A/N:

As long as I have chapters to give you, I want to give them to you on a weekly basis.

Honestly, though, I am struggling to find the time to write at all with my studies and for those of you who don't know yet, Spring Break was canceled at my school because of a major Covid outbreak, and the last thing they want is for students to travel anywhere if they at any point in time spend time on campus.

So, because of that, we've been compensated with tomorrow (Monday) and the day after that off to rest and recover as much as we can. I'm hoping to get some writing done then ;-)

Title: Love is Strange

Author: MarieCarro

Beta: Alice's White Rabbit

Pre-reader: LunaEclipse

Genre: Friendship/Romance/Drama

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Bella Swan and Edward Cullen live in the small town of Ligonier in Pennsylvania. They've been best friends since they were six years old, and not much can keep them apart. Bella wants to leave small-town life behind, while Edward is fine with whatever, but that's not the only complication in their relationship. What happens when they fall in love … with each other?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 34

TRUTH IS RELATIVE

"Okay, the dark part that looks like a void is the gestational sac, and … that right there is the baby," Dr. Graham said and pointed at the grainy black and white screen.

Bella stared at it with her mouth open, unable to truly process what she was seeing. "Wow, there it is," she whispered. She barely registered when Edward squeezed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "And everything looks good? I mean, it's how it's supposed to be?" she asked without taking her eyes off the sonogram screen.

Dr. Graham gave her a reassuring smile even though she couldn't see it. "Yes. As of right now, everything looks completely normal."

Edward took a deep breath, reluctant to ask the question pressing on him the most, but he needed to know. "Considering the … uh, medical history we have, how optimistic can we be at this stage?"

He felt the twitch in Bella's hand as she reacted to his question, but he didn't give her a chance to pull away. They needed to hear and be prepared for all possible scenarios, no matter how painful they were.

Dr. Graham took the question most seriously and did his best to answer as tactfully as he could. He was relieved he didn't have to ask the father-to-be to clarify since he had the medical records of the miscarriage eight years before and the underlying diagnosis that could be the reason for the lost pregnancy.

"It's still too early to tell, I'm afraid. However, knowing your history, your diagnosis, and that you're already aware of this pregnancy, I'd say you're off to a very good start," he encouraged, shut off the machine, and handed Bella some wipes to get the gel off her stomach. "However, I advise you to be aware of any changes whatsoever, especially if you experience any vaginal bleeding of any kind."

Bella sat up and exchanged a worried look with Edward.

"I don't want to lull you into a false sense of comfort," Dr. Graham said gently but somberly. "With your condition comes risks. It's three times more likely for you to miscarry compared to women without PCOS, you can easily develop gestational diabetes, and you're more prone to high blood pressure, which can lead to preeclampsia, or eclampsia if it goes untreated. You're at a greater risk for a premature birth, and then, even if you carry to full term without any issues, the chances I'd still want to deliver your child by C-section are great."

The fear within Bella spiked at the onslaught of risks and complications, and she started to tremble, but fortunately, Edward was there to comfort her, and he placed his arm around her and let her lean against him.

"It's not my intention to scare you or let you believe there's no hope. Plenty of women with PCOS have had successful pregnancies and given birth to healthy babies," Dr. Graham said with a careful smile. "What I gave you was the worst case scenarios, but because it's possible, I want you to be prepared."

Edward nodded for the both of them. "Of course. Thank you, doctor."

Dr. Graham nodded. "I'll give you a moment alone, and I'll meet you by the nurses' station where I'll give you some information and a list of supplements I want you to take with your prenatal vitamins."

As soon as the door to the examination room closed behind Dr. Graham, Bella started to silently cry.

"I knew it," she whispered. "It was my fault I miscarried last time, and I'll most likely lose this baby as well."

"Don't say that," Edward said fiercely and stood in front of her to cup her cheeks and give her a soft, loving kiss. "You didn't ask for your condition, and it happens for other women as well, so we don't know what caused it. Please, don't blame yourself." He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly to him. "And if you do, I'll have to let you know it's as much my fault for putting you in this situation. Me and my stupid super sperm."

The joke worked, and Bella cracked a smile.

"That's what I wanted to see," he said and wiped the tears away with his thumbs. "Don't cry, love. We'll do everything we can to make sure we keep this one."

Bella craned her neck for another kiss, and Edward happily obliged. "Thank you," she said softly, "for always knowing how to make me feel better."

"Anytime."

Later that day while the two of them were cooking dinner together, Edward's phone rang, and since the display told him it was his dad, he answered and put it on speaker.

"Hi, Dad, you're on speaker. Bella's here, and we're making dinner."

"How nice. Bella, how are you?"

