"KILLING ME SOFTLY WITH HIS SONG" ANONYMOUS O/S CONTEST
Title: You Are the Best Thing
Rating: M
Penname and FFn link:
Title of Song Used for the Serenade and Artist: "You are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne
Word Count: 2800
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any or its characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer.
Summary: Bella and Edward have lead very similar lives. Will he be able to show her that she
is the best thing that has ever happened to him?
BPOV
I met Jacob Black when we were both ten years old. He was the son of my father's best friend, so naturally we had to be around each other... a lot. When we were kids, we would make mud pies on the beach all day while our fathers would fish in the surf. When we were teenagers, we would sneak off at night and share kisses and touches. When we both graduated from high school he asked me to marry him and I said yes. We were married almost immediately and then rushed off to college together. Our daughter, Emily, was born three years later. She had the looks of her father, but my personality completely. Rather than play with dolls and makeup, Emily would rather sit under a shaded tree and read a book.
We were the typical family, living in the suburbs with our white picket fence and gas guzzling SUV. I would go off to work at the publisher's house in the morning after dropping Emily off at school and Jacob would go to work at his body shop. In my eyes we were a happy family, nothing could be better. Unfortunately, Jacob didn't feel the same way. After ten years of marriage, he broke my heart.
I walked into our home one afternoon, having gotten off earlier than usual from work. I planned to surprise Jacob with a little something that I had bought earlier in the week. After fifteen years together, our sex life had become a little dull and I planned to spice it up a bit with some role play.
Walking into the entryway of our home, I heard shushed voices coming from upstairs. Thinking back now, I should have known what it was, but my mind didn't want to go there. I sat my bags down on the dining room table and walked slowly up the stairs. The further I got upstairs, the clearer the voices became. A woman's voice was calling out my husband's name in what could only be described as a throaty moan. Jacob's groans and grunts could be heard as well the closer I got to the door of our bedroom. I took a deep breath and opened the door.
After hours of screaming, crying and throwing things at my husband, I packed up mine and Emily's things and moved out. I had no desire to live in the home that we had shared as a family. Emily was young and would make new friends wherever we were. I immediately filed for divorce and full custody of Emily and Jacob contested nothing. He claimed to be in love with the whore he was fucking and wanted to marry her.
After a few weeks of living with my father and tying up loose ends in both Seattle, where I worked, and Forks, where we lived, Emily and I moved to Chicago. My best friend from college, Alice, helped me find a place for us and her husband, Jasper, helped to set me up with a job with a publisher he knew of. Alice tried to get me to go out with her several times to some local bars, claiming that I needed to get back in the saddle. I explained to her that I was in no hurry to get in a relationship. She said that I didn't need a relationship, just a good fling. I told her I didn't want just a fling, but I hadn't met a man yet that made me want to give up the freedom I had felt since cutting ties with Jacob. That was until I met her brother.
Alice invited Emily and I to go with her and Jasper to the local festival in town and then to her family's 4th of July picnic at their home. After the festival, I was in the kitchen of the Cullen home, helping Esme, Alice's mom, with some of the food that needed to be carried outside. Esme took a couple of pitchers of lemonade outside and I picked up a large platter of deviled eggs, prepared to carry them out the back door and on to the patio. Suddenly a huge dog being chased by a little girl ran by, knocking into me.
"Lizzie!" someone yelled to the little girl from behind me, as I lost my balance. Closing my eyes and preparing to meet the floor, I was surprised when a pair of strong arms caught me before that happened. I still had the tray of eggs in my hand and there was no way to stop them from dumping all over the front of my shirt. The stranger helped me gain my footing as I tried to pick the eggs off. Turning around, I was met with the most intense pair of green eyes I had ever seen.
"I'm Edward," he said, reaching his hand out to shake mine. I shook his hand and smiled widely at him as he took it in his and then placed a gentle kiss on it.
Edward and I had immediately struck up a friendship due to our almost identical lives. Edward had met Tanya when they were both younger and they grew up together. They got married right out of high school and had their daughter, Lizzie, a few years later. Edward and Tanya were now divorced due to the fact that he had caught her cheating on him with his former best friend.
