AN: Little time jump to a baby shower, and Jake being even more of a douche.
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Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns it all as always.
Deceit and Destiny Chapter 64
Bella
January was typically slow for the agency, so Didi closed the office for the Sunday of the baby shower. It also gave everyone the opportunity to attend the party. The day dawned overcast and with the usual intermittent rain.
Despite my initial nervousness, the party was a wonderful success. Now at almost thirty-two weeks, I was beginning to feel like I swallowed a beach ball and my center of gravity had shifted again with the baby's growth spurt.
When Esme, who'd arrived first with my mom, led me into the room with her hands over my eyes, I wondered what to expect. But it was beautiful. The room looked as if a pink and pearl white bomb had exploded with streamers and balloons. The table in the bay window of the dining room, overlooking the garden, was set with a pink organza cloth, raised cake stands held candles or canapés, cute flower cupcakes, cookies, and there were two different cakes, one with bunny ears, and the other decorated with pink and white roses made of icing.
"Wow!" I said as I walked into the room. "It's fabulous, Jess. You've outdone yourself."
"Momma," Connor whispered. "It's really pink, isn't it? Did you have a party for me when I was in your tummy?"
"Of course, I did, sweetie. You were just as special as your sister."
Jess had hung decorative bird cages containing sparkling birds throughout the room, and vases of scented pink and white roses and carnations were dotted around on every flat surface. A banner, the gift wrapping, and the gift tags on the favors were all different shades of pink or white.
Esme and Mom refused to let me lift a finger, and they waited on me hand and foot from the moment I stepped through Jess's front door. Edward had dropped Connor and me at the house and was meeting the guys at the grill. Fortunately, Brady and Collin, Emily and Sam's boys, came with her, so Connor would at least have someone to hang around with for the scheduled three hours of the party. Sophie, Angela's little girl, was younger than the boys, and was perfectly happy to stay with the adults, who all took turns playing with her and talking to her.
Didi arrived right behind me, followed by Lauren, then Alice and Rose together, and Esmé presented everyone with a non-alcoholic version of a mimosa, made with sparkling grape juice instead of champagne, to get the ball rolling.
Mom settled the boys in the living room with a video game, planning to change that for a movie in a while so they stayed out of trouble when they inevitably got bored, and we girls took over the dining room and kitchen.
"Right, ladies," Jess called out and clapped her hands for attention. "Before we get to the fun part . . . the games . . . and the exciting part . . . the gifts . . . we should eat. Help yourselves and enjoy."
Although I wasn't usually a fan of being the center of attention, unless, of course, it was Edward doing the looking, Esme had me seated in the most comfortable rocking chair I'd ever sat in, near the table so everyone who stopped by to get food could talk to me.
"This is so comfortable, Esme." I said, running my hands along the padded arms, and settling into the velvet buttoned seat. "Jess," I called. "You must tell me where you bought this; it would be perfect for our nursery."
Jess came and sat down beside me. "I'm glad you like it." She grinned. "Because you're taking it home with you. Edward bought it."
"It's wonderful. He's the sweetest man, and so thoughtful."
Esme, who was seated on the other side of me, patted my hand. "That's all Carlisle," she boasted. "They're so alike it's amazing. I didn't bring him up, but he's my son in every sense of the word. He'll make a wonderful father to this baby girl, and to Connor."
"He already is, Esme; he already is."
After a few moments of silence, she stood. "So, what can I get you to eat?"
"You don't have to wait on me, but thank you. It all looks fantastic." My stomach rumbled as I looked at the laden table. "I think I'm going to have a little of everything, thanks, especially a slice of that bunny cake. It looks delicious."
"Sounds perfect. If you can't indulge at a party, what's the point? I'll be back in a minute."
As she walked away toward the table, Emily replaced her. "I haven't seen you in a long time, Bella. How are you and Connor?"
"We're fine, thanks, Emily. Happier than ever. What about you and the boys, and Sam, how are you all?"
"Good, thanks, and talking about Sam, I wanted to apologize for him speaking out of turn to Jake. He should've minded his own business instead of mouthing off when he didn't really know anything. The guys gossip like old women sometimes. I'm sorry if it caused any trouble."
"Thank you for saying that, but it was nothing I couldn't handle, Emily. Don't worry about it."
After a little polite conversation, she was replaced by Lauren, who asked the question that was probably on everyone's mind. Had I moved in with Edward? I told her about sprucing up the house and staying away from paint fumes, then turned the conversation back to her and Tyler, who were getting married next summer.
Lauren and I hadn't been really friendly at school, but we'd tolerated each other because of Jess, who was friends with both of us. Nevertheless, I was glad I had to visit the restroom when she started talking about how handsome and fit Edward was.
Angela was waiting outside when I finished. "She's something else, isn't she?" She giggled. "But she can't help being a bit of an airhead."
"I know." I sighed. "I can only spend a limited amount of time in her company before she starts acting like we're BFFs."
I laughed with her as we returned to the dining room after poking my head around the door to the living room. Jess had laid out a blanket on the floor so the boys could eat without messing up the carpet, and they were doing the kids' version of trash-talking about the game they were playing.
