Living Arrangements

Storyid: 4646572

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Name: Living Arrangements

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Chapter 1 to 36

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Chapter: 1

Hey Everybody! Trying a story thats been in my head. Sorry if the first chapter sucks. It will get better I promise. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!

PS. I own nothing. no characters...nada.

“I hate my job, I hate my job, I hate my job,” I murmured to myself as I entered the door, throwing my keys on the coffee table.

“Then why don’t you just quit?” Alice asked, peeping up from her book.

“Because I am this close to getting my promotion and my dream job. My editor says that if I hang on one more month he’ll bump me up to columnist. Then, I can work from home and stop writing about dead people,”

“Well, I think your obituaries are very sweet. And I’m sure things will get better once you get that promotion,”

“Let’s hope so. Otherwise, I’m going to have to marry rich or something. The nine to five work week is not for me,”

Alice closed her book and jumped off the couch. “Okay, so it’s finally weekend. What do you want to do on this glorious Friday night?”

She followed me into the kitchen as I opened a bottle of water. I sighed when I saw the excited look in her eyes.

“Something told me you already made plans…”

“Well, Jasper and I are going out to the club, and I was thinking about calling my brother, Edward. He just moved here and I thought it would be cool for him to meet some new people. Emmett and Rose might meet us down there too,”

“Alice, I am really not in the mood to go clubbing. I’ve had the week from hell and all I want to do is curl up in bed and watch some crappy TV,”

“You know what, Bells? Usually, I would push you on this, but I can see that you are not in the mood for a debate,”

“Thank you so much Alice,” I said, giving her a huge hug. I was surprised at this new Alice. Ever since she met Jasper, she had become less and less pushy. Granted, she was still impossibly perky and would drag me to every mall in the city on a Saturday morning, but I have come to enjoy that time I got to spend with my best friend.

Alice and I had met in college. We were roommates freshman year, and the next year we moved into apartments near campus with our friend Rosalie. I was a journalism major, while Rose and Alice studied fashion design. After graduation, the two of them got jobs at Ralph Lauren, while I started working for a local paper.

My biggest mistake was moving in with my boyfriend, Jake, right after graduation. Alice and Rosalie got a place in the city, while I stayed near the college with Jake in a crappy studio apartment.

After a year, Jake had become super possessive and would hardly let me leave the house to go see my friends. I would only leave to go to work, and then I would return home for questioning.

Every night, the words got harsher and harsher. Every night, his grip became tighter and tighter. It wasn’t until the night he pushed me into the wall that I knew I had to get out. Jake moved back to Forks, while I transferred to a mainstream newspaper in Seattle, where I luckily found Alice.

She and Rosalie were still roommates when I got there, but Rose moved out to go live with Emmett. I took over her room, and things finally came together.

I was now writing announcements for The Seattle Times, mostly doing weddings and obituaries. It was a crappy job, but since my friend Angela got a job in broadcast, there was room in the paper for another columnist. Everyone knew I was next in line for that job, and I was working my ass off to make sure I got it.

So, other than my boring occupation, life was going at a pretty average rate. I hadn’t dated anyone since Jake, and I wasn’t blind to Alice’s attempts to set me up with her brother.

Since she had met Jasper three months ago, she was desperate to find me someone to be just as happy with. This was the third time she had suggested going out with Edward, who I had yet to meet.

Honestly, I knew that if he was anything like Alice, I would click with him immediately…and that was my greatest fear. I wasn’t ready to get involved with anyone right now, and I knew that I would mess up any relationship I got into. I wasn’t about to take that chance with the brother of my best friend.

“All right, Bella, I’m going out now,” Alice called from the door an hour later. “Have fun tonight,”

“You too,”

When the door shut I sighed in relief. I had the whole place to myself. I decided to make some popcorn and curl up on the couch. I changed into my comfiest pajama’s and pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. Maybe tonight I would finally catch up on some sleep.

As I waited for the food to be ready, I lay down and gently closed my eyes. I was exhausted from today, and I needed some rest. The beep from the microwave would wake me up.

That was what I thought. However, I was not expecting to be awaken by Alice’s shrieks as she returned home to our kitchen completely engulfed in flames.

By the time we safely evacuated the building and called 911, half of our apartment was ruined. Alice was freaking out, telling me that she thought I was dead. She explained that she decided to come home early to hang out with me, when she found the place on fire.

Apparently, a fuse had burst in the microwave as I was sleeping. Since it was an electrical fire, I could have been in real danger. By the time I woke up, the two of us had to navigate out of the apartment, coughing because of the smoke that was quickly filling up the room.

I admit that Alice and I had completely disregarded every rule of fire safety. We didn’t crawl to avoid the smoke. We didn’t test the door before we opened it. And I grabbed my purse before leaving the apartment. I had just taken out three hundred dollars in cash the day before, and I wasn’t about to let it go up in flames.

Luckily, we were safe and sound now. I was surprised that Alice wasn’t freaking out about her clothes and the furniture. She was really just glad that we were both okay. Even though I blamed myself, the fire department assured me that it was faulty wiring in the product. We had just bought that microwave a week ago and this was the first time it was used.

The fireman also informed us that we would have to find a new place to live until the place is restored, which could take up to three months. I sighed.

“Where are we going to go?” I asked Alice. “Rose and Emmett only have a one bedroom. Jasper too. Everyone else we know lives out of the city. We both know we can’t afford to stay in a hotel that long…”

“Relax,” Alice laughed, putting her hands on my shoulders. “I know someone who lives down the street, has at least one extra bedroom, and will be happy to put us up for the time being,”

“Okay, but do you know this person well enough?”

“Trust me,” Alice smirked. “He’s like family,”

With that, Alice took out her cell phone and dialed Edward’s number.

So I know that wasnt the best chapter but I needed to give some background. Please tell me what you think.

Chapter: 2

Thank you so much to those who reviewed an put this on their alert list. Please keep it up! You guys are encouraging me to write more!! Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Edward POV

I was glad that we decided to leave the club early that night. I had a lot to sort through to get settled into my new place. I had bought a spacious two-bedroom apartment not far from Alice’s place so I would know someone close by.

I moved here from Alaska, where the rest of my family was. I was offered a job at a firm here in Seattle, where I could finally use my law degree to serve more than four people a quarter. I needed to get out of that small town. Sure, things would be more expensive and crowded. But I liked that. I liked the thrill of going somewhere new.

Another bonus of Seattle was the fact that I was now far from Tanya. We broke off our two-year relationship after I caught her cheating on me with my boss, Marcus. I left her back in Alaska, as well as my family, and my job. I needed a fresh start.

Much to my dismay, Alice took that to mean that I was looking for a new relationship. I had heard her speak of her friend, Bella, ever since she started college six years ago. Bella even went up to Alaska a few years ago for Christmas, but I was too busy at work to make it home. I had yet to meet this person that Alice had talked so fondly of over the years.

Although I was interested to meet Bella, based off of curiosity alone, I really didn’t like the idea of getting into a relationship, especially with Alice’s best friend. I couldn’t ruin that. Alice was the only family I had close by, and I cared for her as any big brother would. At the club, I had met Jasper, her latest love interest, and I really hoped that one would stick. They seemed truly infatuated with each other, and Alice seemed happier than I have ever seen her.

As I started to take some of the books from the boxes, and place them on the shelves, my phone started ringing. I was hoping it would be the people who were supposed to be delivering my piano, but instead it was Alice.

“I thought you went home,” I greeted, thinking she was still wandering the club. I heard noise in the background, so I assumed it was busy.

“Edward, something happened,” her voice said shakily. She was calm, but I could tell she was anxious.

“Alice, are you okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. But, when I got home, the apartment was on fire,”

“Holy crap,” I gasped worriedly. “Are you hurt? Where are you right now?”

“I’m okay, Edward. Relax. Bella and I were able to get out. But the apartment is trashed and we won’t be able to move in for about three months,”

“Stay right there. I’m coming to pick you guys up,” I immediately demanded.

“It wouldn’t be too much trouble having us, right? I know you’re just getting settled. Is there enough room?”

“Don’t be stupid, sis,” I scolded, grabbing my coat. “I’ll be there in five minutes,”

As I approached Alice’s apartment, I saw a crowd of people outside, as well as a fire truck. I immediately jumped out of my car and ran towards the truck, where sure enough, Alice was standing with a blanket wrapped around her. When she saw me, she ran up to me and threw her arms around my neck.

“Thank God you’re here!” She whispered, as she started to shake. “I was so freaked out,”

“You’re okay, right?” I asked, worriedly.

“I’m fine,”

“What about your friend? Is she okay?”

“She’s kind of shaken up. She thinks it’s her fault that the apartment caught on fire. But the fireman told us that it was the wiring in the microwave. It could have happened to anyone,”

“That’s too bad. Where is she? If everything’s done here, we can get going. I’m sure you both are really tired,”

“Yeah, I’ll go find her. I think she was talking to the insurance guy. I’ll be right back,”

A few seconds later, I saw Alice approaching with her arm around the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She had dark brown hair that was pulled back in a pony tail. Her eyes were full of worry and apology. Her pale skin was glowing even though it was dark outside. I wanted nothing more than to put my arms around her and comfort her. It was like she was pulling me to her like a magnet.

When Alice brought her over, the girl stared at me, wide-eyed, and a pink blushed graced her cheeks. It killed me. Up close she was even more dazzling. She had beautiful pink lips and her brown eyes pulled me in even more.

“Bella, this is my brother, Edward. Edward, this is Bella,” Alice introduced.

I extended my hand, and she took it appreciatively. When our skin touched, I felt a surge of electricity go through our hands. I almost jumped from the coldness of her fingertips.

“It’s great to finally meet you,” I was able to get out. I smiled to let her know it was okay. “I wish it was under better circumstances but…”

“You too,” she interrupted. “I am so sorry that I had to put you guys through this. If I would have just sucked it up and went with you guys in the first place…”

“Then the next person to use the microwave would have started the fire,” Alice finished for her.

“Bella, really, it’s not your fault,” I assured her. Seeing her so upset made me concerned. I gently placed my hand on her shoulder, longing to find any excuse to touch her again. “It’s okay,” I whispered.

She looked up into my eyes, as if she was thanking me. I nodded in understanding.

When we were finally able to leave, I drove the girls back to my apartment. The fire chief said that if any personal belongings could be recovered, they could pick them up the next day. Knowing Alice, she would use anything she lost as an excuse to go shopping.

I led them into my place, showing them around the rooms. I did have an extra bedroom, but there was nothing in it at the moment. I hadn’t unpacked in there and the bed for that room had not yet been delivered. We hadn’t begun to discuss sleeping arrangements before Alice got a call from Jasper.

She excused herself to go out onto the balcony, leaving Bella and I alone in the living room. She was surveying my collection of books and I could see the corners of her mouth turn into a slight smile. She must be a reader.

“You can borrow any of those if you want,” I offered, when I saw her enthusiasm.

“Thanks,” she smiled. “You have quite a collection. I see you have a lot of the classics. Some of these are my favorites,”

“Well, feel free to take whatever you want. Hopefully you’ll make yourself at home here,”

Bella nodded, and I saw that adorable blush return to her cheeks.

“What is this space here for?” Bella asked, pointing to the cleared part of the room.

“Oh, my piano. It should be arriving any day now,”

“You play?”

“Yeah, I do. I’ve been playing since I was 8,”

“So you must be pretty good,”

I shrugged. “I’m okay. When the piano comes, I’ll play for you some time,”

“I’d like that,” she nodded. I suddenly saw her eyes go wide. “That is, if you’re okay with that,” she finished.

I laughed at her shyness. We stood there in silence for a while. It was awkward, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I could stand there forever if I was able to. Unfortunately, the calmness was interrupted by Alice returning from the balcony.

“Hey guys,” she said, entering the room. She looked at Bella and I saw a strain of guilt fall over her face. “Um, Bella, would you hate me if I left you here for the night? Jasper is worried about me, and he wants me to go over to his place tonight,’”

I saw Bella look nervous, but I could tell that she was too nice to say anything.

“Uh, that’s fine Alice,” she said hesitantly. “I understand you need to be with Jasper tonight,”

“Thank you so much, Bell,” Alice replied, embracing her in a tight hug. “You’re the best. You’ll be okay though, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Now, go” she laughed.

Alice looked towards me. “Take good care of her, ‘kay?”

I nodded as Alice left. I felt bad for Bella. Sure, Alice needed Jasper, but who did Bella have?

When Alice left, Bella and I stood silently in the living room. Neither of us knew exactly what to say.

“Sorry about Alice,” I said quietly. “This is probably weird for you, right?”

“Just a little,” she admitted. “But you probably have it worse, having some stranger stay in your apartment,”

“It’s fine,” I smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you, you’re practically family,”

“Thanks. This is really nice of you,”

“No problem. Now, do you want to get some rest, or do you want to hang out for a while?”

“I don’t think I’ll be sleeping tonight,”

“I understand. That must have really shaken you up. Do you want some coffee?”

“That would be nice,”

“I’ll be right back,” I said, making my way into the kitchen. Since I had only moved in about two weeks ago, and I had been adjusting to my new job, I was really behind on unpacking. Luckily the coffee maker was ready.

I brought out the two cups and set them on the coffee table.

“Here you go,” I said. “You guys made me so paranoid, that I unplugged the coffee maker before it could blow a fuse,”

Bella laughed. “That’s not funny,” she joked. “I’m still in recovery,”

“Seriously, though, we should file a suit against that company. We don’t want this to happen to anyone else,”

“I was thinking about that. Alice and I could definitely put that money to good use. It’s just finding a good lawyer who won’t screw us over,”

I laughed. “You’re looking at him. I can take this to my firm Monday morning,”

“Well, let’s talk to Alice about it and we can get that set up. It sounds good to me,”

“Perfect,” I nodded.

“So,” she continued, making conversation. “You’re a lawyer, huh? Alice never told me that,”

“Well, it’s like her to leave out important details. What about you? What do you do to pay the bills?”

“I’m a journalist. Well, actually right now I’m just writing crappy obituaries and wedding announcements, but I’m waiting for that big promotion,”

So, she was writer. That made sense. It seemed as if she chose her words very carefully.

“That’s awesome,” I smiled. “Writing must be an interesting career,”

“You would think.” She rolled her eyes.

We sat there talking for hours. I got to know almost everything about her. She told me about her family, her friends, her career. A few times she mentioned living with a guy named Jake, but I saw the sadness in her eyes when she brought it up, so I didn’t bother asking why she no longer lived with him.

I told her all about me too, although she already knew a lot of the story. I didn’t really go into my past relationships, but it was clear that we were both single. But honestly, I couldn’t go there, especially if Bella was going to live here the past few months. I would have to keep my feelings under control.

After a few hours, I excused myself to put the cups back in the kitchen. When I returned, I found Bella asleep on the couch. She looked so peaceful lying there, but also uncomfortable. Suddenly, I heard her speak.

“Fire,” she mumbled in her sleep. “Watch the smoke…I’m so sorry…”

She was having a nightmare. I gently put my hand on her shoulder, hardly waking her. I could tell that she wasn’t aware of her surroundings, and she was about to fall off the couch.

I picked her up, bridal style, and carried her to my room. I placed her on my bed, and pulled the covers over her.

“Thank you,” she sighed.

I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and brushed my hand against her cheek.

“Goodnight, Bella,” I whispered.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

Hope you like it so far. Tell me what you think. I'll update as soon as i can. Love you guys.

Chapter: 3

You guys are awesome! I love your reviews. I honestly appreciate every one I get. Shout out to EC4me for calling this one about the guilt. It’s like you read my mind. Haha. Anway, enjoy this chapter! You guys are making me work but I love ya for it.

PS. This occurs the morning after the last chapter.

Bella POV

The last thing I wanted to do that morning was wake up. This bed was so comfy. The pillows were light beneath my head, and the sheets had the scent of…someone other than me. It took me a minute for the memories of the night before to come flooding back to me. The fire. Edward. I was in Edward’s bed!

After searching my head, I realized what I was doing here. I must have fallen asleep on the couch, and Edward brought me to his room so I could have a bed to sleep in. Ugh! I was trying so hard not to like him. Why did he have to be this way? Why did he have to be so painfully perfect?

When I met him last night, I could hardly control myself. Alice never told me that her brother was a Greek god! He had messy bronze hair and dazzling green eyes. And between his crooked smile and his flawless skin, it was hard for me not to stare at him.

Last night we stayed up for hours just talking. I haven’t had a conversation like that in years. I vented about my family and my job, and he did the same. I was actually pretty comfortable around him. He was smart and kind, and we had more in common than I thought we would. I was glad I finally got to know him. But I wasn’t going to let this become anything more than friendship.

I went into the living room to find Edward sleeping uncomfortably on the couch. I felt horribly guilty. I totally put him out of his way. I’m such a bitch. First he gives up his apartment, and then he gives up his bed!

I was so frustrated with myself, that I turned around and started toward the kitchen. However, I foolishly turned to quickly and twisted my ankle, causing me to fall to the ground. The pain in my ankle shot like a bullet.

“Shit!” I screeched, as I grabbed my leg. I unintentionally awoke Edward with my screams.

“Bella?” his head popped up from the couch. “Are you okay?”

“I twisted my ankle,” I moaned. “It hurts like a mother f…”

“Okay, okay, breathe,” he interjected. “Let me take a look at it,”

As he got up off the couch, I noticed that he was only wearing pajama bottoms, and was completely without a shirt. Crap, this couldn’t get any worse. A flawless body to go with a flawless face. His chest looked like it was carved by a sculptor. I could fill the heat fill my cheeks and I looked away.

He gently lifted my ankle with his hands and lightly rubbed his fingers against it.

“Does it hurt when I do this?” he asked, gently moving my foot.

“Not really,” I breathed, almost forgetting about the pain.

“What about now?” he moved it again.

“Ouch!” I groaned. “Right there. That’s where it hurts,”

“Okay, let’s give it about an hour. We’ll put some ice on it, and it still hurts by then, we’ll take you to the emergency room. But honestly, I think you just twisted it,”

I nodded and Edward picked me up in his arms, placing me on the couch. I elevated my foot on the coffee table and looked up at him.

“That was unnecessary,” I joked, as I saw him make his way towards the kitchen. He came back out with a bag of ice and placed it on my ankle.

“Here, hopefully this will help,”

“Thanks,” I said, embarrassed by the situation. Why did I have to be such a klutz.

“You have a knack for getting yourself into trouble, don’t you?” he laughed.

“I suppose so. As a kid I was a regular at the emergency room,”

“Well, I guess people just don’t grow out of that stuff,”

"So how do you know so much about this stuff anyway? It seems like you know what you're doing,"

"My dad's a doctor, remember? You probably have met him already. I would always observe what he did whenever Alice got hurt or something. I was going to become a doctor, but I'm not really fond of blood. But, I decided to use that urge to help people to become a lawyer,"

I sighed as Edward pressed the cold bag closer to my skin. I was suddenly reminded of what happened the night before.

“Hey, why did you let me sleep in your bed last night?” I demanded to know. “You could have just left me on the couch,”

“You didn’t look comfortable there,” Edward shrugged. “It’s no big deal, really,”

“It is a big deal,” I argued. “It’s bad enough you’re letting me stay in your apartment, even though we hadn’t met until last night. You really didn’t have to give up your room. I feel terrible,”

“You are utterly absurd,” he mumbled under his breath. “Bella, you had a tough night. I would have been an ass hole if I didn’t let you have a comfortable night’s sleep. Besides, this couch folds out so I can just pull it out tonight and you can take my bed again…”

“No, Edward,” I scolded. “I will not put you out of your way anymore. Alice and I can take the couch until you can get a bed for the spare room,”

“We’ll see about that,” he challenged. I stared at him fiercely until we were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“I’ll get that,” Edward announced, as he pulled a shirt over his head. He opened the door and I could see Rosalie waiting on the other side with a bag in her hand and Emmett by her side.

“Rose, Emmett,” Edward greeted. “It’s good to see you again. Bella’s inside,”

Rose walked past him and ran to my side, giving me a hug, while Emmett made conversation with Edward at the door.

“Oh, Bella, Alice told me everything,” Rosalie gasped. “I’m so sorry. That must have been awful,”

“I’m okay, Rose, really,” I laughed. “I just feel stupid that’s all,”

Emmett came over and gave me a hug as well.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Bells,” he said with a huge grin. He eyed my elevated ankle. “What’s that about?”

“Bella twisted her ankle this morning,” Edward explained.

“Classic Bella!” Emmett laughed. “You better get used to this Edward. She does this like twice a day,”

“Hey, I’m getting better!” I defended jokingly. “Anyway, what are you guys doing here so early?”

“Well, we can’t stay long,” Rosalie explained. “I just thought that since all your clothes are still in the apartment, I’d drop off some of my stuff. This will give you a temporary wardrobe until you can get some new stuff,”

“Rosalie, I love you!” I shouted. “This is so nice of you. But, what about Alice? She’s shorter than us, so most of this won’t fit her,”

“Well, I know she has some stuff at Jasper’s, and let’s face it: that girl will use any excuse to shop. Besides, her and I get a company discount. She’ll be fine,”

“Thank you so much, you guys are awesome,”

“We’re here for you if you need us,” Emmett assured. “We would love for you to stay with us, but you would be really uncomfortable, and I know it’s far from your work…”

“Guys, don’t worry about it. I understand,”

Suddenly, we heard Edward’s phone ring. He excused himself to answer it, while I continued talking to Emmett and Rose. They eventually had to leave, promising that they would call me to make plans for that night. I was glad that I was getting to see them more. They were like family to me. Emmett was like an older brother, while Rosalie was like a sister. I appreciated how much they looked out for me.

After a few minutes, Edward entered the room, looking discouraged.

“Is everything alright?” I asked, as he took a seat next to me on the couch.

“Um, it depends how you look at it,” he sighed. “I’m just frustrated at Alice. She’s kind of being selfish right now,”

“What happened?”

“Well, she was just down at your place, and it’s not looking great. It will take longer than they thought to restore it. Maybe an extra month, at least. Alice is going to drop off your salvaged stuff later today,”

“Drop off?” I echoed. “She’s not staying?”

“Well, that’s the thing. She’s decided to move in with Jasper. I guess it was settled last night,”

I looked at him in shock. How could she do this? “But she’s only been seeing him for three months!”

“I know, and I really am shocked at her. I don’t like that she’s rushing into this, and I don’t like that she’s abandoning you. It seems really inconsiderate to me,”

I hadn’t thought about that. I lost my roommate. She left me here with her brother. And when the apartment is finally restored, how would I pay the rent by myself? Where was I going to live until then?

“Oh my God,” I breathed, putting my hand to my head. “What am I going to do?”

“This is so unlike her,” Edward murmured to himself. “I mean, I understand she’s in love, but this is really unfair to you. She wants you to know that she’s sorry. But, honestly, I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t forgive her right away,”

I could hardly hear what he was saying. I was too busy having a panic attack. “Crap!” I shouted. “What the hell do I do now?”

Edward sighed and stood up. “Okay, I have an idea that I want to throw out there,” he started. “And if you don’t like it, just say so,”

“I’m willing to listen to anything right now,” I admitted.

“Okay, what if you stayed here for a while?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you can have that spare room, and you can live here for as long as you need to,”

“But isn’t it kind of weird? I mean, we get along great, but moving in here? We just met,”

“Well, think of it in the sense that we could be roommates. It’s just like a normal living situation with two people sharing an apartment. Think of last night as an interview,”

I thought about it for a minute. Roommates. That was an interesting idea. Just because this man was astonishingly good looking and I was developing a huge crush on him, it didn’t mean that we couldn’t share the place together. Roommates seemed like a pretty good idea.

“What’s the rent like?” I asked after a moment of silence.

“Bella, you don’t have to split the rent. I can afford this place on my own,”

“No, I won’t have that,” I said, shaking my head. “If we’re going to be roommates, then by definition I pay half the rent,”

Edward sighed. “I’ll agree on 25% but no more. This place is kind of expensive and I can’t have you paying more than you have to,”

“How about 25% until I get my promotion, then I pay half?”

“After your promotion, we’ll discuss that further,” he agreed.

“So, how long will I be staying?”

“Well, you can stay as long as you want. If you want to go back after your apartment’s ready, then you’re free to go. But, if things are working out…financially…then, we’ll see how it goes,”

I sighed, taking this in. Did I really have another choice? It would have to work.

“Alright, I suppose until another solution can be found, I will accept your offer,”

Edward smiled and extended his hand. “Roommates?”

I shook it gracefully. “Roommates.”

He laughed and looked at my ankle. “How’s it feeling?”

“I think it’s better now. I probably just twisted it. It’s still a little sore, but I can handle it,”

He smiled my favorite smile in the world and lifted my foot off the table. He gently touched the area on my ankle that was previously covered with the ice. His hands felt warm on my skin. I liked the way it felt…a little too much.

“Better?” he asked, looking in my eyes.

I gulped. “Perfect,” I breathed.

If we were going to be roommates, I would have to keep these feelings under control. We had just entered an agreement that would become immensely complicated if I admitted my attraction to him. I would have to ignore this.

But he was making it very difficult.

So things are going to be different. Now, I know this seems like a crappy thing for Alice to do, but we'll see her side of the story later. I promise! Hope you like this one. Once again, I can't thank you enough for your reviews. Every single one makes me smile. Keep it up!

I promise I will update ASAP!

Ps. Hope you noticed the subtle Twilight references. "Utterly Absurd" . I also tried some irony with Edward hating blood, and his skin being warm while Bella's is cold. Just throwing some stuff in there. lol.

Chapter: 4

Alright, I have to give major props to all those who review/alert this story. I love knowing that people are reading this. I have also gotten some PMs from people thanking me for updating every day. I just want to let you know the deal on that. So far, I’ve been averaging a chapter a night and I post it the next day. But, I can’t make any promises that this schedule will keep up. I’ll try my best to be consistent I promise. Anyway, hope you love this.

Edward POV

Two days had passed since Bella and I agreed on becoming roommates. I know it was, in some ways, a stupid idea. This wouldn’t help me stop those growing feelings I had for her. But she had nowhere else to go, and I was glad to be the one who could help her out.

On Saturday night, we went out to dinner with Rosalie and Emmett. They seemed very close to Bella, and it was good to get to know them. They seemed like good people. Emmett and I were becoming fast friends, and we made plans to watch the game at my place on Sunday, while Rosalie took Bella shopping for some new things to replace what was lost in the fire.

Alice had left Bella’s stuff on the doorstep, and neither Bella nor I had seen her since that phone call. She must have been feeling guilty, and I didn’t blame her. I was angry at what she had done. It really wasn’t fair to Bella. Over the past couple days, I had really gotten to know her, and by now we were already good friends. I could tell that she trusted me, and I made sure she was comfortable in this strange situation.

It was now Monday morning and I had left for work early so I could present Bella’s case to my boss. I knew he would jump all over it. There was no way we could lose. The only question was how much we could get out of it.

It was really difficult focusing at work. I hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep since I had been letting Bella stay in my room. Her bed was supposed to be delivered tomorrow, as well as my piano. I had been able to convince her into taking my bed until hers arrived.

As thrilled as I was that Bella was finally listening to me, I had to admit that the pull-out couch was far from comfortable. There was a certain spring that kept digging into my back, and I had slept on my neck wrong as well. The lack of sleep was creeping up on me, but the thought of seeing Bella after work was getting me through the day.

I would have to scold myself for thoughts like that. The more I got to know her, the more I would fall for her. However, the situation was getting more complicated. We were good friends now. If we got together and it didn’t work out, we would be compromising our friendship, our living arrangements, and our relationship with Alice. I couldn’t risk that. I would have to be satisfied by having her in my life at all.

Even though I was trying to avoid my feelings for Bella, I was not interested in going out to look for another girl. Emmett and Rosalie had suggested fixing me up with one of their friends, but I declined. That was another situation I didn’t want to get into. It was bad enough I had my assistant, Jessica, flirting with me at every moment of the day. She never took my hints seriously, even though I had turned her down over ten times in the two weeks I had been at the firm.

That day, Jessica entered my office to tell me I had a phone call.

“It’s from some Bella girl,” she said, disapprovingly. “Do you want me to tell her you’re busy?”

She must have seen my face light up when she said Bella’s name. Jessica scoffed and shook her head.

“No, I’m not busy, Jessica,” I happily replied. “What line is she on?”

“Line 2,” Jessica answered, rolling her eyes. She didn’t leave my office as I answered the phone. I decided to use that to my advantage.

“Hey, Bells, what’s up?” I greeted with much enthusiasm.

“Well, my boss sent me home early. He said that since my apartment burned down I had a legitimate excuse to take time off from work. I’ll be working from home this week,”

“That’s cool of him,” I replied. It would be nice to see her there when I got home.

“Yeah, so I was just wondering if I could have your permission to paint my bedroom. I thought since the room is still empty and I have all this time on my hands, I could get started today,”

“Of course, do anything you want to the place,” I exclaimed. “You live there too now, remember? The apartment is just as much yours as it is mine,”

I flashed a look at Jessica as I said this. Hopefully she would make an assumption.

“Thanks Edward. I’ll be sure not to make a mess…Oh, I should go. Someone’s on the other line,”

“Alright. Call me if the delivery people get there. You can sign for the stuff when it comes,”

“Okay. Have fun at work,”

“Thanks. Bye, Bella,”

“See ya,”

I hung up the phone and looked at Jessica, who was still standing in front of my desk.

“Was there something you needed?” I asked her.

“Uh, no, not really. Um, was that your girlfriend?”

“Jessica, that really is none of your business,” I replied, dodging the question.

“I see,” she said, looking down. “It sounds like she’s moving in with you. So, you’ve been seeing her for a long time?”

I sighed. “Was there something work-related you wanted to speak to me about Jessica?”

“Uh, I can’t remember,”

“Well, then can you leave me to take care of some business. I have a potential new case coming up and I have a lot of work to do,”

“Oh, of course…just call me in if you need me,”

“Goodbye. And Jessica…”

“Yes?” she turned around hopefully.

“Next time I have a call, will you please forward me in through the phone at your desk. It is not necessary for you to listen in on my phone calls in my office,”

“Sorry, Mr. Cullen” she replied, embarrassed. “It won’t happen again.” She left the room in a hurry.

I knew I was being hard on her, but she needed to learn how to be more professional. Back in Alaska, I didn’t even have an assistant, so I had a hard time keeping this one busy.

After lunch, my boss came in after looking over the information for the potential case.

“Nice work with this one, Cullen,” he praised. “Perfect case we got here. Faulty wiring in a product that caused a fire. The company will most likely settle out of court and these two women could get a pretty big pay day,”

“That’s great, sir,” I smiled. “Although, only one of the women is involved with this case. The other has decided not to participate in the lawsuit,”

“Okay,” he nodded. “Now, who is this Miss Swan? Would you be willing to represent her?”

“Definitely. I’d be happy to,”

“What is your relationship with her?” he asked. “You know that it is not against the rules for you to represent someone you have a personal relationship with, but I need to know for the record,”

Great. Now I had to define my relationship with Bella.

“Oh, well, she was my sister’s roommate before the fire, and now she’s staying with me indefinitely,”

“So, is she your roommate or your girlfriend?” he pressed on.

I sighed. “I guess you can say she’s my roommate at this time,”

“Alright. But if that changes, will you please let me know?”

I nodded. I was about to get defensive, but this complicated situation shouldn’t be brought into work.

Finally, five o’clock came around and I was able to leave and go back to the apartment. I decided to call Bella on my way home and I asked her what she wanted to eat. We agreed upon pizza and I picked up a box on my way home.

When I entered the door, I could hear the radio playing from Bella’s room. I took off my jacket and followed the music after dropping off the pizza in the kitchen. When I reached her room, I saw her on a step ladder painting the high place on the wall. Even dressed in the most casual clothes, she looked radiant. She was wearing a white tank-top and jean shorts, which was splattered with the light blue paint that covered her walls.

She was so concentrated on what she was doing, that she didn’t even notice me behind her.

“Bella?” I started, trying to catch her attention. Instead, I scared her and she lost her balance on the step-ladder. Before I knew it she was falling, and I instinctively caught her in my arms. I was now holding her tightly as she caught her breath.

“Are you okay?” I asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she breathed. “That was a close one,”

I slowly released my arms from around her waist, and let her stand up.

“Thanks,” she said, with the flush of color turning her face pink. “Sorry about that,”

I laughed at her clumsiness. “No problem. It was my fault for scaring you anyways,”

“Yeah, what was with that?” she joked. “You’re right. It is all your fault,”

Laughing, I looked around her room. It was a nice pale blue color that really brightened the place up.

“This looks great,” I said, examining the walls. “I like blue,”

“Me too. This seemed to fit pretty well,”

“It’s perfect,” I agreed. “Oh, and I talked to my boss today. We filed the case against the microwave company. He said they will most likely settle out of court, and you will probably get alot of money out of it,”

“That’s great!” she excitedly exclaimed. “But, I feel bad for Alice. If she doesn’t join the case, then she won’t get to split the money,”

“Well, maybe this is her way of paying you back,” I pointed out. “I’m sure she feels guilty right now,”

“Actually I talked to her today,” Bella admitted. “We figured everything out. She told me why… never mind,”

“What is it, Bella? Is there something up with Alice?”

She stared at the walls and sighed. “Edward, it’s not in my place to tell you anything. Alice wants to tell you herself. Just promise me that you’ll go easy on her,”

“What the hell is it, Bella?” I asked again.

“Edward…” she sighed as she moved closer to me. She looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes, filled with worry. “Please don’t make me tell you. If that’s what you really want, I will. But both you and Alice will hate me for it. Just promise me that you’ll keep your head when you find out,”

Her hand gently touched mine. I knew I would give in to what she wanted. I quietly nodded.

“Okay,” I agreed. “For you, I’ll keep my cool,”

“Thank you,” she whispered. She put her arms around my neck and gave me a hug. She had never hugged me before. It was nice. It was like she finally trusted me to be her friend.

After that, we decided to eat. We laughed over our pizza, talking about our days. This was a strange new experience for me. I had never had a female roommate before. It was strangely comfortable. Bella didn’t make it seem out of place. Then, during our conversation, my phone started to ring.

“It’s Alice,” I said, looking at the caller ID. Bella got up from the table and put her hand on my shoulder.

“I’ll give you some privacy,” she said softly.

I took a deep breath and answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Edward? It’s me, Alice,”

“Yeah, I know,”

“Bella probably told you that we need to talk about something,”

“Yeah, but she didn’t tell me what exactly,”

“Well, it’s a very complicated situation, Edward. There’s a reason I’m moving in with Jasper so quickly,”

“Just say it, Alice,”

“This wasn’t a part of the plan, I promise. It just happened. But now that it has, I have to make the most out of it,”

“Say it,”

I heard her exhale. “I’m pregnant, Edward. Jasper and I are having a baby,”

“I thought so,” I sighed.

“Listen, I know I’ve only been with Jasper three months, and this is too soon for us to be doing this. But, I want this baby,”

“Are you getting married?”

“No,”

“Good. I think that would be a bad idea,”

“I know. But I am going to keep living with him, so we can raise the baby together. Are you angry?”

“I’m just trying to take this in,”

“I’m sorry. But, I’m scared, Edward. I need you to be okay with this. I need you in my life. I couldn’t do this if I knew you hated me,”

“I don’t hate you, Alice. I’m just concerned,”

“I understand that. I am too. Just, tell me that you’ll be there for me. Please.”

I thought about the promise I made Bella.

“Okay, I’ll be here,” I nodded seriously.

“Good, because my baby will need its Uncle Eddie,”

“It’s not calling me that,”

“Fine. Thank you, Edward, for being so great about this. I’ll come over tomorrow night and we can talk,”

“Don’t thank me. Thank Bella. She made me promise her I’d keep my cool,”

“She’s good for you, Edward. You two would be good together,”

“Alice, that’s not a great idea. It would make things complicated,”

“But you do like her though, right?”

“Goodbye, Alice,” I said. “Go get some rest,”

“Fine. Goodnight, Edward. I love you. You know that, right big brother?”

“Yes, I love you too, Alice. Now, go to sleep. Make sure that kid gets some rest,”

I hung up the phone and went back into the kitchen to Bella. She was sitting at the table nervously, waiting for my return.

“So, did she tell you?” Bella asked when I sat down next to her.

“Yeah, she did. And I kept my promise,”

“Thank you,”

“No, thank you,” I said gratefully. “Thanks to you, I didn’t ruin the relationship with the only person left in this world that gives a crap about me,”

“I give a crap about you,” Bella replied. Her serious tone turned into a joking one. “If you weren’t around, I wouldn’t have a place to live,”

“Thanks,” I laughed. “I suppose that means a lot,”

“I suppose it does,” she said.

What did that mean?

So, were you expecting that? It’s a new twist. Please REVIEW! I love reading them. If more people do then maybe I can get some new people to read the story. Love ya guys lots! -Z

PS. today I went to the HOt Topic Twilight tour in Phoenix and met the people plaing Jacob, Victoria, and Laurent. They were so amazing and friendly. lol. My friend waited in line at 3 to get wristbands. so worth it

Chapter: 5

Have I told you guys how much I love you lately. Love your reviews! Please do it if you havent done so. It really encourages me to write.

I'm glad you guys feel so positively about the story. I was sure I would get crap about making Alice pregnant, but you guys seemed to be cool with it, so I dont hae to explain myself. lol. Anyway, I wanted to give some more time to the other characters, so I'm working them in this chapter. Hope you like this...

Bella POV

A week had passed since Edward and I found out about Alice’s pregnancy. I was able to move on and forgive her for “abandoning” me, but I was still worried about her well-being. I knew she was a romanticist, and probably thought everything would work out for the best, but I was a little more cynical.

Anyway, living at Edward’s place was really starting to grow on me. I was going back to work now, and even though the paper’s headquarters was within walking distance from the house, Edward would insist on giving me a ride every morning.

Apart from transportation, financially, the situation was better. Edward had turned out to be a more responsible roommate than Alice, and he always paid his share of the groceries and bills on time. With Alice, I would end up covering her a lot. Not only that, but the 25% of the rent I was paying just about equaled what I was paying for the old place anyway.

The best part though was honestly Edward’s company. We had become great friends the past week and a half, and I felt comfortable around him. I thought it would be awkward having a male roommate, but things were working out fine. There was only one problem: every day I was falling for him harder and harder.

I had come to the point where it was useless to ignore my feelings. I was surely aware they were there and I knew the best way to deal with them was to keep them to myself. There was no way I was going to ruin the sweet deal I had here by professing my love to my roommate. Wait…pretend I didn’t say love.

It really sucked throughout the day. Edward did not make this goal easy for me. He was just too perfect. He was gorgeous, smart, and intelligent. He was everything any girl could want. I asked him thousands of times why he didn’t have a girlfriend, but he just said that he hadn’t gone out with the right person yet. Sometimes I wished that he would get a girlfriend, just to throw me back into reality. But I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle that.

When the day came where his gorgeous piano arrived, he stuck to his word and played for me. God, I hated him. The music coming from beneath his fingers took my breath away. He had asked me if I was okay, after catching me staring at him with wide eyes. I just said I was zoning out.

Even though living with Edward was comfortable, there were a few awkward moments that had occurred. For instance, when the delivery guys came to drop off my bed, one of them, Mike, gave me his phone number. I took it politely, and I caught Edward watching us with a strange look on his face. He didn’t ask me about it for days until the other night.

“So, did you ever call that Mike guy?” he asked nonchalantly over dinner.

“No, I don’t think I will,” I replied with a shrug.

“Good. He wasn’t right. I don’t like the way he looked at you. You could definitely do better,” he stated. Then he went back to eating.

Behavior like that confused me. Sometimes he would act like my buddy, and other times he would act like my brother. And then there were times like that when it seemed as if he didn’t want me to go out with other guys. But why would he feel that way? Why would he care? I knew he could have any girl he wanted, and I knew he didn’t want me.

Other than that, I was pretty much settled into my new home. But when I got a phone call from my mother, Renee, I knew it would be a bitch to explain everything.

“What do you mean you moved in with Alice’s brother?” she shrieked from the other end of the phone.

I would have to maneuver this well, especially since Edward was in the room.

“It’s not like that, mom. He’s my roommate,”

“Is that what you guys are calling it now? Roommates! Bella, I’ve had many a “roommate” in my day and it never worked out well. Now, you hardly know this guy. You can’t be that serious to the point where you’re moving in with him,”

“Mom, please, relax! We’re not sharing a bed, if that’s what you mean,”

This was so embarrassing.

“Oh, you’re not. You have your own room?”

“Yes! Edward is not my boyfriend. We both needed a roommate, so I’m living here until my apartment is finished. But I might stay here longer now that Alice moved in with Jasper,”

“Okay, well, I guess that’s different. If you guys are just friends and all that. Not that I am such a prude that I would disapprove of you living with your boyfriend. But, after the Jake situation, I wouldn’t want you to rush into anything like that,”

“Well, I’m not. This is not like that. So you can breathe now,”

“You know, your father will not be happy about this,” she pointed out.

“Well, I was sort of not going to tell him. If Charlie asks or comes to visit, I’ll figure something out. But I’m not going to have a worse repeat of this conversation,”

“That’s probably for the best. Sorry I overreacted. You’re smart enough to know what you’re doing,”

“Thanks mom. I appreciate that. I have to go now. I’ll call you next week, okay?”

“Bye Bella. I love you,”

“Love you too,” I hung up the phone. I turned around to look at Edward, who was quite amused with himself.

“What are you smirking at?” I asked him. “That was terrible,”

“Sorry, it was funny. I think you almost gave her a heart attack,”

“I think I would have if I didn’t explain myself quicker. Sorry if that was uncomfortable,”

“No, I understand the situation. You had to tell her what she needed to hear. Although, you said we both needed a roommate. As I recall, you were the one that needed me,”

“Oh please!” I laughed. “You know you were desperate for someone to live here. You know how boring it would be without me here? You would die,”

“Probably,” he admitted. “But you have to admit, I am ten times the roommate Alice was,”

“That’s not fair. Alice was cool. You are more responsible, I’ll give you that. And maybe you’re a little easier to talk to. Alice wasn’t much of a listener. But she’s a good friend,”

“She always has been. The baby thing is hard for me to think about. I don’t know if she can do that alone,”

“But she’s not alone,” I pointed out. “She has Jasper,”

“I know that. And I’m sure he’s a great guy. But, she’s known him for three months…”

“She’s known him for longer than that,”

“What?”

“I mean, they started dating three months ago, but they’ve known each other for years. He’s Emmett’s friend. They were crushing on each other for an unbearably long time, but a few months ago they finally admitted their feelings. They’re in love, Edward. It just took them a little while to figure that out,”

“Well, I guess that makes me feel better. I just wish I could know how it will turn out,”

“All we can do is hope for the best,” I shrugged.

Edward laughed to himself. “That must have sucked for Jasper and Alice; having those feelings for each other for so long. It must have killed them,”

“I couldn’t imagine,” I lied. I could definitely imagine, because it was killing me too. I wished he could just open his eyes and see that.

EPOV

That weekend was the 4th of July. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice, Bella, and I all went down to the park. There was supposed to be a really cool concert down there, and we were all waiting for an excuse to hang out together.

It was sort of a weird situation. Everyone sort of paired off, leaving Bella and I the only ones not in a couple. The whole time I just kept thinking about Jasper and Alice. It would hurt badly if I made the same mistake they did, keeping my feelings hidden for so long. But I honestly couldn’t think of another way.

When we arrived at the park, Emmett and I parked the car, while everyone else started off to the concert. Emmett had said he wanted to speak to me, so we thought this would be a good time.

“So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?” I asked him, as we left the parking lot.

“Well, we’ve known each other for a couple weeks now, and I feel like I know you pretty well, especially after all that Alice has told me. You seem like a pretty cool guy,”

“Thanks. Ditto,”

“No problem. But, you see, I’m confused by something,” he began. “Listen, I’ve known Bella for a long time, and I’ve seen her go through some stuff. She’s like my sister. Now, be honest with me. Do you have feelings for her?”

I was shocked by this question. How was I supposed to answer that?

“Um, why do you ask that?”

“Come on, man. I can just tell. You guys click really well. I’m pretty sure she likes you too. It’s kind of obvious,”

“Really?”

“You haven’t answered my question…”

I sighed. “Okay, here’s the truth. I guess I do have some feelings for her. But I have no intentions of acting on them. It would be too complicated and I can’t even be sure she feels the same way. I’m just going to let it fade out,”

“Man, you can’t ignore that forever! I saw Jasper go through the same thing,”

“Emmett, I’m just not ready for that,” I pleaded. “Can we just let it go?”

“Fine,” he sighed. “But I do have one Bella-related favor to ask you,”

“What?” I asked hesitantly.

“Well, the wedding is in a couple weeks, and Bella doesn’t have a date…”

“You want me to ask her on a date?!”

“Well, sort of. Just for the wedding. We don’t want her to feel left out, and it could be fun. Who else are you going to go with?”

I was starting to get a headache. “I’ll see what I can do. I’ll try my best to ask her, because I don’t want her to be uncomfortable. But I’m not making any promises that I’ll pull it off,”

Emmett laughed. “Dude, you’re nervous!”

“I’m not nervous! I just don’t want to make an ass out of myself in front of Bella,”

“Bella and Edward sittin’ in a tree, k-i-s-s-i…”

“Shut up!” I laughed. “And don’t get any ideas. This does not mean that I’m asking her to start dating me. This is a one-time thing,”

“Whatever,” Emmett smirked. “I give it a month before you two are together,”

I shook my head before we finally caught up with the others. I saw everyone look at Emmett, who nodded his head in answer to their silent question. So they were all in on it? Unbelievable. And I knew exactly who their ring leader was: the pregnant pixie.

At the concert, all of us really began to have fun. Bella and I were singing the words to all our favorite songs. When the two couples started getting a little too comfortable, I asked Bella if she wanted to go for a walk, and offer she gladly accepted. It was just two awkward watching your friends make out with each other.

As we were walking, I noticed Bella shivering a little.

“Are you cold?” I asked, seeing that she was wearing a thin long sleeved shirt. I started to take off my jacket.

“No, I’m fine. Really,”

“Bella, this needs to stop. You can’t be so opposed to taking favors from people,”

“But I’m not cold. I swear,”

“Humor me,” I pleaded, removing my jacket. Bella rolled her eyes and took it, pretending it didn’t make a difference. But I saw that she was shaking less after a few seconds.

“So, Rosalie and Emmett’s wedding is in a couple weeks, huh?”

“Yeah, it is. Damn, that went by fast. Thank God she chose not to have bridesmaids or I would be screwed,”

“Well, are you going with anyone?” I asked subtly.

“Hmm, I was thinking about calling Mike…”

“What?!” My face must have went pale.

She burst out in laughter. “I’m just kidding. You know I was never going to call him,”

“That was not funny,” I said, shaking my head.

“Come on, what were you going to say?”

“I’m not going to tell you now. You ruined it,”

“What was it? Please tell me, Edward,” she smiled as she took my hand. It had only been a couple weeks and she already knew how to get to me. Sneaky.

“Okay,” I started, giving in. “I was just thinking that since you don’t have a date, and I don’t have a date, then maybe we can go together… you know, as friends or whatever,”

Bella bit her lip, thinking about it. I was suddenly feeling a pit in my stomach. Why did I do that?”

“It’s just that I know it would be weird, surrounded by all those couples, that it would be more comfortable if we had a date. If that’s weird or something, that’s totally fine. It was just an idea…”

“Edward, that’s fine,” she laughed. “I think that’s a good idea. It would be less awkward if I had someone by my side the whole night. It would be nice not to be the fifth wheel…for once. Thank you. That’s a very nice offer. I’d be happy to accept,”

“Awesome,” I replied, relieved. I was glad to get that over with. I was even more thrilled that she accepted. I hoped that night would give me a glimpse of what life would be like if I dated Bella. At least then I would know. Maybe it would give me some peace of mind.

When we returned back to the others, they stared at us, waiting for some hint as to what we were talking about. I simply looked at Emmett and nodded. He would get the message to the others somehow.

After the concert, Bella and I returned back to the apartment. Bella went into the bathroom to get ready for bed, while I decided to sit down at the piano. I started playing around with some of the keys before a melody finally kicked in. I kept it up for a few minutes, before Bella came out and sat next to me on the bench.

“What is that?” she asked quietly. “It’s really pretty,”

“Just a song I’ve been working on. It’s nothing really,”

“Does it have a name?”

“Not yet,” I smirked. “It’s still a work in progress,”

“Hm,” she mumbled to herself. “Well, I like it. You should really play more. Since the piano’s arrived, you haven’t played that much,”

“Well, I don’t want to disturb you,”

“Don’t be stupid. I love when you play. You’re really good. It doesn’t bother me at all,”

“Good to know,” I nodded.

Bella yawned and stood up from the bench. “You know, Edward, you shouldn’t let me stop you doing what you love. Please, play more often. I love it,”

“Alright,” I sighed jokingly. “For you, I’ll play,”

“Good,” she smiled, giving me a small peck on the cheek. “Now, I’m going to bed. Keep playing. It would be a nice way to end the night,”

I nodded as she left the room. I touched the place on my cheek where her lips had so innocently touched. I wanted to kiss her so badly. I would give anything to have that. But for now, that one small kiss on the cheek was enough to last me a lifetime.

As I drifted off in my thoughts, I heard Bella’s voice from her room.

“I don’t hear music,” she called.

I smiled and touched my hands to the keys. Suddenly filled with inspiration, I began to play my newest song. I called it Bella.

Okay, so the two are totally into each other obviously. Trust me, the anticipation is killing me as much as it's killing you. PLEASE REVIEW! I know I'm getting annoying, but I would like to rack up some more reviews so other people can be encouraged to read the story. If everyone who favorited this or added this to their alert list was to review, I would love that. No pressure though. lol. Thank you guys so much for reading. I love ya! z

Chapter: 6

Okay, your reviews make my life! I love how into the story you guys are. Please Please Please keep it up. The more you review, the more I write. Here's another chapter. Enjoy!

Bella POV

About two more weeks went by. Emmett and Rosalie’s wedding was two days away. Tonight was the bachelor/bachelorette parties, and tomorrow night was the rehearsal dinner. By definition, Edward was my date to that event as well. That was weird for me, using the words “Edward” and “date” in the same sentence.

I wasn’t getting my hopes up. He made it clear that our relationship was strictly platonic, but he seemed as excited as I was for this weekend. I think it was more of a security thing. We were both comfortable enough around each other that it would be easy to be the other’s date. But maybe that was the problem. Maybe we were too comfortable.

Excluding my love life, everything else was going pretty smoothly. Edward and I would be meeting with the microwave company next week to discuss the settlement. Edward predicted that I would make a lot of money off this deal. I secretly made an arrangement where I would send Alice a percentage of the money. Besides, it was her place too that got burned, and she would need money with the baby coming.

At work, things were definitely looking up. I was expecting that promotion any day now, and my boss was hinting at it all this week. Edward bought a bottle of champagne and said we would open it when I finally got the news.

It was stuff like that that made Edward so hard to live with. He couldn’t just be another jerky guy. He really did care about my life. Every day he asked me how my day was and about specific things I had mentioned the day before. He would read my announcements and comment on how much he liked them, even though I knew he was lying. But my favorite thing of all, was that every night after I went to bed, he would start playing that song on his piano.

Now, I knew he wasn’t playing that for me specifically. He was just practicing it. But that song was so beautiful, that it made me dream about him almost every night. Thank God he couldn’t hear me talk in my sleep. I’ve probably said some pretty embarrassing things. What’s worse is lately I’d been catching him walking around without a shirt, and my dreams had escalated from sweet and romantic to…sexy.

But I was trying harder and harder not to think of him that way. I was determined to get over this little crush I had on my roommate. But my Edward Rehab would have to start after this weekend.

On Thursday afternoon, I went shopping with Alice to get a dress for the wedding. Rosalie had changed her mind and decided to have bridesmaids, but we were able to wear whatever we wanted. As we were browsing through the clothes, Alice pulled out a deep blue dress.

“Here, you have to get this one,” she demanded. “Blue is Edward’s favorite color,”

“That’s ridiculous,” I said, rolling my eyes. “But I love the dress. I guess I could try it on,”

“Oh, Bella,” Alice sighed. “Once you discover that Edward and you are meant for each other, I will be waiting with a big sign that says TOLD YOU SO!”

“Alice, you don’t know what you’re talking about. This ‘date’ is just so we can have fun at the wedding. It’s a one time thing. Edward’s made that very clear,”

“Well, Edward’s an idiot. I know he likes you…a lot. I can tell by how he talks about you,”

“He talks about me?”

Alice smirked. “Why would you care if you don’t like him?”

“I don’t care,” I defended. “I just want to make sure he’s not talking crap,”

“Trust me, Bell. He speaks nothing but good of you,”

I sighed. “Alice, can we please drop this. You have to accept the fact that Edward and I are just roommates. He has no interest in going out with me. So please, just leave it alone,”

Alice smiled. “Okay, I’ll drop it. But, I will still be holding that sign,”

“You’re impossible. I think that baby has made you worse,”

“Oh, that’s the other thing I meant to tell you. Apparently, Edward had a little chat with Jasper yesterday,”

“He did?”

“Yeah, he showed up at the house and took Jasper for a ‘drive’,”

“Oh God,”

“Yeah, I was relieved when Jasper returned in one piece,”

“Well, what happened?”

