The clock in the living room couldn't have been moving slower. Edward said he'd be in my room at eleven. It was 10:37.
The game on TV was hardly interesting, and I'd never really understood football anyway. Charlie was into it, though, and he would jump whenever an interesting play was made. I felt so antsy that I might explode.
"I think I'll shower," I said, mostly to myself, as Charlie jumped up when the team of his choice scored a touchdown.
"Alright, Bells!" he somehow said between screaming for his team.
The hot water washed over all angles of my body, sending goosebumps down my arms and legs. I washed my hair slowly and carefully, making sure to pass the time. Once I was out, I dressed quickly and ran a towel through my hair. I opened the door to the hallway, and the clock read 10:54.
"Night, Charlie!" I called, heading towards my room and praying Edward would be early.
As soon as I shut the door, Edward was standing in front of the window, his bright smile lighting up the room. I half ran to him, absorbing his cold, familiar touch. He embraced me back, kissing my head as I buried my face into his jacket.
"I missed you," I whispered, almost inaudible. Edward had been away the past three days with Emmett and Jasper, hunting in Port Angeles. Alice tried to make up the time with me, taking me shopping and treating me like her own personal Barbie doll, but it just wasn't the same without him there. Each night both the sadness of his absence and the excitement of his return overwhelmed me. I had given into the idea of sleeping in the bed he bought; it made me feel closer to Edward. Despite the comfortable bed and the princess treatment, I still lied awake at night wishing he was there with me; wishing I could wrap my arms around him.
"Trust me, love, I missed you far more than you can fathom," Edward sang quietly into my ear.
His chin gently nudged my head up to look him in the eyes. Edward gave me a tender kiss, lingering on my lips before his eyes met my gaze. He smiled warmly and kissed my forehead, his hands sliding up my back and down my arms. I got the chills as he traced down my forearm, finally holding my hands in his. The ring on my left hand reflected the moonlight across the room and I smiled, knowing how close we were to being together forever.
He kissed my neck gently, the scent of his breath rising to my nose. I inhaled deeply, feeling weak at the knees. He traced a line of kisses down to my collarbone slowly, and I let out a quiet gasp.
"Am I troubling you, Bella?" Edward asked, an amused smile playing on his face.
"No," I managed, studying his face. I couldn't help but smile too. "You're making me crazy."
"I make YOU crazy?" Edward asked, fake disbelief crossing his face. "If you had any idea what it felt like to be in the same room as you, let alone so close to you, kissing you…"
He moved his hands back up my arms and around my neck, sending shivers down my spine. He gently kissed me again, making butterflies go wild in my stomach. He'd been away too long; this is what I had missed so much. Before he had a chance to pull away, I locked my hands behind his head and kissed him back eagerly, pressing my body against his.
"Bella," he breathed, pulling away from my grasp. "Must you tempt me so greatly?"
"Maybe," I said as seductively as I could.
Edward chuckled lightly, prying my hands off of his head in one easy motion.
"Let's sit and talk for a while, love, I need to find out what you've been doing these past few days," Edward kissed my cheek and pulled me into his lap on the rocking chair.
"Hmph," I pouted, giving him a frustrated look. "I don't want to talk."
"I'll make you a promise," Edward tempted.
"What's that?" I asked, my arms crossed, refusing to forgive him for stopping our kissing session.
"Talk to me for five minutes, and then we can resume where we left off."
I eyed him suspiciously, but all I received in return was his warm smile and the meeting of his blazing butterscotch eyes with my dull ones.
"Fine," I gave in, leaning more into his chest, my hand softly rubbing the skin on the inside of his arm. "Alice took me to Seattle so we could shop. I bought a few new shirts."
"Is this new?" Edward pulled back, looking at my navy blue sweater. He smiled. "I love it on you."
My cheeks flushed and I averted my gaze to the floor. I felt inadequate next to the image of stunning beauty, and his compliments only made me realize my lack of perfection he so clearly had.
"Thanks," I mumbled as he pulled me closer to him.
"So, go on," Edward encouraged, softly running his fingers through my hair.
"We watched a few movies. Braveheart, Titanic, Ever After… the classics. Alice tried to dye my hair." I made a face. "That didn't happen."
Edward chuckled. "She should've known you wouldn't agree."
