Chapter Thirty—Chapter Thirty
Three months after Comic-Con
EdwardACullen: My first tweet, you can thank my girlfriend IsaSwan for this! Edward tweeted out his profile picture, though his smile looked more like a grimace.
Bella responded right away from wherever Rosalie Hale had taken her for some spa therapy. IsaSwan: Aw, congrats on your first tweet!
His phone vibrated with a text message from Bella. I see you're still upset I had to leave.
He did his best not to scowl at his phone screen as if she was right in front of him. It wasn't hard for him to admit that after three months of near inseparability—thirty-four days spent in Hawaii—he missed her.
It wasn't long before he had to turn off the mentions for the tweet thread as Bella showed him how earlier that morning in bed. That led him to think about all that transpired in his bedroom earlier and had to shift to find a more comfortable position.
Edward texted her back. When are you coming home? He added a pic of him doing his best sad dog eyes. It was a look he only reserved for his mother, and it worked like a charm on her. Bella, however, seemed immune sometimes. Only when he tried to coax her back into bed, would she cave.
His eyes nearly popped out of his head when her response was to send a picture of her smooth as fuck, long, tanned legs, framed by a fluffy, white robe, and the cheeky reply had him groaning.
Bella: Almost done, I promise it'll be worth it.
She sent one just after it. Should I stop and pick up something to eat?
His reply was just as quick. Just you, baby :P
He had some time to kill before Bella returned to his place, and one look around told him he needed to find a cleaning service. They tried their best to maintain his house since they had more privacy there. Between her often crazy hours, the barrage of calls from every entertainment news source out there, and inquisitive friends and family, they had hardly any time for themselves since returning from Hawaii, much less to clean.
Bella did her best to clean up after herself when she was there, but she was like the Tasmanian devil, and it was clear he had picked up the habit. Not that he was a neat freak. After constantly living out of a suitcase while filming for the last decade, he rarely had time to do much other than to make sure his fridge didn't have stuff that would go bad while on set.
"Six more months of no work. Better make some new habits, and find a hobby," he muttered to himself as he grabbed the trash from all the rooms, filling three bags. He walked out to the side of the house, ignoring some asshole paps that had somehow made their way inside the gated community.
Edward waved at Aro, his often-nosey neighbor, and supporter, who was in his side yard. "Do you mind calling down to security to escort the trash out?"
Aro grinned mischievously. "And ruin my fun?" He held up what appeared to be stink bombs.
Unsure of the trouble the old man could get into, Edward dropped the trash in the back of his truck and jogged up to his gate to warn the assholes. "Better get out of here, my neighbor is not too happy to see you," he said, shrugging and backing away as the vultures closed in on his position.
"Edward! Are you moving?"
"Is there trouble in paradise?"
"Did Isabella Swan kick you out?"
Edward looked at the three bags and laughed. "It's my house, dumb asses." He shrugged again and quickened his backward walk, smiling when he saw a smoke bomb roll toward the circling paps.
They cursed and ran in different directions.
"Thanks, Aro."
"My pleasure, dear boy. Anything to keep that beautiful woman coming back, I'll do my best to help." The wrinkled old man winked cheekily and saluted. He adored Bella, often telling them she reminded him of his own granddaughter. There was also the fact that she kept sending over meals or baked treats to him.
Edward grabbed the trash bags, placing a quick call down to security since the smoke bombs would die out in another minute. He dropped the trash in the can, but not before he saw a familiar box.
The kind of box that usually brought terror to a man. It didn't necessarily affect Edward in that way, but it had his heart racing as fast as his thoughts. The image of his Bella pregnant, all baby, scowling at him for making fun of her strange as fuck cravings or her cute waddle. Another replaced the first, Bella dancing around a gorgeous nursery, as she nested like crazy.
Why hadn't she said anything? Was it negative? If it was, did that mean something else was wrong?
He wanted to wait to start a family with her, but the thought that something could be wrong with Bella's health scared the fuck out of him. His hand shook as he pulled out his phone and dialed her number, running into the house. The flash of a camera alerted him that his emotions had been on display for the last few minutes.
Thankfully, he hadn't taken out the box.
"Hey, baby. I'm practically down the road. I set my foot down when Rose insisted on yet another treatment at the spa."
"Please hurry," he croaked. Something in his voice made her go silent, and he tried his best to keep from blurting out that he found the box.
"I'll be right there."
He heard the engine increase in volume in the background. "Be safe." Ending the call was harder than he expected. What was the best way to approach the subject?
"Bella, are we having a baby?"
"I didn't mean to snoop on you, but I found the box. Are we having a baby?"
