The Day I Met Isabella, But I Prefer Bella, Swan

by singsforhisblood

This is an O/S entry for the Fic a Pic Contest. While drowning his sorrows over a wedding that never happened, Edward reminisces about the day he and Bella met; and how that one day forever changed his life.

Summary: While drowning his sorrows over a wedding that never happened, Edward reminisces about the day he and Bella met; and how that one day forever changed his life.

Story Name: The Day I Met Isabella, But I Prefer Bella, Swan

Pen Name: singsforhisblood

Pairing: Edward/Bella

Word Count: 8009

Disclaimer: owns Twilight and the parts included within that world. I do, however, own the original content of this story.

An O/S written for the Fic A Pic Contest, sponsored by Souplover9, Spanglemaker9, and TallulahBelle.

Thanks to my always awesome beta, bigredlmp! Don't know what I'd do without her. :)

The Day I Met Isabella, But I Prefer Bella, Swan

I was dying.

Not in the literal sense of course; but the emotional pain I was feeling had to be nearly the same as the physical pain of death.

I gazed at the skyline, my eyes focusing on nothing in particular. This rooftop has always been my favorite retreat; when I needed solitude, or time to reflect...or just a place to hide from the world. Bringing the bottle to my lips, I took another swig from it. The liquid cooling my throat, but not the burning in my heart.

You're a fuckin' idiot, my inner voice taunted me. You think a bottle of ale is going to make things better?

"Shut up." I mumbled out loud and took another swallow. The clouds were turning grayer, clustering together in a swirling motion, making the skyline look lonelier than it really was. Maybe it only looked that way to me, because of the way I was feeling inside.

I finished off the rest of the drink and set the bottle on the ledge next to me. I don't know what happened. For months, I've known she was the one; my heart, my soul, my life. With her, everything was simpler, easier, and more beautiful. She was special...one of a kind. I thought we'd be together forever; but forever changed in a moment. The moment those four little words were spoken, ending what should have been our happily-ever-after.

I can't do this.

ooooOOoooo

Meeting Bella was like a scene from some lame romantic comedy. We were both running for a cab and reached for the door handle of one at the same time. Our fingers touched and...magic. Her eyes widened immediately, making me wonder if she'd felt something too.

"Uhh...I...Uh, yeah...sorry." I blubbered out. What the hell? I never get tongue-tied around women...ever. A rose colored blush started forming on her cheeks as she snatched her fingers away from mine.

"No...my fault. You take it." she replied softly. That was when I noticed that she was juggling an armful of books. A stray strand of hair had fallen across her face and she was blowing at it, trying to get it to move to the side.

"Allow me." I murmured. I reached out and gently placed it behind her ear. As my hand brushed her cheek, the sparks returned. I took a deep breath.

Okay, that does it...this girl is NOT getting away from me.

"Thank you." The blush grew deeper and she shifted her stance, trying to keep the massive amount of books from leaving her arms.

"Here, let me help you." I offered. She nodded slightly and I grabbed most of the pile from her arms.

"Hey buddy..." the driver sounded annoyed, "I hate to break up this little meet-n-greet, but do ya want the cab or not?"

Our eyes locked for what seemed like minutes, but actually it was only a second or two. "No..., we won't be needing it after all." Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved a twenty and tossed it thru the window. As he pulled away from the curb, I turned back to find her staring at me; the way you look at someone you think you might know, but you can't remember how.

"Excuse me," she asked, "have we met before?"

"Definitely not," I answered. "If we had, we wouldn't be standing along a curb, juggling books and making small talk. If we had met before, you'd probably be getting ready to marry me." My mouth turned up into what my brother called my "half-ass smile". Half-ass or not, it usually worked with the ladies.

The blush returned. "I think maybe I should go," she muttered. "Could I ask a favor?"

"Anything."

"If you wouldn't mind carrying the books over to the coffee shop for me, I'll call my friend to pick me up."

Dumb ass, my inner voice chided me. She's different from the rest of them. Yes, she was.

"Hey, look...I'm sorry." I tried the smile again, only it was genuine this time. "I really would like to talk to you, get to know you...maybe have coffee or something?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Just...don't leave." I crouched down a little to look at her on her level. God, she's beautiful, I thought. Don't fuck this up Cullen. This beautiful, young woman had managed to fly under my radar for years and now that I'd met her, I couldn't risk scaring her away.

Her warm, brown eyes softened a little. "Please?" I begged. "I promise not to be an arrogant ass again."

