La Musica del Cuore Teaser

Yawning, I stretched my body. I blinked my eyes open and saw the sun creeping over the horizon. I squinted at the clock and saw it was a little after seven in the morning. I went upstairs, exhausted after sharing our news with our families and meeting Kellan’s parents, it was a little after three in the afternoon. “Nugget, you knocked Momma out,” I whispered to my flat tummy. Then, I felt my stomach lurch. “In more ways than two.” I shot up and ran into the bathroom, throwing up my breakfast from the day before.

I felt Edward behind me, rubbing my back before holding my hair back. I retched for what felt like forever. I fell back, my face covered in sweat. “I don’t like that part of pregnancy,” I croaked.

“I don’t like seeing you hunched over a toilet first thing in the morning, Bella,” Edward said, reaching up and grabbing a washcloth, dampening it and wiping my face. “We need to make an appointment with our doctor at home.”

I leaned against my husband’s body, nodding. “After we find out about Pandora. Were they really involved? And I want to see Kellan, too.” He pulled me into his lap and cradled me against his chest. His hands went directly to my stomach, rubbing it tenderly. “Are you surprised?”

“That you’re pregnant?” he asked, his hands moving to cradle my belly. “Or, about what happened?”

“Us being pregnant,” I whispered. “I wanted to try after the tour, but knowing that we’re going to have a baby … a baby …” He smiled crookedly, his large warm hand on my skin. “Our love created this, Edward.”

“We did,” he breathed. “I really want to lose myself in you, Bella.”

“Me, too,” I whispered, but my stomach lurched. I shot up off his lap and threw up again. Edward stayed by my side as I continued to throw up. “This is …”

“I’m going to get Carlisle,” he said.

“Can you get me some shorts and a t-shirt?” I asked as he got up. He did, helping me in them before he darted out of the bedroom. Carlisle came back, sleep rumpled and bleary eyed, but carrying a few things. “I’m sorry, Carlisle.”

“Don’t apologize, Bella,” he said, crouching down in front of me. “Have you had morning sickness?”

“My stomach was off, but I never threw up. Not this much,” I said, smiling weakly. “I don’t want to take a medication to settle my stomach.”

“Your best bet is to eat small meals throughout the day,” Carlisle said. He handed me some cheese crackers and a small can of ginger ale. “Nibble on this. While you’re getting your strength back, I’ll do some further research on how to help you with the morning sickness. Do you have your computer, Edward?”

“Yeah. Let me get that for you,” Edward said. Going into the bedroom, he rummaged through his bags. He handed his father his laptop. “I don’t know if there’s Wi-Fi.”

“I’m certain there’s Wi-Fi,” he quipped, taking the computer. He stood up, giving me a tender smile. “I can tell you that the worse the morning sickness, the less likely you’ll be in having a miscarriage.”

“So, as long as I keep puking, I won’t lose your grandbaby?” I snorted. Carlisle shrugged, kissing my forehead and walking out of the bedroom. I sipped the drink and nibbled on the crackers. Edward was sitting on the toilet, hovering anxiously. “I’m okay, baby.”

“You look grey,” he said, wrinkling his nose.

“I need to eat. I only had breakfast yesterday,” I said. “I didn’t think I’d sleep straight through to this morning.”

“We both didn’t sleep well the night before, Bella,” he said, moving to sit next to me on the bathtub. His fingers traced down my clammy cheek and I shivered. “Are you cold?”

“No, I’m horny, but I’m afraid I’m going to puke all over you,” I snickered. He pressed a kiss to my temple and sighed against my skin. “I love you, Edward. I heard you last night … or, I think I did.”

“I think you did, too. You were smiling when I pulled you into my arms,” he said, handing me my soda. “You and Nugget are the two most important things in my world, Bella. If the tour is too much, we’re done. We’ll walk away.”

“I think we just need to meet with our doctor and get some real answers, Edward,” I said. “But, after we find out more about Pandora, Max, Kellan and the investigation.” I snuggled against him.