"Edward..." She moaned. "Oh, Edward..."
How I wished I could peer into that beautiful, hidden mind of hers. If I could, if only for a second, see and read Bella's mind, I would be eternally happy.
"I love you, Edward," Bella cried out, grasping onto my shirt tighter, her short but elegant legs tangling around my own. "I love you..."
The harmonic tone of her voice was enough to send my mind spinning, but I calmed myself - like I always managed to do - and breathlessly kissed her on the crown of her head. I would cherish Bella forever; I knew there was no doubt about that. Whatever the outcome of her future was, I would never leave her side. Oh, I could not do that again even if I tried my up most hardest.
"I love you, too, my darling," I sighed softly into her ear. "Sleep, Bella, sleep," I coaxed, lifting up her chin with my index finger ever so gently. I did my best not to wake her - I just wanted to gaze at her beautiful face while she slept.
Was that Bella? I hope she isn't having nightmares again...
Oh, drat. Charlie must have heard her. And here I was thinking that she was quieter than usual.
I...
I didn't have enough time to fear that Charlie may enter Bella's bedroom at any moment, because before he could begin his next thought, he seemed to have fallen back to sleep.
Edward, I hope Bella is okay. If she's asleep already, can you come back home? You'll be back long before she wakes up; this won't take a minute.
I hated - no - I detested having to abandon Bella - even in slumber - but I'd learnt over time that what Alice says, goes.
I kissed Bella lightly on the lips, tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and as quickly as I possible could, I removed myself from her bed and climbed out her bedroom window. I would be gone for too short a time for her to miss me, I hoped. She wouldn't even realise I'd had left her in the morning. I would be lying in exactly the same position in her bed as I had been in before she closed her eyes.
In no time at all, I was back home and I was greeted in the living room by Rosalie, Esme and Alice. How strange; where were Jasper, Emmett and Carlilse?
This isn't going to be a comfortable conversation for you, Edward. Would you rather it were done verbally or not?
"I'd prefer to voice my opinion without being welcomed with silence outside my mind, thank you," I replied curtly.
Perfect.
Oh, yes, Alice. Everything was absolutely perfect. Ha.
"We thought we might have a little...chat with you, Edward," Esme said, smiling gracefully in my direction.
"Sure, go ahead," I smiled back with just as much charm as my mother, but I knew she could tell I was faking.
"Well," Rosalie began. I rolled my eyes. "Bella is nearing the time of her transformation...and so the wedding is rapidly approaching..." I resisted not rolling my eyes for a second time.
Let her finish.
"We just wondered what you would want us to do for Bella as the wedding draws closer!"
This wasn't as bad as I had originally anticipated. I would have delved deeper into Alice's mind to find out exactly how this conversation was going to pan out, but she was too busy humming Claire De Lune to think of anything else. Oh, Alice certainly knew how to drive me mad.
It's going to be absolutely fine, Edward. Stop trying to cheat fate.
Alice gave me one of her widest grins as Esme disappeared from the room for a second. I nodded my head in the direction she had gone and furrowed my brows.
Where's she gone? Ah, you'll see.
Esme suddenly appeared beside me, a casket of red and white roses in her arms. They looked freshly picked as they glistened slightly in the moonlight that shone through the open window to my right.
"Do you think Bella would like these as a bouquet?"
"Honestly?" I chuckled.
Be nice. Alice warned me.
"She won't be fussed at all. But perhaps, some flowers that are blue?" I smiled. "I love that colour on her."
"She won't be wearing the flowers, silly!" Alice butted in, beginning to prance and pirouette around the room. "I've already got her dress and it's the exact shade of blue that I know you adore on her. So how about having some white roses to accompany the gorgeous outfit she shall be wearing?"
I couldn't say no. But Bella could.
"Maybe you should be asking Bella all of this?" I suggested. "After all, she's the one that has to carry the flowers and wear the dress..."
"Perhaps Edward is right..." Esme said, nodding her head in agreement. "Can you bring Bella over tomorrow, Edward? Make sure she has plenty of rest. Afternoon will do fine - let her sleep."
Quoting Alice, I replied with absolute conformity, "Perfect."
And with that - deciding for myself that the conversation was over - I jumped out of the window and ran through the forest of trees that crowded my house. The air whipped at my face; if I had the ability to cry, my eyes would have been weeping. Not just from the non existent sting of the wind, but also from the obvious fact that I was now the most happiest man - dead or alive - on the planet.
Bella Swan was going to marry me. Me, Edward Cullen. I wasn't just the happiest man in the world, I was also the luckiest.
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