AN: This is my first Twilight fanfic, so please be kind in your reviews. This story takes place post-New Moon, but pre-Eclipse. I wasn't too happy with how Eclipse played out, so for the sake of this story, we're going to pretend it doesn't exist. I do not claim ownership to any of these characters. They belong exclusively to Mrs. Stephanie Meyer, the most amazing writer ever.

It had been a long Friday. And far too sunny. That meant no Edward. Hence the long day. Classes dragged by as they always did when Edward was confined by the sun. When I came home, I did some laundry and cooked some of the fish we had in the freezer for Charlie to pass the time. I finished the little homework I had, laid down on my bed, and put my headphones on. The soft sound of Debussy lulled me into a light sleep.

I don't know how long I had been laying there before I felt a snow-cold hand brush against my cheek. The corners of my mouth spread across my face in a grin before my eyes fluttered open to meet his golden gaze. I took off my headphones and tossed them on my nightstand before snuggling up to Edward's stone cold body. He enveloped me in his arms and pulled me closer.

"I missed you today," he said in his velvet soft voice. His lips ruffled my hair when he kissed the top of my head.

"Oh really? I hardly noticed you were gone," I replied jokingly. His chest vibrated against my ear as he chuckled. I sighed happily and rested my head on his shoulder.

"So, how was your day?" he asked.

"Uneventful. And long." I hugged him closer. "You?"

"I've been thinking about some things." I couldn't read his expression, but I still got a knot in my stomach. Last time he did some serious thinking….I refused to let myself think of it. It still hurt to remember those moments before he—I stopped myself. "Are you working tomorrow?" he asked, drawing me from my thoughts.

"No," I answered cautiously. I wasn't sure if I liked where this was going. "Why, what did you have planned?"

"Well, you've been cooped up in here for far too long. Normally, I would agree with Charlie," he eyed me, remembering the motorcycle that had been the root of my imprisonment. "But you need some fresh air. I thought we could go…'hiking'." He chuckled to himself at his little joke. We wouldn't be hiking. I knew we would be moving much too fast for it to be considered hiking. I relaxed a little. It couldn't be anything bad if he were laughing. It was then I realized I had been holding my breath. Edward heard when I released my breath.

"What's wrong?" He gazed at me with beautiful, worried eyes. I smiled to convince him nothing was wrong, but it was weak and transparent. His face flickered with pain and remorse as he seemed to realize what I was thinking. He pulled me impossibly closer and pressed his stone lips to my forehead.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean…It's supposed to be sunny again tomorrow." He attempted a brighter tone. "I thought we could go to the meadow." He donned his crooked smile I loved and it melted my troubled thoughts to a fuzzy mush. I couldn't help but stare and smile at him like an idiot. I knew I'd never get used to how beautiful he was.

He lightly brushed my cheek with his ice-cold fingertips, leaving a streak of fire, before lowering his head to meet my lips with his. He kissed me deep enough to provoke a near inaudible moan. But of course, Edward heard it. His lips parted as he smiled. "I love you," he breathed. The scent of him made me dizzy.

We spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other's arms. The next morning, he told me he would return in an hour before he pecked me on the lips and ducked out my window. I took a nice hot shower and changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a navy blue scoop neck t-shirt.

I skipped down the stairs for a bowl of cereal and found Charlie in the kitchen. "Hey, dad. Going fishing again?"

"No. I'm going to Billy's. There's a game on today." I froze, thinking of Jacob. I still hadn't heard from him. He hadn't returned any of my calls. I had even resorted to passing notes through Charlie, and still nothing. Charlie noticed I had gone silent. "Have a note for me to give him?" He couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"What's the point?" I bit back bitterly, ignoring the apparent humor he seemed to find in this situation. "Tell him whatever you want. I don't care." I turned to go back up the stairs, having lost my appetite, when Charlie stopped me. I guess he finally noticed I was dressed on a Saturday.

"Have any plans today?" he asked skeptically. "You know you're still grounding. No leaving this house."

"I know, dad. Edward's just coming over to help me fill out some college applications." He couldn't object to this harmless activity. He's been hounding me to do this since he grounded me. And besides, it wasn't a complete lie. I'm sure Edward would have some applications for me to fill out when we got back from the meadow. At the mention of Edward's name, I thought I saw Charlie's eye twitch.

"Fine," he said reluctantly. "But no leaving the house!" I nodded, not sure if I could convince him I wouldn't be leaving the house, and headed back up the stairs to wait for Edward. As soon Charlie's car pulled away, I heard the purr of Edward's Volvo. I turned to go down the stairs, and Edward was there in my doorway. He walked over to me, so fast I hardly saw it. His arms wrapped around my waist in a cold embrace. His lips skimmed my jaw from my chin to my ear.