We both were in no way ready for another romantic relationship so soon. so we settled on friendship. Our daughters loved one another and often said that they were supposed to be sisters. After months of relentless teasing from his siblings and our daughters, we decided to move ahead with our romantic relationship.
Edward and I had met each other two years ago today and we both couldn't be happier.
EPOV
When I met Bella two years ago she turned my life upside down. I had complained to my family countless times when they tried to set me up on blind dates. When my father tried to set me up with one of the nurses at the hospital, I blew up at everyone and told them I didn't need their help to find a woman. When I was ready, I would find one on my own. After Bella left the picnic that night, I flipped out on Alice asking her why she had never set me up with Bella. Alice told me a little about what had happened with Bella and I completely understood. We were both no where near ready to begin another romantic relationship so soon after the demise of both our marriages.
After Tanya had broken my heart by sleeping with my best friend, I moved out of our shared house and took our daughter with me. Tanya in no way contested the divorce and didn't even want shared custody of Lizzie. She hadn't seen her since the split and hadn't even bothered to call her on her birthday. I couldn't help but feel that we were both better off. I just hoped that what happened between Tanya and I didn't upset Lizzie's life any more than what was expected.
Lizzie immediately took to Bella's daughter, Emily, and they had countless sleepovers at each others houses. I would be lying if I said I wasn't wishing for a sleepover of my own at Bella's house in those first few months. The sexual tension between us was visible to anyone around which led to the constant teasing. I almost wept the night Bella told me that she was ready to move forward with a romantic relationship with me. I had been ready since that first meeting, but would have waited for her for eternity.
When I decided to ask Bella and Emily to move in with Lizzie and me last year, I was afraid she would say no. We had a good relationship and I loved Emily as my own, but I was afraid she would think we were moving too fast even if we had been dating for a while by then. However, she surprised me by asking me what took so long. I just hope that she took today's question just as well.
"You ready girls?" I hollered up the stairs. Both Lizzie and Emily were upstairs getting ready while Bella was with my parents helping with the food we would have later. We were getting ready to head over to the festival downtown and then to my parent's house for the 4th of July picnic. My parents had taken to Bella and Emily immediately, treating them both as their own. In fact, my entire family loved both of them as if they had been a part of our lives forever.
Our girls came stumbling down the stairs, laughing and smiling. When they first moved in, Bella had insisted that Lizzie still get to keep her own room and she wouldn't make her share it with Emily. Both girls assured us that they didn't mind sharing a room and that was what sisters did. Bella and I were both sure that once the teenage years hit that it would change, but for now we were both thrilled that they were so close.
"Are you ready for today, Dad?" Lizzie asked me as she stopped beside me and kissed me on the cheek.
"Yeah, Edward, you aren't nervous are you?" Emily asked as she kissed me on the cheek as well. I explained to Bella when we first began dating that I would in no way try to replace Emily's father and she said the same of Lizzie's mother. At first the girls seemed to only go to their respective parents for hugs and kisses goodnight and settled with a small wave or whatever to the other. The first night Emily kissed me goodnight on the cheek I almost cried. Bella did cry when Lizzie kissed her goodnight on the same night.
"No girls. I'm not nervous. Why? Should I be?" I asked them as I ran my hands through my hair. The girls and Alice were the only ones that knew about my surprise for Bella. Alice was helping me by keeping Bella away as long as she could today and the girls had a special part in the surprise.
"No Dad. It's gonna be perfect, you'll see," Lizzie said as she and Emily grabbed their things and walked out the front door. I could only hope they were right.
BPOV
"Alice, did we really need to go back to your house so you could change for the fifth time?" I asked as we finally pulled up to the festival. Alice and I both got out of the car and made our way over to the crowd.
"Of course I did, Bella. I spilled lemonade all over me and couldn't very well show up here with spots down the front of my shirt," she said, as we walked through the crowd.