The corner of her mouth twitched slightly and she nodded. "I guess that will be alright."

"Great...awesome...um, okay." I ran my fingers thru my hair and smiled apologetically. She's going to think you're a fucking idiot. I swept my arm in front of me and I swear I heard a giggle as she walked by.

We entered the coffee shop and I motioned toward a small table near the back. As she walked in front of me, her hair bounced gently against her shoulders and I fantasized about how it would feel to grip it in my hand. A loud cracking noise brought me back to the present. She had dropped a couple of the books she was carrying and was bending down to retrieve them.

"I got it." I told her.

As I squatted down next to her, a sensual mixture of fragrances flowed from her body, assaulting not only my nostrils, but also what was tucked away inside the front of my jeans.

"Sorry, I'm just a little clumsy." she offered. "Always have been.

"No need to apologize." I replied. "It's kind of cute."

She looked at me like I might have a few screws loose. "Not really." She straightened up and motioned to the table next to us. "Is this okay?"

"Sure, wherever you want." I tried to stand without showing the obvious as I strategically placed a book in front of my hardened manhood. Sliding into the chair, I couldn't help but groan from the pressure that was threatening to pop a few of the buttons on my jeans. Her brows knitted together.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, fine...just hit my knee on the table." Nice save.

The soft smile returned. "I know who you are. It popped into my head right before I dropped the books. You're Edward Cullen."

"Guilty." I responded sheepishly. I wasn't surprised that she recognized me. My family is very well known, not to mention well off, and my photo has been in the paper several times; the oldest son, the available catch, the somewhat rebel. "You're still here though, so I guess you haven't heard too many horrible things about me."

"Horrible? No, I don't recall anything horrible." She shifted in her chair and looked down at the table. "Just..." Her voice floated away.

Hmmm...she has heard something. I was now curious to know what it was. "Just what?" I prompted her. "Don't hold back. Believe me," I laughed, "I won't be offended."

Cue the rose colored blush. "Just...you know, you have a lot of girlfriends."

My laughter rang through the room, causing the other patrons to look in our direction. "Girlfriends?" I shook my head, "um...no, not really. I date now and then and at social functions it's pretty much a given that I have a suitable escort, but I wouldn't call any of them my girlfriend."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. It's really none of my business anyway." she apologized, biting on her lower lip.

Fuck me; this girl is going to cause a huge problem for my button flys if she gets any sexier. I squirmed in the chair, trying to ease some of the ever increasing pressure. I smiled my crooked smile at her and leaned across the table toward her. "Please don't apologize. You're being honest; I like that in a woman. And now, it's your turn." I leaned back in the chair and crossed my arms over my chest.

"My...what?"

"Your turn. You know my name, along with other various, untrue pieces of information, but so far, the only thing I know about you is that you're clumsy and you carry way too many books for someone your size." I waited as she chewed on her lip, probably deciding if it was worth it to give me that information. She finally smiled and replied in a soft voice, "Bella...well, Isabella, but I prefer Bella, Swan."

"Well, Isabella, but I prefer Bella, Swan; it's nice to meet you."

She shook her head as she laughed at my remark. "You're nothing like I imagined you'd be."

"Really?" I feigned shock. "And exactly how did you think I'd be?"

Her eyes shifted uncomfortably around the room. "You know."

"No," I answered back, "I honestly don't. That's why I asked." The look on my face must have appeared sincere to her, because she continued without hesitating.

"Just different." she shrugged. "Not a person who would want to waste an afternoon talking to someone like me."

At that very moment, her phone buzzed. "Excuse me," she said hurriedly and jumped from her chair to take the call outside. Unfortunately, my size elevens happened to be stretched out right across her pathway.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Her tripping over my feet. The phone flying thru the air. My hands stretching out to try to catch her falling body. Then a loud crashing noise brought it all back to real time. One of the waiters was walking by our table at the exact moment she tripped. He slipped on the phone as it hit the floor and his tray of half-filled Styrofoam coffee cups and crumpled napkins now adorned her hair and lap.

Applause erupted throughout the coffee shop and her face turned what could only be, the darkest shade of red that it could possibly get. Her deep brown eyes glowered as they met mine. She picked herself up off the floor, giving her head a quick shake as she snatched the books off the table, before quickly stomping out the door.

And right then and there, I knew that I was falling for Isabella, but I prefer Bella, Swan.

ooooOOoooo

Popping the top on the second bottle, I held it up for a mock toast.

"To the happy couple."

