Contest entry for the P.S. I Love You Contest
Title: Together Forever
Pairing: Edward/Bella
Rating: T
Word Count: 7,115
Summary: A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other; maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Together Forever
-o0…x…0o-
Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. – Aristotle
"You will never be enough."
Have you ever looked into the mirror? Go home little girl, and see for yourself what everybody else sees."
"Huh! Never have I seen such a delusional person as you. How pathetic!"
And they laughed at her.
Being the shy, reserved girl she was, she never talked back to them; knowing very well that would be futile. And she did not want to argue with them. Not when she knew very well that they were right.
Those words haunted her every waking moment. She was almost convinced that they spoke truth. She never understood how they could read her secret so easily, like she was an open book. Or perhaps they knew simply because they were all the same as her. They shared the same desire, the same secret —although their secret was not much of a secret to begin with. They did not fear or hesitate to voice their feelings, as hollow as those feelings could be. And her secret was buried safely deep inside her; nevertheless, they could see.
But that did not matter then; nor did they matter now.
What mattered most was the fact that they had not told any single word about this to him.
Him.
The object of their mutual affection.
Maybe they were afraid. During their best efforts to persuade him into liking them, they had never said a thing about her in front of him. What if they thought that maybe he would notice her all of a sudden if they told him about her? Maybe that was why. Or, maybe they thought she was not worthy enough to be brought into their mindless conversations.
But she knew one thing for sure— if she did not take a step and see for herself what happened next, she would die in regret, bearing the burden of maybes and what ifs.
And she for all people could not possibly risk that. She had promised herself long ago that she would be with him forever and more.
Could they feel what she had always felt for him? To her, it felt like he was the other half of her, the better half. That a soul had been split into two and the important half had taken the form of him and the insignificant part was born within her. That her entire being felt complete, whole and alive when he was near. And she could never envision her life without him.
If only she wasn't his best friend— and only that. Nothing more, nothing less.
-o0…x…0o-
It all began three years ago. In their sophomore year of high school, a family moved to the gloomy town of Forks. It was undoubtedly the most entertaining thing that had ever happened to the town.
All of a sudden there was chattering and whispering about the new arrivals in the neighborhood. The Cullens. Dr. Cullen turned out to be an eminent surgeon and his wife was also a well known interior designer, and they had a teenage son. There was also the fact that both Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were strikingly good looking, so naturally it all was up to the town peoples' imagination what 'the son' looked like.
And without any doubt, the question was thrown across back and forth—why would a family like that move into this no good town from Seattle?
The big house that had been practically hidden all this time behind the huge canopy of evergreens seemed to be waiting for their arrival. For whom else would a house as majestic as that suit?
Both Dr. and Mrs. Cullen blended with their neighbors as well as the other residents of the town so easily, that it was hard to tell that they were newcomers.
The good doctor had taken a job in the local hospital, where someone like him was needed—desperately. And all those who had the chance of meeting Mrs. Cullen were blown away by the woman's warm and friendly nature.
As is bound to happen everywhere, some people—specifically two horridly envious women, the ever popular Mrs. Stanley and Mrs. Mallory—could not stand the happy family. To this day they still sneer and every opportunity they get, they do their best to flirt with Dr. Cullen and make bitch faces behind Mrs. Cullen's back. But those poor, poor unrelenting women still have not understood that Dr. Cullen is devoted to the love of his life, his wife.
But aside from all this, that year Forks High went insane; from sophomore to senior, there was no girl in school who did not go through a makeover. Well, perhaps that is not entirely true, for girls like Bella Swan and Angela Webber and a few others couldn't care less. Their number was countable with the digits of one hand, and they all had their own reasons.
Rosalie Hale finally got to spend every moment at school with Emmett McCarty, instead of chasing away and glaring at the hoard of drooling bitches off her boyfriend's back and well, for that matter… front too.
She could not have been more thankful.
Alice Brandon had finally let out a relieved sigh when the girls all got distracted and averted their (nasty) gazes and proposals and countless 'love notes' from Jasper Whitlock, whom she is certain of marrying someday.
Also, she could not wait to befriend her savior.
Then there was Angela Webber, with her polite smile and big nerdy glasses; who was totally in love with the closet nerd Ben Cheney, who in spite of being a couple of inches shorter than her, had totally bewitched her. At present, they are happily dating.
So, that girl too did not care.
