Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Series and the wonderful characters inside.

Author's note:

But I owe much S.M.. I had many hours of fun while I read Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse.

She is such a great writer.

Enjoy the story and please review.


1. First Step

Raining started heavier. I glanced out of the window. The drops fell down on earth like there were nothing else as Edward and me. Everything seemed to be normal. I felt comfortable inside the silver Volvo with him next to me. He drove as fast as usual but at this time I hoped more than ever he wouldn't because I needed time to phrase the sentences in my head I would say to Charlie.

Edward smiled at me. His cool hand was on mine. I wasn't able to talk to him. My thoughts were too confused. "Are you nervous?" Edward asked. It wasn't a real question because he has already known. My heartbeat was faster than normal and my hands were cold and wet. I wasn't sure, if they were colder than his. "A bit," I smiled back. "You are not alone, you know. That's not about you or me, that's about us. I will talk to Charlie, too." Edward tried to comfort me. "And you also know I'm bulletproof," he grinned. I forced a smile at him.

Then we arrived at Charlie's house. The lights were on and I could see inside the house. It felt strange to know there would be a time sooner than ever I wouldn't be able to come back to here. I wouldn't be able to talk to him or to hug him. At this time there wouldn't be a way back to my father. But I've made my decision. Now I wanted to start my new life. And this was the first step.

Edward was on the passenger door and opened it for me. He took my hand. I looked at him. "What is Charlie thinking about?" "Just about baseball and the next homerun. He is watching the game," Edward said seriously. We stepped to the front door. My stomach twisted and my hands were shacking slightly. Edward pulled me close to his chest and kissed my hair. Then his golden eyes looked into mine. I couldn't stand it. I looked at the ground. My head was dizzy. He brushed gently my cheek with his cool fingertips and forced me to look at his face. He was so beautiful. Just perfect. I wasn't able to believe that he was choosing me. Was choosing me for eternity although I hurt him so much.

His cool lips were softly crushing mine. My hands were gripping his arms and my blood was sputtering into my head. Everything was spinning. I was nearly to faint. "Isabelle Marie Swan, you are my love, you are my life, you are the reason for my existence and soon you will be my wife." He smiled his crocked smile, my favorite one. The smile I couldn't withstand. "Don't worry. I'm with you. He is your father. He loves you. He will accept it. There is no reason to be afraid." Edward looked at me. I felt the heavy ring on the third finger of my left hand. I turned the stone to the inside of my hand and took a deep breath. It was time. "Let's go," I said, smiling at the love of my life. He was worth it.

When I opened the door, Edward was near behind me. His hands were on my shoulders. Charlie shouted "Bells, it's you, honey?" "Yeah, Dad, it's Edward and me," who else it should be, I wondered myself again. "Hi kids, how was your day? Have you had fun?" We approached the living room. "Good evening, Charlie," Edward said politely. "Our day was fine, Dad," I said, looking at Charlie. Edward's hands were now slightly touching my waist. He was still behind me. "So are you okay?" Charlie tried to investigate my face with his eyes. He was lying on the sofa and watching the game as Edward said before we came in. "Yes, I'm alright. Why are you asking?" "I thought there could be a problem with Jacob," he answered, looking from me to Edward and back. "Billy called me this afternoon. You know, Jacob isn't recovering from his accident right now."

At this moment I felt bad. There was pain inside me. The hole in my chest was answering the question, I asked myself. Yes, I was guilty. There was so much guilt I could hardly look into mirror this morning. I hurt Jake. The only person who had been there for me when everything else seemed to be lost. I hurt him so much that he couldn't even concentrate himself to get recovered. But I also hurt Edward, my whole love, my universe, the most beautiful and loveliest person I've ever met. I kissed another man and that wasn't enough. I cried for him in such a pain, Edward has never seen at me. It wasn't my will that he saw it, but I couldn't prevent. I was too weak. I swore myself he will never see that again. I will never betray him again. Not even in my mind. But now I wasn't sure what was stronger – the pain or the guilt. I tried to concentrate on the reason for I stood in front of Charlie and Edward behind me. It wasn't my intension for nothing in the world that Edward picked up the pain I felt at this moment. And so I smiled at him and tried to get a grip on myself.