"I know everyone probably wants to ask this question, but I know you're going to tell me. When that house is sold, are you moving in with that delicious Dr. Cullen?"
"Ang!" I whispered. "It's too early to say."
"But you want to."
"Yes, I do," I admitted quietly. "I can't ask him if I can move into his apartment permanently. He might feel he has to say yes. And sharing the house Jake and I lived in seems kind of . . . awkward, you know?"
"Hmm, I can see that, but maybe you could suggest you get a place together?"
"Maybe," I acknowledged. "I'm playing it by ear right now."
After speaking to Mom and Didi, who brought me cookies and cupcakes, then Alice, who talked non-stop about her new line of baby clothes she was designing, it was time for games before opening gifts.
The games ranged from name tunes with baby in the title–that was won by a team made up of Mom, Esme, and Didi—to making babies.
Angela won two games—the first by guessing the price of common baby essentials, and the second by naming nursery rhymes, something little Sophie was particularly interested in at the moment.
The final game was called Let's Make A Baby. Everyone was supplied with some Play-Doh and a cupcake liner, and had to make a baby and put it in the crib. It fell to me as the guest of honor, Jess said, that I had to pick my favorite, which, not surprisingly, turned out to belong to Alice, our budding baby clothes designer.
After a lot of fun and laughter with Jess taking pictures throughout the day, it was time for me to open gifts, finding that almost everything on my registry list was in front of me.
"I can't thank you all enough," I cried, reassuring them all that they were happy tears.
I was overwhelmed by the generosity of my friends and family, though one of the best gifts I could've been given was from Didi and Aro. They gave me an additional four weeks paid leave that, to me, was priceless.
The party broke up not long after five, Edward coming to pick up Connor and me.
~ oOo ~
My relationship with Edward deepened, and the closer we came to the birth of our daughter, the closer the two of us became. Connor thrived under Edward's time, love, and attention, and it warmed my heart to see the two of them develop such a close relationship.
Spending time with him on an almost twenty-four hour basis had been a joy I hadn't expected. He was loving, kind, supportive, and sexy, and I knew I was more in love with him now than when I'd first realized he was the one for me.
My parents had spent over half their lives happily together and I'd always been absolutely sure of their love, but somehow I'd never held Jake up to those standards.
Instead, I'd mostly ignored his indifference, stepping in for him with Connor, giving our son everything he needed and letting Jake off the hook. And sometimes, I found it difficult to let Edward be a parent to Connor, too. Despite his aversion to telling him off, though, he was fair, and always talked to Connor after the fact, telling him he loved him always.
In the back of my mind was the situation with Jake and how it could still impact Connor and me. The house was in both our names, so legally, there was nothing he could do, but that didn't stop me from worrying he might try to make things difficult or unpleasant.
So, with all the stress in the last week, I wasn't surprised when, at my next prenatal appointment, my blood pressure showed a slight rise. Dr. O'Connell had said it wasn't significant yet since there was no protein in my urine, but warned against stress. She insisted I return bi-weekly to get both checked out.
Unfortunately, the events of the weekend prior to my next prenatal appointment didn't do anything to improve my blood pressure.
Edward and I still hadn't spoken about where I was going to live once a sale was secured, and the future hadn't been mentioned either. I knew I'd originally been reticent about staying in his apartment, in his space, and what effect it might have on our relationship, but my fears had proved groundless, and our relationship had never been better.
I felt as if he was waiting for me to be ready, so I planned on making dinner tonight, then having an honest talk about the future.
I wanted forever.
Connor was staying at my parents' house for the much-anticipated treehouse sleepover, followed by a morning of fishing—his idea of heaven.
The house was ready to be listed, and Edward and I were expecting Didi to arrive any moment to measure and take the details so she could set up the listing. I'd spoken to her a couple of days ago at the office and she had every confidence it would sell quickly, as it was in a good area close to schools.
"Coming, Didi." I opened the door at what I thought was her knock.
Instead of Didi, a man I didn't know stood on the other side of the front door. "Could I speak with Mr. Black, please?" he asked.
"I'm afraid Mr. Black no longer lives here. He's my ex-husband. Can I help you?" I asked.
"Um, I called the number in this ad . . ." He reached into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out a sheet of paper and handing it to me. "I spoke to Mr. Black, who gave me this address, and told me to drop by any time. The house is for sale, isn't it?"
Pretty three bedroom single family home in desirable area in Port Angeles
Recently redecorated
Large kitchen leading to deck and overlooking landscaped backyard
Mudroom with laundry
Living room with picture window overlooking front yard
Downstairs half-bath
Master bedroom with ensuite
Two additional bedrooms and family bath
Two car garage
Offers around $325,000
Confused, I looked up at the man. "There must be some mistake. I didn't place any ad. Where did you find this?"
"It was on Craigslist." He nodded at the piece of paper.
In the silence that followed, I reread the details as if somewhere in the words I'd find an explanation.
An arm encircled my waist, Edward's familiar warmth behind me. "What's going on, Bella?"