Lastly, the infamous Bella Swan—the epitome of clumsiness and shyness. Nobody had ever tried to look under those dark brown bangs, into her soulful brown eyes. She had always been rejected by the popular kids at the very first glance. And when the majority of kids treat themselves as popular, there is no way anybody is going to notice a person they labeled as 'not their type'. But it did not matter then, just like it does not matter now. Back then, she was content with her life, with Angela as her only friend and Alice occasionally dropping by.
Nothing has changed since then. Yet everything has changed.
She changed and started viewing the world in a new light—his light.
But back then it did not matter to her either. Why should she busy herself with something as insignificant as that?
So, she too remained as she always had been, wearing the same old comfortable clothes, which to others seemed baggy and outdated.
Well, that suited her just fine. She had no one to look good for.
The rumors about the new student may have had the whole of Forks High in a frenzy, but she did not feel even an ounce of excitement about him, the latest addition.
After all, rumors are rumors, right?
But the day came when he first set his foot on the school premises and everyone saw with their own eyes that the rumors were indeed very true.
Throughout the whole morning she heard hushed and not-so-hushed whispers about his dashing entry. Those who could not witness the historical event were heartbroken and grieving for their lost opportunity.
And there she was, getting fed up with all the talking. How could they not get tired of constant gossiping over just one subject? She wondered how he was dealing with all this. Maybe he was enjoying all the attention.
But Bella Swan did not know what was going to hit her. She did not know that the little world she had created around herself would just explode, and only little fragments of it would be left behind.
That same day at lunch, she chanced a look across the cafeteria, and lost everything she most valued.
Who knew a fifteen year old girl like her, who hesitated to show even a small flicker of emotion would feel her blood-pumping organ beating against her ribcage that crazily?
Who knew she would flush a deep red and hide her face deeper than ever under her curls?
Who knew she would find it hard, very hard to breath and would choke on her bite of sandwich, thus coughing and gasping for air nearly to her death?
And who in this whole universe knew at that moment he would look at her way, only to see her as a snotty, coughing mess?
If someone had warned her, she might not have shown up at school that day. But of course no one could have predicted what happened.
For her, meeting him was more than a life altering incident.
With his furrowed brows and somewhat concerned expression, she noticed that he never laughed at her like the others.
No, she would not change a single thing.
…
That day, after calming down somewhat, she fled from the cafeteria too embarrassed to answer Angela's concerned questions.
The cold weather outside did very little to decrease the blood flow in her cheeks as she continued down the path towards the woods behind the school. Nobody usually took this route. Why would someone go wandering in the woods in this weather, leaving behind the warmth of the building, their friends and all the gossip? No one but her had any reason to flee that purgatory in search for some desperately needed relief.
And no way in hell was she going back in there anytime soon. The rest of the classes could carry on without her.
In those three or four terrible minutes, she had humiliated herself enough for a lifetime and more. Why did it have to happen to her right at that moment; and not to mention it happened in front of him!
With that thought, she stopped short, the heels of her sneakers digging in the dirty moist leaves covering the trail she was walking through mindlessly.
What?
What on earth she was thinking? Incidents like almost choking to death back in the cafeteria, or any other similarly embarrassing occurrences had never bothered her much before.
Not when she tripped and kissed the ground—well it was a puddle of mud to be exact—the other day. It had entertained almost everyone around her so much that when she made herself presentable after a mad dash towards the restroom, all she got were a few pitiful stares for her gracelessness and not-so-few questions regarding the taste of mud, amid snickers and giggles.
On top of that Angela had chosen that of all days to get sick and skip classes, so she was practically alone. When Alice showed up, it was too late for consolation and bitching about everyone.
It didn't bother her that much back then.
She clenched her fists even more, her blunt nails digging into the soft flesh of her palms. Why was this happening to her? She had always lived an isolated life at school. She had never been good with crowds—always the awkward, clumsy girl.
She had always been different from the others and she liked it that way. She always felt that it was good to be alone with fewer things to burden your mind. But maybe she thought that because she never had a bunch of buddies to connect with, to talk and listen about anything and everything.
Why was she questioning herself so much? Why wonder about something like this?
Was it because of what happened back there in the cafeteria? Was it because of him?
Suddenly she became aware of her surroundings; she had been standing in the middle of the forest, for God alone knew how long. The pain in her hands made her unclench the fists, and she saw the dark imprint of her nails on both of her palms. Hissing at her carelessness she rubbed her sore palms together. What was happening?