"Are you okay? I found the box, and I'm freaking out."
Not the last one. The last thing a woman should hear about possibly being pregnant was that it freaks the man out. Then again, they had no clue about raising a child. Their lives were often chaotic, but there was one thing Edward was certain of—she would be an amazing mother.
"Edward." Her soft whisper of his name had him spinning to catch her as she ran into his arms. She pulled back instantly, her hands moving over his chest, hips, back, and face. "What's wrong? You sounded like you were hurt."
"I found the box in the trash." It was the only thing that came out of his mouth.
Bella stilled and observed him. "The box?" After a moment, her eyes widened, then narrowed. "And?"
"You'd tell me right away if you were pregnant or even thought you could be. So that means something is wrong. It's not normal to skip periods, right? I can't remember you having one since we started dating. Not one. I don't want there to be something wrong with your health. But then, if you were pregnant, and you wanted to surprise me, I probably ruined it now."
She smiled and planted a sloppy kiss on his mouth. "You're so cute when you're flustered. That's a lot you've been thinking about since you found the box."
Edward's hands tightened around her hips, but he immediately loosened his hold and apologized.
Again, Bella smiled at him. "I'm healthy, and because of my new birth control, I haven't had a period. The pregnancy test wasn't mine."
All the tension he felt for the last ten minutes since he found the box leaked out. He had to sit down, his head resting on her stomach, her fingers coming up to comb through his hair. "Give me a minute."
She hummed softly, saying nothing, just comforting him.
"I was outside when I found the test."
Bella winced. "Did the paps see you with the box? I saw a few being escorted out of the gate."
"I didn't take it out of the can, but they saw my reactions. I went from confused to happy as fuck, to horrified."
"I see."
Edward looked up at the hurt in her beautiful eyes. "Not because I thought you were pregnant, Bella. It horrified me that something could be wrong. I know you wouldn't hold back on something like this. I'd think you'd want me there beside you if you had to take a test."
"You're right. I'd want you there every step of the way. After all, you would've taken part in making the baby." She waggled her eyebrows and giggled as his hands wandered to her ass.
"If the box wasn't yours, it has to be Alice's or Rosalie's. They're the only ones that have been here other than Katie."
Edward's best friend, Jasper, and his wife, Alice, were trying for another baby. Rosalie and Emmett were on the verge of getting married, so they were a possibility, too.
"Um, I'm sworn to secrecy."
Edward looked at her, his eyes narrowing at the fact that she wouldn't meet his gaze.
Katie, Edward's baby sister, walked into the living room from the kitchen, a pint of Cherry Garcia in her hands. "Oh, hey, you're back early, B." She'd been staying at his place since she housesat for him while they were in Hawaii, and she needed a longer break. Her coloring was like Edward's, only a few shades lighter, her hair a nice strawberry blonde. She took one look at the intimate embrace. "Uh, did I interrupt something?"
Bella shook her head, offering a fake as fuck smile. "Edward found something in the trash."
After a moment, Katie's eyes widened to a cartoonish level, and Edward remembered she had thrown out a bag of trash the night before from her bathroom.
"I'm going to kill him!" Edward rose to his feet, grabbing his keys from the coffee table as Bella and Katie talked fast in protest. He made his way to the door and circled to face them. The look in his sister's eyes stopped him short.
Garrett and Katie had become official in the last month, refusing to hide their relationship with Edward and his family. Sure, Garrett didn't have the notoriety that some of his other friends had, but he'd had some questionable commitment issues for years.
"What did I tell you about protection?" Edward fumed as his sister blushed a bright red. "Did you not listen to a thing we said? That sex talk was uncomfortable for me as it was for you."
Katie folded her arms over her chest. "I doubt it."
"Well, when you have the same conversation with your child, then you'd understand. How could you let this happen? You planned on grad school, running your own lab, not having a baby so young."
"I'll have you know that despite the workload, I can handle it. Pregnant or not."
"You're pretty damn smart, but it will not be easy." Edward tried to calm down for his sister's sake. "Have you told Garrett yet?" It all made sense. She needed a break, but away from their parents' watchful eyes, and his supposed friend.
Katie shook her head. "After he told me about Jenna, I'm scared. And for your information, I was on something, but I'm one of those one percent people it doesn't always work. I had taken them daily, without fail, at the same time of day."
Anger gave way to fear. Garrett would not handle the news well. Jenna, his ex-girlfriend, somehow infiltrated their circle of friends, and they started dating. Unknown to them was that she was a huge fan of Edward's and had used Garrett to gain more access to him. When they figured out who had been leaking photos of their private get-togethers, Garrett was ready to break it off, but she announced she was pregnant that night. It had taken almost a month to confirm that she wasn't expecting a baby and never had been.