“Apparently Edward gave him this whole speech about responsibility. He said that if Jasper ever hurt me or the baby he would kill him. But I think he used stronger terminology than that,”

“How cute,” I grinned, as we walked into the dressing room. “Your big brother is looking out for you,”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Bella, that is not cute. It’s horrifying. It’s bad enough I’m in this situation. I do not need Edward breathing down my neck,”

“Alice, you have to understand that you’re all that Edward has right now. He just doesn’t want to see you hurt. Besides, you love being pregnant. Don’t pretend that you’re not excited,”

“Okay, I admit I’m thrilled…now. But you also have to realize that I’m not all that Edward has. He has you now. And even if you guys don’t feel about each other that way, I’m glad to see he has a friend. That’s unlike him. He seems more…himself when he’s around you,”

“Well, I tend to bring that out in people,” I joked.

I decided to get that dress. It was pretty much my style, if I even had a style. I went back to the apartment to start getting ready for Rose’s bachelorette party. But, when I entered the place, I started to overhear Edward’s phone conversation from the kitchen.

“Tanya, why are you doing this to me? I’m settled here, …Well, I’m not coming back home …Why the hell do you think? ...We aren’t like that anymore Tanya! You cheated on me!... As a matter of fact I do have people here. I have Alice, and some new friends…. It’s none of your business if I’m seeing anybody or not… Well, Alice shouldn’t have told you that. It’s not her place to say that I have a girlfriend. Just because I have a date for the wedding…. It’s none of your business if I like her or not…. I’m done talking about this. I’m done talking to you! Now listen. I am not coming back to Alaska. I am done with that part of my life, and I’m done with you. Please, don’t call me again.”

After that, he hung up the phone, and I sat on the couch pretending I didn’t hear anything. He walked in, and when he saw me a wave of humiliation hit his face.

“How much did you hear?” he asked bluntly.

“I got the gist of it,” I admitted. “I’m assuming that was your ex?”

“Yep,” he nodded. “Trying to get me to go back,”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I’m guessing Marcus dumped her,”

“Is that the guy she cheated on you with?”

He nodded, taking a seat next to me. His eyes looked tired.

“I’m so sorry, Edward. I had no idea that’s what happened. I can’t imagine…”

“It’s okay, Bella. It’s over with,”

“But, that doesn’t stop it from hurting. Trust me, I’ve been there,”

“You’re ex cheated on you?” he asked curiously.

“No,” I sighed. “But he was very…aggressive. Let’s leave it like that,”

Edward’s eyes went wide. I saw anger, sympathy, and worry all at the same time. He knew exactly what I meant.

“Oh my God, Bella. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It never came up,”

He stood up from the couch, enraged. “Who did that to you, Bella? Who is this asshole?”

“Edward, it’s okay. It’s over with, remember?”

“But this is different. No one has the right to hurt you! Now, tell me who he is,”

“Edward, sit your ass down,” I ordered sternly. I looked at him as seriously as possible, and he hesitantly obeyed.

“Listen,” I began. “The whole thing is a long story that I don’t care to get into right now. The important thing is that I’m okay and I’m over it. It wasn’t as bad as you’re thinking. I just got out before it got worse. I just need you to calm down for me because I really don’t like it when you’re angry,”

Edward took a deep breath. “Okay,” he sighed. “I’m calm. It’s just that thinking that someone out there had the nerve to hurt you at all, let alone physically, is very angering to me,”

“Well, I guess I can appreciate that,” I nodded. “I guess we both have had some crap go down in our last relationships,”

“Guess so,” he agreed. Suddenly his phone buzzed, signaling that he got a text. He sighed when he read it. “Damn, Emmett’s picking me up for the bachelor party in 20 minutes. I do not feel like going out tonight,”

“Me neither,” I agreed. “But they’re our friends. We have to go,”

“I know. But, honestly I’d have more fun hanging out here,”

I agreed. “Hey, I have an idea. How about we both get crazy drunk and meet back here around 12? Leave the party early. Say you have a headache or something. Then, we can have a marathon of movies that you can only watch when you’re hammered,”

Edward laughed. “I actually like that idea. I’m sure we’ll regret it in the morning, but I haven’t done that in ages,”

“Do you have to work tomorrow?”

He shook his head. “No, I’m taking it off,”

“Great. I don’t have to work either. I have to help Rosalie with wedding stuff. That’s what’s great about working for the paper. They’re flexible. I’m writing tomorrow off as a research day,”

“Nice. So, meet back here at midnight?”

“Sounds good,” I agreed.

We shook on it, and I went into my room to change. Alice had picked up an outfit for me a few days ago, and I scoffed when I saw it the first time. It was so not me. It was ridiculously low-cut, reaching below my ribs. Usually, I would refuse to wear it, but tonight I would make an exception.

A while after I started getting ready, I heard Edward’s voice from outside my door.

“Bells, I’m leaving. I’ll see you later tonight,”

“’Kay, have fun,” I called back. I was especially excited for later that night.

Rosalie came to pick me up in the limo with some other of her girlfriends, plus Alice, to take me to go to the club. Her eyes widened when she saw me.

“You’re looking a little slutty tonight, Bella! I like it!”

I laughed. “Well, you don’t look so conservative yourself!”

Rosalie looked like she had already had some drinks already. By the time we got to the club, she was practically yelling, “I’m getting married!”

Then again, I was getting pretty tipsy myself. I was pushing back drinks for most of the night. However, I could handle my alcohol better than most people. I spent a lot of the time hanging out with Alice, until an attractive young man named Laurent asked me to dance.

I agreed to follow him to the floor, and we danced for quite a while before he announced that he had to leave. We had fun for that amount of time. He seemed very nice, and he was certainly good looking. But for some reason when he asked me for my number before he left, I declined. I returned to the others, who were all looking at me in shock.

“What was that?” Rosalie asked, appalled. “He was gorgeous! How come you didn’t give him your number?”

“Rose, you’re wasted. Everyone looks good to you,” I pointed out.

“No,” Alice interjected. “I’m stone sober and I thought he was a major hottie. But I know why you didn’t give him your number,”

“Why?” Rosalie slurred.

“Because she’s too hung up on Edward,” Alice said proudly. “She knows that if she goes out with someone, she won’t be available for him,”

“Alice, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied. She was pretty much right. Not that I expected Edward to ever ask me out, but going out with someone else basically eliminated that possibility. I know I was being stupid, but I felt that there was a small chance that he might feel the same way as I do. But really, who was I kidding? There was no chance.

“I’m just not ready to date anyone right now,” I said, keeping up the lie. “He was cute, but not my type,”

“So what?” Rosalie spat out. “You could have gone out with him once and used him for sex. I’m getting married. That means sex with the same person forever. What the hell am I thinking?”

I was trying not to laugh. Rosalie was trashed. I found that this would be the best time to plan my escape. I leaned in towards Alice.

“Hey, I think I’m going to call it a night,” I said over the music.

“Why so soon? The night is young,”

“I’m just not up for much more. Besides, tomorrow is going to be pretty busy. I’m going to call a cab,”

“Bella,” Alice said, grabbing my arm. “I hope you’re not leaving because of what I said about Edward. I’ll drop it from now on, I promise. It’s just that the pregnancy thing has got me weird,”

I smiled and gave Alice a peck on the cheek. “Alice, it’s not that. You’re fine. I’ve just had a hard week. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Alright,” she sighed. “You know I love you, right?”

“I know. I love you too. Now, enjoy yourself the rest of the night,”

I left the club and took a cab back to the apartment. When I entered, Edward was already there on the couch. He had not yet seen me in my outfit, and when I came through the door, he was trying very hard not to stare south of my neck.

“Right on time,” he smiled, when I took a seat next to him.

“You’re early,” I replied. “Are you drunk?”

“Not nearly enough,” he laughed.

“Me neither. I tried, but it takes a lot to get me drunk,”

“Me too. But that doesn’t have to ruin the plan,”

“No way! I’m going to go change into some pajamas,”

“Thank God,” he said under his breath.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh,” he jumped, embarrassed. “It’s just that you can imagine how hard it is to focus when you’re wearing something like that,”

I looked at him in shock and threw a pillow in his face. “Shut up!”

“Sorry, I’m just being honest!” I laughed.

I rolled my eyes and went into my bedroom to change. I washed my face free of makeup and put a brush through my hair. When I returned, I found Edward in the kitchen.

“You want a beer?” he asked, digging through the fridge.

“Sounds good,”

“Popcorn?”

“No!” I shouted “No popcorn, ever,”

“Oh yeah,” he chuckled. “I forgot. You know, this microwave probably won’t blow a fuse,”

“I don’t care. I’m scarred,”

“Okay, what about ice cream?”

“Perfect. What kind?”

“Mint chocolate chip,”

“My favorite,”

He smiled. “I know. I picked it up at the store the other day. I know how much you love it,”

Damn it. Could he be anymore perfect?

“Thanks,” I said gratefully. “That was cool of you,”

We walked back into the living room and turned on the TV. We decided on a scary movie with bad effects and horrible acting.

Then, Edward instinctively put his arm around me. It seemed so natural to him, but to me it was different. He seemed comfortable like that. So, I brought my feet up on the couch, and leaned back against his chest. He didn’t seem fazed. In fact, he grabbed a blanket and put it over us. Little did he know that my heart was beating a thousand times a minute.

I wished that it could always be this easy. I wished that I could look up and kiss his perfect lips. I wish I could tell him exactly how I felt and how much it killed me to be this close without being together.

During the movie, there was a certain scene that freaked me out. I let out a small scream and clutched on to Edward’s shirt. He didn’t flinch. Instead, He chuckled and placed his hand on top of mine.

I didn’t even get through the first movie. Before long, my eyelids felt heavy and the noise from the television became fainter and fainter. It wasn’t long before I fell sound asleep in Edward’s arms.

Okay, so in honor of meeting Edi Gathegi on Wednesday, I had to put Laurent in the story somewhere. I love him! Anyway, I hope you like where this is going. I'm just as excited to write it as you guys are to read it. That is, I hope you guys are excited. BTW 1 more week til the movie!

If you love this, please review. I'd like to hear what you're thinking!

Chapter: 7

I love love love your reviews. You're enthusiasm makes my day. Please keep them up if you are enjoying this. I hope you like this chapter ;)

Edward POV

The morning of the wedding had arrived. Rosalie and Emmett were to be married at 2 o’clock that Saturday afternoon, but all of us would be busy the whole day. Because of a change in plans, Emmett had decided to make me a groomsman. I thought that was nice of him, especially since we hadn’t known each other that long. But I had a suspicion that this was his excuse to get Bella and I to walk down the aisle together.

The day before had been actually quite interesting. When Bella awoke to realize that she had fallen asleep with me, she quickly became embarrassed and avoided talking to me most of the day. I didn’t want to push her. But I had to admit that it was the best night’s sleep I ever had in my life. I had actually woken up about an hour before Bella, but I loved the way she felt in my arms, so I didn’t move her.

I wished that I could sleep next to her every night. I wish I could breathe in that sent of freesia in her hair, and feel her cold skin against mine. She was absolutely intoxicating and I couldn’t take it anymore.

By the time the rehearsal came around, Bella was back to her usual self. Since she was technically my date, we had to spend a lot of it together, and I had to practice walking down the aisle with her on my arm. I liked the way that felt a little too much.

At the dinner, Bella and I were having a lot of fun. I loved just hanging out with her. I felt like I could actually be Edward around her. She liked the real person I was, so there was no pretending. Well…there was pretending. There was really too much pretending. I was pretending I didn’t have feelings for Bella. I was pretending that she didn’t mean as much to me as she really did. I was hurting myself day after day, keeping up a lie.

I would have to tell her eventually. I didn’t know how much more I could take. I just wished the situation wasn’t so complicated. If I were to tell her how I felt, it would be an uncomfortable living situation if she didn’t feel the same way. And if she did feel the same way, it would be worse if it didn’t work out.

I decided to put this off until after the wedding. Besides, I wanted to have fun tonight. I wanted to get to spend some time with Bella, before I made things more complicated. I needed more time for her to be my friend.

When the time came to head down to the church, I gently knocked on Bella’s door.

“Hey, Bells, it’s almost time to go. Are you ready?”

“Yeah one second,” she answered.

Within seconds, she opened her door, revealing herself in a blue dress that took my breath away. The color of her skin glowed in contrast to that color. Her hair was up in a neat up-do, and her face had a fresh and rosy tone to it. I was speechless for a few moments before I spoke.

“Wow, Bella, you look beautiful,” I stuttered, as I gazed at her.

She gave a huge smile. “You know, you’re not obligated to say that just because you’re my date,”

“I know that,” I replied. “I’m telling the truth,”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You don’t look too bad yourself there,”

I was wearing a grey suit and a silver tie. I knew it wasn’t anything special. I wore a suit everyday for work.

“Now you’re just saying that because I said you look good,”

Bella sighed and grabbed her purse from the coffee table. “Okay, let’s not argue about who looks better. We should be getting down to the church,”

“Okay,” I agreed, taking a box off the table. “But before we go, I have something to give you,”

“What is it?” she said panicked. “You didn’t get me a gift did you? You know how much I hate gifts…”

“Shut up, Bella,” I laughed. “I just wanted to get you something, that’s all. Since you are being so cooperative about this whole date thing, I wanted to get you something to show how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,”

“What have I done for you?”she asked curiously.

“You’ve been my friend,” I explained. “You’ve made my life a little more exciting. You pay 25% of the rent. I guess I just like having you around,”

She smiled. “Well, I like being around,”

“Good. So, if you have any heart at all, you’ll accept this,”

I handed her the box and she opened it. Inside, was a necklace with a gold key on it.

“I thought it was appropriate,” I said, as she stared at the pendant.

“Edward,” she breathed. “This is beautiful. I love it,”

“You’re not just saying that?”

She threw her arms around my neck and gave me a big hug. “No, Edward. I really really love this. It’s perfect,”

She gently let go and I took the box from her hands.

“Do you want me to put it on you?” I asked.

“Please,”

I stood behind her and placed it around her neck. It fell delicately high on her chest. She carefully touched it with her hands.

“Edward, you shouldn’t have done this. It’s too much,”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Bella. I just saw it and thought of you. Please, don’t make a big deal out of it,”

She sighed and turned around to face me. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she couldn’t. Instead, I put my hand on the small of her back and walked with her to the door.

“Come on,” I said quietly. “We don’t want to keep everyone waiting,”

Bella POV

When we got to the church, I was trying my hardest not to cry. I couldn’t do this anymore. I couldn’t keep pretending no feelings were there. After he gave me that necklace, I knew that was it. If I kept living there, it would kill me. I knew I would have to leave.

I parted with Edward and made my way to find Rosalie. My hands were shaking and I had to swallow all the pain I was feeling. I found Rosalie and Alice in the bridal room.

“Bella, you made it!” Rosalie smiled. She looked radiant in her gown. It was lacy and long with a gold ribbon under the bust. He golden hair was in curls almost down to her waist.

I ran up to her and gave her a hug. “You look fantastic,” I said shakily.

“Are you alright?” Rosalie asked. “You look upset,”

“No, I’m just happy for you and Emmett,”

Alice walked up in her red dress, also looking beautiful. “Are you sure, Bella? I’ve never seen you like this,”

“Really, I’m fine,” I lied. “Now, what do you want me to do?”

“Bella, where did you get this necklace?” Rosalie asked, pointing to the key around my neck. “It’s so pretty,”

I really didn’t want to talk about that. I didn’t want to say Edward’s name out loud.

“Rosalie, can we please stop talking about me? This is your day. Please, give me something to do,”

After about an hour of finishing everything up, it was time to go out and start the wedding. There were actually quite a lot of people there. I was starting to get nervous about being a bridesmaid. I was peeking at the size of the crowd, when I heard someone’s velvet voice behind me.

“Are you freaking out yet?” Edward asked, making me jump. Seeing his beautiful green eyes almost calmed me.

“Yeah, um, I think I’m okay,”

Edward frowned. “Bells, is something wrong. Ever since we left, you’ve been acting strange,”

“Well, it’s a big day,”

He shrugged. I was a horrible liar. Suddenly, Alice came up to us.

“Alright, Jasper and I are going out first. After that, count to five and follow at the same pace. Then, when we are all up there, Rosalie will come out. Everything after that was covered in the rehearsal. Got it?”

We nodded. I hoped Edward knew what he was doing, because I certainly did not. The music started to play and Alice began to walk out with Jasper. They looked so great together. I couldn’t believe they were going to be a little family.

“Ready?” Edward asked, taking me out of my head. He held out his arm and I took it. I nodded.

We started to walk out down the aisle. Everyone was staring at us. It was horrifying. I could feel the blush run to my cheeks as all the eyes in the room were on us. Distracted, I took a wrong step, and I felt myself stumble. Suddenly, Edward’s arm was around my waist. He caught me…again.

The crowd began to whisper and giggle, laughing at my clumsiness. We continued to walk as Edward whispered in my ear.

“It happens. Try to forget about it,”

I had never been so humiliated in my entire life. Of course I tripped on my own feet at Rosalie’s wedding. Why wasn’t I expecting that?

The rest of the ceremony was so beautiful, that everyone had forgotten about my little slip up. Rosalie and Emmett exchanged vows, telling each other how much they loved them. Every once and a while, I would look at Edward, who would also be looking at me. I would suddenly try to move my eyes to something else, but it really wasn’t working. He looked so handsome and classic. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him.

It was thoughts like these that told me I had to leave. I couldn’t keep living under the same roof of someone I cared so deeply about. I had to get out.

At the reception, I had to something else that was equally as horrifying. I had to give a speech. Speaking as eloquently as possible for someone who was terrified of crowds, I told Rosalie and Emmett how much I loved them, and how happy I was that they found each other. I poked fun at myself for my little stumble down the aisle, and I thanked them for being like family to me, especially since I was so far away from my own. I wished them all the happiness in the world, and gave them each a hug when I was finished.

When I sat back down next to Edward, he whispered in my ear.

“You did great, Bells. I told you you’d be fine,”

“I’m just glad I didn’t screw something else up,”

He laughed. “You never screwed anything up. If anything, you made the wedding better,”

I rolled my eyes. After Emmett and Rosalie’s first dance, the music continued to play with everyone dancing and having a good time. Rosalie and Emmett were talking to their parents, while Alice made Jasper get all the food possible. She was always hungry now.

Edward and I sat at the table, before he stood up and held out his hand.

“Come on, Bella. You’re going to dance with me,” he stated. It made me laugh out loud.

“Are you on crack? I could hardly walk down the aisle. Do you think I’ll be able to dance without making a complete ass of myself?”

“I promise, you won’t make an ass out of yourself. I know what I’m doing,”

“But I’ll fall or something,”

“I won’t let you fall. Come on, you’re my date. The rules are that you have to dance with me,”

I glared at him.

“Please,” he asked sincerely. I gave in to those eyes again, and I hesitantly took his hand.

He led me to the middle of the floor, where he put his hands on my waist and I put my arms gently around his neck. He began to slowly move me around, and before I knew it, I was dancing with him.

“I wasn’t joking before, Bella,” he said softly. “You really do look beautiful tonight. Every guy in this place is staring at you,”

I knew that wasn’t true. Every woman in this place was staring at him. The guys were just looking at who their dates were so infatuated with.

“See, this isn’t so bad,” he bragged as I moved closer to him. This felt to right. It was taking everything in me not to kiss him. With every word he spoke, I fell even more for him. It was killing me. I had to say something.

“Edward,” I began, not looking in his eyes. “You know how once I get my promotion, I don’t really have to work at the office anymore,”

“Mhm,” he muttered.

“Well, I was thinking that once I get that promotion, I’ll go down to Phoenix for a while. It’s where my family is, and I really miss them,”

“So, how long will you be gone for?” he asked curiously.

I was trying so hard not to cry. This hurt too much. “Indefinitely,” I answered. “I might stay there for a while,”

I saw his face go pale. “Are you saying you want to move out?”

I didn’t know how to answer this. “Edward, I’ve been a burden on you for too long. And after last night, I realized that maybe I’ve been getting too comfortable. I feel I might be holding you back from having your own life. I don’t want you to change the way you live for me,”

His hands dropped from my waste and he removed my arms from around his neck. He looked hurt. He looked like someone had stabbed him. He shook his head.

“I am such a fool,” he murmured to himself. “If you want to leave, don’t let me stop you. I can’t believe I let myself…” he stopped. “I need to get out of here,”

Edward turned around and left the hall. A couple next to me was staring at him as he left. Then they looked at me. I must have looked so stupid for letting this perfect man run away from me. I felt a teardrop run down my cheek. Trying not to cause I scene, I slowly followed him outside to the terrace.

It was a beautiful night outside. There were lights around the building, and the sky was clear with a large moon up above. It wasn’t too cold, but a beautiful breeze swept through the air.

I found him sitting on a bench, with his face in his hands. He probably felt like he did something wrong. I made it sound like I didn’t like him in my life. If he only knew how I really felt. The only way to make this better was to tell him.

“Do you want to know the truth?” I said from behind him. I realized I was crying.

He didn’t look up. He just kept staring into space.

“I can’t keep living like this, Edward. It’s too hard. The past few weeks I have come to care for you…too much. It’s so hard for me to be around you, because you make it so difficult to hate you. You always say the right things. You always do what’s best. You have to catch me every time I fall. If you weren’t so goddamn perfect, I wouldn’t have to move out. It’s too hard to live with someone who I have feelings for, who doesn’t feel the same way about me,”

I saw him lift his head, still not turning around. He sighed.

“Bella, are you blind?” he asked, almost angrily.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.

“I mean, can you just not see things clearly, or can you not see anything at all?”

“Edward, I really don’t know what you’re saying,”

He stood up and moved towards me. “Bella, how can you not see how much I care for you? I spend every possible moment at home, just so I can be with you. And I take you to work every morning, because those are two extra minutes that I get to be by your side. I run home from work every night, because I can’t wait to hear about your day. I haven’t gone out with any girls in the past few weeks, even though I’ve had plenty of offers. And you know that song I play every night after you go to sleep? I wrote that for you. So, please tell me why you think I don’t have feelings for you,”

I took all of this in shock. I never thought of it that way.

“Edward, you could have any girl in this country. You could have any girl on this planet,”

He came and stood close to me, taking my hands into his. His face was only inches from mine.

“Bella, I don’t want any of those girls. I only want you.”

I placed my hand on the back of his neck, and he put his arms around my waist.

“I only want you too,” I breathed.

Edward pulled me closer to him and kissed me. I finally felt those lips that I have so longed for on mine. I moved my hand up to his head and my fingers knotted in his hair and I pulled him even closer to me. There was no space between us. Our lips moved fervently together, making up for every moment we had lost.

When we pulled away from each other, a huge smile appeared on Edward’s face.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he said placing his hand on my cheek.

“I know exactly what you mean,” I replied. My heart was beating a million times a minute. Edward took me in his arms, and I rested my head against his chest.

“So, I guess that means you won’t be going back to Phoenix?”

I laughed. What a stupid plan that was.

“Nothing in the world could make me leave now,”

“Good,” he sighed into my hair. “Because that would have killed me,”

“I’m sorry, Edward. I should have told you the truth from the beginning,”

He loosened his grip on me, so I could look up at his face.

“No, Bella. I should have told you. This has been hard for me as well. But I’m tired of hiding how I feel. I want you to be with me,”

“Me too,” I agreed. “Although, I do have a favor to ask you,”

“Anything in the world you want, I’ll do,”

“Okay,” I said, thinking about our situation. “Do you mind if we wait a while to tell the others. I would like some time where it’s only us. Besides, I don’t want to get them involved just yet,”

“I understand,” he agreed. “I feel the same way. For now, this is just between us. When the time is right, we’ll tell Alice and the others,”

“Thank you,” I whispered. “Other than that, I only have one other favor to ask of you,”

“Name it,” he smiled.

I moved my hand through his hair and stared into the green pools in his eyes. “Kiss me again,” I whispered.

He put his hands on my waist and pulled me close to him. “My pleasure,” he said softly.

After a while, we thought it would be best to return to the party. We danced together a few more times, and I no longer felt embarrassed. Then, we said goodbye to Rosalie and Emmett, who were off to their honeymoon, and then to Alice and Jasper.

When the two of up reached the apartment, I kissed Edward passionately one more time. He walked me to my bedroom door and said goodnight. I could have easily slept with him then. The feelings were there. But I was glad he didn’t pressure me into it. It would happen another night, but not that one. The first time with him would have to be special. I knew then and there that I was hopelessly in love with Edward Cullen, and we wouldn’t go any further until I admitted that to him.

OK so did you love that? I hope you guys did. I had this whole other plan worked out, where they got together at the rehearsal dinner, but I liked the tension at the wedding better. So I rewrote it. Please tell me what you think.

PS. The outfits and the necklace are on my profile. Check it out!

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! The more you review, the faster I update.

Chapter: 8

Hey everybody! I just want to thank you for the great responses to the last chapter. It was a very important one, and I'm glad it was so convincing. Anyway, this one is pure fluff. PLease review! YOu have no idea how much I love reading about what you think. Enjoy!

Edward POV

When I woke up the next morning, I was certain that everything was a dream. I was sure that things would be the same as they had been the last few weeks. Bella was still just my roommate, and I was still hiding my feelings for her. But then, all the memories of the night before came rushing back. I suddenly became the happiest man in the world.

I was thrilled it was Sunday. I decided I would take Bella out on an official date. My life couldn’t get any better.

After I showered, I made my way into the kitchen. I smiled when I saw Bella there waiting for me. When my eyes met hers, she exhaled and ran into my arms. I lifted her up and kissed her deeply.

“Good morning,” she breathed, when she pulled away.

“Good morning,” I whispered back. I kissed her again, but more chastely this time. “How did you sleep?”

“I couldn’t. I was just too happy,” she answered.

“I couldn’t at first either,” I laughed. “But I know you were the last thing I thought of before I fell asleep. And I dreamt about you too,”

“Well, I’m glad I don’t leave your head,”

“Never,” I grinned. “Can I take you out today?”

She grinned. “I’d like that. Let me go get dressed,”

When she disappeared into her bedroom, I sat down at the piano and started playing Bella’s song. I had written it down and it was all put together now. The song sounded sweeter now that I was with Bella. When I was finished playing, I felt someone put their hands on my shoulders.

“That might just be my favorite song in the whole world,” Bella’s voice whispered in my ear. Her cool breath tickled my skin.

“Well, it’s about my favorite person in the whole world,” I whispered. I took her hand off my shoulder and kissed it. I turned around to see her dressed in a white sundress, with her hair down.

“You look beautiful,” I said, playing with a strand of her hair.

She laughed. “You need to stop telling me that,”

I pressed my lips to her jaw. “Never,” I breathed.

I had decided last night that we should wait a while before we slept together. Not too long, of course, but I wanted to make sure that Bella wouldn’t regret anything when it came to that. However, I had a feeling that this decision would be difficult to hold up.

“Come on,” I said, taking her hand. “We should go before I get carried away,”

“Okay,” she laughed.

We walked down to the car and I opened the door for her like I always had.

“So, where are you taking me?” she asked, when I got into the car.

“How would you like to go down to the beach today?”

She looked out her window. It was quite a beautiful day. The sky was blue and the sun was shining through the few clouds there were.

“Perfect,” she smiled.

As we were driving, Bella’s phone began to ring. She looked at me when she saw the caller ID.

“It’s Alice,” she said, making a face. I picked up Bella’s hand and kissed her wrist.

“Lie,” I suggested. Bella nodded in agreement.

“Hello?” she answered. “Hey, Alice… Yeah, the wedding was fun…. Oh, well, actually I have plans with my friend Angela today. I’m helping her pack. She’s moving to New Mexico in a couple days… Oh, Edward? Um, I think he said he’s working today…. Yeah, he has to make up for taking Friday off…. Okay, I’ll call you later…. Bye,”

Bella hung up and exhaled. “How was that?” she asked.

“Hmm, you’re a better liar than I thought,” I joked. “But I predict a call from Alice in 5…4…3…2…”

Sure enough my phone rang.

“Hello Alice,” I answered, without even looking at the caller ID. “What’s up?”

“Is it true you’re working today?” she demanded to know.

“Yeah, I am. I have a lot of work to do,” I lied.

“God, you need to get a life,” Alice scoffed. “Anyway, did you have fun being Bella’s date last night. I know she was acting kind of funny,”

“It was fine Alice. But you should kind of drop this whole thing about me getting together with her. I think it’s pissing her off,” I said. Alice had no idea I was joking.

Bella was trying really hard not to laugh.

“Yeah, I think you’re right. She gets really defensive about it. Even though I think…”

“Alice, please,” I interrupted.

“Okay, I’ll let you go back to work. I’ll call you later and maybe we can do something,”

“Bye, Alice,” I said, and I hung up the phone.

“That was fun,” I admitted, looking at Bella.

“It was. I admit I feel bad for lying to her, but she deserves it. She’s been harassing me the past month for me to get together with you. She swore it would happen,”

“That’s why you never bet against Alice,” I pointed out.

“True that. But, I know if we tell her, she’ll get way too involved. I want to have a few weeks where it’s just you and me. Then we don’t have to worry about living up to everyone else’s expectations,”

“I agree. But, I think we should tell at least one of our friends. Then they can have our back,”

“I guess that would be a good idea. Then at least one person can be happy for us. Who did you have in mind?”

“Well, Rosalie and Jasper would tell Alice, so…”

“Emmett,” she finished for me. “He would be the best person,”

“I think so too. He seems the most trustworthy. If it was important for us to keep it a secret, then he wouldn’t spill,”

“You’re right. We’ll talk to him when he comes back from his honeymoon on Wednesday,”

“Cool,” I replied. “I like how I can talk to you about this stuff,”

“Me too. I can’t tell you how glad I am that all of this is out in the open. I feel like I can breathe,”

I smiled. I knew exactly how she felt. A huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I could finally admit to myself the truth. I was in love with Bella. It was too soon to tell her now. But eventually, I would let her know. I had to do things the right way with her, because there was no way I was ever letting her go.

Bella POV

When we got down to the beach, we decided to go for a walk. He held onto my hand the entire time, like if he let go I would float away. Things were so comfortable with him. I could say what I wanted to say, and he would like me more for it.

But there was one thing I had to clear the air about. So, I decided to bring it up on our walk.

“Edward,” I said nervously. “I wanted to talk to you about something,”

“Okay, what’s on your mind?”

I sighed. “Well, stop me if I’m getting too girly on you, but in my experience, I’ve had some trouble when it came to guys defining our relationship. There was always a lack of definition, and I never really had any stability,”

Edward nodded understandably. “I can see how that would be a problem,”

“Yeah, so I just want to be clear. We are together now, right? So, I want to leave the option out there. Do you want to keep seeing other people, or is it just me? Either way, I’m fine. I just need to know,”

Edward chuckled and stop walking. He grabbed my other hand and kissed them both.

“Bella,” he said seriously. “I thought I made it clear last night. But, there is no one I want to be with other than you. I want you to be…my girlfriend. I’ve been waiting so long to be with you, and now that I am, I don’t want to be with anyone else. Isn’t that how you feel?”

I smiled at him wide eyed. He was putting everything out there. “Of course that’s how I feel. I just wanted to be sure. I know that sounded so whiny and controlling, but…”

“Bella, it’s okay. I understand. You need me to be forward with you. We’ve been hiding things from each other for too long. If you ever need to know something, please just ask me,”

“I’ll remember that,” I nodded. “You know, I think you may just be my best friend?”

“Really?” he replied, shocked. “Wait until I tell Alice,”

I lightly touched my lips to his. “Well, I can’t do this with Alice,” I said seductively, and parted his lips with my own. I gave him a deep kiss, and added some tongue action in order to get his blood pumping.

“I certainly hope not,” he joked in between kisses. After a few seconds, he gently pulled away. “Actually, that reminds me that there’s something I need to talk to you about,”

“What’s that?” I asked, disappointed that the kiss was interrupted.

“Well, if this gets too uncomfortable, please stop me. But let me start by telling you that I find you unbelievably attractive…irresistible actually,”

“That’s a good way to start,” I blushed.

“And I also want you to know that whenever you are ready to take this relationship to the next level, I will be ready. I’m not going to push you on that. I want you be 100% sure, and I promise I won’t get you to do anything you don’t want to do. The time is completely up to you,”

I smiled and kissed him again. “Edward, you don’t know how much it means to me that you feel that way. And you should know, that I won’t keep you waiting that long. I just want to be sure that the first time we do that, it will be special. You see, it’s been a long time for me since I’ve been with someone…in that sense,”

“It’s been a while for me too,” he nodded. “But, just out of curiosity, how long exactly?”

I looked away. “You first,” I demanded.

“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing,”

“I doubt it’s been longer than me,”

“Um,” he started. “Six months,”

“Wow,” I gaped.

“I told you it was embarrassing,”

“No,” I defended. “It’s been over a year for me. I’m just surprised that it’s been that long for you. I mean, you’re gorgeous. You could walk into a restaurant, pick any woman you want and get laid,”

Edward laughed. “Well, I’m not that kind of guy. I have to really care for a woman before I take that step. It’s really unfair otherwise,”

“I’m that way too,” I agreed. “I haven’t been that close to anyone since Jake. And that turned out to be a huge lie. I’ve been hesitant ever since. That was, until I met you,”

“Well, I’m glad we have that cleared up. I know that your last relationship was tough, and mine too. I want to be sure that I don’t screw this up,” he admitted.

“Me too. I know we have a lot riding on this to work out,”

“Well, let’s not think about it that way. I honestly don’t think we have to try that hard. Apparently, everyone saw this coming except us,”

Edward opened his arms and I entered them. I could be like that forever, pressing my head against his chest.

“Hey, Bella, do you mind if I make a phone call?” he asked, reaching into his pocket.

“Not at all,” I smiled. “Do you need some privacy?”

“No, I’d prefer it if you didn’t leave my sight,”

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. I could faintly hear a man’s voice on the other line.

“Yes, Mr. Brennan…This is Edward Cullen…I was calling in regards to the Bella Swan case….Well, you know how you told me to let you know if the status of our relationship changed….Well, it has. Miss Swan is now my girlfriend….So, you were expecting that too?....So, it won’t be a problem….Thank you sir….”

When Edward hung up, I looked at him ecstatically. “I love the way that sounds,” I admitted.

“What?”

“I love when you call me your girlfriend,”

“Well, I love the way that sounds too. I know it’s kind of going fast, but we’ve wasted a lot of time,”

“We sure have,” I agreed. “Let’s try not to make that mistake again,”

Edward took my hand again and we continued our walk on the beach. We ended up spending the whole day together. I had never felt this close to anyone in my life. I knew one thing was sure: I couldn’t live without Edward in my life, and I was going to do anything in my power to make sure that he stayed there.

So, I know that was really fluffy and kind of boring, but I needed a transitional chapter. But, please tell me what you think. If you have any input at all I would love to hear it. I'm really glad that so many people are enjoying this, and I will keep writing quickly. In fact, I'm kind of ahead in my writing, so you can probably expect about a chapter a day this week. Except on Friday, because I'll be seeing the movie. haha. Keep up the reviews!

Chapter: 9

Okay, I am officially in love with my readers. You have no idea how much I appreciate your reviews. I was feeling really insecure about that last chapter, but after reading what you wrote, I felt much better. I think you'll love this one.

Edward POV

That Thursday, I went out to lunch with Emmett. He was going to have to be our ally for the time being. Although we wanted him on our side, Bella and I decided to have a little fun with him.

I met Emmett at the coffee shop around noon.

“So, man, how was the honeymoon?” I asked, trying to make conversation.

“Great. We got back yesterday afternoon. It was a lot of fun. And I mean a lot. It’s nice to have some time off from work to spend with Rosalie. I can’t believe she’s my wife now,”

“That’s scary. Are things any different?”

“Not really. But I’m sure they will be soon. You know how Rose is,”

“Yeah, I do,” I laughed. “But, there is a reason I called you down here today. I wanted to talk to you about something,”

“Really?” he asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yeah, you see, I need a favor,”

“You need a favor? What could I do for you?”

I sighed. “Well, Emmett, while you were gone, I kind of got a girlfriend,”

“A girlfriend? That’s great, man,” he smiled. “It’s cool that you’re moving on. I know having Bella living with you must be tough,”

I was trying not to smile. Emmett’s voice sounded a little disappointed about Bella.

“Yeah, and I really like her. She’s smart and beautiful. I actually think I’m falling for her pretty hard,”

“Wow, I’m happy for you. You deserve it. But, where does the favor come in?”

“Well, you know how Alice is. If she found out, she would get really involved. And if I tell Rose or Jasper, it will get back to her. So, I was wondering if you would help cover for me sometimes,”

“Say no more, Edward,” Emmett interjected. “I understand completely. I know how your sister is. I got your back,”

I grinned. “Thank you so much, Emmett. This means a lot,”

“No problem. I’m just flattered you thought of me,”

“Of course I did. In fact, I want you to be the first to meet her. She’ll be here any minute now,”

“Awesome!” He exclaimed, excitedly. “I can’t wait to see what kind of chick you picked up. Be honest. How hot is she?”

That’s when I saw Bella walk through the door. She snuck up and stood behind Emmett.

“I don’t know, Em,” I shrugged. “Why don’t you turn around and see for yourself?”

Emmett turned around and saw Bella standing there. His face went blank. It must have taken him a couple seconds to catch on, because when he did, he looked back and forth between the two of us.

“Edward,” he stuttered. “Are you saying…?”

I nodded, unable to contain my smile.

“You? And Bella?”

“Yes, Emmett,” Bella smiled. “Me and Edward,”

Emmett stood up and gave the biggest laugh I had ever heard. Everyone in the restaurant turned their head in our direction. He picked up Bella into a huge bear hug, lifting her feet off the ground.

“I knew it! I knew it!” He laughed. “I can’t believe this!”

He let go of Bella, who took a seat next to me. She gave me a quick kiss, making Emmett grin even more.

“This is amazing!” he gaped. “When did this happen?”

“At the wedding,” Bella answered.

“Well, you have no idea how happy I am for you two,”

“And I assume Edward’s asked you about that favor?” Bella put her hand on top of mine.

“Oh, definitely,” Emmett nodded. “And don’t worry. You’re secret’s safe with me, especially now that I know it’s for Bella too,”

“And we appreciate this so much,” I added. “We promise we won’t wait too long to tell them,”

“Oh, look at you two using the ‘we’ word,” he mocked. “I totally knew you two would end up together. You were just too obvious. And Edward, you are a brave man to hook up with a girl you’ve seen without make up in the morning,”

“Hey!” Bella punched Emmett in the arm. “I don’t look that bad,”

“No, you always look beautiful,” I assured, kissing her on the head. “You don’t need any make-up at all,”

Emmett made gagging sounds. “Okay, I suddenly feel sick. You guys aren’t going to get all lovey-dovey now are you?”

I laughed. “We’ll try our hardest, Emmett. But we’re not making any promises,”

“Okay, if you say ‘we’ one more time I’m going to barf,” he joked. “Anyway, I’m going to have to get back to Rose. I have to think of an excuse to why you asked me here to lunch,”

Bella and I stood up and said goodbye. As Emmett shook my hand, he whispered in my ear.

“Be good to her, Edward. If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,”

I smirked. “Don’t worry, man. I wouldn’t dream of it,”

When Emmett left, I walked Bella back to her office. It was a little chilly outside, even though it was late July. I put my arm around her as we walked to keep her warm.

“Bella, why are you so cold?” I asked her curiously.

“It’s a cold day,” she replied, confused.

“No, but it’s all the time. You’re skin is always so cold. And you’re the first to put on a jacket. Don't get me wrong, it's one of the things I love about you. I was just wondering…”

“Well, I guess it’s because I’m from Phoenix. It’s so hot there, maybe my skin keeps cool automatically. I haven’t really gotten used to the cold here,”

“It’s not cold here, though,” I argued. “At least, not compared to Alaska,”

“Maybe that’s why your skin is so warm,” she smiled. “You’re from cold weather, I’m from hot,”

“So it’s true what they say then. Opposites attract,”

“Definitely,” she whispered, giving me a kiss.

I looked at her neck. “Hey, you’re still wearing that necklace I gave you,”

She put her hand on top of it. “Of course, I told you I loved it. I’m never taking it off,”

“I hope you’re not doing that just for me. I really don’t mind if you choose to wear something else,”

Bella squeezed my hand tighter. “But there’s nothing else that I could possibly want to wear more. This key represents a lot to me. It will always remind me of that night,”

When we reached the outside of her office building, I groaned in disappointment.

“I don’t want to say goodbye,” I said sadly. “I want to keep walking,”

She put her arms around my neck. “I don’t either. But I have to go back to work and so do you,”

“But I’ll miss you,”

“I’ll miss you too,” she giggled. “But I’ll see you tonight at home,”

“Well, that will be the only thing getting me through the day,”

I looked at her smiling face. She had to be the most beautiful person in the world. He hair was blowing wildly in the wind, and I saw a few small raindrops fall on her face. I gently touched her cheek to wipe them off.

“I should get inside,” she said sadly. “It’s starting to rain,”

I held both of her hands tightly in mine. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I took a piece of her hair and tucked it behind her ear. I leaned in close, about to kiss her, when all of a sudden I wasn’t thinking anymore.

“I love you, Bella," I whispered.

It took me a second to realize what I had just said. I was such an idiot. I was surprised she didn’t turn and run in the other direction. Who tells someone they love them after less than a week of being together? What was I thinking?

But instead of freaking out, she put her hand on my cheek and lightly touched my lips with hers. After she gently kissed me, I saw that beautiful smile return to her face.

“Edward, I love you too,” she said ecstatically.

I couldn’t contain myself anymore. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her tight to me, giving her the most passionate kiss I could produce. I had never been so happy in my entire life. When the kiss ended, I couldn’t stop smiling.

“I’ve wanted to tell you that for so long,” I laughed. “But I thought it would be too soon. It just kind of slipped out just now,”

“I thought the same thing,” she grinned. “But maybe we shouldn’t hide stuff like that. That’s what got us in trouble in the first place,”

The rain was really starting to pour down now. I knew I would have to let her go inside. So, with all of my energy, I gave her another intense kiss and said it one more time.

“Goodbye, Bella,” I whispered. “I love you,”

“Goodbye, Edward,” she whispered back. “I love you too,”

Bella POV

The next day, I went to work with a huge smile on my face. I had woken up in a fantastic mood. Edward had made me breakfast and we arranged for me to visit him at his firm for lunch. I was pretty excited for that. I loved that he was making me a part of his life. I just loved Edward in general. And I loved that I could tell him exactly how much I loved him.

I knew things were moving fast with him, and to be honest, this pace would normally worry me. But with Edward, it seemed like we knew more about each other than anyone else could. It was like we were almost dating for that whole month before we got together. Being friends first definitely helped our relationship. We had reached a level of comfort that most people don’t have so early on in the romance.

When I got to my desk, I found a bouquet of flowers waiting for me. I picked up the note and smiled when I read it.

B- Just wanted to show how much I love you.

See you at lunch.

Love, Edward

Wow, usually I would find that gesture to be cheesy and cliché, but when Edward did it, it was hopelessly romantic. I used to find his perfection frustrating, but now that I was with him, I couldn’t get enough of it.

Right before I was about to leave to meet Edward, my boss called me into his office. I suddenly felt knots in my stomach. Either it was really good news, or really bad news. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, that was for sure. I had done that too many times before.

“Have a seat, Bella,” my boss said, gesturing to the seat in front of his desk. I obliged.

“I’m sure you have some idea of why I’m calling you in here today,”

I smirked. “Well, you’ve never called me into your office to discuss my obituaries,”

“Hey, I really like those. You have a way with words, Bella. I can appreciate that. Now, when Angela announced she was leaving, that was a shock for all of us. I’ve had to do a lot of thinking about who would be best person to take over her editorial column. You’ve obviously known that you were one of the top candidates. I reviewed a lot of your work, even the stuff from when you first started. You're article's now are really amazing. You know what you’re doing. That’s why I trust you to take on this column. I’m giving the position to you,”

My heart rate sped up in excitement. I had worked so hard for this. I could finally stop that monotonous work and write real things.

“Thank you so much, sir,” I said, trying not to get emotional. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this opportunity,”

He smiled. “I’m sure this means a lot to you. This is a great job. You can work from home on your own schedule. I just need you to send me you’re work once a week. Not only that, but the pay will definitely be better. It’s not the highest paying job, but it’s a big improvement from what you were making. And I also encourage side jobs. I know of some magazines interested in your work, and they are willing to pay $4 a word. That’s pretty decent. For some reason, people love what you write. That’s why I’m giving you this job before someone else snatches you up,”

“Well, I promise I will not let you down. I’ve dreamed of this job ever since I started here,”

“I know. Now, you’ll officially be starting in two weeks. Do you think you can handle your regular schedule until then?”

I laughed. “Absolutely,”

“Okay, now why don’t you go off to lunch? Go celebrate with someone,”

“Thanks,” I said, shaking his hand. “I know exactly where to go,”

I basically ran out of the building. I caught a cab and told the driver to take me to Edward’s work. In the back seat, I was crying with joy. I knew I had to get it out before I saw Edward. I did feel bad for the driver though. He probably thought I was some type of nutcase. I decided to tip him extra.

When I got to the firm, I was greeted by a bitchy receptionist named Jessica. She was shopping online when I reached her desk.

“Um, hi,” I said, trying to get her attention. “I’m here to see Edward Cullen,”

She looked me up and down and scoffed. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No,” I answered. “I’m kind of here on personal business,”

She rolled her eyes. “Look, Mr. Cullen is a very busy man. If you need to see him, I suggest you make an appointment. He doesn’t have time to…”

I saw Edward come out of the door. When he saw me, his face lit up and he came over, giving me a huge kiss on the lips. I heard Jessica drop her pen in shock.

“Bella, you’re here,” he smiled when he pulled away. “I’m so glad you could make it,”

“Me too,” I grinned. I shot a look at the receptionist. Edward did too.

“Jessica,” he started, putting his arm around my waist. “This is my girlfriend, Bella,”

I extended my hand, which she hesitantly shook. “It’s nice to meet you, Jessica,” I lied.

“Yeah, you too,” she said sadly. She must have been crushing on Edward. But who wouldn’t?

“Come into my office,” Edward said, pulling my hand. “Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”

When we got inside, we kissed again. It was difficult for us to keep our hands off each other.

“Edward, I have some news,” I said, breaking away. “It’s really really great news,”

“Oh really?” he said in anticipation. “What kind of news?”

I put my arms around his neck. “Guess,” I said seductively.

“Bella, I’m not very good at guessing,”

“I know, but think about it. What’s some really great news that I’ve been waiting for?”

It took him a second, but eventually his eyes went wide in happiness. “Bella, you got the promotion!”

I nodded. He picked me up and swung me around in a circle. When he put me down, he kissed me again.

“Bella, you are amazing. I knew you would get it. God, I love you so much,”

“I love you too,” I said happily. “I knew you would be excited,”

“Of course I’m excited! I know how much this means to you. I’m taking you out tonight to celebrate. Where do you want to go?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Surprise me,”

I saw Edward smirk. He had an idea up his sleeve. Little did he know: So did I.

Okay, how was that? I know that they said the L word a little too soon, but they have been in love with each other for a long time, way before they started dating. Hopefully, you liked the stuff with Emmett too. The next chapter will pick up right after this.

PLease tell me what you think. I love every single review I get.

Chapter: 10

Okay, I am like in love with you guys! Yesterday, I was having a really crappy day and I came home and read all of your nice reviews. I'm glad you guys think the same way I do, and are liking the direction this story is going in. Please keep up the feedback, because its what pushed me to keep the writing up. Enjoy this chapter!

Edward POV

When Bella left my office, I was almost too excited to go back to work. Bella had worked so hard for that promotion. I knew that she would be able to relax so much more now. It made me happy that she was happy.

I couldn’t believe my thoughts. I had never thought of anyone this way before. I would give anything just to see Bella smile like she did today. I had never put anyone else before myself until I met her. I would always put work before everything. That’s why I had so many failed relationships. But I wasn’t going to make that mistake with Bella.

When I returned to my desk, my phone was ringing. It was Alice.

“Hey sis, what’s up?” I greeted.

“Well, hello big brother. It’s good to know you’re still alive. I’ve hardly spoken to you since the wedding,”

“I’ve been busy, Alice. What about you? Don’t you work anymore?”

“Yes, I still work. I’m just bored. Anyway, what are you doing tonight? Should we get the group together?”

“Actually, Alice…” I started, trying to think of an excuse. I decided to be somewhat honest with her. “I kind of have a date,”

I regretted the words as soon as I said them.

“WHAT?!” Alice shrieked. I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“I said I have a date,”

“With who?” she asked, as if she didn’t believe me.

“With a girl. It’s none of your business right now. It’s just a date,”

“But you haven’t gone out with anyone since Tanya. And what about Bella?”

“What about Bella?” I echoed. “I told you to drop that, Alice. Can’t you worry about something else?”

“Edward, what else do I have to worry about?”

“Oh, I don’t know, what about that child growing inside you?”

“Edward, I’m only a couple months along. There’s not that much to do right now but worry. That’s why I keep calling you,”

I sighed, feeling guilty. “Okay, Alice. How about tomorrow we go see a movie? We’ll take everybody, and we’ll make a night out of it,”

“Thank you, Edward. You are the greatest. But there’s something else I wanted to ask you,”

“What now?”

“Well, how would you feel about making a trip back home?”

I froze. “I hope you’re kidding, Alice,”

“Come on, Edward. I know you miss mom and dad. We don’t have to see anyone else. I need to tell them about the baby. They still don’t know. Jasper is coming, and maybe we could bring Bella…”

I thought about it. I would love for Bella to meet my family. If she was with me, maybe I would enjoy myself more. I would have to let the family in on it before hand, so Alice wouldn’t find out, but it did seem like a good idea.

“You know what Alice, I’ll think about it. When were you planning on going?”

“In a couple weeks,”

“Okay, let me see what I can do,”

“Thank you so much, Edward. I know mom and dad would love to see us. I have to get back to work now. Have fun on your date,”

“Thanks, Alice,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Hanging up the phone, I went to go visit my boss to discuss time off. He agreed that if I worked a little bit of overtime and settle a case or two, I could go. He was a pretty reasonable man. He even said that since I was working so hard, and it was Friday, I could take off early that day.

That made things perfect. I knew what I could do to surprise Bella.

Bella POV

“Did you know Edward’s going on a date tonight?!” Alice screamed through the other end of the phone. I had called her to tell her about my promotion, but soon after she started back on Edward.

“I think he mentioned it,” I smirked, trying not to laugh. “Why is that such a big deal?”

“Because he’s not supposed to be dating other women,” she groaned. “He’s supposed to be dating you,”

“Alice, I thought you were going to let that go,”

“I am, but this still pisses me off. Do you even know who this slut is?”

“Hey!” I said defensively. I then realized that Alice didn’t know she was talking about me. “I mean, don’t be so quick to judge her. I only know what he’s told me about her, and she seems pretty cool. Don’t worry; I’m sure Edward knows what he’s doing,”

“I sure hope so. By the way, I think we’re all going to the movies tomorrow night. Are you in? We can celebrate your promotion,”

“Yeah, sure,” I agreed. I needed to spend more time with Alice; although, I would be celebrating my promotion in my own way tonight.

“Alright, Bells, I’ll see you tomorrow. Think about Alaska, okay? Congratulations again,”

“Thanks Alice, goodbye,”

I hung up the phone. I was back at the apartment building and I went up the stairs, hoping that Edward would be home. I couldn’t wait to see him. I had the best day in the world, and I wanted to end it with him.

When I opened the door to our apartment, I froze. The lights were dim and I heard music playing in the background. I looked at the table, and there were two place settings with white roses at the center. I stood with my eyes wide, when Edward entered the room.

“Damn, you’re home early,” he said, as he carried a bottle of wine. “I was hoping to surprise you,”

“You did surprise me,” I gasped. “What is all this?”

He shrugged. “Well, I wanted to do something nice for you since you got that promotion. So, I took off work early so I could make you dinner,”

“You made me dinner?” I echoed, in shock.

“Yeah, it’s almost ready too,” he said, pouring the wine. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do everything else before you got here,”

I ran up to him and threw my arms around his neck. I gave him a passionate kiss and ran my fingers through his beautiful bronze hair.

“I can’t believe you did this,” I whispered in his ear. “This is amazing,”

“Well, you should have seen everything else I had planned,” he grinned as he held me in his arms.

I looked up at him and smiled. “What else was I going to come home to?”

“Well, I was going to have the place covered with candles and rose petals. But then I thought about your history with fire, and I thought just the rose petals would work,”

“You did not buy rose petals,” I teased.

“Okay, I knew you would think that was tacky, so I didn’t do it. But it’s the thought that counts,”

I pressed my lips to his. “You’re right. And I love this so much. You have no idea how much,”

“Well, I’m guessing almost as much as I love you,” he said, kissing my forehead. “So, dinner will be ready in five minutes,”

“I’ll go change,” I said, pointing to my work outfit. “I’ll be right back,”

I ran into my room and quickly changed out of my work clothes. I found a black dress that had flowers on the top half. Edward didn’t know this, but I had plans of my own for that night, and I hid something new I bought underneath.

I let down my hair and let it fall down my shoulders. When I went back out, I found Edward standing in front of the table.

“Wow,” he said, looking me up and down. “You look gorgeous, Bella,”

“Thank you,” I said, approaching him. He embraced me into a hug, and I pressed my head against his chest. “Edward, you have no idea how existentially happy I am at this moment,”

“I know,” he smiled. “Me too,”

We took a seat at the table, Edward never letting go of my hand.

“So…” he started, as we started to eat. Damn, even the food he made was delicious. “I’m assuming you talked to Alice today?”