She had completely lost track of time, and decided it would be wise to go back to school. Slowly, she started back along the path she had come from.
She was relieved that no one saw her coming here all alone—not that anyone would care. Not that she expected someone to follow her when she wanted nothing to do with anybody.
But when she neared the edge of the forest, she saw a lean form casually leaning against a tree with both of his hands in his pockets, his head tilted upward with eyes closed—looking like he owned this universe.
She was startled to see that particular person of all people, standing there. And then it began again—the ridiculous beating of her heart, the color rising in her cheeks, the mind numbing hum of electricity.
What on this earth was he doing here? She wanted to ask. But she had no control over her body.
"So, you are done wandering alone in the woods?"
She stared wide eyed, her breath coming out of her trembling lips in a gasp. His voice sent shivers down her spine.
He pushed himself away from the tree, hands still buried in his pockets, and faced her—looking directly into her eyes.
"What? Aren't you going to answer my question?"
Holy crap! Green. All she could see was live, sparkling green. Her knees wobbled. Bella was certain that she was going to fall and embarrass herself once again in front of this creature.
"Hey, are you feeling alright?" The owner of the concerned voice came forward and put his hands on both of her shoulders. And that did it.
She fainted.
…
When she regained consciousness, the first thing she saw was two mesmerizing green eyes staring back at her. Bella blinked once, twice; then with a startled gasp she realized where and in what condition she was in. Her face burned red in utter embarrassment as she closed her eyes tightly hoping to become unconscious once again—maybe then he would leave her be.
A musical chuckle had her peeking through one eye.
"You sure are strange. But a lot more interesting too," he mused.
She snapped her eye shut once again. Oh God, did that boy not understand how badly his voice and presence was affecting her? Either way, she was sure that was to be the last day of her life.
"Oh, by the way, it is getting late. Shouldn't you be on your way back home?" she heard him asking and blinked open her eyes.
Huh? What was he talking about?
"Home? Your home?" He lifted an eyebrow when he got no answer. "Maybe she has gone into shock," she heard him mumbling. He was getting more and more concerned about this girl with every passing moment.
He had every intention of shaking the girl out of her stupor, but before his hand could touch her the girl suddenly stood up, startling even him. He also stood up with his hands held out as though to say, okay.
Before he could even say a word, though, she was gone from in front of him in a flash.
"Hey! Where are you going?"
That girl! She did not answer even one of his questions! But damn it, she was acting as if he was some kind of lunatic! And he was not going to tolerate it a moment longer.
If that girl thought she could escape him that easily, she was very, very mistaken.
He followed her to the school parking lot. Everybody else had gone home and only two cars were still parked there.
Bella could feel him following her. Her heart stuttered. Her face was still bright red. "Damn stalker," she mumbled under her breath as she continued to walk carefully to her truck. It would be just her luck to trip right in front of him now. It was bad enough that she had fainted on him and not said a word to him even when she had the chance.
…
Edward wanted to know her name. That girl was the total opposite of the kind he was used to. He really, really wanted to know her. If he could not talk to her now, he would definitely corner her later. Hmm. Maybe that would be the best thing to do, because he did not want her to freak out again or even worse, faint on him again.
He stopped and stared at the girl, picking her way carefully along the pavement. How long had he been keeping an eye on that girl? Yeah, since the cafeteria incident at lunch break. He saw how she had nearly died of suffocation. God, the girl couldn't even eat lunch without nearly killing herself.
He had followed after her, making up some lame excuse to his new bunch of friends. He watched her entering the woods. He thought it would not be very wise to follow her all the way in, even though he was concerned. Truly, that girl seemed to have no sense when it came to self preservation. Who willingly would go inside those woods alone when no one was watching?
So he figured it would be best to wait for her to come out. Damn, it was just his first day of school, and he had gone through terribly boring classes the whole morning. It was time for biology class and he was not ready to sit beside some overfriendly girl or boy again. Yes, it would be better to spend the remaining time here. It was so peaceful here, no more chattering students and shrieking girls. No wonder she had come here.
He wondered if that made him a stalker. Even if it did, damn it, he was not going to leave her alone. She seemed so fragile; when she had fainted, he had been terrified. She was so small. He knew he was tall and well built, but she was small even compared to others. He felt the insane urge to protect her from everything.
And all of a sudden his eyes widened in alarm. He saw her tripping and rushed towards her—and at the very last moment managed to catch her by the waist. His heart thundered against his ribcage. This girl was impossible!
