Now

After our parents finished their assault of hugs and kisses on us, Emmett picked me up and locked me in a bear hug. He was holding me so tight against him that the lack of oxygen was starting to make me dizzy. Alice was cackling as I tried squirming out of his arms, tapping out on his large bicep.

"Let her go." Edward sighed, "Emmett! You're hurting her, fuck face."

"Language!" Esme snapped.

"Ma, come on, tell him to let her go."

"Emmett!"

Laughing, he gave me one last squeeze, cracking my back in the process, before letting me go. I gasped as three loud pops filled the room and then slumped in his arms.

"God, you don't know how much I needed that." I groaned.

"Damn, Bella, tense or what?" he asked.

I made a sound that was supposed to be a laugh, but was more like a hysterically high-pitched squeal, and shrugged. Because yeah, I was a little fucking tense.

"Bella!" Leah cooed as she approached for a hug.

"Leah!" I lit up, wrapping my arms around my sister.

"The familia is back together!" Seth hollered, pushing us both into his chest.

Still in a three-way embrace, we gushed to one another about how good we looked. I knew they were lying about me. I haven't been eating, I had dark circles under my eyes, and I was sure my messy bun on top of my head only added to the pile. Despite my low self-esteem, I still appreciated them being nice enough to pay me some compliments.

Seth and Leah on the other hand, looked amazing. I truly meant it when I told them so. Seth had grown bulkier, sort of resembling Emmett's gorilla juicehead frame. I was happy to learn that both had taken up weightlifting together, Seth letting Emmett train him for some local competition. Leah had gotten leaner, her boxing lessons finally paying off, so she said. They looked healthy and happy.

When we pulled away, I took my turn greeting Alice. I missed her so much; I didn't want to let go. Jasper waited patiently next to me, keeping a hand on both our shoulders. His calming nature disarmed me instantly.

Maybe I could try and squeeze some free therapy out of him later.

Alices thin arms were strong and locked around my waist as she rocked me side to side. "Bella, you're too skinny! What are they feeding you out there?" she asked, humor dancing in her eyes.

Behind the humor, though, I could see concern. I rolled my eyes, pushing my annoyance aside.

"Me, skinny? Alice you're like a size zero, don't talk shit!" I laughed.

Emmett cleared his throat, tugging my attention back to him. He stood tall; a muscly arm draped over the shoulder of a petite woman. His smile was as big as hers, her pearly whites shining brightly. Her platinum hair was cut shoulder length and was curled inward at the ends. She was attractive, no surprise there, and judging by her outfit was also very trendy. Where Emmett was relaxed and casual, she was graceful and poised.

I looked at him with a quirked eyebrow.

"Guys, this is Irina. She's my girlfriend. She'll be joining us for camp this week." He finished with a smile.

She nodded at every word, grinning the whole time. It sounded like he had read from a queue card somewhere in front of him. I could feel Alice restrain herself from saying something mean. I know because I was doing the same thing. Sure, it was ugly of us, but being from a small town, shit talking was the highlight of most days.

"It's so nice to meet you guys, Emmy's been talkin' about y'all forever." Irina finished. Her southern drawl was thick and dare I say, rivaled Jaspers.

Edward snorted. "Emmy?" Carlisle smacked his shoulder, shushing him as he did so.

Irina didn't let that discourage her. She stepped forward, her arms open to whichever one of us volunteered first. I stayed at Alices side. My arm was firmly planted around her shoulders and no way I was letting go. The fact that an unforeseen stranger was at our breakup announcement was throwing me off base. I peered at Edward and jerked my head towards Irina.

You first, motherfucker.

Edward stepped forward and gave her an awkward one-armed hug. Stepping away, Irina's hazel eyes zeroed in on me. Still not releasing Alice from my confines, I offered my hand instead. Her smile faltered for a second before fixing her face. She shook my hand delicately and stepped back into Emmett.

"Irina, it's so nice to meet you." I said, keeping my eyes firmly on hers.

"Ditto, I hope we have a lot of fun this week." Edward said, a little robotically.

We were so fake. Alice snickered into her hand.

"Well," Esme said, clapping her hands together, "Why don't we all make our way to the family room and catch up?"

"That sounds great, mom. Bella and I actually had something we wanted to discuss with everyone." Edward declared, smiling coolly.

I turned to gauge everyone's reaction and saw a mixed bag. The one that almost stopped me in my tracks was my dad's. Charlie was the last to filter out of the room, with his eyes narrowing at Edward' head. Before they could direct their way to me, Edward put a hand on the small of my back and led me away from the foyer. I tightly wrapped the thin cardigan I had on around myself, suddenly feeling a chill.