I nodded. “Yeah, she really was upset by the fact that you had a date. That was a mean thing to do, you know,”

He laughed. “I know. But it was fun. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to talk to you about Alaska,”

“Oh, that,”

“Yeah, I know Alice asked if you wanted to go, and I would really like it if you did. I want you to meet my family…as my girlfriend,”

I was surprised. Most guys would be hesitant to take that step. “Well, um, wouldn’t that kind of ruin the secret plan?”

“Well, we could tell them to keep it a secret. Alice won’t have to know. And I really don’t want to be away from you that long,”

I looked into his perfect green eyes. He always got me that way.

“Is this really important to you?” I asked, giving in.

He nodded, as though he was embarrassed.

“Okay,” I agreed. “I would love to,”

“Thanks, Bella,” he said, kissing my hand. “Have I told you that you are the most amazing woman I have ever met in my life?”

“Well, you are the most amazing man I’ve ever met in my life. I really can’t believe you did all this for me,”

“Bella, I would do anything for you,” he said softly. “When I get the chance to prove that to you, I will,”

I smirked. “Well, I know how you can start,” I whispered, getting out of my chair. I reached out my hand, which he took, even though he was confused.

“Where are you taking me?” he asked, as I led him away from the table.

I turned around and smiled at him. “The bedroom,” I answered.

I led him into his room and started to kiss him. He eagerly kissed me back, and I could feel his hands move carefully up my sides. I played with the buttons on his shirt, and gently kissed my way down his neck. As he unzipped the back of my dress, it revealed the lingerie set I had purchased earlier that day.

“You planned for this?” he asked in shock, when he saw it.

“I had a feeling it would be tonight,” I admitted. I opened the buttons of his shirt and gently pushed it off of him, revealing that perfect chest I had remembered from my dreams.

“You’ve been pretty patient, haven’t you?” I breathed in between kisses.

“You’re worth the wait,” he replied. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’ve never wanted anything more. You?”

He shocked me by lifting me up and placing me on the bed. “Does that answer your question?”

I laughed and pulled him closer to me. Eventually, we had removed one another’s clothes and Edward was on top of me on the bed. Edward was gently kissing me starting at my lips, then to my collarbone, then down my chest and stomach. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. I could hardly breathe in anticipation. As his hands roamed my body, I was able to get out a few words.

“Edward,” I moaned. “Tell me,”

I didn’t have to explain further. He knew what I was talking about.

“I love you, Bella. You have no idea how much I feel for you,”

“I love you too, Edward,” I breathed heavily. “Please, show me how much. Show me how much you love me,”

“Mmm…” Edward moaned into my throat. “My pleasure,”

With that, we started what was perhaps one of the greatest nights of my life. It was the night we finally connected on every level. I loved Edward with every fiber of my being, and I finally got the chance to see that he felt the exact same way about me.

Alright so I know alot of you guys were hoping for that. And I know some of you want me to write some stuff that will bump the rating up to M. Honestly, I dont think I'll do that with this story, but I might write some one-shots later that are a part of this story. But, I hope you like how this was done. I was really nervous about writing it. Please tell me if I did a good job. I love hearing from you! BTW Movie in 2 days! I'm taking Friday off just to see it! lol.

Chapter: 11

Alright, so to show my appreciation for all your reviews, I've started replying to some of them. So, if you have any questions about the story or anything like that, just ask in the review and I will do my best to answer them. For instance, mcdreamy42988 asked me "What's the deal? Why don't they just tell Alice?" I understand that that is a question on a lot of people's minds. To put it simply, telling Alice means putting extra pressure on the two of them. E&B just want some time to enjoy their romance before bringing too many people into it. As we will see, they kind of put off telling her until necessary. Alice's nosiness woul just put more stress on the two of them. Don't worry! She will know eventually, but this is kind of fun with her being out of the loop...for once. BTW, the dress from the last chapter is on my profile!

Edward POV

When I woke up the next morning, I couldn’t erase the smile that was on my face. Bella was sleeping in my arms, her head resting on my chest. I had just spent the most amazing night with her. She was more than I hoped she would be. We were perfect together. Our bodies melted together like they were made for each other. Nothing could have made me happier than I was right then.

I felt Bella shift within my embrace. I looked down at her face and saw her beautiful brown eyes open.

“Good morning,” I whispered, kissing her forehead.

“Good morning to you,” she replied. “I like waking up next to you,”

“I like waking up with you too. How did you sleep?”

“Perfectly,”

“Me too. You fit perfectly right here in my arms. It’s like you were made for me,”

Bella giggled. “Well, I never want to leave. Don’t you just wish we could stay here forever?”

“Why can’t we?”

All of a sudden, my phone started ringing. I sighed in frustration and reached for it.

“I think that answered your question,” Bella laughed.

I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Emmett.

“Man, you have the worst timing,” I answered jokingly.

“What, it’s not like you’re doing anything right now,”

“Hello, Emmett,” Bella said, as she leaned over.

Emmett got the picture. “Oh, it looks like you are doing something,” he joked. “I’m really sorry guys. Don’t let me interrupt. I’ll call you later…”

“No, it’s okay Em. You’ve already ruined the moment. What is it?”

“Well, Rose wants to know what time we’re all going out to the movies. Did Alice happen to mention it?”

“I think she said 2,” I answered.

“Alright, well, I guess I’ll see you then. Go back to what you were doing. Sorry about that,”

“No problem, Emmett. Just don’t do it again,”

I hung up the phone and cuddled up with Bella. I gave her a kiss, which she returned all too eagerly.

“Hey Edward?” she smiled as she kissed my earlobe.

“Yes?” I laughed.

“You know that part in a relationship where love and sex are the only things that occupy the mind?”

“Uh-huh,” I nodded, as she moved her kisses down.

“Well, I think we just reached that stage,”

I smiled and pulled her closer to me. This was going to be an unusual day. For once, I couldn’t think of anything smooth to say. And for once, Bella’s skin didn’t feel cold against mine.

Bella POV

“So, how are we going to keep up this game?” I asked Edward on the way to the movie theatre. “I mean, do you really think Alice will be clueless to this?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “Alice is kind of in her own world right now. But, I guess we’ll find out,”

“I guess so,” I sighed. “But, I was wondering if you would be okay with me telling Rosalie. It’s kind of wrong to ask Emmett to keep something like this from her,”

He raised his eyebrows to that. “Are you sure you want to do that? Do you think she’d tell Alice or Jasper?”

“I don’t think she would if I asked her not to,” I replied. Edward looked at me like he knew I wasn’t telling him everything. “Okay, and I guess I really do want to tell her. I need a girl to talk to,”

“Why? What can you tell a girl that you can’t talk to a guy about?”

“Edward, you don’t understand. It’s a girl thing. Besides, Rose is one of my best friends. And I don’t want Emmett to get in trouble when she finds out he’s been hiding this from her,”

Edward sighed and smiled at me. “Bella, if you want to tell her, that is completely up to you. It just seems like we’ll end up telling everyone but Alice,”

“I know,” I said guiltily. “I’m just not ready for her to find out,”

“I understand,” he nodded. “But we’ll have to tell her eventually,”

I groaned. “Can’t we just run away somewhere? Just the two of us? Then we can escape our family and friends, and just be us,”

He laughed and kissed my hand. “One day, Bella, we can do that. Where would you like to go?”

“Um, how about New Zealand?” I jokingly suggested. “I heard it’s very nice there this time of year,”

Edward laughed again. “Okay, New Zealand it is. One day, you and I will escape to New Zealand. But not today,”

I sighed. “I guess I can live with that,”

Edward smiled in my direction. “God, Bella, do you have any idea how much I love you?”

I blushed, trying not to look at him. “After last night, I think I have some idea,”

“Well, that’s good. Because words really can’t express that right now. And I want you to know that no matter what our friends think, and no matter what our families think, you’ll always have me at the end of the day,”

I couldn’t hide my smile. I knew every word he was saying was the truth.

When we arrived at the theatre, Edward had to resist the urge to grab my hand. It was just instinct to him now. Pretending we weren’t together was going to be harder than I thought.

“You guys made it!” Alice squealed when she saw us walking up. “It’s about time. We thought we were going to miss the movie,”

“Hey,” I smiled, as I gave each of them a hug. When I got to Rosalie, I whispered in her ear. “We need to talk later,” I muttered. She nodded her head discreetly.

“So, Edward,” Alice began, as we took our seats in the theatre. “How was that date last night?”

I tried to hide my smile. I knew exactly how that date went. And for me, it was pretty damn good.

“It was actually really great,” Edward said, winking at me so Alice couldn’t see.

“Okay… details…” Alice gestured.

“Alice, I really don’t want to talk about this right now. I’ll talk to you about it when I feel that I’m ready. Will you please just let us enjoy the movie?”

“Alright,” she sighed. “But we will be discussing this later,”

“Whatever you say, Alice,” he replied, rolling his eyes. I couldn’t help but giggle.

“What is so funny, Bella?” Alice asked, frustrated.

“Nothing, Alice. I just think it's cute how you two still act like brother and sister,”

Edward and I ended up sitting next to each other at the movie. The lights went low and everyone went quiet. The two hours of the movie were unbearable. The sexual tension between Edward and I was escalating with every minute. We were sitting so close in the dark, trying so hard not to touch one another. He made it worse when he casually slung his arm around the back of my seat. I wanted so badly to cuddle up against him, but that would reveal too much.

Throughout the movie, I could tell Edward was trying to mess with me. He kept sighing heavily, or discreetly playing with a strand of my hair. But I knew exactly what to do to get him back. I saw that Alice was too busy ruining to movie for Jasper to notice anything, so I gently placed my hand on Edward’s knee. Slowly, I traced my fingers up and down his leg, up to his thigh and back down to his knee. I saw him biting his lip, trying to control himself.

Suddenly, I saw him pull out his phone.

“Oh,” he whispered to Alice, who was sitting next to him. “I just got a text from the law firm. They need to talk to me about Bella’s case. We’re going to step outside for a minute,”

Alice nodded, and Edward took my hand and led me out of the theatre. When we got outside, he leaned me against the wall and began kissing me fiercely. I couldn’t help but return his affection. After making out for a few minutes, he pulled away smiling.

“That was an awful thing you did in there. You were driving me crazy,”

I laughed. “Well, you deserve it. Being in there with you was unbearable. I couldn’t keep my hands off you,”

“We have to be more careful about that, or the others will find out,”

“Hm,” I smiled. “I don’t think of this as being careful. You totally came up with a lie to get me out here with you,”

“I couldn’t help it!” he laughed. “Why do you have to be so sexy all the time?”

“I should be asking you the same question,”

We stood there for a minute, both knowing what we had to do. We had been stalling.

“So, I guess we should be getting back to the others,” I admitted sadly.

“Yeah, I guess so,” he sighed. I could tell that he was just as disappointed as I was. I put my hands on his cheeks and smiled.

“Just think about New Zealand,” I joked. “And later tonight we can pick up where this left off,”

He smirked. “Sounds good to me,”

He took my hand and we went back into the theatre, where the others were waiting. For the rest of the movie, we tried our hardest to avoid any physical contact. We basically sat like statues for the rest of the two hours. That was longest movie of my life. But I couldn’t tell you what it was about. I was too busy concentrating on not jumping on top of Edward.

When the movie was finally over, I decided it was the perfect time to talk to Rosalie. Alice and Jasper went home, while Edward and Emmett went to our place to watch the game. Rose and I went out to lunch, and it didn’t take long for me to get to the subject.

“Rose,” I began nervously. “There’s something that I need to tell you, and I need you to promise me that you’ll keep it between us,”

“Are you alright, Bella? Is something wrong?”

“No, no, everything is fine. Everything is better than fine. It’s…magical,” I grinned. I couldn’t stop smiling.

“Bella, you’re scaring me. I’ve never seen you like this,” Rosalie laughed. “What the hell happened when I was away?”

“Okay, I’ll tell you,” I said excitedly. “But promise first that you won’t tell anyone, especially Alice,”

“Bella, I promise! Now tell me!” she almost shouted. I laughed at her anticipation.

“Alright. At the wedding, Edward and I talked. And we both realized that there was a lot more there than just friendship. We realized that we were…in love. I know it’s crazy but…”

“Oh my God!” Rosalie screamed. Heads turned towards us. “You and Edward are together?”

“Sshh!” I laughed. “Calm down,”

Rosalie took a deep breath and looked at me excitedly. “Okay, I’m calm. Now spill,”

“Alright, Edward and I are together. We’re keeping it on the DL until we’re ready to tell Alice. We need some time to be Alice-free,”

“I understand,” Rosalie nodded. “God, I can’t believe this. I knew you two were acting funny. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife,”

“Trust me, it was even harder than it looked,”

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. “Well, speaking of that, have you guys slept together yet?”

I looked away from her and blushed, unable to hide the smile on my face. Rose took that as a valid answer.

“I knew it!” She exclaimed. “I knew you had a certain glow about you. God, I can’t believe this. Tell me everything. What happened?”

I was surprised at myself. Usually I would not feel comfortable talking about this with anyone. But I needed to get it out. I was too thrilled about everything that had happened.

“Well, last night was the night. I had kind of planned it before hand. I was so happy about my promotion and everything, and Edward was so supportive. Then, when I got home, he had made me dinner and planned this whole romantic evening. So that’s when I was sure we were ready,”

“Wow,” Rose marveled. “How sweet. And this was kind of a big deal for you. Wasn’t this your first time since Jake?”

I nodded. “Yeah, so I was kind of nervous. But then, when I kissed him, I didn’t feel scared anymore. And then, we….you know,”

“And…how was it?”

I exhaled. “It was just about the most amazing thing I had ever experienced. It was like a whole new thing for me. It was like I had never really known what sex could be like until I had it with him. I can’t even express what it was like,”

Rosalie gaped. “Damn, so Edward really knows what he’s doing then,”

“You have no idea,” I smiled.

Rosalie of course pressed for more details, and I ended up giving them to her. I couldn’t help it. I had to tell someone about what it was like with Edward. I had never felt this way before. I wouldn’t admit this to Edward, but that was the real reason why I wanted to tell Rose.

When we got back to the apartment, Emmett was sitting on the couch, watching TV.

“Hey, Em,” I greeted. “Where’s Edward?”

“In the kitchen,” he answered. He looked at Rosalie. “So, did she tell you? Edward said she was going to tell you,”

“Yes, she told me!” Rose said happily. “It still hasn’t sunk in,”

“I know,” Emmett laughed. “I told you that it would happen from day one. Those two are just so pig-headed that it took them a month longer to figure it out,”

“Hey, I’m standing right here!” I defended. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter how it was then. It only matters how it is now,”

“That’s right,” Edward smiled, coming out of the kitchen. He greeted me with a kiss and put his arm around me. “And I think we’re great together,”

“That’s what I hear,” Rose giggled. It was obvious what she was referring to.

“Rose!” I scolded.

“What?” Emmett and Edward said simultaneously.

“Nothing. Rose is just being stupid,” I lied. “Now, I think that you two should go. Edward and I have been pretending to be apart all day, and now we need some time alone to be together,”

“I bet you do,” Rose joked. I made a face at her and she got the point. She grabbed Emmett by the shirt and pulled him out of the apartment.

“I’ll call you later, Bella,” she told me as she left. “Edward…” she giggled again. “…keep up the good work,”

When they finally left, Edward looked at me as if I were in trouble.

“So, what exactly did you tell Rosalie?” he asked with a smirk.

“Not too much,” I lied. “Just basic details,”

“Oh really? Is that all?”

“Well…” I started. “I might have told her a little about last night, but that’s what girls do.”

“How much did you tell her exactly?”

I knew I would have to flirt my way out of this one. I ran my hands down his chest, tugging at his shirt.

“Well, let’s just say that I gave you a really good review?”

“You did?” he asked, knowing what I was getting at. “How good?”

“Let’s see,” I said, as I played with the belt loops on his jeans. “I wouldn’t necessarily recommend you to a friend, but I would definitely come for another visit,”

“Hmm,” he moaned, as he brushed his lips against my neck. “I guess I’ll have to prove myself again, won’t I?”

“Well, I think you proved enough last night. But I wouldn’t be opposed to…”

Before I could finish, Edward had me in his arms and was carrying me to my bedroom.

Yes, I was definitely looking forward to this stage of our relationship.

Okay, just another fluff chapter to tide you over. The next one is when they go to Alaska! I'm excited. Are you? haha. I'm working on it right now and hopefully I'll post it by Saturday at the latest. Maybe tomorrow but I can't make any promises. It is movie day! Again, please review whether it is just to say if you liked the story or if you have a question. They really make my day. Love you guys! -Z

VOTE IN THE POLL!!! ITS ABOUT HOW YOU WANT ALICE TO FIND OUT!

Chapter: 12

Okay, so we're finally going to Alaska! Yay! I know you guys have been looking forward to this. I'm warning you now that the trip will be at least 3 chapters long. There's alot I want to cover. Now, here we are going to see some Alice drama. That's all I'll say til the end. Please keep up the reviews! They are so good!

Edward POV

One month later, the day had finally come. It was time to go to Alaska to visit my family. The trip was originally supposed to be a couple weeks ago, but the microwave company decided to settle earlier than we thought.

Bella ended up getting $30,000 out of the deal. I was pretty proud of us. That was a lot more than either of us were expecting, and my boss was so proud of my accomplishment, that he started giving me more important cases. Luckily, I had worked enough overtime to get time off for this trip.

After about a month of dating, Bella and I were having the time of our lives. Things were getting better and better every day, and I was falling more and more in love with her. It was even better now that she was working at home. She was a lot less stressed and was there every night when I came home from work. Everything was going great; our love life, our professional life, and our sex life. I was afraid to say it was perfect, because I knew I would jinx it. But honestly, I couldn’t think of a relationship where I had been so happy.

There was one thing that Bella and I had a problem with. It had been over a month since we started dating and we still hadn’t told Alice. It was one of those things that we kept putting off, and now it seemed like it was too late. She would be mad that we kept it so long from her. It was just that this whole secret relationship made things a bit easier on both of us. There was no pressure. We could take things at our own pace.

I had decided to call my mother before we left for Alaska, so I could tell her the news about Bella and I beforehand. She was happy that I had finally moved on and couldn’t wait to see my new girlfriend, even though they had technically met once before. She thought I would never recover from my breakup with Tanya, which I thought was true before I met Bella. I prayed with all my might that we wouldn’t run into her while we were there.

The plan was that Alice and Jasper would be going up the day before Bella and I were. I had to finish out my work week, while Alice wanted a head start to tell our parents about the baby. Bella bet me 10% of the rent check that Alice would chicken out.

When we arrived at the airport in Seattle, Bella came with me to check in. I put one arm around her waist as we waited for the woman to finish speaking on the phone. She gently leaned her head against my shoulder, trying to keep her eyes open. We were up pretty early for a Saturday. When the woman hung up, she looked at us and smiled.

“Hi, how can I help you today?” she asked cheerily.

“My name is Edward Cullen. We’re here to check in to our flight, the 451 to Alaska,”

She nodded and started typing things into her computer. “Mhm, and is this you and Mrs. Cullen’s first time flying with us?”

“What?” Bella asked, perking her head up.

“I was just asking your husband if this was your first time flying with us,” the woman said, smiling.

“Oh, he isn’t my husband,” Bella laughed nervously. “No, my name is under Swan. Bella Swan,”

The woman raised an eyebrow and typed some more things. “Oh, that’s right. It’s right here. Bella Swan. Forgive me, it’s just that you two looked so comfortable together and…”

“No problem,” I laughed, interrupting her. “You might have freaked Bella out for a second, but it’s okay,”

The woman giggled, and looked at Bella, who was still staring wide eyed. I laughed at her reaction and pulled her closer to me with my arm.

“It’s okay, Bells,” I smiled. “It was funny,”

“I know,” she defended. “It just caught me off guard that’s all,”

“Well,” I joked. “That ruins my plans of proposing this weekend,”

“What?!” she practically screamed. “Edward, please tell me you’re joking,”

I was hysterically laughing. “Of course I was kidding, Bella. I don’t want to kill you,”

She playfully punched me in the arm, trying not to smile. “You’re a jackass,” she smirked.

After walking through security and waiting at the gate, Bella was still playfully pouting.

“Oh, come on!” I groaned. “You’re not still mad at me, are you?”

She looked away, trying not to laugh. “I’m not talking to you,”

“I see,” I whispered, pressing my lips to her ear. “Well, I guess I’ll have to find a way for you to forgive me,”

“Don’t start something you can’t finish,” she replied warningly. “Just remember that we’re about to spend 5 days at your parents house, in separate bedrooms. Don’t get me all worked up if you can’t follow through,”

“Well, if we just told Alice the truth, we wouldn’t have to pretend and stay in separate bedrooms,” I pointed out.

“I know,” she admitted guiltily. “And I’ve been thinking about that. I think we should tell her while we’re on the trip. That way, everything can be all out in the open and we can be ourselves,”

“I agree,” I said, kissing her on the cheek. “She’s going to kill us, you know,”

“Yeah, I know. I’m not looking forward to that. But, let’s look at it this way. At least we’ll be free,”

“But not from Alice’s wrath,”

“Edward, I’m trying to be positive,” Bella stressed.

“I know,” I said, rubbing her back. “I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t realized how freaked out you must be. I mean, you’re meeting your boyfriend’s parents in just a few hours,”

“Oh, thanks. Now I feel better,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Hey,” I smiled, lifting her chin. “I love you, remember? Do you love me?”

She gave me a look. “Edward, you know I love you. I love you more than anything,”

“Good,” I said. “Then nothing else matters. As long as I love you and you love me, everything will be okay. So just breathe,”

Bella nodded. “Okay, I’ll breathe. Thank you for calming me down,”

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for,”

Soon after, we boarded our flight and started our journey to my home state. I was nervous to be returning there. I left a lot of bad memories in that place, and I wasn’t looking forward to those coming back to haunt me.

When our flight finally landed, Bella was asleep on my shoulder. I smiled at her peaceful face and hated myself when I had to tap her shoulder.

“Hey, Bell,” I whispered. “It’s time,”

“Nooo” she groaned. “I’m not ready,”

“I know you’re nervous, but it will be fine. I promise,”

“What if they hate me?”

“They won’t hate you Bella. They are going to love you almost as much as I do,”

Bella hesitantly took my hand and walked with me off the plane. As we were approaching the end of the gate, I squeezed her hand a little tighter.

“I see them,” I told her, as I caught a view of my parents in the distance.

When my mother caught sight of us, I could tell she was practically bouncing with excitement. My father had his hands on her shoulders, trying to calm her. When we reached them, she threw her arms around me in a hug.

“Oh, Edward. It’s so good to see you. I thought you’d never come home,”

“Mom, it’s good to see you too,” I said, rolling my eyes. When she let go, I shook my father’s hand. “Dad, how’ve you been?,”

“I’ve been great. Welcome home son,” he smiled. “I heard a lot has happened,”

I put my hand on the small of Bella’s back. “Yes, you two remember Bella?”

“Of course,” my mother smiled, as she took her into a hug as well. “It’s wonderful to see you. I’m so glad you could come up with Edward. He told us everything about your situation, and I am so thrilled he finally found someone like you,”

“Thank you, Mrs. Cullen,” Bella smiled timidly. “I’m so glad to be here,”

“Oh dear, it’s Esme,” she corrected. “And you remember Carlisle?”

“Absolutely,” Bella said, shaking his hand. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, sir,”

“Hmm, still as polite as last time,” my father joked. “You got yourself a good one there, Edward,”

“I know,” I grinned, putting my arm around Bella. “So, where’s Alice and Jasper?” I asked as we went towards baggage claim.

“Oh, they went to go visit some of Alice’s old friends from high school. It seems like they’ve been avoiding us since they’ve arrived,”

“So, I assume Alice hasn’t told you her news?”

“What news?”

“Nothing,” I said, rolling my eyes. Bella was silently bragging.

“You owe me 10%” I heard her gloat under her breath.

That’s when I realized that the next few days would be more interesting than I thought.

Bella POV

On the way to the Cullens’ house, I really got to talk to Esme and Carlisle. They were such great people, just as I remembered, and they talked to me as if I were already a part of the family. I really bonded with Esme, who was so honest and kind-hearted with everything she said. And Carlisle was so smart and intellectual, yet he still was easy to talk to. I loved this family.

When we reached the house, Alice was the one who greeted me at the door.

“Bella, you finally got here. I’m so sorry you had to fly up here with Edward. I’m sure he was a pain in the ass the whole time,”

I laughed, shooting a look at him. “No, he wasn't too bad,”

“Yeah,” Edward chuckled. “In fact, a lady at the airport mistook us for a married couple,”

I glared at him. He promised he wouldn’t bring that up. Alice was laughing hysterically.

“Really? That’s awesome. I told you that you guys look like a couple. Maybe you should take this as a sign that you two should be together,”

I could feel my face go red. Poor Alice. She sounded so ridiculous. Everyone knew but her. I would have to tell her soon before she embarrassed herself even more.

“Alice, grow up,” Edward scolded. “You need to learn how to do that if you’re going to be…”

“Shut up, Edward!” Alice almost screamed. She realized that her brother now had some information that he could hold against her.

“Alice, what is going on?” Esme asked.

“Nothing,” Alice whined. “Come on, Bella. I’ll show you to your room,”

She took my hand and led me up the stairs. As I looked behind me, I saw Edward looking at me apologetically.

When we got into my room, I looked around sadly. I would much rather be with Edward tonight. I would have to sneak over when everyone else was sleeping. Or I could just tell Alice now and I wouldn’t have to pretend.

“Alice…” I began, trying to gain the courage.

“Yes?” she replied as she sat on the bed.

I chickened out.

“Would you like to help me unpack?”

“Sure! I’d love to.” She grabbed my suitcase and started pulling out clothes. I knew she would have more fun with it than I could.

I sat on the bed, watching her sort through the few things I had brought, when she pulled out a small round case. Both of our eyes went wide; hers out of surprise and mine out of fear.

“Bella…” she began, almost in shock. “You went back on the pill?”

Crap! I should have thought to hide that better.

“Um, I never went off it, Alice,” I lied.

“No, you did. I remember you did after you broke up with Jake. When did you go back on?”

I stared at her blankly. I was so stupid. I’m sure there were tons of excuses I could use, but none came to mind. Alice took my silence as a confirmation.

“Bella, are you having sex?” she asked, amazed.

“Uh…” I couldn’t get any works out. She took that as an answer.

“Oh my God! Why didn’t you tell me?” she shrieked, almost angrily. “Jesus, no one tells me anything anymore. When did this happen? Who are you sleeping with?”

“Alice, I really don’t want to get into this right now,”

“Well, is it a few people, or just one guy?”

“Um, it’s just the one,”

“I can’t believe this!” she ranted. “First Edward starts dating, and now you! And you won’t give me any information. Wait…I bet Edward knows quite a bit about this guy. I bet Edward will tell me…”

“Alice, don’t even think about it!” I yelled. It was too late. She was already running down the stairs to find him. I followed after her.

“Edward, do you know Bella has a boyfriend?” Alice teased him, in front of the rest of the family.

“Alice, please…” I groaned.

“No, I want to hear about this guy. So, Edward, have you met him?”

Edward sighed. “Alice, maybe you should mind your own business,”

“No, I don’t want to mind my own business. Bella used to be my business. You used to be my business. But now you two are apparently best friends now and I don’t know anything,”

“Alice, butt out!” Edward almost said sternly. He could tell that this was upsetting me.

“No, Edward. I want to know about who she is seeing. What if this guy is some asshole who hurts her again?”

I was starting to breathe heavily. Alice knew why I hadn’t dated in so long. I was remembering my past.

“Well, I think Bella is smarter than that!” Edward defended angrily.

“Well, I think I should know just to make sure. And I think I should know what kind of slut you’ve been running around with the past month. You’re always with her yet none of us have met her,”

“She is not a slut!”

“Kids, calm down!” Esme interjected. Her pleas went ignored.

“How would I know that? How would I know anything that happens in your life? I thought when you moved to Seattle, I would get to know more about what’s happening with you. But then you spend all this time with this girl, and I hardly get to see Bella anymore,”

“Well, maybe you would get to see more if you would spend less time nagging and more time listening. And maybe you would see Bella more if you didn’t get pregnant and abandon her!”

The room went silent. Alice looked at Edward vengefully once he realized what he had revealed in front of their parents.

“Alice…” Esme gasped. “You’re pregnant?”

So...Edward ratted her out! We'll pick up after this in the next chapter. Please vote in the poll because it could effect that chapter. Just maybe. I'm thinking about doing an ALICE POV!!! What do ya think? lol. Please tell me if you like this chapter. I wanted to show some sibling tension here, since they went back home and all. Review if you love this. Please!

By the way, saw the movie today! I personally thought it was good but I know there were some pepole who didnt feel the same way. I know that everyone had their own expectaions and we all see Twilight in a different way. I'll try to post the next chapter by Sunday at the latest or maybe tomorrow.

Chapter: 13

Okay, I am overwhelmed by the positive response I got on the last chapter. I have never recieved so many reviews. I find that some of you are very Anti-Alice, and some of you feel very sympathetic for her. I'm glad that it's interpreted in two different ways. I really can't express to you how grateful I am for the time you take to tell me what you think. I was so thrilled. So, I'm very nervous about this chapter...but I will say, it does involve the poll results...

Edward POV

Alice was going to kill me.

Right now, she and Jasper were in the kitchen, having a “talk” with my parents. That couldn’t be good. The only things our parents had ever really stressed to us were “don’t do drugs” and “don’t get pregnant” (Or in my case it was “don’t get a girl pregnant”).

I honestly wasn’t that worried about my parent’s reaction. After all, it wasn’t like Alice was a teenager anymore. She was might not have been the most mature person on the planet, but it was obvious that she would be a good mother. And I felt bad for fighting with her earlier. I kind of got carried away and I snapped. But when she started questioning Bella’s choices, I couldn’t stand it.

At this moment, Bella and I were sitting in the living room, waiting to confront Alice. We wanted to apologize and finally tell her the truth. Bella was squeezing my hand tightly.

“Are you okay?” I asked, noticing her nervousness.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “This is going to kill her that we’ve been hiding this from her,”

“But she has to know, Bella. We’ve hidden this for too long,”

Bella sighed and nodded in agreement. “How much longer do you think they’ll be?”

“A while,” I guessed. “Why? Do you need a distraction?”

“Please,” she laughed.

I grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs. “Come on,” I said. “Let me show you my old room,”

When we reached my bedroom, I showed her around the place. There were two big windows in the room, letting in a lot of light. There was still a big shelf full of some old novels and biographies.

“More books?” Bella asked, as she surveyed the bookcase. “I thought you had every single one possible at home,”

“Well, I could more easily part with these ones,”

“What’s in these folders?” She pointed to the files lined up next to the books. When she started to open one, I stopped her.

“It’s stupid,” I said quickly, taking it from her. “It’s just some old stuff I wrote. Music mostly,”

“Edward,” she smiled, placing her hand on my cheek. “Nothing you ever do could be stupid. You’re the smartest person I know,”

“Well, you need to get out more,” I teased.

She grabbed the folder from my hand and whacked me with it. I appreciated the fact that she respected my secretiveness and placed it back on the shelf, without taking a peek. I silently thanked her with a smile.

Bella playfully sat on my bed, crossing her legs.

“So, this is where the magic happened?” she teased suggestively.

I laughed. “Hardly. Very little action happened in that bed,”

“Oh please. I bet you snuck a girl up here every night. Be honest, how many girls have been in this room?” She smiled mischievously.

“Alright, a couple,” I admitted.

“Only a couple?” She lifted an eyebrow.

“Two or three at the most,” I shrugged, taking a seat next to her. “But there are two things you need to know. First, just because they were in this room, it doesn’t mean I slept with them,”

She rolled her eyes jokingly. “Right. And what is the second thing?”

I leaned in close to her. “I didn’t love any of them as much as I love you. And none of them were nearly as beautiful as you, or smart as you, or funny as you. And none of them ever made me happier than you have made me in the last couple of months,”

“Mmm,” she moaned, as she touched her lips to my neck. “That’s more than a couple of things,”

She pulled me closer to her, bringing me down on top of her. This was awesome. I was making out with my hot girlfriend in my old room. Wasn’t this every guy’s fantasy?

“Edward,” she breathed, as I moved my hand up the hem of her shirt. “Can you do something for me?”

“Anything you want, babe,” I whispered.

“I want you to make love to me right here. I want to prove that I’m better than those other girls,”

“Bella,” I laughed. “That’s ridiculous. You proved that a long time ago,”

“Okay,” she smiled seductively. “But proving it this way is more fun,”

“I agree. But, I don’t want you to think that you have to prove yourself. I already love you more than anyone else in my life,”

“Yeah, but the question is…” she began, as she touched the waistband of my jeans. “Am I the best you ever had?”

“Oh,” I breathed, kissing her collarbone. “Undoubtedly,”

As things started to heat up, I realized how different my relationship with Bella was to every other one I have had. It was healthy. We were always honest with each other, and the passion never faded out. I looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and to me, she was.

After we had made love, I held Bella in my arms under the covers. I loved how our bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces. I could swear that this woman was made just for me. I took in the scent of her hair, gently kissing the top of her head.

“Bella,” I whispered. “I love you. I really truly love you. I can’t stop saying it,”

“Good,” she smiled. “Because I don’t want you to stop…ever. Never stop loving me, Edward,”

“I promise I won’t,” I laughed.

“God, I can’t believe I just had sex with you in the bed you slept in when you were in high school,”

“Ha, wait ‘til I tell all my friends at school that I went all the way with Bella Swan,” I joked.

“Hey, that’s how a girl gets a reputation!” she laughed. I started tickling her, making her go into hysterics. “Edward, stop it!” she giggled.

Suddenly, our fun was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

“Edward, can I…”

It was Alice. He face went pale when she saw what was before her eyes. There Bella and I were, naked underneath the sheets, in each other’s arms. Neither of us knew what to say. Alice just stood there, in shock. Finally, words left her mouth.

“You’ve got to be freakin’ shitting me!” she yelled, before storming out of the room.

I looked at Bella, who looked horror-stricken. I was in just as much shock. This was definitely not the way we wanted Alice to find out. Actually, this was just about the worst way possible.

“Holy crap,” I heard Bella say under her breath. “What just happened?”

“Well,” I said, staring into space. “I think we just made an angry pregnant woman even angrier,”

“Do you think she’s plotting our murders?” she asked.

“That’s a distinct possibility,”

Bella POV

I tried talking to Alice that day, but she wouldn’t let me. She had locked herself in her room, enraged. I couldn’t blame her. We had given her such a hard time, making her feel bad for pushing our relationship, when all this time we were actually dating. Not only that, but she probably thought we were just some type of sex buddies.

I felt so guilty about Alice, that I found Edward to be a reliable shoulder to cry on. He assured me that it wasn’t my fault, even though I couldn’t believe him. When it was finally time for dinner, he sat next to me at the table, holding my hand in his. We tried to make conversation with his family before Alice and Jasper came down.

“So, what are your guys’ plans for tomorrow?” Esme asked Edward.

“Um, I was thinking about taking Bells into town. Maybe show her around,”

“Oh, that would be nice,” Esme smiled. “Maybe you could take her down to that café you used to hang out at and introduce her to your friends?”

Edward’s head shot up. “We’re not going there, mom,” he said seriously. “Don’t you remember who works there?”

Esme’s face changed. “Oh yes, I forgot. Sorry, dear,”

He looked down and squeezed my hand tighter. I looked at him, confused. The look in his eyes confirmed my suspicions. Tanya must have worked at that café. I could tell that being here must have been hard for him. I spontaneously gave him a kiss on the cheek, causing his mother to giggle.

“Seriously, mom?” Edward whined at Esme’s childishness.

“I’m sorry, but you two are so cute together. I’ve never seen my son so content,”

“Yes, they’re adorable,” Alice said sarcastically, from the doorway of the dining room. Jasper was by her side.

“Alice, you came down,” I said with a smile forming on my face.

“Bella, please don’t talk to me,” she scolded. “I don’t want to talk about you, or Edward, or the fact that I’m pregnant. Can we just eat, please?”

Esme and Carlisle looked at each other.

“So, I take it that Edward and Bella told you?” Carlisle said.

Alice slammed her hand on the table, causing the silverware on the table to clink.

“You knew? Goddamn it. First I call Rose, only to find out that she and Emmett knew. And even you two knew before me? Was I the only one kept in the dark about this?”

“I didn’t know,” Jasper said, shrugging.

“Shut up, Jasper!” Alice yelled. “God, the one thing I need right now is a drink, and I can’t even have that,”

“Alice…” I started.

“Bella, I told you I don’t want to talk to you right now!”

I looked down at my plate, trying not to cry. I played with my food, unable to eat. It was the most awkward dinner I had ever sat through in my life. No one spoke, as we were all afraid to set Alice off.

Unfortunately, I had to be my usual clumsy self. While reaching over to get some bread, I accidentally knocked over my glass of wine, spilling it all over the tablecloth.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry!” I screeched, picking up the glass. “I ruined this,”

“Oh, don’t worry Bella,” Esme smiled, soaking up some of it with her napkin. “This is just a cheap thing I got from the store. It cost ten dollars at the most,”

“I’ll replace it. I’m so embarrassed,”

“Don’t be silly,” Esme smiled. “I have five just like it. Accidents happen,”

“Well, they happen to me all the time. I am just not on top of things today,”

Alice scoffed. “Hm, you had no trouble getting on top of my brother this afternoon,”

The room went quiet. I could feel my face going bright red, as everyone in the room stared at me. Did she just say that in front of Edward’s parents? I could feel the tears starting to fill my eyes. I was about to leave the room in embarrassment, as Edward grabbed my arm.

“Wait, Bella. This has to stop,” he said angrily. “Alice, you don’t speak to Bella that way. I tried to ignore your petty attitude all day, and I am sick of it. I understand why your upset, but you have no right to treat her like this,”

“Oh, so now you’re sticking up for your little sex pal? Do you know how sick this makes me?”

“I thought this is what you wanted!” Edward said angrily. “You have been nagging us for months about getting together,”

“Exactly! And you two made me feel bad about it! But it turns out you two have been screwing each other this whole time!”

“Alice, it’s not like that!” he defended.

“Oh, it’s not? Then please explain to me what I saw today. Is that normal behavior for you two? Does your girlfriend know about this?”

“Alice, you are so stupid!” he shouted. “Bella is my girlfriend! I’m not just having sex with her. I’m in love with her!”

Alice stared at us in disbelief. She must have thought we weren’t taking this seriously. She looked at me curiously.

“And you feel the same way?” she asked.

I nodded and looked down.

“But I still don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Edward sighed. “Alice the truth is: you’re a pain in the ass.”

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Esme joined in along with Carlisle. Alice glared at us.

“I can’t believe this. So, you two are like the real deal?”

I decided to interject. “Alice, we wanted to tell you, but we didn’t want the extra pressure. We wanted some time to be just us for a while. You know we love you, but we knew you’d just keep pushing us. We were going to tell you after you were done talking to your parents, but then…you know,”

“What the hell happened today?” Jasper asked, confused.

“Shut up, Jasper!” We all said.

Alice took a deep breath. “Alright, I suppose that if you two are really in love, then I’m okay with this. But, I’m still really hurt that you guys didn’t tell me,’

I came over and gave Alice a hug. “I know, Al. And I am really sorry about that. Edward is too. We just kept putting it off. Trust me, we’ll find a way to make this up to you,”

“Oh, I know you will,” Alice laughed. She walked over to Edward and punched him in the arm. “And you are still not forgiven for ratting me out to mom and dad,”

“Alice, I’m sorry! There’s no need to resort to violence!” he laughed.

“Kids! Now that everything is out in the open, let’s sit down and have some dessert,” Carlisle mediated. “Esme, why don’t you get us some coffee?”

“I’ll help,” I offered.

When we reached the kitchen, Esme surprised me by giving me a huge hug. I laughed.

“Esme, what was that for?”

She smiled. “For bringing our Edward back,”

“Esme, he’s only been gone a couple months…”

“No, I don’t mean that. I mean that you brought the old Edward back. He’s happy now. After he met Tanya, he was never the same. She had him on a tight leash. He hardly talked to us. And when she cheated on him, it killed him. But now that he’s met you, I see the son I raised. You brought him back to life,”

I shook my head and smiled. “I don’t think I can take all the credit for that. In fact, I always thought he was the one who saved me,”

“You know something, Bella? When we find those special people in our lives, we end up needing them as much as they need us. It’s just a way of life. I see the way my son looks at you, and when he stood up for you just now in front of Alice, I knew.”

“What did you know?” I asked curiously.

Esme laughed to herself. “Nothing, dear. I guess it’s just some instinct I have,”

After dessert, we all said goodnight and went upstairs. As I was about to enter my room, Edward took my hand.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked mischievously.

“I’m going to sleep,”

“You’re not sleeping in there. We’re out in the open now. You’re sleeping in my room with me,”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “You’re parents won’t mind?”

“Bella, they let Alice and Jasper share a room. Besides, after Alice’s little performance today, she kind of let the premarital sex cat out of the bag,”

I laughed. “Well, if you’re sure, then I guess I’ll go. But don’t think you’re getting lucky again. We learned our lesson from last time,”

“That’s okay,” he assured. “All I want is to feel you next to me. I’m never letting you get away,”

I gently kissed him and touched his face. “I’m glad. Because, I’m not going anywhere,”

So, an extrodinary 40% wanted Alice to find out by "catching them in the act". I think that was close enough. I hope your not dissapointed by ALice's reaction. It was very hard to write. I wrote about 3 drafts of this chapter, trying to put it in ALice's POV, but it kind of sucked. I like not knowing what she's thinking. I can get into Bella and Edward's heads more easily. Hope you thought this was okay. Please Review and tell me what you think.

Chapter: 14

You guys rock! I'm so glad you liked that chapter. It's a thrill for me to read your reviews. Please keep it up! Here's another chapter, with a highly anticipated guest star. Hmmm. I bet you know who I'm talking about ;)

Edward POV

The next morning, I woke up next to a sleeping Bella, as I expected. I laughed when I saw her shivering. Of course she was cold. I got out of bed, and went to my old closet, pulling out a heavy blanket. Instead of waking her, I decided to let her sleep. She hadn’t slept much in the past couple days. I placed the blanket over her and kissed her on the forehead.

I made my way downstairs, and I could smell the scent of French toast and bacon. Of course my mother was making breakfast for all of us. I could tell that she missed playing the mom role. But when I entered the kitchen, I was surprised to see that it was my father who was cooking, not Esme.

“Dad…” I said, shocked. “Since when do you cook?”

He shrugged. “Ever since you guys left the house. I decided to give your mother a break,”

“Wow, that’s nice of you. I try to do that for Bells from time to time. About once a week, I’ll get up extra early and cook her something,”

Carlisle just smirked at me and looked back at the pan.

“What?” I asked to his reaction.

“Nothing. I’m just a little surprised that’s all.”

“Surprised at what?”

“It’s just the way you talk about her. Whenever you say her name, you get this look on your face…”

I scoffed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

“It’s true. I never saw that look on your face when you talked about your other girlfriends,”

“Well, my other girlfriends weren’t like Bella,”

My father nodded and went back to cooking. Now I was curious.

“So, dad, not that it would make a difference…but what do you think of her?”

He laughed. “Son, I like her very much. She’s polite and respectful. She’s very selfless. She cares about you a lot. You’re mother adores her. And she’s very beautiful, Edward. I think you did a good job finding her,”

“Thanks,” I smiled. “I’m glad you feel that way. I guess your approval means a lot to me. You didn’t approve of Tanya, and you ended up being right about that,”

“Well, I’m just looking out for you, son. All that’s important is that she makes you happy. I knew that Tanya didn’t. Does Bella make you happy?”

I grinned and looked away, embarrassed.

“I guess that answers my question,” my father laughed.

“I don’t know what it is, dad. I don’t get like this about girls. I never had. My priorities consisted of work and money, and then women would just be that thing I had on the side. But this is so different. Bella is my top priority now. Everything I do, I take her into consideration. I don’t do love, I don’t do commitment. But for some reason, I do now,”

“Edward, I was the same way as you before I met your mother. I think that’s how every man is until they meet the love of their life. I think Bella is that woman for you. Esme and I were talking about it last night. She said that she knows Bella is the one. She has this crazy feeling that you two will…” He trailed off. He didn’t need to finish the sentence.

“Well, one day, that is a definite possibility,” I admitted. “But Bella got freaked out when I even joked about marriage. We definitely need more time before we take that step,”

“I’m glad you see it that way,” he nodded. “I mean, you two have only been dating a month. And I know things have been moving at a faster pace than usual. But, you guys need some time. Don’t take that time for granted,”

“I know, dad. I want to do things right with her. But I’m glad you and mom like her. I admit I was nervous about this trip,”

“Well, the last time you were here things weren’t looking so good. I’m surprised you stayed as long as you did. Now, you know we miss you, but I think that moving to Seattle was the best decision you ever made,”

“I agree,” I nodded. I suddenly thought about my sister. “Hey dad, can I ask you something?”

“Sure,”

“Are you mad at Alice for getting pregnant?”

He smirked. “Well, I’m not mad. I’m just surprised. It’s not like her to be so irresponsible. Now Jasper, that kid I’m mad at,”

I laughed. “He’s not so bad, dad. I feel sorry for him. He can hardly get a word out. Besides, I had a good talking to him after I found out,”

“Good job, son. I hope you made me proud,”

“Yeah, I covered all the basic points. If he hurts Alice, he’ll face all the certain tortures and then ultimately death,”

Carlisle laughed. “Excellent. He seems like a good enough guy, but I want you to keep an eye on your sister. I know you two are adults now, but I want you to look out for her,”

“Of course, dad,” I nodded. “Anyway, I think we might be able to scare Jas a little more on our hunting trip today,”

Suddenly, we were interrupted by Bella coming through the door in her pajamas and robe.

“Good morning,” she yawned. I approached her and gave her a small kiss.

“Good morning,” I said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, I slept perfectly,” she lied politely. I knew she was cold all night.

“Dad, do you mind if tonight we turn the heat up a little. Bella’s not really adapted to the cold weather,”

“Edward, it’s fine,” she insisted. “And the blanket you put on me was unnecessary,”

“You were shivering,” I whispered. Bella rolled her eyes.

“Oh, Bella,” Carlisle laughed. “Edward’s just looking out for you. Don’t be afraid to ask us for things like that. We want you to make yourself at home here. You’re practically a member of this family now,”

Bella smiled. “Well, thank you, sir,”

I liked the way that sounded. Bella was my family now. She fit into every part of my life. I loved her, my family loved her, and she loved me. I knew my mother was right. Bella was the one.

Bella POV

That day, the plan was for Edward and I to go into town together, but his dad wanted to take him hunting with Jasper, which apparently was an old tradition of theirs. And today was going to be the nicest day of the trip. They asked if I wanted to go, but Alice insisted on dragging me to town instead.

She showed me around all the shops and local landmarks, and we often ran into people Alice knew. She would always introduce me as “Edward’s girlfriend, Bella,” and everyone would become extremely polite. Apparently, everyone knew who he was and wanted to know everything about me. By the afternoon, I had met half of the population of the town.

After a long day of touring the place, we decided to stop in for a cup of coffee.

“So, what do you think of the town?” Alice asked as we took a seat.

“It’s cute,” I nodded. “I’m not really used to places like this. I’ve lived in big cities my whole life,”

“Well, it gets really suffocating after a while,” Alice admitted. “I mean, the people here are great, but I prefer the city life. I think Edward does too,”

“I can’t imagine him living here. He’s so private around other people. How did he live like this?”

“He didn’t,” Alice shrugged. “He hated it here with a passion. He stayed because of his job, but then he couldn’t take that anymore either,”

I nodded. I did have something on my mind, and I knew Alice would spill.

“So, when are you going to dish?” I asked.

Alice smirked. “I don’t know what you mean?”

“Tell me about Tanya,”

“I knew it would come to this,” she laughed. “Why do you think I brought you here?”

“What?”

Alice pointed to a woman behind the counter. She was very pretty. She was thin with blue eyes and blonde hair that was swept back in a tight ponytail. She was ringing up someone’s coffee, when I caught a glance at her nametag. It read “Tanya.”

“Alice!” I scolded. “That’s her? Why did you bring me here?”

“I thought you’d want to see her,” she defended. “You know Edward wasn’t going to do it, so I did,”

“He’s going to kill you when he finds out,”

“We’re not going to tell him,” Alice insisted. “Anyway, this is the best time to do this. Marcus, Edward’s old boss, totally dumped her soon after Edward left for Seattle. Plus, everyone knows she cheated on Edward,”

“And how do they know that?” I asked suspiciously.

“Okay, maybe I told them. But she deserved it, the little whore. She crushed Edward. And when they first started dating, she treated him like crap. My dad told Edward he didn’t like her, and they stayed away from the family for the longest time. It was hard on all of us. When they broke up, things finally went back to normal,”

“That’s terrible! She kept him away from his family?”

“Yeah, pretty much. She didn’t like us and we didn’t like her. But now life sucks for her and is great for Edward, so it’s all good,”

I laughed at Alice’s reasoning. I was glad things were out in the open with her. I missed not being able to talk to her about stuff like this. But my heart skipped a beat when I saw Tanya approaching our table.

“Alice?” she said, surprised.

“Oh, hello Tanya,” Alice replied nonchalantly.

“I didn’t know you were back in town. It’s great to see you. How have you been?”

“Oh, I’ve been great,” Alice smirked. “And you? I heard about Marcus,”

“Yeah,” Tanya replied awkwardly. “I’ve been okay. Life moves on, right?”

Alice nodded, raising her eyebrows.

“So, um, are you back by yourself, or…”

“Oh, Edward is here too. He’s out hunting with my dad today,”

“And he’s doing well?”

“He’s doing fantastic. Um, this actually Bella, his girlfriend,”

Tanya looked at me, wide-eyed. I forced a smile and stuck out my hand. She shook it, looking hurt.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, sadly. “I take it you’re here to meet the Cullens,”

“Yes, I am,” I answered politely. “I love the family. They are all so welcoming,”

“Well, everyone loves you almost as much as Edward does,” Alice gushed. Now I was starting to feel bad for Tanya. That was hitting below the belt.

“Oh, well, I’m glad you’re enjoying your stay. Coffee is on the house. Tell Edward I send my best. And Alice, it’s nice to see you. I miss not seeing you around. Keep in touch, okay?”

“Tanya…” Alice started.

“I know, Alice. I know after what I did, things are different. It just sucks that we can’t be friends because of a mistake I made. But that had nothing to do with you,”

Alice sighed. “Tanya, you broke my brother’s heart. I don’t think you understand that. You killed him. Before Bella, he was dead. I can never forgive you for that. I’m sorry,”

Tanya looked down. “I guess I understand. Nice to meet you, Bella. And please take my advice. Hold on to him. Letting him go was the worst mistake of my life,”

And with that she ran off into the back room. I knew she was crying. But for some reason, I didn’t feel too much sympathy. She should have been smarter. She should have known that Edward was better than her. He was better than everyone, including me. But I would be damned if I made the same mistake she did.

When we returned home, I decided to help Esme cook dinner. Alice couldn’t help, because every smell was triggering her to throw up. Esme and I were laughing over the antics of the night before, as she was letting me on some family secrets.

“So, we had to move Alice into another school after she beat up a girl for making fun of her outfit. In the first grade, Alice was reading Vogue and started wearing clothes that looked like the “couture” things in the magazine,”

I laughed. “I can imagine what that looked like,”

“I doubt you could. Anyway, Alice wouldn’t change schools unless Edward came with her, and he agreed. So, that’s when they started going to private school. They had to wear uniforms, which solved the couture problem, but Alice still found a way to make that her own,”

“I’m sure she did,” I nodded. “That’s so awesome that they were that close. I always heard that siblings that age were supposed to fight,”

“Oh, they did,” Esme assured. “Their little spat last night was a normal occurrence in this house. But at the end of the day, they were always best friends. I mean, Edward could have moved anywhere in the world, yet he chose to move to Seattle to be near his sister,”

“I never thought of it that way,” I admitted. “Esme, I have to say you are an amazing mother. You raised your kids perfectly. And even now, you are like the most open person on the planet. I have never felt so comfortable in a new place,”

“Well, I can’t take all the credit. I was blessed with those two. Alice has a mind of her own, and Edward is just…”

“Perfect,” I finished for her. “Speaking of, when are they coming home? How long do these hunting trips usually last?”

“Oh, they should be back any minute now. But it’s sweet that you miss him. I’m sure you’re anxious for him to be home,”

I blushed. “Well, I can’t help it. I’m used to seeing him every day. I’m always jumpy until he gets back,”

Suddenly, I heard the door open. I ran out of the kitchen and into the main room, where I saw Edward hanging up his coat with his father. When I saw him, I ran up and jumped into his arms.

“Whoa,” he laughed. “Someone is happy to see me,”

“You have no idea,” I said, as I gave him a kiss. I forgot that his parents were watching us. I didn’t care.

“Well, I should go hunting more often if I’m going to get this kind of welcome,”

“Bella’s been waiting for you all afternoon,” Esme smiled from the doorway. “We made you guys dinner,”

“Where’s Alice?” Jasper asked. His face looked as if he was traumatized.

“She’s upstairs resting,” I answered. When he left to find her, I turned towards Edward. “What did you do to him? He looks like he witnessed a murder,”

“Hey, all we did was demonstrate what would happen to him is he messed with my sister,” Edward joked. “I think he got the message,”

“You guys are terrible,” Esme scolded. “Now, go get washed up and get ready for dinner. Bella and I have been slaving away while you were all out having fun,”

Later that night, Edward and I went upstairs to bed. As I was changing into my pajamas, Edward started questioning me.

