people are so innocent haha.
Alright lets see if we can get to 1000. *puss in boots pouts* pretty pretty please.
Treasures is almost over just so you all know I have already written all of the chapters so it should be finished soon.
XOXO Ashley