"I'm as okay as I can be considering," she told him honestly. "Mostly thanks to your incredible kids, Carlisle. I don't know what I would have done without them." Edward gave her an affectionate smile, and as he passed her on his way to the fridge, he placed a loving kiss on her cheek.

"That warms me to hear."

An almost-impossible-to-stop-urge bubbled up, and Bella nearly blurted out where she and Edward had been that day and the subsequent news of Carlisle's prospect of becoming a grandfather, but at the very last second, she remembered why Edward and she had decided to wait.

A huge part resented keeping secrets from the important people in her life since she had already experienced what lack of communication could lead to. However, she temporarily pushed that part away and told herself it was for their sake.

If she and Edward lost this child, too, it was better if less people knew about its existence.

"What's up, Dad?" Edward asked, unaware of Bella's inner struggle.

"It's actually quite perfect I got you both." Carlisle's tone changed into one of discomfort. "I'm just gonna be direct and say it. I want to know if Bella would be willing to meet with Riley Biers if he traveled to New York."

Both of their movements froze but for two very different reasons. Bella was shocked and confused while Edward was upset and instantly unwilling.

"Before you get too upset, let me explain," Carlisle continued before either of them got a word out. "After the Christmas party, I urged him to book an appointment with the hospital's staff therapist to work through the issues he's got with Bella. I told him I didn't want to risk any patient's safety if they in any way reminded him or triggered his anger. I made it clear I wouldn't continue as his mentor unless he complied."

Edward sulked and started chopping the onions on the board erratically. Not wanting him to cut himself, Bella placed a calming hand on his arm, and he sighed. "What does that have to do with him coming within fifty feet of Bella here in New York, though?" he asked reluctantly.

"I don't know everything myself because of the doctor-patient confidentiality. What I do know is that they eliminated the possibility of any personality disorders and came to the conclusion that the only way for Riley to ever move on is if he has the opportunity to have a real conversation with Bella and understand there's no correlation between her and the challenges he's faced in life."

While Bella contemplated the proposition, Edward was already shaking his head.

"So what you're saying, Dad, is that Bella should sit down and have a heartwarming, cathartic conversation with the man who joked about assaulting her when we were in high school?" Edward's tone started out sarcastic but quickly transitioned into suppressed anger. "A man who unjustly blames her and harassed her at your Christmas party, all so that he can feel better about himself?"

"Edward, please calm down."

It was Bella who said it, and he gave her a wide-eyed, stunned look.

"What?"

"You don't have to take your anger out on your dad. He's just the messenger," she reminded him.

"Son, I wasn't keen on the idea either when it was presented to me. But I have a solution."

Edward supported himself on the counter with his tightened fists and did his best to push away his aggressive emotions. "Yeah? What kind of solution?"

"I'll be with them," Carlisle said matter-of-factually. "I'd never allow Riley to be alone with Bella, especially since I don't know how unpredictable he might be around her."

"She wouldn't have been alone with him even had you not been there," Edward said fiercely. "If she's meeting him, I'm there as well."

"I don't think that would be productive, Edward," Carlisle said carefully. "Your resentment toward him could cause the whole thing to backfire. I believe it's better if it's just the three of us."

"I like that idea, Carlisle," Bella said before Edward could protest further. When he still opened his mouth, she placed the tips of her fingers against his lips. "I'll call you tomorrow, and we can arrange a day that works for all of us. I'm sorry to cut this short, but Edward and I need to talk."

"Of course," Carlisle agreed without a single objection. He knew he was asking a lot for his son to accept, but he also knew that Bella was a fierce, strong woman who could decide for herself. The only reason he didn't call her directly was because he wanted them to talk about it and to make his son aware of the situation.

"Bye, Carlisle." Bella pressed the red phone button and hung up without breaking her eye contact with Edward. "I understand you hate this—"

"That's the understatement of the century." He looked away from her toward the partially chopped pile of onions. "It's not that I believe you need my protection—I know you can take care of yourself. I just hate the thought of him being anywhere near you, knowing what he thinks of you."

She nodded. "Yeah, I can't say I'm looking forward to it, but if I do this, and it helps him—"

"You don't owe him anything, Bella," Edward interrupted again, and she gave him a cloudy, sideways look, which caused him to tighten his mouth in contrition.

"I know I don't owe him anything. What I was gonna say is that if it helps him, that would be another threat—no matter how minimal compared to the other—off my shoulders." She placed her hand over her still-flat stomach. "I have enough to worry about as it is, so I'll welcome anything that can relieve some of my stress."

Edward met her gaze for a second before sighing and dropping his head back. He knew he couldn't argue against her after hearing her motivation. He then raised his head back up, took a step toward her until his hands were over hers on her stomach, and kissed her forehead in surrender.

"Fine. Just promise me you'll be careful and take care of … well, both of you?"

