Chapter 7

"Bella, what the hell is taking you so long in there?" Mike yelled through the door.

"Uh nothing, I'm just putting my things away!" I said back in a rushed voice, scrambling to gather the test and box that it came out of and shoving in my monthly supply box of tampons, a place I knew he would never look.

I heard the handle on the door jangle and his fist pound on it again, but I knew that it wouldn't budge because the door was locked. "Nothing doesn't need the door to be locked, what the hell are you hiding in there?" I could hear the anger in his voice slowly starting to simmer with his new coming irritation. I did a double to make sure that there wasn't anything out of place or anything to set off his fiery temper. I opened the door with a quick whoosh feeling slightly winded and my heart beating like a drum and try to make my face look calm and neutral.

"What are you trying to hide in there?" Mike asked looking very skeptically at me and then looking over my shoulder in to the bathroom.

"Nothing." I said, my voice sounding too high pitched and my palms beginning to moisten.

"Don't lie to me Bella," Mike warned, I know that tone, which was the slight calm before the storm tone. "I don't like to be lied to, you know that."

"I know, and I'm not lying…I'm just not feeling to well, I think it may have been something that I ate. I only locked the door just in case I got sick, because I know that you don't like it." I knew I sounded barely believable, especially with the tremble I could hear clearly in my voice.

"Mm hm, well if you would improve on cooking and stop cooking these shoddy hit or miss meals every night maybe you wouldn't be getting sick." He grumbled as he pushed his way into the bathroom, unzipping his pants and peeing without another word. As he zipped up and flushed the toilet he turned to me, while pumping soap out of the dispenser to wash his hands. He stared at me to the point of where I couldn't stand his penetrating gaze and I had to turn my head and look elsewhere. As I was looking off I noticed a small white rectangular sheet of paper on the floor. Oh shit! I thought, it was the receipt from the store. I thought I was so careful to make sure I had put everything away, I could feel myself really getting sick to the stomach now.

"Bella did you hear me talking to you?" Mike snapped at me bringing me out of my mental fog and self-chastisement.

"I'm sorry…" I trailed off not really knowing what else to say but trying my best to focus on his face or something else in the bathroom other than specific spot on the floor, just so he wouldn't notice it.

"What are you staring off into space about girl" I could tell that his anger was really beginning to rise when he grabbed my chin with a tight grip. "When I'm talking you, you need to give me your undivided attention at all times, understood?" He growled.

I let out a mumbled response and nodded my head yes. "Good, now like I was saying, If I found out that you're lying to me or if I even feel like you are lying to me that's going to be your ass." And with that he released my chin and left the bathroom more than likely finish his wrestling program leaving me a shaking trembling mess not even waiting for me to give a response.

I went and picked up the receipt off of the floor tore it into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet and then flushing again after that to make sure nothing floated back up. I began my nightly routine of showering, shaving and brushing my teeth, I have to make sure to shave every day because Mike absolutely hates the feeling of stubble when lying in bed at night or when he feels that I need to live up to my wifely duties. Wifely duties, that is something that I absolutely hate because he is so inconsiderate when in bed as long as he gets off in the process it doesn't matter how I feel. Sometimes I would rather him hit me than make me sleep with him. Mike is the first man I have ever had any sexual experiences with, except for my first kiss he was my first everything. And to this day I have never been satisfied, I have never even had an orgasm, to me it's just some mythical thing that I read about in romance novels. As I was washing the shampoo out of my hair a new thought formed in my head.

I wonder what Edward is like in bed, is he sweet and considerate and giving, or is he selfish and uncaring like Mike. As I applied the conditioner to my hair I let my imagination roam free and conjure up all kinds of thoughts of my favorite green pair of eyes that I didn't realize I was so desperate to see. I could see his piercing eyes penetrating me, him licking his moist lips primed to claim my mouth…oh…I've never been so affected or physically excited by a man I've only had one conversation with in passing.

It's been a while since I've Edward since the day he came by to use the phone, I guess he must be spending a lot of his time working shifts at the hospital and getting settled into his new house and also getting hang of where everything is around here. Realizing that I have spent enough time letting my imagination roam free I rinse my hair and quickly get out of the shower. I put on my pajamas and go and check on the boys one last time before I go to bed. Looking at their sweet innocent faces I know how much I love them and know that they're the only things that get me through each day.

