I WOULDN'T MIND

eight. book club

▬▬ IT WAS SILENT. No one said a word as Cori looked up at Edward, her hand still firmly around his throat as she held him in place. She was silently begging him to tell her that it was a joke. That Bella was just sick and she'd get over it. That this was his sick, twisted version of a joke because of his warped sense of humor.

"It's not a joke." He told her, his voice pained, from the self-loathing or the grip she had on him she didn't know. "I wish it was."

"What the hell is going on?" Emmett huffed, hating that, now, he was only one out of the loop. His eyes jumped from the back of his girlfriend's head to Bella, then to every member of his family, hoping someone would fill him in.

Cori let her hand fall from around Edward's throat, her eyes still searching his as he relaxed a little. "There's gonna be a little, baby Psycho." She mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. She was trying to sort through all the thoughts she could still hear.

Everyone seemed to have a different perspective. Alice was worried for Bella's future, Jasper was worried about what it would mean for the family. Carlisle was concerned, but somewhere deep inside of him his medical curiosity was peaked. Esme just wanted to comfort everyone involved, a huge chunk of her wishing she could ease Edward because even if she'd never admit it, he was her favorite.

Rosalie wanted nothing more than to protect the baby, if you could call it that, and by extension she wanted to protect Bella. She wanted to respect what she wanted. Travis was lost in a sea of worry and his unrelenting need to be wholly on Rosalie's side in any matter, consequences be damned.

Emmett's thoughts were a confused, mumbled mess and he tried to piece together what she had told him as if it were a riddle. And Edward, his self-hatred had increased ten-fold. He was filled to the brim with guilt, wanting nothing more than to get rid of that thing growing inside his new wife.

"Oh!" Emmett's realization took hold, his eyes wide and he looked from Edward to Bella. And Cori turned towards him, her own thoughts a jumbled mess, then she blinked a few times and looked over at Carlisle.

"Are you gonna do something about it?"

"I-"

"No." Bella spoke before he could. "I'm not getting rid of him."

"Him?" Cori whirled on her sister so fast that Rosalie flashed to her side, her hand on her shoulder as if to keep her back.

"I-I feel like it's a boy." Bella nodded, her hand lovely held to her belly, that was now uncovered and Cori could see her large baby bump. Though bump didn't seem sufficient enough, she was huge. And she didn't miss the bruises she could see along the skin where her sister's shirt had ridden up her stomach.

And Cori knew she could react one of two ways: she could go on a rampage, killing Edward with nothing more than a simple flick of her wrist then she'd demand that Carlisle do whatever it took to get that thing out of Bella, even against the human's wishes.

Or she could respect Bella's wishes despite what the baby was doing to her.

Edward sighed, knowing that she was about to be just one more person he'd have to argue with.

With a breath, Cori unclenched her fists, letting herself relax a little despite the pit growing in her stomach. She took a step but Rosalie stepped in front of her, her perfect eyebrow raised slightly.

"I'm fine." She stepped around her and sat on the coffee table in front of her sister. "Ya look great." She hummed sarcastically, getting a chuckle from Bella but the tension in the room never once faded.

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ "I MISS OUR SEX FORT." Cori mumbled, her head on Emmett's chest as they laid wrapped in his sheets. He wore only a pair of boxers and she only wore one of his t-shirts.

He chuckled, his hand fisting in her hair a little and tugging her head back. "Me too." He leaned down and pressed his nose against her neck, breathing in deeply. "I hate that our trip has to be postponed."

"Yeah." She sighed, snuggling closer to him, her leg draped over his. "I wanted to make out under the Eiffel Tower."

"Trust me, Shortcake," he kissed her shoulder. "-we will. Someday soon I'll show you the entire world until your little heart is completely content and then I'll do it all over again." He kissed her neck, bringing a smile to her lips. "And again." He kissed her jaw. "And again." He kissed her nose. "I promise." He ghosted his lips over hers and she groaned a little, her hand gripping his chin and pulling his mouth to hers.

"I love you, Tree."

He hummed, those four words had him ready to be on his knees before her. They were his weakness. His reason for doing anything and everything, because all he wanted was to hear those four words falling from her lips on a never ending loop.

"I love you, Shortcake."

>>>>> • <<<<<

▬▬ CORI PULLED HER KNEES up to her chest, her lip between her teeth as she read the book that was resting against her bare thighs – only in Emmett's shirt and her underwear. Her eyes were solely focused on the words before her as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Her back against Emmett's chest as he trailed his fingers up and down her thigh simply because he couldn't stop himself.

"You finished yet?" She looked up once she finished the chapter, her eyes on her sickly pale sister.

"Almost." Bella mumbled, her chapped bottom lip between her teeth as she read the book that she had rested against the pillow she held over her stomach. "You read faster than I do."

"Hurry up." The young Swan huffed, leaning back into Emmett and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered closed, a smile pulling at her lips, but before she could relax any further into her boyfriend's broad chest Travis groaned, slamming his own copy of the book closed.

"You really had to choose a dirty book for this book club-" he put finger quotes around book club. "-that you forced us all to join."

"Oh, hush." She rolled her eyes. "We all know that you and Rose are freaky. So stop being a bitch and calm down. And it's not even that dirty."

He leaned back against the couch as Rosalie chuckled, she couldn't deny it. "Alice and Jasper are worse." He muttered, making the girl laugh, her eyes bouncing to Jasper who let his finger trail up and down Alice's back as he read over the words in front of him... again.

"I plead the fifth." He mumbled, which only made Cori laugh harder.

"Let's not discuss private matters." Alice voiced, her chin in her hand as she leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knee.

