Author's Note: Here's my first one-shot for the T25 contest. Hopefully you love it. I can't remember the song that inspired it, I just know that it came to me quite easily.

The Twilight Twenty-Five

Prompt: 03. Good things come to those who wait.
Pen Name: belovedbeauty
Pairing/Character(s): Bella/Edward
Rating: M

I woke up this morning with one thought: Let go.

My movements were mechanical. Shower, eat, and get dressed. I struggled with my nylons, balancing on the fine line of overwhelming sadness and a blank veil of resignation.

The dress slipping over my skin conveyed my emotions better than I ever could. Twisting my hair into a bun, I adorned my ears with sapphires and diamonds.

They were a Christmas gift that had been a sign of hope two years ago.

Slipping my feet into my only pair of kitten heels, I looked at myself in the mirror; pale complexion, plain brown eyes and brown hair to match. My lashes were coated with mascara, and my lips glistened with clear gloss.

I felt like an impostor. I didn't know the woman staring back at me, but her eyes looked sad.

With one last look, I reached over to grab my clutch and keys. The jingle of each key as I moved was the only sound echoing throughout my apartment. Grabbing my gray raincoat, I slipped it over my arms and quickly buttoned it.

Pulling the door open, I was greeted with the calming sound of pouring rain. A small part of me felt justified as I smiled. For once in my life, I was happy for the constant cover of clouds that loomed over Forks.

Reaching down for the morning paper, I pulled it from its sleeve and used it for cover as I made my way towards my truck—as quickly as possible without falling flat on my face.

But even as I climbed into the cab of my truck, the day's events mocked me.

Rosalie Hale and Edward Cullen to wed.

After a yearlong whirlwind romance, the daughter of Seattle's governor is set to wed Edward Anthony Cullen—son to the chief of surgery Carlisle Cullen. The wedding is to happen in the small town of Forks, Washington, birthplace to the happy couple.

Pulling my gaze away from the front page article, I started my truck and pulled out of my driveway. The radio was broken, playing nothing but static. I could hear the wheels growling on the slippery road, slowing my pace even further.

The church wasn't far—Forks wasn't a big place to begin with—and I reached it within a twenty-minute time frame. Using the newspaper as cover again, I shoved my door open and grabbed my things.

What seemed like a slow motion walk to the large doors of the church had only been a few seconds. I pulled on one of the heavy doors, slipping inside like a ghost. My heels click-clacked on the wood flooring, and the smell of roses and vanilla wafted towards me.

The pews were decorated with banners—the right for the groom, left for the bride. Each bouquet was filled with vibrant red roses, and baby's breath. Towards the front of the church stood two large vases of white roses, framing where Rosalie and Edward would stand and become a couple for the rest of their lives.

Turning away, I headed down the corridor, towards the groom's room. I could hear muffled voices, each precise in tone. Lifting a closed hand, I knocked on the door gently.

I couldn't help the way my eyes widened as the door swung open and revealed a white dress shirt, black pants, and red bow tie. His eyes were just as brilliant as ever, complimented beautifully by his copper hair.

But the smile spread across his face was what stabbed at my heart repeatedly.

"Bella, I didn't expect you so soon!"

Forcing a smile, I held my arms out and shrugged "Surprise?"

I watched his chest vibrate with laughter, numbing me to the bone. His arms reached towards me, enveloping me in a warm hug. He always smelled like spearmint, sandalwood and rain, even when we were kids.

Nuzzling my face into his neck for a short-lived moment, I could feel my heart begin to shatter inside my chest. Let go, let go, let go was the mantra on repeat inside my head.

"Come on in, guests should be arriving soon. We only have-" he paused to look down at the watch on his arm, "forty five minutes until we begin."

Nodding my head, I took the few steps inside his room and listened as the door clicked shut. I could feel the breeze as he walked past me, shuffling around the room and collecting things.

He looked calm… relaxed. I could feel my lip quiver, and quickly bit down on it to stop the tears threatening to flood my eyes. Opening my clutch, I pulled the folded piece of paper out and drew in a jagged breath.

"I, uh, actually just came to give you this." Licking my lips, I forced a wide smile and held the letter out to him. He stopped his movements and looked up at me. I watched him straighten his back and reach his hand out, grasping the paper in his hand.

Releasing my hold, I felt the foundation of my carefully constructed dam begin to crack.

"What's this?" He looked down at it, moving to unfold it.

"Don't open it yet," I breathed, reaching my hand out to stop him. The crackle of electricity heightened, and I withdrew my hand just as quickly as I extended it.

"Why not?"

"Because I want you to read it when I'm not in the room," I answered with a shrug of my shoulders. Taking a hesitant step towards him, I leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to his cheek. "Congratulations, Edward."

Turning on my heel with a sad smile thrown over my shoulder, I opened the door to his room and exited into the hallway. Leaning back against the door for support, I felt my body shake with sobs.

Quickly pulling my heels off, I ran for the doors of the church and into the rain, leaving behind the love of my life and all of my secrets on that sheet of paper.

One Year Later

They say "Good things come to those who wait," but after twelve months my patience was beginning to wear thin. My heart still hurt just as much as it did the first day. I'd changed my cell phone number, my address, and my location.

I realized a month into it that I'd been stupid enough to run away from the pain. Because no matter how far you run, it never takes the pain away.

Blinking, I could feel my eyelids becoming heavier and heavier with each tick of the second-hand. Deciding to call it a night, I marked my spot in the manuscript and tucked it away in my box. Unfolding my legs, I cracked my neck and raised my arms above my head.

Looking over at the table beside my sofa, I frowned at the picture I kept there.