The first one hadn't made a dent in my mood. I wasn't looking to get drunk; I just needed enough to numb the pain. We were only hours away from the wedding when the words had been uttered. No advance warning, no hints or indications of any kind, just the words. I will never forget the look on her face as the tears poured down her cheeks. Then she turned and ran; and I let her. I should have gone after her; I should have tried to talk to her. Instead, I came here, to...what? Drink and reminisce, that's all I could do now.

My mind kept going back to the first day we'd met. It had started out a fuckin' disaster, but it ended up being one of the best days of my life. Thank goodness she didn't think about retrieving her cell phone before she huffed out of the building. The person who had called her was still on the other end of the line, shouting, "Bella? Bella?", over and over. A few question and answers later, I'd managed to wrangle a visit to her house. Of course, she wasn't exactly thrilled to see me when I showed up a little later on her porch. I managed to crack a smile from the memory as I stared at the skyscrapers before me. Yeah, that was quite a day.

ooooOOoooo

The applause and laughter ended and everyone went back to their individual conversations. I shook the daze from my brain long enough to get on my feet and run after her. But before I even made it to the door, a voice called out after me, "Hey, her phone! It sounds like someone is still on the line." I ran back to the waiter, grabbing the phone while mumbling a hurried thanks, and ran for the exit. She was nowhere to be seen.

"Hellohoh! Dammit, Bella, what is going on?" the chipper voice on the phone shouted.

I put it up to my ear, "Uh, hi. Yeah, Bella's not here right now. In fact, I'm not sure where she is." I said scanning the street, hoping she'd come out from behind a tree or car or something. "Maybe you could help me with that...finding her I mean."

"Who the hell is this?" the voice demanded. "And what do you mean, help you find her? Do I need to call her dad?"

Her dad?

"Look, Bella uhhh...dropped her phone at the coffee shop and I just wanted to return it to her, that's all. So, if you could just give me her address, I'll..." The bouncy voice cut me off.

"What makes you think that I'd give a total stranger her address? You could be some kind of pervert or stalker or something?"

She was close.

"Look, my name is Edward Cullen. Bella and I were talking at the coffee shop and there was a little bit of an accident and..." I was cut off by a high-pitched shriek.

"Accident? What kind of accident? I swear, if anything is wrong with...wait, what? Did you say Edward Cullen?"

"I did. Now could you please tell me where I might find Bella so that I can return her phone?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. I can't ever remember going out of my way this much just to get in touch with a girl.

"Hmmm..." the voice was starting to get annoying now. "I tell you what. How about you tell me where you are, I'll come by and if I think you're legit, I'll take you to Bella's place myself?"

What the...? Right then, Bella's face flashed thru my mind; those eyes, the hair, the sexy blush that crossed her cheeks. Damn, if this is what it was gonna take, then this is what it was gonna take.

"Fine. I'm at the corner of 31st Street and The Avenue."

"Okay then. I'm on my way." she replied.

"Wait a min...". Click. Fuckin' great. I have no idea what the voice's name is. I guess it doesn't really matter. She's going to take me to see Isabella, but I prefer Bella, Swan and that's all I really care about.

ooooOOoooo

Second bottle down, four to go. I was sitting precariously close to the edge of the ledge now. Drinking too many more may be dangerous for my health. I laughed out loud. Maybe I should accidentally fall off. I mean, my life is over now anyway. What difference would a sky dive without a chute make?

What about your parents? Jazz? The voice was back. You're being a selfish bastard.

Pffttt...what do you know? I looked over my shoulder. Yes, it was tempting. I can't imagine living without her. Just thinking about her caused an enormous crushing pain in my chest. I gripped the sides of the ledge. In a few hours, the guests would be arriving and someone would be there to tell them that the wedding was off, probably Alice. She had practically been there for us from the beginning and now she'd be there for us at the end. The day I met Bella would be a day I'd never forget. Every detail was imbedded in my memory. Bella loved telling the story now. I cracked the seal on the third bottle.

Cheers!

ooooOOoooo

About ten minutes after I'd been hung up on, the screeching of tires diverted my attention from the constant pacing that had occupied my time. I turned to see a silver Jaguar turning the corner , barely missing an elderly couple that was crossing the street.

"Sorry!"

A voice from inside the car yelled. That same voice had been on the other end of the phone. Great. I was going to be riding with Speed Racer.

The car jerked to a stop at the curb in front of me. A dark haired girl, about the same size as Bella, was sitting in the driver's seat.

"Well damn, you weren't lying! You are Edward Cullen!" she shouted.