…
Oh God! What had just happened? She was trying to be so careful not to fall and hit the ground again. But she still managed to trip because her wobbly legs wouldn't cooperate! She was sure the impact was going to hurt—more than physically, she was sure to bruise her dignity, well, what was left of it after all these embarrassing events. But, when she was dangerously close to face-planting, two strong arms wrapped around her mid-section and held her steady.
"S-sorry!" she blurted out. "I am so sorry. Forgive me, please!" Bella clutched at her bag strap tightly. Her already red face became even redder if possible and she could hear her heart beating frantically.
He released her and took a step back. He had never thought the first words he would hear from her would be an apology.
"It's okay. It would not happen if you would talk to me like a normal person and not run away like I was out to kidnap you," he chuckled.
"Sorry, I did not get the chance to introduce myself back there. I'm Edward Cullen and you are…?" He held out his hand towards her for a handshake.
"Bella Swan," she replied. "And sorry f-for bothering you." She took his hand hesitantly, her body immediately breaking out in goose-bumps.
"Now, that's better—much, much better." He smiled at her and she felt herself smiling in return. "So, friends?" Bella nodded her head. He was the first person to behave so differently towards her and she wanted to know him better. Even it meant that she would only ever get to be his friend.
"Best friends," she replied.
Edward Cullen, with his glorious appearance and bright smile, and timid Bella Swan with her blushing face, warm heart and a sweet smile on her lips started a new chapter of their lives that day.
Yes, everything was changing.
-o0…x…0o-
It has been three years since then, and they were now approaching graduation. High school would be over at last. To her surprise, Bella found school had become both bearable and enjoyable only with him by her side every possible moment.
Everybody was enjoying their last moments with their friends, and here she was sulking in her house, thinking about him. He had not come to her house today, either. The same thing had been going on for the last three days. Usually he appeared here every morning, rudely waking her up from her pleasant dreams; well, the pleasant dreams starring him. So she could not be mad at him, because it was even better to see him in person. In fact he was the first person she saw every day after waking up, which made her day even better.
But it had been three days! She only had gotten a few texts from him here and there. Apparently, he was too busy to talk.
"So, Bells…" Today was Charlie's day off, and it was not like him to sit around idly on these days. Usually, he would go fishing with his friends from the Reservation.
"Yeah, Dad?" Bella answered.
"How is Edward doing these days? He hasn't set foot inside the house in like three days." Way to state the obvious, Dad. She had been moping over these thoughts all morning.
"Um, yes. He is good. He is just busy with some work, I think." The last part came out almost in a whisper.
"Is everything alright between you two?" Charlie asked, concerned.
"Y- Yes. Why wouldn't it be?" Bella stuttered. She herself did not know what was wrong with them.
"Now, now young lady, tell your old man what's wrong." Putting away the newspaper he was reading, Charlie sat up straighter, his brows furrowed.
"Really Dad, you don't have to worry yourself over something as small as this." Bella's lame attempt did not fool him.
Charlie's mustache twitched. "Don't you dare to tell me not to worry about my daughter!"
She looked down, staring at her folded hands on her lap.
"It's about him, isn't it?"
Bella looked up, startled. "H-how do you…?"
"You are my daughter. I can read you like an open book," her dad replied.
"It's… I just can't take it anymore, Dad. It hurts so much. I have kept this within me all this time. But I can't do this anymore. I can't hide it anymore, Dad!" Bella sobbed.
"He is a good guy, Bella. Hell, he's become like a son to me! And believe me, I have seen the way that boy looks at you."
"What way does he look at me?" she sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
"Hmm, I think you should hear that from him. Go ahead and tell him how you feel."
"I should?" Charlie had not seen this vulnerable side of her since she was a little first grader. That look on her face reminded him of the time when she had broken her left arm by accidentally tripping and falling from the stairs.
Though his daughter would be a little girl in his eyes forever, he had to accept the reality that his daughter had become a fine young lady now. She was a woman who should go after what she wanted.
Charlie stood up from his seat and moving forward, sat down beside his daughter, enveloping her in his arms. To him it already felt like goodbye, like she would be gone away from him forever. His little girl would no longer be his alone.
"You totally should," Charlie said confidently.
Bella sniffled and tightened her grasp on her father's shirt. "Okay."
Charlie laughed, "That's my girl!" With a kiss on her forehead, he let her go and nudged her. "Go, see your future."