Two little kids stood side by side, dressed to the nines for their first Easter festivities. The little girl's hair was pulled to the right side, braided down to her chest and tied at the bottom with a bright blue bow. The boy was dressed in a button up matching blue shirt and beige khaki's. His hair was a chaotic mess—untamable and beautiful that way. She was leaning into his lanky form with a toothy grin, and he had laid his head on top of hers with a soft expression.

It'd always been so much easier when we were kids. Love and heartbreak had never cursed our hearts.

Reaching up, I wiped away the few stray tears that never failed to fall when I looked at that picture. Edward had always been my best friend, and the love of my life. Even at four years old, I knew in the back of my mind that he would always be my shoulder to lean on.

As I got older, I realized he'd always own my heart.

Scrubbing my hands over my face, I forced myself off the couch and in the direction of my bedroom. My footfalls were heavy and slow, weighed down by the sadness that never seemed to go away.

I regretted leaving, but I didn't regret my decision not to watch Rosalie and Edward wed. I regretted not staying to hear what Edward had to say, but at the same time I didn't.

I knew he would never choose me. I'd never been an option to him, just the girl he'd grown up with, the girl who'd become his best friend and confidant—and who'd made the grave mistake of falling in love with him.

Knocking at my front door halted my movement, turning me around with a heavy sigh. It was almost midnight, and the only person I could imagine it being was Jacob Black—my next door neighbor with a puppy love crush.

Grabbing the knob, I twisted and pulled, "Jake it's almost-"

Standing before me was not the tall man with russet skin and cropped black hair. No, standing before me was emerald eyes and chaotic hair, freckles on his nose and stubble for days.

"Edward?"

His eyes blazed with anger, somehow still sparkling in my dull porch light. He looked like he had aged more than he should have in the last twelve months. It was such a shock that I had taken to blinking over and over to make sure it wasn't a hallucination.

"Isabella."

My eyes widened, knowing by the tone of his voice and the use of my full name that he wasn't here for a friendly visit. Swallowing hard, I opened my door further as a silent invitation to come inside.

He blew past me without a word, leaving me with a heavy heart. Silently shutting the door, I pulled the sleeves of my sweater further down my arms. I wasn't sure what to say or where to start, and I could feel my mouth open and shut as I struggled for some type of starting point.

Beats of silence passed, and I just watched him standing in the middle of my living room with a tense back and brooding eyes.

"It took me a fucking year to find you," he growled finally, glaring over at me.

"Maybe I didn't want to be found."

"Why, Isabella? What in the hell possessed you to write me that letter and give it to me on the day of my wedding!?" My eyes widened further as his voice rose in volume. I'd known he would be angry, and I'd known it would break my heart.

That was why I'd spilled every secret I'd kept in ink and fled.

"You know how in a wedding service, the priest asks 'if anyone objects to this marriage, please speak now'? I figured it wouldn't be very polite of me to stand and say 'I object because I'm hopelessly in love with the groom!'" I wasn't sure if I was trying to be funny to defuse the situation, or if my sense of humor had just become that twisted.

Whatever it was, I hadn't expected Edward to stalk towards me in response. The sudden movement caused me to stumble backwards, and into a vase of tulips. It wobbled and tumbled off its table, crashing onto the floor and spilling the contents everywhere.

"Did it ever cross your mind that some things are left unsaid?" he hissed, ignoring the broken vase and fixing his eyes on me like a predator does its prey. I sighed, reaching up to tug at my hair.

"Keeping quiet about it was killing me, Edward! Years! I went years without saying one fucking word!" Jabbing a finger into his chest, I stepped to the side and drew in a deep breath. "And y'know what? I didn't do it to hurt you, or to ruin your wedding. I did it because I wanted you to be happy, and you wouldn't have been if I had just disappeared into thin air without an explanation!"

I threw my hands up, too tired to argue about my actions. They couldn't be undone, and even though I had my regrets, I don't think I would have done it any differently.

"Who's Jacob?" Edward asked suddenly, throwing me completely off guard. I gaped at him, uncertain of his mental stability.

"He's my annoying neighbor that doesn't listen when I tell him to leave me alone," I answered, exasperated. Crossing my arms, I quirked a brow at him and waited for a response.

"Good."

"Good? What? Why is that good!?" I questioned, slowly feeling the annoyance creep up on me.

"It's good because that means I can do this." With one large step towards me, his hands were in my hair, pulling my body into his with force. I gasped, confused by his sudden proximity. But the confusion quickly melted into shock as his lips crushed against mine, leaving my knees weak.

Gripping fistfuls of his shirt in my hands, I struggled to stay standing straight. His skin was rough against mine, but his lips were warm and soft. I could feel his hands tugging on my hair, causing me to gasp and whimper.

I had no idea what was happening, but there was no way in hell I was going to stop it.

Leaning into his frame, I laced my arms around his neck, feeling his body move us towards something I couldn't seem to care about. When I felt a small jolt, his body fell backwards and pulled mine with it.

We were lying down on the sofa, making out like a bunch of teenagers. I could feel his hands clawing at the fabric of my sweater—desperate for something I wasn't sure I could give him.

Feeling the fog begin to lift, I slowly pulled away and ignored his groan of disagreement. Looking down at him and into his eyes, I struggled for the right words again. Instead, I reached for his hands, pulling them into my view and noticing the one thing that shifted everything.

He wasn't wearing a ring.

"You didn't… get married?" I whispered, staring down at his bare hands.

He sighed, pulling his hands away and allowing them to fall lazily onto his chest. "I couldn't marry someone I was settling for."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling the tears flood my eyes.

He leaned forward to touch his forehead to mine, breathing in deeply. "Rosalie wasn't my number one choice, Bella."

Reeling, I closed my eyes and asked one last question, "Who was?"

He chuckled, placing his lips against mine and breathing the one word that fixed it all.

"You."