Hi everyone! Long time, no see.
I haven't posted in a long time, but here you have a cute little one-shot. I hope you enjoy it!
This story is not beta'd, any mistakes are ones I have failed to see in the 100 times I read it over.
My Sweet Cookie
Sometimes, people come into your life and you just click. You don't know why, you don't know how, but it is as if you and that person are just meant to be in each other's life. Be it as friends, family, or love – some relationships are meant to be.
Edward and Bella are meant to be. From day one, the first day of high school, they just clicked. There was an unexplainable connection between the two of them; everyone saw it, even those who didn't even know them personally saw the connection.
They were opposites. Bella was quiet and kept to herself; Edward was outgoing and loved to talk to anyone. She was a homebody, choosing to stay in and read or watch movies, whereas he loved going out and experiencing an adventure, even in the most mundane of tasks. She loved schedules and agendas, but he loved going with the flow of things. You wouldn't think these two opposites could click, but they did fit together perfectly.
Edward brought out the adventure and easygoing personality from within her. Bella brought out the more responsible and calm personality from within him. Because of Edward, Bella learned to love adventure and spontaneity. Because of Bella, Edward learned to love quiet days at home and planning ahead. They were each other's balance – it just worked.
Edward and Bella have been best friends since the first day of high school, but they didn't start dating until much later. Four years of high school, another four years of college, countless girlfriends and a couple of boyfriends later, they realized they are in love with each other. So after 8 years of friendship, learning, and growing together, they made it official.
Edward and Bella hold many memories, many stories, much heartache, and many joys together. One of Bella's favorite memories is the day Edward came up with her special nickname.
Flashback
It was a rare warm day in Forks, so Edward and Bella ditched school to hang out in the sun. Of course that wasn't Bella's idea, but Edward convinced her that skipping one day of school wouldn't hurt. They were 16 and already were the best of friends.
"Mmmmm, I LOVE chocolate chip cookies!" Bella said happily as she and Edward ate cookies at the park.
"Yeah, I know, you eat them all the time." Edward responded with a playful eyeroll.
Bella giggled and kept munching on the cookie. She really did love cookies, especially chocolate chip cookies. Anytime she could, she would eat a cookie. Edward found it amusing and quite adorable.
"Saying chocolate chip cookie every time is such a mouthful! From now on, you and I know it as a CCC. Got it?" Bella said with her eyes bright with excitement from coming up with the perfect cookie acronym.
Edward looked at her amused and in awe of how adorable she could be. He didn't know it yet, but this was the girl he would be in love with one day.
"Okay, cookie, you got it!" Edward responded, also with excitement for the nickname he just thought of.
Bella laughed with delight and they continued to munch on more CCCs.
End Flashback
Since that day 14 years have gone by. At the age of 24, they got married. They were blissfully in love, until things just weren't the same. They are 30, 6 years since they got married, 15 years since they met. Things were great… until they weren't.
Bella and Edward felt lost.
"Edward, why did this happen?" Bella asks hopelessly about their relationship. To her, it seemed like she was the only one that cared about her marriage falling apart.
"I don't know… I just don't know." Edward responded. To him, it seemed like things just wouldn't get better between them.
"We barely talk, we don't go anywhere together anymore, you are hardly even home, most nights you sleep in the guest room, and we haven't had sex in a year." Bella listed off what was just the beginning of their issues.
Edward and Bella were always very close, they always knew what the other felt. But now, neither could read the other and that drove them both crazy. They used to spend every free moment together; they wanted to do everything together. They used to be incredibly passionate; they could hardly keep their hands each other. But things changed.
"I know, Bella! I don't know what to do." Edward exclaimed, "I feel like… no forget it."
"What were you going to say?" She asked, hoping for some answers.
"I feel like we lost ourselves in each other. We've known each other since we were young, we've been inseparable for 15 years, it's like we don't exist outside of each other." Edward explained.
Their identity was rooted in each other. There was no Edward without Bella and no Bella without Edward.
"Edward, people have known each other for far longer than us and have happier marriages. Your parents have been married since they were 20!" Bella pointed out.
"But Bella, they didn't grow up together the way we did. They weren't close during their teen years, which are the years of self-development and gaining a self-identity. Plus, back then things were different." Edward said.
"Is it a bad thing that we've known each other since we were kids?" Bella asked, worrying about where this is leading, "I, for one, would not trade the fact that you've been my best friend through those important years."