"Yes, Daddy." His little girl gave him a radiant smile and hurried towards her room.
…
A gentle breeze blew through the colorful meadow. The sweet smelling flowers danced with the merry wind. The sunlight filtering through the patchy cloud cover seemed to intensify the beauty of the place.
It was so peaceful in here. It had always been like that. No matter their state of mind, they had always found the tranquility of this place soothing.
Maybe that was why it had been their own piece of heaven for as long as they could remember. This place had always given them the feeling of being protected from all the bad things out there. They always felt more mature than their ages in the serenity of the meadow.
Their meadow.
So, why did it feel so different today? Why did it feel like her heart would tear open if she did not confess everything to him today? She had successfully kept this secret to herself for all this time. She had hidden it in the dark depths of her mourning soul. Why could she not keep it buried inside her anymore? If he came to know about how she felt, it would no longer be a secret. It could change everything.
Would he hate her? Would their connection break? Would the only thing she had ever treasured in her whole world be taken away from her? Would she lose him—even though he had never been hers?
Standing in the center of their meadow, she stared at his glorious form. He had always been the most beautiful being in her little universe. In the luminous glow of the lively meadow, he almost seemed otherworldly. He was indeed the otherworldly being in her insignificant world—far, far out of her reach.
Would she lose the feeling of being whole when he was near, and all because of her own selfishness? She shook her head. No! She could never do that!
But she had to do something! Before it got too late—before she lost all her chances. Maybe, just maybe he would listen to her and would not get upset. Maybe she would have the chance to keep him in her life in some way even if it all went wrong.
Whatever happened, she would bear it. She could do it, she had to! But she would not be a coward and back away.
The flowing wind blew her hair away from her face, tugging at her ponytail. The breeze created gentle waves through the wildflowers. It appeared to her that even nature was agreeing with her.
It was now or never.
Cautiously she took a step towards him, appraising him from the distance separating them, as though approaching a wild being. Her heart hammered violently against her ribcage.
His bended figure straightened up and he turned back towards her with a gleaming smile on his beautiful face. She knew very well that smile was only reserved for her, and it made her feel very special in these rare moments.
Her already frantic heartbeat seemed to increase even more so than before. Her body felt warm, her breath shallow. He stepped towards her, his smile still intact, his emerald eyes shining, and his wild hair blowing about in the wind. It was a glorious sight.
She wanted to flee, but she could not take a step away. Here she was prey—his prey. He was the lion and she was the stupid lamb. In spite of knowing her possible fate she stood there, determined. She could do it!
When he came near and stood right in front of her, it was all she could do not to faint. His mere presence shook her to the very core. What would it be like to be loved by him?
"Hey."
Oh, his voice.
She gulped down the lump in her throat. It would not be a good thing to faint right now. Not when she had a very important task in her hands; hands which were shaking badly. She could feel her palms getting clammy.
She did not look up into his eyes, too afraid to do so. Instead she found his broad, manly chest to be very interesting to look at.
Not getting any response from her, he called out to her again.
"Bella?"
Two startled doe eyes looked up at his green ones. He could feel his lips twitch in that sideways smile. The smile he knew she liked. The smile that was reserved for her—and her alone. He had tried to stay away from her for three days, but it was unbearable.
Her already pale face seemed to get even paler. Carefully he took hold of the bunch of blossoms he had gathered for her in his left hand. The flowers were as vibrant as her personality. She seemed to be the only speck of light in his world, the one who made everything better by just existing. For as long as he had known her it had been this way.
With his right hand he gently brushed her cheek. And there it appeared in an instant, the blush that he desired to see the most. Ah.
He could almost taste the electricity between them. He had always felt this powerful pull towards her—this connection, which appeared to be far beyond the confines of the mortal world. But he had done nothing to take their relationship forward, in fear of losing her. Her mere presence calmed his entire being. He felt content with her. He could never ever let her go. Even if it meant he could only keep her in his life as her friend and nothing more, he would do it for his own sake. He was a selfish creature, after all.
He gently held out his left hand offering her the flowers, which somehow had always reminded him of her.
"For you." His voice was just a whisper, but she heard him clearly, his melodious voice penetrating straight through her wildly pulsing heart.
Lowering her eyes from his, she looked at the flowers in his hand and with shaking hands took them carefully. Smiling, she uttered a breathy, faint, "Thank you."
