Chapter 7
Bella's POV;
I couldn't believe that I was stood in the park waiting for Edward for the second time today. We had only parted ways 3 and a half hours ago but here I was waiting for them again. I breathed out and tried to figure out what I was doing. Maybe I should have said no when Edward had texted me but I was sitting at home thinking about him and Evie anyway, it seemed like it wouldn't matter if I just spent some more time with them.
I hadn't even told Alice about Edward. I told myself that it was because he was just my friend and it wasn't serious but it was because I wanted it to just be us; me, Edward, Oliver and Evie. At least for a little while longer.
"Bella!" I turned my head and saw Edward and Evie walking hand in hand towards me. Oliver turned his head towards Edwards voice gurgled happily. I raised my eyebrow, I guess I wasn't the only one who loved his voice.
I started walking towards them and chuckled when Evie wrapped her arms around my legs.
"Hi Evie." I smiled down at her and rubbed her little back. She raised her arms up to me and I looked at Edward. Would he trust me enough to carry is daughter? He nodded at me encouragingly and smiled. I hesitantly leaned down and lifted Evie into my arms. She turned slightly so that she could see Oliver and leaned over a little so she could give him her hand. I looked over at Edward who was smiling at the scene before him.
"I'll push the pram so you can hold Evie if you want?" Evie wrapped her arms around my neck and I nodded at Edward who started walking back the way he came, pushing Oliver in the pram.
"I got my teddies out so that I can play with Ollie. There's a pink one and a blue one and a purple one." I laughed at her.
"Really Evie? I'm sure Oliver will love that. It's really sweet of you to share with him." She beamed at me and nodded before settling her head onto my shoulder. I tightened my hold on her and looked at Edward who was pushing the pram with one hand and had his other in the pram. Oliver had his little fist wrapped around one of his fingers and he was gurgling happily while Edward spoke to him softly.
We had stopped at a traffic light and were waiting for the light to change so we could cross when a lady walked past and cooed at Oliver before turning to Edward and smiling appreciatively at him.
"Your son is gorgeous." I waited for him to correct her and tell her that he wasn't Olivers father but he just nodded and smiled back. She looked at me and gasped. "Is this your daughter? She's gorgeous too. You two have beautiful children." Before I could open my mouth and set her straight considering Edward clearly wasn't going to she had turned on her heel and walked off. I looked at Edward and raised my eyebrow but he didn't meet my gaze and blushed slightly. I smirked and crossed the road with him trailing behind.
"That woman said I was pretty. Am I pretty?" I looked down at Evie and smiled.
"You are more than pretty Evie, a lot more than pretty." She grinned at me before planting a little kiss on my cheek. I looked up at Edward in shock but he just looked… touched.
We walked the rest of the way in silence, not an awkward silence but a comfortable one. He turned to a little cottage with a few steps up the front and paused. He bent and positioned his hands at either end of the pram before lifting it and carrying it up the stairs. I almost swallowed my tongue in panic but Edward kept the pram steady and within a few seconds he was at the top of the stairs, unlocking the door. I climbed up after him and the four of us were in the toasty little cottage within seconds.
We spent a few moments getting rid of our jackets, hats and boots before I followed Edward into the living room and lowered Evie to her feet. The living room was cream coloured and furnished beautifully. There was a plush dark brown leather sofa and a mahogany coffee table in front of it. Across from the sofa was a large TV, underneath it was a DVD player and next to it was a cabinet full of Disney films.
I lifted Oliver out of the pram and dumped his jacket and hat in his pram before cuddling him to me. Evie ran to the sofa and got a little blue teddy before running back to me. She pulled on my leg and led me towards the sofa, while Edward followed us with a bemused expression. Edward sat down, lifted Evie onto his lap and patted the space next to him. I perched on it and sat Oliver up so Evie could talk to him and play with him. As Evie talked through her teddy to Oliver I felt eyes on me. I looked up and made eye contact with Edward making me blush furiously.
"I have a bouncy chair from when Evie was little. It's pink but it means that you don't have to hold Oliver for the entire time that you're here and Evie can play with him without us hovering. Should I get it?"
I smiled and nodded at him before blowing a little raspberry on Olivers cheek that had him giggling. Edward lifted Evie off his lap, got up and left the room to get the bouncer for me. Evie crawled into my lap and settled on the knee that Oliver wasn't sat on before continuing to play with him. Oliver gurgled and laughed at Evie and she laughed back before leaning forward and cuddling him gently.
