Chapter One
BELLA
I couldn't make out much as the doors swung open and Rosalie (nee Hale soon to be Cullen) came floating down the isle on the arm of her father-in-law Dr Carlisle Cullen. The bright afternoon sun completely enveloped both silhouettes making it difficult to see the exultation on Rosalie's face until she was standing almost right in front of Emmet. Emmet hadn't stopped smiling since Rosalie had accepted his proposal almost a year ago- but today on their day of days, his happiness radiated from him almost palpably. I was too wrapped up in watching them soaking up the moment to hear much of what was being said during the service.
Before I knew it, everyone was clapping- the couple had kissed and were making their way down the isle. I glanced over at Jasper who was already holding his arm out to me with raised eye brows questioning if I was ready to head down the isle- the last thing I wanted to do was hold up the show. I slipped my arm into his and smiled as we made our way out of the steepled white church. "Sorry about that Jaz- I was just caught up in the moment I guess" I whispered. "No worries- you were right on time. No one noticed but me" he replied patting my arm. Jasper was immediately attacked by his high school sweet heart Alice who had been walking in front of us with her brother for their best man/maid of honor duties. I left them to their cuddling and made my way over to the fountain where the photographer was already posing Rosalie and Emmet for pictures.
The tall man with a shock of messy reddish hair who had been walking with Alice was standing next to the photographer holding Rosalie's boquet and laughing with Emmet as he kept trying to catch Rose's mouth each time the photographer snapped a picture. I hadn't even had a chance to get a good look at the only Cullen I didn't know- the elusive Edward Cullen, the family's middle child and musical prodigy extrordinaire. I had met Alice in high school- we were the same year and became best friends within the first week of school. Her older brother Emmet was the year ahead of us- but as he began dating our friend Rosalie within the first few weeks of our freshman year we had all become fast friends. Jasper had transferred halfway through the year and he and Alice began dating within the week. Edward was a couple of years older than us and had won a scholarship to a prestigious music conservatory in New York the year Alice and I started high school. He'd stayed in New York to attend Julliard's famed music program and though I'd seen many pictures of him around the Cullen house, 8 years after having met the Cullens I had yet to meet their brother.
Rosalie began beckoning me over " Bella- we need to take pictures with the wedding party! Alice, Jaz- please come over here!" Alice and I made our way to stand next to Rose while Jaz and Edward stood next to Emmet. The boys were joking with each other while Alice and I fixed Rose's train and veil. This morning's stress of Edward still being on the road and not arriving until minutes before the ceremony- literally with just enough time to slip in beside Alice right before the wedding party walked into the church had obviously been forgotten. I couldn't help but smile as the boys rough-housed with each other in between pictures. Edward caught my eye and gave me a sheepish lopsided grin. He caught me a bit by surprise and I felt the blush rising to my cheeks.
Emmet must have noticed because as soon as the photographer finished the next shot he threw an arm around Edward's shoulders and led him towards us. "Belly-bells," he called grinning, using his favorite knick-name for me, "this is my prodigal brother Edward. Edward, meet the lovely Isabella Swan." "Bella" I said smiling and reaching out my hand as Edward enveloped it in his own large warm hand. "Very pleased to meet you Bella. I heard so much about you over the years- its wonderful to finally meet the lady who's been keeping my little brother and sister in line for the last few years while I've been away." He smiled his crooked smile again and I instantly felt a jolt of electricity run through me which seemed to concentrate where our hands were connected in a hand shake. Surprised, I pulled away and tried to joke to keep the situation light " well, I'm afraid someone had to do it. Someone has to keep Alice from purchasing the entire mall each time she goes shopping and Emmet away from the steroids. If he puts on any more muscle he'll look worse than Gov. Swartzenegger in his Mr Universe days." This elicited a snigger from Jazz and a hearty laugh from Emmet. Edward grinned again and raised his eyebrows "and you're feisty too Miss Swan. No wonder my family so much enjoys having you around." I made an exaggerated point to bat my lashes at him and replied "I do aim to please Mr Cullen." He nodded appreciatively and let himself be pushed back into place by Emmet for more pictures.