It had always been like this. He plucked flowers for her every time they came to their meadow.
It was now or never.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep shaky breath and in a gentle voice, murmured, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."
He stood there staring at her; his jumbled thoughts frozen in stunned silence.
What…?
He dared not utter a word, his throat suddenly dry.
"I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace."
He could feel goose-bumps rising on his skin as he shivered under the warm sunlight.
She…
"I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light."
She…
"I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise."
This is…
"I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith."
She clutched the flowers that he had picked for her earlier to her heart, holding them delicately, almost reverently with both hands.
Her head was still bowed; to him her voice sounded thick with unshed tears.
He wanted nothing more than to hold her—to embrace her tightly and never let her go, to take away all her misery; but he stalled himself, not wanting to ruin this moment for them.
After all, he himself was the most selfish person he had ever known.
"I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints."
Her voice shook, her knees trembled and she slowly sank down on her knees before him, baring her soul to him; under the gentle sunlight, in their secret and treasured paradise.
He stood there wide-eyed. His hands shook, his head felt heavy, his body numb. He could not move.
Finally, he called her name desperately, his voice a plea, "Bella!"
But his voice sounded nothing above a whisper in the air.
His eyes burned.
But still, she did not look up.
"I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life;"
He stood there helplessly, bewitched by the situation.
And then she looked up, her eyes red and brimming with tears.
"And, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death."
He exhaled heavily, his lips trembled and he too sank down on his knees before her. He could not believe what had just happened. Even in his wildest dreams, he had never dared to hope for something like this.
He took her face in his trembling hands, and with great care wiped her tears. The tears she was shedding for him.
"Silly, what a silly girl you are." His voice cracked. He had never shed tears over anything or anyone. But this young woman had the power to bring him down to his knees, to make him… cry.
She could not keep her sobs at bay anymore, they came unbound. She had bared her soul to him. Now it was his turn to decide what he wanted to do with her.
He unclasped her hands from her chest and brought her petite form to his larger one, engulfing her in a warm embrace. She continued to sob into his chest, clutching his shirt for dear life, hoping and praying that this was not the end. Her flowers lay forgotten on the ground beside them.
He pulled her into his lap, adjusting them in a comfortable position. She kept sobbing; his shirt was now damp with her tears.
"Hey now, you know that I cannot bear your tears." He pushed her away a little while holding her shoulders, so that he could look at her.
"Please forgive me," she whispered, not looking up at him.
He gaped at her dumbfounded. Why was she apologizing?
"For what?"
"I was out of line. I… I shouldn't have… shouldn't have," she stopped, unable to finish. She knew that she had humiliated herself. He would hate her now.
He sighed loudly. What was he going to do with this girl? Though of course he had plenty of ideas in mind about what he would like to do…
When she heard him sighing, she timidly looked up. She was still on his lap, and still holding onto him tightly.
He only shook his head and snaked his hands around her once more, embracing her tightly. Her head rested against his chest, and she could hear the frantic beating of his heart, just like her own. To her it felt like their hearts were beating in synchronization.
"Can you feel my heart? Can you feel how fast it is beating?" he asked her gently. In response she only held him tightly. She had no idea where he was going with this. But wherever he took her, she would go. She trusted him with her life.
"Bella, I have always felt a void in my heart, which no one ever has been succeeded in filling. I always felt like someone out there was made for me and only me. That someone would take away all the emptiness inside and make me whole again. So I kept searching for that person. I knew someday, somewhere I would find her.
"Then one day, I found the one. She was like the breath of fresh air in an otherwise toxic atmosphere. I could not get enough of her. She was shy, timid. I befriended her and she became my best friend.
"Do you know what happened then, Bella?"
She shook her head, her tears flowing anew.
"I fell. Hard and fast, you know?" He chuckled. "I fell for the girl who filled the emptiness inside me and made me whole. I fell for the shy and soft-spoken girl, who was the exact opposite of me. I fell for my best friend." His voice cracked.
Clearing his throat, he tilted her chin up with his right hand. "I fell in love with the most incredible woman in this whole world," he stated, staring straight into her warm brown eyes.
She gasped as realization dawned on her. He was talking about her! Her lips trembled, and she could not form a word.
Really? She could not believe her ears. Was this really happening?
"Yes." As always he answered her unasked questions. "You are clumsy, you faint at the sight of blood, you eat all of my chocolate and ice creams, and you are so silly. But I love you. I love you for all of these things and more."