"I don't regret our friendship, Bella. I wouldn't trade it either! But we need to know ourselves individually, we need to have our own identity," Edward tried to explain what he means, but it was coming off wrong.
"So, what, you want time apart?" She panicked and Edward didn't respond. "We made a promise to each other on our wedding day. How can we just let that go?"
Flashback
The wedding march started, but the traditional melody didn't play. Rather, Edward and Bella chose to walk down the aisle to "A Thousand Years", because they thought it perfectly fit their love story.
As Bella started to her descend down the aisle toward Edward, his breathe caught in his throat. The beauty walking down the aisle enchanted him. It was a surreal experience to watch his past, present, and future walk down the aisle to wed him. Edward could not believe he was marrying his best friend!
With teary eyes and a happy smile, Edward took Bella's hand and guided her toward the man that would marry them – guided her into their forever. The room was crowded with loved ones, but all they saw was each other. Nothing and no one existed beyond their little bubble of love.
The ceremony went by almost without Edward and Bella realizing, they were too taken by each other. But they will forever remember the vows they exchanged. Edward and Bella planned perfectly synchronized vows to be a beautiful promise to each other.
Edward started with, "Bella, we have known each other for many years. We were best friends before we were a couple. We stood by each other's side through the aches and pains of our teen years. Then again, stood by each other's side through the struggle of adjusting to adulthood. It's been an adventure to say the least!" Edward gave a cheeky smile to his little reference for his love of adventure.
Bella continued, "Edward, you brought out the adventurous and free spirit from within me. You showed me love for life and taught me to live in the moment. You have been by my side through all my tears, you have helped me through all my struggles, and you have been my reason to smile. I will be there for you, forever. I will be there to pick you up when you fall, to go on your crazy grand adventures, and I will love life by your side."
Edward took over, "I can't promise you the dark clouds will never hover or that the future will always bring us rainbows. I can't promise that every day will be perfect or that our life will be easy. But I can promise you my everlasting devotion, loyalty, respect, and my unconditional love."
Tearfully, Bella continued with, "I can promise you that I will be here for you, to listen and to hold your hand. I'll always do my best to make you happy and make you feel loved. I can promise you that I'll see through any crisis to pray with you, dream with you and build with you."
Edward concluded their vows, "I can promise you that I will be your protector, your advisor, and your counselor. I will be your best friend, your husband, and your everything. I promise that I will love you forever, cookie" Bella lovingly wiped the tears from Edward's eyes as he finished their vows.
"I love you," Bella added with a bright smile and tearful eyes.
With the end of their beautifully thought out vows, they seal their marriage and their promise to each other with a passionate kiss.
In that moment, they both knew that no matter what life has in store for them – they would be okay.
End of flashback
"We promised each other forever. We promised to make it through the hard days and the dark days." Bella said tearfully, "These were the dark clouds we promised to fight."
Edward was taken aback for a moment, remembering his vows. It was no question that Edward loved Bella. He always had and he always will. He just felt lost; he didn't know what to do to fix their marriage, to get back the passion.
"Bella, I love you more than anything in this life. But I just think we need to take a breather." Edward said sadly, it is what he felt would help them heal. "I am not talking about divorce. I made a vow to you and I will not break those vows. But we need time apart to heal and figure out what we can do to fix this marriage."
Bella couldn't respond. She was shocked that things had gotten so bad that they needed time apart. She was devastated, absolutely heart broken.
"We will fix this. We will get better. I can promise you that, Bella." Edward said as he took her broken form into his arms.
After a few moments of holding each other, for what felt like the last time, they pulled apart and started to make plans to move forward. Edward would be going to a hotel for the time being, until they can figure out what they want.
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, but Edward and Bella remained apart with little progress. Until one stormy night in Forks sent Edward home.
This storm was unlike the usual storms that descended the area. It was pouring in buckets, with thunder that shook the whole house, and lightening that lit the dark rooms so bright it seemed like day. The insanity of the storm had the power out across town, the roads were flooded, there was barely a car in sight, and everything was closed. The town that was so used to rain had shut down because of this storm.
During the night of this storm, Edward was working at the hospital. He had been called into work due to the ER being backed up with storm related accidents.
"Dr. Cullen, where is your wife?" A colleague asked Edward during a moment of peace.
"It's almost 9 pm. She should be at home. Probably hasn't even left the house all day." Edward answered, wondering why his colleague even cares. "Why?"