The room was spacious, all high ceilings and dark wood. In the center, a large, cream-colored modular sectional tied the space together. It was the epicenter of many family game nights, and we were about to sully it, I realized. This huge piece of furniture made everything feel cozy and tightknit though, despite the size. Charlie once told me that bad news wasn't so bad if your ass was comfortable. I was counting on that.

"God, it's been so long since we were last together, this is so nice!" Renee remarked as she took her seat.

Edward smiled, nodding in agreement. He turned his head to look at me, taking his time scanning my face before turning his attention back to the group. Charlies' eyes jumped to me, his gears for sure working overtime to find a connection between my outburst outside and whatever we were trying to tell them in here. His arms crossed defensively, like he was preparing himself for a fight. There wasn't going to be one, and the disappointment I felt after recognizing that almost made me cry again.

I grinned instead, although I'm not sure how convincingly.

Esme, standing by the entrance to the kitchen, smiled kindly at us. Despite that, an air of unease surrounded her. I could tell her brain was working as hard as Charlies and wondered if Edward had told her anything. Did she know how much we were fighting? Did she know what he did? Did she know he's the one who said was done? Did she know how he felt, if he still loved me, if he regrets marrying me? Does she know anything? Does she know, or can she just fucking read us like two open books on her desk?

Jesus Christ, get a fucking grip!

I hadn't said anything to anyone other than Rose, but who did Edward have to confide in in Chicago?

Don't go there.

I gripped the hem of my cardigan, my jaw clenching in anger. I needed to fucking chill, or I'd ruin this entire week for everyone.

The rest of the family settled in with absolutely no sense of urgency. They lazily found their spots on the giant sectional as Esme busied herself serving people refreshments. I was eager to get this over with and my apprehension was worsening. Emmett was adjusting too much. Irina was awkwardly waiting for Emmett to finish adjusting so she could sit. Esme kept going in and out of the kitchen. Carlisle was talking baseball with Phil. And Charlie, my sweet father, sat directly across from us, starring me down like the barrel of a gun.

I swiftly looked away and let my eyes concentrate on Alice and Jasper. I saw Alice wringing her hands while her leg bounced. Jasper had his arm around her, quietly soothing her. She was feeling the same chaos I was. She was much too nervous for just a casual conversation.

I looked at Edward for some sort of affirmation to my silent thoughts, but his eyes were focused on a piece of art on the wall ahead of us. A polite smile was plastered on his face. His hands matched his sisters, nervously wringing as the chaos waged. I sat up straight and sat fucking still. This was supposed to be casual, not a big deal, a team effort.

Finally, after what seems like the most agonizing five minutes of my life, everyone was in their seats. Their faces were either expectant or suspicious. Well, mainly Charlie's was suspicious. They were all quiet, waiting for us to start. Edward cleared his throat as I looked down at his hands, now resting still on his lap. The dark wash of his jeans and sweater contrasted beautifully against his pale skin.

Without looking at him, I reach over and grabbed his hand. I tightened my grip, hopefully conveying some sort of fucked up reassurance. I don't think it worked, though. I was met without reciprocation. Edward was as cold as his hand.

"So?" Charlie gruffly snipped, pulling me out of my trance.

I saw Sue shoot Charlie a glare, bumping his shoulder with her for added effect.

"Uh, well, Edward and I were just excited to catch up." I shrugged, challenging him.

Charlie lifted a bushy brow, skepticism written all over his face.

"We also thought it'd be the perfect time to… share some updates on our life." Edward finally spoke. It took all my power not to roll my eyes at him.

"Well," Alice spoke, "Jasper and I also wanted to say something, if that's okay."

Edward sighed in relief almost and motioned for her to go. I pinched the skin on his hand in response. Ignoring me, he shifted his hand away from mine in discomfort. We did everything in our power not to glare at each other, I was sure. His ire exuded off him like steam.

Alice stood, bringing me out of my silent war with her brother. Her ivory shirtdress fell to her knees as she placed her hands on her stomach. She delicately cradled the very small bump, moving her hands around it to emphasize the size. Yeah, it was small, but it was mighty. Jasper's smile lit up the entire room. Looking at him was like standing in the center of time square.

Through his joy, he kept a supportive hand on Alice's lower back, letting her have this moment. He rubbed small, methodical circles, tapping his fingers every so often. Alice dramatically turned side to side, showing off in excitement. Gasps and hysterical giggles filled the room in an instant.

"Jasper and I are pregnant!"

Vaulting from my seat, I let my legs unconsciously move me towards her. Esme beat me to my destination, practically teleporting herself to Alices side from the farthest end of the sectional. Emmett had Jasper in a headlock as Edward slapped his back. Cheers of joy and congratulatory hugs were happening all around us. Everyone knew they'd been trying for a couple years now, and the relief in the room was palpable.