"No, I wasn't and yes I am!" I shouted back.

"Oh, this is just too good. You and Bella?" she squealed. "I mean, I know she is a prize and I'm glad she finally found someone, but I also know who you are and let's face it, you don't have the best reputation when it comes to women, now do you?"

I swear my mouth was hanging open after her mini-tirade.

"Who areyou?" I managed to ask.

"I'm Alice,silly. Bella didn't tell you about me?" She looked hurt. "I'm only her bestest, closest, and dearest friend. We're like sisters." Her head cocked sideways and she looked me up and down. "Are you sure you know her?"

"Yes, I know her. We didn't exactly get a chance to learn each other's life stories though." I explained. "In fact, we'd just met. I was hoping to ask her out, but an unfortunate incident happened and she took off. But luckily, she left her phone behind, with you on the line and now, here we are." I gave her my grin, hoping it would charm her enough to let me in the car so we could be on our way.

"I don't know what that smile is for, but if you're trying to dazzle me, forget it." she warned. "I know you think your God's gift to women and all that crap, but that's not going to work on me...or Bella." Her eyes narrowed and her voice got very serious. "She means the world to me and if you hurt her, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you. Got that?"

Damn, this was one feisty pixie. "Yes ma'am." I bowed at the waist. "Now can you please take me to Bella's house?"

"Of course I will. Get in." she said smiling.

I ran around to the passenger side and opened the door. "Oh, one more thing," she started. I stopped, one foot in, one foot out. "Don't you have a brother named Jasper?"

"Uhhh...yeah."

"Well, I'd like to meet him."

I stared at her for a minute, thinking she was kidding. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I am not kidding. I've been noticing him for a while now and he's just the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen." She had a far-away look in her eyes. "Anyway, this just has to be some kind of fate. So, I'll take you to Bella's and you'll introduce me to Jasper. Deal?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. This girl was starting to get on my nerves. "Deal. Now can we please just fuckin' go?" I settled into the seat and stared at the girl next to me.

"There's really no reason for the language, Cullen." She put the car in drive. "Oh, and you may want to fasten your seat belt."

I laughed...until she stepped on the gas and pulled away from the curb, narrowly missing a delivery truck and a bicyclist.

"Sorry!" she yelled out the window.

I grabbed the seat belt and clicked it in place. Alice looked at me and gave me a huge smile, "Bella is gonna be so surprised!"

Hopefully, I'll live long enough to see it.

ooooOOoooo

I rubbed my eyes and noticed the clouds were hanging lower now. It looked like we could be getting a rain shower. Perfect.

I pulled a pack of cigarettes out of my jacket pocket. I'd been trying to quit for a while now...for her. Old habits die hard though. I lit one and inhaled deeply, releasing the smoke through my nose. It burned, but it also helped calm the shaking that had started.

I wondered where Bella was right now; I wondered if she was thinking about me. I shook my head, probably not. Why would she be thinking about me after what happened? The wedding plans started out small and simple. Then everyone wanted to put their two cents in and before we knew it, it was huge, glamorous, over-the-top. It started closing in on us; slowly at first, then faster and faster, like an out of control merry-go-round. We both hung on for dear life, but you know what happens when you let go...you fall off...hard. Neither one of us stepped in to say, "Enough". I punched the cement with my fist. Fuckin', fuckin' idiot. I could have stopped it, should have stopped it, but instead I let it go on until it was too much for either one of us to handle. It wore us down, racked our nerves, and created conflict that it shouldn't have.

I can't do this.

I felt heat against my fingers and realized the cigarette had burned almost all the way down to the filter. Raising it to my lips, I inhaled one last hit, and then flicked the butt across the rooftop. I need another drink. I had three bottles left. They won't last long at the rate I was going. Twisting the top off, I tossed it over my shoulder to the street below.

"Here's to number four. The number of times I knocked on her door."

It's funny that I'd remember how many times I tapped on the glass that day. I killed half the bottle in one drink. Warm beer...that's just fuckin' great.

ooooOOoooo

Alice pulled the car into the driveway of a modest, two-story home. I unhooked the belt and jumped out of the car, so close to kissing the ground.

Note to self: never ride with Alice again.

"Are you coming?" She was already going up the sidewalk toward the porch. I hurried to catch up with her. I suddenly started feeling very nervous. What if Bella hadn't gotten over the incident at the coffee shop? I looked at her phone in my hand. This was my excuse for coming and she couldn't be mad at me for returning her phone, right?

