"You're suppose to wear that for our wedding, Swan."
The voice of deep timber laced in anguish floated through her ears. Her eyes met his in the mirror, chocolate toffee clashing with emerald green. He looked the same; tan skin, ruffled jet black hair, and his beautiful green eyes still held the same hard look, softening only at the sight of her. He wore only a white tee-shirt and cut-off jeans yet he still managed to look like the most handsome Quileute on the reservation.
"I don't recall inviting you to my wedding, Meraz." She ignored his previous statement, grabbing her headdress instead and delicately placing it atop her head. Her hands shook as his eyes followed her every move in the mirror, burning trails of hot lava in its wake.
"I thought you wanted your wedding to be on First Beach, Swan. It was going to be during the summer, so your mom wouldn't keep complaining about the rain and everybody would get to enjoy the water. You told me so yourself, that was our plan. What happened?" he asked plainly, and his eyes tracked the ring on her left hand that glittered in the sun. She fumbled with her dress in attempt to hide it.
"You're not supposed to be here," she replied stiffly, avoiding his statement once again. Her tired eyes stared at him in the mirror as he took a step forward. "Why'd you leave?" Her voice was just a tone above a whisper but he picked it up with his werewolf abilities.
"Jacob's a lucky man." This time, he was the one who avoided the question. His fists were balled up tightly and his jaw locked.
"I'd like to think that I'm the lucky one." She flashed him a smile, albeit a small one, but he didn't return the gesture. She fidgeted with the ring, twisting and turning it, a habit she picked up from Emily.
"No, he doesn't deserve you."
"And you think you do?"
"I'm not the only one who thinks so." Her head snapped up, and her eyes narrowed in anger and disbelief. She almost gasped.
"You were the one who walked out on me, Paul. You promised me you would never leave me. But guess what? You leftright after you proposed to me. You left me." She turned in anger to face him and her wedding dress billowed in a kaleidoscope of white behind her. He couldn't help but think that she never looked as beautiful as she did now.
"Did you even stop to think and consider what I could've been doing these past four years?" His voice rose to an extreme level as he stepped towards her. She took a step back and a flash of hurt momentarily appeared on his face.
"It doesn't matter, you left."
"I left because as soon as I proposed to you I saw everything flash before my eyes. I saw what our life would've been like, I saw us start a family together. I wanted it so bad but I knew I couldn't have it until I knew for a fact that Victoria was dead," his voice cracked and he trembled as his gazed fixed solely on her, "I wanted to protect you. I wanted to protect what could've been. I wanted to protect our little children who had your smarts and my eyes. I wanted us, Bella. Us." Her heart broke at his confession and tears ran down her face that smeared her make up.
"No. You can't - Why now?" She stuttered through her sentence and she walked blindly towards him. To feel his calloused fingers on her once again; to smell his scent; to kiss his lips.
"Because I can't live without you. I can't live on knowing the fact that I gave up the only girl that ever made me truly happy." He closed the distance between them, engulfing her in his arms. She felt her eyes close shut and her body relax.
"That's not good enough, Paul," she muttered into his shirt.
"I love you, Bella." He grabbed her chin, tilting her head before his lips landed on hers. Bella sighed and at that moment, a fire that she hadn't felt in long time - 4 years to be exact - rekindled deep within her. Burning her very being , warming her soul, but yet it didn't last. He pulled away first and she almost whimpered.
"But I know that's not good enough anymore either." He pecked her lips once more and he gently opened her hand with his own. He placed something on her palm before closing her hand.
"I'm not going to stop you, Bella." He vanished just like that as she stared wide-eyed at the spot he had just been in. She was in a trance and her fist tightened. The cold object in her hands pressed against her hand, jolting her back to reality
She opened it and her engagement ring - the one he had given her - glittered softly in her palm.
This was a little something I wrote a year ago. Hope you enjoyed and please feel free to review! x
- Marie