"Probably," I agreed, grinning. "We also made sure everything was ready for the wedding. All the dresses and suits, the decorations, the food, the music, the RSVP's… it was so much, but we're most definitely ready."
I looked up and found his eyes steadily reading my face, something hidden deep behind the golden irises.
After a moment of silence, I shifted under his gaze. "What are you looking at?" I asked innocently, feeling self-conscious.
Edward smiled crookedly. "I love hearing you talk about these things; these normal, human things. It makes me feel like I know every little part of you better, just by getting a view into your every day life as a person."
He paused to nuzzle the soft skin beneath my ear. "Continue."
I sighed dreamily and tried to kiss him, but he put two fingers on my lips and shook his head. "Not yet."
I gave him a look. "Fine. I taught Alice how to cook; apparently, it's been something she's always wanted to learn how to do, although I can't imagine why. Rosalie stayed with us some of the time, too."
"She did?" Edward asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Yes, to both Alice's and my shock. We painted our nails together and talked." I turned red from this last statement and tried to angle my face away from the moonlight.
"What is it?" Edward asked, noting the abrupt end to my story.
"Oh, nothing, we just talked. Then--"
"Oh, no, you don't. What were you talking about?" He seemed to have caught on, and I felt my cheeks blaze.
When I realized prolonging the subject would only prolong our "alone" time, I mumbled something incoherent.
Edward seemed tickled that I was so unwilling to share with him the subject of our discussion. "If you don't tell me, I can always get it out of Alice's or Rosalie's mind."
I gave in. "You."
"Oh, really? And what, may I ask, did you say about me?" Edward's voice was coated with curiosity and slight humor.
"They just asked… about how I felt around you. If it was different from being around male humans, and if I ever was scared of you," I admitted reluctantly.
"And what did you say?"
I pondered for a moment, absorbing my thoughts. "I said… humans can't even compare to what I see in you. I'm never scared, because I know that we truly share a love that no other can compare to." I whispered, looking into his eyes. "You're the greatest thing that has ever happened to me."
Edward looked speechless, his golden eyes attempting to read my expression. Emotion flooded his face and he kissed me tenderly, his hand cupping my cheek firmly.
When I could feel my heart almost beating out of my ribcage and I felt faint, Edward pulled away and said, "It's been five minutes. May I take you somewhere?"
"Please," I sighed, closing my eyes and leaning into him.
Edward tenderly kissed my head and scooped me into his arms as he stood up. Turning towards the window, he bounded out and landed smoothly on the grass, keeping me in the same steady position as he had in the bedroom.
"Do you trust me?" he asked, looking down to read my face.
"Of course."
He shifted me onto his back and said, "Hold on tight, and close your eyes."
The moment my eyelids closed, we were flying across the land, faster than ever before. I felt an exhilarating rush of excitement and curiosity. Where could we possibly be going? Edward's breathing was steady and relaxed, and I leaned my head closer to his neck, dying to be as physically close as possible. After ten minutes or so, I felt his legs slow down and he whispered, "Keep your eyes closed."
I obeyed, and I felt him lifting me to the ground, placing his hands over my eyes to make sure I wasn't going to look. He led me slowly forward, and I could feel grass underneath my shoes. I wondered where we could possibly be- the baseball field?
Then it hit me.
"You can open."
I slowly opened my eyes, observing the scene around me. The meadow was outlined by at least a hundred lit candles, all different sizes with flames bouncing around in the wind. Inside of the circle of candles, white roses were scattered across the floor of the clearing and surrounded a large red comforter. The scene was truly beautiful; it felt like something out of a movie.
I held my hands over my mouth and was literally at a loss for words.
"I thought since it was the last night before our wedding, we should make it special and different. I want you to be able to look back on this night and remember it as the best night we've had," Edward whispered into my ear. "Do you like it?"
I turned to him and felt tears welling up in my eyes. "Edward, it's wonderful. Thank you so much."
He gently lifted his cold hands to my face and rubbed his thumbs against my cheeks, brushing away tears of happiness. "I don't know if I tell you enough, Bella, but I love you. You're my entire world. I honestly do not believe anyone could feel as strongly about anyone as I do about you. You're the most beautiful, selfless, kindest person I've ever met, and I don't deserve you. I wake up every day wondering how I ended up here; how I was so lucky that I loved someone who loved me back in return. You'll never understand the depth of my love for you, and by doing this I only hope you can see a token of my feelings."