Finally the pictures were over- the sun was getting lower and lower in the sky and Emmet began to try to round us up to get to the reception. With Rose and Emmet packed safely within the Rolls Royce they'd rented for the occasion and Alice skipping off with Jasper, I turned behind me to find Edward leaning against the side of the church looking off towards the water, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. I cleared my throat and his head snapped immediately towards me. "I'm afraid I've been left behind," I began mildly with a little smile "I don't suppose you could give me a lift to the reception?" His crooked smile broke through the clouds which had been hovering over his countenance, "I would be happy to Bella- I'm just in the parking lot across the street." He extended his arm for me to take " Rose and Emmet will eat us alive if we are late!" As I took his arm- another jolt of electricity. This one stronger than the first. Did he feel it too I wondered? I shot a look at him- his face betrayed nothing though his jaw was clenched in the same way as it had been when I caught him looking out towards the water. I tried my best to keep up with him but his legs were significantly longer than mine and eventually the inevitable happened- I felt my ankle give way and I started falling toward the ground. "Yeeeaouwwww" I screeched as I went down. But before I knew what was happening his strong arms caught me and steadied me against him. " Are you ok?" He breathed into my ear. "Y-yes. I'm sorry I was just having trouble keeping up"- I could barely speak I was too conscious of his warmth, his smell- and the pain, the pain was overwhelming. "I'm so sorry" he murmured, "its my fault- I was walking too quickly. I should have been more careful—" "Umm Edward" I broke in "I – I think I need to sit down." "Oh! Of course. Can you walk?" he said letting me go from his embrace, keeping one arm around my waist and bending down to see about my ankle. "Oh no. Its already begun to swell- we need to get you to Dad as soon as possible. I don't think you should be walking on that so I'm going to carry you to the car" he said swooping me up and carrying toward a silver Volvo. The minute he touched me my heart began thudding so loudly I was sure he must have felt it too.
"I'm sorry, the car is a bit of a mess" he apologized. "Really Edward, I really don't mind- and it is actually not at all a mess!" I replied as he set me gently into the passenger's seat. Edward's 'mess' consisted of a hundred or so CD covers spread over the entire backseat of his car. He quickly hopped into the car and started speeding toward the water. Rose's and Emmet's reception was at a hotel alongside the water-edge.
They wanted to have their wedding dinner bathed in the sunset's orange haze. They wanted their fist dance at dusk. As we neared The Grand hotel we could see the sun beginning to sink over the water. "I'm going to park and then carry you inside so that my dad can have a look at you ok?" I just nodded- my ankle was throbbing so badly that I was gritting my teeth and it was too much effort to reply. We stopped and again, he lifted me up and carried me up the steps into the hotel.
The hotel was beautiful inside. Even in my pain, the timeless old southern elegance didn't escape me. The drapes were a delicate red and white toile, the inside was all white painted woods, and bright red flowers of all kinds hung out of large vases heaped around the reception area. Edward found the nearest loveseat and set me down. "Are you ok if I leave you here until I find my Dad?" I nodded and watched him hurry away- feeling lonely as I watched his receding form.
Through one of the mirrors on the wall in front of me I could see the hundreds of candles that had been set up on the back patio where the reception was taking place. Alongside the reddish glow of the sunset over the water, the patio appeared like to be a ball of fire floating on a burning lake. At the head table were Rosalie, Emmet, Alice and Jasper laughing and talking and it pained me that Edward and I should have both been there as well. But thanks to my inability to stay on my legs, I was now stranded on the outside looking in. I touched my hand to my face to brush away some stray wisps of hair and realized that I was crying! Why oh WHY was I crying?! I never let myself get this emotional. Its not like I wanted to be getting married- though this wedding had been as close to perfect as I could imagine. I just desperately wanted to be a part of my friend's day and not being able to be sitting with them at the moment made my heart ache a bit. I wildly started to brush the tears off my face to make sure no traces were left when Edward and his father returned.
I'd just finished when I saw Dr Cullen walking up the stairs through the hotel entrance to where I was, holding his dark leather doctor's bag. "Well Isabella, will you let me take a look at your ankle?" he asked with a smile as he leaned down to slip off my shoe. "Its quite swollen" he explained, "but I don't think its broken" as he moved my ankle around in every direction. " I think we'll get you some icepacks and find you a seat on which you can elevate your leg inside, and you should be good as new in just a couple of days". I nodded glumly. "Don't look so sad- its not as though you were planning on dancing anyway!" he joked winking at me.
