A/N Please make sure to visit the group on Facebook. You can find teasers for upcoming chapters and a lot of interesting theories regarding Esme's behavior.
I'm really, really sorry for not replying to your reviews for the previous chapter, but I promise I read them all, like I always do. They were very much appreciated!
Sorry for any spelling errors that might have escaped my notice when editing. My beta and pre-reader always do an amazing job, so they're all mine.
Chapter 22
Isabella Pov
~ June 15th, 2012 ~
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The impact was so sudden that I didn't even have time to react and hit the breaks. The car shook violently before spinning in a half-circle, and a deafening thud echoed in my ears as metal crashed against metal.
It all happened in a matter of seconds.
One moment I was watching the road ahead and listening to Celine Dion sing about the power of love, and the other I was going through the shock of my life. The collision triggered the airbags, and I was jolted forward, my face hitting the cushiony material as my knees came in contact with the lower part of the dashboard.
I moaned in pain, my legs suddenly going numb as the airbag began deflating as quickly as it had inflated. Thin dust particles penetrated the air as an acrid smell made its presence known, and I started coughing, forcing myself to lean back against the seat.
I could hear Edward call my name from beside me, but I was too shocked to react right away. I just sat there, breathing heavily and staring at the still intact windshield with wide blank eyes.
My first errant thought was that my parents had died in a car crash. I could still visualize their totaled Chevy lying on the side of the road and the traces of blood and broken glass all over the gray asphalt. I hadn't slept for weeks after the accident; horrible nightmares plaguing my restless slumber and making the ache in my chest grow with each passing night.
And now, almost seven years later, it was happening to me. My hands flew to my stomach automatically; the mere possibility of losing the baby made me want to scream from the top of my lungs.
My reaction at finding out I was pregnant hadn't been a positive one. I had been angry at myself for missing the pills and scared for what the future had in store for me. But after days of trying to cope with the idea and actually seeing the baby during the ultrasound, this pregnancy was actually growing on me.
I never thought I would ever feel the way I felt when I heard the faint heartbeat for the first time. That little thing growing inside of me was actually real and it was the result of the love Edward and I shared. How could I not love it when I could barely tear my eyes away from the monitor? It was mine. It was a part of me as much as it was a part of Edward. We had actually created another human being that was going to depend on us for many years to come.
It was our baby. Ours.
Looking down, I checked for any traces of blood that could indicate a spontaneous miscarriage. The simple thought was frightening, and I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed that my jeans weren't presenting any red stains. Tentatively, I pressed lightly around my stomach to look for painful spots, but there weren't any. I was in the clear. At least for now.
"Isabella!" Edward called again, his voice distressed. "Isabella, are you okay? What's wrong? Is it your stomach? Does it hurt?"
"No, no, I just…" I trailed off, glancing over at him. He was staring at me, wearing a horrified expression. "I'm fine."
"Are you sure you're not hurt?" he stressed.
I nodded, my throat suddenly feeling extremely dry. "I hit my knees against the dashboard and my right wrist is kind of sore, but other than that I'm fine."
"Let me see," he said, reaching over to take my hand in his. The area around the wrist was already starting to swell, and I frowned, gently pulling my hand back.
"I'll be fine," I reassured him, although it was really starting to hurt. "How about you? Are you hurt?"
"No," he replied quietly, but his gaze was now focused on the other driver who was just getting out of his car.
I sighed, going back to examining my wrist and wondering whether I had broken a bone or it was just a sprain. All of a sudden, the passenger door opened and Edward bolted out, heading for the one responsible for the accident. I watched stunned as he drew his fist back and hit the other guy straight in the nose, causing him to double over his damaged car. Letting out a gasp, I forced the driver's door open and got out as fast as I could.
"Edward, cut it out!" I yelled, running over to them. My hand and knees hurt like hell, but I ignored the pain the best I could.
One eyewitness had quickly stepped in and was holding back a struggling Edward while an old woman was making sure the other driver was alright. She helped him up in a standing position, and I saw that his nose was bleeding.
He was young, probably no more than twenty, had a bright-red Mohawk on top of his head, black stud earrings in each of his ears and three ring piercings in his right brow. His car was an expensive looking forest-green Camaro that actually looked less damaged than Edward's BMW.
We were in an intersection, and it seemed like he had run a red light and crashed into us.
"I'm sorry!" he lamented, holding his nose and glancing in Edward's direction apprehensively. "I'm so sorry, man, but I didn't even see the red light."
"You didn't…" Edward breathed incredulously before launching at him once again. The man holding him back tightened his grip on his arms as he began whispering furiously in his ear, probably trying to appease him.
In the ten months I had known him, I had never seen Edward act so violently and I had to confess it was a scary sight. He was out-of-his-mind angry.
"How can you fucking say you didn't see the red light?" he spat. "Are you fucking blind?"