“So, what did you do today?” he asked, as he watched me change.

“Do you really care, or do just like watching me naked?”

“No, I really care,” he insisted.

“Well, I’m not supposed to tell you. I promised Alice,”

“Oh God,” he moaned, putting his face in his hands. “She took you to the café didn’t she?”

“You know your sister well,” I laughed.

“Well, there’s only one place in town that she would want to be secretive about. I’m so sorry, Bella. I’m sure that’s the last place you wanted to be,”

“No, it’s okay, Edward. It wasn’t that bad. I think it was harder for Tanya than it was for me,”

He sighed. “Bella, I have to tell you something. I know my family paints Tanya to be a hateful bitch, which she was. But the break-up was partly my fault as well,”

I climbed into bed next to him. “Edward, she cheated on you. That’s not your fault,”

“Yeah, but she wouldn’t have cheated on me if I paid more attention to her,” he admitted. “Back then, I was too wrapped up in my career. It made things hard, between the drama with my family and work. Neither of us could handle it,”

I kissed him on the cheek. “Well, that’s very big of you to admit that. Although, I still don’t think that it was your fault. Tanya obviously didn’t know how lucky she was,”

Edward held me closer to him, and kissed my head. “Bella, I promise you that I will never be that way with you. You are number one in my life now. Nothing is more important than you,”

I had nothing to say to that. I just closed my eyes and listened to his breathing.

“Edward,” I whispered. “It’s not as cold tonight,”

“I know. I turned the heat up,”

“Good. Because last night I was freezing my ass off,”

Edward laughed and pulled the blankets over us.

“See,” he said, kissing my head. “I’m always looking after you,”

Okay, I know that was kind of fluffy. I know people were waiting for Tanya and I thought that was the best way to do it. Just to explain, Alice and Tanya used to be friends before Tanya started dating Edward. I'm not sure if that really came across. Hope you liked this one. Please review.

Chapter: 15

Hey everybody! I am loving the reviews I'm getting! People are so into this and I love it. This chapter is long, but it's quick. Some fluff to tide you over for a little while. Hope you like it.

Bella POV

One month later, after meeting Edward’s wonderful parents, I knew it was time to break the news to mine. I had to tell them that I was in a relationship. At least I would have to tell my mom. She could tell Charlie.

“But Bella, I thought you said you weren’t dating this guy,” my mom said, confused.

“I know that, and it was true then. But things changed, and I kind of fell in love with him. So, now we’re together.”

“I don’t get it. So, one day you woke up and had feelings for him? That’s not like you,”

“You’re right, mom. It isn’t like me. But this wasn’t exactly overnight. It kind of just gradually ended up this way,”

“Well how long have things been this way?”

“I don’t know. Like, a couple months…”

“Is it serious?”

“Uh…” How do I answer this? I was going to have to tell the truth. “Yeah, mom. It’s actually really serious,”

She sighed. “Well, I guess if it’s serious then I feel better. So, tell me about him. Is he cute?”

I smiled. I was glad I could talk to my mom about it. She was really good about this kind of stuff. It was just that she was concerned, since my last relationship was a bit of a disaster. We went on talking about that for about an hour. We talked about me going down there for Thanksgiving, which was an idea I liked, especially if Edward came with me. I missed Phoenix, and it would be good to see my family again.

Unfortunately, there was another reason my mother called. Today was my birthday: my least favorite day of the year. For the life of me I couldn’t understand why people made such a big deal about this. I was turning 25, no big deal. What does that age mean anyway?

The fact that it was my birthday made me nervous as to what Edward had planned. I knew he would go overboard. He always did on stuff like this. I had been bugging him for weeks about what he was planning, but he wouldn’t spill. Alice didn’t even know. It was making me nervous.

I was just finished with my column, when I got a call from Edward.

“Hello gorgeous,” his smooth voice greeted when I answered the phone.

“Edward, why aren’t you working?”

“I’m on my lunch, and I missed you, so I thought I’d give you a call,”

“Well, I just got off the phone with Renee. I broke it to her,”

“And…?”

“And she was pretty good about it. It’s my dad I’m worried about. He’s still not over the whole Jake thing,”

“I can understand why he would be hesitant. But I’m sure if he met me, he would see that I’m nothing like that guy,”

“Well, that’s something I wanted to ask you. How would you feel about going to Phoenix for Thanksgiving?”

“Hm, Phoenix? I think that sounds like fun. I’d love to meet your family. Anyway, are you excited for tonight, birthday girl?”

“Not exactly,” I admitted. “Maybe I would be if you told me what we are going to be doing,”

“Well, to give you some peace of mind, I can tell you that we are meeting the others for dinner at six,”

“Oh,” I said disappointedly. “I thought we were going to celebrate a little more privately,”

“Don’t worry, Bella. There will be plenty of time to do that. In fact, if I were you I would pack an overnight bag,”

“Edward!” I gasped. “What is going on?”

“Don’t get too excited, Bella. It’s not like we’re going to New Zealand,”

“Alright, I guess I can live with that. I’m kind of excited now,”

“Good. You should be. It’s your birthday! Now, I have to go but I will see you tonight. I’ll be home early today, maybe around 4:30,”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting. Love you,”

“I love you too. Bye,”

When I hung up the phone, I thought for a minute. Edward had been working really hard lately. He deserved a nice night like I hoped we would be having. I was going to do what I could to make this special for him. I called Rose to ask her to go shopping with me. She was only working part time now, so her afternoons were usually free.

When we got to the mall, we had fun catching up on girl talk.

“So, explain to me again why we’re here,” Rose asked, curiously. “This is your birthday. Shouldn’t Edward be the one making an effort in this department?”

“Who’s to say he’s not?” I shrugged. “Apparently we are going somewhere for the night, and wherever it is, I want tonight to be special for him,”

“I guess that’s sweet. But why exactly?”

I picked up something skimpy and lacy. “I don’t know. He’s been working his ass off on this one case, and he’s under a lot of stress. But somehow, he doesn’t let it affect us. I want to show him how much I appreciate that,”

“Well, that thing you’re holding will definitely help with that. I think it’s nice that you guys are still having fun like that. It’s good that the passion is still there,”

I laughed. “Rose, you’re talking like you and Emmett have been married for ten years. It’s only been 2 months!”

“Hey, I’m not saying that things aren’t still hot. In fact, they’re better than they’ve ever been. But you can’t beat that stuff you have when you’re newly in love. Everything is just more…passionate,”

“Well, I can’t imagine it ever being less than it is now. As long as I’m with him, it’s going to be like that,”

“Hm,” Rosalie laughed to herself.

“What?”

“Nothing, I’m just trying to think what you and Edward would be like as a married couple,”

“Rose, don’t think things like that,” I scolded.

“Why not? You know that eventually he is going to marry you,”

“How can I know that, Rose? We’ve only known each other three months,”

“Yeah, but you guys aren’t normal. I mean, you were living together before you were even dating. And it took Emmett and I at least six months to get to the place you guys are at now,”

“But it’s not going to happen like that. If we decide to do that, it will be after a year, at least. That is not something I want to rush into,”

“Okay, you can say that, but tell it to Edward. He is so crazy about you, I just can’t imagine him holding out that long,”

“I don’t think he feels that way,” I disagreed. “And I don’t want to bring it up and ruin everything,”

“Alright, but at least tell me this. Do you want to marry him…someday?”

I thought about it for a minute. I thought about moving into a nice house with him, raising our children. I thought about how nice it would be to call him my husband.

“I guess I would like that…someday,” I admitted. “But I’m not even going to think about it for a while. I like the place we’re at now,”

“I know that, Bella,” Rosalie smiled. “But one day you guys are going to want more,”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I looked back down at the outfit I held in my hands. “I think I’m going to get this one,”

“Ha,” Rosalie scoffed. “Once he sees you in that, I bet he asks you to marry him,”

I laughed and shook my head. At least I was going to get a positive reaction.

Edward POV

That night, I waited on the couch as Bella got ready. I was excited that she would finally have a night that was all about her.

When she came out of our room, she was wearing a beautiful red dress that was low cut and showed off her gorgeous figure.

“Wow, Bella,” I stuttered. “You look…”

“Beautiful, gorgeous, stunning…” she joked. “Edward, I’ve heard this before,”

“Well, I was going to say hot and sexy, but I’ll keep my mouth shut if you want,”

She laughed and came up to me, giving me an irresistible kiss.

“Mmm,” I moaned, as I tightened my hold on her waist. “I suddenly don’t feel like going out tonight,”

“We can always stay in,” she suggested, tugging at my collar. “I’ll tell the others that I caught a cold or something,”

“I wish we could,” I sighed. “But they’re our friends, and they want to celebrate with you. But I promise that afterwards, I’ll take you to a place where we can stay in all night,”

“All night, huh?” she smirked. “That’s ambitious,”

“Well, we’ll see about that,” I laughed and took her hand. “Come on, we don’t want to be late,”

When we met everyone for dinner, Bella was embarrassed to receive all the gifts she did. I knew she hated birthdays, but we had to take advantage of the fact that we could actually buy her things for a reason. Alice ended up spending a lot on her, producing her with a whole new wardrobe of clothes. She claimed that she was replacing what was lost in the fire.

By now, Alice was starting to show a little. Pregnancy was not making her any easier to be around. All she did was whine and complain, making Jasper run errands for her. But we were all looking forward to the baby being born. I could admit that I was excited to become an uncle. However, everyone at the table was more excited to talk about my relationship with Bella.

“So, Edward, I talked to mom and dad today,” Alice smiled. “They are thinking about coming down for Christmas. Will you be in town?”

“Um, as far as I know. Bella and I were talking about going down to Phoenix for Thanksgiving. Maybe both families could come to our place for Christmas,”

“That sound like fun,” Bella nodded. “I’ll talk to them about it,”

“Ooh,” Emmett teased. “Things are getting serious now, huh? The families getting together. What’s next? China patterns?”

“You guys have to let that go,” Bella said, shaking her head. “First Rose, and now you?”

“What am I missing?” I asked, confused.

“Oh, Bella’s just getting touchy because I was going on about when the two of you will get married,”

I almost started choking. “What?” I asked, panicked.

“Don’t worry about it, Edward,” Bella assured, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I told her that it was way too soon to be thinking about that. They just like sticking their noses into other people’s business,”

“Well,” Emmett boasted. “If it wasn’t for us sticking our noses in your business, the two of you wouldn’t even be together right now,”

“What are you talking about?” Bella asked. “That had nothing to do with you,”

I glared at Emmett, hoping he wouldn’t spill. It was too late.

“Think about it,” Emmett started. “Where were you when you two finally got together? Our wedding. If I hadn’t convinced Edward to ask you to be his date, we wouldn’t all be here right now,”

I was going to kill him. Bella was never supposed to know this. I saw the confused look on her face.

“Wait, so Edward only asked me to be his date because you told him to?” Bella clarified. She looked at me. “I thought you asked me because you liked me,”

I sighed and put my hand on my head. This was so embarrassing. The whole table was looking at me, waiting for an answer.

“Bella, I did like you. It’s just that I was too scared to tell you to your face. Emmett suggested that I take you to the wedding to break the ice a little bit. He didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I agreed, pretending like I was doing him a favor, but in reality, I really wanted to be with you that night,”

“Well, why didn’t you tell me that?” she asked curiously.

“I don’t know. I thought it was irrelevant,” I shrugged. “After the wedding, I was kind of caught up in the fact that I was actually with you. I never really thought about how we got there,”

“Oh,” Bella said, getting back to her food. “I guess that makes sense,”

I smiled at her and held her hand under the table. Everyone else stared at us wide-eyed.

“What?” I asked, to their reaction.

“Is that how you guys fight?” Jasper asked, in shock. “You didn’t even raise your voice,”

“That wasn’t a fight,” I laughed. “It was a misunderstanding,”

“Well, if that was us, it would be a fight,” Rose scoffed. “Do you two ever argue?”

“Sure we do,” Bella defended. “It never gets too bad, but we disagree from time to time. It’s not worth it to be mad at each other too long,”

Emmett shook his head. “I don’t get you two. You are always so understanding with each other. It doesn’t make sense,”

Alice punched him in the arm. “Leave them alone! They’re cute. It’s not their fault that they just happen to be perfect for each other,”

I looked at Bella and grinned. She was blushing. I picked up her hand and kissed it. I knew she was perfect for me.

After we said goodbye to our friends, we got back into the car. I asked him to take us to the hotel I had booked.

“You’re taking me to a hotel?” Bella smiled.

I shrugged. “I thought it would be nice to get you out of the apartment. I mean, you work there all day,”

She leaned over and kissed me. “That sound so great, Edward. Thank you,”

When we arrived, we practically ran upstairs to our room. We were both eager to get the night started. As we entered our room, she immediately started kissing me, pushing off my jacket and kicking off her shoes. I admit I was starting to get carried away, before I could gently take myself off of her.

“Wait,” I breathed, catching my breath. “I haven’t given you your present yet,”

“I thought this was your present,” she whined. “I don’t want anything else,”

“Bella, if taking you to a hotel is the best gift you expect from me, then we have a problem,”

“You didn’t spend any money did you?” she asked. “Please tell me you didn’t,”

I laughed. “Well, I was going to, but then I thought at how much you would hate me for that. So, my gift to you is a cheap present that would make you feel better,”

“Yay!” she laughed. “Where is it?”

I reached into the small bag I brought and pulled out a small package. “Here,” I said, handing it to her. “I hope it’s enough,”

She looked at it happily and started to pull off the paper. When the CD was revealed, she looked at me.

“What’s this?” she asked excitedly.

I sat down next to her on the bed. “It’s your song. I have a friend at a recording studio, so I went and made this. Now, you can listen to it whenever you want, like when I’m at work or whatever. And my friend is looking into getting the song published. I named it Bella, after you of course,”

She looked at it for a long time, just staring. I couldn’t really tell what her reaction was.

“Listen, I know it’s not much. I’m sorry. I was saving up because I want to get you something really special for Christmas, and I didn’t know what you would like…”

Bella finally looked up. I saw that she had a tear falling down her cheek.

“Edward, you have no idea how much I love this,” she whispered. “There is no greater gift you could have gotten me,”

I smiled. “I’m glad you like it. And because I had to spend some money, I went ahead and bought those tickets to Phoenix after you called. First class tickets, and we can stay for four days. I thought I could give you the gift of seeing your family without you having to worry about it,”

She threw her arms around my neck and kissed me. It was one of those great kisses that she would give when she was truly happy. They were my favorite of all. I placed my hand on her back and pulled her down on top of me. She slowly pulled away.

“Wait right here,” she grinned mischievously. “I have a surprise for you,”

I nodded, unable to move anyway. She disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me alone in the room. I picked up the CD and placed it into the stereo. Soon after the music started to play, Bella reappeared, revealing herself in lacy lingerie, the kind that was used exclusively for special occasions.

“Bella…I… you…” I couldn’t get any words out. She was too irresistible for words.

“So, I look that good, do I?” she laughed.

I didn’t have to answer her. I quickly approached her and took her into my arms.

“Edward,” she breathed, as she urgently kissed down my neck. “I love you so much,”

“I love you too,” I moaned as placed her on the bed. “And I’m glad you’re having a happy birthday,”

That night, was one of the best we had ever had as a couple. Until then, I thought that it couldn’t get any better. It made me excited for what the future would hold for the both of us. And someday, I would officially make Bella my own, so that I could every night, I could look into her beautiful brown eyes and know that she was there forever.

But until then, we would just keep being us. And honestly, nothing could make me happier than that.

Okay, so that wasnt my favorite chapter that I've written, but I wanted to give some transition to show you that they're relationship is getting pretty serious. Plus, a little fluff never hurt anybody. So, if you did like it, please review. If you didn't, I'm sorry. I know I've done better.

PS Bella's dress and "surprise" for Edward is on my profile.

Chapter: 16

Thanks for the feedback on the last chapter! Here's another one you've been waiting for.

Edward POV

A couple months later, Thanksgiving was starting to approach, and I was starting to get nervous about meeting Bella’s parents. This was a big step for me. I usually never got the chance to meet the family of the woman I was in love with. There was a lot of pressure. It also didn’t help that we hadn’t started packing until the morning of our flight.

“Okay, so we’re going to be staying at my dad’s house and my mom and Phil are going to come over for dinner on Thursday,” Bella explained, as she shoved some clothes in her suitcase.

“Isn’t that weird for them?” I asked. “I mean, being that they’re divorced and all?”

“Not for them,” she laughed. “They’ve always kept on good terms, for my sake. They’re still good friends,”

“Wow. This trip is going to be more interesting than I thought,”

I started putting some more clothes in my suitcase, when Bella started laughing.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

She pointed to the heavy jacket I was packing. “Edward, you are not going to need that,”

“It’s November, Bella. What if it gets cold?”

“It’s Phoenix, Edward,” she pointed out. “It doesn’t get that cold. Stick to sweatshirts and light jackets. It’s will still be in the low seventies, maybe mid-sixties,”

“That’s like summer here,” I gaped. “No wonder you’re not used to the weather here yet,”

“Yeah, it will be nice to be the one in my element for once,” she smirked. “So, are you excited?”

“More like terrified,” I joked. “I’m still afraid you’re dad is going to shoot me,”

“That was a joke!” she giggled. “Just because he’s a cop, it doesn’t mean he’ll use his gun. He’ll probably be a little protective, but that’s normal considering the circumstances with my last boyfriend. And once he sees that you’re nothing like him, you should be in the clear,”

That reminded me of another concern I had. I would hate to have a run-in with Jake, like Bella did with Tanya.

“Hey, um, Bells,” I started. “Not that I would go find him or anything, but Jake doesn’t live in Phoenix, right?”

Bella sighed, looking away. She always got frustrated when I said his name. She would try hard to avoid it.

“No, Edward, he does not live in Phoenix. He lives back in Forks, remember? My dad and I lived there for a couple of years while I was in high school, and then we moved back into our old house in Arizona.”

“Oh yeah,” I remembered. I could tell that talking about Jake put her in a bad mood. I stood up and walked over behind her wrapping my arms around her waist.

“Bella, I’m sorry I brought it up. I don’t want you to be sad on this trip, okay? It will be fun,”

I felt her loosen up a little and she let out a small smile. “It’s okay, Edward. I’m just a little nervous too. I don’t really bring boyfriends home,”

“Well, if it doesn’t work out, we can always come home early,”

“I don’t think it will come to that,” she admitted. “But if it does, let’s hope you’re bulletproof,”

I laughed, hoping she was kidding.

When the plane touched down in Phoenix, I smiled when I looked out the window. Everything was just as Bella had described it. Every since I met her, she had told me how much she loved Arizona, and now I could see why. It was clear. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the weather was more than predictable. It gave her some security, knowing what was going on.

That was the thing about Bella. At first, it was hard to tell exactly how she felt, but now she was like an open book. I knew her better than anyone else possibly could.

When we got off the plane, we met Charlie outside the gate. We walked up to him slowly, and I could see the Bella was starting to get uncomfortable. I squeezed her hand a little tighter.

“Bella,” Charlie smiled, as he gave her a half-hug. “It’s good to see you,”

“It’s good to see you too, dad,” Bella replied, happily. “I’m glad I could make it down,”

“Me too. It’s been a while,”

“Definitely,” she nodded. I nudged her with my elbow. She got the hint. “Dad, this is Edward,” she introduced, putting her arm around my waist.

I extended my hand and Charlie shook it strongly.

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” I greeted politely. “Bella has told me a lot about you,”

“Hm,” he murmured. “I wish I could say the same about you, but it turns out my daughter doesn’t like to tell me too much about her personal life. I hear most of the information through Renee,”

I smiled. “Well, I hope you’ve heard good things,”

He looked at me sternly, trying not to show an expression. I didn’t like the fact that he didn’t respond.

When we got in the car, I decided to sit in the back, while Bella rode up front with her father. I made sure to not speak unless I was spoken to. I had a feeling Charlie didn’t like people that interrupted conversation, but every once and a while, he would let me into it.

“So, Edward, how is your sister? I haven’t seen her since I went up to Seattle last,”

“Oh, she’s doing pretty well. She’s actually expecting a baby in February,” I answered.

“I didn’t know Alice got married,” Charlie replied.

“She didn’t,”

Charlie gulped. “Oh. Well, wish her my best,”

I was going to explain the situation, but I figured it would be best if we dropped it. It could only make things worse.

“So, dad,” Bella started, lightening up the mood. “We were wondering if you, mom, and Phil would like to join us for Christmas this year. Do you have any plans?”

“Um, not that I know of,” he answered. “But, I guess that sounds nice. You’ll have to talk to your mother,”

“Well, it would be really nice if you could come,” Bella replied. “Edward’s parents are coming all the way from Alaska. You’d love them, dad. They are the nicest people,”

“Is that right?” he said, looking in the rearview mirror at me.

“Yes, sir. And they adore Bella. She’s practically in the family now,”

Charlie’s expression was blank. Now this guy was hard to read. He obviously didn’t like to talk that much, so I would try not to push anything.

When we reached the house, Charlie and I took the bags inside, while Bella nervously stuck by my side. As we walked inside, I smiled at all the pictures of Bella that were around the house. There weren’t too many, but enough to tell that Charlie missed her a lot.

I smirked when I saw a picture of her missing her two front teeth. Her hair was pulled into pigtails, and she was grinning hugely.

“I like this one,” I said, pointing to the photo.

Bella blushed, pulling me away. “God, I look awful. Let’s not look at old pictures, please,”

I laughed, and put my arm around her as Charlie gave me a tour of the house.

“And this is the living room…” he said, eyeing the couch and then me. “…where you’ll be sleeping,”

I nodded, as Bella started to protest.

“Dad, this is ridiculous…” she started. I put my hand on her shoulder.

“Bella, it’s fine. His house, his rules,”

Bella rolled her eyes and took her bags from Charlie. “I’m going up to my room. Edward, can I speak to you for a minute?”

Charlie laughed and looked at me apologetically. “You better do what she says,”

I followed Bella upstairs. When we reached her room, I could see that her father had left it just as it was. Everything from her desk to her bookcase looked untouched.

“Edward,” Bella sighed. “Let me talk to my dad. You do not have to sleep on the couch tonight,”

I laughed. “It’s no problem, Bella. I would prefer to be on the couch rather than causing drama with your father. It’s better this way,”

“Okay, but you don’t have to go to all this trouble just to impress him,” she assured, as she entered my arms. I kissed the top of her head.

“I know. But I want him to be comfortable with me, because I don’t plan on leaving your life, ever. So, he’ll just have to get used to me,”

Bella smiled and gave me a kiss. Suddenly, we heard a voice from downstairs.

“Bells, you’re mom is here!” Charlie called. Bella excitedly grabbed my hand and led me downstairs. When we reached the living room, I saw Bella’s mother run towards us.

“Bella!” she squealed, pulling her into a tight hug. “Oh my God, it’s so good to see you. We’ve missed you so much,”

“Hi mom,” she replied happily. “I’ve missed you too. It’s been so long since I’ve been home,”

“I know. It seems like years.” Renee then looked at me. “You must be Edward,” she smiled. I held out my hand, but instead she gave me a hug as well.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you,” she greeted.

“It’s great to meet you too, Mrs. Dwyer,” I laughed. She pulled away.

“Oh, call me Renee. God, I have heard so much about you. But I must say that Bella’s description did not do you justice. So handsome…”

“Mom!” Bella scolded. “Stop it!”

“Sorry, but I’m just telling the truth. Look at him. He’s gorgeous,”

I looked away, embarrassed. I knew I would like Renee. I was starting to see where Bella came from now. She was shy and quiet like her father, but when you got to know her, she was outgoing and honest like her mother.

After a few minutes, Charlie came into the room.

“Edward, come here,” he ordered. I went up to him.

“Why don’t we go for a walk and let the girls catch up?” he suggested. “There are some things we have to talk about,”

Bella eyed us anxiously. “Dad, is this necessary?”

I walked over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “It’s okay, Bells. Relax. I’ll be back soon,”

She nodded disappointedly as I left with Charlie. We started walking around the block, and I was suddenly regretting wearing such a thick sweater. Bella wasn’t kidding. It was actually kind of hot outside, and it was late November.

“So, Edward…” Charlie started. “I’m not going to beat around the bush here. We could sit and make small talk until the cows come home, but it wouldn’t give me any peace of mind,”

I nodded and put my hands in my pockets. I could see where this is going.

“So, at the risk of sounding completely cliché, I have to ask you: what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?”

I took a deep breath. “Well sir, what specifically are you referring to?”

“Um, for starters, how exactly do you feel about her?”

I smiled, just thinking about our relationship. “Mr. Swan, I’m not one to beat around the bush either. I can tell you right now that I am very much in love with your daughter. I can tell you that this is the first time I have been in a relationship that was this healthy and this honest. She is everything to me, sir. I love her more than I have loved other woman in my life, and I would do anything to make her happy,”

“Hm,” he muttered. “I guess I can appreciate you being honest with me in that sense. Most people are afraid to say things like that,”

“Well, I’m not,” I admitted.

“Okay, well what exactly are your long term plans?” he asked.

“Mr. Swan, are you asking me whether or not I plan to marry Bella?”

He shrugged. “Well, something like that? Have you talked about marriage or children, or anything like that?”

“Sir, I’ll be honest with you. Lately, I have been thinking about my future with Bella. And to be perfectly truthful, I’m liking that idea more and more. It’s just that I don’t really want to rush into that. Maybe in about six months, I’ll start talking about it with her. But she’s kind of sensitive to subjects like that, and I don’t want to push her until I know she’s really ready to talk,”

Charlie nodded as he looked down at the ground. “You know what, Edward? I like you. You’re smart. And I like that you’re sensitive about Bella’s feelings. After the last guy, I thought she wouldn’t be the same. I will never stop hating that guy for what he did to her,”

I shook my head, remembering the stories Bella told me. “I know how you feel. When she first told me, she had to literally hold me down so I wouldn’t go find him. If I ever see that guy…”

“Then call me,” Charlie interrupted. “We can kill him together,”

We both laughed. After that, we had a pretty good talk. I told him more about what life was like with Bella, and he even gave me some advice on how to handle her when she was in her mad moods. He was a pretty funny guy. He was just concerned about his daughter. By the end of our walk, we were already good buddies.

That night, Bella and I were sitting on the couch, when Charlie came into the living room.

“Hey guys, it’s getting pretty late. Why don’t you two go upstairs and get some sleep? Edward, you can take your bags up there,”

I nodded and smiled. Looks like I wouldn’t have to hit the couch after all. Bella looked at her dad in shock. I took her hand and grabbed my bags as we started out of the room.

“Oh, Edward,” Charlie called. “Just because I’m letting stay upstairs, it doesn’t mean that I’m allowing any funny business. I keep my gun underneath my pillow, remember?”

I chuckled and nodded my head. “Of course, sir. Thank you,”

“No problem, Ed,” he grinned. “You two sleep well. Emphasis on sleep,”

Bella quickly let go of my hand and ran towards her dad. She surprised him by giving him a kiss on the cheek.

“Goodnight, dad,” she smiled. “And thanks,”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bell,” Charlie joked. “Have a good night,”

When we reached Bella’s room, she looked at me in awe.

“Edward, what the hell did you say to make him like you all of a sudden?”

I shrugged. “Nothing, Bells. We just talked. You know, your dad is a pretty cool guy once you get to know him. You just have to see him clearly,”

She shook her head in confusion. “Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting him to warm up to you that quickly,”

I climbed into bed and opened my arms. “Bella, don’t worry about it. Just be happy that everyone is on good terms. Now, let’s get some sleep,”

She rolled her eyes, and snuggled up next to me. Yes, things were certainly clearer now.

So what did you think of Charlie? I hoped you like the way I portrayed him. PLease review. I love reading them so much! Love you guys.

Chapter: 17

Yay! I'm so glad you guys loved the last chapter. I admit I loved writing about Phoenix, which is where I'm from. So, this one has a little bit of everything in it, and since you got full EPOV last time, I'm giving you full BPOV this time. PLease keep reviewing. When you write, I write. YOu guys are my greatest inspiration. :)

Bella POV

Okay, so that ended up being the strangest trip home that I could imagine. I would never tell Edward this, but I was terrified that Charlie would never take to my boyfriend. They were both so stubborn and protective of me, that I thought it would turn into a tension-filled vacation.

However, both Edward and my father surprised me. After they took that walk, it was like they were best friends. They had jokes even I wasn’t in on. I don’t know what exactly they had in common or what it was they talked about, but I was just grateful that the two of them were getting along at all.

Thanksgiving dinner ended up being quite a disaster. I volunteered to cook the entire meal, which ended up being a huge mistake. It was really all my fault. Edward kept offering help, but I insisted that he continued watching the game with my dad and Phil. In hindsight, I should have let him take over.

Most of the meal turned out fine. We had sat at the table, ready to start eating, when everyone started staring at me.

“What?” I had asked to their expressions. “Start eating,”

That’s when Edward gently leaned over and whispered in my ear, “The turkey, Bella?”

My eyes went wide. As soon as he said it, I heard the smoke alarm go off. Fire. Again. Perfect. Luckily, the turkey only got burned instead of going completely up in flames. Nonetheless, the bird was very much inedible. I was so embarrassed. I wanted to show Edward that I could be domestic, but that plan had totally failed.

We ended up getting Chinese take-out. How cliché is that? Only this time, I was the harebrained woman that ruined the holiday. It didn’t take long for Edward to tell that I was upset.

“Hey,” he said quietly, as the others were talking over chow mein. “Are you alright?”

I snapped. “No, Edward, I am not alright!” I said loudly. “I worked all day on that stupid dinner, and I am such an idiot that I ruined everyone’s Thanksgiving!”

The whole table turned their heads towards me. I could feel heat rush to my cheeks. I felt so stupid. I threw my fork on the table and stormed up to my room. It wasn’t long before Edward came knocking.

“Bella,” he said softly, as he entered the room. “Do you want to tell me what that little temper tantrum was about?”

I sat on the bed and sighed. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It’s not your fault that I am a complete moron,”

He chuckled and sat next to me. “Bella, you are not a moron. It was just dinner,”

I put my head in my hands. “Edward, this is not about the food. It’s about the fact that I am completely useless. I wanted to cook this dinner, so I could show you that I am actually good for something, that I could be domestic and run a household. I don’t want you to think that you’re stuck with a dumbass woman that doesn’t do anything productive,”

He laughed and kissed my head. “Bell, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say. This isn’t the 1950’s. You don’t have to cook and clean to prove that you are worth living with. You make me happy, and that’s all I care about. Besides, you aren’t useless. You work for a living just like I do. But you actually contribute to society. How could you think that you were useless?”

“I don’t know, Edward. I mean, let’s just say for argument’s sake that we have a family of our own. Who’s going to cook for the kids? Who’s going to make them lunch every morning? I mean, this is my second experience in five months that involved fire. I’m just not good at stuff like that, and you deserve someone who can give that to you,”

Edward stared at me for a while. “You know what? You’re right, Bella. That’s it. We’re over. I’m going to go out and find the mom from the Brady Bunch, so I can have a good girlfriend that can cook a turkey. Would that make you happy?”

I smirked at his joke. “No, I guess it wouldn’t,”

He smiled and wrapped his arms around me. “Bella, you have to understand that I don’t want anyone but you. I want the Bella I fell in love with, not the one that cooks and cleans. And don't worry. I'll make the kids their lunch. I like my woman incompetent in the kitchen,”

I laughed. “You’re an idiot,” I joked.

“Well, at least I didn’t burn the turkey,”

“Shut up!” I giggled, punching him in the arm. He pulled me closer.

“So, do you really think about having a family some day?” he asked me curiously.

I pressed my head against his chest. “I don’t know. Sometimes. Why? Does that freak you out?”

“No, not at all,” he smiled. “I’m just glad that you’re thinking about it too. You know, I’m in this for the long haul. I’m not backing out any time soon,”

“I guess that’s good to know,” I admitted. “And I think we should go back downstairs. It is Thanksgiving…”

I was pleased to say that everything after that went smoothly. I avoided making an ass out of myself for the whole rest of the trip and everyone got along perfectly. It made it hard to leave the next day. Saying goodbye to my family was really hard for me. My dad was the one who took us to the airport.

“Alright, guys, I guess that’s it,” he said, dropping us off at the entrance. I gave him a big hug.

“I’ll miss you, dad,” I replied, trying not to cry. “We’ll see you at Christmas, right?”

“For sure,” he smiled. He pulled away and shook Edward’s hand. “It was nice to meet you, son. I’m glad we had a chance to talk,”

“Me too, sir,” Edward nodded. “Thank you so much for having me,”

I distinctly heard Charlie whisper, “When the time comes, give me a call.”

To that, Edward just smiled and nodded. What was that about? Edward put his arm around me and Charlie went back into his car. As he drove off, I smiled at Edward.

“That went better than I thought,” I admitted. “I honestly am surprised that you made it out alive,”

Edward laughed and picked up the bag, as we started to enter the airport. “You know, Bella, you’re dad cares about you a lot. He just wants you to be happy,”

“I know. I guess that’s what I love about him. I miss him a lot. I worry about him being alone,”

“I’m sure you do. You really like it here, don’t you?” he asked. “You miss Arizona a lot?”

He had me there. “I guess I do, honestly. But isn’t it normal to miss the place you were raised in?”

“I don’t miss Alaska,” he pointed out.

“Yeah, but you’re not normal,” I joked.

He stopped and looked at me. “Seriously, Bella. Would you be happier here? Because I was thinking, if you really wanted to, I would consider moving here for you. You could be closer to your family, and you wouldn’t be so cold. I’m sure the newspapers here need writers, and I know of a firm in the city that is supposed to be one of the best. If it’s something you really want, I’ll do it…for you,”

I smiled and gave him a soft kiss. I brushed my hand against his warm cheek and sighed. “Edward, I want to be wherever you are. My home is Seattle right now. I could never ask you to pick up everything and move here for me. I want to stay where I am, at least for right now,”

“Okay,” Edward nodded. “But if you change your mind, I want you to tell me. I’ll go wherever it is that makes you happy,”

“As long as I’m with you, I’ll be happy,” I laughed. He kissed my forehead and slung his arm around my shoulders.

“Come on,” he grinned. “Let’s go home,”

Home is exactly what I needed. When we returned to our familiar apartment, I couldn’t wait to lie down on the couch and take a much needed nap with Edward. I was exhausted from the trip, and I needed to get that comfortable feeling back.

I dropped my bags into our room and pushed the play button on our answering machine. The first message was from Alice, telling us to call her when we got back. The next was from my boss, telling me that he loved my last column and that he wanted another installment. Then, there was a message from my old apartment complex.

“Hello, this is a message for Bella Swan. We would like to inform you that your apartment has been completely restored as is now suitable for inhabitance. If you would like to renew your lease, please call us immediately so you can move back in as soon as possible. If you have decided not to return, please notify us so we can make the place available for new tenants,”

I looked at Edward. I hadn’t even thought about that. In the beginning, I was just supposed to be staying here temporarily, and now things were more…permanent.

“Huh,” Edward laughed. “I guess you should call and tell them that you won’t be returning,”

“Yeah, I guess so,” I said, discouraged. Edward noticed my hesitance.

“What? Do you want to go back?” he asked, worriedly.

“Of course not, Edward,” I defended. “It’s just that I’m going to miss that place. I had a lot of good times there. That apartment was special,”

“And flammable,” Edward pointed out.

I scoffed and picked up the phone. “I guess I’ll call them then,” I sighed.

And with that phone call, I let go of my apartment. I now had officially moved in with Edward. All my baggage was gone…or so I thought.

About a week later, I was working in what was for a short time my bedroom and was now my office, when I heard the door slam from the living room. I looked at the clock. Edward was home early.

Usually, that meant something good. It meant that he wanted to surprise me by taking me out to dinner or he finished his work before schedule. But when I walked out to greet him, I saw that his face had gone pale and his eyes were holding anger.

“Edward…” I started worriedly. “What’s wrong?” I approached him to put my arms around him but he stepped around me.

“Sorry, Bella, not right now. I need some time to think. I’ll be in our room,”

I didn’t like those words. “Edward, is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?”

He sighed in a frustrated manner and turned around, placing his hands on my shoulders. “Bella, you’ve done nothing wrong. I don’t want this to seem like I’m mad at you. It’s just that, something happened at work today, and I need some time to calm down before I do something stupid. The last thing I want to do is blow up at you, so I think it would be best if I was alone for a few hours,”

I nodded worriedly. I had never seen him like this. “Okay, if you need time, I’ll go over to Alice’s place,” I said softly. “Call me if you want me, alright?”

“No, Bella,” he said seriously. “I want you to stay in the house tonight. Please,”

Now I was really concerned. “Edward, what’s going on?

He looked away. “Just promise me you’ll stay here. And if anyone comes to the door, come get me,”

“Edward, you’re making it sound like someone’s coming after us,”

He sighed. I could see his hands were shaking. “Listen, I’m really on edge here. I explained everything to Emmett. Call him and he’ll tell you. I just need to think…”

And with that, he disappeared into the bedroom. I practically ran to the phone and dialed Emmett’s number. I had to know what was going on. I was starting to get scared.

“Bella?” Emmett answered.

“Hey, Em. I need you to talk. Edward just came home really shaken up. He couldn’t even tell me what happened. He said you’d explain everything,”

“Oh, Bella,” Emmett sighed. “You might want to sit down for this,”

“I’m a big girl. Tell me,”

“Okay, here’s what happened. I guess that today Edward went to go talk to one of his colleagues in his office. I guess the guy was handling some case for domestic abuse, and was telling Edward how hard it would be to defend this client. So, Edward volunteered to help with the case…that was, until he saw whose name was on the file,”

I shook my head. “I don’t get it,” I said. “Who was it?”

Then Emmett said two words that I never wanted to hear again. “Jacob Black,”

I stopped breathing. I could swear my heart missed a beat. “B-but, what is he doing here? He doesn’t live in Seattle,”

“I guess he’s in town,” Emmett said sadly. “Anyway, I guess Jacob was going to be coming in, and Edward knew he had to leave early. He knows that he won’t be able to control his temper,”

“He’s in town?” I echoed, not hearing the rest. “Does he know where I live?”

“I don’t know, Bells. Do you think he’ll come find you?”

“I have no idea,” I said worriedly. “Edward told me not to leave the house. I guess he’s afraid of that too,”

“Well, I would do what he says. I think we would all feel better if we knew that you were safe,”

I nodded silently. It’s not that I was afraid that Jake would come and murder me. I don’t think he was that extreme. But the thought of seeing him again made my stomach churn. The fact was that Jake was very aggressive and possessive. Even though we had been over for a long time, he would feel threatened by the fact that I had moved on. Not only that, but he was apparently now facing time for domestic abuse. Maybe his rage had gotten worse.

“Okay, thanks for telling me, Emmett,” I said, shakily. “I’m going to wait until Edward’s ready to talk,”

“Alright. Stay safe, Bella. Rose and I are here for you, remember,”

“I know,” I replied half-heartedly. “I’ll talk to you later,”

After hanging up the phone, I sat down on the couch. I sat there for three hours, just staring into space. The only thing that interrupted me from my daze was Edward’s voice.

“I take it Emmett told you?” he said softly, taking a seat next to me. I looked at him and into his deep green eyes. I lost in. I threw myself into his arms and started sobbing.

“He’s back,” I cried. “I can’t face him. I just can’t,”

“I know,” Edward said sympathetically. “We’ll figure something out. But I’m here. And I promise I won’t let him hurt you again. I’ll do everything in my power to keep him away from you,”

I didn’t ask any questions. I stayed in Edward’s arms the whole night. I knew I would be safe as long as I was with him. It was when he left that I would start to worry.

OOH. Drama. I know you guys were dying in anticipation for Jake's bit and it's finally coming. Just in case I can't post tomorrow, I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! And to those in other countries, happy regular thursday. If your bored, go see the Twilight movie. haha. PS I am thankful for your reviews...

Chapter: 18

Alright, so I wasn't planning to update today. But after the cliffhanger I left, I was afraid that some of you would hunt me down and kill me if I didnt update ASAP! So, since it is Thanksgiving, and you guys have been so great with your reviews, I decided to give you what you wanted. Just a warning, it is going to get intense...

Edward POV

I didn’t sleep that night. I held Bella close to me in bed, knowing that if I let her go, I would go and do something stupid. So many things were running through my mind. I was so afraid that Jake wanted to come find her. I was afraid that he wanted to hurt her again.

Bella had told me about her experiences with him, shortly after we began our relationship. She told me that he was very possessive, and kept her locked up in the apartment all day until she had to go to work. She told me that he would treat her like some sort of prisoner, controlling everything from where she went to what she ate. And then she told me about how he would start getting aggressive with her, and how she would have to wear long sleeves to hide the bruises on her arms. Finally, she told me about the last night in that place, when in anger, he pushed her forcefully against the wall.

I would have to kill him if he came near her. He messed Bella up. I thanked God every day that she had the strength to get out when she did. I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if she didn’t. And now, he was back. He was somewhere in this city. I just hoped he wasn’t looking for Bella.

The next morning, I woke up hesitantly. I knew I had to get to work. I kissed Bella on the forehead, gently waking her.

“Edward?” she moaned sleepily.

“Yes, love, it’s just me. I have to go to work now. Are you going to be okay?”

“I think so,” she whispered. “Are you?”

I chuckled. “Don’t worry about me, Bells. I’ll be calling you every couple hours to check up on you. Stay home today, alright? We’ll figure something out,”

She sat up and kissed me. “I love you, Edward,” she said, putting her arms around me. “I love you so much,”

I smiled and held her close. “I love you too, Bella. And don’t worry. You are going to be okay. I doubt he’s out looking for you. And even if he was, how would he even find you? He doesn’t know you live here with me. Besides, I’m sure he’ll be put away for awhile after his trial,”

“I know,” she nodded. “Now, get out of here. I’ll call you later,”

I had to believe my own words. If not, I would just be worrying all day. When I got to the firm, I shut myself I my office, throwing myself into my work. I got more stuff done in two hours than I had last week. But I didn’t have a choice. If I stopped working, I would just worry about Bella.

My boss came into my office around lunch time, worried about me.

“Cullen, are you alright? No one has seen you all day. Have you even left your office since you got here this morning?”

I shook my head. “No, sir. I’ve been busy,”

“Well, this isn’t like you. I mean, you always stay on top of your work, but you are usually in a better mood. You seem kind of anxious about something. Working on a big case?”

“Not exactly,” I sighed.

I explained to him the whole situation, and he took it all in with concern.

“Oh, well, I can see why this is a problem. Unfortunately, there’s not much I can do about this. You just have to stay out of his way,”

“I understand, sir. But it’s not me I’m worried about. It’s Bella,”

“Well, think of it this way,” he said. “Maybe you’re overreacting. Maybe this guy doesn’t want anything to do with her,”

I chuckled. “With all due respect, you don’t know Bella. She attracts danger like a magnet,”

My boss laughed at my reasoning. Suddenly, Jessica came through the door, horror stricken.

“Jessica, is something wrong?” I asked.

“I am so sorry, Mr. Cullen,” she said shakily. “I’m so stupid,”

“Jessica, what is it?” I asked getting up from my desk.

“This guy called, saying he was a client of yours. He said he wanted to mail you some papers, and he needed your address, so I gave it to him…”

“My home address?” I asked worriedly.

“Yeah, he said they needed to be sent to your house. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I gave it to him. And then he said…” she broke down, breathing heavily. I ran towards her.

“What did he say?!” I almost yelled at her. I knew where this was going.

“He said, ‘make sure that you tell Mr. Cullen that his Bella will be well taken care of’,”

I froze. “Jessica,” I said in shock. “Did he tell you his name?”

“He said his name was Mr. Black. That’s all,”

I couldn’t control my anger. I picked up the stapler that was on my desk and threw it across the room. “Goddamn it!” I yelled, as I grabbed my coat.

I looked at my boss, who was still in the room. “Call the police! Tell them the situation and see if they can do anything. I’m going to take care of this,”

He nodded and went towards the phone. “Don’t do anything stupid, Edward,” he warned. “You wouldn’t forgive yourself if you did anything that would upset Bella,”

“I have to do whatever I can to protect her,” I fumed. When I walked past Jessica, I glared at her. “I will never forgive you for putting her in danger,” I said, as I saw tears fill her eyes. I couldn’t feel any sympathy for her. I knew she didn’t know exactly what was going on, but she could have been smarter about it.

I ran outside of the building, jumping into my car. I pulled out my cell phone, and quickly dialed Bella’s number. She didn’t answer. I tried the house phone instead. A voice I didn’t recognize picked up.

“I’m sorry, Bella can’t come to the phone right now,” it said. Then the line went dead. He had her. I groaned in agony as I sped down the lanes of traffic. I had to get to her as soon as possible. I had to get to her before it was too late. I was trying to focus, but the sounds of Bella’s screams in the background kept ringing through my head.

Bella POV

Around lunchtime, I was starting to calm down about the whole Jacob thing. I was sure that him being in Seattle had nothing to do with me. He probably just came because the lawyers were better than the ones in Forks. Besides, I was safe here. Yes, Jacob could easily find out that I was living with Edward, but how would he know where that was? I would have to calm down, or else I would freak everyone out, including Edward.

It was good to see that Edward was really concerned about this. I didn’t like seeing him upset, but at least I knew he cared and would look out for me. Like last night, I appreciated the fact that he kept his distance. He knew I couldn’t see him angry. It scared me too much. But at this moment, I would have given anything for him to be with me.

I had to get my mind off of the whole situation. I decided to get a head start on my column. As I was typing in my office, I heard the door open. It had to be Edward, since he was the only one who had a key. I stopped what I was doing and ran into the living room. But when I got there, I didn’t see him. Suddenly I heard a voice from behind me.

“You know, you really should find a new hiding place for the spare key. Anyone who’s lived with you would know you hide it on top of the doorway,”

I turned around. My heart stopped beating, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. There he was. There was the guy who I promised myself I would never see again.

“J-Jake, what are you doing here?” I stuttered nervously. I was frozen., I couldn’t move.

“Well, I was in town and I thought I’d stop by and say hello,” he said in a bored tone. “It’s been over a year now, hasn’t it? Last time I saw you, you were running towards a cab,”

“Well, the last time I saw you, you were pushing me into a wall,” I spat back.

He inched close towards me. “Bella, that was a long time ago. I was stupid, and I lost my temper. Can’t we just talk about this? I’ve changed.” He said it in almost a sarcastic manner.

“Oh really? Aren’t you facing a lawsuit for domestic abuse? And didn’t you just break into my apartment? I suggest you get out before I call the police, or before…”

“What? Before you’re boyfriend gets home? Hm, I’m surprised at you, Bella. You moved in with a guy so quickly. Looks like someone’s getting a little looser,”

He reached out to touch my face, and I slapped his hand away. Within half a second, as if it was instinct, he slapped me back.

“Don’t you ever do that again!” he yelled in my face. He had never done that before. Now I was terrified. He obviously was more aggressive now. My face was throbbing with pain.

“Don’t touch me,” I squealed, holding my cheek. “He’ll kill you,”

He chuckled. “Listen, I’m not afraid of your little boyfriend. Look around you! You’re obviously with him for his money. I’m sure he doesn’t measure up to me in any sense,”

I smirked. “Well, you’re definitely wrong about that. He's twice the man you are, in every sense,”

That set him off. He pushed me against the wall, like he did a year ago, but this time he didn’t let go of my arms.

“Don’t talk to me like that. I’ll start to reconsider taking you back to Forks,”

I struggled against his strength. “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I groaned. Suddenly, I heard my cell phone ring. “See, that’s him. I bet he’s on his way to help me,”

Jake grinned. “Well, we better be quick then,”

I didn’t like the look in his eye. I tried to push him off of me, but he wasn’t budging. Then, the home phone rang.

“Damn, he doesn’t quit, does he?” Jake sighed. He let go of me and reached for the phone, while holding me in place with his other arm.

“I’m sorry, Bella can’t come to the phone right now,” he said sarcastically. I screamed when he spoke, hoping whoever it was could hear me. When Jake hung up, he glared at me.

“This will be much easier if you’re quiet,” he said, looking me in the eye. “Now, here’s what’s going to happen. You are going to be cooperative and come downstairs with me. I’m taking you back to Forks,”

“Why do you want me, Jake?” I shivered. “I’m not anything to you,”

“You’re right,” he said. “You’re not worth anything. But I guess you’re pretty enough and you won’t rat me out to the cops like the last one did. You will be obedient, because you know what will happen if you mess up again. You’re lucky, Bella. I’m giving you another chance,”

I shook my head. “Are you delusional? I don’t want to be with you! You’re pathetic, Jake. You have to physically force women to do what you want,”

He slapped me again. “What did I tell you about talking to me that way? You better shut up or you are going to regret it,”

I should have been scared. I don’t know what was wrong with me. Instead, I glared back.

“Go ahead, Jake. What are you going to do? Slap me again? Punch me? Rape me? Kill me? Do it. I dare you. Because I would prefer all of those things than having a life with you,”

I don’t know what I was thinking. Was I expecting him to back down? I should have known him better than that. He grabbed me strongly by the shoulders and slammed me against the wall once again. I hit my head really hard, so much that I was starting to see spots.

“I don’t know when you started speaking up, but this needs to stop,” he spat in my face. “Now, am I going to have to teach you a lesson?”

I couldn’t speak. My head hurt, and he was crushing my shoulders with his hands. I could fight back. My father was a cop. I knew everything about self defense. I could easily knee this guy in the groin and run away. But I couldn’t think. My mind was blank. I just kept praying that Edward would come running through the door. My eyes were closed and I was silently calling him, thinking he could hear me. “Help,” I gasped hopelessly, to no one in particular.

I could hear Jake laugh. “You’re so stupid. No one is coming for you. No one gives a damn about Bella Swan, and no one ever has,”

That’s when I heard a loud noise. I opened my eyes and saw Edward standing in the doorway, with so much rage in his eyes that even I was scared. Within a second, he had ran up to Jacob and hit him with so much force, that he fell to the ground. I never knew he could throw a punch like that. Edward kicked Jacob in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain. Then, Edward came to my side and held me protectively in his arms. I didn’t know it until then, but we were both shaking violently.

“Are you alright?” He asked, looking me over. “Did he hurt you?”

I nodded. “Yeah, but it’s okay. I’m just glad you saved me,” I cried.

Jacob attempted to stand up, but he couldn’t.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Edward angrily shouted at him. I had to hold him back. “I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch. Do you have any idea what you’ve done? I’m going to make sure you rot for this!”

I had never seen Edward like this. If he wasn’t so focused on keeping me in his arms, he would literally have killed Jacob. I wouldn’t doubt it for a second. He was seething with rage. When Jacob finally did stand up, he attempted to hit Edward back. Edward stopped his fist with his hand and held Jacob against the wall by his throat.

“Don’t move, or I’ll break your neck,” he yelled forcefully. Jacob was gasping for air, choking.

Suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me.

“Edward, let him go,” a police officer said from the door way. He was backed up by at least three others. How did they know his name? “We’ll take care of him,”

“You will pay for this,” Edward fumed. “Never come near her again. If you touch her one more time, you will be dead,”

“Edward, calm down,” the cop said. “We know what we’re doing,”

Edward hesitantly let go and came back to me. He embraced me tighter than he ever had before. I couldn’t let go of him, and he couldn’t let go of me. I cried into his neck.

“Edward, I was so…I thought…”

“I know,” he said shakily. “Me too. It’s okay now. He’s not going to hurt you again. God, Bella, I was so afraid. If he would have…”

“Stop thinking about it,” I sobbed. “Just hold me for a while,”

He held me closer and rubbed his hand up and down my back, as to calm me.

“I won’t let go, Bella. I love you,” he whispered.

“I know,” I breathed. “I love you too,”

After that, I was taken to the hospital. I wanted to refuse, but Edward pointed out that if I went, the injuries could be held against Jacob as evidence, which was exactly what I wanted. The place where Jake had slapped me twice left my face bruised, and I had hit my head so hard that I got a minor concussion. There were also bruises on my arms and shoulders from him holding me so tightly.

Jake was arrested and taken down to the station. It turns out that a few of the cops that were there that night were actually friends with Edward. They had crossed paths a lot when in their jobs. That’s why they had no problem when we told them the whole story. They assured us that once this report was filed on top of the other charges of abuse he was facing, Jacob would be put away for quite a while.

I ended up spending the night in the hospital, with Edward by my side. I cuddled up in his arms, with me back pressed against his chest. He held me close, like if he let go, he would lose me. I felt so safe with him. I knew that he would always be there to rescue me, no matter what the situation was. I thought back to what I said to him the night of Emmett and Rosalie’s wedding. He really would catch me every time I fell. Not only that, but he wouldn’t let go.

That was the night I knew for sure. I suppose I knew what Esme knew, or what Alice knew, or even what my parents knew. I knew that I was going to spend the rest of my life with Edward Cullen…and it didn’t scare me on little bit. In fact, I was actually looking forward to it.

Alright. YOu guys can breathe now. I hope that was good. I was really nervous about getting so dramatic, but it needed to be done. Please tell me if you liked it and/or if it was convincing. I know you've been used to the lighter stuff, but for once I had to get heavy. I hope you're excited to see where this goes next. Review please. Happy Turkey Day!

PS Also I know you guys were waiting for him to call Charlie. It just seems that there wasnt enough time. And by the way, last chapter when Charlie said, "When the time comes, call me," well, let's just say he was referring to something else. A little something that would require "permission". lol. make of that what you will.