I could feel the tears start brimming, finally having something good to cry about felt so fucking nice. When Esme finished her long hug, I practically pushed Carlisle aside to get to his daughter before him. I heard him laugh as he hugged us both instead. The embrace was firm and comforting.

I didn't realize I was weeping until Alice told me to calm down or she'd start crying too. But even though I did, she still cried. I rocked her back and forth when Carlisle released us.

I pulled away and gently grabbed her face, "I'm so fucking happy for you!"

"Bellaaaaaa!" she wailed, burying her face on my shoulder.

"So how fat have you gotten – ow!" Emmett asked as Edwards hand connected with the upside of his head.

I consoled her, letting everyone have their turn embracing her around me. When Edward walked up, he wrapped his arms around both of us, kissing her forehead and then kissing mine. I frowned deeply as he looked at me. His jaw ticked and his brows furrowed. He looked pensive and I could feel the discomfort rolling off him in waves.

Alice gently pushed us both away, wiping her tears as she beamed.

"I'm so sorry, please, what were you guys gonna talk to us about."

"Alice, it's fine, this is so much better than whatever we were gonna bring up." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Stop!" Alice giggled, "do you guys have some good news too?" she teased, waggling her eyebrows at us.

Edwards cheeks turned a hot shade of pink as he choked on air. I rolled my eyes, my own blush for sure rivaling his.

"Well, not exactly, no. Uh, I think it's more appropriate if we all sit." he declared.

I went back to my seat feeling like I was walking to the gallows. I already didn't want to be doing this, but now I couldn't do this. Alice had spent so long preparing for this moment and I refused to take it away from her. From the time it took to walk back and sit down, my decision was made.

Edward settled next to me, leaving a gap between us. I saw Charlie's eyes zero in on that fucking gap. I smiled, serene, and closed it. I moved myself so close to him that our hips were touching. The proximity forced him to coil his arm around me. His hand was avoiding my body, but I was successfully tucked under his arm.

"I have some great news." I chirped.

Edwards head turned so fast I could see the trail of smoke left behind. Shock colored his features as his hand zoomed to my hip. He squeezed, knowing instantly that I'd find a bruise there later tonight. I didn't know if he wanted me to stop me from talking, or if he was just letting himself indulge in an old nervous habit of his. Either way, I was sure about what I was doing. No amount of pressure was going to dissuade me.

I was about to call in the big guns, and Edward hated the big guns as much as she hated him.

Fuck him and fuck this shit. I grinned.

"I have a friend joining us this week, she'll be in tomorrow morning. She takes photos for that zine I told you guys about. She's excited to meet all of you."

Charlie relaxed, the tension visibly dissipating and instantly transferring over into Edwards body. I placed my hand on his thigh and clasped as hard as I could. I looked at my husband, and for the first time in a little while, gave him a genuine smile.

…

Edward was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. He looked like he was in actual pain. I rolled my eyes, pacing in front of the small fireplace. I clutched the phone tighter against my ear, ignoring the pain mounting in the area. Although my phone wasn't on speaker, the dialing tone rung loudly in our small cabin. Finally, there was a click, and a panicked voice answered.

"Am I booking flights?" Rose questioned.

"Uh, not for me."

"What do you mean not for you?"

I sighed. "Something came up and I need you to take a red eye and drive yourself here."

A pause.

"Rose?"

"What did he do?"

"It's not like that –"

"Did he make you fucking cry again? I'm going to kill that motherfucker!"

"Bella for the love of God!" Edward ground.

"Rosalie! Just listen. I'll send you a text explaining everything. Just pack a bag, book a flight, because I'm gonna need you to be here first thing."

"O-o-okay? Sure thing. You're okay though?"

"Yeah," I stopped pacing and looked at Edward. "I'm fine. Just… Get here as fast as you can."

We said our goodbyes and quickly hung up. Edward hadn't moved an inch. He looked like a statue in the middle of a room full of priceless paintings and busts. He was like The Thinker; well, a little more like The Pessimist. The tips of his ears were bright red and every so often he'd grab his hair and pull. I could tell he was insanely anxious, and I knew he was holding back from yelling at me. I guess a good thing about this trip was I'd finally get a break from the yelling.

I looked around, trying to focus on anything but the tortured man in front of me. Our cabin hadn't changed much from the years prior. The bed was still directly in front of the fireplace, with bedside tables on either side still matched perfectly with the headboard. The two chairs resting by the front door were still the same ones Alice had found at a flea market when we were in college. The only difference now was the large portrait hanging high on the wall the bed was pushed against.