The guy shook his head, accepting the blue handkerchief the old lady was offering him. "I don't know man… I was looking for my phone and I got distracted for a moment."
"You got distracted?" Edward yelled outraged, his green eyes blazing. "I'll show you fucking distracted. You could have killed all of us!"
This was getting out of control, and I knew I had to step in. Approaching Edward carefully, I placed a hand on his shoulder, getting his attention.
"Edward, let it go," I said softly. "It happened and there's nothing you can do about it now."
"He could have harmed you and the baby and you're asking me to let go?" he sneered at me before redirecting his glare to the unfortunate receiver of his wrath. "I'm going to make you pay for this, boy," he threatened, pointing a finger at him menacingly.
"Okay, come on," I said, grabbing his hand and starting to pull him away. He refused to budge, and I pulled harder. "Come on, I said!"
When we were on the driver's side of the BMW, I looked up at him sternly. "You need to calm the hell down, alright? He didn't mean it. It could have happened to anyone. Let's be grateful the outcome wasn't worse."
His jaw set, and I could tell he was trying hard not to take his anger out on me.
"You're telling me I should be grateful that he ran into us at 30mph instead of 50?" he asked in a low voice, and I noted that he was pressing his hand to his back. "And it is his fucking fault. He should've paid attention to the road instead of looking for his phone. I swear I could kill that punk with my bare hands."
"What's wrong with your back?" I asked worried.
"It hurts," he replied quietly, his brow furrowing. "I think I pulled a muscle."
Just then, an elderly man wearing glasses and a black fedora approached us.
"Excuse me," he said, clearing his throat.
We both looked at him questioningly.
"Yes?" Edward replied gruffly.
"I'm one of the eyewitnesses and I just wanted to let you know that I already called 911. They're on their way. Also, I noticed that your wife seems hurt, so they're going to send an ambulance as well."
For a moment, I had almost forgotten about my sore wrist. Risking a peak at my knees, I saw that the jeans I was wearing were stained with blood which meant I had some pretty nasty injuries.
"Thank you, sir," I said softly. "We appreciate it."
"No problem." He turned around to leave.
"Sir?" Edward called after him, stopping him in his tracks.
"Yeah?"
"Could you stay until the police arrive? They're probably going to need your testimony."
"Sure." The man nodded. "I'll be over there with my daughter."
Edward let out a heavy sigh, but almost immediately his face contorted in pain and he pressed his hand harder against his lower back.
"Edward…" I started to say, getting really worried about him.
"Don't worry about me," he cut me off gently as if reading my mind. "The pain will be gone by tomorrow. Are you sure the baby's okay?"
"He's fine," I said, giving Edward an unconvincing smile. Deep inside, I was scared that the possibility of losing him still existed.
"Luckily for us, your car is like a small tank and we got away with just a few minor injuries and a sprained wrist." As I spoke, my gaze was drawn to the other driver who was now sitting on the sidewalk, still clutching his broken nose with the borrowed handkerchief. I almost felt bad for him. "But I think you hit that guy pretty badly."
Edward huffed, not even bothering to look his way. "He deserved it, and I couldn't give a fuck about him." Then his expression softened as he placed his hands on my stomach. "Maybe you should give Dr. Clark a call just in case."
I nodded, silently agreeing with him. "I'll call her later if that's what you want."
"It'll give me peace of mind if you call her now," he insisted, staring at me intensely.
"I can't believe we just left her office fifteen minutes ago and then this happened," I muttered under my breath as I opened the door and got my bag from the backseat.
Dr. Clark answered on the second ring. She had given me her personal number for emergencies and sounded surprised to hear from me so soon. At hearing the news, her tone changed from politely-nice to consternate. She said the baby was still in danger and advised me to go get checked ASAP. Unfortunately, I had been her last appointment and she wasn't at the office anymore, but she recommended visiting the ER that very evening.
Just as I was hanging up, the ambulance arrived, followed by the police a minute later. A tall, blonde paramedic took care of my knee injuries as his partner examined the mohawk guy's broken nose. My jeans were cut from mid-thigh, and I was more then relieved to see that I wasn't bleeding anymore and the wounds weren't as bad as I had initially thought. However, my wrist was another thing entirely. It was now alarmingly swollen and the paramedic suspected it was more than just a sprain.
The other paramedic, a short woman with dark hair, offered to take a look at Edward's back but he stubbornly refused, saying he was alright. In a gruff voice, he told her I was pregnant and that I had to be taken to the ER, so they needed to concentrate their attention on me, not on him. I was about to argue when a policeman tapped him on the shoulder, asking to speak with him.
By the time we made it to the hospital, an hour had passed since the accident. For some reason unknown to me, I was placed in a wheelchair and rushed to the second floor for an OB examination and an X-ray for my wrist. Before parting ways, Edward kissed me on the forehead and I pleaded with him to let a doctor examine the extent of his back injury.