"Don't forget our deal, Edward." Alice was whispering now. "Just because you're here now doesn't mean you can go back on your part of the deal."

"Do I look like the kind of guy that would back out on a deal?" I asked mockingly.

"Well, yes...you do actually. Now, would you like to knock or shall I?" she asked. "Normally, I'd just walk in, but having you with me is anything but normal, so I think it's best if we knock." She spun around toward the door and raised her tiny fist.

"I'll do it." I said. I pulled the screen door open and tapped on the glass pane; tap, tap, tap, tap.

I heard soft footsteps coming toward the door and saw the curtain move just enough for someone to peek out.

"You have got to be kidding me!" she screamed. "Arrrrrgggggg!" The door remained shut.

Alice's mouth gaped open. "What on earth did you do to her? That is not the Bella I know at all." She reached for the doorknob and turned it slowly, pushing the door open just a crack. "Bella? It's me." She pushed the door open a little further and slid in. I stayed on the porch, not sure if I should follow or not.

"Alice?" Her voice was calmer now. "I...I'm sorry. Wow, I must be losing my mind. For a second there I thought I saw this guy who..." She stopped as I pushed the door all the way open.

"Surprise?" I said as I ran my fingers through my hair. She hadn't moved. I could tell she'd just gotten out of the shower. Her damp hair was framing her face and she was wearing sweat pants and a tank top. She took my breath away and I inhaled deeply, catching the erotic scent I'd noticed earlier today.

"WHAT are you doing here?" she demanded. Then she turned to Alice, "You know him?"

"No, silly." she laughed. "Well, I guess I know him now, but I didn't until we met over your phone."

Bella slapped the heel of her hand against her forehead. "My phone! No wonder I haven't heard it ring. I must have dropped it when..." The memory caused her to frown and the brown in her eyes got darker.

I held the phone up and shook it. "Here it is, all safe and sound." I started to walk toward her, but she whipped her index finger in the air and I stopped in mid step.

"Do NOT come near me." she ordered.

I exhaled and pinched the bridge of my nose. This was not going the way I'd expected; then again, it was going exactly the way I'd expected. She despised me. I gave her my turned-up smile and tried again.

"Look, you have every right to be upset with me, but it wasn't entirely my fault." I started walking toward her again, hands in the air. "You did admit to me that you are clumsy, right?" The frown relaxed a little. "And I did try to catch you and would have if that damn waiter hadn't been in the way." The corner of her mouth twitched a little. "The pixie here was on the phone and after negotiating a deal with her, she agreed to bring me to return it to you." I stretched my hand toward her and she took the phone from my hand. Bingo! There it was; the sparks, lightning, fireworks, whatever you want to call them. Her mouth became the shape of an O and I heard a slight gasp. She felt it too. The blush that I loved returned.

"This is very romantic and everything," Alice started, "but would someone please tell me what the hell happened today?" She jabbed her finger at my chest. "And what did you just call me?"

My eyes were locked with Bella's. Neither one of us moved. "I called you a pixie. You know...pixie, fairy, sprite, elf, leprechaun...shall I go on?" Bella's eyes were still holding mine in place.

Alice looked between us and smiled. "No, not necessary. I think I got it." She turned on her heal and walked across the room. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

"Look, I'm really, really sorry about what happened today." I took another step closer. "I'd give anything for it to not have happened." My fingers ran through my hair again. "So, even though it wasn't all my fault, I'm officially apologizing and I hope you'll accept that because, after all, you still owe me a coffee date."

Her smile finally broke through and she nodded her head. "Apology accepted. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you, but I was so embarrassed and humiliated...all I wanted to do was get out of there." She took a step closer to me. "And as far as the coffee date goes, I just made a pot before you knocked on the door, so if you'd like to stay for a while..."

I chuckled, "Yeah...I'd like that a lot." I took another step. We were so close to each other that I could feel her warm breath thru my tee shirt. "Isabella, but I prefer Bella; I hope you don't mind, but I really, really need to kiss you right now."

Her head nodded. "Yes, please." she said, barely above a whisper. I leaned my head down toward her, cupping her cheek in my hand. Her eyes fluttered shut and I almost brushed her lips, when...

"Oops, I'm sorry. I could smell the coffee and I've been dying for a cup ever since we got here."

I swear, I'm gonna strangle that pixie into dust. Bella opened her eyes and stepped back from me. "You're fine Alice," she told her. "You know where the mugs are. Would you like some coffee too, Edward?"

"Why not? After all, we are having a coffee date, right?" I smirked at her and she nodded.