Chapter: 19

Wow. What a response to that last chapter! I was so nervous about that one, going from light and fluffy to dramatic and intense. Well, you're reviews were so flattering, and I was blown away by your kind words. You guys really make my day, and I try so hard to get a chapter a day in to make you happy. I update because I look forward to reading your thoughts. Thank you so much!

Edward POV

It took a few weeks for Bella and I to go back to our normal selves. We were very…quiet for a while. The whole incident with Jacob was very traumatic for the both of us. It made me realize that losing Bella was the one thing I couldn’t handle. I would give my life for her, and if anything were to happen, I wouldn’t want to live any more.

For the longest time, there were no words between us. But it wasn’t a bad thing. We just knew that nothing had to be said. We had both shown how much we loved each other, and that incident was the final test that proved that we could get through anything.

It was now Christmastime, and the both of us were excited for of our families to come into town. Esme, Carlisle, and Charlie were now going to be guests in our home. Renee and Phil were unable to make it because they decided to travel. But Emmett, Rose, Alice, and Jasper would all be coming over for the holiday, so we would have a full house.

On Christmas Eve, Bella went to the airport to pick up Charlie, so I was getting the house clean. Charlie would be staying in Bella’s old room, while my parents would stay at Alice’s place. Esme and Carlisle weren’t due in until later that night…or so I thought.

I was vacuuming in an old t-shirt and pajama pants when I heard a knock at the door. I had no idea who it was, so imagine my surprise when I saw my parents standing there.

“Mom, dad?” I greeted in surprise. “What are you doing here? You weren’t supposed to come in ‘til 6,”

“Well, our flight was cancelled so we took the earlier one instead,” my dad explained. “I hope you don’t mind…”

“No, not at all!” I interrupted happily. “Come on in!”

I shook my dad’s hand and gave my mother a hug.

“Hello, Edward. I’m so happy to be here. Where’s Bella?” she asked eagerly. I laughed at her forwardness.

“Mom, I’m hurt. It seems like you’re more excited to see Bella than you are me,”

“Of course we are,” my dad laughed. “We like her better,”

“Well, your favorite is at the airport now picking up her dad. You should have called and she would only have to make one trip,”

“Oh, we get to meet her father!” Esme exclaimed excitedly. “I can’t wait. Is he a nice guy?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “He’s kind of quiet, but we get along well. I think we’ll all have fun,”

After showing my parents around the apartment and getting changed, the three of us sat in the living room, catching up. While we were talking, I got a call from Bella.

“Hey, love, what’s up?” I answered.

“Hey, I’m just leaving the airport. My dad’s flight was a little late. Is there anything you want me to pick up for dinner tonight?”

“Um, I think I got everything covered. You’re not cooking, right? Otherwise we’d need a fire extinguisher,”

She laughed. “That’s not funny. And no, I’ll let you cook tonight. I learned my lesson from Thanksgiving,”

“Well, I’m glad you feel that way. Besides, I’m sure my mom can give me a hand in the kitchen,”

“They’re at home already?”

“Yeah, they caught an earlier flight. All they’ve done so far is ask about you. It’s like they don’t even care I’m here,”

“Ha, my dad’s the same. First thing he asked was, ‘How’s Edward?’”

“Well, maybe we can change parents for Christmas,”

“Sounds like a plan. So, I’ll be home in about twenty minutes, ‘kay?”

“Alright. Can’t wait. Love you, Bells,”

“I know. I love you too. Bye,”

When I hung up, I saw my parents looking at me, smiling. “What?” I asked.

“Oh, nothing,” my mom grinned. “It’s just that, since Bella’s not here, I think now would be a good time to have a talk. We want to give you something,”

“Mom, Christmas is tomorrow. Can’t you wait?”

She laughed. “Edward, this isn’t a gift. Well, it kind of is, but not that kind of gift,”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused.

“Well, Edward,” my dad said. “You’re mother and I have noticed how invested you are in your relationship with Bella. And after you told us about that incident with her ex, we were talking about how much strength that must have taken for you guys to get over that,”

“Yes,” Esme nodded. “We can see that what you have with Bella is very special. That’s why we want to give you this,”

She placed a small box on the coffee table. I knew what it was without looking inside. Nonetheless, I picked it up and opened it.

“It’s your grandmother’s ring,” Esme explained. “I want you to have it now, so when the time comes, you’ll have it on you,”

I sighed. The ring was perfect. It was so Bella. Simple, classic, beautiful.

“You know, if I give her this she’s going to run in the other direction,” I smirked.

“Don’t be so sure,” Carlisle pointed out. “And you don’t have to give it to her today. Take some time to think about it. We just wanted to bring it to you now, just in case you felt the need for it before the next time we see you,”

I nodded, taking it all in. I realized I had a lot to think about.

“Well, thank you guys for this. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. This will be more special than some generic thing from a jewelry store,”

“So…” Esme started excitedly. “You’re going to ask her?”

“Not right now, mom. I don’t know when exactly. But eventually, I’ll put this to good use,”

“That’s all we’re asking, son,” Carlisle assured.

I laughed for a second. “Alice is going to kill you when she finds out that you gave this to me. I’m sure she wanted it,”

“Well, that would be awkward giving it to someone else to give her. Besides, you’re the oldest. You’re entitled to it,” Esme said. “Anyway, Alice is getting a baby. That should be enough,”

“Wait ‘til you see her,” I chuckled. “She’s getting huge. And this pregnancy thing is not making her any easier to be around,”

When Bella and Charlie finally arrived, Esme and Carlisle excitedly ran up to greet her. Meanwhile, Charlie came over to say hello to me.

“Edward, how’ve you been?” he asked, shaking my hand.

“I’ve been great, sir. It seems like things are finally getting back to normal. What about you?”

“Same old, same old,” he shrugged. He looked at Bella and saw that she was fully engaged in a conversation with my parents. “So, how has she been? She wouldn’t talk much about the Jake thing on the ride over,”

“Well, she’s doing much better now. It was pretty traumatic for the both of us that first week. But, she’s handled it surprisingly well. The first night, she had a pretty bad nightmare, but that was the end of it. After that, we kind of recovered together,”

He nodded and patted my shoulder. “I can’t thank you enough, son,” he said. “If it wasn’t for you…” he trailed off.

“We try not to think of it that way,” I pointed out. “It’s best if we put that behind us and don’t look back,”

Bella came over with my parents.

“Dad, I want you to meet Esme and Carlisle Cullen, Edward’s parents,”

He smiled and shook their hands. “Charlie Swan,” he introduced. “It’s nice to meet you. You two should be proud of your boy here. He practically saved Bella’s life,”

I walked over to Bella and put my arm around her. I didn’t want her to think of it that way.

“Well, we are very fond of your daughter,” Carlisle replied. “My wife and I already see her as one of the family. In fact, we don’t think our son is good enough for her,”

Charlie laughed. “I was just thinking the opposite. I don’t think my daughter is good enough for your son,”

I looked at Bella, who was smiling. It looked like everyone was getting along. Even Charlie was coming out of his shell. While our families were talking, I gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, subtle enough that no one noticed.

“I love you. You know that, right?” I asked quietly.

“Of course I do. I love you too,” she replied.

I smiled. I knew I was in too deep. I would have to marry her. I had no choice. There was no one else I would rather have in my life. It’s just that I didn’t know if she was ready. I would have to wait for the perfect moment. Until then, that ring would be kept on hand.

Bella POV

The next morning, everyone came over and we started celebrating Christmas. We had set up the tree next to the piano, and Edward and I had decorated it together. It was cool doing all these new things together. It was as if we had been together for years.

I was so pleased that both of our families were getting along so well. By the end of Christmas Eve, all of us were laughing and talking like old friends. I loved that the Cullens had accepted me into their family, and Charlie had already started calling Edward, “son”.

Now we were all sitting in the living room, opening gifts. I was pretty proud of some of the gifts I found. I got Esme a beautiful vintage table cloth to replace the cheap one I ruined. She went giddy when she saw it. Apparently it was exactly her taste.

Edward and I decided to buy Alice and Jasper a classic white baby bassinette, which Alice cried over. Even though Alice cried at everything, it was still nice to see that she appreciated the gift.

Edward really went overboard on my dad’s gift. He got him season tickets to his favorite college football team. I was blown away by this, that he had spent so much money on something for Charlie. I knew I couldn’t beat that, so I put my name on the card as well. My dad almost passed out when he opened the envelope. And my dad outdid himself too. He bought me a beautiful porcelain vase, and Edward an expensive new briefcase.

Even though all of those presents were a success, I was nervous about my gift for Edward. I mean, what do you get the man who has everything? And we had been through so much that I couldn’t get him something superficial, like a tie. I was hesitant when I handed him the present.

“Okay, this really isn’t much. I didn’t really know what to get you,” I warned.

“Bella, as long as it’s from you, I’ll love it,” he assured. He slowly undid the wrapping and when the gift was revealed he stared at it for a long time.

It was a picture of the two of us, from Emmett and Rosalie’s wedding. It was taken while we were dancing, not long after we had admitted the feelings we had for each other. Edward was holding me close, and we were both laughing at something. I couldn’t remember what it was that made us laugh; I just know that we were both so happy that night that it could have been anything.

“Bella,” he said in shock. “Where did you get this?”

“Well, Rose helped me out. Apparently the photographer took a lot of pictures of the reception, so she gave me his number and I went down to look through them. I liked this one the best. And I also noticed that we don’t really have that many pictures of us together and…”

I was interrupted by Edward. He had taken my face in his hands and planted a huge kiss on my lips. When he pulled away, he smiled.

“Bella, you have no idea how much I love this. I’ve been waiting for a picture like this of the two of us. It’s beautiful,”

I was a little flushed and embarrassed. It was a little strange to have a moment like that in front of our family and friends, but none of them seemed to mind.

“Well,” I stuttered. “I’m glad you like it so much. I know that night was special,”

“The best night of my life,” he smirked. We heard Emmett chuckle from the couch. “Not like that, Emmett,” Edward defended.

Then, Edward reached over and pulled an envelope out from under the tree and handed it to me.

“This is for you,” he said anxiously. “It’s hardly as meaningful as the gift you gave me, but I hope you still like it,”

I started to rip open the envelope. “It’s not cash, is it?” I joked.

“No, it’s not that tacky,” he laughed. “Now, this time isn’t settled yet, but it’s good for like three years, so whenever you want…” he trailed off.

When I finally pulled what was out of the envelope, I was speechless. My mouth hung open like some sort of idiot.

“New Zealand?” I gasped, staring at the tickets. “We’re going to New Zealand?”

He smiled at my reaction. “Yeah, I thought after the whole incident, you would want that escape we kept talking about,”

I could hardly speak. “Edward, this is too much. These must have cost you a fortune. I always thought the New Zealand thing was one of those crazy things we say that we’re going to do, but never follow through. I didn’t think you would actually go buy tickets,”

His face fell. “Oh, so you don’t want to go?”

I laughed and gave him a kiss. “Of course I want to go, you idiot. I’m just so shocked. Thank you so much, Edward. I am so blown away,”

“Well, I’m glad you’re excited. Now, the question is, when do you want to go?”

“When can you get time off of work?” I asked curiously. “Now that I’m working from home, I can pretty much go whenever,”

“You can go for your honeymoon,” Rose muttered under her breath. I shot her a look. I could tell Edward was pretending he didn’t hear that. Instead he put his arm around me.

“Well, let’s think about it for a while. We have three years to decide when to go.” He kissed my forehead and looked around.

“Alright, everybody, let’s clean this mess up,” he announced. He then looked at my dad. “Charlie, can I talk to you outside for a minute?”

My dad nodded, and they both went outside to the balcony, taking their beers with them. I was confused. Suddenly, Alice and Rose were by my side, dragging me into the kitchen.

“Come on,” Alice said excitedly. “We need to talk,”

When we got inside the kitchen, they both cornered me.

“Oh my God, Bella,” Rosalie exclaimed. “Are you excited?”

“What? About New Zealand? Of course I’m excited!”

The two of them looked at each other and laughed. “She is so clueless,” Alice giggled.

“What are you talking about?” I asked. “Am I missing something?”

Rosalie stopped her giggle fit and put her hands on my shoulders. “Bella, honey, think about it. Your very traditional serious boyfriend just asked to speak to your father…alone. Now, think about what that means. What could Edwards be asking Charlie?”

I thought for a moment, and then my eyes went wide. “No! You don’t think…”

“Face it Bella, or should I say…Mrs. Cullen,” Alice smiled.

I stared out into space for a while. I didn’t know what to think. I was sure that Edward would wait awhile before he took that step.

“Well, we don’t know that for sure,” I shrugged. “There are tons of other things they could be talking about. I’m not going to get my hopes up when it could be nothing,”

“Get your hopes up?” Rosalie smirked. “Does that mean you’re going to say yes?”

I wasn’t going to answer that. I really wasn’t sure yet myself.

“I don’t know, Rose. Let’s just forget it,” I replied. “Now, help me with these dishes,”

As I was scrubbing the plates, I started thinking about what I would say if he asked me. I made myself stop. Besides, this was me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was getting myself worked up for nothing. But as much as I tried to get mind on to something else, Alice’s words kept ringing through my head.

“Mrs. Cullen.”

Yeah, I was confused

Hmm. Is that what Edward is really asking? I guess we'll find out. Hope this chapter was a nice light breather after the last one. I'll try to keep up this one chapter a day thing, but it is getting harder. I pretty much have to lock myself in my room and write. So, if I miss one day, don't get mad. I love you guys so much. PLease keep reviewing. It really makes me smile! :)

Chapter: 20

Alright, just to warn you, this is kind of a fluff/filler chapter. I know alot of you wanted the Charlie scence, which is in here, and we'll get quite a bit of his dialogue. Thank you so much for your amazing reviews. I love all of them so much. Writing this story is my new obsession. Keep it up.

Edward POV

There I was, standing on the balcony with Charlie, trying to compose myself. I hadn’t really thought this through. I kind of asked him out here on an impulse. One I heard Rose mention the word “honeymoon,” after I had given Bella the New Zealand tickets, then I took that as a sign. But now I didn’t know exactly what to say.

“Charlie…” I started. “I called you out here because I need some advice,”

“Well, I suppose I can guess what it concerns,” he nodded.

I sighed. “Well, there’s only a small handful of things it could be about.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small box. “My parents gave me this when they got here. It’s for me to give to Bella, when the time is right,”

He took it and looked inside. “Nice,” he nodded. “Very Bella,”

“I know,” I smiled. “It was my grandmother’s. When I saw it, I was amazed how much it suited her,”

“Well, I think she’ll love it,” Charlie agreed. “But you said, ‘when the time is right’. When do you think that will be exactly,”

I sighed. “I don’t know. I just wish I could know what Bella is thinking. If it was up to me, I’d be ready today. It’s just that, for a while Bella has been kind of jumpy about marriage,”

“Hm,” Charlie nodded. “I can take credit for that. I think Renee and I’s divorce kind of messed her up. But, I’m starting to think she might be over it. I mean, I’ve never seen her so happy before. I wouldn’t be so scared about talking it over with her,”

“Yeah, but I don’t know what I would do if she said no. I’m really terrified that she won’t be ready. I mean, honestly we haven’t been together that long,”

“Then why the rush?” he asked curiously. “I mean, you guys have time. Last time you spoke, you were going to wait six months. Now, all of a sudden it’s going to be soon. Bella isn’t…pregnant is she?”

“What?” I jumped. “Oh God no! No! She is not pregnant! Don’t worry, I would have told you is she was,”

Charlie laughed. “Good, because I was starting to like you. So, you didn’t answer my question. Why so soon?”

I leaned over the balcony. “Well, Bella and I have been through a lot. Ever since we met, we had this connection, like we’ve known each other for years. I swear I know everything about her. And after the whole Jake thing, I realized that there is nothing we can’t handle. If I were to lose her that day, there is no possible way I could have recovered. That’s when I realized that I have to marry her. I can never ever let her out of my life. I have to be with her forever,”

We stood there silently for a few seconds, before Charlie burst out laughing. Suddenly, so did I.

“Sorry,” I laughed. “That was pathetic,”

“I can’t believe you just said that. That was so corny,”

“I know! That’s the problem! Bella makes me be corny. You should hear some of the crap I end up saying. The problem is, it’s all true! I can’t help myself,”

“Well, I think you just answered your own question,” Charlie pointed out. “If you really love her that much, that you start spewing out cheesy words that you really mean, then maybe you are ready,”

“But is she?” I asked.

Charlie patted me on the shoulder. “Well, you’ll never know if you don’t ask,”

I sighed. I didn’t know how long it would be until I was ready to ask her. I would just have to wait until I could be sure of her answer.

“So, Charlie,” I started nervously. “If I do ask her, and she does say yes, would I have your permission to marry her?”

He chuckled and took a drink of his beer. “Yeah, you have my permission. I guess I owe you for the football tickets. And besides that, you’re a good guy. You have a nice family, a stable career, enough money to support the both of you. I won’t have to worry about Bella’s safety. You proved that you’ll take care of her, and I trust you. But you know that if you do anything to screw that up, I’ll have to kill you,”

“I know, sir,” I laughed. “You have my word that it won’t come to that,”

He shook my hand. “Well then, it will be good to have you in the family. Now, let’s go back inside. I’m not used to this cold, and I’m freezing my ass off out here,”

So, that’s where Bella gets it from…

When we went back inside, I was practically ambushed by Alice, who dragged me into the spare room.

“What was that about?” she asked excitedly. “Were you asking Charlie about marrying Bella?”

I shook my head. “Alice, that is none of your business,”

“The hell it isn’t! I’m your sister. I have the right to know whether or not you will be proposing to my best friend. Now, tell me now or I’ll start crying!”

“Alice, you are seven months pregnant. Can you please focus on that instead of my personal life?”

She laughed. “Edward, are you new here? You should know by now that I will not be backing down,”

I sighed. “Okay, but you have to promise not to start bugging Bella about it. Don’t tell her any of this. Do you promise?”

“Edward, I might be a pain in the ass, but I won’t ruin your proposal,”

“Alright,” I started. “Today mom and dad gave me grandma’s old ring…”

“WHAT!!??” she screeched. “I wanted that!”

“Alice. Focus.” I warned. “Anyway, they told me to hold onto it until I was ready. I just wanted to talk to Charlie and get his advice about whether or not it was the right time. Then, I just asked him that if I did marry her, would he be okay with it. He said yes, and that was it. No big deal. It doesn’t mean I am proposing to her today,”

“Well, when are you?” she asked eagerly.

“I don’t know. Do you think she wants to?”

“Edward, she’s crazy about you!” Alice laughed. “She puts on this whole act that she’s scared and crap, but that’s just to hide how she really feels. She’s afraid that if she comes out there and says what she wants, she’ll be disappointed,”

“Hm, sounds like her,” I nodded.

“Oh, I can’t believe you’re getting married. My brother! And my best friend! Oh, Edward, you have to ask her in the most romantic way. You have to get down on one knee and…”

“Alice, I’ll take care of it!” I interrupted. “I don’t know when or how I’ll do it. It just has to be right…”

She smiled and threw her arms around my neck. I could hear her sniffling. “I love you, Edward. I know I don’t say it enough, but I’m glad you’re my brother. I am so happy that you’re happy,”

I hugged her back. “I know, Alice. I love you too. Ha, look at us. You’re having a baby, and I might be getting married. We’re grownups now,”

“Yeah, and it only took you 27 years to grow up. Good job,” she laughed. Then she jumped. “Oh, the baby’s kicking,”

I placed my hand on her stomach, feeling the movement of the child she was carrying. I then looked up at her. Alice really did care about me. That’s the only reason why she bugged me so much.

“Well, look at that,” I smiled. “Looks like someone is warming up to Uncle Eddie,”

“I thought we’re not supposed to call you that,” she pointed out, still with tears in her eyes.

“Well, you’re not. But the kid can do what it wants,” I joked. I put my arm around my sister.

“Come on, Alice,” I sighed. “Let’s go spend time with our family, before things get serious,”

Bella POV

I didn’t know what the hell was going on. First, Edward has this whole conversation with my dad outside, then he comes back in, talks with Alice, and she comes out of the room in tears. And not sad tears, but happy tears. At first I kept thinking it really was about the whole marriage thing, but now I wasn’t so sure. Firstly, Charlie didn’t come back inside looking upset. Secondly, why would Alice cry over that, especially is she had seen it coming?

Maybe something else was going on. Whatever it was, I didn’t want to know. When Edward returned, he came and sat next to me on the couch, and put his hand on my leg.

“Hey,” he said. “Sorry about all that. Alice was being a little strange,”

“What else is new?” I laughed. “So, how do you like our first Christmas together?”

He smiled. “It may just be the best Christmas of my life. I’m so glad that I got to spend it with you,”

I subtly put my mouth to his ear and placed my hand on his chest. “Well, if you play your cards right, it might just get better,”

I chuckled. “Bella Swan, are you trying to seduce me?”

“Perhaps,” I shrugged. “What time is it?”

He looked at his watch. “Around 2,”

“Well, let’s say that we try to get everyone out of here by 9, and go to bed at 10. Then, you can unwrap your last gift,”

“Sounds like a beautiful plan,” he whispered. He grabbed my hand and walked with me to the piano. “Come here. Let me play for you,”

I sat down next to him, as he started playing “Silent Night” on the piano. He made it look so easy. His fingers danced on the keys, as if he didn’t even have to think about it. He didn’t make a single error as he played the entire song, flawlessly. When the song was over, we heard applause. Everyone was watching him.

“Edward, I haven’t heard you play in years,” Esme gaped. “I saw the piano, but I thought it was for show. You haven’t played since you were sixteen,”

“Well, I only play when I’m happy,” he smiled as he looked at me.

“I have to say that was my favorite version of that song I have ever heard,” I admitted. “You are so talented,”

He kissed my forehead. “Well, let’s just say I’m inspired,”

“Play Bella’s song!” Alice demanded. “I haven’t heard it yet. I’ve only heard about it,”

“Okay, I’ll play it,” he nodded. “That is, if it’s okay with Bella…”

“Yeah, go ahead,” I said excitedly. I loved my song so much. I could hear it every day.

For some reason, this whole situation made me very emotional. Here I was, watching Edward play this song that symbolized his devotion for me. I was surrounded by his family, who I adored as if they were my own. And my father was here, and was making an effort to accept my new life. I had everything: friends, family, career, and the love of my life. It was when Edward finished his song that this all hit me.

“Look,” Alice smiled. “Bella’s crying,”

Everyone’s eyes darted at me, and I blushed. “Sorry,” I laughed, wiping my tears. “It’s just that I’m so happy that all of you are here,”

Edward put his arm around me. “It’s okay,” he whispered, kissing me on the head. “You’ve been cooped up all day. Do you want to get some fresh air?”

I nodded, getting up from the bench. As I was grabbing my coat, I looked at Charlie, sitting on the couch.

“Actually, dad, I wanted to talk to you. Do you want to go for a walk?”

His head shot up. “Um, okay Bells. If that’s what you want…”

We decided to go around the block. I could tell my dad didn’t know exactly what to say, and neither did I.

“It’s cold here,” he smirked. “I’m surprised you put up with it,”

I shrugged. “You get used to it, dad. Besides, it’s worth putting up with,”

He nodded and looked back down at the ground. We both knew what the other was thinking.

“Listen, dad,” I started. “I know you think that I want to grill you about your conversation with Edward, but I’m not going to. Whatever you guys talked about was between the two of you. I don’t want to know,”

“Thanks, Bell,” he smiled. “That would have put me in an awkward position,”

“I know,” I nodded. “But there is something I do want to ask you. What do you think about me being with Edward?”

“You mean, do I like him?”

“Well, that’s part of it. It’s just that, you know me really well, and I have this feeling that he wants to commit. I just want to know how you feel about that, because I don’t know how I feel about that. Does that make sense?”

“Not really,” he smirked. “You kind of lost me with that last part. But I think I know what you’re getting at. Here’s my question: do you love him?”

I nodded, not making eye contact. “Yeah, more than anything,”

“Can you imagine your life without him?”

“No,” I answered simply. “I want to be with him…”

“Forever?” he finished for me. “Well, Bella, I think you know what you want. I think you’re just afraid. You know, I would still be with your mother if I hadn’t let my fear come in front of my feelings. You need to think about what you want. Not what Edward wants, not what I want, and not even what Alice wants,”

I laughed. “You know her well,”

“Yes I do,” he chuckled. “Bella, no one can tell you how to live your life. But you need to put things into perspective. If you keep playing these games with yourself, you’re not going to be able to let anyone into your life. I know you think you’re confused, but I’m sure you know how you really feel. Don’t be afraid to commit, especially if you really want to,”

“But dad, what if I end up…”

“Like your mother and I? Bella, that was different and you know it. You are smarter than we were. And I trust Edward. He’s a good guy, Bells. He’ll look after you. I think he’s proved that,”

I nodded. Who would have thought that my dad of all people would have all the answers? He was right. I needed to stop being afraid. I knew exactly what I wanted. I knew the answer.

That night, after everyone had left or gone to bed, I put my arms around Edward’s neck and kissed him deeply. I let everything else leave my mind. I didn’t want to think about whether or not I was going to marry him, or if he really wanted to marry me. I just wanted us to be us. Life was always better without those little things popping into my head. I would wait until I was presented with the issue, and then I would know what to do.

After we made love that night, Edward once again held me tightly in his arms, kissing the bare skin on my shoulder. I looked into his eyes, those green eyes that I had come to adore after all those months. They still looked at me with the same passion as they did the first night we met.

“Edward,” I whispered, running my hand through his hair. “I want you to know something,”

He looked at me worriedly. “What is it?”

I put my hand on his warm face. “I just want you to know that I love you. I love you more than I can ever express through words or actions. I need you to know that I want to be with you forever. I’m not afraid of living my life with you,”

Suddenly, his mouth formed into an ecstatic grin. “Bella, you have no idea how good that is to know,”

I nodded in understanding and closed my eyes, drifting into a beautiful dream. For some reason, when I was in Edward’s arms, I suddenly wasn’t afraid anymore.

So no proposal...yet. I know a lot of you wanted Bella to get that reality check. I also wanted to give a brother/sister moment between Alice and EDward, because I know it seems like their relationship is a little strained. Plus, I know you guys love Charlie, so I wanted him to give his input. YOu know I always need to explain myself. lol. You guys are amazing. Keep up your reviews because I love hearing how much you love this random little story.

Chapter: 21

Okay, I am going to have a long authors note at the end so I won't say much now. Just enjoy the chapter. Make sure you take your time reading it. Don't rush through it. You'll thank me later.

Bella POV

A couple weeks later, I had decided to put the whole thought of Edward proposing behind me. He still hadn’t done it, and I knew that if I kept thinking about it, it would drive me crazy. Besides, he could have been planning to do it months from now, even in a year. It was best to just forget all about it and start living in the moment.

That Saturday, Edward’s firm was going to have a banquet, celebrating the end of a successful year. Apparently, they were named one of the best in the city, and I couldn’t help but think that Edward had contributed to that.

The event was to be a formal black-tie affair. I was actually excited. I had Alice come over to do my hair and make-up. I figured she would get a kick out of that.

I had bought a long blue dress, since I knew it was Edward’s favorite color on me, and Alice made this sleek bun with my hair. I was looking forward to go to this event, because I wanted to show Edward that I could fit in with the people he worked with and the lifestyle we would both have to become accustomed to.

As Alice was pinning my hair, I noticed that her bump was getting bigger and bigger.

“So, have you come up with any baby names?” I asked curiously. “I know you don’t want to find out the sex, but have you thought about it at all?”

“Well, Jasper and I have thought about it, but I don’t want to say, because you won’t like it,”

“Oh God,” I groaned. “You’re not naming it something like Hibiscus or Viper are you?”

“Hibiscus?” she laughed. “Like the flower? No. I don’t think so. But that could grow on me…”

“Forget I said anything,” I sighed.

“Okay, it’s just that, I was thinking for a girl…I liked the name Marie,”

My eyes went wide. “Marie? As in my middle name?”

She nodded. “Yeah, and Anthony for a boy. That’s Edward’s middle name,”

I was shocked. “Alice, I understand why you would want to put part of your brother’s name in there, but why me?”

“Well,” she sighed. “Jasper and I were talking, and we decided that we want you and Edward to be the baby’s godparents,”

“What?” I gasped. “Alice, you want us?”

“Only if it’s something you want to do,” she smiled. “I already asked Edward and he said yes. It’s just that there is no other person in the world I trust more than you two. I love you like a sister, and I want you to be my child’s godmother,”

I didn’t know what to say. All I could do is attack Alice with a huge hug.

“So I’ll take that as a yes?” she laughed.

“Yes, Alice. I’ll do it,” I smiled. “I love you,”

“I know. I love you too,”

Suddenly, we heard Edward’s voice from the living room. “Are you guys almost done in there? We have to leave soon,”

“Yeah, she’ll be right out,” Alice answered. She looked at me and sighed. “Well, Bella, I think my work here is done. You look stunning,”

“Thank you Alice. I knew you could work miracles,”

I stepped out the door and walked into the living room, where I saw Edward standing there in his tux. He looked so perfect. We stood there, staring at each other for a minute.

“Edward, you look like James Bond,” I laughed.

He still couldn’t speak. He was just looking at me with an ecstatic grin. Without any words, he approached me, took my face in his hands, and kissed me so passionately, that I had to lean against the wall for support.

“You look beautiful,” he breathed, when he broke away. I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in for another kiss.

“Alright guys, keep it in your pants for five minutes please,” Alice whined. “You are going to be late!”

We both laughed and looked at each other. He brushed his hand against my cheek. “Ready to go?” he asked. I simply nodded. I hated when he took my breath away like that.

With that, we said goodbye to Alice and went on our way to the banquet. When we entered to hall, I was amazed at how fancy everything was. It was like a ball from fairy tales. The room was filled with important people, dressed in fancy clothing, talking about important things. There was even dancing at this thing. That’s when I got scared. Edward read my mind.

“Don’t worry, Bells,” he smiled. “I won’t make you dance tonight. I just want us to have a good time,”

I nodded, thanking him silently.

“Come on,” he said, holding out his arm. “I want you to meet my boss,”

We walked to the other side of the room, where a middle aged man was speaking with a few other important looking people. When he saw us coming, he smiled.

“Edward!” he greeted excitedly. “How’s my favorite lawyer at the firm?”

Edward shook his hand. “I’m doing great, sir. It looks like there was a pretty good turnout. How many people are here?”

“Um, about 250 or so,” the man nodded. Then he looked at me. “Is this…?”

“Yes,” Edward grinned, putting his hand at the small of my back. “This is my Bella,”

The man shook my hand and smiled hugely. “Wow, you have no idea how much I’ve heard about you. It’s so nice to finally meet you,”

“Thank you Mr. Brennan,” I said, finally remembering his name. “It’s nice to meet you too. Edward told me that you were the one that called the police. I can’t thank you enough,”

“Well, I had never seen Edward so freaked out. You should be proud of him, you know. He’s the hardest worker we have. He’s accomplished a lot for someone so young,”

I looked up at Edward. “I am very proud of him,”

That wasn’t the last time I heard good things about Edward that night. Everyone I met had told me about what a good lawyer he was and how much of a difference he made at that place.

Not only that, but everyone in the building was staring at us. Most of the women in there were looking at me with pure envy. Either they worked there, or their dates worked there, but all of them saw Edward and wanted him. But he was all mine.

There was one woman, however, that was not looking at me with envy. She was looking at me with guilt. I recognized her immediately. It was Jessica. Edward had told me about how she accidentally gave Jacob our address, and how ever since he had been giving her the cold shoulder. I could imagine how upset she was feeling right now.

I saw her across the room, looking sadly at me, probably hoping that I wouldn’t go over there and slap her. But I wasn’t angry at her at all. I knew Edward was, but that was because he was very protective of me and didn’t like the fact that she put me in harm’s way. I became nervous when I saw her approaching.

When Edward saw her, he rolled his eyes. “Come on, Bella. We don’t have to talk to her,” he said, as he started to lead me away. I stopped him.

“No, Edward. I want to say something,”

When Jessica came up to us, Edward became very tense.

“What is it, Jessica?” he asked harshly.

She looked down. “Well, I wanted to officially apologize to Bella. I am so sorry for putting you in danger. I feel so terrible, especially thinking that something could have happened…”

I put my hand on her shoulder. “Jessica, please, don’t say that,”

“No, it’s true,” she said. “I can never forgive myself for being so stupid. I just want to say to you and Mr. Cullen, that I don’t expect you to forgive me either. It was a terrible thing for me to do,”

“Jessica,” I smiled. “I do forgive you,”

She looked up, shocked, as did Edward. “You do?” they both gaped.

“Yes, I do. It’s not your fault, Jessica. I mean, everyone makes a little mistake now and then, and under any other circumstance, that mistake wouldn’t have made a difference. You had no way of knowing that my ex was after me. Why would that have crossed your mind?”

The both of them were looking at me, taken aback by what I was saying.

“And if you hadn’t given him my address, then someone else would have” I continued. “If anything, I admire the courage you had to admit what you did to Edward, so he could take action. You could have easily kept it to yourself because you were ashamed,”

When I was done, they both stood there, thinking about my words. Then, Jessica shocked me by giving me a hug. I noticed then that she was crying.

“Oh, Bella,” she sniffled. “You are so kind. I thought you would hate me for what I did,”

“I could never hate you for that,” I assured. “You have my full forgiveness,”

“Thank you,” she whispered. Then, she walked off to go recover somewhere else. I was glad I settled that. Maybe I had made her feel a little less worse about herself.

When I turned around, Edward was still staring at me in shock. I thought that since he was already in that state, I might as well kick it up a notch.

“Come on,” I said, taking his hand. “Dance with me,”

He almost choked on the air. “What? I told you that you didn’t have to dance,”

“But I want to,” I insisted. “Besides, you’re my date. By definition you have to dance with me,”

He smirked as I repeated those words that he said to me at Rose and Emmett’s wedding.

I dragged him onto the dance floor, and we began to slowly sway to the music. He was still in a trance about what had happened with Jessica, looking at me like I was the most fascinating woman in the world.

“What?” I asked, when I caught him staring.

“Nothing,” he said in a daze. “It’s just that you never stop amazing me. I mean just now, you did something that I didn’t even have the balls to do. You always come out being the better person,”

“Well, I don’t do it to prove a point, Edward,” I laughed. “It was just the right thing to do,”

He didn’t say anything. It was then when I noticed his face had changed to a blank expression, and his hands were shaking under mine.

“Edward, are you okay?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he laughed. “It’s just that, I realize that this will never end, will it? There will never be a time where you don’t amaze me. There will never be a moment where I stop falling more and more in love with you. It will just keep going on and on for the rest of our lives,”

“Edward, you aren’t making any sense,” I said, confused.

Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and led me outside. He was in such a rush, that I didn’t understand what he was doing. We ended up in a garden outside the building. I wasn’t exactly sure if we were allowed to be there.

“Edward, what the hell are you doing?” I laughed. “You’re going to get us arrested,”

“Shut up for two seconds, Bella,” he said seriously. “I’m sorry, but if you say something, you are going to talk me out of this. And I have to do this now, or I never will,”

I stared at him, lost in what he was saying. He looked like he was in pain.

“Bella, when I met you, I was this broken person. I had told myself over and over again that I would never find that love. I would never find that love that could completely take over me, and change me, and make me want to live. I would never find that person that I would want to give my life for. I never had that. I only had love for myself,”

He could hardly look at me when he spoke.

“And when I met you, I thought that you were this gorgeous, smart, funny woman that was incredible. And to be honest, I was scared. I was afraid that you would start playing all these games that would end up hurting me in the end. But then I fell in love with you, and suddenly I didn’t care if you hurt me or not, because it was all worth it. I would give anything in the world just to have you touch me, or kiss me, or even speak to me. It was like you were this drug that I couldn’t get enough of,”

I nodded in understanding. He was describing my exact feelings for him.

“And so, for those few months, I was in this blissful state that was just so perfect that it scared me even more. Something would have to go wrong that would just end up tearing us apart. Then something did go wrong. Someone tried to hurt you. And even when that was over, we got through it together. It brought us closer than I ever could have imagined,”

Edward walked over and took my hands in his. Tears were falling from my eyes, and I could tell that even he was getting emotional.

“That’s when I realized that I could never live without you, Bella. I could never live in a world that you weren’t in. And today I discovered that nothing could ever change the way I feel about you. If anything, I am going to love you even more each day. The thing is, I need to know that you feel the same way about me. I need to know that you will be there for me and you will love me every day for the rest of our lives. Because, I am going to be that for you. I will never stop loving you with every fiber of being. I can promise you that. Is that how you feel?”

I was crying so hysterically, that I couldn’t breathe. I nodded fiercely. “Yes, Edward. I promise. I promise with all of my heart…” I couldn’t finish.

“Good,” he said, kissing my hands. Suddenly, I saw him sink down to one knee. I gasped, feeling the oxygen leave my body. He pulled out a small box from his pocket and grabbed my hand.

“Isabella Swan,” he started shakily. I could see a tear form in the corner of his eye, but I knew he wouldn’t dare let it fall. “I need you in my life forever. I love you with more passion and more sincerity than I could ever love anyone else in this world. Will you please marry me? Will you please be my wife?”

I kneeled down on the grass so I could be to his level. My whole body was shaking and I was crying like a mental patient. I grabbed his neck and pulled him in, giving him the most passionate kiss I could ever give. When I pulled away, I could only say the one word that my voice would allow.

“Yes,” I choked out.

I had never seen a look on his face like that. He embraced me in his arms so tightly, that I felt he would never let go. I didn’t want him too.

“Bella,” he breathed. “I love you. I love you so much…”

“I know,” I cried. “I love you too,”

We held each other like that for a few minutes. The both of us were too emotional to speak. But when we finally did pull away, he looked down at the box in his hand.

“Do you want the ring?” he asked, smiling.

I nodded, wiping my eyes.

When he opened the box, the diamond inside took my breath away. It was a beautiful antique ring that looked like it was at least fifty years old. It was simple and classic, everything that I could have wanted.

“Edward,” I gasped. “It’s beautiful. This must have cost you a fortune…”

“Not a dime,” he assured. “It was my grandmother’s. My parents dropped it off when they were here at Christmas,”

I didn’t know what to say. It was perfect. He took the ring out of the box and gently slid the ring onto my left hand.

“Fits perfectly,” he smiled. “Must be a sign,”

“I don’t need a sign,” I said, shaking my head. “All I need is you,”

He laughed and kissed me again. “Well, Mrs. Cullen, I have to admit that you just made me the happiest man alive,”

“Well, Edward,” I started. “I have a confession of my own to make,”

“Oh really, what’s that?”

I kissed his cheek and moved my mouth up to his ear. “I love when you call me Mrs. Cullen,”

“Well,” he whispered back. “You better get used to it,”

Okay, so I want to tell you that I was really nervous about this chapter. I know alot of you have been waiting for that. I also want to say that for me it was very emotional writing this. I feel like I've been through the same roller coaster as Bella and Edward have, and having this happen to them was a big deal for me to write. Also, after writing this emotional chapter, and then reading your reviews, hearing about how much you love this story, I actually had to stop myself from crying. I had no idea it would get this response. In fact, I thought this story would kind of suck. So, hopefully you liked how they got engaged. There will be more. I just want to thank you now for the support you all have given to me.

PS Dress/hair/ring on profile

Chapter: 22

Okay, I am so glad you guys loved that last chapter as much as I did. YOu have no idea how hard it was for me to write. I mean, what is truly the best way for Edward to propose. It's almost impossible to imagine. That's why it couldnt be some planned out romantic gesture. It had to be on an impulse. I am so thrilled by all the reviews. I got more on that one than any other chapter i think.

Well, this is a fluff/filler/transitional. Hope you like it.

Edward POV

After I proposed, we decided that we needed to get out of there. We were both too happy to stay at the banquet, and we needed to be with the people we loved. In the car on the way home, I called Alice and Bella called Rosalie. We asked them to meet us at our place so we could tell them the news.

We both hung up our phones at the same time, and looked at each other happily. We both burst out laughing. We were so happy at that moment that we couldn’t keep it all inside. I reached for Bella’s hand as I was driving and kissed it.

“Are you as ecstatic as I am right now?” I asked, grinning like an idiot.

She smiled back at me. “Edward, I have never been so happy in my entire life,”

“God, I can’t believe we’re getting married,” I laughed. “It’s so surreal. I mean, it seems like just yesterday Alice was introducing me to her clumsy friend that had set her apartment on fire,”

“Oh, was that how you thought of me?”

“Well, that, and that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my entire existence,”

“Okay, Mr. Smooth,” she smiled. “When was the exact moment you knew that you were in love with me?”

I thought for a moment. “Well, I guess it would be that day when I found out Alice was pregnant. You took my hand and made me promise to keep my cool. That day, when I looked into your eyes, I knew I could never disappoint you. I knew right then that I was in love,”

She looked at me, amazed. “Wow, I almost forgot about that day. I had no idea I made that much of an impact,”

“Well you did,” I smirked. “What about you? When did you know?”

She looked out the window. “For me it was the first time you played that freakin’ song,”

I laughed at her wording. “Why do you say it like that?”

“Because I am such a huge sucker for that thing!” she laughed. “I mean, the first time I heard it, I was like ‘damn, I love this guy!’ and then every time you played it before I went to sleep, I would start having dreams about you.”

“Dreams?” I said suggestively, raising an eyebrow. “What kind of dreams?”

“Well, they started off innocent enough. But then, as we started getting more comfortable with each other, they started to become more…vivid,”

I smirked. “Well, do you want to be specific about what these dreams entailed? I could try to make them come true,”

“Edward, you have already made all my dreams come true. There’s nothing that happened in my dreams that we haven’t done in real life,”

“Is that right?” I said, nodding. “So we should be pretty proud of ourselves then?”

“I believe so,” she replied, kissing my neck. I had to concentrate on keeping my eyes on the road.

“Bella, do you want me to crash this car? Because if you keep this up, we’re going to end up in a ditch,”

She giggled. “I guess you’re right. But later tonight, we can definitely celebrate our engagement the right way,”

“For sure,” I grinned.

When we pulled up to the apartment, everyone else was already waiting there.

“What is all this about?” Alice pouted. “I was about to go to sleep, when I got a call from Edward telling us to come over,”

“Yeah guys, what the hell is going on?” Emmett whined.

“Come on in, everybody,” Bella said, putting the key through the lock. “Edward, go grab the champagne,”

When we went inside I ran to the kitchen and pulled out a bottle and six glasses. Alice would have to pretend.

“Champagne?” Rosalie echoed. “What are we celebrating?”

We gathered everyone around and I poured our glasses. Raising mine, I made the announcement.

“Well, my dear friends, it seems that I have finally asked Bella to be my wife. And, for some crazy reason…” I looked at her lovingly. “She has accepted,”

Everyone looked at us in shock.

“You said yes?” Alice asked Bella happily.

Bella nodded. “Of course I said yes,”

All of a sudden, Alice and Rosalie attacked her, grabbing her into a huge hug, jumping up and down.

“Bella’s getting married! Bella’s getting married!” Alice kept chanting.

I laughed, and Emmett came up to me, giving me a bro hug. “Congrats, man,” he smiled. “I’m happy for you,”

“Thanks. Best man?”

“Absolutely,” he nodded, grinning hugely. “Wait, that means killer bachelor party, right?”

“No strippers!” I heard Bella yell, as she was being mobbed by Alice and Rosalie.

Jasper congratulated me as well, as did Rose. But when Alice came up, she was crying…again.

“Alice, you knew this was coming,” I pointed out.

“I know,” she smiled, giving me a hug. “I’m just glad I was right,”

“You’re always right, stupid,”

After celebrating with our friends, we called our parents who were equally as thrilled. I didn’t really understand Charlie’s word to Bella though.

He said, “Looks like you knew all along, huh Bells?”

“Yeah, dad,” she replied. “Guess I did,”

When we hung up the phone, I asked her about that comment.

“Well, let’s just say that my dad gave me some advice,” she explained. “He made me realize that I know what I want, and I can’t be afraid of it,”

I put my arms around her. “You’re dad is a wise man, Bella. He loves you a lot. So do my parents. And so does my sister, and Jasper, and Rosalie, and Emmett. Everyone loves you,”

“But the question is: do you love me?” she asked, running her hands through my hair.

“Hmm,” I moaned in to her neck. “Don’t you know by now? I love you most of all,”

“Well, since you are now officially my fiancé, I suppose I can believe you,” she joked. “Wow, that is weird to say,”

I pulled her closer and kissed her gently on the lips. “Bella,” I whispered. “I want you to know that I am so happy to be marrying you,”

“You know what, Edward?” she smiled. “I’m happy too. I can’t wait to be your wife,”

“You say that like you’re surprised,”

“I am,” she admitted. “I didn’t think I was the type to get married and have a family. But now, there’s nothing I want more,”

“Well, I’m glad you changed your mind,” I said sincerely.

“Edward, you changed it for me. There is no way that I could have anything less with you,”

“If that was what you wanted, I would let you,” I assured, starting to feel guilty. “If you don’t want to get married, that’s okay. I’m happy just being with you forever,”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I want to be your wife. I couldn’t have it any other way. Soon, I will be Mrs. Isabella Marie Cullen, and that is all that I want,"

“Well, how soon were you thinking?” I asked curiously. “When will you be ready for a wedding?”

She groaned. “Oh crap, I haven’t thought of that! We have to have a wedding, don’t we?”

I laughed. “Yes, Bella. Marriage and weddings usually go hand in hand,”

She sighed. “I just want to be married and be done with it. Alice is going to want me to plan this huge ordeal with bridesmaids and flowers and cake. Can’t we just go to Vegas and elope? That would be fun!”

“Bella,” I said, touching her cheek. “All I want is to be married to you. I don’t care if we do it today, or in a year, or in ten years. I’ll marry you any place, any time, any way. If you want to to go to Vegas, I’ll book the next flight. Is that what you want?”

She kissed me. “Honestly, Edward, I don’t know right this second. It does sound a hell of a lot easier. Let’s think about it for a while. I feel the same way as you. I just want to be married already,”

“Me too,” I smiled. “But you’re right. We should think about it. Let’s focus tonight on celebrating,”

She took my hand and led me to the bedroom. “Yes,” she said seductively. “Celebration sounds good,”

Bella POV

The next morning, I woke up in a blissful state. It seemed as if everything that occurred the night before was a dream. When I woke up, I had to make sure the ring was still on my finger. I cuddled up to Edward, who was sleeping next to me peacefully. I decided to wake him up, by gently placing kisses on his bare chest. Within seconds, his eyes began to open.

“Bella?” he groaned, waking up. “What do you think you are doing?”

I moved the kisses up to his mouth. “Just giving you a good morning greeting,” I smiled.

He kissed me back and pulled me closer. “Well, someone’s in a good mood for it being so early,”

“Of course I am,” I laughed. “I’m in love with the most amazing man in this world, and he wants to marry me,”

“Oh yeah,” he smirked. “I almost forgot about that. I thought I dreamt it,”

“Me too,” I agreed. I held out my hand, admiring the beautiful ring on my finger. “I can’t stop looking at this. It’s so mesmerizing,”

He took my hand and kissed the ring. “Well, a beautiful ring for a beautiful woman,”

I sighed. “Okay, mister, if you are going to be my husband, we have to set some ground rules. Marriage is a big step for me, and unless you cooperate, this won’t work,”

“Alright,” he nodded. “Shoot,”

“First of all,” I started. “You can’t keep saying these perfect little things all the time. I already know that you’re perfect, so you don’t have to keep persuading me. You have me. I’m yours. Tell me what you really think,”

He laughed and kissed my head. “Bella, I really do think that you are the most beautiful woman in the world. But if you want something rude and less perfect, I’ll tell you this: you have morning breath,”

I whacked him with a pillow and started laughing. “That was better,” I admitted.

“Okay, what are your other conditions?” he asked eagerly. “I’ll do anything,”

“Well,” I thought out loud. “We already discussed this, but it can be assumed that you cannot expect quality home cooked meals every night. I’ll do my best to put good food on the table, but major holidays and special occasions, you have kitchen duty. This is more of a safety issue than a culinary issue,”

“Sounds like a plan,” he nodded. “What about kids?”

“What?”

“Kids? How many do you want to have?” he asked abruptly.

This took me off guard. I was just being silly. I didn’t expect him to get into serious stuff like this.

I shrugged. “I haven’t really thought about it,”

“Well, do you want kids at all?” he asked, looking at me seriously.

“Uh…do you?”

He took my hand. “Bella, I want what you want. But if we’re going to get married we have to talk about it,”

I thought about it for a minute. I guess in that family portrait I had painted, kids did eventually come into the picture. I tried to imagine a little Edward or a little Bella. It would be a family.

“Hm, I guess that would be nice,” I admitted. “I mean, I don’t want one today, but someday soon, I guess I would want that,”

“Good to know,” Edward nodded. “What else?”

Suddenly, I remembered something. “Well, remember when I moved in, and you said that once I got my promotion, I could start paying 50% of the rent? You never have accepted it. But now, since we will be equal partners and everything, I think I have earned the right to pay more,”

He laughed at my reasoning. “I can’t believe you won’t let this go. Besides, I was thinking that maybe we wouldn’t have to live here for that much longer anyways,”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “Is there something wrong here?”

“No, not at all,” he assured. “I was just thinking last night, that since we were going to get married, and have this family, that maybe we should look into buying a house,”

“A house?” I echoed. “Can we afford that?”

He shrugged. “Well, I know I can. I wouldn’t expect you to pay for any of it. Is that something you would be interested in?”

I propped myself up on my elbow. “Edward, where the hell do you get all this money? How much of it do you have exactly?”

He laughed. “Bella, I make a good living. And I have invested well in the past and through savings and stocks, and everything else, I’ve actually racked up enough money that could support us for a very long time. In fact, you wouldn’t have to work if you didn’t want to,”

To be honest, I considered that possibility for half a second. It would be nice to not have to worry about that stuff. But I could never be one of those women that relied on their husbands. That just wasn’t me.

“So, what else don’t I know about you?” I asked skeptically.

He leaned over me and kissed me on the lips. “I think that’s just about everything. Why? What don’t I know about you?”

I shrugged. “Apparently, you know everything too,”

He took my hand and pulled me up out of bed. “Come on, I’ll make you breakfast,”

“Why?”

“Because I love you,” he reasoned.

Then the phone rang. We both sighed, and I picked it up hesitantly.

“Yes?” I answered. Of course, it was Alice.

“Bella, it’s me!” her excited voice said through the phone. “I was thinking of coming over today to talk wedding details. I was thinking that next weekend we can start scouting out places, and then we can look for a dress…have you two picked a date yet? I mean, I would prefer you waited until I had the baby and lost the baby weight so I can fit into my dress, but if…”

“Alice, I’ve been engaged a total of twelve hours!” I interrupted, rolling my eyes. “Now, my lovely fiancé was just about to make me breakfast. Can we please have this conversation later?”

“Okay,” she groaned. “But if you are going to be my sister, you better get used to this. I will be calling back later today. You better be prepared,”

Edward snatched the phone from my hands. “Alice, please leave Bella alone for today. Can you let this be our day? We’ll talk about the wedding later…Okay, I will….Goodbye, Alice,”

He hung up the phone and looked at me apologetically. “Well, she agreed to give us the day, but tomorrow she is coming over with bridal magazines. If you want, I’ll have another talk with her,”

I sighed. “And so it begins,”

He put his arms around me. “There’s always Vegas,”

“I know. But I have a feeling that if we do that, there might be an angry mob on our return,”

As we sat at the kitchen table, eating the delicious breakfast the Edward had cooked for me, I looked around the apartment. I thought about what Edward had said about getting a house. This place was what brought us together. It was home. But I couldn’t help but think of a new home where Edward and I could start a family.

“What are you thinking about?” Edward asked, noticing the look on my face.

I rested my head on his shoulder. “I was just thinking about what you said, about the house,”

“Oh really? Is that something you want to talk about?”

I sighed. “I’m thinking about it. But, maybe we could wait a while, until after we get married. Then, we can talk about how much space we need and how many people will be living there, if you know what I mean. And then, maybe it would be nice to have a home that was our own,”

“Yeah, it would be nice,” he replied, kissing my cheek. “But like I said, I’ll go wherever you go. If you want to stay here, or go back to Phoenix, or move into a house, that’s what we’ll do,”

“I guess anything will do, as long as we’re together,” I agreed. “Because from now on, it’s you and me…forever,”

So, I know that was kind of dull after the last one, but I had to do it. Please keep reviewing. It's so amazing to read what you guys think of this. What you guys write is so flattering. When I write this story, I always end up hating it. But then you guys say things that are so sweet about it and I suddenly want to write more. Thank you so much!

Chapter: 23

I love you guys. I have to admit it. This story has gotten over 700 reviews! That is amazing. YOu are amazing. Anyway, I do want you to know that I really do read every single one. Sometimes I do respond to the really enthusiastic ones. I love how you all are so anxious for updates. I literally ran home from school today so I could finish this chapter up and post it for you. Hope you enjoy it!

Edward POV

About a month later, things were definitely calming down. The engagement was exciting news for about a week, but then it was old news. Apparently people were expecting it anyways.

Bella and I had decided on a specific time for the wedding. We wanted to get married in May. It wasn’t too far away, but it would be enough time to plan things out. We had also decided that we would use those New Zealand tickets for the honeymoon after all.

Our wedding wouldn’t be too big. We weren’t expecting any more than 50 people, which was a pretty good size, considering the fact that neither of us were big on weddings. We just needed to settle on a place.