"You… you…" She could not finish. It was unbelievable! All this time? And he never said anything?
"I love you." He embraced her again, holding her to him tightly. "I love you."
She buried her face in his neck, and inhaled his heady scent. This is her Edward. "I love you more."
He only tightened his hold in response.
After some time, Edward pulled away from Bella and touched her rosy cheeks with both of his hands.
"Can I try something?"
Bella's heart started beating frantically again. She knew what was coming. She had been waiting for this for a very long time. She really hoped that she would not faint.
Edward slowly lowered his face, looking straight in her eyes. He saw no hesitance, just one raw emotion which he knew at last was love—love for him.
And then their lips touched; and they forgot everything. Their meadow, the flowers, the woods surrounding them, the sun—everything ceased to exist. There were just two of them alone in this universe, where no one else was allowed.
But soon, too soon it ended as they both needed air to breathe. Edward looked down at her. He could not believe she was his. His Bella, with rosy lips and flushed cheeks. She opened her eyes and looked up at him and the red hue in her cheeks darkened.
Edward hummed in contentment and leaned down to kiss her lips chastely one, twice and then again. And as he had predicted, Bella blushed even harder, the redness starting to spread down her throat.
"I-I know what yo-you are doing, Edward." Much to her dismay, his amusement only grew at her statement. She could see the amused glint in his emerald eyes.
Again he leaned in, his face mere centimeters away from her. "Really, you know? I have been dreaming of this for so long." He traced her right cheek with his finger. "Now at last I have got my chance and I'm going to enjoy every moment," he finished in a soft whisper.
Her heart was beating crazily, it was her dream too.
"I wanted to kiss you here," he kissed her on the lips, "and here," his lips trailed down her chin and he kissed her neck.
Bella let out a ragged breath, and clung to him tightly. She never wanted this moment to end.
But soon Edward pulled away. "Are you happy Bella?"
"Yes, very happy," she answered, smiling. Her voice no longer quivered. She was the happiest person in this whole world. All she wanted was hers at last, and she would never let him go.
She placed her head on his chest and held on to him tightly—her safe haven. In response he embraced her tighter, guarding her from everything. He had always felt very protective of her and he would always protect her, he vowed. He sealed his promise with a gentle kiss on her head.
They could have stayed in that exact pose forever, but their bodies had other plans. Soon Bella's stomach growled loudly.
Edward laughed wholeheartedly, "I guess it's time to feed the human."
Bella giggled and smacked his arm, "Stop it! Like you are one to talk!"
Edward kissed the crown of her head. "Hmm, I guess. After all I'm hungry too."
-o0…x…0o-
Five years later
August 13, 2015
"Do you, Edward Cullen, take Bella Swan to be your wedded wife, to cherish in love and in friendship, in strength and in weakness, in success and in disappointment, to love her faithfully, today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you shall live?"
"I do."
"And do you, Bella Swan, take Edward Cullen to be your wedded husband, to cherish in love and in friendship, in strength and in weakness, in success and in disappointment, to love him faithfully, today, tomorrow, and for as long as the two of you shall live?
"I do."
And at last, they were united, in front of their family and friends.
When the minister said, "You may kiss the bride," the groom, eager to do so, replied, "Gladly!"
The bride's tears were now flowing freely. Their lips met. She kissed her husband passionately, not minding the guests. This was her day; there was no one to stop her. It was their first kiss as husband and wife, and it was going to be perfect.
It felt too soon when the groom reluctantly pulled away from their kiss. He could hear Emmett's voice whooping loudly in background, "Save some for later, will ya?" All of their family and friends laughed and his already blushing bride hid her face in his chest.
Edward chuckled and embraced his bride.
"Mrs. Edward Cullen?" he addressed his wife.
The new addition to the Cullen family looked up from her hiding place, her cheeks flushed and eyes alight with love and happiness.
Edward looked deep into his Bella's eyes and said in a soft voice, "No measure of time with you will be long enough. But let's start with forever."
She solemnly replied, "Yes, forever."
He brushed away her tears. "I love you."
Her heart skipped a beat; hearing that would never get old. "I love you more."
He just gave her the special smile she loved in return.
They turned around and faced their family and friends, their hands clasped together. For this was the place they had always belonged. They were side by side, and everyone could see the love and happiness radiating from the newly married couple.
A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other; maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever.
This time it was forever and more.
-o0…x…0o-
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