I showed him the piece of paper. "It looks like Jake is taking matters into his own hands."
Edward frowned, reading the printed details, then looked at the man standing in front of us.
"Well," Edward began, "Mr . . .?"
"James, Gareth James."
Edward held out his hand and the two men shook, but he didn't offer either of our names in return.
"Okay, Mr. James. I'm afraid you've been misinformed. Mr. Black isn't in charge of the sale of the house, though, of course, we welcome viewings via our agent once it's been listed. We don't have a price yet, but if you leave your name and number with us, I'm sure our agent will contact you as soon as viewings begin."
"My wife and I have come here in good faith." He indicated the car that was parked at the curb. "We have our two boys with us and Mr. Black assured us we could view any time."
I stepped forward. "I'm so sorry you've had a wasted journey, Mr. James, but all viewings will have to go through our agent. The advertisement you have there didn't come from me, or the real estate agent we've engaged for the sale under a sole agent agreement."
Another car pulled up behind Mr. James', and a young couple stepped out. As they walked up the path, Edward and I looked at each other.
Fucking Jacob!
"Mr. Black?" the young woman asked, looking at Edward. "We're here to view the house?"
Edward took a step outside onto the porch.
"Mr. Black no longer lives here. I'm assuming you have the same details from Craigslist as this gentleman," Edward continued. "Unfortunately, as I've just explained to him, the house hasn't yet been listed by our agent. If you leave your details, we'll have her get in touch as soon as viewings are being arranged."
The young woman stepped forward and sneered. "If this is some scam to push up the price, it isn't going to work. We spoke to Mr. Black, who assured us we could view at any time."
"We were here before them," Mr. James interjected. "We should be able to view first."
"I can assure you it's not a scam on our part," Edward said. "The house will be listed in a day or so at the price our agent advises. Both of you are welcome to contact her at Volturi Real Estate and arrange a viewing at an agreeable time."
I admired how Edward kept his cool despite the slightly aggressive stance of the woman, and the attitude of Mr. James.
Fortunately, before anything further was said, I saw Didi's car turn into the street and proceed to pull up into the driveway next to Edward's car.
As she climbed out, she called, "Is there a problem, Bella?"
"Hey, Didi." I walked toward her, handing her the sheet of paper. "This is a printout from the Craigslist website, and both of them have said they've spoken to a 'Mr. Black'. I'm pretty sure that's Jake doing."
Didi scanned the details quickly, then patted my arm. "Don't worry, I'll sort this out."
"Good afternoon," she said, and made her way up to the porch, stepping in front of both Mr. James and the young couple. "The house isn't listed yet, so I believe you've been misinformed about viewing today. I'm here today to put the final details together, then it will be ready for you to make an appointment to view in a few days."
I followed her back onto the porch, slipping my arm through Edward's as Didi pulled some business cards from her purse, handing one to each of the individuals.
"I'm sorry for your inconvenience, but I'd be very happy to show you the house soon." She smiled at them. "Please don't hesitate to contact me for any further information."
The young couple looked at each other, then glared at us before returning to their car and driving off.
Mr. James looked at me. "Are you sure we couldn't view today?" he asked.
"Mr. James, I'm sorry for all this confusion. My ex-husband advertised without my knowledge or approval, and the price he's quoted isn't correct. I feel it wouldn't be right for you to view without full details. Mrs. Volturi will be sure to contact you as soon as she's written up the particulars, and if you still wish to view, we'd be more than happy for her to show you around."
He sighed but nodded. "I understand. Thanks anyway."
Writing his contact details on the back of the printout, he handed them to Didi, then turned and made his way down the steps and back to his car, leaving with a last look up at the house.
"Well, that was a shitty thing for Jake to do," I said to no one in particular. "Messing with me is one thing, but what did he expect to accomplish by sending people here to view? Did he really think I'd just roll over and agree to sell to the first buyer at his price?"
"He's an idiot," Didi remarked. "It's not fair to those who contact him, but there's nothing you can do about his actions, Bella. What we can do now is get the details formalized so I can upload the listing promptly. Come on."
An hour or so later, Didi had finalized the details, and while Edward finished loading the car with the last of the boxes, I followed her around the house, filling her in on Jake's last call.
"There's nothing he can do, Bella," she reassured me. "Except upset you. He'll just have to wait. This is a lovely house, and it should sell quickly, then we can go from there. Have you thought any more about where you'll live?"
"Mom and Dad have offered their spare rooms, of course, but I'm not sure I want to live under their roof again, especially since I've no idea how long it would be for."
"Well, I've just heard of a rental coming up in a couple of weeks. It's an apartment, but it's nice and in the price range you gave me. Do you want to see it?"
"That sounds possible. Where is it?"
Even though I was planning on talking to Edward later, I wanted to make sure I didn't let other opportunities pass.
"It's in the same building as Edward's apartment, though it's on the first floor. There's some interest in it already, so don't leave it too long, okay?"
I told her I'd let her know on Monday at work and reminded her I had a prenatal appointment at nine, and Edward and I left for his apartment not long after.
~ oOo ~