The Garrett Edward had always known as the life of the party, spiraled into a deep depression, and the deception had almost cost them their friendship. It had taken Edward's persistence and a vigilant pact to not allow just anyone into their circle of friends. It was the only way to protect all of those involved.
Bella had just met all of them for a dinner party the previous week because of their pact.
"Get ready. We're going to go see him."
"Edward, maybe we should have him come here?" Bella suggested the moment Katie backed away from them both.
Edward grimaced. "I sound like an asshole, I'm sorry. If he is an ass about it, I want to be there to hold you, Katie."
His baby sister cried. "I don't want to do it on his turf then."
God, it sounds like she's preparing for battle. Please don't be an asshole, Garrett.
"Whatever you want. I'm sorry for freaking out, but—"
Katie nodded. "I know, Bella had a similar reaction. Though she got as far as the gate before she stopped to think about it."
Edward smirked at Bella, who was usually the one that would calmly diffuse an argument. "Oh, really?"
Bella shrugged. "She's like my baby sister."
"I'm going to go call him." Katie sniffed and wiped a tear away. "Even if he wants nothing to do with me, you're still going to be there for me, right?" She looked from Edward and Bella, tearing up more.
"Of course." Edward hugged his sister and whispered to her, apologizing for his initial anger. "Give yourself a few minutes before you call him."
Katie left them alone, and Edward and Bella's hands reached for the other's at the same time. Bella offered him a tentative smile. "I had given her until the end of the week to say something to you. She has an appointment next week."
"She has to be so scared." Edward shook his head and sat down again, pulling Bella onto his lap. He needed the comfort she provided by her presence. "How she's feeling is what got me to stop at the door."
"You realized she needed support instead of anger way before I did." She sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "All of this let me know that you're not so terrified of us having a baby one day, though."
Edward squeezed her hard for a moment. "We've only been together for a while and people would've talked a lot of shit once we announced it if it was your pregnancy test. I would have given zero fucks what the media and fans said. If it's something we want, that makes us happy, who gives a fuck what they think."
It was a conversation they needed to have since they wanted a long, happy future together.
Bella sighed, tensing a little in his arms. "I want more time with just me and you, and we still need to see how we'll handle separations while you're on set."
Edward agreed, but exhaled sharply. "I got that part I wanted. If production pushes through, I'll be filming for almost three months next year."
"The ultimate test." She pressed a comforting kiss to his neck.
"I'd ask you to come, but there are too many risks." Kidnappings of Americans were high in some third world countries; he'd been filming an indie movie after his yearlong break in two of them.
Her fingers tightened on his shirt. "I know. The good thing is that I'll be super busy with work, and I'm a night owl, so we can still talk whenever you get a minute."
Edward ran his thumb across her bottom lip, watching desire fill her beautiful eyes. "We'll be okay."
She smiled and kissed him. "We will be fine, and when we're both ready, we'll have the baby talk again."
His hand settled on her stomach and rubbed a few circles, eliciting a soft sigh. "I'll be honest, I can't wait."
Her answering grin matched his goofy one.
.
.
.
"Can you hear anything?" Edward asked Bella, who stood by the door. They left Garrett and Katie to talk in the living room. Trapped in his bedroom for over an hour, they were starving. "See, we should get a mini-fridge for our room."
Bella rolled her eyes. "It's your house. If you want one, get one." She rubbed her stomach. "Though, I'd kill for something to nibble on." She turned to look at Edward but saw him scowling. "What's wrong?"
"I don't like the way you said 'your house', and now that I think about it, I hate thinking 'my bedroom' and 'your car', which seems stupid to think about when Katie is out there discussing her future with one of my best friends."
"What do you suggest we do about that?" Bella settled on the bed, giggling when Edward lifted her easily and sat her on his lap again. "Before you say anything, I will not sell my house. It's not because I feel the need to hold on to it just in case our relationship doesn't work out, but because the property value is pretty high. It's perfect for my business needs for now, and I want it to remain within the family."
"I would never ask you to give up your aunt's house." He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "But it's nice to know you've put some thought about this."
Bella looked away, wary. "I know we've only been together a short while, but I can't help it."
"I want you with me as much as I can have you, so if you want to make this our home, I'm all for it. I like the idea of knowing that even when I'm away, you'll be in our bed." Edward swallowed hard. "I also want a ring on your finger."