She took two mugs from the cabinet and poured the coffee into them. "Cream or sugar?" she asked. I nodded my head. "I'll take a little cream." I gave her my crooked smile. "You can save the sugar for later."

Coffee sprayed from Alice's mouth, halfway across the room. Bella turned pink from the neck up, but she didn't say a word. She set my mug on the table and turned to walk back to the counter. "Thank you, Isabella, but I prefer Bella." I said. Her shoulders were shaking a little, but I couldn't tell if she was laughing or trying to control her breathing.

"What the hell is this Isabella, but I prefer Bella stuff?" Alice asked. She was wiping the coffee droplets off the floor with a paper towel. "You sure do come up with some strange nicknames for people." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "Next thing you know, you'll be telling me that you call your brother Jazzy or something."

"Don't be ridiculous." I told her. "Jazzy? Do you really think I'd call him something like that?" I took a long sip of my coffee.

"It's just Jazz."

Alice threw her hands in the air. "Why am I not surprised?" She put her finger to the side of her mouth and thought about it for a couple of seconds. "You know, that doesn't sound that bad; in fact, I kind of like it. Jazz. Jazz."

Bella had turned back around now and was laughing at her friend. "You are so crazy, Alice. But I love you and wouldn't have you any other way." She stopped for a second. "Wait, Jazz like in Jasper? The guy you've been admiring from afar forever?" She turned to look at me. "That's your brother?"

"The one and the same." I replied. "I agreed to introduce the pixie here to him in exchange for a ride to your house." I chuckled as I thought about the ride. "I'm actually quite lucky to be here. Her driving almost scared me to death."

Bella burst out laughing, but Alice only folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at me. "Hmph...see if I ever do you a favor again." She whipped around and stomped out of the room. Bella's eyes were tearing up from laughing so hard.

"She is a little scary to ride with," she admitted.

I couldn't help but break into a huge grin. She was incredibly sexy in so many ways. Even her laughter made me hard and this time, I didn't care if she knew it.

"Bella."

She looked at me, wiping the tears from her cheeks. I crooked my finger at her and patted my thigh. She looked toward the door for a second, then shyly walked over and sat right on the edge of my knee. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her up my leg. I knew she could feel the hardness against her thigh. "We have some unfinished business."

I wrapped my hand through her hair and pulled her face to me. Her lips parted slightly and I brushed them with mine, softly at first, but then the sparks took over, racing thru every nerve in my body. Parting her lips with my tongue, I kissed her hard. She didn't resist and wrapped one arm around my neck. The kiss got deeper and deeper and before I knew it, she was taking control. Both of her hands were running thru my hair and across my neck. Our tongues were playing rhythmic tag and suddenly, she broke free.

"Bella?" She raised one finger, so I waited. "I need...to catch...my breath."

I broke into a smile. "Yeah, that was pretty intense wasn't it?" She nodded.

I wasn't sure how much experience she had with kissing, but I'd had plenty and no one even came close to making me feel the way I felt when I kissed her. No one. Ever. There was no doubt in my mind, this was the girl that I wanted to be with, was meant to be with, forever. This was the girl I was going to marry.

ooooOOoooo

It was getting later and the sky was turning darker. I pulled the lapels on my jacket up to warm my neck. The air was getting cooler and the beer was getting warmer. I was down to my last bottle.

And then what?

As tempting as the idea sounded, I knew I couldn't stay up here all night. Sooner or later, I was going to have to face my family and...her. There was going to be gossip and rumors; I'd deal with all that when it happened. Right now, I just wanted to remember the good times. The last lonely bottle sat on the ledge, looking as forlorn as I felt. I kept staring at the buildings, wondering if she was sitting behind one of the windows. It was doubtful that she'd return to our apartment. There was too much of a chance that she'd run into me there. She never did handle confrontation well. Her soul was too kind and gentle.

I know she kept going along with everything because she wanted to make everyone else happy. And I kept going along with it because I felt like she deserved to have the kind of wedding that every girl dreams about. Only, it really wasn't her dream. It was everyone else's dream. That was where I made my mistake. I let everyone else's wishes take precedence over hers and it became too much for her.

I looked at the bottle on the ledge. May as well finish it and get it over with. The taste was not the same as the first one. It was warm and flat and didn't do anything for me. The afternoon traffic was humming on the streets below me. Soon it would be dusk. I'd started enjoying the nighttime more since we'd been together. Even though it was hard to believe that anything could be more incredible than that first night together, every night after that was. So my last toast, with my last half bottle of beer, was going to be to the incredibly beautiful, first night that Bella and I made love.

ooooOOoooo

"As much as I hate to break up our little threesome," Alice smirked, "I have some things to take care of tonight. Will you be needing a ride anywhere, Cullen?" She stood by the door, tapping her tiny foot impatiently.