That Friday, we decided to have Emmett and Rosalie over for dinner. Alice was trying hard not to leave the apartment, since she was due any day, but Bella and I were anxious to talk about something other than wedding plans. But as we found out, that was going to be impossible.

“So Bella, are you going to change your name when you get married?” Rosalie asked curiously.

“Of course,” Bella answered automatically. “I’ve already told Edward countless times that I want to be called Mrs. Cullen,”

Emmett snickered. “Oh yeah, isn’t that like your role-playing game? He calls you Mrs. Cullen, and what do you call him? Eduardo?”

I laughed when Bella kicked him from under the table. The thing was, Emmett wasn’t wrong.

“Jesus, Bella!” He yelped. “That hurt!”

“Well, you deserve it,” Bella giggled. “What Eduardo and Mrs. Cullen do in the bedroom is no one’s business but ours. Rosalie should not have told you that,”

“To be fair,” I interjected. “Mrs. Cullen should not have told that to Rosalie in the first place,”

“Get used to it, man,” Emmett sighed, putting his arm around Rose. “These two tell each other everything. I still don’t get why girls do that,”

“I know,” I agreed. “I mean, if I told you half of the stuff that went on between Bella and I, she would never let me hear the end of it,”

“Exactly!” Emmett exclaimed. “I mean, one time I started telling this innocent little joke about our sex life, and Rose started getting all pissy at me…”

“I’m sitting right here!” Rosalie defended. “Besides, you are failing to mention that you were telling this joke at the dinner table…at my parents’ house!”

“Dude!” I laughed. “That’s not cool. What did they say?”

“They just shrugged it off and pretended like they didn’t hear anything,” Rose explained. “But it was pretty horrifying at the time,”

“Well, Bella knows that I would never do that, especially in front of her parents. Right, Bells?” I said, holding her hand.

“Oh, I know you wouldn’t,” she laughed. “My dad would end up using that gun he’s been threatening you with ever since I brought you home for Thanksgiving,”

“I would live to see that,” Emmett joked. “So Bells, what was that really like? Having a cop for a father? I’m sure that didn’t make your social life any easier,”

“I would say that it wouldn’t,” she nodded. “Like on prom night, my friends and I ditched early to go to the after party. Let’s just say that was the first night I drank really heavily. So, when I stumbled home that night wasted, I was actually given a breathalyzer on the spot. I was grounded until I moved out,”

“He kept a breathalyzer in the house?” I said in surprise.

“Mhm,” she nodded. “And when I went to college, he hooked me up with both a taser and four cans of pepper spray,”

“You had a taser?!” Emmett boomed. “That’s badass! Do you still have it?”

“It might be around here somewhere,” Bella admitted.

Emmett looked at her seriously. “Bella, I will give you a hundred dollars if you let me taze myself. I’ve always wanted to see what that feels like,”

Rosalie punched him in the arm. “You’re an idiot, Em! Bella is not going to let you taze yourself. And more importantly, I am not going to let you taze yourself,”

“Yeah, man,” I laughed, shaking my head. “That would not be a smart move. Those things can cause permanant damage to your brain. Although, I don't know how much worse it could get.”

“Anyways…”Rose hinted, eager to change the subject. “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! What do you guys have planned?”

“Edward won’t tell me,” Bella whined. “He’s planning something secretive apparently, and won’t let me in on it,”

Rose sighed and crossed her arms. “At least you guys will be doing something romantic. I’ll be lucky if we end up going to Burger King,”

“Ha!” Emmett laughed. “Like we’ll be leaving the house at all,”

Suddenly, the phone interrupted our laughter. I stood up and answered it. I recognized Jasper’s number on the caller ID.

“Jasper?” I greeted. “What’s up, man?”

“Alice…she’s…I’m…cab…”

“Spit it out Lassie,” I motioned. “What’s going on?”

“Alice is in labor! We’re in a cab right now on the way to the hospital,”

“Oh my God,” I gasped. “How is she doing?”

“Well,” he started breathlessly. “She’s already threatened to kill me more times than I can count, but other than that she’s just being Alice,”

“How much time do you think she has?”

“I don’t know, but she wants you guys at the hospital. Please come, Edward. I don’t think I can take her on my own!”

“Okay, okay!” I replied anxiously. “We’ll meet you guys down there. Please take good care of her, Jazz,”

“I’ll try!” he screeched nervously. I could hear Alice yelling at him in the background. I felt sorry for him.

The only thing that could be more annoying than Alice, is Alice in labor.

After I hung up, everyone was staring at me, looking for an explanation.

“Well, it’s time,” I announced, shaking my head. “Alice is having the baby,”

“No way!” Bella jumped. “Right now?”

“She’s going into labor,” I explained. “They’re on their way to the hospital,”

Bella sprang up from the table. “Let me get my coat,”

We ran downstairs to the car. Emmett and Rose agreed to meet us at the hospital later. I threw Bella the keys.

“Here, you know how to get to the hospital faster than I do,” I admitted, knowing that she would be wise to all the shortcuts.

She didn’t argue and hopped into the driver’s seat. It didn’t take long to realize that letting her drive was a mistake.

“Damn, Bella, could you drive any slower?” I joked. “You’re actually going the speed limit,”

“Sorry,” she defended. “It’s just the way I was raised. What are you so antsy about anyway? Alice will be fine. These things take hours, even days. We have plenty of time,”

“I know,” I sighed. “But she’s my baby sister. I can’t help but worry. What if something goes wrong?”

“Nothing will go wrong,” she assured. “It’s Alice. Just think about it in the sense that you are about to be an uncle. Isn’t that exciting?”

I nodded, trying to keep positive. Bella could tell that I was anxious. I saw her bite her lip and sigh.

“Oh, what the hell,” she muttered, as she pressed her foot harder on the gas pedal. Suddenly, we were speeding past the other cars.

“Wow,” I said, taken aback by this gesture. “You have no idea what a huge turn on that is,”

She rolled her eyes. “Go back to being worried, Edward,”

Bella POV

When we arrived at the hospital, I held on tight to Edward’s hand. He was trying to hide his nervousness, but I could see right through it. I knew how worried he was about his sister. And to be honest, I was too.

Fortunately, when we got to Alice, she was doing fine. It was Jasper that was having a massive panic attack. When we entered the room, we found him sitting with his head between his legs, hyperventilating.

“What the hell is wrong with him?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, he’s just being a baby,” Alice assured. “During one of my contractions, I was in a lot of pain and he freaked out,”

Edward patted him on the shoulder. “Well, buddy, it’s only going to get worse,”

I looked toward my friend. “Alice, how are you doing? Are you comfortable?”

“Just about as comfortable as I’m going to get at this point,” she sighed. “But I knew you’d be coming and I wanted to keep busy, so I brought these magazines so we could look through wedding dresses,”

She pointed to a large stack on the table. I was going to protest, but I could see the worry in her eyes. She needed a distraction.

“Oh God!” Alice screeched. “Another contraction,”

Jasper almost fell out of his chair. Alice grabbed my hand and gripped it fiercely. I thought she would break it off.

I knew then it would be a long night. Alice’s labor went on well into the next day. We could have left, but we didn’t want Jasper to have all the responsibility. We knew he couldn’t handle it on his own.

We ended up taking shifts. Jasper took her over the night, while Edward and I stayed the night in the waiting room. I fell asleep with my head on his shoulder.

I awoke early the next morning to Edward gently kissing below my ear.

“Bella,” he whispered softly. “Bella, honey, it’s time to wake up,”

I slowly opened my eyes. “Did Alice have the baby?” I yawned.

“No, not yet. It’s probably going to be a few more hours. Do you want to get out of here? Maybe get something to eat?”

I rubbed my eyes, trying to fully awake. “I don’t know. I would hate to leave, just in case they need us,”

He started rubbing my back, realizing that our sleep that night wasn’t the most comfortable. “Well, how about we get up and stretch our legs. We can grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria. You were having some dreams last night. You were talking again,”

“I did?” I said, surprised. “I don’t remember anything. What was I saying?”

He smirked and looked away.

“It was that bad?” I assumed. “God, how embarrassing was it?”

“Nothing too obscene,” he laughed. “But I definitely wished I could be there in that dream. It seemed like you were having a good time,”

I shook my head. “I don’t know what’s with me, Edward. I mean, before I met you, I only had nightmares,”

He grabbed my hand, helping me stand up. We headed toward the cafeteria.

“Believe it or not,” he admitted. “I had a dream too last night,”

“Really? What was it about?”

“Hm,” he muttered. “I’m kind of afraid to tell you. It might freak you out,”

I put my arm around his waist as we walked. “Come on, Edward. You know you can tell me anything. We’re getting married. You should feel comfortable enough to know that,”

“Well…” he started. “I had this dream that the two of us were here…for the same reason Alice is,”

It took me a second to guess what he was saying. “Oh,” I nodded, when I finally got it. “You dreamt that we had a baby?”

He looked down, like he was guilty. “Yeah, I know it was kind of weird. It’s probably just because of the surroundings we’re in. It’s stupid, I know,”

I laughed and kissed him. “Edward, nothing you ever say is stupid. It’s perfectly natural to have those thoughts, considering where we are in life,”

“Do you think about it?” he asked curiously.

I had to admit, that the thought had become more prominent in my mind, ever since we got engaged. I was starting to like the idea of children more and more. I kept picturing this child, that was half of Edward and half of me. I knew that having kids with Edward would make me the happiest person on the planet. However, I wasn’t 100% sure that I was ready for that, especially after seeing all the pain Alice was going through.

After grabbing a cup of coffee, we went back to check on Alice. Apparently, we had interesting timing. Jasper came running out of the room anxiously.

“It’s time!” he shouted, when he saw us. “We’re taking her into the delivery room in a couple minutes. She wants to see the both of you first,”

We nodded and ran into the room. Alice looked terribly exhausted. She sighed in relief when she saw us.

“Guys,” she cried anxiously. “I’m scared. I can’t do this,”

I grabbed her hand tightly. “Alice, it’s okay. You’ll be fine,” I assured her calmly. “Just think about the baby,”

“What if I’m not strong enough?” she sobbed worriedly. “I’m so tired. I don’t know how I’m going to do this,”

Suddenly, Edward was by her side. He placed a kiss on her forehead and touched her cheek.

“Alice, you are going to do great,” he whispered softly. “You are strong. You’re my sister. Remember when you beat up that girl in the first grade?”

She laughed through her tears and nodded.

“You see, you can do anything,” he smiled. “Now, I want you to go into that delivery room and do your best. Everything will be okay. I promise,”

She nodded silently and threw her arms around Edward. “Thank you. You’re a good brother, Edward. I love you,”

“I love you too, sis,” he laughed. “And I can only hope that my niece or nephew is just as much of a pain in the ass as you are,”

I kissed Alice on the cheek and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I love you too, Alice. I know you’re going to be a great mother. You’ll find the strength in you somewhere,”

“If I can be half as strong as you, Bella, I’ll be fine,” she cried, as the nurses started to roll her away.

Not long after that, it was all over. We were right. Alice had more strength than any of us could imagine. Jasper had run out of the delivery room, ecstatically happy.

“She did it!” he smiled happily. “We have a baby!”

We greeted him with a huge hug. “Congratulations!” I said. “How are they?”

“They are both doing fantastic,” he said. “She was amazing. And the baby…the baby is perfect,”

“Well…what is it?” Edward asked. “A boy or a girl?”

Jasper smirked. “She won’t let me tell you until you see the baby for yourselves. Alice is sleeping right now, but I can take you to the nursery.

We followed him eagerly and stopped when we saw a row full of babies sleeping peacefully. He pointed to the one wrapped up in a tiny pink blanket.

“There she is,” Jasper smiled.

We all grinned when we saw the name on the crib.

Marie Antonia Cullen Hale

“Marie,” I said to myself. “I can’t believe she actually did that,”

“Of course she did,” Jasper replied. “She loves you like a sister. Besides, I think the name fits. It’s very Alice,”

“It is,” Edward agreed. “I can’t believe that’s my niece,”

“Would you like to hold her?” Jasper asked. We both nodded, smiling like idiots.

We were taken into the room and the nurse placed the baby first in Edward’s arms. She warmed up to him immediately. He was so good with her. He held her so naturally, as if he had done it a thousand times before.

I was so amazed by Edward. From the way he supported Alice before she went into the delivery room, to the way he was able to bond with his new niece; he had a knack for this.

When the baby was placed into my arms, a sudden shock went through my body. She was so beautiful. I could see Alice’s face in hers. She fit so perfectly in my arms, and I couldn’t help but cry when she grabbed on to my finger with her tiny hand.

“Looks like Marie loves her Aunt Bella already,” Edward smiled. I looked down and saw that the baby had drifted off into sleep. She cuddled against me so naturally. I could hardly breathe.

“Edward,” I said softly. “I think I want this,”

He laughed. “I know she’s cute, Bella, but this is Alice’s baby. I don’t think she’d let you leave the building with her,”

“No, Edward,” I breathed. “I mean, I want this. I want a family. I want children,”

He smiled and looked at me with surprise. “You do? Really?”

Jasper looked at us, awkwardly. He didn’t know quite what to do. I gently gave his daughter back to him and took Edward outside.

“Bella,” he said in shock. “I had no idea you felt this way,”

“I didn’t either,” I replied, as tears felt down my face. “But I saw the way you’ve acted today, and I got this feeling when I held that baby,”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “I got that too,”

I placed my arms around his neck and pressed my body close to his. “Edward,” I whispered. “I want to have a baby. I want to have a baby with you,”

He gently ran his hands up my back and kissed me on the lips. “I do too, Bella. I want to have a baby with you too,”

I smiled happily and returned his kiss, but more passionately. After a few seconds, he gently broke away.

“Bella,” he said, a little flushed. “If we are going to do this, we are going to do it the right way. Can we wait to start trying until after we get married? I wouldn’t want it any other way,”

I nodded in agreement. “If that’s what you want, we can wait. I just love you so much. I can’t wait to have a family with you,”

He kissed me again. “I love you too, Bella. And you are my family now,”

We stood there for a few minutes, just being with each other. Everything was so clear. For once, I knew exactly what I wanted in life. After a while, Edward kissed my hand and smiled.

"Hey, Bella," he said mischeviously. "Do you know what day it is?"

I thought for a moment. "Marie's birthday?"

He laughed. "Well, yes it is. But it's also February 14th. Happy Valentines Day,"

I kissed him again and placed my hand gently on his face. "You know what, Edward? I wouldn't want to spend it any other way,"

And I was telling the truth. There we were in a stuffy hospital, with nothing to do but be with each other. But I was with Edward. That's all that mattered. That's all that would ever matter.

So, there you go. Alice had the baby! I also had to give Emmett and Rosalie some time, because they are always fun to write. Hope that didnt go to fast for you. I know it was a lot to fit into one chapter. REview!

Chapter: 24

Alright, I'm gonna shake things up a little bit. Won't be too bad I promise. Thank you so much for your positive thoughts on the last chapter! I love you guys so much. This chap is a little different. I'm going to give EDward 2 POVs

Edward POV

A few weeks later, Bella and I were about to experience another first. This was going to be my first trip away from her. I had a conference to go to in Los Angeles, and I would be gone for about a week.

This was going to be difficult. I had hardly spent a night away from Bella since she had moved in. I didn’t know how I’d be able to deal without seeing that beautiful face every morning.

What was worse, was that I had to go on this trip with Victoria, another lawyer at the firm, who was great at her job, but also a huge pain. She was ruthless in the courtroom, and she thought that she could easily get anything she wanted in real life. And for some reason that was sickening, she wanted me.

It wasn’t that Victoria wasn’t pretty. In fact, she was very attractive. She had full red hair and a nice body, but I could never take a second look at her. I had Bella. It’s just that I was nervous that Victoria would try something on this trip, and that was something I couldn’t handle.

Bella was nice enough to accompany me to the airport. I knew this would be hard for her. We were so used to spending every possible moment with each other and being a part would be almost unbearable.

“So, I think I’m going to send out the invitations this week,” Bella said, hopelessly making conversation after we checked in. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” she joked.

I put my arm around her and kissed her head. “Hmm, spending the rest of my life with the most amazing woman in the world? Yeah, I’m pretty sure,”

“Ugh, I can’t believe we still have to wait over two months! I don’t know how I’m going to take it,”

“Oh, I’m sure it will fly by. What else do you have planned?”

“Um, I think I’m going to spend some time with Alice and Marie. She’s been bored out of her mind while Jasper’s been at work, and I thought I could help her out with the baby. And then tomorrow I have an appointment with my doctor, so we can talk about what things we can do after we get married, so we can have a baby,”

I chuckled. “You’re excited about this whole family thing, aren’t you?”

She stood on her tip toes to kiss me and smiled. “You have no idea,”

Suddenly, our moment was ruined by a woman coughing suggestively. I tried not to roll my eyes when I saw that it was Victoria.

“Hello, Edward,” she greeted with a smile. “Are you excited for the conference?”

“Thrilled,” I replied sarcastically. I looked next to me. “Victoria, have you met my fiancée, Bella?”

She produced a fake smile, and held out her hand. “Of course. I think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting at the banquet. Congratulations on the engagement. I’m sure you are just so thrilled,”

“I am,” Bella smiled, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to see you again,”

I hadn’t told Bella about the problems I had with Victoria. I didn’t want her to worry about that on top of everything else.

“Well, I think we better get going soon, Edward,” Victoria hinted. “Security is going to be a bitch,”

I nodded and looked at Bella. I noticed she was getting emotional already.

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked, putting my arms around her. “I don’t want you to be upset,”

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about me, Edward. I’m just going to miss you. We’ve never been apart for this long,”

“I know,” I said, holding her close. “But I’ll call you at least once a day. And if anything goes wrong, I want you to call me right away. I’m nervous about you being alone,”

“It’s okay,” she assured. “Now, have fun on your trip. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want me to do,”

“Alright,” I laughed. I leaned down and gave her a hugely passionate kiss, right there in front of the entire airport…and Victoria. It felt good to claim Bella as mine in a public place. “I love you,” I breathed, as we broke apart.

“I love you too,” she smiled, trying to hide her tears. I gave her one last peck on the cheek.

“I’ll call you when I get there,” I assured, as I started to walk away.

As we got through security, I tried to separate myself from Victoria. However, she was dead set on following my every move. I couldn’t get away from her.

“So, your fiancée is cute, Edward,” she shrugged. “I’m a little surprised you’re settling for her though,”

“I’m not settling,” I snapped. “I love Bella,”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “But admit it; she’s not that special. I mean, yeah she’s pretty, but she looks kind of innocent. Nothing I haven’t seen before,”

I sighed. “Is this how it’s going to be the whole trip?”

Victoria tugged on my arm as we walked, pulling me to a stop. She looked at me seriously. “Edward, I’m not trying to be a bitch. I’m just trying to get you to open your eyes. You don’t want to get married. Now when you can have everything you ever wanted right here,”

She tried to pull me closer to her, but I pulled away. “Victoria, I already do have everything I want…with Bella. Marrying her is the best decision I could ever make. Now will you please drop it?”

Victoria rolled her eyes and sighed. “Whatever, Edward. But this is so not over. I’ll get you to see what you really want,”

I knew this was going to be a long trip.

Bella POV

After I took Edward to the airport, I went over to Alice’s place to keep her company. I was sure that baby was driving her crazy, and I knew she must have had her hands full. When I came to the door, she was ecstatic to see me.

“Bella!” she laughed, giving me a hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. I’m losing my mind!”

“I thought you would be. That’s why I came fully prepared. I need your help addressing invitations, and I brought magazines so you can choose your bridesmaids dress. Rose already picked hers,”

I saw Alice’s eyes dance with excitement. She had been looking forward to helping me with wedding details. While she addressed envelopes, I played with the baby. Well, really I couldn’t play with her, since all she really did was lie there. But I talked to her and stuff like that.

“Wow, Bella,” Alice marveled. “I never thought you were such a baby person. You’re so great with Marie,”

“I have to say, she is the most beautiful baby on the planet, Alice,” I sighed. “I almost stole her from the hospital while you were sleeping,”

She laughed. “Well, I’m sure when you and Edward have a baby, he or she will be breathtaking. You guys have some great genes,”

I smiled at the thought. “I hope so. But I really would want it to look like Edward. I could just imagine a little mini version of him,”

Alice gaped at me. She stared at me wide-eyed.

“What?” I asked to her reaction.

“Bella, if I would have mentioned kids to you a month ago, you would have flipped. You would have gotten all defensive, saying that it was too soon to talk about that,”

I shrugged. “Well, let’s just say that my views on children have changed a bit,”

“Really?” she replied excitedly. “Since when?”

“Since Marie was born,” I admitted. “In fact…Edward and I are going to start trying after the wedding. We want to have a baby. We want that whole family thing right away,”

Alice threw her arms around me in a tight hug. “Bella, that’s wonderful! That would be amazing. That means that there would probably only be like over a year’s age difference between Marie and her cousin. They could grow up together and everything,”

I thought about it for a second. “I would love that,”

Suddenly, I began to miss Edward already. It was a sad feeling to know that I would be returning to an empty apartment. Alice noticed right away what I was feeling.

“Hey Bells, if you want, you can stay here until Edward gets back. I know you don’t want to go home without him being there,”

“That’s okay, Alice,” I smiled. “I’ll be fine. I couldn’t impose on you right now,”

“Well, at least stay for dinner,” she insisted. “Marie will be sad if you leave,”

I looked into the face of that beautiful little girl and I gave in. “Okay, for Marie, I’ll stay for dinner,”

“Thank you,” she grinned. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. And poor Edward! He has to deal with that slut Victoria the whole time,”

I thought back to the nice woman I met at the airport. “She didn’t seem that bad. She was very friendly,”

“Ha,” Alice laughed. “I’m guessing Edward hasn’t told you about all the crap she’s pulled,”

“No,”

“Well, I hate to tell you this,” Alice started. “But Victoria is a total whore. She’s been hitting on Edward since the first day he started. She’s been on his case for months,”

“What?” I said, shocked. “He never told me that,”

“Don’t worry, Bella. He would never do anything. He despises her. In fact, he tried really hard to avoid going on this trip. But there was nothing he could do,”

I sighed. “Alice, why didn’t he tell me this in the first place?”

“Because he’s not stupid like me. He knew it would upset you and worry you. But there’s nothing to be nervous about. You know that Edward would rather die than cheat on you,”

“Yeah, I know,” I admitted. “And I should be used to this by now. Women hit on Edward all the time, even when I’m right there, and he never gives them a second glance. It just sucks because I know what they are all thinking: ‘what is someone like him, doing with someone like her?’”

Alice burst out laughing. “Bella, you are ridonkulous! Have you looked at yourself? You’re gorgeous. Do you know that whenever we go out, everyone is staring at you? Every guy I talk to keeps asking me if you’re available. Edward has the same problems you do,”

“Yeah, but you’ve always said that. I am nothing compared to him. And I know he wouldn’t do anything. I trust him. It’s that skank I don’t trust. I don’t want anyone but me thinking about Edward sexually,”

“Well, you can’t control that,” Alice pointed out. “But you should call him tonight. Remind him that he has a sexy woman at home waiting for him. That way, he’ll be nothing but eager to return,”

I laughed. “I guess I could do that. It’s just going to be so hard this week. I don’t know what I am going to do without him.”

Edward POV

That night, I settled into my hotel room, tired from the first day of the conference. I was happy to finally get away from Victoria and her shameless flirting.

I tried to turn in early, hoping to get a good night’s sleep, but something wasn’t right. It was like trying to sleep with the lights on. Without Bella in my arms, sleep was impossible. I felt empty, like something was missing. I had no idea that a woman could have that kind of hold on me.

Suddenly, I heard my phone ring. I picked it up within an instant, knowing who would be on the other end.

“Bella, please tell me that’s you,” I answered eagerly. I heard her beautiful laugh on the other end.

“Yes, baby, it’s me. You’re not busy are you? Were you sleeping?”

I turned on my side and propped myself up with my elbow.

“No, I couldn’t sleep,”

“Me neither. I don’t think I can without you here,”

“That’s what I was just thinking,” I admitted. “So, what did you do today?”

“Oh, I went over to Alice’s and had dinner over there. God, Edward I miss you so much already. I can’t stand us being apart,”

“I know. It’s unbearable. And what’s worse is that it hasn’t even been a whole day,”

“Yeah,” she replied. I could tell there was something on her mind, just by her tone.

“Bella, are you alright?” I asked, concerned. “You sound worried about something,”

“I’m fine,” she said unconvincingly. “It’s just… you think I’m sexy, right?”

I almost laughed out loud. “Bella, how can you even ask that? Do I have to go into detail about how gorgeous you are and what you do for me?Do I have to tell you everything I wish I could do with you right now?”

“Well, I wouldn’t be completely opposed to that,” she giggled. “I just wanted to be sure,”

“What brought this on all of a sudden?” I asked curiously. “Don’t I tell you how sexy you are every day?”

It was quiet for a second. I thought she had hung up.

“Bella? Are you still there?”

I heard her sigh. “Edward, Alice told me about Victoria.”

“She did?” I said worriedly. “Bella, I promise you that you have nothing to worry about. I can’t stand that woman. You know you’re the only one I could ever be with. I don’t…”

“Edward, it’s okay,” she interrupted. “You know I trust you. I know I don’t have to worry about you. But if that bitch thinks she can get away with trying to seduce my man, she has another thing coming. I can get very possessive, you know,”

“That’s hot, Bella,” I laughed. “And you better watch out too. I have a bad feeling that just because I’m gone, men will be jumping at you from all different directions. You make sure you keep that ring on,”

“Edward, you know I’m keeping this ring on forever. They’ll have to saw my finger off to get this,”

Suddenly I heard a knock at my door. “Hey Bells, someone’s at the door. I’m expecting some important papers to be delivered. Can I call you tomorrow?”

“Definitely,” she replied. I could feel her smile from the other end of the phone.

“Well, I love you, Bella,” I said sincerely. “I won’t be able to sleep without you,”

“I love you too, Edward. And I’ll be up too,”

We said goodbye and I hung up the phone. I made my way to the door quickly. As soon as those papers were finished, I could go home. I would love to surprise Bella and get back early.

Unfortunately, when I opened the door, I did not see the messenger. Instead, I saw Victoria, waiting in the doorway wearing high heels and black lacy lingerie.

“Hello, Edward,” she said seductively. “I told you this wasn’t over…”

Alright, dont kill me for that! haha. So tonight I have to study for a big AP US History test, so I might not have time to write. That means I probably cant update until late Thurday or Friday. PLease forgive me! I'll do my best to update ASAP, especially with this cliffhanger. Thank you guys so much for the reviews. I love reading all of them. Please keep them up, and I'll write more. lol.

Chapter: 25

Okay, I did not expect to finish this chapter so quickly, but since I did and you guys are so anxious, I thought I'd update. Your reviews are amazing btw. I love how I'm getting new readers everyday, and then I have those ones who have been there from the beginning. I love you guys.

Anyway, here's the chapter...

Edward POV

When I saw Victoria standing there half-naked on my doorstep, I started to close the door in her face. I couldn’t believe she was pulling a stunt like this. I was furious.

Unfortunately, she pushed through before I could close the door, and entered the hotel room quickly.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I asked angrily. “What if somebody saw you out there?”

“No one was going to see me,” she smirked. “I just wanted to come over and relieve you from your boredom,”

“Get out, Victoria,” I ordered. “When will you get in your head that I don’t want you?”

She moved closer to me slowly. “Come on, Edward. I’m giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity. We can do whatever we want tonight, and your little fiancée back home never has to find out about it. I promise I won’t tell,”

I shook my head angrily. “Victoria, if you are not out of this room in five seconds, I am going to report you for sexual harassment,”

She laughed wickedly. “Ooh, I’m scared,” she mocked. “Please Edward, like they are going to believe you? I could very easily turn this around and make it look like you were the one coming on to me. That wouldn’t look good on your record, would it? And it certainly wouldn’t look good to Bella…”

Victoria had a point. I had seen her in the courtroom before. She was very convincing. She could easily persuade a judge to take her side, and her case would look more believable than mine. Besides, I wouldn’t want to put Bella through that.

I sighed. “Please, Victoria. I am asking you nicely. Please leave me alone,”

“I don’t know what your problem is,” she said, leaning towards me. “I am perfectly willing to do whatever you want. I’m sure I know things that your Bella couldn’t even think of. Just give me a chance to show you what you’re missing,”

She tried to kiss me, but I dodged out of the way. I was so angry, I thought I was going to throw a chair out the window.

“No!” I shouted at her. “I don’t want you. I am not missing anything. You are pathetic, you know that? Ever since day one, you have been just ruthless, trying to get everything your way. And now, just because you can’t get what you want, you are willing to throw yourself at me. What kind of a person does that? Don’t you have any dignity?”

Victoria stared at me, stunned by my reaction. “Edward, I just want…”

“Shut up,” I interrupted angrily. “I don’t want to hear it anymore. I get it. You want to have sex with me. I’m sorry by that is not going to happen. I have a beautiful, sexy, amazing woman that I am going to marry waiting for me at home. Do you really think I would throw all of that away on a slut like you? I have never met someone so stupid, so delusional, in all of my life!”

Now I was shocking myself. I had never thought of speaking to a woman like that in my life. That’s not how I was brought up. I was surprised she didn’t slap me. It was just that I couldn’t handle when someone tried to come between me and Bella. I almost felt the same amount of rage as I did the day Jake was in our apartment.

I looked at Victoria, who was trying to control her breathing. I expected her to be angry too. I expected her to want to knee me in the groin and kick my face in. I wouldn’t have completely blamed her either. The words I said to her were vicious.

Instead, she had a look of sadness on her face. It was as if someone had told her that someone she loved had died, or that she was suffering from some terminal illness. Suddenly, she burst into tears and fell onto the couch.

“Edward, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed. “You’re right, I am a whore. I’m so stupid!”

I sat down hesitantly next to her.

“Is this some kind of act?” I asked carefully. I wasn’t blind. Alice was my sister. I had seen her cry her way through hundreds of tough situations. But I never saw anything like this. Victoria was devastated.

“I don’t blame you for thinking that,” she cried. “What have I done to earn any respect? I have thrown myself at you shamelessly. I was trying to have an affair with a soon-to-be married man! What has happened to me?”

I sighed. “Victoria, why are you like this? Why couldn’t you have just let this go from the first moment I said no?”

She sat up and tried to control her tears. “I don’t know. I guess it’s because no one ever says no to me. You have to understand that, Edward. Before you, I could have any man I set my eyes on. But for some reason, you weren’t interested,”

“Well, that doesn’t mean you had to force yourself on me. Sometimes you have to take no for an answer,”

She wiped her eyes, nodding her head. I could hardly look at her while she was dressed like that. I got up and went into the closet, pulling out a complimentary bath robe.

“Here,” I said, holding it out to her. “You’ll get cold,”

She looked at me thankfully and accepted it. “I feel so stupid,” she scoffed. “I don’t understand what I was thinking,”

“Well, to be honest, I don’t either,” I admitted. “I mean, is this how you usually get men?”

“Not exactly. I usually don’t have to. Usually my problem isn’t getting the men, it’s keeping them,”

“Ah,” I nodded, finally understanding. “Let me guess. You could have any man you want, but he will always come second you your career. Then, since you don’t care about them enough, they leave you?”

She looked at me wide-eyed. “How did you know that?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Victoria, I was you once. I never had trouble getting women to fall for me. But I couldn’t give them enough attention. They didn’t like that they weren’t my first priority,”

“Wow. That’s what happened with my last boyfriend. He ended up cheating on me with someone else, and when I confronted him, he simply told me that he couldn’t come second anymore,”

I nodded. “That’s exactly what happened with my ex. She didn’t have the right to cheat on me, but I could see why she would. I only looked out for myself, and no one else,”

Victoria looked down, trying to make sense of what I was saying.

“So, what made you change? You’re obviously not like that anymore. What happened?”

I smiled to myself. “Bella happened. She came into my life, and she changed it forever. She’s number one now. She’s the most important thing in my life,”

“Okay, but how did she do that?” Victoria asked curiously. “How did she make you drop everything and focus only on her?”

“Well, it wasn’t like she forced me too. I just fell in love with her, and suddenly nothing else mattered. All I want is for her to be with me. Everything else is an afterthought. I simply can’t live without her. Even right now, I can hardly breathe without her with me,”

“See, I’ve never felt that way about anyone,” Victoria admitted. “I’ve never felt that magnetic pull to someone, like I had to be with them or I would just die. I’ve always wanted that. Is that what you have?”

I thought for a moment. That’s exactly what I had. There was actually no better way to describe it. I nodded silently. Victoria picked up my hands in hers.

“Edward, go to Bella. Go home and be with her,” she whispered seriously.

“What?”

“If that’s how you feel, you should be with her right now,” she insisted.

“Victoria,” I laughed. “I can’t just leave. I’m supposed to be here for work. I don’t want to get fired,”

She sighed. “Edward, I know you couldn’t hate me anymore, so I have to tell you this. I could have come here by myself. I just told Brennan that I couldn’t handle this by myself and that I needed you to come with me to lighten the work load,”

“Why did you do that?” I asked, not surprised be her dishonesty.

“Because I wanted some time with you alone, so I could try and get you into bed,” she admitted. “So, you don’t need to be here. I can handle this by myself. Go home to Bella,”

I couldn’t process what I was hearing. I should have been furious with her for dragging me to California and lying to the firm about why. But instead, I was more focused on getting home.

“How do I know you’re not just trying to get me fired?” I asked suspiciously. “If I leave, am I going to get my ass kicked when I go back to work?”

She chucked. “Well, I could see why you wouldn’t trust me. Get Brennan on the phone and we’ll talk to him together. I’ll see if I can get you back home,”

It turned out, she was telling the truth for once. She told my boss that it was wrong for her to ask him to send me down here, and that she could handle everything by herself. He gave me permission to go back to Seattle. I packed up everything quickly, hoping to make the next flight out. Victoria helped me.

“Thank you,” I said, as I was about to leave. “This was nice of you. And I’m sorry I said those things. One day, maybe after you are properly medicated, you can find that love of your own,”

She laughed. “Thanks Edward. And I’m the one who should be sorry. You don’t know how lucky you are to have that person. I can’t believe I tried to mess that up,”

“Victoria,” I sighed. “You are a little psycho, but deep down, you’re a good person,”

“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “Now go home to your fiancée. And don’t let that go,”

I nodded and ran downstairs to my cab. I had to run through the gate to catch my flight, but eventually I got there.

While I was on the plane I started thinking. Victoria was right. I was extremely lucky. Besides being out of my mind insane, I used to be a male version of Victoria. I could never find exactly what I needed.

But now that I had Bella, that had all changed. She was my life now. Nothing else could come close to being that important. I had found that person that I couldn’t live without. How many people could actually find that in their lifetime? Maybe a lot of people think they have it, but do they really? Would they be able to give up everything just to be near the one they love?

That’s what I had. And I knew exactly what I had to do.

When my plane landed, I found myself in a rush. I had that magnetic pull that Victoria was talking about. I couldn’t get home fast enough. I ran out of the airport and hailed the nearest cab. Throwing money at him, I told the driver to get to the apartment right away. For some reason, I told him it was an emergency.

Suddenly, we were flying down the freeway. Thousands of thoughts kept running through my mind. Everything was going so fast, but not fast enough. My heart was beating a million times a minute and I couldn’t control my breathing. It was a strange feeling that couldn’t be explained.

When I got to the apartment, I searched my pockets for the keys. It took me a while to realize that I had accidentally packed them in my bag. So, I reached on top of the doorway for the spare key. Then I remembered that we had removed that key after the Jake incident.

I looked at my watch. It was now 3 in the morning. I wondered if Bella would be awake, like she said she would be. I had no choice but to knock on the door violently.

“Bella!” I called through the door. “Bella, it’s Edward!”

My voice must have been shaking. There’s no way I could have sounded normal. I kept knocking. It didn’t take long before I could hear the locks being undone quickly.

When Bella opened, the door, an ecstatic smile came upon her face as she leaped into my arms.

“Edward!” she gasped. “What the hell are you doing here? You haven’t been gone a whole day!”

“Bella…” I began frantically. She cut me off in her excitement.

“I can’t believe you’re home. I tried going to sleep, but I just couldn’t. How did you get here? Why did they let you leave? I am so…”

“Bella!” I said seriously. I took her face in my hands and looked her square in the eye. “Bella, marry me,”

She laughed. “Edward, I already am going to marry you. Remember, you proposed to me like three months ago…”

“No, Bella,” I repeated. “Marry me now. Marry me today,”

She looked at me with complete shock. “Edward, are you serious?”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything in my life,” I replied.

“But, we already sent the invitations. The place is booked. It’s all paid for…”

“I don’t care!” I pleaded. “I can’t do it. I can’t go another day without you being my wife. I can’t go another day without marrying you. Please, Bella. Please marry me,”

She looked at me, noticing how emotional I was getting. She bit her bottom lip gently.

“Edward, what brought this on?” she asked, almost happily.

“It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I want to be your husband now,”

She sighed. “Well, what are we going to tell everyone?”

“We don’t,” I said, pulling her closer. “We don’t have to let them know. We can do the planned wedding for them. It can be our secret. No one has to know when we really got married,”

Bella started smiling and pulled me in for a kiss. She kissed me like she did the first time I proposed to her. When she pulled away, she laughed in amusement.

“Okay,” she breathed excitedly. “Let’s do it,”

“Really?” I smiled. “Are you sure?”

She nodded and kissed me again. “Yes, Edward. I’m sure I want to marry you. You know that I wanted to do it the quick and easy way ever since you proposed,”

“Well, were do you want to do it?” I asked curiously. “We can tell the others that you came and visited me in LA. We can take our own little vacation,”

“I don’t know. You’re a lawyer. Where is the closest place we can go to where we can get it done in one day?”

“Um, we could go down to California…even though I just came from there. And there’s always Vegas…”

Her eyes went wide. I knew she had wanted to go there in the first place. She didn’t need to answer.

“Pack your suitcase,” I grinned, as I picked her up in my arms and her legs wrapped around my waist. “I’ll call the airport and we will be on the next flight out,”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this!” she laughed, pressing her forehead to mine. “You know this is crazy,”

“All I know is that I’m crazy about you,” I whispered. “And that today is the day I become the luckiest man in the world,”

So I know alot of you wanted to kill me for throwing Victoria in the story. But now you know why I had to do it! She made him realize that he had to marry Bella ASAP! Anyway, we'll see what happens next. Again, I hope to update tomorrow, but I can't make any promises. This time of the year is so crazy with finals and crap. BTW, my APUSH test went great today. Thanks to those who wished me luck! In fact, this story is making me a better writer, so the essay was 10 times better. lol. Love you!

Chapter: 26

Alright, so I know I'm posting later than usual. You know how Friday's are. Now, I know that last chapter was a little controversial, what with the Victoria thing, and the decision for the quickie wedding. It's just that I can't really please everybody. I have to let the story and the characters lead me to where they are. Thank you again for all of the reviews. I appreciate all the support. Hope you love this chapter. It's another one I'm nervous about.

Bella POV

That entire day was a blur. It was like I was drifting through some dream, afraid that someone would slap me out of it. I laughed at my reasoning. I mean, it’s not exactly every girl’s dream to run off and elope in Vegas. But it was my dream to marry Edward, and I didn’t care where I did, as long as it was as soon as humanly possible.

When we arrived in Vegas, I checked into the hotel, while Edward called a local chapel to make us reservations. I told him to book a cheap and easy one, but he refused. He insisted that we get married in a somewhat suitable setting. I was secretly relieved about that. As much as I loved Edward, I would hate to have to recite my vows to him in front of an Elvis impersonator.

When it was my turn to check in, I felt Edward’s arms wrap around my waist.

“Do you have any honeymoon suites available?” he asked the woman at the counter.“I want the best room you have. Money is not a factor,”

The woman smirked at us and typed something into her computer.

“Edward, you don’t have to do this,” I whispered. “I’m just happy being with you at all. I don’t care what kind of room we’re in,”

He gently pressed his lips to my ear. “Well, Bella, after tonight, I don’t think we’ll be leaving that room very much at all. I would prefer it to be comfortable,”

I kissed him gently on the lips. “Well, they better be soundproof too,”

The woman coughed to interrupt us. She assigned us one of their best suites and sent us on our way up to our room. While in the elevator, Edward placed his hands on my waist and kissed me.

“So, I called the chapel, and we will be married at 6 o’clock tonight,” he announced. “Does that sound good?”

“Sounds beautiful,” I replied, looking up at him. “I don’t know if I can wait three whole hours though,”

“I feel the same way,” he nodded. “But Bella, are you sure this is what you want? Are you really okay with our family and friends not being here when we get married?”

I put my arms around his neck. “Edward, they’ll be there at our other wedding. That one is for them. I can still proclaim my feelings for you and tell you how much I love you then. But we have been through so much together, that having this be a private and intimate thing is exactly what I want. I only need you today, and for once, I want to do what we want, not what everyone else wants,”

“And this is what you want?” he asked, making sure.

“No,” I replied. “This is what I need.”

He laughed as the elevator doors opened. We walked to the door of our hotel suite, and I was taken away by what was inside. It was beautiful. Everything was so perfect, from the white curtains to the king sized bed that had a sheer canopy. It was better than anything I could have imagined.

A couple hours later, I started getting ready for my wedding. I laughed to myself. It was so strange to say so casually. It was just that it felt so right. I didn’t have a single doubt in my mind that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Edward.

I had decided before we left that I would wear the blue dress that I had worn to Rosalie’s wedding. That night was the start of the story of our life together, and today we were writing a new chapter.

I let down my hair into light curls. It was getting long now, reaching half way down my back. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was a different person to the one I had been not even a year ago. Within that short period of time, I had grown thanks to Edward. I had grown from a cynical, commitment-phobic, damaged girl, to a new woman, who was ready to get married and start a family with the man I loved.

When I came out of the bathroom, I found Edward sitting on the bed, wearing a black suit without a tie. I was glad. I wanted him to feel comfortable at our wedding.

When he saw me, he stared at me silently for a moment before saying anything.

“Bella,” he breathed. “I can’t believe you’re wearing that. I love that dress on you. It reminds me of the night…”

“I know,” I interrupted, sitting next to him. “I thought you’d appreciate it,”

He brushed his hand gently down my cheek. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, Bella. On the inside and out. You know, you still take my breath away,”

I gave him a light kiss. “You do too,” I admitted.

He took my hand and kissed it. “Are you nervous?”

“Not at all,” I replied, shaking my head. “There is no reason why we shouldn’t be doing this. I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life,”

“Alright,” he grinned, as he stood up. “We should get going then,”

I took his hand and we walked out of the hotel.

When we reached the chapel, I was blown away at how nice it was. It was actually classy, and not the usual tacky cliché Vegas place. In fact, if a place like this was in Seattle, I would have chosen to do the other wedding there too.

We didn’t have to wait that long before a man in a suit came out.

“Hello,” he said nicely. “You must be Edward and Bella. Am I right?”

“Yes,” Edward replied happily. “That would be us,”

The man shook our hands. “Well, I’m the minister, and I’ll be conducting the ceremony. We’ll be ready for you in about five minutes. Are you ready?”

Edward looked at me for justification. I nodded excitedly.

“Looks like we are,” Edward laughed.

Five minutes later, Edward and I were standing in front of the altar, facing each other, ready to become husband and wife. Again, I was surprised at myself. I expected to feel nervous or shaky, maybe even embarrassed. But instead, I was blissfully happy. I was glad we were doing this alone together. I didn’t have to feel like it was a big show, or prove myself to anybody. I was with Edward, who loved me, and there was no pressure.

As the minister started the ceremony, I could hardly hear what he was saying. I just kept looking into Edward’s dazzling green eyes. Even though I was only holding his hands, I felt like I could hear the beating of his heart, almost in synchronization with my own. I was taken out of my trance when the minister addressed us.

“Is there anything the two of you would like to say to each other at this time?” he asked simply.

I was so emotional I could hardly answer him. There was so much to say. How could I sum up my feelings for Edward in a mere few sentences?”

“Um…” I started, trying not to cry. I looked into Edward’s eyes, as he silently assured me I was okay.

“Edward,” I began, my voice shaky from emotion. “There is no possible way I can express to you how I am feeling at this exact moment. My whole life I have been pretty content, not searching for anything in particular. I thought my life would be fine as long as I was strong enough to get through it alone. But then I met you, and you changed my world. You changed the way I looked at life and love. Life isn’t something to get through. It’s something to be lived. And I know with all of my heart that I want to live my life with you. I want to wake up with you every morning, and tell you how much I love you every single day. I don’t need money, or to see the world, or even change the world. I only need to be with you. I only need your love. I’m losing my mind over what to say right now. I’m just so happy…”

I couldn’t finish. I broke down into tears. Within an instant, Edward’s arms were around me. He gently rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head.

“It’s okay, Bella,” he breathed. “I know what you’re feeling. I have the same thing going on right this second. It feels like everything has led up to this. Every kiss, every touch, every word, has taken us to this moment. It’s difficult to express what we’re feeling right now. We’ve been through so much together that any words we say will sound shallow. But I can tell you this. Things won’t be this perfect all the time. There are going to be days where you hate me, or you drive me crazy. There are going to be days where we both will want to give up or get out. It won’t always be as easy as it is now. But that’s okay. All I know is that I love you with all of being, all of my soul, and all of my heart. There is no one in this world that could make me feel the way I do about you. I have no doubt that I want to spend every day of eternity with you by my side. Everything else might be unknown, but my love for you will never change. I can promise you that,”

I nodded through my tears as he wiped them gently off my cheek. We looked at the pastor to carry on with the ceremony. He nodded.

“Do you Isabella Marie Swan, take this man, Edward Anthony Cullen to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, to cherish in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or worse, forsaking all others, remaining faithful to him, for as long as you both shall live?”

I almost looked at the man as if it were a stupid question. I squeezed Edward’s hands tightly and smiled at him.

“I do,” I breathed. Edward smiled back.

“And do you, Edward Anthony Cullen, take this woman, Isabella Marie Swan to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, to cherish in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or worse, forsaking all others, remaining faithful to her, for as long as you both shall live?”

He almost didn’t let him finish. He instantaneously replied, “I do.”

I don’t know if I was imagining it, but it seemed as if his voice was shaking. If I hadn’t have known better, I would have thought Edward was holding back tears. I was shocked. I had never seen Edward so emotional. He really did love me with everything he had. He was just as ecstatic as I was.

After that, we put the rings on each other’s fingers. We would have to take Edward’s off later, so no one would know, and mine had yet to have a wedding band. But at that moment, we couldn’t have given a care in the world to that.

The minister then said some of the usual official things, but what stuck out in my mind was…

“By the power invested in me and the State of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Those were the most beautiful words I had ever heard in my entire life. Edward immediately wrapped his arms around me, and gave me a kiss so deep and passionate, that he lifted me up from off the ground. That was it. I was now officially his forever. And he was mine.

When the kiss broke, I saw a look in his eyes that were full of joy and emotion. He pressed his forehead to mine, before kissing me again.

“I love you, Mrs. Cullen,” he whispered, gently touching my lips with his.

“I love you too, Mr. Cullen,” I replied weakly as I kissed him back.

Nothing after that mattered. The minister and the witness signed our marriage license and took a couple of pictures that would be kept hidden from everyone else. We basically ran out of the chapel after that.

In the cab back to the hotel, we were both practically giddy. Neither of us could stop laughing, smiling, or kissing one another. I was as if we were the happiest people on the planet.

“I can’t believe you’re finally my wife,” he said ecstatically, as we got out of the cab. “I just want to shout it from the rooftops,”

“Then why don’t you?” I laughed.

Suddenly he grabbed my hand and lifted it up in the air.

“Everyone!” he yelled happily, in front of the entrance on the hotel. “I just married the most amazing woman in the world! I am the happiest man alive!”

The people around us smiled and a couple of them clapped. It was probably expected in Vegas. I quieted him with another kiss.

“Edward, my husband,” I started, as I touched his cheek. “It’s time,”

“Time for what?” he asked, still grinning like an idiot.

I kissed below his ear and whispered, “It’s time for us to make love for the first time as husband and wife. Are you ready?”

He laughed and answered my question by scooping me up in his arms and carrying me inside. He held me as if I weighed only a few pounds. When we reached our room, he lay me down on the bed and looked into my eyes in a way I had never seen before.

Lightly brushing my face with the back of his hand, he smiled that wonderful crooked smile of his.

“Bella,” he whispered. “Do you realize all you have done for me? Do you realize how you have changed my life?”

I looked up at him and ran my hand through his hair.

“Do you realize how you have changed mine, Edward?” I replied. “You have given me everything I could ever need. You have given me that love that satisfies every aspect of my life. I don’t need anything else in this world but you,”

“Bella,” he laughed to himself. “For once, I have nothing perfect to say. I can only tell you how much I love you, how much I would do for you. I would give my life for you, Bella. I would give everything I had to make you smile like you are now,”

I put my hand on the back of his neck and brought him closer. “Well, I know how you can help with that,” I said seductively.

He chuckled and started to kiss me, moving his lips to my collar bone.

“Edward,” I breathed. “Technically, we are married now. We can do things right,”

I had eased off the pill, and we had been using other precautions since. But now that we were married, I didn’t want to wait any longer.

“Are you sure, Bella?” he asked, his lips tickling my skin. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

I nodded breathlessly. “Yes, Edward. I want your child. Let’s make a baby,”

He looked up and smiled at me, planting another huge kiss on my lips. I knew he wanted that just as much as I did. And we had kept up our deal. We waited to start trying until we were married, and now we were.

The rest of that night drifted through like the day had. It was the most beautiful night of my life, as if it were some bizarre dream from which I never wanted to wake.

Although the memory of that night was a blur, I do remember one thing that Edward said right after we made love. The words will stick with me through the rest of my life. He was holding me in his arms, as he always did, and started to kiss me once more. However, for a split second, he stopped.

“I love you, Isabella Cullen,” he mumbled into my neck. “I love you, my wife,”

I would never forget that moment. That was the moment where it all hit me. I had more than I could ever want. I had everything I needed to be happy for all of eternity.

So was that okay? I hope it was satisfying to everyone. And don't worry! There will be another wedding. haha. Anyway, thanks again for all of your reviews. We are over 900 now! That is beyond amazing. Let's shoot for 1000! lol.

PS. Shoutout to Someoneyoudon'tknowprobably, one of my faithful reviewers. lol. We had been discussing the possibility of a Vegas wedding since the proposal chapter. haha.

Chapter: 27

So, I'm glad most of you guys loved the wedding. I know not everyone wanted it to be done that way, but 97% of you were pleased with it. Anyway, I decided to take some time to answer some FAQs

Q: Is Bella and Edward's marriage legal?

A: Yes. Very much so. They went to Vegas so they could marry right after getting the license, and they had a witness present to sign it after the ceremony.

Q: Why do they have a problem with the other wedding? And why didnt they just do Vegas in the first place?

A: Very simple. Bella and Edward like pleasing other people. They are both very selfless. Therefore, they wanted to give everyone else what they wanted, but also for once do something THEY really wanted, whick was a quick private and intimate wedding. They didnt want all the pressure when it was for real.

Q: Is Bella going to get pregnant before the second wedding?

A: I don't know. We'll see. Really, I do not know. I let the characters lead the story. I just write where they take me.

Q: Isnt Alice going to kill them when she finds out what they did?

A: Who says she's ever going to find out...

Edward POV

The next morning, I woke up feeling different. When I had asked my friends what marriage felt like, I had received different responses. Emmett had said that nothing really changed, that he and Rose acted like a married couple already. My father had told me that marriage felt like waking up to a new life. That’s how it was for me.

Bella and I were up most of the night, so after we finally did go to sleep, we didn’t wake up until early afternoon. In fact, we were awakened by the sound of Bella’s phone ringing. We both groaned when we heard it.

“Looks like Operation: Hide Out From the World is over,” Bella sighed, reaching for the phone on the end table. When she saw the caller ID, she gasped.

“Shit! It’s Alice!” she exclaimed. “What are we going to do?”

“Well,” I smirked. “We can either a) ignore it, or b) lie,”

I saw her stare at her phone for a second before pressing a button. I looked and saw she chose to ignore it. She rolled over, so she was on top of me.

“I just want today to be free of distractions,” she whispered, looking at me sincerely. “I want this day to be about the two of us, and no one else. We’ll deal with everything else later,”

“Sounds good,” I chuckled. “I love you, Bella,”

“No,” she said abruptly. “You’re not allowed to call me Bella today,”

“Sorry, Mrs. Cullen,” I laughed. It was nice that now she could officially claim that name.

“You know Edward, if they find out that we eloped, they are going to kill us. Alice will literally strangle me,”

I traced my fingers along the lines of her lips. “Well then, we better make sure they don’t ever find out. Do you think we’ll be able to keep this a secret?”

She nodded. “Yeah, I do. I think last night was very special for us both, and I think it should be kept as a private moment between the two of us. Besides, we can celebrate two anniversaries. I’m just glad that we actually went out and did what made us happy,”

“Me too,” I agreed. Suddenly, she took my face in her hands and planted a huge kiss on me.

“My husband, Edward,” she said, running her hand up and down my chest. “Edward, my husband,”

“What are you doing?” I laughed.

“I just love saying it. I need to say it for a minute, over and over,”

“Well, can I say Bella, my wife? My wife, Bella?”

“Of course,” she smiled. “I love the way that sounds too,”

“Okay then, Bella, my wife,” I smirked. “Do you want to go out for breakfast or do you want to stay in?”

She bit her lip. “Hmm. Well, Edward, my husband, I honestly don’t want to leave this room all day,”

“Room service then?” I prompted. She nodded. I slowly got out of bed and pulled on some pajama pants.