"The was an accident, leaving a woman in critical condition – 30 years old, brown hair, brown eyes, petite and fair skinned. I'm afraid it might be your wife. The accident took place near your house, just a block away." He explained in panic, hoping his friend's wife was not the woman being brought in.
All the color drained from Edward's face, his head started to spin and panic started to set in. "Edward, I don't know for sure. We'll see, she'll be wheeled in any moment." The colleague said, trying to calm him down.
Edward's mind was working a mile a minute. All of his memories with Bella flashing before his eyes, all of his hopes and wishes coming to him, and all the regrets and sadness crushing him. If that is his wife, what will he do? How will he survive if she doesn't?
He thought back to one of his favorite memories of them. What was suppose to be one of Bella's most devastating moments in life, turned out to be one of the best moments they ever shared.
Flashback
Bella walked into the apartment they shared in college with tears streaming down her face. Her boyfriend at the time had cheated on her and she was devastated.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Edward asked, rushing over to his best friend.
He held her in his arms, let her cry it out, and listened to her as she explained what happened. She had flown to LA to surprise her boyfriend, but when she walked into his apartment, she found him in bed with another woman. A trip of a lifetime came crumbling apart.
"I'm so sorry, cookie. He doesn't deserve you." Edward comforted her, "You deserve someone that will love you so deeply that he can't even think about another woman."
Edward and Bella spent the night watching their favorite movies, eating take out, and feasting on cookies. Next thing they knew, Edward and Bella were kissing. Neither of them pushing the other away, both equally into it.
"Edward," Bella gasped as she pulled away, "What are we doing?"
"Cookie, I love you. Not just as a best friend, I love you more than that. I don't want to see you crying over other men. I want to be the one that makes you happy and I hope you'll have me." Edward declared.
"Seriously?" Bella asked shocked and Edward nodded. She knew he wasn't kidding, she could tell when he's not serious. "Of course I'll have you!"
They both laughed with joy and he pulled her in for another kiss.
"You'll always be my cookie, my sweet chocolate chip cookie" Edward promised.
End of flashback
In that moment, when panic really started to set in, the woman was wheeled in. Edward ran over to take a look, praying it's not his love.
"Oh god, oh thank god, oh my god." Edward started to mumble and cry in relief. "It's not her!" He exclaimed to his colleague, "But … I need… I have to leave! I need to see her!" He quickly turned and ran out the door toward his car.
He just lived a few moments thinking he might lose his wife, he just felt what it would be like to lose her. He refused to let this rift in the marriage be their end. Now is the time to fix it, no more waiting and thinking. He had it figured out.
Meanwhile, Bella was home alone. She had never experienced a storm so horrific, so she refused to leave the house all day. Storms didn't scare her, but this storm did. She was home alone, lonely, and terrified.
Loud banging on the door startled Bella. She didn't know who would come over in this weather. She ran down the stairs to the door. Bella hesitantly opened the door, only to reveal a soaked Edward.
"Edward, you're soaking wet! Come in," Bella quickly let him in and ran to the linen closet to get him some towels.
"What are you doing here? Did you drive in this weather?" Bella worriedly asked as she helped him dry off as much as possible.
Edward didn't say anything; he just pulled Bella into his arms and started crying. She held onto him, confused, but happy to be in his arms again.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He kept repeating as he held onto her.
Bella pulled away and got Edward to explain what is wrong. He told her what he experienced, he told her that he thought he may have lost her. "No more time apart, Bella. I can't do it anymore. I love you so much. We can fix this together. No more wasting time, please."
"No more." Bella agreed and with that, Edward kissed her again, for the first time in a long time.
The kiss grew more and more passionate. In the darkness of the stormy night, they stumbled up stairs in each other's arms. Clothes were shed and they fell into bed in a passionate embrace. For the first time, in a long time, they finally reconnected.
"Mmmm I missed you, Bella." Edward said as they lay, cuddling in post sex bliss. "Not just sex, not just kissing – I miss holding you, talking to you, and just being with you."
Bella smiled happily, "I've missed you too, baby. I don't know what happened with us, but I have always loved you and I always will."
"We'll be okay, cookie. We are okay." Edward promised.
Bella gasped, "You haven't called me that in forever."
"You'll always be my cookie, my sweet chocolate chip cookie." Edward kissed her deeply.
When you think everything has been taken away from you, you figure out how to take it back. Edward realized that in the moments he thought his reason for existence was taken from him. From that moment on, he vowed to fix things with Bella. He wouldn't ever let the love of his life, his sweet cookie go.
I hope you enjoyed this story!
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