"No...definitely not." I replied. "I think I'll hang around for a while and have some more...coffee. I looked at Bella. "If that's alright with you."

She nodded her head and shyly answered, "That sounds perfect to me."

"Alrighty then, call me if you need me Bella." She gave me a stern look. "I can be here in five minutes if I have to."

"I'm sure you can, Alice. But I'll be fine...really." She got off my leg and walked over to give her friend a hug. "And thank you."

"You're welcome." she replied. "Don't forget about our deal, Edward. I'll be in touch." She waved her hand and drifted out the door.

"That is one crazy girl." I said.

Bella nodded. "She does seem a little crazy at times, but she'd do anything for me and I love her to death." She flipped the lock on the door. "Would you like to move to the living room?" she asked.

I was out of the chair before she got the whole sentence out.

"Don't forget your coffee." she laughed.

"Oh..yeah, right." I grabbed the mug and followed her thru the door. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her down next to me on the couch. She picked up the remote and switched the TV on. "Movie, sports, talk show?" she asked.

"You pick. I already know what I want." She turned her head toward me and I heard the remote hit the hardwood floor. We kissed and kissed till neither one of us had a breath left. "I know I just met you Bella," I whispered into her neck, "but there is nothing that I'd like to do more, right now, than make love to you."

I was nuzzling my nose along her cheekbone, behind her ear, across her neck. I kept inhaling the scent from her hair. Everything about her, fine tuned my senses, I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to be inside her.

Her head rolled back slightly and she closed her eyes. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. I moved my lips to her collarbone, stopping here and there to leave small kisses. She whimpered. My hand reached inside her shirt and cupped one small breast. It fit perfectly in my hand and I massaged it for a second. Another whimper. I moved to the other breast and did the same thing. This time she moaned. Her lips found mine and the kisses became more passionate and intense.

I could feel my hardness straining against the fabric of my jeans. I pulled my lips away from hers and looked into her eyes. "Bella, please say something. I'm dying here." Her eyes seemed to get teary and in the softest of voice, she gave me my answer. "Yes, please."

I stood long enough to pull my shirt over my head. She raised her arms for me to do the same to hers. Her breasts were heaving, her nipples taut. I lowered my mouth to one and sucked on it until she squirmed underneath me.

"Edward, don't stop. That feels incredible."

I didn't need any more encouragement. I moved to the other breast and flicked my tongue back and forth until she moaned again. My hands moved to the waistband of her sweatpants and I pulled them down in one quick stroke. She had on tiny blue lace panties and the moistness from between her legs was already spreading from the crotch of them. I pushed one of her thighs to the side and stroked the outside of the panties with my hand. Her hips thrust upward and I heard her whisper, "Fuck."

That did it. The beast was insisting that he be released. I popped the buttons and yanked my jeans off before she could even notice that I had moved. Pushing her panties to the side, I slid one finger inside her. Moisture coated my hand as I moved my finger in and out of her. She grabbed my arms and pulled me closer to her. I let my tongue skate across her stomach, moving in circles and swirls as my finger did it's work. Her thighs were shaking and I flicked my thumb across the little pea that had popped out to get it's share of pleasure too. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and gasped.

Removing my finger, I ripped the panties off her. Placing my body between her legs, I caressed her face and kissed her hard. "I want you, Bella. I want you from this moment on." She lowered her hand to my hardness and placed it at the opening of the wet aperture between her legs. "I want you too Edward, from this moment on."

I entered slowly. This was a moment to relish and I didn't want to ruin it by rushing or pushing into her too hard. Holy Fuck! Her smooth walls enveloped me and I imagined that this had to be nirvana. I pushed in more and she opened her thighs further to accommodate me. One final push and I was all the way inside. She gasped and I started to pull out, but she wrapped her legs around my back.

"No, don't stop." she moaned. I slid in and out, trying to keep a smooth rhythm. I wanted nothing more than to ram myself deep inside her, but I didn't want to cause her pain or frighten her. Her hands were running up and down my back, kneading my muscles, pulling me tighter to her.

"Don't hold back, Edward." she whispered. "I want all of you."

A growl rolled from my chest and I gave in to my instincts. Each time I slid in a little harder, a little deeper. She raised her hips to match each thrust and every noise from her mouth only escalated the pleasure. It was coming. I felt it more and more with each pulsing stroke.