Just as a male nurse pushed my wheelchair out of the elevator, we ran into James who was holding a chart. He did a double take when he saw me, his brown eyes lingering on my bandaged knees.
"Bella?" he said, looking flabbergasted. "What happened?"
"Car crash," the male nurse replied hurriedly. "They need to perform an ultrasound and see if the baby's okay."
James blanched. "Baby? What baby? You're pregnant?"
"You can talk to her later." The nurse continued pushing the wheelchair with determination in his steps. "I have to take her to OB."
About forty minutes later, I was sitting on a stiff examination table, looking down at my brand new cast and waiting for the doctor to return and give me the okay to go home. I frowned, not liking how things had turned out. My knee injuries were going to take a while to heal, I had a broken hand which was disabling to some extent, and I had the mother of all headaches but at least the baby was fine.
It could have been worse, was the mantra I was repeating in my head over and over as I tried to lift my own mood.
The door opened and Angela poked her head inside, relief flooding her features when she saw me.
"Dr. Hall told me you were here," she said, rushing over to give me a bear hug. She was wearing light pink scrubs and white nursing shoes. "What the hell happened?"
I told her the story, and by the time I was done, she was perched up beside me on the examination table, holding my left hand.
"But the baby's okay, right?" she inquired tentatively, stealing a glance at my stomach.
I nodded, squeezing her hand. "Yeah, he's still there. For a moment I was really scared that I'd lost him."
She smiled at me warmly. "You've got mommy instincts; that's a good thing. Is Edward here with you?"
"I think he's downstairs, waiting for me."
She was about to say something else when the door opened again and a female nurse stepped inside. "Angela, Dr. Ahmed needs you in room 204."
"I'm coming," she said, getting up and leaning down to kiss my cheek in a very un-Angela fashion. "I'll see you at home, okay?"
She left, and I went back to staring at my ugly cast. When I heard the door creak open for the third time, I was expecting to see my doctor, but instead, my eyes met those of James.
"You shouldn't be here," I said, feeling anxious about being alone in the same room with him.
He stood with his arms folded, his expression neutral. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."
"I'm fine," I replied harshly. "You can go now."
Thinking about Edward's reaction if he ever found out that James had me practically cornered in a small hospital room made me cringe. A broken nose was nothing compared to what he was capable of doing to James if he didn't keep his distance.
"Did the fetus survive?" he asked quietly, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Yes," I replied in a clipped voice, wishing he would go away already. Really, the man was worse than scabies; the harder you tried to get rid of him, the more viciously he clung to you.
He sighed, shaking his head and tracing his lower lip with his thumb. "So, how far along are you?"
"It's none of your business, now is it? Can you please leave? If Edward finds out you're here, he'll…"
"He'll what?" James cut me off abruptly, his entire demeanor changing. "What is he going to do to me, huh?"
"You'd better not test his patience, James," I warned. "I'm telling you this for your own good."
He huffed, scrunching his nose as if my warning disgusted him. "I'm not afraid of your boyfriend."
"You'd better be, because trust me when I tell you that you really don't want to be on the receiving end of his anger," I retorted bravely, arching an eyebrow at him.
He chuckled darkly, his next words sending chills down my spine. "No, Bella. Trust me when I tell you that if that fucker wants to mess with me, he doesn't know what's coming to him. I was just trying to make you open your eyes and see him for who he really is, but you're as blind as a bat. Now I guess it's too late for you to turn back. Maybe you do deserve him, just like Tatiana deserved what happened to her for not listening to me. Have a good night."
With that, he spun around abruptly and left the room, leaving me alone to my thoughts once again.
~~ 0 ~~
The next morning, I woke up to the nasty urge to expel the previous night's dinner. I barely had time to reach the toilet before I started vomiting like never before. In the last couple of days, the morning sickness had really started to kick in, and I hated it. Not only did the smallest of efforts leave me utterly fatigued, but now I had to deal with puke too. It was gross and I had to admit to myself that being pregnant kind of sucked. I refused to even think about how I was going to deal with the other symptoms.
After brushing my teeth, I made my way to the kitchen to fix myself breakfast and a cup of tea. I had given up coffee since finding out I was pregnant, and the lack of caffeine in my life only served to make me grumpier than I already was in the mornings.
When I was done with my Spanish omelet and mint tea, I set to making Edward's breakfast. It was kind of hard to work with only one hand, but I somehow managed to make do.
I made him the same thing, a large Spanish omelet, but instead of tea, he was getting a mug of delicious, reinvigorating coffee. Just looking at the coffee pot made me drool, and I couldn't help sampling the dark, rich liquid before bringing it to him. I made a face at the bitter taste, not getting how he could stand drinking his coffee black.