After going into the main room and ordering breakfast, I suddenly got an idea. I had brought the CD of Bella’s song and I popped it into the stereo.

“Mrs. Cullen…” I called. “Come out here for a minute,”

A few seconds later, she appeared, wearing a bathrobe.

“That’s my song,” she smiled. “What is this about?”

I held out my hand. “We have yet to have our first dance as husband and wife. And as I recall, we have never been through a whole dance without interruptions,”

She smiled and took my hand. I was expecting her to put up more of a fight, but she came into my arms willingly. As we slowly moved around the main room, I had to laugh to myself. Here we were, dancing our first dance, me without a shirt on, and Bella in a bathrobe.

As I held her close to my body, I took in the scent of her hair. Still freesia. Still intoxicating. That was the thing about Bella. She had changed so much, but some things were still the same. She had grown as a person, but those same great qualities that had made me fall in love with her would never change.

“Edward,” she whispered, as we danced. “I don’t think I have ever been so happy in my entire life. I don’t want this moment to end,”

“I don’t either,” I admitted. “There are no words to describe how I feel right now. I just feel so…”

“Right?” she finished for me.

I nodded. “Exactly. I’m glad we did it this way. It’s what we both wanted. I like how there was no stress, no pressure. Just you and me. We can save all of that crazy stuff for the next wedding,”

We were soon interrupted by room service, and we decided to eat breakfast in bed. It wasn’t often we were given the chance to do that. As we were eating, we got our stories straight, so we would know what to tell the others. Soon though, Bella brought up an interesting point.

“Okay, so what happens if I get pregnant before the second wedding?” she asked curiously. “I mean, they know that our plan was to wait until after we were married,”

“Well,” I thought out loud. “If that happens, which I would be happy with anyway, we can just tell them that it was a surprise. I’m sure they won’t push us too much on that,”

She nodded in agreement. “Alright, now what about that house?”

“What house?”

“The one we’re supposed to be thinking about. Well, I’ve been thinking about it more now,”

“Really?” I asked excitedly.

“Yeah,” she replied. “I mean, we know for sure that we want the family thing. Nothing will change that. I guess getting a bigger place would make sense,”

“So, you like the idea of moving now?”

She laughed. “I always liked the idea. Now just seems like the right time to talk about it,”

I thought about it for a second. It seemed like a logical idea.

“Well, how about when we get back, we start looking around. We don’t have to make any decisions. We’ll just get an idea of what we want. And then, maybe after wedding #2, we can find something that would be perfect for us,”

“I think that’s a good way to go about it,” she agreed. “See, we are already making important decisions together as husband and wife. This marriage thing will be a breeze,”

I laughed. “Well, it may not be like this all the time, but I think we’ll be more than okay,”

I leaned in to give her a kiss, when he phone rang again.

“What the hell?!” Bella exclaimed in frustration. She immediately picked up the phone and answered it.

“What do you want?” she snapped into the phone. “Yes Alice, I’m fine. I’m in California with Edward. He said I could come down here and stay with him while he’s on his conference,”

Bella was getting better at lying to Alice. I was impressed.

“Well, Alice, we just missed each other, that’s all…” she continued. “Yeah, we’ll be back by Friday. We just need a little vacation and some alone time…Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Don’t call me again…Love you too, Alice...Bye.”

She sighed when she hung up the phone. “There. No more distractions until we go home. I am not talking to anybody but my husband in the next three days. I submitted my column before I left. I have no work to do for a while. That’s it. I’m honeymooning,”

I laughed at her words. She gave me a look.

“I’m serious, Edward. I’m not playing. The schedule will go as follows: eat, chill, sex, sleep, sex, eat, chill, sex, sleep. Times and order of these events may vary, but that’s the gist of it. Now, does that sound good to you?”

I pulled her on top of me, causing the cleared plates to fall off the bed. I kissed her deeply and smiled at her.

“That sounds like the best schedule I could ever ask for. So, which one of those things is on the agenda right now?”

She smirked and brought me in for another kiss.

“Guess,” she said simply.

Bella POV

Leaving Vegas a few days later was almost devastating. I had the best time of my life while I was there. Nothing could have made me happier. But now that we were leaving, I felt sad. I felt like now we would have to go back to pretending.

It reminded me about what had happened after we had first started dating. We had to be quiet about it for so long. We had to pretend we weren’t together. Now we had to pretend for two months that we weren’t married. It’s not that I minded. I wanted to keep it a secret. I just hoped we could pull it off.

When we arrived back to our apartment, Edward surprised me by sweeping me off my feet…literally.

“Edward, what are you doing?” I asked as he scooped me up in his arms.

“I’m carrying you over the threshold,” he simply replied. “This is the first time entering our home as husband and wife,”

I giggled at his reasoning. Everything we had done in the last few days, he had said that. “This is our first plane ride as husband and wife,” “This is the first time watching TV as husband and wife,” “This is our first shower as husband and wife.” It never got old.

“Do you remember the first time I carried you like this?” he asked, as he placed me down on the couch.

I searched my brain. “No,”

He sat down next to me. “It was the first night you stayed here. We had stayed up most of the night talking, I went to the kitchen, and when I came back you were out cold here on the couch. So, I picked you up and carried you to my bed so you would have a comfortable place to sleep,”

“Oh yeah,” I remembered. “I mean, I recall the part where you let me sleep in your bed, but I don’t remember being carried there,”

“Yeah, and the next morning you were so mad at me for letting you sleep there, that you took a wrong step and twisted you ankle,” he laughed.

I smiled. “And you took pretty good care of me that day. I should have known then that you would always be looking out for me,”

“You know I will,” he smiled, giving me a kiss. “Hey, why don’t I make you dinner tonight?” he asked excitedly. “I’ll make your favorite, mushroom ravioli,”

“Mmm,” I replied. “That sounds so great. But, can we rain check that until tomorrow night. We promised everyone that we would go out with them tonight,”

“Damn,” he muttered. “I guess we have to, don’t we?”

I put my hand on his face. “We had our time, Edward. We need to hang out with our friends,”

He sighed. “I guess you’re right. I can’t wait for New Zealand, though. I’m so excited to be on the other side of the world, just the two of us,”

“Two more months, honey,” I smiled. I looked down at his left hand. “You know, you have to take that ring of now, especially if we are going to go see our friends,”

“I don’t want to,” he pouted. “I like the way it feels. Do you really think they’ll notice?”

“It’s Alice,” I pointed out. “Now that she’s had the baby, she’s back on her game. She’ll notice within seconds,”

He rolled his eyes and hesitantly pulled the ring off of his finger.

“No fair,” he smirked. “You get to keep yours on,”

“I don’t make the rules, babe,” I laughed, giving him a kiss. “Hey, do you want to take a nap? I’m exhausted from that flight,”

“That sounds wonderful,” he agreed, lying down, pulling me to rest on top of him. I laid my head on his chest, listening to his heart. He tightened his arms around me.

“Hmm,” he sighed. “This feels good,”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Jesus, we’ve been married a few days, and we’re already taking naps in the middle of the afternoon. We’re turning into an old married couple,”

Edward’s fingers lightly traced circles on my back, as he kissed the top of my head.

“Is that such a bad thing?”

I exhaled and closed my eyes, realizing I had never felt so comfortable, so right, in my entire life. This was where I should be forever, in Edward’s arms.

“Not bad at all,” I whispered softly. “Not bad at all,”

About an hour later, we were both awakened by someone knocking at the door. We both groaned, knowing who it would be.

“Come in,” we both shouted at the same time, not getting up from the couch.

Alice and Jasper walked in, Alice holding baby Marie, while Jasper carried her diaper bag.

“We’re not interrupting anything are we?” Jasper joked, when they saw my lying on top of Edward.

“Just taking a nap,” Edward replied tiredly. “We were exhausted from our trip,”

“I bet!” said a voice from the doorway. It was Emmett, with Rosalie by his side.

We sat up on the couch as everyone joined us in the living room. I took Marie from Alice and held her while Edward put his arm around me.

“Hey Marie,” I said in a baby voice. “Did you miss your Auntie Bella and Uncle Edward?”

“I’m sure she did,” Alice smiled. “I did too. There is so much we have to go over for wedding details. Since when do the bridesmaids have their dresses before the bride does? Tomorrow, we are taking you dress shopping. We are not taking no for an answer,”

I looked at Rose pleadingly, hoping she would defend me.

“Sorry, Bells,” she shrugged. “Alice has a point. You have two months until the wedding, and you can’t put it off until the last minute. Plus, Alice and I need to try on the dresses we chose. And Edward, you have to go with Emmett and Jasper to get your tuxes. The sooner we all get this done, the better,”

Edward and I both looked at each other. We missed Vegas and our quickie wedding. We didn’t have to worry about all this stuff. Now, things were going to be so busy, getting ready for Wedding #2.

“Well,” Edward said. “I guess that’s all fine as long as we’re back by evening. I promised Bella I would make her dinner tomorrow night,”

“Aww, how sweet,” Rosalie smiled. She looked at Emmett and punched him hard in the shoulder.

“OWCH!” he exclaimed. “What the hell was that for?”

“When was the last time you made me dinner?” Rose whined. “Bella and Edward get all the romance,”

“That’s because they’re not married yet,” Emmett laughed. “Trust me, the minute they say ‘I do’, they won’t be doing things like that anymore,”

Edward and I smirked at each other, trying our hardest not to laugh. Emmett had no idea what he was talking about. Maybe keeping this secret would be easier than we thought.

So, you know how after something really big happens, I have to give a boring chapter like this one. Well, there you go. One of my FTs: Fluffy Transitionals. Only about 5 reviews away from 1000! So excited! I love you guys and everything you say about my story. The last few chapters, I have been nervous that people arent enjoying it as much because of the wedding and such. But I love what you say and I hope you continue to read. Thanks :)

Chapter: 28

Hey everybody! Updating! Want to thank you for all the reviews I've gotten. WE totally beat and exceeded 1000 reviews! Congratulations guys! You made this story a 1000+! Decided to bring back an old character, just for one chapter. Hope you like it!

Bella POV

The next day, I reluctantly went wedding dress shopping with Alice, Rosalie, and little Marie. To be frank, I was not looking forward to it. The last thing I wanted was be poked and prodded by bitter saleswomen.

Since I brought Alice with me, she made me try on every big fluffy beaded dress on in the store. It was exhausting. It was like she wanted me to walk down the aisle as a marshmallow.

“So Bella,” Alice started, as she helped me into the next dress. “Are you getting cold feet yet? I’ve been waiting for you to start freaking out,”

“No,” I laughed. “I have no doubts about marrying Edward. I’m just a little stressed because of the wedding. There’s so much to do and not that much time,”

“I know, but it will be so exciting,” Rosalie beamed. “You’re family will be here and Edward’s family will be there. You get to do all of that stuff like the cake and the dance and throwing the bouquet. Isn’t that every girl’s dream?”

I smirked. “My only dream is marrying a man like Edward,”

“Precious,” Alice said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “The real important thing is the wedding. Everything else after that is a bonus,”

“A bonus? That’s all that matters,” Rosalie argued. “I think Bella and Edward are the perfect couple.” Then Rose laughed. “And to think that I could have ended up with Edward!”

My head shot in her direction. “What are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about,” she smiled. “How Alice originally wanted to set me up with Edward,”

“What?!” I shrieked, looking at Alice. She had a guilty look on her face.

“Rose, I never told them about that!” she scolded.

“Wait, what is this about?” I asked frantically. “Did you go out with Edward?”

“Oh God no!” Rose laughed. “No, he didn’t even know what the plan was. This was way back when you were living with Jake, and I was Alice’s roommate. Edward had just broken up with Tanya. He was in town one weekend and Alice’s plan was to invite Edward to dinner, where he would eventually meet me. Then, according to her, we would hit it off immediately and we would live happily ever after,”

I scowled at Alice. “Yes, this sounds familiar. That’s exactly what she said to me,”

“Well, anyway, Edward’s flight got cancelled and he never came out. By the time he rescheduled his trip, I had met Emmet, so I was no longer available,”

I couldn’t believe this. I had no idea this had gone on.

“Alice, ever since I moved in with you, all you said was how perfect I would be for your brother. It turns out, I was the second choice!”

“No, no, no,” she defended. “I always thought you were perfect for Edward. It’s just that at the time, you were with that piece of scum you called a boyfriend. I couldn’t even get you to come visit, let alone meet Edward,”

I guess she made a point, but I was still mad. It was strange to think that Rose could have ended up with Edward. They would have made a prettier couple. She would better next to him then I do. I had to shake the thought out of my head.

“Bella,” Alice smiled. “Does it really matter? Obviously it was meant to be. Look where you are now. You are going to marry Edward. It all turned out the way it should have,”

“I suppose you’re right,” I sighed. “But Rose, I’ll be keeping an eye on you. I don’t want you near my husband for a few weeks,”

“Alright,” she laughed. “But Bella, he isn’t your husband yet,”

“Oh yeah,” I smirked, realizing my slip. “I’m just trying to get used to saying it,”

“Ooh, look at this one!” Alice squealed as she pointed to a huge white wedding dress. I almost gagged at the sight of all the frills.

“No, Alice,” I said sternly. “I don’t want something like that. I want my dress to be beautiful, but simple. Very classic, but not fairy tale. Can we focus on that?”

“Fine,” she pouted. “But if I ever get married, I’m going all out,”

Now I felt guilty. I knew that Alice secretly wished she were the one getting married, instead of me. She had known Jasper longer than I had known Edward. And they had a child together. I was surprised that Jasper hadn’t popped the question yet.

Here I was, doing everything faster than everybody else. I was getting married before Alice, trying to have a baby before Rose. It was like my life was on fast forward. I liked it. I was tired of sitting around, waiting for life to happen. Now, I was living it.

Suddenly, a dress caught my eye. “This one is what I’m looking for,” I said, touching the fabric. “What do you guys think?”

“Hm,” Alice mumbled. “Not bad at all. I’m actually surprised by your good taste,”

“Very Bella,” Rose nodded. “I think it will be nice for the wedding. Beautiful, in fact,”

I agreed. The wedding was going to be held in the garden where Edward had proposed. It was a beautiful place that was big enough to fit 50 or 60 guests. Edward had asked the place the banquet was held to see if it was available for a wedding. They approved.

I knew the wedding would be beautiful, and honestly, I was a little excited. I looked forward to proclaiming my love for Edward in front of our families. I was glad that everyone would be able to make it to the event.

When I tried on the dress, Alice and Rosalie swooned.

“Oh Bella, you look perfect,” Alice sighed. “You are going to make a beautiful bride,”

“Really Bella, it’s so right for you,” Rosalie added. “What do you think?”

I looked at myself in the mirror. The dress was perfect for me. It wasn’t over the top, yet it was beautiful. It was simplistic and classic, just like Edward and I. Plus, if I said yes to this one; I wouldn’t have to do any more shopping. That sold it.

“I think this is the one,” I said happily. “This is the dress,”

“Yay!” Alice squealed. “Good choice. I know Edward will love it. Now, we just have to get it fitted and you’ll be good to go!”

I groaned. That was the worst part. Or so I thought. Alice was on a rampage.

“Okay, so now that we have your dress, we can talk shoes, makeup, accessories, and all that good stuff,”

I rolled my eyes. “Isn’t this a lot of fuss for just one day?”

“Bella,” Alice laughed. “This isn’t just one day. This is the most important day of your life,”

I didn’t say anything to that. Instead, I looked on at the price tag on the dress. It wasn’t that cheap. I hoped I could afford it.

“Bella, why are you looking at that?” Rose asked. “Edward said that he would pay for your dress,”

“I know, but I don’t want him to,” I argued. “He shouldn’t have to pay for something that I am going to wear for one day. It’s my dress, I’ll pay for it,”

Rose sighed and pulled out her cell phone.

“What are you doing?” I asked, worriedly.

“I’m calling your fiancé,” she replied. “I’m tattling on you,”

I rolled my eyes as she started speaking.

“Edward, it’s Rosalie,” she said. “Yeah, I’m here with your woman, and she is planning to pay for her wedding dress with her own money…Mhm, I thought you would have a problem with that….Yeah, I’ll put her on…You’re welcome.”

She held out the phone. “He wants to talk to you,”

I sighed and took it. “What, Edward?”

“Bella, what is this I hear about you paying for your own dress? I told you that I was going to do it. Now, use my card that I gave you before I left. Rose is going to make sure you do,”

“Edward, this is unnecessary. Why should I use your money for this?”

“It’s not my money, Mrs. Cullen. It’s our money. Now that we’re married, what’s mine is yours. In fact, I was thinking that we should go down to the bank and set up a joint account. I don’t want you thinking that you have to ask me for money,”

“Are you sure, Edward?” I asked hesitantly. “I mean, it’s really no problem…”

“Bella, please let me do this,” he insisted. “Also, treat yourself and the girls to lunch. I’ll see you when you get home,”

“Alright,” I sighed. “See you then. I love you,”

“Love you too,”

When I hung up the phone, I looked at Rose. “I can’t believe you ratted me out,”

She shrugged. “Sorry, babe, it had to be done. Edward made me promise yesterday that I would let him know if you became stubborn,”

“You guys are impossible,” I laughed. “It’s a good job you didn’t end up with Edward. You both think too much alike,”

Edward POV

After talking to Bella on the phone, I called the guys and invited them over to chill. We should have been getting our tuxes fitted, but we didn’t feel like it. Instead, we decided to tell the girls that the place was closed. I actually had already told Bella the truth, but the other two girls would not have been as tolerant as her.

“I brought the beer!” Emmett announced as he entered the apartment with Jasper. “Now, put on any type of game that’s on. It’s Saturday and the women are out,”

“I told Bella to treat them to lunch, on me, so they’ll be out even later,” I explained.

“Awesome,” Jasper smiled. “And knowing Alice, they’ll be out shopping ‘til dawn,”

Emmett laughed and gave him a high five. I didn’t understand their attitude. I mean, I could never wait for Bella to get home. But I guess every guy needs a break.

“I can’t believe we have to do this wedding crap all over again,” Emmett said. “I’m just getting over mine. Jasper, please don’t tell me you’re next,”

I looked at him. I was wondering when or if he was planning to marry Alice.

“Well, if I am, it won’t be for a little while. Alice doesn’t want to talk about marriage until after Edward and Bella’s wedding,”

“Why?” I asked curiously.

“Because, she doesn’t want to steal your thunder,”

“That’s ridiculous! Bella and I don’t care about that,”

“But Alice does,” Jasper pointed out. “Honestly, I think it’s more about her. Alice doesn’t want to share the spotlight with anybody. She wants Bella to have her day, and then later, Alice can have hers,”

“I can’t believe that,” I laughed. “Sometimes I don’t get how we are related,”

“I don’t either,” Emmett agreed.

Suddenly, the home phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and froze.

“It’s Tanya,” I said in shock.

“Your ex?” Emmett asked. I nodded.

“Ignore it,” Jasper suggested. “It can’t be good,”

“I can’t do that,” I admitted. “I should talk to her. Excuse me for a minute,”

I went into the kitchen and answered the phone.

“Tanya?” I answered hesitantly.

“Hi Edward,” her shaky voice replied.

“Why are you calling me? I told you I didn’t want to talk to you anymore,”

“I know, Edward. I know I shouldn’t have called. I just needed to talk to you. I needed to hear your voice,”

“Tanya, you can’t do this. You can’t call me just to hear my voice. You are out of my life now. I’ve moved on. I don’t need you calling here,”

“Are you still with that Bella girl? I met her when she was here visiting your family,”

“Yes, I’m with her. If she were to pick up the phone and you were calling…”

“You’re family likes her, don’t they?” she interrupted. “Alice said when she was here that they love her,”

“Yeah, they do. They love her, and I love her,”

“So, it’s serious then?”

I took a deep breath. I knew this would kill her.

“Tanya, I’m marrying Bella,”

The phone was silent.

“Tanya? Are you still there?”

“Edward,” she said, almost crying. “We were together for two years. When I even brought up marriage, you said it wasn’t for you, and asked me why we couldn’t just be happy about the way we were. You made me feel stupid for even bringing it up,”

“Tanya, I…”

“Tell me something, Edward,” she snapped. “Why her? Why does your family love her, when they despised me? Why do you suddenly want to get married, when you totally rejected the idea when we were together? What the hell is so special about this woman?”

I shook my head. That question couldn’t merely be answered in one phone call.

“Tanya, it’s not that simple. Things are different with her than it was with us. I’m sorry that I wasn’t always there for you, and that you weren’t my first priority, but that still didn’t give you the right to sleep with my boss. See, I know that Bella and I aren’t like that. I am 100% there for her, and she is 100% there for me. It’s a healthy relationship, and that is something we simply didn’t have,”

She sighed. I know this was hard on her. She had trouble letting go.

“Edward, just tell me if you’re happy. I guess that would give me some peace of mind,”

“I am, Tanya. I’m very happy. In fact, I feel like a new person. I’ve never been so content in my life,”

“Well,” she said sadly. “I guess I’m happy for you. I wish you luck, Edward. I hope you get everything you want,”

“I already do,” I smiled. “But thank you. And I really am sorry about what happened with us. It wasn’t all your fault. I was responsible too. I wish you the best,”

“You too. Goodbye, Edward,”

“Goodbye, Tanya,”

I hung up the phone. I knew that would be the last phone call I would ever get from her. I walked out into the living room where the guys were waiting for me.

“What did she want?” Emmett asked curiously.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure exactly. But I told her about the wedding and I apologized for the past. I think I finally gave her some closure. I have a feeling we won’t be hearing anymore from her,”

“Are you going to tell Bella about the call?” Jasper asked.

“I think so. She should know about it. I’m just glad I put that part of my life behind me. Now I can look to the future,”

A few hours later, the guys had left and Bella was just returning from her day out with the girls. I told her all about the phone call from Tanya and what she said. Bella sympathetically gave me a hug.

“That was a good thing to do, Edward,” she said. “Now she can move on like you have,”

“That’s what I was thinking,” I admitted. “It’s weird, but I’m glad she cheated on me. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have moved here and met you,”

“And you wouldn’t be my husband,” she smiled. “I wouldn’t be your wife,”

That almost pained me to think of that.

“Wow, that would have been terrible,”

“You think that’s bad?” she laughed. “I found out today that you were meant to be with Rosalie. Alice was going to set you guys up one weekend,”

“What? That’s ridiculous!” I scoffed. “And I wasn’t meant to be with anyone but you,”

“I guess fate works out that way, huh?” she smiled putting her arms around my neck.

I lightly touched my lips to hers. “I guess it does. Thank God for fate,”

“Amen,” she joked.

So, I felt that there was a lack of Tanya closure. I had to give her some time so we knew she was gone for good. PLus, I wanted to tell why Alice and Jasper werent getting hitched! haha. that Alice! Anyways, I know that was another FT (Fluffy Transitional), but apparently you guys love those! haha. Please Review! And Vote in the Poll on my profile! PLease!

Chapter: 29

Okay, so I know the past couple chapters were kind of slow, but I had to put in some filler. It's about to get good. You guys have been amazing with reviews! Keep em up.

Bella POV

The days went by quicker than I thought. Before I knew it, the week of our decoy wedding had already come…and I was freaking out. There was so much crap to do, and things had never been so hectic.

On Tuesday, all the families were to be coming in. On Wednesday, we had our final fittings. On Thursday, the bachelor/bachelorette parties. On Friday, the rehearsal dinner. Finally, on Saturday, we had the wedding itself. We would be going straight from the reception to the airport, off to New Zealand.

The schedule was crazy. I was surprised we were doing all this for a fake wedding. But to everyone else, it was real.

My mother and Phil were the first to be arriving on Tuesday. She had never been to our apartment, so I was going crazy trying to clean every inch of the place. I forced Edward into helping me.

“Bella, your mom isn’t going to care whether or not the apartment is spotless. It’s clean enough,” he insisted, as I dusted the shelves.

“I know, but I want things to be perfect this week. You know my mom has been hesitant about this whole wedding thing. I want to convince her that I am ready to be a wife and mother.”

“Have you told her about the baby?” he asked curiously.

“What baby? As far as I know, I’m not pregnant yet. Therefore, I won’t be saying anything unless she asks.”

“Well, I’ve only met your mother once, but I can see her asking when we want to have kids. And you said, as far as you know. Have you even taken a test yet? We have been trying for a couple months now. You never know…”

“Edward, I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’ll wait until I start seeing some signs or symptoms, and if I do, I’ll take a test. I don’t want to be one of those couples that freak out over this by taking hundreds of negative pregnancy tests.”

“Alright,” he sighed. “I’m just curious that’s all.”

I stood up and put my arms around his neck. “Edward, the chances of this happening so soon are very slim. These kinds of things take a while. Give it some time, and when it happens, it happens,”

“I guess you’re right,” he smiled, giving me a kiss on my forehead. He pretended he was cool with it, but I could tell he was anxious to know whether or not our attempts in the past two months had been successful.

I thought about it for a minute. What if I was pregnant and didn’t even know it?

“You know what, Edward?” I smirked. “I guess it would be good to know whether or not I should be drinking this week. How about I run down to the drug store and pick up a test?”

“Are you sure?” he asked, concerned. “I mean, I get what you’re saying about getting our hopes up. Won’t you be disappointed if it’s negative?”

“I’m not going to lie,” I admitted. “I probably will. But it’s okay. I don’t expect it to be positive. I just want to be sure.”

He tightened his arms around me. “Well, if that’s what you want to do, go ahead. Do you want me to go with you to the store?”

“No, keep cleaning. I can go to the grocery store and pick up some stuff for dinner, if you want. Are you cooking tonight or are we going out with the family?”

“Um, let’s stay in tonight. We can go out tomorrow. But don’t worry about food. I got it covered.”

I gave him a small kiss. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

I grabbed my coat and left the apartment, walking down to the drugstore across the street. This was so weird. As I walked down the family planning aisle, I realized I was becoming one of those people. I always used to look at them and wonder about what their life was like. Sometimes I saw troubled teens or women who already had 6 kids. Now I was one of them. I was one of the baby people.

As I looked at the selection, I was starting to freak out. There were like 100 different choices. How was I supposed to know what to pick? There were the plus and minus sign, the happy face and the sad face, the pink and the blue. I ended up closing my eyes and randomly picking one.

Unfortunately, as my eyes were closed, a woman accidentally stumbled into me.

“Oh my God, I am so sorry!” I screeched, as I turned towards her. But when I saw who she was, I froze.

“Bella?” Rosalie gasped. I looked down in her hands and she was holding the same rectangular box as I was.

“Rose,” I started, flustered. “What are you doing here?”

“Uh…” she mumbled, looking at the box in my hand. “Wait, what are you doing here?”

We both looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

“Are you pregnant?” we both asked at the same time. We nervously laughed at our synchronization.

“I don’t know,” Rosalie admitted, looking down. “I’m a couple days late, that’s all. I just wanted to check,”

“Me too,” I nodded. “I mean, I’m not late or anything, but I wanted to check before the wedding. Since we’ve been trying, I thought I might as well know for sure if I’m not,”

Suddenly, I stopped breathing. I realized I revealed too much.

“Wait, I thought you weren’t going to start trying until after you got married,” Rosalie remembered.

I couldn’t form words. “Well, we changed our mind,” I answered simply.

Rose eyed me suspiciously. “Bella, is there something you’re not telling me?”

I looked at her and smiled. “Rose, is that really important right now? Look. We are both standing here with pregnancy tests in our hands. Shouldn’t we be focusing on how strangely ironic that is?”

It suddenly hit Rose. “Oh my God! What if we are both pregnant? Wouldn’t that be spectacular? This is so exciting! I can’t believe this could be happening…”

“Rose, hold up!” I scolded. “I don’t really think I am pregnant. I’m just making sure. Don’t let me get my hopes up, when it’s probably nothing,”

“I know,” she sighed. “I’m probably not either. But maybe we should take these together. I haven’t talked to Emmett yet, and I’m scared he won’t like the idea. I would like to have you there by my side, if it is positive,”

I thought for a minute. I was sure that Edward wouldn’t mind if I took it with Rosalie there instead of him. He would only care about the result. I put my arm around my friend.

“Okay, Rose. I’ll be there. How about after dinner tonight, we hang out in my room while the boys talk. We can take the test then,”

She nodded. I could tell she was nervous. “Thank you, Bella. And I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about this,”

“I promise,” I smiled. “Same for me,”

When we left the store, I said goodbye to Rose until later that night. I walked back to the apartment, trying to think of a way to postpone taking the test.

But when I reached home, I was shocked to see my mother and Phil sitting in the living room with Edward.

“Bella!” my mom greeted, getting up to give me a hug. “We were waiting for you to come home!”

I immediately hid the bag from the drugstore in my coat.

“Mom,” I stuttered, in surprise. “What are you doing here? I was going to pick you up from the airport in like ten minutes,”

“Well, the weather was better than we thought, and the plane came in early. We thought we’d take a cab and surprise you!”

“Well, I’m definitely surprised,” I said nervously. “What about dad?”

“We were just talking about that,” Edward interjected. “Charlie’s not coming in until 4, around the same time as my parents. I’ll pick them all up in about an hour,”

“Yes, that will give us plenty of time to go over all the details about the wedding,” Renee said excitedly. This confused me.

“Mom, last time we spoke, you didn’t sound so thrilled about the wedding. You said it would be too soon, and…”

“You’re right. And I was being unfair,” she said sincerely. “And after talking to Edward, I’ve realized that you are an adult and you obviously know what you’re doing. I trust you,”

I glanced at Edward, who shrugged. I wondered what he had said to make her have a change of heart. I gave my mom another hug.

“I’m so glad you’re okay with this,” I grinned. “Now we can have fun,”

“Oh, I’m so excited!” Renee exclaimed. “My daughter is getting married! What’s next? Grandchildren?”

My eyes went wide, and I looked at Edward, who was trying not to laugh.

“We’ll see mom,” I shrugged. I guess this was the best time to talk about it. “Do you want to go into my room and talk?”

She nodded and followed me into the bedroom. We sat next to each other on the bed.

“Bella, I must say that you have made a nice home for yourself here with Edward. The place is so open, so welcoming. I can see you two are very happy,”

I smiled. “Well, I’m glad you feel that way, because I am happy. I am so in love with Edward, and I’m at that point where I know that will never change,”

“I’m happy for you, Bells. It looks like you know what you’re doing. I like Edward a lot. He’s so genuine. What you see is what you get. You need that.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I do,”

“Not to mention that he’s a major hottie,” she joked. “I’m a little jealous,”

“Mom!” I scolded. “You just made a nice mother/daughter moment very uncomfortable,”

“Sorry, Bella,” she laughed. “Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Well,” I sighed. “I just wanted to let you know, that Edward and I have been talking, and we have decided to have a baby.”

“A baby?” she echoed in surprise. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that from you. Since when do you want a baby?”

“I guess it all started a few months ago. I really can’t explain it. It’s just this thing that I really want. It’s like Edward. I need it more than I could ever imagine,”

My mother looked at me as if she were trying to figure me out.

“Are you pregnant now?” she asked hesitantly.

I shrugged. “Not that I know of. But it’s possible,”

My mother thought I was joking, and laughed. I joined in just to play along.

After everyone else arrived at the apartment, craziness had ensued. Renee, Esme, and Alice were giddy about wedding plans. Charlie, Edward, and Phil were all in deep conversation. And Jasper and Emmett were having a controversial debate on Scarface versus The Godfather.

Meanwhile, Rose and I were sitting nervously next to each other on the couch. We both had the same thing on our mind.

“How are you holding up?” I asked her. “Have you talked to Em?”

She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to say anything until I know for sure. This wasn’t exactly a part of the plan. We wanted to wait a few years. He told me a while ago that he’s not ready to be a father.”

“But maybe that will change if you are pregnant. Sometimes guys just need a reality check. Do you think you are ready?”

She shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it until today. I mean, I would do my best, but I’m kind of into my career right now. I’ve never been a baby person.”

“I never was either,” I admitted. “But maybe things will change,”

She nodded. I realized my words weren’t making her feel any better. I looked around the room, noticing that everyone else was already preoccupied. No one would notice if we slipped away for a while.

I put my hand on Rose’s shoulder. “Do you want to put yourself out of your misery?”

She looked at me thankfully. “Please,”

I smiled and took her into my room hurriedly. I knew I probably wasn’t pregnant, but I also knew Rose was anxious to see if she was.

“Go ahead,” I said, pointing to the bathroom. “You first,”

She sighed worriedly, so I pulled her into a hug.

“It’s going to be okay, Rosalie,” I assured. “No matter what happens, I’ll be here for you. Nothing will change that,”

“Thank you,” she replied shakily. She pulled away and walked into the bathroom.

I was next, and not long after we were sitting on my bed, waiting for the results.

“Which kind did we get again?” Rose asked curiously. I knew she was making conversation.

“Plus and minus signs,” I replied. “I would just have gotten confused by the smiley faces. Is a positive meant to be a good thing or a bad thing?”

Rose laughed. “I guess it depends on who you are,”

I put my arm around her. “You know, Rose, if you are pregnant, it won’t be a bad thing. Emmett will be there for you. I know it. He may seem like a buffoon sometimes, but he loves you. And he would love any child you would have together,”

“I hope so,” she sighed. “If not, can I move in with you?”

I laughed. “Of course! You can have my old room. It’s hardly been used.”

“Seriously, Bella, what if we are both pregnant? Wouldn’t that be amazing?”

I sighed. “Yeah, it would. But I just don’t think that will happen. Maybe they’ll both be negative,”

“I don’t know,” Rosalie joked. “I feel pretty pregnant,”

Suddenly, the alarm on my cell phone beeped. We both looked at each other. I was more nervous for her than I was for me.

As we approached the bathroom, we couldn’t look at what was lying on the counter.

“Mine was on the left, yours was on the right,” Rose reminded me. I nodded in reply.

I took her hand, realizing it was shaking. We walked towards the counter, both of us with our eyes closed. We were both cowards.

“Let’s open our eyes on the count of three,” I reasoned.

“Okay.”

“One…”

“Two…”

“Three…”

Both of our eyes shot open. We started at the two sticks for a minute without saying anything. No words could be said.

You see, one of those two sticks were negative. The other had a plus sign.

OOH! Who is it? Thought I'd leave you with a cliffhanger. Now, I can't promise updates everyday this week. I have so much studying to do. Usually, it takes me about an hour to write a chapter, and I dont know if I'll have that kind of time. BUt I will try my hardest to provide these chapters ASAP.

BTW: Vote in the poll. I want to know which characters you like best, so I can give them more prominent roles in the story. Happy Monday! ;)

Chapter: 30

Wow, I've never gotten death threats over fanfiction before. lol. Sorry about the cliffhanger. Please don't kill me for real! haha. I know you wouldnt because I know you want to find out who's preggers. About half of you think it's Rose, the other half Bella. Well, you'll be finding out soon enough...

Edward POV

That night was so crazy. So many people were in the house, all discussing the details of our wedding. It seemed like everyone around us cared more about it than we did.

Things were so hectic, that in the middle of my conversation with Charlie and Phil, I noticed that Bella was missing.

“Hey, where did your daughter go?” I asked Charlie. “She was here a second ago.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Looks like Rose is missing too. They’re probably just talking about wedding stuff, like everyone else.”

Charlie was probably right. Lately, that was all that anybody talked about. Suddenly, I felt Carlisle’s hand on my shoulder.

“Hey, Edward, can I speak to you outside for a minute?” he asked. I could tell he had a concerned look on his face.

“Sure dad,” I replied, getting up. “Excuse me, guys.”

We walked outside to the balcony. Something was making him nervous.

“Dad, are you alright?” I asked. “You look worried,”

“I’m fine, son,” he sighed. “I just want to talk to you about something, but I’m afraid you’ll take it the wrong way.”

“Well, what is it about? Maybe I’ll surprise you.”

“It’s about your marriage, Edward,” he said abruptly.

Oh God. Did he know? Could he just tell by the way I had been acting? I knew he was good at reading people, but if he could get this, I would be amazed.

“Wh-what about my marriage?” I stuttered.

“Edward, you know that your mother and I love Bella like one of the family. I honestly am really happy that you two are getting married. I know you have been waiting for her a long time, and I know you two will be very happy together.”

“Okay, so what’s the problem?”

“Well, it’s not really a problem, Edward. It’s more of a request. There’s something I think you should do, just to protect yourself in case…in case something happens.”

I looked at him strangely. “I don’t think I understand completely. What is it you are talking about exactly?”

“I’m saying that I think it would be best if you had Bella sign a pre-nup.”

I was taken aback by his words. “What? A pre-nup?”

“Yes, Edward. I know your financial situation, and I know you are very well off, especially for someone your age. And I know that as you advance in your career, that income is only going to increase. Now, I honestly feel like you and Bella will go the distance, and it’s not that I don’t trust her. But you never know what could happen in the future. Wouldn’t you feel better if you knew that you were secure?”

I couldn’t believe he was saying this. I was almost offended.

“Dad, first of all, Bella and I will not be getting a divorce. That is not an option. I would feel horrible for doing making her sign something that basically defeats the purpose of our marriage, which is based on trust. I have plenty of hope for us. Secondly, if by some freak incident, divorce was a possibility, Bella would never go out of her way to take all my money. She is not like that. She won’t even take my coat, for God’s sake! Thirdly, if I ever become so stupid as to let Bella get away from me, then I hope she would take everything. Because without her, I’ll have nothing anyway.”

Carlisle could tell that this was angering me. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being with Bella. Like I said, it was not an option. He put his hand on my shoulder.

“Son, it’s okay. I’m sorry I brought it up. I just wanted to look out for you. I know that you are a smart man. It’s just that I know that love sometimes blinds a person. I would hate to see that happen to you.”

I smirked. “Love hasn’t blinded me, dad. It’s opened my eyes. If I was in this situation with a past girlfriend, I would have signed those papers in a heartbeat. But this is Bella. Things are different.”

Carlisle nodded in understanding. “Alright, Edward. I trust your judgment. Let’s just forget about this whole conversation.”

“Thanks, dad,” I nodded. I laughed to myself. “It’s kind of too late for that anyway.”

“What?” Carlisle reacted, snapping his head in my direction.

I realized I had slipped. It was easier to get away with little things like that in front of our friends, but my father was smarter than that. I could tell he was suspicious.

“Edward, you are one of the best lawyers in the city, so I know you know that a pre-nup is available until the marriage. Do you want to tell me why it would be too late?”

“Uh…” I couldn’t get any words out. My father was the one person who could intimidate me. I could manipulate any jury in Seattle, but there was no way I could find a loophole from his stare.

“Edward…?” he prompted. I would have to tell him.

“Dad, if I tell you something, would you promise not to tell anyone? Seriously, I mean, not mom, not Alice, no one?”

He nodded in response.

“Okay,” I sighed. “The truth is, Bella and I are kind of already married,”

I was expecting him to flip. I know my mother would have. I definitely knew Alice would have. Instead, he smirked.

“I was wondering when you were going to tell me,” he mumbled.

I stared at him in shock. “You knew?”

“Edward, you know I can read you better than anybody else on the planet. I could just tell from your body language alone. The way you stand with Bella, the way you talk to her, it was all different. You act almost prideful, like you are proud to be her husband. And you seem a little more protective too. I had never seen that before. Not to mention your face lights up whenever anyone says husband or wife.”

“You could tell all that?” I asked, amazed by his intuition.

He nodded. “Yeah, but that’s just me. I’ve got mad skills.”

“Ha,” I laughed. “You know, you shouldn’t talk like that, old man.”

“Who’s old?” he defended. “And you better be nice to me, or I’ll tell Alice.”

“You wouldn’t,” I challenged. “You promised you wouldn’t say anything. And I know that you’re a man of your word. Am I right?”

He sighed and nodded. “Yes, Edward. You have my word. I won’t tell.”

Suddenly, I heard a knock from the inside of the balcony door. I saw Bella through the glass on the other side. She slowly opened the door, peeking her head out.

“Hey,” she said softly. “I hope I’m not interrupting your conversation. I just need to speak with Edward for a minute.”

“Of course,” Carlisle smiled. “I’ll be inside.” He smirked when he looked at Bella. “See you later, Mrs. Cullen…”

With that he walked back into the apartment. Bella stared at me wide eyed.

“What was that?” she asked in shock.

“He knows,” I admitted. “Apparently, he knew all along.”

“What? Edward, that ruins everything. They are all going to kill us, you know. Every one of them. Crap!”

“Bella, it’s okay,” I laughed, pulling her into a hug. “He’s going to keep it quiet. He gave me his word. It won’t slip.”

“Are you sure?” she asked worriedly.

I laughed and rubbed her back.

“Positive.”

Suddenly, she slowly pulled away. “Speaking of that…” she started. “I have to talk to you about something.”

“Are you alright?” I asked, noticing her face looked a little shocked. “Are you feeling well?”

“Yeah, I feel fine,” she assured hesitantly. “It’s just that, I took that pregnancy test already and…”

“Oh, it was negative, wasn’t it?” I said sadly, putting my arm around her. That would explain for her strange look on her face. “Bella, I’m sorry. I know you were expecting that, but I’m sure it wasn’t easy seeing it in black and white. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

“No, Edward, you don’t understand…” she began, shaking her head.

“Yes, I do, Bella. I know that we said we wouldn’t get our hopes up. But how could we not? I understand that you’re disappointed. Let’s just try and think positively though. We’ll just keep trying until…”

“Edward, I’m pregnant!” she interrupted quickly. “The test wasn’t negative.”

I stared at her for a minute, trying to process her words. Pregnant. Pregnant, as in carrying our child. Pregnant, as in having a human life inside of her. Pregnant, as in having our baby.

“Bella,” I breathed, hardly able to form words. “Are you sure?”

“Well, not completely,” she admitted. “I mean, my period is due tomorrow, so if I don’t get it, I’ll be sure. Other than that, I haven’t had many symptoms, but that could just mean that it’s really early. But the test was positive. It was positive, Edward!”

I saw a smile escape her face. I couldn’t help but ecstatically grin. There were no words to express how I felt at that moment. I didn't know what I could say to let her know all that I was thinking. I just did what felt right. I took her face in my hands and kissed her. I kissed her as hard as I could, urgently trying to tell her through my actions everything I was feeling. She kissed me back with the same passion.

“Bella, what does this mean?” I said excitedly, as our kiss broke. She placed her hands on my cheeks.

“It means, Edward,” she whispered happily. “That there is a very good chance that I am carrying your child. There is a very good chance that we’re having a baby.”

“Really?” I asked, still grinning like an idiot. “Our baby. We’re going to have a baby?”

She nodded and squealed excitedly. I had to embrace her again. I couldn’t let her go. I held her close to me and kissed her head.

“Bella, I love you so much,” I whispered. “I love you so so much. I can’t…I can’t even…”

“I know, Edward,” she assured. I could tell she was crying. “I love you too. I love everything about you. I love your eyes, I love your smile, I love your talent. I love the way you look at me, and the way you touch me, and the way you kiss me. The one thing I want more than anything is to have your baby. I want this so bad, Edward.”

“I do too, Bella,” I replied, hugging her tightly. “I want to have a baby that is just like you. I know he or she will be smart, and brave, and beautiful, like my wife. I am so excited, Bella. I am so excited to have our family.”

We stood there for a few minutes, just holding each other. I could feel Bella crying into my shirt. I knew how much she wanted this.

This was everything that I could ever hope for. My life would be complete. I had everything I could ever want: money, a career, a beautiful wife who I loved more than life itself, and now a child. I couldnt let go of Bella. She was the reason I was so happy. She was the reason why I felt as if I could jump off the balcony and fly. I kissed her again.

"My God, Bella," I breathed. "YOu have no idea. I am so...so..."

Unfortunately, our beautiful moment was interrupted by Alice…of course.

“Guys, when are you coming in? We’re starving!” she started, as she opened the door to the balcony. When she saw Bella in tears, her face changed.

“Bella, what’s wrong?” she asked, concerned. “Why are you crying?”

I gently kissed Bella on top of her head.

“She’s just a little emotional,” I lied. “It’s just now hitting her that we’re getting married in a few days. She got a little over-excited.”

“Oh, Bella!” Alice laughed. “You’re so dramatic. You guys basically act married already. This won’t change much.”

We laughed at her reasoning. Little did she know that the reason we acted married was because we really were.

“Alice, we’ll be right in,” I said, calmly. “Can you just give Bella and I a minute please?”

I looked at her sincerely, and she gave in. She nodded and went back inside. I gave Bella a kiss on the forehead.

“So, now what?” I asked, curiously.

She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Well, I’ll call my doctor tonight and make an appointment for one day this week, before the wedding. I’ll also grab another pregnancy test. Then we can be sure. After that, we’ll do the wedding and New Zealand,”

“And when we come back, we can start looking for that house,” I added.

Then the door opened again. This time it was Rosalie.

“What now?” I groaned, frustrated. “Can’t I just have a moment with my…fiancée?”

“It’s okay, Edward,” Bella smiled.

Rose smirked. “So, did you tell him?”

Bella nodded happily. Rose came up and gave me a hug.

“Congratulations daddy!” she joked. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Rosalie knows?” I asked, looking at Bella.

“Who do you think was with her when she took the test?” Rose replied.

I wondered what I was missing. Why would Bella take the test with Rose there instead of me?

“I’ll explain everything later,” Bella assured.

“And don’t worry,” Rose interjected. “I won’t tell anybody about this. You guys wait until you’re ready.”

“Thank you,” I said hesitantly. “Sorry, I’m just trying to get my head around this. How do you know exactly?”

Bella kissed me on the cheek and laughed.

“Sorry, Edward. I would have taken the test with you there, but I honestly thought it would be negative.”

“It’s okay,” I smiled. “I’m just happy that it was positive. This is like the greatest day of my life.”

“Mine too,” Bella grinned.

“Okay, Mr. and future Mrs. Happiness,” Rose joked. “Let’s get back inside before people start getting suspicious.”

We nodded and returned back into the apartment. It was difficult to control our giddiness in front of the family. We were both smiling so much, that everyone looked at us funny.

“What is it with you too?” Alice asked as we ate. “You haven’t wiped those looks off your faces all night.”

“Drop it, Alice,” Rose scolded. “They are just happy. You would be too if you were the one getting married.”

That shut her up for the rest of the night. Other than that, we did a good job of hiding things. Our one slip up was when Bella reached for the wine. I cleared my throat, trying to get her attention, but she was too engrossed in conversation.

“Bella,” I said cautiously, trying not to be obvious. “Are you sure you want that? I thought you only liked red wine.”

She looked at me for a second, quickly remembering the situation.

“Oh yeah!” she laughed. “I couldn’t see through the bottle. Thanks for warning me.”

She put the bottle down and returned to her dinner. I thought for sure that someone would catch on, but apparently I give my family and friends too much credit.

A little while later, we all sat in the living room having coffee. I had volunteered to put Marie to sleep while Alice and Jasper were in conversation. Bella sat next to me as I held the sleeping baby in my arms. She looked down at her, smiling.

“Can you believe we’ll have one of these soon?” she whispered, so no one could hear.

“I know. It’s crazy. Look at her. She’s so beautiful, so peaceful. I can’t wait until we have one of our own. A baby that is a part of me and a part of you. I just hope I can handle it.”

Bella smiled and gently touched the baby’s head. Then, she placed a kiss on my cheek.

“You’re going to be a great father, Edward. There’s no doubt about that.”

“Thanks,” I replied, as he head rested on my shoulder. “And I know you’ll be a wonderful mother.”

“You really think so?”

I thought about how caring, how loving Bella was. I thought about how much she made me smile on any given day. I remembered how selfless she was, and how she always put everyone else before her. I loved Bella with all of my heart and soul. I knew we would be better than fine.

“Yes, Bella,” I whispered, kissing the top of her head. “I’m positive.”

SO there you go. I hope everyone is happy with it. The question is now: can Carlisle and ROse keep their new secrets. I think the wedding will be next. Hopefully tomorrow fingers crossed, but I cannot promise. Thank you so much for your reviews! I love knowing how into the story you are. Please keep it up.

Don't forget to vote in the poll!

Chapter: 31

So, I'm glad to know that you guys approve of Bella's pregnancy. I was nervous about that. Anyway, I had to update late because I had a huge load of work to do tonight, so I stayed up late to finish this chapter. It's a little longer than usual, and its all BPOV again. Hope you like it!

Bella POV

It was official! I was definitely pregnant.

Edward and I had gone to the doctor the morning of the rehearsal dinner. We found out that I was a little under a month along, and I was due in early February.

Needless to say, we were overjoyed. I didn’t think our attempts at conceiving would become successful so soon. Even when I read the pregnancy test, I had doubts. But I guess it was meant to be, because now I had no doubt in my mind that I was carrying Edward’s child.

Edward himself was ecstatic about this. He was already thinking of names and talking about all the things we would be buying. I had never seen him so happy.

We obviously decided to keep this news to ourselves until after we came back from New Zealand. We thought that announcing at the wedding that the bride was pregnant would really change the tone of the fake ceremony.

It was now the morning of the wedding, and I was glad to awake in the arms of my husband. How many people could say that?

“Good morning,” Edward whispered, realizing that I was awake. “Are you ready to get married?”

“Again?” I laughed. “Sure. Only this time we have to go through ten times more crap than we did the first time.”

Edward smiled at me and played with a piece of my hair.

“Well, think of it this way. It’s 7 o’clock in the morning. In 15 hours, we’ll be on our way to the other side of the world for two weeks, just the two of us. No family, no friends, just you, me, and our soon-to-be baby,”

He gently rested his hand on my stomach. Even though our child was really a little more than a cluster of cells at this point, he or she was very real to us. We already felt that the baby was a huge part of our lives.

“I can’t wait,” I smiled happily.

I was so excited for our second honeymoon. I’m glad Edward and I would be able to use this trip as one final escape before we were tied down to a baby at home. It would be just the two of us, with no other distractions for two whole weeks.

Edward smiled at me, as we looked in each other’s eyes for a few minutes. There would always be these moments in our relationship. There would be times when no words would need to be said. We could talk to each other just from our eyes alone. It sounded so cheesy, but it was true. It was like we had this mysterious connection that could never be broken.

Unfortunately, our moment was ruined by the phone ringing.

“Fifty bucks that it’s Alice,” I sighed, realizing that this stressful, over the top day was about to begin.

Edward rolled his eyes, knowing I was right. He handed me the phone.

“Hello?” I answered tiredly.

“Bella, it’s your wedding day!” Alice screeched over the phone. I had to hold it away from my ear.

“Yes, Alice, I know,” I replied, pretending to be as excited as she was.

“Okay, well today will be very busy. First off, kick Edward out of there. He will be getting ready at our place. Rose and I will be over in an hour to start with the beautification of the three of us. Your mom is picking up the dress with Esme, and they’ll be over right before we leave. The men will take care of everything else.”

It was way too early in the morning to process this information. Besides, Edward was kissing my neck, trying to distract me. It was working. I giggled as his lips tickled my skin.

“What the hell is so funny, Bella?” Alice demanded. “Is Edward there with you? Can’t he give it a rest for one more day? Then, you two can have all the post-marital sex you want on your honeymoon.”

I wasn’t listening. With the phone to my ear, I started to kiss Edward back. Alice must have heard me from her end of the line.

She sighed with frustration.

“Root canals, dog crap, Flavor Flav, pig vomit, Emmett naked…” she rambled on the phone.

“What the hell?” I spat, stopping in my tracks, almost pushing Edward off me.

“There,” Alice laughed. “Did I kill the mood?”

“Most definitely,” I nodded, wanting to puke over the thought of Emmett naked. Then something interesting happened. I actually did want to puke.

“Alice, I’ll call you back, alright?”I said hurriedly.

“Bella, don’t you dare hang up! I swear to God, if you are not out of bed by the time I get there…”

I hung up on her. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom as quickly as possible. Everything happened so quickly, that Edward had a look of confusion on his face.

As I was throwing up in the toilet, I felt Edward behind me, holding my hair back and rubbing my shoulders.

When I was done, I looked back to see a concerned look in his eyes.

“Are you alright?” he asked worriedly.

I nodded catching my breath. “Well, it’s not the way I would have asked to start the day of my wedding, but other than that I’m fine. I was wondering when the morning sickness would start. But why today of all days?”

He kissed me on the forehead. “I’m sorry, Bella. It’s not fair that you have to go through this.”

“But it’s all worth it in the end,” I pointed out. “Besides, I think that might have been the worst of it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep the cake down.”

He embraced me in a tight hug. “How about I go and make you a nice cup of tea to settle your stomach? Does that sound good?”

“Perfect,” I breathed. “What did I ever do to deserve a husband as wonderful as you?”

He chuckled and went off into the kitchen.

Left in the bathroom, I realized that although it was my wedding day, it was also Saturday, the day when my column would appear in the paper. I decided to pick it up from the doorstep and look over it. Last time, they printed an embarrassing typo, that wasn’t my fault.

As I flipped through the paper, I hastily read over my column, too tired to really process what I was reading. However, I saw a little note at the end of my column that caught my eye, prompting me to turn to another section of the newspaper.

“What the hell?” I said, confused about this. When I reached the Lifestyle Section, I gasped as I looked under Wedding Announcements.

There in bold print read

Columnist Bella Swan to Marry this Saturday.