"Bella, baby." I panted.

She dug her heels into me. "I know...me too."

It only took two more strokes and the walls came crashing down. Bella screamed into my neck and her nails raked my back. I pulled out and entered her hard one last time. I didn't think it was ever going to stop. The sensations rolled and rolled and rolled. I struggled with coming back down to earth. This kind of stuff should never have to end. I took a deep breath and rolled to my side, taking her with me. I kissed her forehead, her cheeks, and the tip of her nose.

"I have a confession to make." I said. She pulled back from me, worry creasing her forehead. "I know we just met and we don't know each other that well, but I've always believed in fate." I said. Brushing the damp hair away from her forehead, I pulled her tight to me. "I think I love you, Isabella, but I prefer Bella, Swan."

I felt her smile against my chest. "I think I love you too, Edward Cullen."

ooooOOoooo

The last bottle is empty. I should probably go and try to find Jazz. I'm sure he knows I'm here. A couple of years ago, I let him in on the secret, just in case. He knows it's my private space though and he'd never encroach on it unless it was an absolute emergency. I swept the skyline one final time. Back to the cold, hard world. I hung my head, not ready to face what was out there.

"Edward?"

My head snapped up. The hell? I'm hearing her call me now? Maybe I really am on the edge of losing it. I picked the bottle up off the ledge, placed it in the carrier with the others, and picked it up off the rooftop.

"Edward?" The voice was louder now and it accompanied the sound of feet running up metal stairs. It couldn't be.

The door burst open and there she was...Bella. She stood in the doorway, staring at me. Her eyes were red and swollen and the wind was whipping her hair around her head in all directions. I ran my hand through my hair and shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

We just stood staring at each other, neither one of us seeming to know what to do next.

"Edward, I..."

"Bella, don't..." we began together.

We both stopped and then there was silence again.

She took a step forward; I dropped the carrier of bottles and started walking toward her. Suddenly, she was sprinting across the roof and I was running to meet her. I grabbed her in my arms as tight as I could and covered her face in kisses.

"Edward, Edward, oh Edward!" She kept repeating my name over and over.

I burrowed my head into her neck. "Bella, how did you...?"

"Jasper told me. I waited until I knew the church would be clear and I went back. He and Alice were still there, just sitting in the back." She shook her head. "It was like they were waiting for me."

"So, the pixie knows where my spot is now, too? Great." I mumbled.

Bella kissed my cheek. "No, she doesn't know. He told me when she went to get the car."

I nodded. "Sooooo...what's next?"

She pushed herself out of my arms. "I don't know what came over me, Edward. Everything seemed fine; then all of a sudden, I felt it all closing in on me. It started out just you and me and somewhere along the way, it wasn't about us anymore. I never wanted the big, glamorous wedding." The tears were starting to pour from her eyes again. "All I ever wanted was you. We could have gotten married in the middle of a swamp and I would have been perfectly happy, because it was just me and you."

I nodded my head. Everything she was saying was true.

"What I did was horrible, unforgivable really." She brushed at the tears with her hand. "I couldn't take one more second of being micro-managed. I didn't plan it the way it happened, it just happened. When I said I can't do this, it was exactly how I felt at the moment. It didn't mean I didn't want to marry you; I just didn't want to marry you like that."

"You don't need to apologize to me, Bella." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm just as much to blame for this. I just didn't have the balls to say enough, because I wanted you to have the best of everything."

She shook her head. "The best of everything is standing right in front of me. I don't need anything else."

I pulled her back into my arms and kissed her hard.

"And I don't need anything but you, my love." I cocked my eyebrow. "So, what do we do next?"

"Well, if you're still willing to marry me after I ran off and left you the way I did..." she began.

"I most definitely am." I assured her.

"I think we should hurry to city hall before they close and get married, just you and I." she said, smiling brightly.

"Won't we need witnesses?" I asked her.

She smiled, "Waiting on the street, outside the building."

I frowned.

"Alice and Jazz, of course." She kissed me softly.

"Alice is driving? Oh, hell no. We'll walk if we have to."

She playfully slapped my arm. "No, she is not driving; Jasper is."

"Whew! That's a relief." I chuckled.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and we walked together toward the door. She looked up at me, her face glowing. "I love you, Edward Cullen."

"And I love you, Isabella, but I prefer Bella, Swan."

I pulled the door shut behind us.

We were finally going to start our happily-ever-after.