"Ready to go?" The cool breath of his whisper tickled my ear and I shivered. He took this as a yes, took me by the hand, and led me to his car.

The drive was quick, as always. I'm still amazed we haven't wrecked yet. He drives like a maniac. We got out of the car and Edward hoisted me on his back and took off running. His running used to terrify me more than his driving, but now I found it comforting. To be moving with him as one was a feeling that surpassed everything else. I laid my head on his shoulder and matched my breathing with his. I took in the scent of his bronze hair and pale skin and knew than heaven could not possibly be better than this.

Before I knew it, we were at the meadow. I wouldn't have realized it if it hadn't been for Edward gently pulling me around into his arms before placing my feet on the ground. We both lay down in the soft grass and looked up to the sky. The morning clouds were almost gone, allowing the sun to break through. As the sun kissed Edward's skin, it shimmered and specks of it glittered in his golden eyes. I curled up next to his side and he wrapped his arms around me. My head rested on his chest and it rose and fell with his breathing. We laid there for hours, it seemed. We didn't say much, but we didn't need to. We just held each other.

"My offer still stands, you know." Edward's voice broke through my half-asleep state.

"Hmm?" I opened my eyes sleepily and looked into his eager topaz ones. He brushed a lock of hair from my eyes.

"I want you to be my wife, Bella." I released myself from his embrace and sat up. He sat up behind me and placed his hand on my back. "Bella…"

"Edward, you know how I feel about this. I don't…" I sighed, at a loss for words. I didn't know what else to say. I didn't want to get married so young. That was my mother's mistake. It would not be mine. But…why was I so unwilling to get married, but so ready to completely change my life forever by becoming a vampire?

"Bella, I want to be with you forever." I turned to him and buried my face in his chest.

"I want to be with you, too. It's just—"

"Shh…" I looked up at him. His eyes were focused on the surrounding trees. Just then, I heard a rustling noise. I gripped tighter to Edward as the rustling became louder.

"Edward…" A dark shape emerged from the trees, a monstrous wolf standing as tall as a bear. It was quivering, it's powerful jaws clenched in a grimace, bearing sharp white teeth. It had reddish-brown fur. "Jacob? What are you—" Before I could finish speaking, Jacob leaped forward. Edward pushed me out of the way and I stumbled to the ground. I turned and looked toward them. Jacob was on top of Edward, barking and growling furiously. "Jacob! Stop it!" Edward through him off, and he went flying across the meadow and into the trees. Edward turned toward me.

"Bella! Get out of here!"

"No! Not without you!"

"Bella, you must go now! It isn't safe. Jacob isn't himself right now. You could get hurt. Go!" Jacob returned and tackled Edward from behind. I screamed. Thinking of what either of them could do to each other, I acted irrationally and ran toward them. I grabbed Jacob's arm and tried to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge. I began beating him furiously on his back, but I'm sure he hardly felt it. My hands started to ache as if I had been beating a rock.

"Jacob! Stop it right now! Stop it, Jacob! Get off of him!" Edward was still yelling for me to go, and Jacob was still growling. The noise began to hurt my ears. Tears blurred my eyes restricting my vision, so I hardly saw the huge clawed paw fly at me. I felt a sharp burning pain rip through the whole front of my body before I went flying through the air. I hit something rough and hard. I could only assume it was a tree. My eyes were closed now, and I couldn't tell if I was lying on the ground or not. I felt dizzy, like I was spinning.

"BELLA!!" It was Edward. Almost as soon as I heard him, the gurgling sound of Jacob's snarls stopped and I heard a loud thump and felt the ground shake. A cold hand suddenly brushed against my forehead. I struggled to open my eyes at his touch.

"Edward?"

"Bella!" It was Jacob this time. "Bella, I'm so sorry! Bella?" Edward's hand disappeared from my face.

"Get away from her!" I managed to look over at them, though my vision was beginning to fade. I was looking through a haze, as if I were trapped in a dream. I thought I saw Edward pull back his fist and hit Jacob across the face, but Jacob did not retaliate. I tried to tell Edward to stop, but I couldn't find my voice. Edward shoved Jacob, now with a tear-stained face, away, yelling at him the whole time. "Look what you've done! Get out of here. And stay away from her!" Jacob transformed into his wolf form and took off running into the trees. Edward was back at my side at once, but I was already slipping. The darkness was drowning me. I could just barely here Edward's pleas for me to stay awake, to stay with him. I tried to hold on, but the darkness was too strong. I felt one last breath pass through me and then, I was gone.