As I stepped into my bedroom that was still very much encased in darkness despite the late hour, I saw that Edward was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the door. He was bent forward, his hands holding his back as he muttered obscenities under his breath. Placing his mug on the nightstand, I rushed to his side.
"Edward, what is it?" I asked in concern.
"My back hurts," he gritted through clenched teeth.
I sighed heavily, reigning in the urge to scold him for refusing to let a doctor see him. He could be so damn stubborn sometimes…
"Do you want me to give you a massage or something?"
"Would you?" he said, looking up at me pleadingly.
"Of course I would, silly." I smiled, brushing some hair from his forehead and kissing his lips softly. "Lie on your stomach and I'll get the body lotion."
When I came back from the bathroom with the bottle of lotion, he was lying in the position I had requested with his arms folded under his chin.
"Any symptoms yet?" he inquired, referring to what the doctor had told me the other night in ER; if I experienced any unusual symptoms like severe cramps or bleeding, I was to go back immediately.
"No," I assured him, straddling his waist. "Where does it hurt?"
"Here." He pointed to his lower back, his voice strained, and I squirted some lotion in my palm, setting to work.
The second my hands touched him, he began complaining. "Ow, ow, ow. Fucking hell, Isabella!"
"What?" I asked, stopping what I was doing at once.
"Don't press so hard, goddammit, it hurts like hell."
"Hey, don't lash out at me," I said, scowling. "It's not my fault you hit your back. I'm not the one who caused the accident."
"You're right. I'm sorry, but the pain is really intense."
"I barely touched you, Edward. You're going to need to see a chiropractor."
I got off of him, and he rolled onto his back, grimacing as he did so.
"And where do I find one that works on weekends?"
"I'll search the net. Or better yet, you could call Jasper and ask if he knows someone."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," he agreed. "Can you hand me my phone, please?"
Fishing his pants from my desk chair, I dug into one of the pockets and gave him his iPhone. Leaving him to his conversation with his younger brother, I went back to the kitchen to make some toast for his omelet. When I returned to the bedroom with a steaming plate and a couple of Advils, he was staring at the ceiling, his arms at his sides.
"Did you talk to him?" I inquired, setting the plate on the nightstand. "What did he say?"
"He knows someone who works on weekends and holidays, but I need an appointment to see him. Jasper asked for a favor and he was able to squeeze me in tomorrow at two."
"Will you make it until then?"
He shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "I don't know."
"Here, take these," I said, helping him up and handing him the pills along with the mug of coffee.
In the following hours, things only got worse. By the time three o'clock rolled around, the pain had extended to his legs and Edward was getting desperate. He had me call Jasper, who arrived at my apartment shortly after four with Alice in tow.
"Hey, guys, come on in," I greeted them at the door, stepping aside to let them pass.
"Where's the patient?" Jasper asked playfully, looking around with an air of curiosity.
"He's in my room," I said, giving Alice a warm hug. "Follow me."
"Hey, big bro. You look like hell," Jasper observed, placing his messenger bag on the bed next to him and taking in his surroundings briefly.
Edward frowned at his brother. "And I feel like hell too. I'm going to pass out if you don't do something to lessen the pain."
"Well, I called John again and he said to buy this cream. It's supposed to help with the pain," Jasper said, digging into his bag and taking out a white tub. "Did you say the pain spread to your buttocks and legs in the last couple of hours?"
"Yeah."
He sighed. "I'm no expert on this, but it seems like you have a herniated disk."
"What does that mean?" I asked, and Jasper turned to look at me, his gaze landing on my cast for the first time.
"Your backbone is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. In between them are soft disks filled with a jelly-like substance. These disks cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. A herniated disk is a disk that slips out of place or ruptures. If it presses on a nerve, it can cause back pain or sciatica which is pain felt in the lower back, buttock, or various parts of the leg and foot," he explained then nodded towards my hand. "How long do you have to wear that?"
I shrugged. "A few weeks."
"Will I need surgery?" Edward wanted to know, his expression now somber.
Jasper redirected his attention to him. "I don't know. Most minor herniations heal within a few weeks, but severe herniations may require surgical intervention, yes."
"Great," he muttered, sinking further into his pillow.
"So how did it happen?" Alice asked from where she was leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded over her chest.
"Some idiot ran a red light and crashed right into us," Edward replied as Jasper helped him take off his t-shirt and turn onto his stomach.
Alice nodded, her gaze sliding over to me. "Is the baby okay?"
I gave her a small smile. "Yeah, the ambulance rushed me straight to the emergency room. After being checked out, they gave me the okay to go home, but told me to watch for any abnormal symptoms like bleeding and cramping."
"Congrats on the pregnancy, by the way," Jasper said, ignoring a grumbling Edward as he spread the cream all over his lower back. "My brother is going to make an amazing dad."