Underneath was a large picture of me and Edward. The article read…

The Seattle Times’ own columnist, Isabella Swan is to marry attorney Edward Cullen this Saturday, May 16th. Swan, 25, the former writer of the newspaper’s announcements, met Cullen, 27, when introduced by her best friend, who happened to be the groom’s sister. The couple has been dating since late July, and plan to start a family as soon as possible. Alice Cullen, the groom’s sister and the bride’s best friend who is responsible for their introduction states, “I have never seen either of them so happy. They are so in love and have such a healthy relationship with each other. They are all about honesty and respect. Truly, they are the perfect couple.” The two will be having a private ceremony with no more than 60 guests, and will be honeymooning in New Zealand for two weeks. Everyone here at the paper wishes them a wonderful wedding and continuous happiness.

I felt a blush rush to my cheeks. The entire article, including the picture, took up about half of the page.

“Edward…” I called from the living room. “I am going to kill your sister.”

“Why is that?” he laughed, carrying in my cup of tea. I traded him the mug for the paper. He smirked when he read the article.

“Hm, this is a little much,” he stated thoughtfully. “A whole bunch of fuss for a decoy wedding, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” I laughed. “What do you think our real wedding announcement would say?”

“Hmm,” he thought out loud. “How about this? Edward Cullen and Bella Swan were married two months ago in a small chapel in Las Vegas. The bride looked breathtaking in a beautiful blue dress, and the groom couldn’t keep his eyes off of her the whole night.”

He placed his hands on my waist as he continued. “After reciting their vows, the couple escaped immediately to their hotel, spending countless hours in complete bliss as they satisfied ever single…”

“Edward,” I laughed, interrupting him. “Is this going to turn from a wedding announcement to soft-core porn?”

“Sorry,” he winked. “I got off track. Anyways…after their very private ceremony, the couple returned back to Seattle, keeping their nuptials a secret from their family and friends. It has now been announced that the beautiful Bella Cullen is now expecting the couple’s first child, and the two are overjoyed at the news of the pregnancy. The groom still finds the bride just as beautiful as he did the day they first met, and he loves her with all of his heart and soul. The two plan to live happily ever after.”

He gently placed a kiss on my lips.

“That was beautiful,” I whispered, pulling him closer. “You did a much better job than I did while I was in charge of writing those stupid announcements. You make it seem so natural, so romantic.”

“Well, that’s only because it was about us,” he pointed out. “So, Mrs. Cullen, are you ready to marry me…again?”

I sighed. “Not really,” I admitted. “But I am ready to finally be called Mrs. Cullen in public.”

“Yes, I am definitely enjoying that too. I told Jessica that from now on, whenever you call, she has to say that Mrs. Cullen is on Line 1.”

I laughed. Poor Jessica.

About 45 minutes later, Alice showed up at my door, demanding that Edward leave. I didn’t want to say goodbye, but I had to remember that I would be seeing him soon, and then we’d be off on our escape.

I gave him a passionate kiss at the door, not wanting to let him go.

“I’ll see you soon,” he vowed quietly. “Take care of the little one, okay?”

I nodded, knowing Alice couldn’t hear. She could however, see.

“Edward, get out!” she demanded. “It’s bad enough you saw the bride before the wedding. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”

He rolled his eyes and kissed me again. “Goodbye, Mrs. Cullen,” he said softly.

With that, he left the apartment. I turned around to see Alice, crossing her arms sternly.

“Now, listen to me, Bella,” she said seriously. “I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you look perfect today. So, you will not doubt me, and you will do everything I say. Do you understand me?”

I sighed and nodded. I figured it would be easier to just let her do what she wanted.

And so began the long process of my beautification. Everything from my hair to my makeup was worked on, as if I were a sculpture. I felt like a prisoner in my own home.

About an hour before we left, my mother and Esme arrived with my dress. When I saw the two of them in their outfits, my jaw dropped open.

“You two look fantastic!” I gaped.

My mother was wearing an off the shoulder black and white dress, that was very form-fitting. And Esme’s dress was purple, also showing off her curves. I thought the two of them would be too reserved to wear such attention grabbing attire.

“Damn, you look hot!” Rose yelped. “Looks like we have competition.”

Renee blushed. “Well, the two of us were talking last night. And since we are practically grandparents, we thought we might as well look good to prove we still got it. Right, Esme?”

She nodded. “Yep. So, we made an emergency shopping trip this morning.”

“Grandparents?” Alice laughed. “My mom might be a grandma, but Renee, you still have a little while before you start calling yourself that.”

I looked at Rose, who raised her eyebrows.

“Yes,” Renee replied. “But I know that Bella and Edward have plans for that, so I might as well admit to myself that it will eventually happen.”

“Alright!” I squeaked, changing the subject. “How about I get that dress on?”

I got up and asked Rose to give me a hand in the bedroom. As I stepped into the dress, Rose made a face at me.

“I know what you are going to say, and there’s no way,” I replied to her silent question. “I’m going to wait until after the wedding to tell her.”

“She’s your mother, Bella,” Rose insisted. “If you are going to tell anyone, it should be her.”

I shook my head. “No, Rose. I can’t do that to her today. She might not take it well, and I really want her to have a good time tonight. Look at her. She’s never felt so good about life. I want her to enjoy herself at her only daughter’s wedding without having to know that she’s about to become a grandmother.”

Rose sighed. “I guess I understand.”

After zipping up my dress and getting fully situated, Rose stared at me with wide eyes.

“What?” I asked to her reaction. “Is there something on the dress? What’s wrong?”

“Bella,” she breathed. “You look stunning. You are actually glowing!”

I blushed as Rose called everyone else into the room. When my mother saw me, I could see that she was holding back tears.

“Oh, Bella,” she gasped. “You’re beautiful. I can’t believe my little Bell Bells is standing here in a wedding dress.”

She embraced me tightly and kissed me on the cheek. I was trying not to cry myself. I felt like I was lying to her, lying to everybody. This wedding meant something more to everyone else besides me and Edward. Yes, it did mean something, but it wasn’t real. Our first wedding was real.

I threw away the negative thoughts and tried to think positive. I would be seeing Edward soon. I would be there with him and that’s all I wanted.

The time flew by after that. Before I knew it, I was at the church, waiting to walk down the aisle. Everything was so beautiful. It was nightime, and the garden was illuminated by candles and Christmas lights, even though it was the middle of May. Everyone was there, dressed up nicely in their dresses and suits.

Rosalie and Alice were wearing their deep blue dresses. The color was picked by me, but I let them choose which styles they wanted. They both looked so gorgeous, I was nervous that I would look disappointing. But honestly, I didn’t care, because I knew Edward wouldn’t. Edward would love me no matter how I looked.

I waited inside with Charlie, as the final touches were being made. Neither of us knew exactly what to say to each other. He would be walking me down the aisle, per my request, but I had a feeling he wasn’t ready to give me away just yet.

I put my hand on his shoulder. “How are you doing, dad?” I asked sincerely.

“I’m fine, Bella,” he assured. “It’s you I’m worried about. I keep expecting you to get cold feet and make a run for it.”

I laughed to myself. It was about two months too late for that. Not only that, but I had a baby to think about now.

I looked at my dad. He had always seemed so ageless to me. It seemed as if he hadn’t changed, even after all these years. Sure, a few wrinkles had formed around his eyes, and specks of gray had scattered in his hair. But in the end, he would always be that guy who pushed me on the swing when I was five, and the man I made dinner for every night after my mother left him. And now, I was going to make him a grandfather.

I gave him a kiss on the cheek, trying not to cry.

“I love you dad,” I said shakily. “I know I don’t say it enough, but I really do.”

He put his arm around me and sighed. “I love you too, Bells. You know, I’m very proud of you. You finally found what was missing from your life. You have a good guy in there who I know will take care of you. But you know that you will always have a place back home. No matter what, you can always come back.”

“I know, dad,” I nodded, with a tear running down my cheek. “And you know, I’ll always be your little girl. I may be getting married, but I’ll always be Chief Swan’s daughter.”

“You know it,” he smirked. “You still have that taser, right?”

I laughed and nodded my head. “Yeah, dad, I do.”

Suddenly, Alice came out excitedly. “Okay Bella. It’s show time!”

Charlie and I took a deep breath and stood up. Alice positioned everyone in the right order and gave us last minute directions.

“You really do look beautiful, Bella,” my dad whispered, before we walked down the aisle. “Just try not to fall on your face, alright?”

I laughed loudly and gave my dad a hug. He always knew exactly what to say.

Then, the music started. Rosalie and Emmett walked out first, followed by Alice and Jasper. Just like in my first wedding, I wasn’t nervous. Instead, I felt strange. Something was just not right about this.

Charlie and I started down the aisle, and my eyes immediately searched for Edward’s. When I saw him, I could see his lips curl up into a smile, taking in the sight of me. I was glad then that I didn’t wear a veil. I told myself that wasn’t me. I wasn’t one to hide. But Edward and I were hiding too much, and that knot in my stomach tightened.

When we reached the front, Charlie squeezed my hand and smiled at me, before handing me over to Edward. I looked in my husband’s eyes and I could see he was feeling the exact same thing I was.

As the pastor started speaking about our family and friends witnessing our union, I started to breathe heavily. Edward was looking at me with concern.

When the time came to recite our vows, I stared at him, looking for answers. His eyes told me everything.

You see, I couldn’t stand up there and tell him the same words I said the first time we got married. I couldn’t stand up there and lie. I still felt the same way about him, but I wasn’t about to put on a performance. With Edward, I didn’t want to pretend. I wanted it to be real.

We had already had the real wedding. We had our moment, where we devoted ourselves to one another. So, why were we here, saying words that were rehearsed, and trying to act as if this whole experience was life-changing? Edward had already changed my life in more ways than one. This wedding was just some huge charade to keep everyone happy.

The minister prompted me to recite my vows, but I couldn’t speak. I just kept staring at Edward. He was thinking the same thing. I could tell by the frustration in his eyes. Neither of us wanted this. So, why were we pretending?

“I’m sorry,” my shaky voice announced, as I kept my eyes on Edward. “I can’t do this.”

Ooh! What's going to happen? haha. Side note: I have a 3 year old sister named Bella (not after this one; just a coincidence) and we always call her Bell Bells. So, that line of Renee's was kind of a shout out to her. lol. Anyway, review this chapter. I can't wait to hear your reactions, and your thoughts and/or predictions.

PS. Dresses from story are on my profile. And vote in the poll if you havent already done so.

Chapter: 32

OKay, this is a long chapter. Alot goes down here, so have fun with it. PLease.

Edward POV

“I’m sorry,” her shaky voice announced, as she kept her eyes on me. “I can’t do this.”

I exhaled in relief. I knew from the look in her eyes that this was wrong to her. Luckily, I was feeling the same way. I opened my arms, letting her into an embrace.

I heard the people in attendance gasp when they heard her speak those words. I knew exactly what they were assuming. But for that second, I could only focus on Bella. I kissed her on the top of her head.

“I know, Bella,” I whispered. “It didn’t feel right to me either.”

“I tried, Edward,” she breathed. “I really did. But I couldn’t stand up here and lie. I couldn’t put on this performance. Neither of us want this.”

“It’s okay,” I assured. “You did the right thing. If you hadn’t stopped this, I would have.”

Everyone was staring at us. Some looked scared, some looked angry, but most were confused.

“What’s going on?” I heard people whisper.

“I can’t believe she’s leaving him at the altar!”

“What is this?”

We looked at each other. How were we supposed to admit to 60 people that we had lied to them? How were we supposed to explain this to our family, our friends, and most terrifyingly…Alice?”

“We have to say something, Bella,” I whispered into her ear. “We can’t just stop the wedding without any explanation.”

She looked up at me, trying to say something. I could tell that her face looked pale, and she was breathing heavily. Suddenly, she covered her mouth.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” she mumbled as she ran off into the building.

I looked into the crowd. Everyone was staring at me in shock, waiting for an explanation. I couldn’t imagine what they were thinking. I just stood there, not knowing what to do.

“Um,” I muttered. “Excuse me for a moment. Everyone stay put.”

I ran into the main hall to try to find Bella. I saw the women’s restroom and I knew she would be in there. I looked around and then slowly entered the forbidden territory.

“Bella?” I whispered, praying she was in there. I found my reply when I heard both sobbing and gagging from one of the stalls. I burst into where she was and sighed when I saw Bella on the ground, with her head over the toilet, crying uncontrollably.

“Oh, love,” I said sympathetically, kneeling next to her. I pushed back her hair and gently rubbed circles on her back.

I felt pain for Bella. She was in a miserable condition. I could tell she was upset about running out on the ceremony, and now she was throwing up her lunch, while sitting on the bathroom floor in her wedding dress.

When Bella was done, she looked at me, still sobbing hysterically. I pulled her against my chest and kissed her head.

“I’m so sorry, Edward,” she choked out. “You know I love you so much. You know I love being married to you. I just didn’t want to say anything that was less than sincere. I couldn’t stand up there and live out this lie for them. I just couldn’t do it. I feel like I’ve ruined everything…”

“Sshh,” I whispered in her ear. I comforted her by slowly rocking her back and forth in my arms, rubbing her back. It was like calming down a small child. “It’s alright, Bella. I understand. All I care about is that you’re okay. How are you feeling? Better?”

“Only physically,” she breathed. “I’m so scared to go back out there. What am I going to say? Everyone will hate us.”

“No they won’t, Bells. Everyone out there really cares for us. They might be a little upset, but they will get over it eventually. And if they don’t, we still have each other, right?”

She nodded, continuing to cry into my chest.

“And soon we’ll have our baby, and we’ll be a family. The three of us are going to be very happy, you know. And if these people are so petty, as to not want to be a part of our lives because of this, then that is their problem. All we need is each other. I don’t need anyone but you.”

I touched my hand to her cheek, as she gently kissed me. I knew right then that it would all be okay. As long as I had Bella and this baby, we would be fine.

“Thank you, Edward,” she whispered. “You always know what to say, even in the strangest of situations.”

I laughed and used my thumb to wipe the tears from her eyes. Some of her makeup was starting to smudge.

“I love you, Bella, but I have to say you are a mess. How many women will you find crying on the bathroom floor in their wedding dress?”

She playfully punched me in the arm. “Oh yeah? How many men are kneeling on the floor in their tux in the women’s restroom? I believe you take the cake, Mr. Cullen.”

We both chuckled and looked at each other. We knew what we were both putting off.

“Don’t worry, Bella,” I said seriously. “I can take care of this. I’ll just go out there and tell everyone the truth. Then, we’ll take off and head to New Zealand. You shouldn’t deal with this kind of stress.”

She shook her head. “No, Edward. It’s okay. I am just as responsible for this as you are. We should tell them together.”

I sighed and nodded my head. “But at least let me do the talking.”

I got up and held out m hand, helping Bella off the floor. When I took in the full sight of her, I smiled again.

“Bella, you really do look beautiful tonight. You must be the most gorgeous bride in the world.”

She laughed, as if I were telling a joke. She walked over to the mirror and gasped in horror.

“Crap! I really am a mess!” she sighed. “All of my makeup is ruined.”

I came up behind her and put my arms around her waist.

“Firstly, Bella, you look beautiful. Nothing could change that. Secondly, it doesn’t even matter considering the fact that everyone thinks you are dumping me right now.”

“Ha,” she smirked. “Like I would dump you!”

I took a wet paper towel and gently wiped the smudged makeup off of her face. I always thought she looked much more beautiful when her face was natural and bare.

“There,” I said, smiling. “All better.”

She kissed me lightly and took my arm. “Thank you, Edward. Now, let’s go upset some angry people.”

I nodded and we began to walk out of the bathroom. Before we could reach everyone else, however, we were stopped by a truly terrifying force.

Alice.

“Edward, may I please speak to Bella alone for a second?” she said in an angry tone.

Bella POV

I knew I was dead. There was no way Alice would forgive me for this.

Edward must have felt just as nervous, because he tightened his grip on me.

“It’s okay,” I assured him. “Wait for me over there. Wait for me before you go outside.”

He sighed and nodded in agreement, hesitantly walking away. When he was out of hearing-range, Alice pounced.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Alice seethed.

“I can explain, Alice,” I defended. “Please, just let me explain.”

“I thought of you as my sister. You are my best friend, and I trusted you to not hurt my brother. I thought that you two were for real!”

“We are, Alice!” I assured. “Please, come with me outside, and we’ll explain everything!”

“No!” she snapped. “You don’t get to explain yourself. It’s bad enough you are leaving my brother at the altar. Do you know how much he loves you Bella? Do you know that he would literally kill for you? He basically saved your life and this is how you repay him? We are done, Bella. It turns out, you are just another Tanya!”

I stared at her, unable to speak. Those were the most hurtful words she could say to me. How could anyone doubt the love I had for Edward?

That’s when my husband swooped in. He must have heard the whole rant. He protectively ran to my side and took me in his arms, knowing I was about to cry.

“That’s enough, Alice,” he angrily interrupted. “Go wait outside with everyone else. Don’t talk about things you don’t understand. I promise you we will give you a full explanation, but please, do not speak to Bella like that.”

“But Edward…”

“Now!” he yelled. “If you ever want me to speak to you again, you will go outside this instant.”

Alice shook her head in frustration and glared at me, as she walked back into the garden.

“Edward, you didn’t need to yell at her like that. She doesn’t know…”

“Stop, Bella,” he said seriously. “She should know better than to speak that way to the woman I love. And you, my dear, are nothing like Tanya.”

I nodded as he gave me a kiss. He took my hand and led me out into the garden, where everyone was waiting in confusion and shock. Every face in the crowd was looking for an answer. Edward squeezed my hand tightly as we reached the front.

“Alright,” He sighed, looking at the blank faces. “I suppose you all are wondering what’s going on. The two of us are very very sorry for the interruption, but we have made the mutual decision that this wedding cannot proceed.”

I looked over at Alice, who was furiously staring at us. All of our other friends were in total shock, and our families looked disappointed (except Carlisle of course).

“I don’t get how you can be so calm about this!” Alice angrily objected. “How can you hold her hand like that, after she basically left you at the altar and ran off to puke?”

I could tell I was blushing from embarrassment.

“Alice, she didn’t leave me at the altar,” Edward corrected. He took a deep breath and looked down. “The fact is, this wedding was never real to begin with.”

Everyone looked more confused than they had to begin with.

“Edward, what are you talking about?” Emmett asked. “I thought you two were going to get married.”

“We were,” He admitted. “It’s just that…we kind of already…are.”

I could hear the gasps and the whispers loudly. We tried to ignore everything, but we knew we had to give an explanation. Edward, once again, took over.

“You see, two months ago, I sort of had this epiphany. It’s really hard to explain, and going into details would just make things even more complicated. It’s just that, I realized that I couldn’t wait to marry Bella. I had to do it right away. So, we snuck off to Vegas and did it there.”

“You did what?!” Alice yelled. “You eloped to Vegas! Are you kidding me? That is so not you. That is so not Bella. How could you do that?”

“Alice, we didn’t do it to hurt you,” I jumped in. “It’s just that, everyone wanted us to have this big huge wedding with the dress and the flowers and the cake. That is not us. This is not us. At the time, it just felt right to do what we wanted for once.”

“But how could you not have us there?” Alice defended. “I mean, I’m Edward’s sister! I’m your best friend! Why would you want to cheat the people you love out of seeing you get married?”

Edward stepped in. “Alice, marriage means something different for everyone. For you, it means some big production where all the attention is on you and you have the huge fairytale celebration. For us, it was about being together, in an intimate and private setting. At that moment, all that mattered was that the two of us were there. We were going to do this whole thing for you guys, but we just couldn’t. We couldn’t stand up there and repeat what we said, when the result would only be fake.”

Everyone was still trying to take this information in. To be honest, I didn’t care too much about my friends’ opinions. I knew they would forgive us eventually. It was the family I was worried about. I looked at my parents.

“Mom, dad, please say something,” I pleaded.

My dad shrugged and sighed. “Bella, I am a little shocked to be honest. I mean, I never thought you would run off to Vegas. But, all your life you’ve been making other people happy. I’m proud of you two for finally doing what you guys wanted. All I want is for you to be happy. Is that the case?”

I nodded tearfully and walked over to where he was sitting. I couldn’t help but give him a hug.

“Thank you, dad.” I looked at Renee. “Mom?”

She sighed too, but more in frustration. “Honestly, Bella. I was really looking forward to seeing you get married. You know I will never get that chance again. I feel like that’s been taken from me.”

“I know, mom,” I nodded. “I understand completely. And I am sorry. I know what I did was selfish, but I had to do it. I tried so hard to want this wedding. I really did. I know it’s what you wanted, but I couldn’t. For some reason, I had to do it my way, because that was the only way that meant something. I’m so sorry.”

I cried, knowing I had disappointed her. She immediately put her arms around me.

“Bella, stop crying. I am not mad at you,” she said. “Yes, I would have loved to have been there. But I’m sure you would have loved it if I had stayed with your father. You would have loved it if you didn’t have to go from house to house every week. I was selfish too once. And I’m glad you finally did what you wanted. I agree with your father. As long as you’re happy, everything is fine with us.”

I tearfully thanked my parents, and Edward joined me next to them. We both looked at Esme.

“Mom?” Edward prompted, waiting for her to speak.

I was waiting for her to slap me in the face. She must have been furious at us for eloping. She probably felt the same as my mother, wanting to see her only son get married.

However, Esme surprised us by giving us a huge smile.

“Relax, guys. Your father told me!” she laughed.

We both looked at each other and then at Carlisle.

“Dad! You gave me your word!” Edward said in shock.

Carlisle shrugged. “Edward, you’re married now. You know that there are no secrets shared between a husband and a wife.”

“So, you’re okay with this?” I asked Esme, concerned. She came up to me and put her hands on my shoulders.

“Bella, it doesn’t matter what we think. You two should do what’s right for you. I am just so grateful that I have gained a beautiful daughter out of this.”

I kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, Esme. You don’t know how much your approval means to me.”

Then, we both turned around to look at our friends. This was going to be harder than I thought. They were all looking at us in shock.

“So, you two are really married?” Emmett questioned. I nodded.

“Yeah, it’s kind of official,” Edward smirked.

“Oh,” Emmett said, in contemplation. Then, a huge grin formed across his face. “So, I stayed up all night writing this long speech to read at the wedding, all for nothing?”

I laughed and attacked him with a huge hug. “You can still read the speech, stupid.”

He held out his hand and shook Edward’s. “You better take good care of my little sister, bro. I’ll still kill you if you hurt her.”

I smiled at that. Although Emmett wasn’t my biological brother, he sure felt like it. His approval meant almost as much as my parents.

Everyone else seemed pretty much fine with it…except Alice. She had taken Marie from Jasper’s arms and was trying to focus on the baby, instead of looking at us. We stood there, waiting for her to say something.

“Alice…” I said softly. “Please, just talk to us.”

She shook her head. “Why should I talk to you? Ever since you got together, you two have done nothing but lie and keep secrets from me. Why are you so afraid to be honest with me?”

“You know what, Alice,” Edward scoffed. “I’ve had enough. Why does everything have to be about you? If you hadn’t of pressured us with the huge wedding, maybe we wouldn’t have felt the need to rush off for a private ceremony. If you weren’t so controlling and selfish, maybe you would be the one getting married tonight.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Alice shrieked. “What do you know about that?”

Edward wasn’t backing down. “I know that you aren’t willing to marry Jasper right now, because you want to wait until the spotlight is off me and Bella. That way, you can have all the attention to yourself.”

I put my hand on Edward’s arm. “Honey, calm down,” I whispered. “Don’t say something you’ll regret…”

“No, Bella! I’m sick of this!” he snapped. “Alice, you can’t keep doing this to us. You can’t make us feel guilty for not doing exactly what you wanted. You need to look at your own life and see what you need to do with yourself. You can’t be so selfish anymore, Alice. You have a daughter. And you won’t even marry Marie’s father, because you want everything to revolve around you. Admit it!”

Alice handed the baby over to Jasper and stood up. She walked to Edward and stood in front of him.

“Fine, Edward! I’m a selfish bitch! Is that what you want to hear? I’ll say it. When I get married, I want it to be about me. Not Rose, not Emmett, not Bella, and not you.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. These two were having a full on fight in front of all of our wedding guests. I thought it couldn’t get any more mortifying. But it did. Edward did something that I will never ever forgive him for.

“Well you know what, Alice?” he said spitefully. “Looks like you’ll have to wait another 8 months to get married, because guess what: Bella’s pregnant!”

Everyone went silent. I stared at Edward in shock, and what he realized what he said, he looked back at me in the same way.

“Edward,” I gasped, afraid to look behind me at the crowd of people. “Why did you do that?”

“I don’t know,” he whispered guiltily. “I guess I got a little carried away.”

I had to hand it to him. He had a knack for outing people’s pregnancies. I put my hands on my face and turned around, facing everybody else.

“Alright,” I started, not looking up at them. “Let’s get everything out now. Yes, I am pregnant. I took the test Monday night, and yesterday Edward and I went to the doctor. I’m about a month along, and the baby will be due sometime in February. We were going to tell you after the honeymoon, but since tonight seems to be the night of getting things out in the open…”

“Bella, you’re having a baby?” my mother interrupted. Edward joined me at my side, putting his arm around my waist.

I nodded. “Yeah, mom. I am.” I said softly.

Suddenly, I was attacked by her and Esme, who were embracing me and Edward happily.

I noticed that a lot of people in attendance had started to leave the garden to go inside. I appreciated that. They knew we needed a moment with our family.

After everyone had hugged me and kissed me and told me how much they loved me, I looked over my shoulder to see Alice standing there, staring at us.

I walked over to her hesitantly.

“So, are you still going to kill me?” I asked worriedly.

“You’re pregnant?” she repeated. “You and Edward are really having a baby?”

“Yeah, Alice,” I nodded. “We really are.”

She then burst into tears and threw her arms around me.

“Bella, I am so sorry,” she sobbed. “I have acted terribly tonight. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I love you.”

“I know,” I laughed, hugging her back. “I love you too. It’s alright.”

“No, it’s not,” she argued. “You are so right. You should do what makes you happy, not what makes me happy. I can’t believe you are having a baby. I can’t believe this,”

I smiled. I was glad that things would be alright between us. I looked over at Jasper, who was holding Marie in his arms. That was her family. I wondered why she was so hesitant to accept that.

“Alice,” I whispered, nodding my head in their direction. “Look at them.”

Alice did so. I could tell by her face that she was thinking the same thing as I was.

“Bella, I have been so stupid,” she breathed. “What have I been thinking?”

I put my hands on her shoulders. “You know, I wouldn’t mind if you stole the attention from me just for tonight.”

She looked at me and smiled. We had the same idea in mind. Alice walked over to Jasper and whispered something in his ear. He smiled ecstatically and kissed her passionately.

Long story short: that was the night. That was the night that started out for Edward and I. It then became the night where we finally came clean. But what was really important, was how the night ended.

You see, that was the night where Jasper and Alice finally got married.

And I was happy to give her the spotlight.

Wow. Are you shocked? There will be more details in the next chapter. I told you it was a long chapter. haha. PLease tell me what you think. I am loving what you write. keep it up.

Chapter: 33

Hey Everyone! Thank you so much for you reviews to that very long and eventful chapter. I’m glad you guys were happy with it. I know there were some questions and I want to answer them to avoid confusion.

Q: How is Alice going to marry Jasper without a license?

A: Well, this ceremony (which will be talked more about in this chapter) is more of a public thing. They will be getting an official license and do a smaller, official ceremony to make it legal.

Q: Why does Alice suddenly want to marry Jasper?

A: Alice had to realize that her selfishness was getting in the way of her relationship, and since she basically planned the wedding, she might as well do what was right and take it for herself. Lol. Bella surely didn’t want it.

Q: Why couldn’t Bella and Edward just suck it up and go through with the fake wedding?”

A: One word. Guilt. They felt guilty for lying and their consciences couldn’t handle it. Not only that, but they didn’t want to take something as serious as marriage and make a mockery out of it. They care for each other too much.

Q: WHAT HAPPENED TO ROSE? We never heard how she felt about not being pregnant!

A: I know. That was part of the plan. I wanted to drag it out without her for a while so I could give you this chapter, which it, SURPRISE, Rosalie’s POV. I know it’s different, but she has a new perspective.

So, without further ado….

Rosalie POV!!!!!

I had to admit that I had never attended a crazier wedding in my life. Not only did Bella and Edward announce that they were already married, but they also announced the fact that they were pregnant! Now, I had already known about the pregnancy, but the news about their marriage was a complete shock to Emmett and I.

Even though I was sad that I couldn’t be at their real wedding, I was really happy for the both of them. I would rather Bella do what she really wanted, than have her go through with some fake performance. And I was proud of Edward for finally standing up to Alice, opening her eyes to the fact that it wasn’t all about her. And finally, she realized that she needed to marry that baby-daddy of hers.

That was probably one of the most shocking parts of the evening: Alice doing something spontaneous for once. She just walked up to Jasper and said, “Hey, what if we actually put this wedding to good use?”

He gave her a huge kiss, and she had her answer.

Sure, it wasn’t Alice’s dream wedding, but she did plan most of it herself. All that was missing was Jasper’s family, but I don’t think they were really that close. They were still kind of pissed at the whole baby out of wedlock thing. But other than that, everyone else important in her life was there, including little baby Marie.

Babies…

That word had been on my mind ever since I saw that negative sign on the pregnancy test. Don’t get me wrong, I was thrilled for Bella. She knew what she wanted, and both she and Edward were in the right situation to have a child. But that didn’t stop me from being a little disappointed.

You see, for those few days where I thought I was pregnant, I started to really warm up to the idea. I never thought I was a baby person. I mean, I have a career to think about. My career has always come first in my life, after Emmett and my friends of course. But I was starting to think that maybe I was meant to do something more.

After what was now Alice and Jasper’s wedding, we all went inside for the reception. I offered to watch Marie for the night, hoping not only to give the newlyweds a break, but to see if I could handle taking care of another life for a few hours.

Now, Marie Antonia was just about the cutest little girl that you could ever see in your life, and when I first held her, she was quite content. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? I mean, the thing wasn’t a monster. It was just a baby.

Then she started crying.

Marie was screeching and whining for no reason at all. I tried everything to make her stop. I bounced her gently, and swayed her from side to side. I patted her back and tried talking to her. But nothing would make her stop. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled it, which made me shriek; only rattling her up further.

“Jesus, Rose! What are you doing to the kid?” Emmett laughed, when he saw my struggle. I shrugged.

“I don’t know!” I stressed. “She just started crying, and now she won’t stop!”

“Is she hungry, or does she need a diaper change?”

“I don’t think so. Alice fed her a while ago, and I already checked her diaper. I think she’s just a little pissed off.”

“Rose!” he scolded. “Don’t talk that way in front of the baby. Give her to me for a second.”

I rolled my eyes and handed him the baby. I was willing to try anything at this point.

But then something funny happened. As soon as she was placed into my husband’s arms, she shut right up. She even smiled. Emmett just talked to her really calmly and gently rubbed her head. After that, she was back to being happy.

“Emmett,” I said in shock. “How did you do that?”

He laughed. “We’ve kind of bonded. I don’t know what it is. All ladies love Uncle Emmett.”

I sighed in frustration and put my face in my hands.

“I suck,” I simply stated. Emmett laughed at my words.

“What are you talking about? You don’t suck.”

“Yes, I do. The kid hates me. I’ve only held her like four times, and every time, she starts crying. Why do I repel children so much?”

“Well, maybe it’s just a coincidence,” he reasoned. “Or maybe you’re not holding her right. Here, take her back for a second.”

I held out my arms and Emmett gently placed Marie back in them.

“Okay, little squirt,” he said to the baby. “Let’s go back to Auntie Rose for a sec.”

I took the baby and held her carefully, as I did before. Sure enough, she started crying again. Emmett laughed at my awkward position.

“Rosalie, she is not made of glass. You don’t have to hold her so cautiously. Hold her a little tighter, and get comfortable. She can sense when you’re not.”

I did what he told me, and Marie stopped crying. She snuggled up to me and went back to her blissful state. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Emmett, you’re amazing!” I marveled. “You’re like the baby whisperer!”

He grinned smugly. “What can I say? I’m the bomb.”

“Well, by saying that you just lost all of your awesomness,” I giggled.

Suddenly, my thoughts got serious. All this time I thought Emmett couldn’t handle the idea of a family. I thought he would be too scared. But here he was, obviously good with children. What was I so afraid of?

“Emmett…” I started, looking at the baby. “I want to tell you something.”

He put his arm around me. “What is it, babe?”

“Well, I have a confession,” I sighed. “I kind of already knew about Bella being pregnant.”

“You did?” he said in surprise. “When did she tell you?”

“She didn’t,” I explained. “I was with her when she took the test.”

“Oh,” he nodded. “I thought she would have done that with Edward.”

“Well, she didn’t really think she was pregnant. She took the test more for…support.”

I looked at him, hoping he would understand what I meant. Unfortunately, my husband isn’t the brightest of the bulbs. He looked back at me with a confused face.

“Emmett,” I said slowly. “Bella took the test with me, so I wouldn’t have to take one alone.”

Finally, he caught on.

“OH!” he basically yelled. Everyone around us looked in our direction. We both settled down until he could form a sentence.

“So, does that mean that you’re…?”

“No,” I answered, cutting him off. “It was just a false alarm. It turns out Bella was the one. But for a few days, I was convinced it was me.”

“So, we are not having a baby?” he clarified.

I shook my head. “No, we’re not. You can breathe now.”

He exhaled. “Alright, so if you’re not pregnant, why are you telling me this? Just to freak me out?”

“Of course not,” I laughed. “I just thought you should know. It was just something that was on my mind.”

“Well, why didn’t you come to me? I would have been there with you when you took the test. I am your husband.”

“I know. It’s just that I was nervous about what you would think. You made it pretty clear that you don’t want kids.”

He looked at me strangely. “I never said that, Rose. I just said we shouldn’t until we are ready. As far as I’m aware of, you are pretty wrapped up in your job right now. And we both know I am not the most mature man in the room.”

I rested my head on his shoulder. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t be a great dad. I mean, look at how you are with Marie. And it wouldn’t kill me to take some time off to have a baby.”

I could tell he was confused.

“Rose, what are you saying? Do you want to have a kid now?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t want to rule out the idea. I’m just thinking about it. I’m just a little unsure about whether or not we’ll be ready.”

“Well,” he sighed. “Maybe we should keep thinking about it for a while. I would hate to jump into this so quickly, especially if you’re not sure. But we have to face the fact that we may never be 100% ready. But that doesn’t mean we can never do it. Let’s just see how we feel in about 6 months. Then, maybe we can really talk about it.”

I nodded. For a man who still laughed at farts, he could be pretty wise sometimes. He always knew what was right when it came to the two of us. I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“Thanks, Em,” I smiled. “You know I love you, right?”

“Of course,” he grinned. “But not as much as I love you.”

He kissed me on my head, and we went back to enjoying the reception. It seemed as if everyone were having a great time. I had never seen any of my friends so happy. It was nice to see that everyone had found what they were looking for.

After Marie was asleep, Emmett and I moved to the dance floor, where we attempted to look like we knew what we were doing. It wasn’t long before we bumped into Edward and Bella.

“Hey,” Emmett laughed. “I haven’t had the chance to dance with Bella tonight. You mind if I cut in, Edward?”

“Not at all,” Edward smiled, handing over his wife. “I wanted to dance with the beautiful Rosalie at one point in the night anyway.”

I could see why Bella couldn’t control her blushing around him. Emmett went off and stumbled away with Bella. Neither of them had efficient dance skills, so I would not have been surprised if one of them had returned injured.

Meanwhile, I hesitantly started to dance with Edward. I had to admit it made me nervous. Edward was so perfect, and I always found myself wanting to impress him for some reason. Edward noticed how uncomfortable I was and laughed.

“Rose, why are you so tense? You’re making me nervous.”

I looked away, embarrassed.

“I’m fine,” I lied. “Why?”

“It’s nothing,” he laughed. “It just seems like every time we’re around each other, you seem very…in control. Am I imagining it?”

“No,” I admitted. “I’m just like that around you. It’s just that you are very intimidating to me. I’m always afraid I’m going to say or do the wrong thing.”

He laughed at my reasoning.

“I am intimidating to you? This whole time I thought you hated me or something!”

“I don’t hate you, Edward,” I defended. “I think you’re fantastic. To be honest, I’m a little jealous of Bella. She’s lucky Alice’s plan didn’t work, and I didn’t snatch you up first!”

“I still can’t believe that,” Edward smiled. “I mean, what if that really happened? What if Alice’s original plan would have worked out, and it was our wedding right now? That is so bizarre to think about.”

“What? I’m not good enough for you?” I teased. “You know, I happen to make a very good wife.”

“I’m sure you do,” he replied. “And maybe if you weren’t meant to be with Emmett, and I wasn’t meant to be with Bella…”

“Stop while you’re ahead,” I warned. I was afraid if he kept talking, I would fall in love with him too. He was weird like that.

“I’m just saying that it’s funny to think about. Besides, you wouldn’t have been able to handle me anyways.” He joked.

“Is that right?” I laughed. “I think it’s the other way around.”

“Well, either way, I guess things turned out right. I got Bella, you got Emmett, and Alice got Jasper. Looks like everyone has found their happy ending.”

I smiled. “I was thinking that exact same thing.”

As we were dancing, Edward’s face went serious.

“Rose, I really want to thank you for being such a great friend to Bella lately. I know she and Alice are close, but my sister isn’t always the most reliable friend.”

“Well, I think after tonight she’ll get better,” I hoped out loud.

“Yeah, but you have always been there. You are always the one Bella can trust. We actually considered telling you about the real wedding, but we didn’t want to burden you with that secret. But, you were the one person we thought about telling. You’ve been a really great friend to the both of us, and I just wanted to let you know that I really really appreciate it.”

“Really really?” I teased at his words.

“Nice,” he laughed. “That was my attempt at being less intimidating. Did it help at all?”

I smirked and gave him a small peck on the cheek.

“Yes, Edward. That was great. You really are a great guy, and a great dancer I might add,”

“Well, thank you Rosalie,” he said smugly. “I must say, you aren’t too bad yourself.”

We looked over towards Emmett and Bella, and laughed. Emmett was stepping all over Bella’s feet, and she was tripping over her dress. Compared to them, we were doing a pretty good job.

Soon after we were finished dancing, it was time for Emmett to go up and read his speech. Since this was a joint reception for both couples, he had to change things up a little. Needless to say, it was everything I expected from my husband. He made some crude jokes, and made Bella’s cheeks turn redder than a beet. It didn’t get too bad, until he started referring to them as “Eduardo and Mrs. Cullen.” You can imagine what some of those jokes implied.

But ultimately, he did a very good job. At the end of the day, Emmett was always sincere in everything he did. He cared a lot about his friends, and most importantly, me. He never made me feel afraid. I knew that as long as I was with him, I would be okay. He would protect me, and support me, and look at me with as much love as he did the day we first met.

Maybe Emmett and I weren’t as perfect of a couple as Edward and Bella. Emmett didn’t speak as smoothly or as intelligently as Edward, and I wasn’t as smart or as interesting as Bella. We didn’t have the perfect life, and we couldn’t settle an argument just by speaking calmly to each other. And neither of us were 100% sure what we wanted in the future. It was all up in the air.

But that was okay. I was more than content with the life I had with Emmett. It wasn’t perfect, but I was happy. I was happier than I could ever be with any other man. I was in love with someone who genuinely loved me back, and no matter what the future would hold, that would never change...for any of us.

So, how did you like a different POV? I know it was risky, but Rose in this story is one of my favorite characters. I kind of put the personalities of my best friends into her. Not only that, but I wanted to give you guys and outsider’s perspective. Being that up close to Edward and Bella kind of takes you out of reality. Lol. Not like we’re complaining. Anyway, please review and tell me you didn’t hate it. Please. Haha. Love you guys lots.

PS. Shoutout to “The Twilighter Times”, a fanfic in the form of a newspaper. They mentioned me in their last update. Check them out!

Chapter: 34

Alright, so I'm glad that most of you were pleased with the Rose POV. Some others didnt have too many nice things to say about it, but I'm used to that now. I realize that the more reviews I get, the more people I will run into that do not love every part of the story. So, I apologize to those who don't, but I thank the ones that still keep giving me such suppotive reviews. I realize I can't please everybody, but I will keep trying.

So, I am sad to say that this is the last chapter of this story. But don't freak! There will be a sequel very very soon. Keep posted! And I might start working on one or two new stories, so my update times on the next one probably won't be as quick. But I promise they will still be very speedy. SO, please enjoy the final installment of Living Arrangements.

Bella POV

After a long night of dancing, eating, and drama, the reception was finally coming to an end. Honestly, I didn’t want to leave. Everyone was so happy, and it felt as if nothing could bring us down from our state of bliss. It turned out to be the perfect night.

When it came time to go, I bid farewell to my parents, which now included Esme and Carlisle. We would be off to New Zealand that night, so we would not see them again before they left. We agreed to go back to Alaska at one point that summer, and maybe Phoenix as well. Charlie would probably be visiting more often now that he was expecting a grandchild.

Although I was sad to say goodbye, I had to admit that I was looking forward to getting to New Zealand. I had finally changed out of that wedding dress and I felt comfortable again. Our bags were packed and in the trunk of the car, and now we were on our way to the airport…or so I thought.

When I saw Edward take an early exit off the freeway, I looked at him concerned.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked, as we entered a neighborhood.

“Our flight doesn’t leave for another few hours,” he explained. “I wanted to show you something first.”

I was so confused, that I didn’t bother to ask for an explanation. I honestly didn’t care where he was taking me, because I knew it would be good.

A few minutes later, he pulled into a driveway of a house. It was a good sized place, about two stories, and it had a huge front lawn. I knew what we were doing there as soon as I saw the real estate sign in front.

“Edward, where are we?” I asked excitedly.

He could sense my eagerness and got out of the car. I didn’t even wait for him to come around and open the door for me, like he usually did. I jumped out and studied the house.

“Do you want to see inside?” he asked, putting his arm around me.

I nodded and he led me through the door.

The interior of the house was even better than it was inside. There was a huge open space for a living room, which led into a large kitchen. There were hardwood floors and lots of window. I knew that in the day time, they would let in a lot of light.

“What do you think?” Edward asked me, as he turned on the lights. I couldn’t do anything but stare at my surroundings.

“This place is amazing,” I gaped. “How did you find this?”

He shrugged. “I have connections.”

I looked and saw a beautiful staircase that let upstairs. I just wanted to run around and look at the entire place. But first, I needed to know the situation.

“Edward, why are we here?” I asked, looking into his green eyes.

“Well, I came across this place a while ago. I was going to wait until you saw it, but I knew you would fall in love with it. So, I wanted to surprise you. This is your wedding present.”

“My wedding present?” I echoed. “Edward, you bought me a house?”

He looked worried.

“Well, I basically did. I was just waiting for your approval before we went all the way with this. If you really do love this place, it will be ours.”

I looked around. It was perfect. It was more than I could have imagined in a house for our family.

“Show me around a bit,” I smirked, already knowing my answer.

He smiled and put his hand on the small of my back, as he led me around each room.

“I was thinking this could be your office,” he explained, as we entered one of the rooms downstairs. “It’s big enough to put a desk there and maybe the collection of books in that corner. And after the baby is born, we can get a small crib to put in here, so she can sleep while you write.”

“She?” I repeated, wide-eyed. “So, we’re having a girl?”

He laughed at his slip. “I don’t know. I just have a feeling it will be a girl. I keep picturing a little miniature Bella.”

“I think you’re wrong,” I disagreed. “It’s totally a boy. I can feel it. We will be having a little miniature Edward.”

“Hm,” he smirked. “Would you be willing to put money on that?”

I laughed. “Every cent I own,”

He rolled his eyes and went back to showing me around the place. The house had four bedrooms, which I thought was perfect. I figured that would give us plenty of room if we were to decide to have more kids. The office was perfect, as well as the living room and kitchen. It was basically my dream house.

But when we came to one room in particular, I knew I was sold.

“This would be the nursery,” Edward said quietly, as if the baby was already in there. “What do you think?”

I almost cried when I saw that there was already a crib in the empty room. I ran to it immediately. The crib was white and had Cullen beautifully engraved on the head of it.

“Edward, what’s this?” I asked happily. “It’s beautiful.”

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s for our baby,” he explained. “I had it customized a few days ago, after you took the pregnancy test. I thought it would go well with the rest of the house.”

“But, we didn’t even know for sure until yesterday,” I marveled.

He placed a kiss below my ear. “Well, let’s just say I had a feeling.”

I suddenly got a strange feeling of my own. I felt like I belonged there. I felt right. I was home.

“Edward, this place is perfect,” I smiled. “It’s exactly what I want.”

“All of it?” He assured. “Because we could change things if you want. I don’t want to buy this house unless you absolutely love it.”

I put my hand on the back of his neck and kissed him.

“I do love it, Edward,” I breathed, as I broke away. “I need to live here. This is it. This is home.”

He smiled and kissed me again.

“You’re sure?” he asked again.

“Absolutely,” I nodded.

I looked at my husband. I had never seen him so happy in all of his life. He had an ecstatic grin that was spread across his face, and his eyes danced with joy when he looked into mine. I couldn’t help but jump into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist.

After I kissed him, he looked back at me with shock.

“Bella, what is this about? I didn’t think you liked the house this much,” he laughed.

I tightly hugged myself closer to him, trying to fight back tears.

“You really, truly love me, don’t you, Edward?” I whispered, in realization.

“What was your first clue?” he chuckled.

I could feel a tear roll down my cheek, as I buried my head in his neck.

“It’s just that I see that look in your eyes. It comes up whenever I’m happy. You’re smiling when I’m smiling. You laugh when I laugh. You just want to see me have everything I want. You would do anything for me, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course I would,” he nodded. “I would give everything I own for you. I would give my life.”

I shot my head up and placed my hands on his cheeks.

“Oh Edward, don’t say that. Please, don’t say that,” I pleaded, shaking my head. “I know it would never come to that, but I don’t want you thinking I would be worth it.”

“Bella,” he whispered seriously. “You are my life. You and this child are my life. Without you, I would have nothing. I know it will never come to the point where I would have to choose between my life and yours. But if it did, the decision would be easy.”

“Edward, you don’t know what you’re saying,” I argued. “But I won’t keep going with this. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“I know,” he said, giving me a kiss. “I just wanted you to know that I would do anything for you. And I am glad this makes you so happy. What I wouldn’t give to see you smile like that.”

I kissed him back, and let myself get lost in his touch. I needed to be with only him for a while. That was why I was so thankful for this trip. For so long Edward and I had been stressing over what everyone else thought. Finally, we had a chance to do what made us happy…which was only being with each other.

Edward POV

After spending some time in our new house…and doing some other stuff, Bella and I made our way to the airport. It was nice to know that we could now enjoy the real newlywed experience.

Alice and I had made a deal. Bella and I would go on our originally planned honeymoon, and when we returned, Alice and Jasper would go on theirs. While they were gone, Bella and I would watch little Marie for them, in order to gain more experience with babies.

I wanted to say that this was strange for me, moving on into a new life with a wife and a child. It hadn’t even been a year since I had met Bella. But time didn’t matter for us. We would have plenty of it in the future. Our relationship was something that couldn’t be defined by days, months or years. It could only be defined by our love.

I could say this. Ever since we found out that Bella was pregnant, I had become increasingly protective of her. While we were walking to our gate in the airport, a man had accidentally bumped into her. Needless to say, I lost it. He had walked off, but I took Bella’s hand and followed him, demanding he apologize. I must have looked at him funny, because I think I scared the crap out of him. He said sorry and ran away.

Unfortunately, Bella did not enjoy that episode. It embarrassed her, and she was pissed even after we had boarded the plane. I had to say something when I saw she was still pouting.

“Bella, you seriously aren’t still mad at me for that, are you?”

She kept her arms crossed.

“I don’t know. Are you going to do it again?” She asked. Lately her pregnancy hormones were starting to send her into a vast range of emotions.

“Well, I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try to be better. It’s just that you are so clumsy already, that I have to watch out for other people who are going to inflict injury.”

She rolled her eyes. “Edward, I am a strong independent woman. I can stand up for myself. I appreciate that you want to protect me, but…”

I quieted her with a long kiss. I didn’t want to fight with her right now. She was too beautiful and I was too happy.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered when I broke away. “I shouldn’t be so sensitive when it comes to your safety. I know you are strong enough to handle things yourself. It’s just ever since we found out about the baby, I worry about you more.”

Bella put her hand on my cheek. “I know, Edward. You’ve always been like this. And to be honest, protective Edward is kind of a turn on. I just don’t like it when you worry. It makes me tense.”

“Well,” I said, placing a light kiss on her neck. “We can’t have that, can we?”

“Mmm,” she moaned, as she kissed me back. “There will be plenty of time for that when we get to New Zealand.”

It was hopeless anyway. A few seconds later, we were interrupted by a flight attendant.

“Excuse me,” she politely said. “Are you Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?”

I still loved the way that sounded.

“Yes, we are,” I smiled, placing my hand on top of Bella’s. “Is there a problem?”

“Not at all,” she grinned. “The airline would just like to wish you congratulations on your marriage, and this was sent to the both of you.”

She handed us what looked to be a bottle of champagne. When she walked off, we looked at the note on the bottle.

To our loving son and our beautiful new daughter:

We wish you the time of your lives on this new adventure.

Love Always,

Mom and Dad

“It’s from your parents,” Bella smiled, pointing out the obvious. “How sweet of them.”

“And look,” I replied, pointing to the label. “It’s not champagne. It’s just sparkling apple cider, so you can drink it.”

“I love your parents,” Bella gushed. “It’s no wonder you turned out the way you did.”

I sighed. “Yeah, I guess I can forgive my father now.”

“What? You mean, for telling your mom that we were married?”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s just that he suggested something to me the other day that I found somewhat offensive to you.”

“He did?” she said, worriedly. “What was it? Oh God, he doesn’t like me, does he? He thinks I’m not good enough for you?”

“That’s not it at all,” I assured, placing my hands on hers. “He was just being a little too professional. I set him straight, and he understood. It’s nothing, really.”

“Edward,” she said, warningly. “Tell me. If you don’t, I will just assume it’s worse than it really is.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “He just suggested that I have you sign a prenup. It’s totally ridiculous, and I really got pissed at him for even bringing it up. I find no need for a document like that, and I made it very clear that I was offended by the idea.”

“Oh,” she said, like it didn’t bother her at all. “Well, I understand why he would want that. I’ve told you before that I would not be opposed to signing one. It’s not like we’ll ever need it. If you want, we can sign one of those postnups.”

“Are you crazy?” I laughed. “There is no way I am having you sign one of those. If something outrageous happened, where something like that would be necessary, I wouldn’t even want to live, let alone keep all of my stuff. Besides, I know you don’t want me for my money.”

“No, but it helps,” she joked. “Edward, I won’t push you on this, because I can see that you feel very strongly about it. But I want you to know that you shouldn’t be afraid of my reactions to stuff like that. As I said before, I don’t need you to protect me.”

I put my arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

“Well, you can say that all you want. But when it comes to you and that baby, I will do whatever it takes to make sure that we are together forever.”

I picked up her hand and kissed the ring on her finger. The pilot had come onto the speaker and said that we were ready to take off. We buckled our seatbelts and took a deep breath.

“How are you feeling?” I asked Bella, hoping she wouldn’t get sick on the plane.

“Excited,” she simply replied. “This is it. This is the start of the adventure.”

“And you’re ready?” I smiled. “You’re ready to start your life with me?”

She nodded and answered with a kiss. That was all I needed to know.

As soon as we took off, Bella fell asleep with her head on my shoulder. I studied her beautiful face for most of the flight. It was true that she was glowing with her pregnancy. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I had my hand gently placed on her stomach, where the other most important thing in my life was living. I realized how truly blessed I was to be spending my life with these two people.

I knew from the second I met Bella that she would be the one to save my life. I knew it would be me and her forever. She had rescued me in the same way I had rescued her.

I had more than I had wanted, but I now had everything that I needed. I needed Bella and she needed me. And together, we would start a life where that love and devotion we felt for each other would be passed on in the family we would soon create.

I hope I ended that on the right note. I promise there will be much more in the sequel. I need to thank you guys for all of the wonderful support you have given me with this little story that grew to have more than 1500 reviews. I write for you guys. Love you all.

Zoe 3

Chapter: 35

Alright everybody, I was serious when I said Living Arrangements was over, but I do have some things I want to clear up

First, there has been much controversy over the Rose chapter (Content). Some people really loved it, and some people thought it was a little out of place, which I totally understand. That chapter was meant to be looked at as an outtake. So, I might move it to the end instead of before the last chapter. If I don’t, sorry.

That chapter was meant to be an outsider's perspective, so you could get some semi-closure on the lives of the minor characters. It won't be full closure, of course, because there will be a sequel.

Secondly, I want to tell you my plans for the next story. I want sometime to really work on the sequel, so when I put it up, I might not update as fast. You can expect the first chapter within the next couple weeks. I just want some time to get a head start.

Thirdly, I am planning to write one or two new stories. If this is the case, my updates will be a little slower. I am playing with two ideas right now. One, is set in high school and the other is still working out in my head.

I am going to take Christmas break to really work on my writing. I don’t want to disappoint those of you who have supported me so much through this story. I love you all so much, and I look forward to reading more reviews in the future.

This was my first fanfiction EVER, and the fact that so many people got behind it means a lot to me.

Vote in the poll on my profile to choose whether or not the baby should be a boy or a girl. (I probably won’t do twins, because that’s what usually is done.)

Thank you again for your amazing support.

Love Always,

Zoe

Chapter: 36

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to tell you that the sequel is up!

It’s called :

Loving Arrangements

Haha. Sorry about the title, but it was harder to name it than I thought.

Go check it out.

A completely new story will also be up soon.

Thanks for reading

Zoe

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