Bella smiled and agreed. "Of course." She took a hold of his hands on her stomach and entwined their fingers. "Hey?" He shifted his eyes back to her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

~~LiS~~

Bella paced all over the space of the office as she waited for Carlisle and Riley, almost jumping out of her skin when the buzzer went off.

It had taken another three weeks before they were able to arrange a meeting, and the passing time had given Bella some unexpected stress. She was now ten weeks into her pregnancy—so far, so good—and she'd started to feel a change in her body. She was convinced she had a baby bump, but Edward swore the two of them were the only ones who could tell since no one else knew her body intimately.

Still, it made Bella very self-conscious as they were yet to tell anyone, so she'd dressed in a top without any shape whatsoever to hide how her pants were just a tiny bit tighter than the last time Carlisle had seen her.

"Carlisle?" she said into the speaker, still on the cautious side in case it wasn't who she was expecting. It was a Sunday, so Alice had the office closed and at Bella's complete disposal—after Bella'd helped her with Jasper, the two had become even better friends—since it could be considered private, yet neutral, ground.

"Yes, Bella. I'm here with Riley," Carlisle's voice confirmed.

She buzzed them in and opened the door to wait for the two men, and when Riley passed her on the way in, he gave her a look that made it clear to her it wouldn't be an easy conversation that would be over in less than an hour.

Carlisle reached out to hug her, and Bella deliberately kept as much distance between them as she could so he wouldn't be able to feel the changes in her body. It didn't matter that they were rather miniscule; Bella still felt they were like a neon sign telling the world "PREGNANT WOMAN RIGHT HERE!"

The three of them sat down in the break room/lounge area of the office, which Alice had designed to feel very modern, warm, and homey with comfortable couches, plants, and photos on the walls of the staff in the process of planning the collections. The atmosphere made the people look more like a family than staff.

"We all know why we're here, so I believe reiterating anything is rather unnecessary," Carlisle said and attempted to alleviate the tension with a small smile. "Riley, would you, please, explain to Bella why you feel she's to blame for your troubles?"

Bella couldn't remember a single other time she'd felt more uncomfortable in her own skin. Riley reminded her of a scorned child forced to admit he'd acted badly, Carlisle the parent, and Bella was the person who had to swallow their own opinion and forgive in order to teach the child a lesson.

For the better part of an hour, Riley counted off all of the times when he felt Bella had directly interfered with his happiness, some of them caused by his own poor behavior, and some mere circumstances at the most.

The one that caused him to almost boil over was when he spoke of the woman he'd briefly mentioned at the Christmas party.

"Brianna also attended MICA, but I don't expect you to remember that … being as self-absorbed as you are," he hurled at her, but Bella didn't react as his insults were becoming tedious at that point.

She tried to think back on her time at college, and it was true she couldn't remember any girl named Brianna, but that wasn't unexpected since the establishment enrolled over 3000 students every year. Still, she humored him. "What did she major in?"

"Photography. Same year as you," he spat, but this time, he had her attention.

"There wasn't a single girl named Brianna in my classes," she insisted.

"Yes, there was!" Riley raged. "Brianna Julia Fields!"

"Fields?" Bella asked; the name immediately created the memory of a rather average-looking, mousy girl with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. "I never knew her as Brianna. Everyone called her Rhia." She, along with Bella, had been one of the top students and another considered for the grant Bella received. It was the only reason Bella remembered her because Rhia had one of those faces you couldn't pick out of a crowd. One of those blank canvases.

"That's not important! What's important is that because you took that grant from her, she drove home in tears and was hit by a 40-foot fuel truck."

Bella gaped at him in shock. The man was delusional, and he needed more help than she could offer with one conversation. "You're blaming me for that?" A vague memory of Professor Alistair giving the class the news of Rhia's death pushed to the forefront of her mind.

"Whenever you're around, you suck the fortune out of people until you're the only one who can achieve success like a fucking succubus while the rest of us have to do with the scraps." Riley glared at her with unmitigated hatred, and Bella knew there was nothing she could say to get through to him.

Carlisle knew it, too. "I believe we're done here," he said and stood up. Then he looked at Riley with disappointment. "I'd hoped we would achieve more than this. I can't continue as your mentor knowing this is how you feel toward my daughter-in-law."

Almost as if it confirmed all of his beliefs, Riley gave Bella a dark smirk. "The succubus strikes again."

Bella swallowed hard and got up to open the door for the two men to leave, but before she reached it, she was surprised to see someone standing in her way. She instinctively took a step back, and then another when she saw the object in his hand.

"George."

A/N:

Oooh Ffffuuuuuuudge!

Not gonna say anything else here. Just gonna let y'all stew a bit in that cliffhanger. Kisses. Love ya!

Until next time,

Stay Awesome!