"I know," I replied, gazing at Edward lovingly.
I still had my doubts as to whether I would make a good mother or not, but Edward… he was definitely going to be a great father, one who was going to completely dedicate himself to his children. And for me, that was one of his best qualities that made him more than a suitable parent and life partner. Because whether we wanted it or not, this child was going to unite us for the rest of our lives, no matter the nature of our personal relationship.
Sensing the opportunity to get Alice alone for a few minutes, I offered to make lemonade and asked her to join me in the kitchen.
As I set to cut a few lemons into halves, I asked nonchalantly, my back to her, "So, how's Esme?"
I heard her sigh. Then she walked over to me and hopped up on the countertop beside me. "Well, she's seen better days."
I looked up at her. "What do you mean?"
"She fell into some sort of depression slash mental instability. One day she's moping around and refusing to see anyone and the next she starts organizing huge dinner parties to which all of her friends are invited. And God forbid anyone from the family doesn't attend those dinner parties. Last Sunday she even picked on me for wearing a dress she didn't like. She said it looked cheap. I mean, it's happened before, but this time she was almost violent about it. I'm telling you, the woman is slowly but surely going mental."
"Does Edward know all this?" I said, trying to absorb this new piece of information.
"I don't think anyone told him. We even avoided telling Esme about your car crash because we have no idea how she's going to react. Carlisle suggested seeing a therapist, but she refused. "
I put the knife down, angling my body towards her. "Do you think we should tell Edward?"
"I don't know, Bella. Maybe it's just an act on her part. Maybe she wants us to tell Edward about how much worse her situation has gotten so he will rush to her aid."
"You think she's capable of that?" I asked apprehensively.
"Oh yeah," she replied, sounding pretty sure. "Esme's extremely manipulative."
"If you say so," I retorted, going back to making lemonade. Deep in my heart, the seeds of doubt were just being planted.
What if? I asked myself.
What if she really is sick and needs our help?
~~ 0 ~~
The following week, Edward decided to take a few days off from work. The pain had somewhat subsided after his appointment on Sunday, but he was unable to remain in a sitting position for more than half an hour or so before the pain started to spread to his buttocks and legs. Luckily, he didn't need surgery, but his recuperation was going to take a few weeks, just as Jasper had said.
I had also taken time off from my job at the bookstore to take care of him. The first two days of the week we spent at his place, reading in bed, watching TV and going for short walks. On Wednesday, a problem occurred with one of his important clients, ruining our plans for his birthday. Since he had to go to the office and his car was still in the auto shop, I drove him before making my way to The Oriental. Driving with a cast was a bit difficult, but I managed pretty well. Kate was surprised to see me, but gladly accepted my help with stocking up the shelves.
Four hours later, I decided that Edward had put in enough work time for the day. Leaving Kate to her newest lecture, I climbed into my car and drove back to the imposing building holding the Cullen and sons offices. I parked the Volvo across the street then made my way inside, heading straight for the reception area. I felt excited at being there for the first time, and the blinding smile the brunette receptionist gave me as she directed me to the 38th floor, only served to brighten my mood.
I wanted to surprise Edward, so I hadn't told him that I was going to pick him up for lunch. The ride to the 38th floor took longer than I had expected, sharp-looking businessman after businessman stepping in and out the elevator every few seconds. Some of them gave me curious looks, making me feel a bit self-conscious about myself as I was dressed pretty casually in jeans, a peach-colored top and gold sandals.
Once on the right floor, I took a left as instructed and passed through a long hallway before reaching a set of double glass doors. I opened them, walking past what seemed to be a waiting room before reaching an empty desk. I frowned, looking around and noticing two other doors.
All of a sudden, one of the two doors opened and an attractive red-head wearing white stilettos and a too short, tight-fitting black dress emerged. She gave me the once over, her scarlet lips puckering as she did so.
So this was Edward's assistant. I felt the green-eyed monster rear its ugly head as I took her in. She was simply beautiful with legs a mile long, soft curly hair that reached past her shoulders and large green eyes adorned by black eyeliner.
How the hell was he able to concentrate on work with her around?
Realizing I was staring, I cleared my throat, forcing a tight smile on my lips. "Hello. I'm here to see Mr. Cullen."
"Do you have an appointment?" she said indifferently, sitting at her desk.
"Uh, no, I'm…" I began to say, but a deep, male voice cut me off.
"She's his girlfriend."
I spun around to see Emmett standing a few feet away. He was dressed in a navy-blue suit that made him look even larger and more intimidating than he already was, and my heart started beating frantically.
Oh, I was so screwed…
"Emmett, hi," I said quietly, desperately wishing that Edward would materialize beside me that very instant.
He stared at me, his face impassive as he buried his hands into his pants' pockets. Then his dark eyes dropped to my stomach where they lingered for a moment before moving to the cast on my right hand. "Edward's not here," he said, looking back up. "He and Dad went out for lunch about an hour ago."
