What's Forever

Chapter 33

I stood straight as he got closer, I know all of them can hear my heart accelerating a little but not dangerously. My nerdy brain really wants to know, what can I say? Jasper carefully got closer to me and wrapped his arms around me tentatively. In my mind, he realized that he's not gonna hurt me because he tightened his arms to hug me and I swear my smile was gonna split my face in half when I hugged him back.

"That's so cool! Why do you think this is?" I asked Carlisle.

"A passive ability?" he surmised.

"Like what?"

"I don't really know but ..."

"Alright you scholarly sorts, you can talk about this another day." Esme said.

"What ..."

"Edward's pulling in." Emmett said, smiling big too.

"Why are you all so excited about this?" I asked.

"Birthdays get old, the last time we celebrated one was 1935." Rosalie said.

"My birthday!" Esme smiled.

"We're excited." Alice smiled as well.

"I'll say."

"When's your birthday?" she asked.

"Not gonna happen."

"We can do the baby's right? Celebrate this adorable little girl."

"With limitations but yes." I said, smiling when she blinded me with her own smile.

"You've done it now." Jared said.

"That's okay, I like to see them smile." I told him when Rosalie took Ava from Alice.

Edward and Bella walked in and everyone greeted her with a chorus of Happy Birthdays that made her cheeks bloom furiously pink. As I expected, Edward stiffened when he saw me, his eyes hard and a little angry. I kept my thoughts blank, or as blank as a mother can. Emmett wrapped his arms around my waist as Edward did the same to Bella, both humans acutely uncomfortable in the present situation.

As the Cullen's said happy birthday, and apologized, to Bella, I did the same and took advantage to take Ava Rae up to Emmett's room since she fell asleep. Rose would've continued holding her but I've gotta nip that in the bud before she's more spoiled than she already is because of the blonde-haired supermodel. Emmett had taken advantage to go install Bella's birthday gift, a new car radio, by the time I went back downstairs he was still outside.

Jasper moved closer to me than to Bella and I shot him a smile, doing my best to feel calm and serene to soothe him. I like to think it worked because he smiled back at me and his posture relaxed, a little.

"Time to open presents." Alice quickly said.

"Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything ..."

"I tried to tell her." I said.

"Thank you." Bella smiled at me.

"I didn't listen to either of you. Open it" she said, taking Bella's camera from her hands.

"Here, I'll take the photos, you go stand with her." I offered.

"Even better."

Alice handed her the gift that was from Emmett, Jasper, and 'me'. I have no idea what he got her but he insisted on putting my name on it. Bella carefully unwrapped the box and looked at it in confusion when she realized the box was empty.

"Um ... thanks." she said and it made Rose smile and Jasper laugh.

"It's a stereo for your truck." Jasper said. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it."