"Dad, I'm so sorry for Jake. It was really a bad accident. But I don't think we can do something more to help him right now. Carlisle is doing his best." I tried to abandon the conversation about my best friend, my soul mate and if things were totally different from now, I bet something more. No, I didn't bet, I knew. He would be something more for me – much more. But things were different and there was Edward. My Edward, my life, my love. The reason for I was standing here. I felt his cool hands touching my arms. "Dad, we've to talk to you. There is something you have to know." I glanced at him. I pulled Edward to the sofa that was standing next to Charlie's and sat down. Charlie stared at me not able to figure out fast enough what I was talking about. Then he looked at Edward. I took a deep breath and started the sentence I thought about in the car. "Dad, I promised you I will tell you before I will do anything major. I think I have to tell you something." I turned the ring on my left hand with my right one, so that the ring was quite well visible and stretched out my left hand for a short time to show it Charlie. Edward squeezed my right hand softly. He seemed to be relieved that I was able to speak it out in front of Charlie. "Dad, Edward asked me to marry him and I said yes," I whispered. Charlie didn't look confused. He appeared more than he was expecting something like this. I was a bit shocked. I didn't await such a reaction. Charlie was calm. He said nothing. He was only looking at us.

Now, it was Edward's turn. He smiled at me and then he looked at my father. "Charlie, I'm so sorry for hurting Bella. I'll never forgive myself for leaving her. This will never happen again. There will never be a chance to hurt the most beautiful woman in my life. I will take care of her. And I will fulfill every one of her desires, if it is possible for me." He looked into my eyes. I wasn't prepared. My blood was sputtering. "I love you so much. You are the love of my live, Bella," he whispered, loud enough Charlie could hear. Then he glanced back at him. His eyes were concentrated on Charlie's face. "Sir, I would like to have your permission for your daughter's hand in marriage," Edward said softly with his velvet voice. He smiled at Charlie. I was grinning to myself. He was trying to dazzle Charlie. He knew exactly his effect he had on people, if he wanted. He could be so manipulative in a special way. I liked it. It was quite sexy. But I would never admit to him. It wasn't right to do this to other people, especially not to Charlie.

At that time I came back of my thoughts. Charlie seemed to have asked me something. Edward eyed me. His face was so perfect, his marble skin so beautiful. I felt overstrained at this moment and so I gabbed the first words I could think of. "Edward, I love you." "Fine, Bells, I could imagine, if you want to marry him. But are sure that it has to be now? Not a bit later? Maybe after college?" Charlie suggested reproachfully. And there was a false grin on his face. Edward touched my hand. His cool fingers brushed gently my palm. "No, Dad, I'm really sure that it has to be now." I looked at his face. He wasn't a man of many words and I was his daughter. I was very similar to him. So we stared at each other for a long moment and he seemed to understand. But his eyes showed that he wasn't approving of the wedding. Not yet.

Suddenly he nodded. Edward looked seriously at him. There was an expression of pain on Edward's face. I couldn't bear Edward was suffering from pain. I glared at Charlie, having no idea what would come. "So, Edward, there seems to be no reason for refusing permission, but I will warn you. If I find her ever the way I did at this night, you will be the first I'll make responsible for. And at this time you will bear the whole consequences, I promise." Edward looked at the ground, not able to move. Now I knew exactly what pictures were in Charlie's mind. He saw me after Sam had found me in the woods. And Edward read his mind. "Yes, Sir. Thank you so much, Sir," Edward said seriously.

Then Charlie's face changed his expression. He smiled a bit and said something I couldn't believe. I would have bet against Alice that he never would say that. "Yeah, that's it. So, welcome to family, Mr. Cullen." Charlie ginned at Edward and at this time the grin was right. Edward grinned back. "Thank you, Charlie. I'll never disappoint you," Edward promised. I knew he would. He would at this day we vanished for Charlie, Renée and the rest of the world that wouldn't be the Cullens, my new family. Finally I felt sad, but I was prepared. I thought of Edward and the fact we could be together for eternity.

"For which date the wedding is planned, honey?' my Dad asked. "August thirteenth," I answered automatically.

I realized Edward was standing in the middle of the living room. "It's late. It's time to leave now, love." Edward said with his velvet voice, looking at me. "Goodnight, Charlie." "Night, Edward", Charlie spluttered. He seemed to be really tired. I followed Edward to the front door. He kissed my forehead. "I'll be back so soon you won't be able to miss me, love", he whispered. Then he slid out of the front door into his silver Volvo. The engine started and a few seconds later he was gone. I comforted myself with knowing he would be in my room when I went upstairs. But I felt empty without Edward near by me. "Bells?" Charlie groaned from the living room. "Yeah, Dad." "Honey, you know I'll support you, but I can't approve of this wedding. It's too soon. You are so young. Please, think about it one more time. We will talk about it tomorrow. Night, Bells." "Night, Dad," I said, hoping for seeing Edward when I was stepping upstairs.