"Oh." I clutched my oversized bag between my nervous hands, taking a step forward. "I guess I'll be leaving then."
He was practically blocking my path, so I waited for him to move aside or leave. But he did neither. Instead, he cocked his head to the side as he stared at me some more.
"Jessica's been asking about you," he said, his tone neutral.
I had no idea what to reply to that, so I just kept my mouth shut.
Then he spun on his heels abruptly, adding over his shoulder as le left, "You can wait in his office if you'd like. They should be back soon."
Okay, I thought to myself as I stared after him dumbfounded … that was different.
"Can I get you anything while you wait?" Victoria asked, now displaying a fake smile. "Tea, coffee, water?"
I returned a fake smile of my own. "I would like some tea, please."
She stood, leading me towards Edward's office and ushering me inside. As she closed the door behind me, I looked around curiously. The room was spacious with beige walls and a dark-brown carpet covering the floor. Facing away from the large windows overlooking the city was a large ebony desk paired with a black leather desk chair. On the other side of the desk, there were two bright-red armchairs with an intricate oriental pattern; the only colorful objects in the room. On the left wall resided long bookshelves from the same ebony wood as the desk, while to my right there was a comfortable-looking leather couch.
Setting my bag down on the couch, I made my way to the windows and gazed outside, admiring the view. Then I took a seat in Edward's chair and began inspecting the objects lying on the desk. There was an open file, an expensive-looking pen, his computer, a half-eaten muffin lying on a saucer, a stapler and a stack of yellow post-it notes. Next to the post-its was a blue coffee mug, and upon a closer examination, I saw that it had a black and white picture of Edward and Jessica printed on it. Underneath the picture, happy 35th birthday, Uncle Eddie, was written in small white letters.
But what really got my attention was a picture of us taken in Prague. I picked up the silver frame and couldn't help but smile. We looked so happy.
Just then, the door opened and Victoria stepped in carrying a mug. I put the frame in its previous spot and accepted the tea she was offering. Her eyes met the photo and she smiled at me in what was supposed to be a friendly manner. But I wasn't fooled. I could feel the antipathy rolling off of her in waves.
"It is funny how just before last week Mr. Cullen never mentioned you. Have you been together long?"
"Four months actually, but we've known each other longer than that," I replied, stirring sugar into my tea and keeping eye contact.
"So, I hear you're pregnant. Congratulations," she went on, leaning with her palm against the edge of the desk.
"Thanks," I said, taking a sip of the warm liquid. Thinking of how hot it was outside made me regret that I hadn't asked for ice-tea instead or just water.
She lingered, looking as if she was tempted to dig for more info, but decided against it. "Well, enjoy your tea. I'll be outside if you need me."
When I was alone again, I got up and began inspecting the room more closely. I found a hidden closet and inside it a couple of button-down shirts, a few ties and a gray suit.
One door I hadn't seen before piqued my curiosity and behind it I discovered a small bathroom. It even had a shower cabin, and I looked around in awe, suddenly understanding why Edward spent so much time at work. He could easily live in this office. He could even sleep on the couch if he ever felt like it. Not to mention that being in close proximity to his hot, supermodel assistant was the cherry on top of the cake.
Just as I was coming out of the bathroom, Edward showed up. He smiled when he saw me but wasn't surprised to find me there. Victoria had obviously alerted him of my presence.
"Isabella, what are you doing here?" he inquired, leaning down to brush my lips with his.
"I wanted to take you out for lunch since it's your birthday and all, but it looks like your father beat me to it," I said, returning the smile.
"Yeah, we met with a client. Have you been here long?"
"About fifteen minutes or so. Emmett said I could wait for you here."
His brow furrowed. "Emmett?"
"Yeah. He was oddly…" I paused, searching for the right word, "…polite to me."
"Interesting," he murmured as if to himself. Then he placed his hand on my stomach and rubbed gently. "So how's little button doing?"
"Little button?" I chuckled.
He grinned. "You saw the ultrasound. He's the size of a button."
"He's fine, making his mommy sick at the most inopportune of times," I said, covering his hand with mine. "How's your back?"
He sighed, shaking his head. "Pretty much the same."
"Poor you," I murmured, rising on my tiptoes to give him another kiss. "So what should we do for your birthday?"
"I just want to go home, drink some of that scotch you got me and later have a nice home-cooked dinner and maybe a hot bath."
"Sounds good to me."
I wanted to ask him if Esme had called to wish him a happy birthday, but refrained. She probably hadn't and wouldn't so there was no point bringing her up. Knowing Esme, I could bet that before I had entered Edward's life she had used to plan chic birthday parties for him. But that wasn't the case anymore and the thought made me quite sad.
