DISCLAIMER: The story doesn't belong to me; the characters are property of S. Meyer, and the plot belongs to Annalau Thank you so much for letting me share your story in English!

Gracias Laura, por darme esta oportunidad!

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Chapter 6

Taking care of you

It was 4 am.

The fever did not stop.

Over-the-counter medications didn't work, let alone cold compresses on the forehead and armpits.

"Bells..." I whispered after seeing her body trembling, "wake up, let's get you a shower."

She didn't protest when I pulled back the blankets and stripped her of her nightgown leaving her in her underwear. I held her in my arms bride-style and carried her into the shower.

Her body trembled at the contact of the water.

"Edward," she murmured hoarsely. "No, I don't want to."

She wanted to get out of the shower and, as I tried to stop her arms, we struggled a bit until we were both under the cold water.

We laughed nervously at the closeness. It has been a long time since we were last in such a small space.

When was the last time we shared a kiss?

We held each other's gaze, and it was inevitable not to lick my lips. I missed her. Without hesitation I approached, and my hands went to her forearms, she flinched at my touch.

She stood on tiptoe.

"I..." she whispered, "can we talk without shouting?"

Sadness came over me. That request had simply become impossible for us.

"What happened to us?" I asked, "Why did we forget all our promises?"

"I need us to talk," she barely finished and started coughing, her body was shaking heavily, she looked up.

The bubble burst and discomfort invaded both of us equally.

I was the first to get out of the tub. I chose a clean towel and roughly dried off all my soaked clothes - I kept wringing out water - the floor became slippery, and I left the bathroom.

Bells came out minutes later; she was wearing a fluffy pink bathrobe.

"In the closet are some of your clothes," she mumbled, "You left some shoes too."

"I thought you got rid of everything of mine," my voice was sharp, cold, and emotionless. "How you got rid of the furniture we shared…"

Her eyes were on mine; her look hurt and with a sad countenance, I knew my words hurt her.

"Did you want me to keep a bed where we made so many plans and procreated Eric? I'm not a masochist," she left the room.

I cursed under my breath, why did we always have to argue?

I snorted. I reluctantly got dressed in some sports clothes that were still sitting neatly in the part of that closet I occupied.

When I came out into the living room Bells was in the kitchen, her back to me.

"How are you feeling?"

She turned around slowly; she was holding her lower lip between her teeth, her nose was still red, but her face had returned to its natural color.

"I just have a sore throat," her voice remained hoarse. "Would you like some coffee?"

She didn't wait for my answer but poured a steaming cup of coffee and set it on the counter.

I sat down in the high chair across from her.

"Thank you for taking care of me," she said, after taking a sip of her coffee. "The cold water cheered me up quite a bit."

I shrugged as I sipped my bitter coffee.

"You would have done the same, wouldn't you? You would have taken care of me too."

She nodded, looking at me.

"Edward… in Eric's nursery will be an event in two weeks."

My breathing became heavy, and anger was evident in my voice.

"I hope you're not thinking of leaving again."

"It's not about me, it's about our child. There's going to be a little dance and I thought you might like to attend."

"I will be there."

Minutes passed and we quietly continued drinking coffee, chatting about Eric's daycare days, sharing some anecdotes, and laughing about his new quirks.

Eric was sticking to wearing the same pajamas every night.

It seemed so normal. Like any night where we would end up talking about anything.

Suddenly that silence covered us again and was able to ruin everything.

"Who is Claire?"

I blinked. I didn't understand her question.

"I accidentally read two messages that came in when you were changing clothes," she added, averting her gaze to my cell phone on the counter. "She's asking you out."

Stunned, I opened my mouth and closed it.

"I didn't ask you about the guy you were with on your last trip," I mumbled.

"James is a co-worker," she sighed angrily. "But don't think I want to meddle in your business, it was just a question."

I was willing to lie to her. I wanted to tell her that I was dating Claire, I wanted to shout it out with mock pride, but her voice interrupted my thoughts.

"I'm pregnant."


Thank you for being patience…. See you on the next chapter. Thank you for all your comments!

THANK YOU FOR READING!