Bella tensed in his arms, and she looked shocked for only a moment. Long enough to give Edward some anxiety, but she quickly smiled brightly. "You want to marry me?"
"I'd say as soon as possible, but planning a wedding in my world takes time, and I certainly don't want to get married, only for me to leave you for three months to film."
"That's true, and even if I somehow can pull off a nice but private wedding in a couple of months, scheduling it to fit everyone's schedule would be a nightmare."
"Unless we elope and just have a big party."
Bella laughed. "Oh, that would go over so well with our families. Pretty sure my dad is looking forward to walking me down the aisle. Then again, there's your annual Halloween party, we can go dressed as a bride and groom." Suddenly, she grabbed his face. "Edward Cullen, would you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my husband?"
"Hey! You're stealing my line!" He laughed as he pulled out a small blue box from under his pillow and held it out. Any nerves about popping the question so early in the relationship disappeared at the excitement and love in Bella's eyes. "Will you marry me, baby?"
"You're fucking serious? I thought you were just seeing how I felt about getting hitched!" She tapped her chin. "Let me think about it."
Edward tackled her, loving the giggles that spilled from her mouth. "I'll give you something to think about."
"Yes! Yes, I'll marry you." Her hair fanned around her head, her smile so fucking breathtaking. "But…"
"Bella," he sighed, already knowing what she was thinking. "I don't give a fuck what others will say."
"I don't, either, but I care about what our family will read and see on the news. Do we need to announce our engagement?"
Edward groaned but shook his head. He settled it on her lap, loving the way her fingers ran through his hair to calm him down. "No, we don't. So, we agree to a long engagement, but you'll move in immediately, right?"
Her fingers stilled for a moment. "I'll stay here almost every night, how's that?"
He shifted until he sat in front of her. "We can't let Hollywood dictate how we live, Bella."
"I know, but I also want a prenup."
Edward's eyes clenched shut. "Fuck me, you don't pull any punches. Do you not believe in us?"
"I believe in us, but I just don't know if all that comes with Hollywood is stronger, that's what I'm afraid of."
"I see." Edward moved away, sitting at the foot of the bed, looking at the floor. He sighed as she wrapped herself around his back from behind. "I would list the countless relationships that have stood the test of Hollywood."
"I would counter with all those that didn't."
He glared at her over his shoulder. "Most of those were fake and you know it."
"Exactly. Ours isn't and we know it. However, to millions of others, we will be one of those fake relationships. They'll never believe we are the real deal if I moved in here only four months after meeting you or marry you this soon. The prenup isn't there as a safety net if we should fail, but protection if this world we're a part of fails us."
"There's going to be so many people that…"
"Hate me? Bring it!" She pulled out her phone and showed him her Twitter mentions. It wasn't pretty, some were downright horrible. All that after responding to my one and only tweet. "I can handle trolls since I've dealt with plenty in the cosplay world. There's only more of them."
The hate would only get worse if they realized she officially moved in or if their engagement became public. He didn't want that for her, but it was inevitable. "I'll agree to your terms on one condition."
She looked determined to listen and moved off the bed to stand in front of him. "I am more than willing to make compromises. Let me hear it."
"I don't want to hide that I'm with you. If I'm asked during an interview about you or something we did together, I'll tell them the truth but put a stop to their line of questions if it gets intrusive."
"Do you mean that if Jimmy Fallon asks you about your trip to Hawaii while on his talk show, you'll tell him some little anecdote about something that happened to us?"
"Exactly like that, something funny or romantic, though I won't share the more intimate details." He hummed as he wrapped his arms around her, laying a kiss on her chest. "I wouldn't dream of sharing about the time I fucked you on the balcony of our rental almost every night."
She moaned as his tongue teased her nipple through the fabric of her shirt. "I can live with that. Besides, we announced to the world that we're together with the posts after Comic Con, and with our recent tweets."
"Good, now everyone out there will soon know that only I get to touch all this." His hands landed on her ass, of course. "I think we'll be fine if we talk to each other. If something feels wrong or I piss you off, I want you to confront me with it."
"That I can do, it's not like I let you get away with leaving the toilet seat up." Edward winced. He woke up one night from her screaming after falling inside of one. "Let's not forget, I've been in the industry, too, both in front and behind the camera. I know all the ins and outs as much as you do. We can do this."
"We can do this," Edward repeated. They traversed "Hall H" at Comic Con incognito for a few days, and now they had to face all of Hollywood together and out in the open.
Their lips met in a sweet kiss, his hands exploring the underside of her breasts when the bedroom door burst open by a harried Garett out of breath and pale.
"Pack a bag, we're flying to Vegas to get married."