~~ 0 ~~
Two weeks after the crash, on a beautiful Saturday at the end of June, I was finally moving in with Edward. Angela and Edward's doorman, Peter, helped us carry my luggage upstairs, and a few hours later, the evidence of my moving in could be found in almost every room of the spacious condo. We celebrated by clinking a glass of champagne –orange juice for me- and although Angela was visibly sad about losing me as a roommate, we both knew Ben was going to be taking my place in no time at all.
That night, as Edward worked in his study, Susan came. I was craving chocolate chip cookies, so she offered to make them for me. We chatted animatedly as I helped her with dinner, and by the time she was ready to leave, Kate was announcing her arrival.
We had invited my aunt over for dinner to celebrate both my new home and the pregnancy, and she had gladly accepted. It had been Edward's idea, and I liked the fact that he was taking an interest in the only family I had left.
Kate loved Edward and she was even more enamored with the idea of having a great nephew. She solemnly promised to take upon the role of babysitter whenever we needed one, and we thanked her, both of us understanding her need of giving affection to the child she never had.
We stayed up until late, and the next morning I woke up feeling more nauseated than ever. After emptying my stomach and having a light cereal breakfast, I made my way back to the bedroom where Edward was still very much asleep.
Staring at his naked chest and disheveled bed hair made me want him with a sense of urgency I had never experienced before. Crawling over to him, I straddled his waist, making sure not to press my weight down on him just yet. Then I stretched myself towards his face and began peppering light kisses wherever my lips landed.
He made a soft sound and his eyes fluttered open. I smiled at him mischievously, and he smiled back, grabbing my hips to pull me down on him. I gasped as I felt his morning erection between my legs, and he let out a low chuckle.
"Good morning, roomie," he said teasingly, his voice husky.
"Mmm, good morning," I breathed, starting to grind on him with purpose.
"Eager this morning, are we?"
I nodded, going back to assaulting him with kisses. I trailed a wet path from his collarbone to his ear, and he groaned, tightening his grip on me.
"I'm so horny it's ridiculous," I confessed, tracing his earlobe with the tip of my tongue.
"Oh," he breathed almost in a whisper. "God, do that again."
"You mean this?" I repeated the motion, and he let out what could only be described as a guttural moan.
Although it only served to make me impossibly horny, I enjoyed seeing him this worked up. It made me feel powerful and confident of my womanly charms.
Edward started kneading my ass eagerly, and it was my turn to moan as I continued sliding up and down his firm erection. When it became too much, I sat back up, panting, and tugged on the waistband of his boxer briefs, indicating that I wanted to pull them off of him. He complied obediently, lifting his hips to help me get him naked.
I slid the boxers down his legs then tossed them over my shoulder, not caring where they landed. He was looking at me with an intensity that took my breath away as his tongue came out to trail a moist path over his lower lip, and I took him in hungrily in all his naked glory. Placing a light kiss just above his navel, I climbed out of bed and started undressing slowly, much to his obvious enjoyment.
When I climbed back on top of him, his erection tucked between us, he immediately reached out to caress my breasts. I moaned, louder than before, throwing my head back and basking in his ministrations.
"Your breasts have grown," he noted, his eyes hooded. "I love it."
"Mmhmm," I hummed in agreement. My breasts had not only grown but they were also more sensitive to his touch, intensifying the pleasure I felt.
Edward circled my nipples with his thumbs, and I ran my palms all over his chiseled chest, leaning in for a kiss. He granted me access, our tongues meeting as we made out passionately. Letting go of my breasts and grabbing hold of my hair instead, he crushed me to him, starting to place frantic kisses along my neck. His other hand slid down my back and ass until he found my entrance, wasting no time pushing two of his fingers inside.
We both groaned in unison, me louder than him as he began pumping his fingers in and out at a merciless pace. I was already so worked up that it didn't take me long to come. A minute later I was crying out my release, and he switched our positions so that I was pinned underneath him. Then he entered me so swiftly that I let out a surprised gasp, my arms wrapping around him automatically.
He started moving, his thrusts hard and deep, and my eyes almost rolled to the back of my head; it felt so good. But I had other plans. I wanted to tease him some more. I pushed against his chest, and he slowed his movements, looking at me with an expression that read both confusion and desperation.
With a reassuring smirk, I continued pushing until he was on his back again. I kissed him sweetly, taking my time, and he grabbed for me again, but I slapped his hands away. He scowled at me, looking positively frustrated, and I just smirked some more.
I dragged my lips down his chest, stopping to circle his nipples with my tongue, and his fingers locked into my hair tightly as his mouth formed a small 'o'. When I reached his belly button, I licked my way around it, my hands running over his thighs, and he lifted his head so he could watch what I was doing better.
Understanding where I was going with this, he swallowed thickly, his grip on my hair getting impossibly tight. I took him into my good hand while keeping eye contact and kissed just the tip, my tongue darting out to catch a transparent drop.