I opened the door to my room and slipped inside. Edward wasn't already back. I knew he was fast but it took him more than ten minutes to come back after driving his car home. So I decided to have a shower. I thought about Renée and the way I would tell her about my marriage with Edward, grabbing my pajamas off the chair and my bag of toiletries off the desk. I went to the bathroom and closed the door. The hot water felt nice against me. My muscles were relaxing and my breath was clam. I washed my hair, making up my mind for calling Renée tomorrow. I was going to tell her the fact of my early wedding straight on. This was the best method, I supposed. After the first shock, she would be happy and excited. I shut off the water, toweling hastily and pulled on my pajamas. After that, I brushed my teeth, looking into my face in the mirror and thinking of... . Yes, I found myself thinking of Jake. Thinking of his smile, his warm hands and his laughter. I missed my friend so much. Suddenly there were tears in my eyes. I finished brushing my teeth and went in thoughts of Jake to my room. When I arrived, Edward was sitting on my bed and smiling at me. "Hey," he said. "You look upset, love". He opened his arms for me. My body threw himself automatically against his cold, hard chest. I didn't need a second to think about it. My desire for him was so strong I couldn't control myself. I breathed in the sweetness of his skin. His cool hands were on my back. My heart was beating faster. Suddenly Edward pushed me slightly away, so he could look into my eyes. There were tears again. "What is it, Bella," he demanded. I shook my head, not able to look at his face. "Please, Bella, tell me," he begged with his soft voice. "I can't," I gasped. "Why?" he asked, his voice now anxious. "I'll never hurt you again. So please ignore this, Edward. It will pass in a minute," I said, guilty looking at his face. "It is about Jacob," his voice was serious. "Don't read my mind," I answered kiddingly.

"I wasn't reading your mind but your face. You look awful upset, Bella."

"He was my friend." Yeah, was, not is. That hurt so much I couldn't breathe.

"I need time. It will pass, Edward."

"You have all the time you need, Bella. But are you really sure of..." I pulled my hand over his cool mouth.

"Yes, I'm and yes, I do want the marriage. And there is nothing or anybody else I would or could prefer to you."

He looked deeply into my eyes. Then his lips crushed mine. There was no time for thinking only for feeling. I felt his hands in my hair putting my arms around his neck and pulling myself tighter to him. My sadness was gone. For this moment I disconnected my brain from my body. I wanted him so bad. There was nothing else I could think of. His hands were everywhere on me. His lips moved softly from my mouth to my jaw and then to my neck. What was he doing? The butterflies in my stomach flooded my throat. I wasn't able to speak. My head was spinning. I was near a collapse. He touched gently the bare skin of my waist with his cool fingers electrifying my whole body. He rolled, pressing me softly into the bed. His breath was fast, I could feel it against my neck. My head was full of the sweetness of his skin. I could taste him on my tongue. I tried to get back the connection between my brain and my body. My face felt so hot from his kisses. He was so impassioned like in the meadow. "Edward, what we are doing? I can't stop it," I gasped. The connection wasn't already there. My fingers were on his shirt. "Do you want to stop it, Bella?" he asked with a dirty grin in his voice, I've never heard so clear before. His fingers were under the top of my pajamas. I could hardly breathe. He was still kissing my neck. Suddenly I pulled his shirt over his head and threw it away. I could feel his bare chest on me. My hands moved on his bare back. My palms glowed. Now he was trying to pull off the top of my pajamas. "I want to stop it, but I can't. I'm too weak, Edward. We have to this in the right order." My mouth was on his and my hands moved on over his bare back to his jeans. "Please, stop Edward, please", I begged. "I love you so much, Bella. You've such a trust in my self-control. But right now it is really hard. I want you. Your body is telling something else than you're saying," he whispered in my ear. His breath was still fast. The butterflies were everywhere in my body. "I bet you won't be able to stand it until our marriage, Bella." He glanced at me, his eyes burning and his grin was dirty. I felt him on me. It was a nice feeling. I wanted more, but not yet. I shook my head. "I thought, you hate gambling," I grinned at him much dirtier. "I bet I will be able." I said convinced. He smiled and pushed himself away from me, rolling onto his back next to me. I twisted our hands together. We both took a deep breath. "Emmett and Jasper were infecting you with compulsive gambling. That's really bad and dangerous," I was kidding. Then I snuggled against his icy chest. His sweet scent was so strong. I was dizzy and could hardly speak. He palmed my hair. "I'm not sorry for this, Bella. I never could. I only need you to be happy. You know, we haven't to wait until our marriage. We can try it before," suddenly he said. I only shook slightly my head. He would understand. Edward wrapped his arms tightened around me and his cool lips were on my ear, whispering "I love you, Bella." I was so tiered. I fell asleep.