It was of us, on our wedding day, when we were young and happy.

It was taunting me.

I walked to where Edward sat and took the spot next to him, turning my back on the happy couple. My shoulders wilted in defeat. I didn't know what to do right now, let alone what to say. I wondered as I looked down on him, did he feel the way I did in this moment? Did he feel helpless, confused, conflicted? Did he still love me?

I looked away.

"We need to talk about this." I murmured.

He sat up straight and turned his head toward me. "Then talk."

"You have to understand why I did that."

"Lie to our entire family? I don't think I do, no."

"Edward, come on! You couldn't expect us to drop that bomb after your sister told everyone she was pregnant."

He stood and started pacing in the spot I had just paced minutes before.

"I expected to stick to the fucking plan, Bella. We had a solid plan."

"Yeah, and say what? 'Hey everyone, so good to see y'all, oh my god we're so happy for you guys, a baby! I know you've been trying for years! Oh yeah and Edward and I are filing! Drinks anyone?'"

Edward abruptly halted his movements, snapping his gaze to me like a whip. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were narrowed.

"Filing?" he asked in a low, raspy whisper.

I looked at him dumbly. "When you tell your partner of fifteen fucking years that you want to tell everyone we're separating, I kind of fucking assume filing is expected."

He pinched the bridge if his nose so hard I thought he was going to break it.

"I never said anything about fucking filing." He muttered.

I stood. "I'm not the one who texted their wife about announcing a break up! You think you were just gonna walk in here without a fucking plan and tell my dad we're separating? You don't think he was gonna want details? Paperwork? Anything? Did you even fucking think this through, or were just talking out of your ass?"

"Fucking watch it, Bella." He warned.

"Watch what, you fucking ended it there's no point in being polite now."

"Until those fucking paper are signed, you're still my fucking wife, and I'm gonna need you to talk to me with a little respect, please."

Who even was this person? I smiled a cynical, sad smile.

"Because you had so much respect for me the last year, right?"

He inhaled sharply, gearing up for another brawl, but he suddenly stopped himself. He placed his hands on his hips and began pacing again. His lips were set in a thin line and every so often he'd glare at me. I stood there, ready for a fight. Instead, Edward hung his head and took a moment to gather himself.

"Bella," he spoke hoarsely, "there's too much to unpack right this second. I don't want to fight. I'm… sorry."

I crossed my arms defensively. Protectively.

"I'm really going to need you to just. Give me a fucking break. Please, Bella."

"Give me one too." I begged, "I don't like this either."

Mimicking my stance, Edward nodded. "We should, uh… figure this out. Cat's still in the bag."

I sat back down on the edge of the bed and let myself release the tension I was holding. My whole body was wound so tight, everything was screaming in pain.

"Cat's gotta stay in the bag." I looked up at him, "Edward, she's been wanting this forever. I'd rather fight with you ten times over than ruin this fucking week for her."

"How do you plan on keeping the cat in the bag, hm?"

I shrugged. "Rose can buffer."

"Charlie's not going to let Rose buffer him all week. That man's got eyes like a hawk, Bella. He's going to notice somethings wrong before the week is up. If he finds out he's probably going to go crazy on me and then everyone's going to know."

"I know. I'm really fucking scared here, okay? I don't know what else to do. I fucked up!"

The panic was starting to rise as I realized the how big the hole I had just dug was. After accusing Edward of coming in hot with no plan, I really felt like a fucking idiot. I was a bitch with no plan acting on feelings and turmoil. My life's been feelings and turmoil for almost a fucking year, why should've today been any different?

Edward took his seat back next to me and placed his hands on his thighs. He looked contemplative, and a little nervous too. A full five minutes must have passed before he finally sighed in resignation. Green eyes bore into mine. I saw a blush creep up his neck and settle on his cheeks before he composed himself. He looked court-room ready.

"Cat's gotta stay in, right?" he rasped, his hand taking mine.

He squeezed and let our fingers interlock. I looked up at him, confused. His brows lifted, his stare lowering to our hands. Realization slapped me in the face. My head and my hand jerked away from him like I'd been shocked. I felt my breathing accelerate and my palms get sweaty. My eyes were jumping at anything and everything that wasn't… my husband.

After a beat, I agreed. "Cat's gotta stay in the bag."

HEY, so sorry this was posted a week late. I went to Beyonce's birthday concert last week and it took me a week to recover. thank you for all the kind reviews i've been getting. it's insanely good reading every one and makes me want to keep going.

again, i'm working with no beta, just ignore my mistakes

i'm also gonna need y'all to stick with meeeee, i promise it'll be worth it. i don't want to give too much away, but i promise you guys won't be disappointed in any characters.

see ya next week!