Once upon a time, I thought that I would die single and that thought made me a very happy man. I wouldn't have to worry about being in the confines of relationship. I wouldn't have to worry about feelings, gifts, anniversaries, telling my significant other if the dress she wore made her look fat. Words like "us" or "couple" or "relationship", I avoided for a long time. None of those trivial things that came along with a companion I had to stress myself about. Nope, for me Edward Cullen, I was content with being a bachelor or as my friends would call me, a "Playboy".

All that went to hell when she came stumbling back into my life. Now I can't even fathom where I would be without her beauty and grace. She is the reason why I breathe, the reason why I get up every morning, and the reason why I am standing as a whole man again.

We were childhood best friends, Bella and I. Our parents called us "Bonnie and Clyde", because wherever I was go she would go without hesitation and vise versa. Thick as thieves, if one would get in trouble then we would both take the blame. Bella was the very best friend a guy like me could ever have. But as fate had it, she had to move away when we were 15, and it wasn't until after Bella left, I realized how much more she had really meant to me. Not just as a friend. She was my first love.

As the years went on, we sadly lost contact and grew apart. I guess you can say that the miles between us were a factor, but for me, not seeing her is what broke my heart. After I realized that loved her as more than just a friend, I couldn't bear with just a couple of phone calls every week. I wanted her by my side. Bella was in Phoenix with her mom and step dad and I in sleepy Forks with my mom and dad. It was not enough for me.

Slowly the phone calls turned into emails, then by our college years they had stopped altogether. I attributed this due to our busy schedules. She had her life to live and I mine. But I would always wonder how she was doing, who she was with and was she thinking of me as often as I did of her.

After Bella moved out of my life, I thought that bastard called fate was against me, especially in the love department. How can such a blessing be taken away from me? What did I do so wrong for this to happen? As time went, I decided to force myself to move on with what I called my life and with that I found my way around with more women than I could count and after one particular bad relationship, I swore off all dating, only scratching my itch whenever I needed it to be. I was content. But I guess fate, yet again had other plans for me because 9 months ago she stumbled right back into my life and I haven't been the same since.

As we stand here with each other, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the damn world. We have been here before, in this very position going through the same motions. And every time we've been interrupted, every time we have one situation or another that would keep us from each other. But now, I know that this is different. I know where I belong…and it is here with her where I should have always been.

I slowly cup her face with my right hand, my thumb caressing her cheek as if at any moment she were to disappear in a puff of smoke. Bella turned her head towards my hand and kisses the center of my palm tenderly, then through her eyelashes peers at me. As I look into her eyes, all I can see is love. That look of hers could make the polar icecaps melt… hell it melted my once frigged heart.

The pools of chocolate brown, I can simply drown in them every time that she looks at me.

My heart is beating so hard and fast from this little jester that I swear it will jump out of my chest and start to tap dance on the hardwood floor.

As if she can read my mind, Bella places her hand over my heart. Her eyes close slowly and she smirks.

"At least I'm not the only one who is nervous."

I begin to speak but she immediately puts two fingers over my lips to silence me. Her touch, my God, just one measly little touch from her on my bare skin sends a fire straight to my soul…

" No Edward," she says looking at me with determination and conviction in her eyes…her eyes those chocolate brown pools of beauty, burning into my emerald ones…

"I need to say this while I still have my wits about it."

Then she takes a shaky breath and blushes that magnificent rose petal color that I love so much.

Slowly, she takes my hand away from her cheek with her own tiny hands and intertwines our fingers. I break our eye contact and look at our new connection. This simple action is what sets Bella aside from all of the other women that I have dated.

No longer can I deny the burning passion for the woman that is in front of me. I KNOW that she is the one that I will love forever, the one that I will marry, the one who will bare my children, the one who I will grow old with…

Bella calling my name softly broke my train of thought. I look back into her eyes and smile at her. She then began to speak the words that I've been waiting to hear since we were 15 years old:

"Edward, I love you."

~Authors Note~

Okay, I am trying this story again. I am done with college and I have more time to work on my story. I should be able to update every weekend *crosses fingers* I am working two jobs but with that, my imagination does run while I down time and I tend to jot down notes on napkins and receipt paper. Seriously, you should see my old school notebooks.

Well this is Chain Reaction. There will be cannon pairing and what not and drama. I'll try some angst...maybe my feeble heart usually can't take it and I might end up going totally fluff if I have too much in my story...yeah right. Well click that button below and review my story. Go ahead...you know you wanna...

-Nikki