"Oh of course not! How could I be so inconsiderate?" I laughed as she playfully shoved my arm. I glanced around to see if I could spot Edward and the girls. Emily called me earlier saying that they were going to head over to the festival with Edward and that they would meet me here.
"I wonder where they are?" I asked, standing on my tiptoes trying to get a better look around. Alice kept looking down at her watch and I wondered silently what was going on with her.
"Oh relax. They'll be here soon. I'm sure of it," she said, grabbing my arm and leading us over to the food vendors. After buying some cotton candy, we walked arm and arm browsing the different crafts for sale. I saw a beautiful ceramic bowl that I was sure Esme would love and was about to ask the lady how much it was, when Alice suddenly yanked my arm and pulled me toward her.
"Alice, what the hell?" I asked, as she continued to drag me through the crowd. I was sure I was running into people left and right, but couldn't stop to apologize right now.
"Come on, Bella. I wanna check out the entertainment," she said, finally stopping in front of the wooden stage that had been set up. I looked over to Alice like she was crazy as she excitedly bounced up and down. Alice had never been one to enjoy the old style country music I was sure they would be playing, so I turned to look at her oddly.
I was just about to ask her again what the hell her problem was when something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. Turning toward the stage, I was shocked with what I saw. Edward was standing up front, holding a microphone in his hands and our daughters were behind him, each with a microphone of their own.
Edward was dressed in a pair of dark washed jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt that showed off the muscular lines of his chest. The girls were wearing matching sundresses that completely surprised me. I knew Alice had to have something to do with that part so I turned to look at her. All she did was wink at me and make a motion for me to turn my attention back to the stage. Music started coming from the speakers and Edward stepped forward to the front of the stage and winked at me.
"Baby, It's been a long day, baby
Things ain't been going my way
And now I need you here
To clear my mind, all the time
And baby
The way you move me, it's crazy
It's like you see right through me
And make it easier
Believe me, you don't even have to try.
Oh, because
You are the best thing (you're the best thing)
You are the best thing (you're the best thing baby)
You are the best thing (you're the best thing, ohh)
Ever happened to me.
I was about to flip out. Edward was on stage serenading me and had our daughters singing back up. I had heard Edward sing in the shower countless times and had even witnessed him doing drunken karaoke one night, but never, ever had I seen him sing like this. He was practically oozing sexiness as he strutted back and forth across the stage singing to me.
Baby,
We've come a long way
And baby
You know I hope and I pray
That you believe me
When I say this love
Will never fade away
When the chorus started again, Edward and the girls continued to sing, but he gracefully hopped off the stage and came to stand in front of me. He held one of my hands tightly in his as he continued to sing to me as the girls backed him up.
Both of us had no love before
To come on promising like Spring,
to walk on out the door.
Our words on strong and our hearts are kind
Let me tell you just exactly what's on my mind
As they sang the chorus together a few more times, Edward twirled me around, making me blush probably a thousand times more hotter than I ever had. When the music stopped I stepped on my tip toes and kissed Edward sweetly on the lips.
"Thank you, baby," I whispered and then turned to the girls and blew each of them a kiss. When I turned back toward Edward, I found him on one knee, holding a small black velvet box in his hand.
"Isabella Swan, when you came into my life two years ago, you changed me. I thought I had been happy before, but you showed me exactly what being happy is. You accepted my daughter and loved her as your own just as I have done with yours. So I'm asking you Bella, make us a true family. Marry me?"
Edward's hand shook as he opened the small box that rested on his palm. I couldn't fight the tears that fell from my eyes as I stared at the man I loved. Finally realizing that we had an audience and that Edward was waiting for an answer, I nodded my head quickly and shouted out my answer.
"Yes! Yes Edward, I'll marry you!" Edward smiled widely and stood up to place the ring on my finger where it would remain forever. I pulled him to me, kissing him passionately before hugging him tightly. The girls came off the stage and we shared a huge group hug. Edward leaned across the girls and kissed me sweetly on the lips before whispering in my ear.
"You girls are the best thing that has ever happened to me."