"Okay." Bella closed the book and looked around the room, each vampire had their own mass market copy of Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon... Well, everyone but Edward, who refused to participate. "Do we really have to do this chapter by chapter?"

"Yes." Cori nodded. "That way I know all of you are reading it." Her eyes flickered towards Travis, making Rosalie laugh as her husband gave the young vampire an offended look.

Suddenly everyone turned a little, all but Bella, their eyes trained on the stairs, even if they couldn't see anything, as a motorcycle approached the house and skidded through the gravel.

"I'll go." Carlisle pushed himself up, his book discarded on the seat next to his wife. The light mood no longer filtered through the room, everyone was tense, all standing to their feet – with the expectation of Cori and Emmett, who stayed planted on the couch, and Bella.

The door opened and the overpowering smell of wolf wafted up the stairs. "Is it true?"

"Hello, Jacob, how are you?" Carlisle asked, as polite as ever even with a tense smile on his face.

"Listen, just give it to me straight..."

"Jake, is that you?" Bella asked, shifting on her seat as she laid to book beside her.

"She's here?" Jacob looked back at the vampire before him.

"They came home a few days ago." Carlisle nodded then the shapeshifter was making his way up the stairs, taking two at a time and the vampire followed after him. Once he reached the second story he stopped, his eyes jumping around the room. Travis stood behind the couch Bella sat on. Rosalie stood in front of the human, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed at the wolf. Edward stood just to the left of Travis, close to the large windows.

Alice sat in one of the armchairs, Jasper at her side and his palm pressed against her back. Esme stood by the entryway, her kind eyes taking in the scene before her and trying to gauge what could happen next. Cori and Emmett hadn't moved from their spot on the couch, but Cori's eyes were narrowed slightly upon the wolf as she absently chewed on her lower lip. Ememtt sat up a little straighter, not moving from behind Cori as he adjusted her against his chest and locked his arm around her almost protectively.

Everyone was ready to jump in at a moment's notice because there was no telling how Jacob was going to react to the news.

Bella looked up, just barely able to see Jacob because of Rosalie, who stood as though she were an immovable wall.

"I'm glad you came."

"That makes one of us." Cori muttered, her glare never leaving the wolf and Emmett tightened his arms around her as a sort of comfort.

With a small breath of relief, the boy started towards the human, only to have Rosalie shift a little. "Close enough."

"What's your problem?" His eyes narrowed, but the blonde didn't budge. Travis, however, moved to stand behind his wife, his eyes narrowed at the wolf as his hand landed on her waist. He was protective.

"Watch it."

"Rose, Travis, it's okay." Bella told them, her voice soft, and reluctantly they moved to the side, letting the wolf step around them.

He sat on the table across from her, a small smile tugging up the corner of his lips. "You look terrible."

"Yeah, it's nice to see you too." She smiled small, a whisper of a chuckle leaving her lips.

"So, you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?"

She sucked in a breath, her eyes drifting down to her covered stomach before she looked up at the blonde on her left. "Rose, you wanna help me up?" The blonde moved to stand in front of the human as she tossed her cover to the side and shifted her legs so her feet were on the floor. Then Rosalie took her hands and tugged her up.

Cori swallowed hard, a lump lodging itself in her throat and Emmett pulled her closer to him as her eyes drifted to their interlocked hands. It made her sick to her stomach to see just how big Bella had gotten in mere days, and the bruises lining her stomach had her rethinking her stance on the whole situation.

Bella tugged her shirt down, trying to smile as she looked up at Jacob, who's eyes bounced from her thinning face to her plump belly. Then his eyes moved to Edward and he crossed the room, anger rolling off of him in waves of heat. "You did this!" He all but seethed and Emmett was up and across the room, his hand firmly on the wolf's shoulder to hold him back from his brother.

Jacob shoved the big vampire, but before Emmett could react, Cori stood between him and the wolf. Her eyes narrowed into slits, her face contorted with anger and her hand firmly on the boy's chest. "Don't touch him." She seethed and Emmett just watched her with a dopey smile.

"We didn't know it was even possible." Carlisle tried to reason, breaking the stare-off between the two.

Jacob brushed Cori's hand off, his glare moving from her to Edward before he turned towards the leader of the coven. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure." The doctor answered honestly. "Ultrasounds and needles won't penetrate the embryonic sac."

Bella held her stomach as she sank back to the couch and Cori moved across the room, putting herself next to her sister, getting a small smile in return.

"I can't see it, either." Alice added, hesitating for a moment as she glanced towards Bella, who had gripped Cori's hand and laid her head on her sister's shoulder. "And I can't see Bella's future anymore."

"We've been researching legends, but there isn't much to go on." Carlisle continued. "What we do know is that it's strong. And fast-growing."

"Why haven't you done anything? Take it out of her!"

"This is none of your business, dog." Rosile spat and Bella leaned into Cori a little more.

"Rose!" Esme scolded, glaring at the blonde. "All this fighting isn't good for Bella."

"The feteus isn't good for Bella." Alice gritted out.

"Say to word, Alice." Rosalie turned towards her. "Baby. It's just a little baby."

"Possibly." Jasper drawled.

"Carlisle, you've gotta do something." Jacob looked up at him, pleading with him.

"No." Bella's tone was firm as she lifted her head up, but her hand stayed tight around Cori's. "It's not his decision. It's not any of yours."

"And that's that." Cori stated, her gaze firm on the wolf.

⚘‎ nova speaks┆i have a very important question... in the scene where they're yelling and rose goes 'baby. it's just a little baby.' jasper responses with 'possibly' right??  because when i was watching the movie while writing this he doesn't. it just goes to jacob's line... obviously i wrote it where he does say it but in the movie he doesn't, am i just crazy??

jasper says 'possibly' right? i'm not making that up??