"Ooohh," he breathed, gritting his teeth.
I smiled at his reaction, opening my mouth and taking half of him in. I wasn't an expert at giving blow jobs, but judging by the way his body seemed to be convulsing, I think I was doing pretty good so far. I went on, alternating between licking and sucking and caressing his sack, and when I felt that he was ready to orgasm, I pulled away quickly.
"Isabella what are you doing!" he exclaimed, his eyes getting wild. "I was just about to…"
"I know," I cut him off, jumping to my feet. "Now, if you want more you'll have to catch me."
I started running, heading for the living room. Behind me, I heard his muttered curse then a loud thud as he scrambled from bed and began chasing after me. I barely made it to the living room before he caught up to me. His arms wrapped around me from behind, and I squealed, struggling to get away.
"You're not getting away this time," he whispered in my ear, biting on my earlobe.
"Are you going to punish me?" I challenged, pushing back against him.
He chuckled, starting to direct me towards the balcony. "Yes."
"What are you doing?" I asked panicked when he opened the balcony door and let me outside.
"Punishing you," he replied simply.
"Edward, are you insane?" I squeaked. "People are going to see us."
"Don't worry about it," he coaxed. "We're pretty high up, the glass railing reaches past your navel and I'm going to cover your breasts with my arm. Not to mention that the buildings in this area are pretty far away from each other. No one's going to see us, and if they do, they'll have no idea what we're doing."
"I don't know," I muttered, although I had to admit that the idea was kind of thrilling.
He peppered kisses along the side of my neck, pressing my front against the railing. "Don't over-think it."
So I didn't. Instead, I let myself get carried away by the excitement of performing such an exhibitionist act.
Edward covered my breasts with his arm as promised while his free hand parted my folds and he thrust inside as swiftly as the first time.
"Fuck," he groaned. "You feel amazing."
He rarely swore during sex, so hearing such an expletive leave his mouth made me impossibly wet. With long, measured thrusts he filled me over and over again until I was unable to form coherent thoughts. I came hard, and he followed, pressing his lips to mine fervently and swallowing my cries of ecstasy.
Afterwards, we remained connected for a little longer as we looked at the city below.
"I love you," he said, nuzzling my nose with his.
"I love you, too."
He smiled. "Good, because I think I need another massage. I strained myself too much this morning, and my back is starting to hurt again."
I smiled back. "For you, just about anything, Edward."
~~ 0 ~~
I glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand and sighed. It was really late at night, and I was craving ice cream like crazy. The craving was so intense that I couldn't even sleep. All I could think about was having half a gallon of Ben and Jerry's between my hands and a large spoon to shovel it with.
Edward was asleep, his back to me, and I bit my lip, debating what to do. After a few minutes, I decided to wake him up.
"Edward," I murmured, placing my hand on his shoulder and shaking him.
He mumbled something incoherent, burying his face further into his pillow.
"Edward, wake up," I whispered, shaking him harder.
"What?" he grumbled before turning around to face me.
"I'm craving ice cream," I said.
"What?" he repeated with a frown as he tried to rub sleep from his eyes.
"I said I'm craving ice cream."
"You're craving ice cream at…" he paused to glance at the clock, "…3:14 in the morning?"
I shrugged innocently. "Yeah."
"And you want me to go buy it for you," he stated flatly.
"Yeah."
He groaned. "Where am I going to find an open store at this hour?"
"You wanted a baby," I said, crossing my arms over my chest defiantly. "Now deal with the consequences."
"I have to work tomorrow, you know that?" he said, already getting out of the bed.
"I'm working tomorrow too, but you don't see me complaining about the late hour. Did anyone ever tell you that you're really grouchy when you don't get enough sleep?"
He started looking for clothes, ignoring my comment.
"What kind do you want?" he asked when he was dressed, shoving his wallet into his pants' pocket.
"Ben and Jerry's Cheesecake brownie."
He nodded, although he was clearly not happy about what I was making him do. He left, closing the bedroom door softly behind him, and I reached for the remote to turn on the TV. I was feeling a bit guilty for having sent him out at that hour, but it was necessary when only the thought of getting my ice cream was enough to make me salivate.
By the time he made it back, it was almost four a.m. He handed me the ice cream carton along with a spoon which I accepted eagerly.
"Thanks." I beamed at him, opening the lid and taking a mouthful. It melted into my mouth, and I moaned, closing my eyes for a brief second. It was so good.
Edward was looking at me with an amused expression as he started stripping down to his boxer briefs. He was back asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Well, I said to myself as I savored the dessert. This pregnancy thing is kind of fun, after all.
A/N On my profile you can find Isabella's outfit for when she goes to Edward's office.
Thanks for reading!
~ Andreea !