"Edward!" he called.
"Right here Dad" he responded from the doorway leading to the reception. My heart skipped a couple beats as he came closer with his crooked smile. 'I've moved a wicker love-seat by the head table and brought her some bags of ice to the table- now Bella can eat while reclining and elevating her ankle." "Very good son," beamed Carlisle. "Thank you Dr. Cullen- sorry to be such trouble on such a busy and important day!" I managed to get out as Edward lifted me up for the third time today to whisk me off to the reception and the butterflies in chest over took me again. "Pleasure Bella, no problem at all."
Edward made his way around the room with me in his arms in a surprisingly unobtrusive way. He finally set me down right behind the head table where no one but the wedding party could see that I was sitting on a love seat rather than on my chair. Edward took his place next to me, handed me the place with my appetizer and then began digging in to his own. As I watched him shovel food into his mouth, I couldn't help but laugh. The sound must have caught him off guard and he began laughing himself. " I habbnet eaten anyfing since breakfust dis mormimg" he mumbled with his mouth full. He washed it all down with some wine and then said "please excuse my horrible manners Bella- I'm not usually this rude. I've just been completely starving all day!" I grinned and replied "Well, I guess a growing boy has got to eat!" And then a bit hesitantly as I looked at him a bit shyly from my couch "Hey Edward, thank you so much for taking care of me today. I really do appreciate it. I know it was just another hassle to add to all you had to do today." He looked at me with a strange expression, "Bella, you have to stop apologizing. Its really not a problem. We're all here now" he looked at my closest friends sitting at the table with us, "and we get to celebrate this great day in my little brother's life. Its just one of those things that happen sometimes. Seriously- stop worrying and just enjoy yourself!"
I found myself jealous at how easily he blew off my mishap. He had the same breezy way of dealing with life as Alice and Emmet. Maybe it had to do with growing up with lots of money- a type of security I couldn't imagine. But I suspected it had more to do with how they were raised. Carlisle and Esme where much the same way. They seemed to float through life with an ease and grace that I knew I would never posses. I smiled at Rosalie who mouthed "are you ok?' and nodded. She flashed me a million-dollar smile and turned back to Emmet who was saying something animatedly to Jazz.
Edward and I said little else to each other as dinner continued as he had to keep getting up and attending to different requests from Rose, Emmet and Esme as well as refreshing my icepacks when they began getting soggy. He always made sure to check on me when he came back and the others each took turns to come and sit with me on the couch and keep me company. Edward excused himself towards the end of dinner and walked over to the grand piano in the corner.
He cleared his throat and everyone looked up from their meals to give him their attention. " So, as the best man, I'm supposed to give an incredibly funny, articulate and charming speech about my little brother and his beautiful wife. Those of you who know me, know that I'm not really a man of many words. Those of you who know Emmet and Rosalie know how wonderful they are together and they do not need a flowery speech to express that. So, instead, I chose to write them a song.
Rose and Em- this is for you."
I couldn't really see anything but Edwards thick messy red hair from my position on the couch. But that didn't really matter. The music that was flowing from his hands was like nothing I'd ever heard before. It turned alternately from passionate and intense to the sweetest, simplest melody and than raucously playful and then a little bit sad and broody, but always coming back to that lovely simply melody- which seemed to embody Rose and Em perfectly. I lost myself in the notes- in the warmth of the sounds. And much too soon it was over. The room erupted in applause, Edward stood up, gave his crooked grin and an awkward bow and came back over to hug Emmet and give Rosalie a kiss.
"That was beautiful Edward" said Rosalie wiping way some tears "thank you so much."
"You are very welcome sis" he replied smiling. As he looked up his eyes locked with mine and he winked. I think my heart stopped completely. With his kindness throughout the day, his shocking good looks, and his beautiful music- he had managed to wheedle his way into my heart. But given how unlikely it was that Edward would even remotely be interested in me, I wasn't very happy about it.