Bella's P.O.V
I smiled at Mia as she squealed in joy when her Elmo toy that Edward got her danced around on the floor. She would stand on her little feet and move her hips from side to side, imitating the sounds that came from him and clap whenever he said to clap.
The moment is taken from me when I see Lilly walk in with two cups of coffee in hand. She offers me one and sits across from me on the couch and smiles at Mia as she continues to dance. I look back at Mia but no longer can find joy in her actions. I pretend to take a sip from my coffee and smile at Lilly.
"So, have you heard anything from your father?" She asked.
"Not since he tried to lure me to my death," I simply said. "After that, all I knew was that he was looking for me."
"Must be very horrible," she commented before taking a drink from her coffee. "My father didn't want to do anything with me, yours wants you dead. Some world we live in, huh?"
I swallow. "I guess, yeah."
I don't like this feeling, I despise it because I know there is no reason I should feel this way but it's there and it's there, there is a reason behind it. She's been asking too many questions about Charlie, about me, about what I did while I was gone. While I might understand she might be curious to know, there something in her eyes that always catch my attention. She's nervous. I wish I'm being paranoid and making things up, I don't want to ruin anything she has with Edward.
I place the cup down and simply just look at it. Last time she made me coffee, it tasted pretty funky and a few hours later I found myself throwing up nonstop. She said the coffee was probably overdue but when does coffee overdue itself? After that, I just pretend to drink her coffee and dump it once she leaves. And the way she looks at Mia, that look mixed with both sorrow and hate. I try my best to keep her away from Mia.
"Are you hungry?" She asked me, taking me out of my thoughts.
"No, thank you," I smile at her. "I'll just take Mia to take a bath."
"Oh, I'll take her."
"No need!" I said a bit too loud. She gave me a confused look but backed out. "Sorry, I'm a bit protective when it comes to Mia."
She stood up. "Don't worry. You got to feel useful some way or another, right?"
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, don't mind me. I guess since my brother is always busy at work and James is too busy trying to find a way to keep you alive, it must be really hard sitting around doing nothing like a damsel in distress."
I stand up. "And that's because you work, am I right?"
She shrugged. "My job right now is to look after you in case you suddenly die and leave Mia next to a corpse."
Now, I was getting pissed. "I don't need someone looking after me, I've been on my own for six years. I think I can manage."
"And look at where that's got you?" She chuckled. "Your body is rotting by the minute, you only have a few weeks until the medicine you were given stops working and you have no other choice but to lay in your deathbed. But until that happens you'll just sit here watching that baby dance to Elmo."
I glare at her as she walks back into the kitchen. I grab the cup of coffee she poured me and dump it on the plant Edward haves here. She's looking at me when I look up, but I don't care. I give her a shrug before placing the cup on the table and take Mia in my arms.
"Let's go take a bath," I tell Mia as we walk away and lock the door behind me.
* * *
"Okay, I'll see you later," I heard Edward say before the front door closed. "Bella, I'm home!"
I take a deep breath before walking out of his room. He was in the living room and looked at me with a smile. I walk toward him and wrap my arms around his waist and pull him in a hug. He hugs me back and kisses the top of my head.
"I'll leave you guys to it," I heard Lilly say.
I pull away and look at her. "I thought you already left."
"I didn't."
I look at Edward. "So who did you tell you were seeing later?"
"My neighbor," he said. "He asked me to help him with someone about his car so I helped him out."
I pull away and run my hand through my hair. "Okay, well. I'm tired so I guess I'll go lay down in bed with Mia."
"Are you okay?" He asked me concerned. "You look a little pale, are you feeling okay? How has she been feeling?" He asked Lilly.
"I'm fine," I said. "I just need some rest, I've had a very... Exhausting day." I see Lilly from the corner of my eye roll her eyes and then smile at Edward. "Good night," I said as I walked back to Edward's room and closed the door behind me.
I lean against it and listen to what's happening outside.
"Has she been feeling well?" He asked her again.
"She's fine, I guess she's just bored," she said. "For a girl like her, you must know she's looking for something to do other than sit here with a baby."
"She loves that baby," he said.
"Yeah but to what extent?" There's some movement and then she says, "I'll see you tomorrow."
I lock the door and walk toward my purse to get my phone. I dial James number quickly at the same time I'm listening to what Edward is doing on the other side of the door. James answers quickly.
"I won't babysit, if that's why you called."
"We have a problem," I whispered to the phone. "I think Lilly is not who we think she is."
"Why are you whispering?"
"Because Edward is in the living room right now," I mutter. "Listen to me, I think she's hiding something."
"Why can't you just be friends with someone and not suspect they are plotting something against you?"
"There is a reason why I feel this way, James," I snapped. "It's a bit weird that her attitude around me is starting to change, she treats me like a criminal. She also said something that left me thinking."
"What did she say?" He asked.
"She said I only had a few weeks before the medicine I'm taking stops working," I explained. "Why would she said that? How does she know that?"
"Maybe she was just bluffing?"
"Maybe not. That's the point we don't know." I pause and take a deep breath. "You need to help me, James. I need that cure before her bluffing turns into a lucky guess and I die in my sleep."
"I'm doing everything I can."
I sigh, covering my face with my hands. "I hope I'm wrong, James. I really do but it's just so weird and complicated... I don't want to die."
"I know you don't," he said. "Look, take deep breaths and rest for a bit. I'll see you tomorrow."
I nod. "Okay. Bye." I hang up and sigh.
Instead of sleeping, I decided to go out and talk to Edward. When I walk out of the room again, I see him looking down at his plant. That's when I realize the plant is dead. I gasp just looking at it, coffee didn't do that, did it? At least not if the coffee had something else.
"What happened to it?" I asked.
"I don't know, it was fine this morning," he said as he touched the dead leaves. "It's weird. How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, just tired," I said. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Of course."
I take a deep breath. "Well, first of all, I'm very thankful for your sister's help with Mia and everything but... I think I can manage on my own."
"What?" He stepped forward. "Bella, she isn't here just to babysit you, she's here in case of a emergency."
"I know," I said. "But, she has better things to do and I feel bad having her stuck here with a sick woman and a crying baby."
"She likes to help out," he insisted.
"Edward," I sighed. "Please. Look, give me tomorrow to prove it to you. I don't need her looking after me nine hours a day. I can totally manage. Just give me tomorrow and if I can't pull it off then I'll apologize to her and she can come back."
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Promise me you'll call me every hour to keep me updated on how things are going."
I raise my right hand. "I promise."
"And you'll stay here and not leave I until I come home."
"I promise."
"And to call me when an emergency happens."
"Edward," I chuckled. "I'll be fine."
He nodded. "I don't like this idea but I guess I don't have any other choice. If something wrong happens, I'll tell Lilly to come right back, am I clear?"
"As clear as water," I said. "Thank you."
He walks up to me and kisses my forehead. "No problem, Love. I'll go call her to let her know."
I nod, smiling at him. He walks away to his office and closes the door behind him. I let out a deep breath once I'm alone, that was easier than what I thought. At least I'll have tomorrow to think things through without her breathing down my neck.
I look at the dead plant and bite my lip. If I drank that damn coffee, I'm sure that would have been me right now. I run my hands through my hair and walk back to the room to check up on Mia.
Author's Note:
Here's a little insight of Bella's mind now that she's back.
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~Joan0324