They also remind me of what is currently growing in my stomach as I make that short walk back my bedroom. Another baby, this can't be happening again, I don't know what I'm going to do. If Mike finds out he's going to not only hit the roof but me as well…pregnant or not. As I reach our bedroom I can see the silhouette of Mike's form sleeping in the bed, I reach my side and climb as gently as I can into bed so to not disturb him. Lying there trying to force myself to go to sleep all I see is,

Yes Pregnant

Yes Pregnant

Yes Pregnant

The phrase was like a never-ending loop in my head, I try to think of anything that could possibly give those results. Counting in my head I come up with the possibility that with stress maybe my period is completely out of order, or simply because those tests are not 100% effective and it could be a false positive…God, please let it be a false positive I pleaded with the Big Man upstairs. I didn't make it to church on a regular basis or often, but I did make it there when I could. I fell into a fitful sleep that night wishing, praying and hoping that I really wasn't pregnant even though deep down I knew that I was pregnancy test and classic symptoms or not.

I woke up the next morning not really knowing how to feel, my emotions were all over the place happy, sad, excited, and mad, but overall the biggest emotion that I felt was fear. Fear of what was to come, by bringing this child into the world but into an unhappy and miserable home whose father would never love him or her and never show them any kind of affection. Mike already complained enough about money, and with a new mouth to feed, and mountains on top of mountains of diapers I know for a fact that he will not be happy about this.

Pushing all of my weary thoughts aside I got up and got dressed so I could get breakfast started, Mike woke up the usual grouch that he was grunting and mumbling the whole way through breakfast, gave me his daily warning and he was off to work. Finally that weight was lifted off of my shoulders for the next few hours. I spent a little extra time in the kitchen than I normally did waiting to see if I could catch a glimpse at my green eyed obsession. After about 45 minutes of stalling around the kitchen and wiping the countertop down with Lysol I finally catch a glimpse of him.

It looks like he's just now getting in, funny I didn't hear his car pull into the garage or the driveway. I must have really been trapped in my own thoughts, not to hear his car coming in. Both of our kitchens face each other, I can only see him from the mid-chest and up, he's so graceful as he walks around his kitchen. He takes a glass out of the cupboard and pours himself a glass of water and walks over to his coffee machine to make some coffee. And then sooner than what I prefer he walks out of view into the rest of his house. That was one of the most peaceful yet exhilarating five minutes that I have had in years awake or asleep.

Why does this man fascinate me so much? I asked myself as I walked through the living room and to the sliding doors that lead out to the backyard. I've been in the presence of many men and none of the have ever had this kind of effect on me, none of them have ever had any kind of effect on me it's just so strange to me. I walk outside into the backyard to check on the few plants that I have out here and to water them and also to pick up the boys toys and what not. As I am asking myself these questions and watering my plants I don't realize the tall dark figure that is leaning on the fence that keeps our backyards separate.

"Morning neighbor." I hear a deep voice say to me that shocks me so bad that I drop my watering can to the ground.

"I…um..morning..hi. Good." I struggle to get out my response, which in turn makes him give a deep and hearty chuckle. Goodness that's the sexiest thing I have ever heard. What? Where the hell did that come from? I'm a married woman for goodness sake! Get it together Bella!

Goodness that man, he is so handsome. The fence only covers him from the waist up, but what little bit that I can see he's wearing some simple black slacks with a sliver buckle belt, a well fitted white button down shirt, about two days' worth of stubble and imperfectly perfect messy bronze hair. The man is walking perfection; I bet he has women drooling all over him and at his feet.

"I usually come out here every chance that I get when I come home from work and take in the view before I go to bed before my night shift." He explained

"Oh, really? I never noticed" I say truthfully.

"Yeah, you can't really see me because the lounger I usually sit on is so low to the ground," he chuckles again. "Anyway I saw you watering your plants on my way out here and I just wanted to thank you again for the coffee and for letting me use your phone."

"Oh you don't have to thank me, it was my pleasure." I say shyly in a quiet voice.

He has a small smirk on his face the he's trying to hide miserably, and in a strong yet quiet voice he says, "No Bella, no the pleasure was definitely all mine," as he stares deep into my eyes, our eyes are locked together and it seems more like hours instead of minutes. Then the incessant sound of his cell phone begins to chirp and breaks his stare as he looks down at his phone I see the crease form on his forehead. He looks up at smiles with a crooked smirk and a twinkle in his eye. "Duty calls. Until next time, Bella." I like the way my name rolls off of his tongue.

He turns around and walks back into his house closing his sliding door, I look around me at my forgotten watering can, picking it up to failing to continue with the watering of my plants. I had two thoughts that immediately crossed my mind 1. I take back what I said in the kitchen, what just happened was the most peaceful and exhilarating moment of my life and 2. I need to find some excuses to come to the backyard more often in the mornings.

- I know I know, I bet a lot of you are asking where the hell have I been...but I'm really and truly sorry guys but real life calls and sometimes you have to put everything else on hold and take care of what is important. I promise I will try to be better and try to balance it all, but please just bear with me and I will try my best to get you all updated with new chapters as often as I can.