A Little Bet

Our eyes locked and once again I felt captivated by his gorgeous green eyes. I felt like no matter what I did the outcome to this bet of his was already decided. I’ve never won a game or a bet against Edward before and I felt like this time wouldn’t be any different. However, to my own surprise, I didn’t feel any hesitation to go along with it.

“Ok…so, what’s the bet” I replied softly as I nodded my head.

“I bet that before you set foot off this ship tomorrow morning, you would’ve already agreed to be my wife,” Edward stated clearly, his voice full of confidence.

“What are the stakes?” I asked as I cocked my head curiously to the side.

“If I’m right, you’ll spend the rest of your life living as my happy wife and this child becomes my child,”

Edward said as he locked eyes with me.

Edward wants to become my baby’s father? Why?

“I can’t do this…I can’t go along with this,” I declined firmly.

“Why not?” he asked, acting genuinely confused.

“Because…then I’ll just be using you…” I replied honestly.

“Then just use me,” Edward replied without hesitation as he gripped my hand in his.

“And what would I get if it turns out that you’re wrong,” I asked in a shaky voice.

“Honestly, I haven’t thought of that simply because it isn’t very likely to happen. Let’s just say that you can name any wish you want, and I’ll grant it,” Edward said before a confident smile formed on his lips.

How many times has this man saved me? Even now he’s trying to save me by offering me marriage. I can’t take advantage of his kindness any longer than I already have. If I marry him, the only ones who would benefit would be me and my child.

What would Edward have to gain?

“Edward…what is in it for you?” I asked in a very soft whisper that I wasn’t sure if he could hear me.

“It’s very windy…let’s go inside,” Edward said before linking my arms in his.

He led me into the inside of the ship, and I was astounded by the sheer size and luxury of the decoration of the inside. Unlike the exterior, which was white and modern, the interior resembled a classic luxury hotel with a mix of dark red and gold tones.

I silently followed Edward as he led us through a carpeted corridor until we reached what must be where we were going to spend the night. The bedroom was much larger than I had expected given that we were inside a ship. I had thought that the room would be smaller but that wasn’t the case at all. The room looked exactly like a presidential hotel suite room would look like and perhaps with more luxurious furnishing.

“You should take a shower first, it was pretty cold up on the deck,” Edward said casually as he sat down on the sofa.

“Ok…I’ll do that…” I agreed and headed towards what must be the bathroom.

Talk about a luxurious cruise ship, nothing should surprise me anymore, but the size of the bathroom was surprisingly large. I hope Edward doesn’t own this ship because it was just too over the top and beyond sensible, I thought to myself as I slowly undressed in front of the mirror.

The full-length mirror reflected the length of my entire body back at me. After observing the front of my own body, I turned to the side so that I could better see the change in my body. My tummy had gotten slightly bigger, but the baby bump was not at all obvious and I was starting to worry if this was normal. I did read that your first pregnancy could be smaller but...well, maybe it’s still too early for the baby bump to show.

I got in the shower and enjoyed the feeling of the warm water running down my body. I hadn’t realized that I felt a little cold up on the deck until I felt the contrasting warmth of the water on my skin. I sighed as I relaxed in the shower. Although my body was relaxing, my mind was far from relaxed. Edward’s proposal haunted me non-stop and every time my mind wandered towards accepting his proposal, my sense of guilt would shut down that option immediately.

It was clear that being with me would just tie Edward down. Worst, I was tying him down with a baby that wasn’t even his; no matter what he said about wanting to be my child’s father. This mess is just so endless and it’s killing me on the inside.

“Natalia…is everything ok?” I heard Edward’s voice call in from right in front of the bathroom door.

“Yes! I’m ok…” I hurriedly called back as loud as I could to make sure he could hear me.

I had a sense of déjà vu. I was sure that this scene had happened before, and it ended up with Edward coming into the bathroom. I did not want that right now. Since I found out that I was pregnant, I had been very conscious about my body, and I didn’t want Edward to see me naked.

“Are you sure? You need help?” Edward called through the door.

“I’m sure! I’m done…” I called back. Just don’t come in!

I grabbed the towel and quickly wrapped it around my body. That was clearly the end of my peaceful and relaxing shower.

“Well, that was fast,” Edward said with an innocent smile as I came face-to-face with him when I opened the bathroom door.

Well, look who’s to blame for that…

“You should shower too. It was pretty chilly up on the deck,” I replied, trying to sound casual.

Edward just laughed merrily as he headed into the bathroom. I heaved a sigh when I heard the bathroom door close behind me. We’ve been practically living together for weeks now so why am I feeling so nervous when Edward was around?

--To be continued…