It was such a sweet sight and I wished that I had a camera so that I could capture it. I heard a clicking sound and looked to the doorway to find Edward holding up his phone snapping photos. I smiled widely before lowering my eyes and blushing.
"Here, I brought the chair. I can move the coffee table and put the chair in front of us?" I nodded and he put the chair down before moving the coffee table and putting the chair in its place. I leaned down and strapped Oliver into the chair before helping Evie down so she could sit cross-legged on the floor in front of him.
Edward sat next to me and leaned back, regarding me intensely. I turned my head and met his gaze, raising my eyebrow in silent question. The way he was looking at me made my skin tingle and all the hairs on my body stand up. Why was he looking at me so intensely?
"What's on your mind Edward?" He regarded me closely before scooting closer to me on the sofa. My heart started to beat so fast that I thought it was going to burst from my chest.
"You're the first woman that isn't part of my family to come to my house." I gasped. "I don't know how to be friends with you. It's different for me."
"It's the same for me. I only have my sister and Oliver." He looked at me with confusion. "What?"
"What about your parents? And Olivers Dad?" I looked down at my hands that were wringing together in my lap. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer." He offered me an apologetic smile. "Would you like something to drink?" I shook my head and smiled at him.
Oliver started whining and I lifted him gently from the bouncer. He snuggled into my chest and turned his head towards my breast, nuzzling. I felt my cheeks heat and looked up to see Edward looking at Oliver.
"I think he's hungry." I blushed at Edwards words and nodded. I had expressed milk a couple of hours ago and I didn't have to nurse so I reached for the insulated bag in the pram. I pulled a bottle out and uncapped it before offering it to Oliver. He latched onto it greedily and drank almost 4 ounces before his little legs started drawing up. I took the bottle from him and he started wailing again but I knew that I needed to wind him and get rid of the pressure inside his little belly.
"I know baby, I know. But you need to give me a little burp before I can give you any more milk." I whispered continuously as I lifted Oliver to my shoulder and rubbed his back, kissing his cheek every so often. He left out a burp that satisfied me so I repositioned him in my arms and reached for the bottle that I'd put next to me in my haste to wind Oliver.
I looked up and saw Edward holding it, offering it to me and I took it with a smile and a quiet 'thank you.' Oliver swallowed the rest of the bottle and smiled contently as I quickly winded him again. I heard Edward clear his throat and looked towards him with a smile.
"Would I be able to hold Oliver?" My eyebrows raised at his request. He wanted to hold Oliver? If I let him there wasn't anywhere he could go and take him right? We were in a house. It was safe right? I breathed out and nodded slowly. If he looked even a little suspicious I'd snatch Oliver out of his arms and run the hell out of here.
I slowly passed Oliver over to Edward, who gathered him into his arms and smiled down at him. Evie came and sat in my lap for a cuddle and started showing me her teddies. I tried to concentrate on why the purple bear was better than the blue one but I was focused on Edward and how he looked with my son in his arms.
It was the sweetest sight I'd ever seen and it really hit home that Oliver had no male figures in his life. Edward lifted Oliver and sat him up on his knees facing him before starting to talk to him.
"You're a gorgeous little boy you know. You really are. And you're so playful and adorable. Look at that little smile. I love it and look it's for me. Am I making you smile Ollie? That's what Evie calls you, Ollie. I think it suits you." Oliver gurgled at Edward who nodded like Oliver had replied to him. "I'm glad you agree. I'm going to start calling you Ollie too."
He brought Oliver up to his shoulder and started whispering to him. "Little Ollie." He murmured quietly.
I looked down at Evie curled up in my lap with my arms securely round her. She had her little thumb in her mouth and was completely content to quietly play with her teddy.
Is this what it felt like to be a part of a family unit? It felt peaceful, comfortable. I had desired this kind of feeling for a long time, ever since I found out that I was pregnant. Maybe even before. But now that I was feeling this way in the house of a man that I had met two days previously, while I was holding his daughter and he was holding my son, it was freaking me out.
What the hell was going on with me?
So what do you think? I'm really struggling with not moving things too quickly so let me know how I'm doing? Please? Thanks for all your support and love guys.