Happiness flooded up inside of me and I felt as if I was the happiest person on earth. "I love you too, Edward," I managed.
He kissed me softly and picked me up, carrying me to our makeshift bed. He spread out on the blanket and pulled me into his chest, running his fingers through my hair and down my back.
"You're so incredible," I sighed, closing my eyes.
"I'm nothing, darling," Edward replied modestly.
After a minute or so of silence, he spoke again.
"It's odd, you know, not being able to read your mind."
I sensed the frustration in his voice and smiled to myself, aware that this was one talent he was not completely perfect in. Since he could read everyone's mind but mine, I could understand the difficulty it would bring for him to be around me and have no idea what I was thinking.
"What do you want to know now?" I asked, looking up at his face. He was staring serenely at the sky and his eyebrows were pulled together tightly.
"Many things, Bella, but I'll start with the simplest." He paused. "What are you looking forward to most about our future?"
I thought carefully, bringing my eyes back down from his chin to stare out across the candlelight.
"Honestly… justbeing with you. It's enough. And… the other parts of our relationship." I blushed.
"Oh, and what parts would these be?" Edward teased, feigning curiosity.
"Don't make me say it," I warned.
"This part?"
In flash, Edward had rolled on top of me, holding his weight perfectly and kissing me tenderly. My lips replied eagerly and my hands ran down his chiseled chest. My heart thudded loudly and I felt blood rushing through my veins.
When I realized that Edward was getting more into the kiss as each moment passed by, I couldn't stop myself as I began to pull his shirt off. Surprisingly, he allowed for it and tossed it next to us. The coldness yet firmness of his chest sent my nerves screaming for every part of him. Edward leaned in closer to press his body against mine, and he pulled his lips away only to continue kissing down my neck.
I reached down and started to pull my sweater up over my stomach, but Edward pulled back abruptly and covered his eyes with one hand.
I sat up. "What's wrong?"
He didn't move for a moment, and I became somewhat frightened.
"Did you want to…?"
He knew what I meant, and I saw a smile playing at the edge of his lips. "No, it was nothing of the sort." He paused for a while, choosing the right words. "It was my manly side kicking in."
Edward removed his hand from his eyes and gave me a playfully dirty look. "You're far too indecent for me, love. If we had moved one step farther I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from going all the way."
"What's so bad about that?" I complained grumpily.
"I believe," Edward smiled, leaning back in to kiss my forehead briefly, "We had a deal. You'll be my wife before that takes place."
"Well then, I'm going to sleep," I countered, laying down and closing my eyes.
"And why is that?"
"Because," I said from my still spot on the blanket, "It's either that or I'll tear your clothes off where you stand."
"I'd like to see you try," Edward chuckled, relaxing next to me and pulling me into his arms. "Tomorrow, Bella. I'm all yours."
He kissed my head tenderly, and after a gap of silence, spoke.
"May I ask at least one more question? Or will I be murdered if I do?"
I sighed. "Mmm. I guess."
He toyed with my hair for a moment and I could feel his eyes on me.
"Why did you choose me over him?"
I tensed at the question; Jacob had been off of my mind until this very moment. I halfway sat up on my right arm, my head angled to the side. "I…" I was struggling for the words to explain what went on in my head that very day.
Edward sat up opposite me, mirroring my body. He gazed at me affectionately and took the hand I had resting on the ground. While I figured out what to say, he patiently twirled the ring around my finger.
"I loved Jacob… but not like I love you. I don't believe that I would die without Jacob in my life, though it would be really painful. He was more of a close friend, a brother sometimes, that I could count on in difficult situations. I was attracted to the Jacob that somewhat replaced part of your role in my life when you left, which is what confused me. I thought maybe I was supposed to be with him. I never realized it was you I needed, and he was only a temporary fill for the void in my heart. But it's always been you, Edward. I've never been more sure of that than this moment. You… you're like my other half. And I don't think anyone, even Jake, could come close to filling the place you hold in my life."
I returned his gentle smile, and then found myself yawning.
"That was lovely, Bella. I believe you need some sleep; let's lay down."
He pulled me back close to him, and I felt sleepy instantaneously.
"We've got a big day ahead of us, tomorrow," Edward whispered. "Go to sleep."
The last I heard that night was the humming of my lullaby ringing softly in my ears.