A/N: Okay, so this one shot is turning into a three shot. The next two chapters are dedicated entirely to WanneCullen, as she bid on this in an auction that FFA held months ago. Me, being completely useless under pressure, took entirely too long to write this. And, it's only half done. So, I'm hoping that half, is enough for now. Thanks always, to my beautiful beta friend, AcrossTheSkyInStars. My writing would be crap without her, and fanfiction wouldn't be the same to me if I didn't have her around. Love you bb!

"Alice, please tell me you're kidding about the ruffles?" I yelled through the closed door, refusing to look at myself anymore in the mirror.

I was a lavender nightmare; lavender...and ruffles. The dress was long, and flowing. The neckline: asymmetrical with fucking ruffles running diagonally across my collarbone. She had to be out of her mind.

Children should fear me, whoever made this dress should fear me...Alice should fear me.

"Not kidding, and quit complaining, Bella. One day in a dress won't kill you!" Alice replied back from the sitting area.

"No, but it might kill you..." I muttered under my breath, opening the door so the tailor could nod self-approvingly at her work and I could go home.

As if it wasn't obvious, Alice and Jasper were getting married. Not long after Edward and I became official, Jasper went down on one knee and made us all swoon during his speech of sweet nothings. Or should I say sweet...everythings?

Our misty eyes hadn't lasted long before Tornado Alice swept through, leaving us all with a list of things to do.

She insisted she didn't want to have a maid of honor, but instead that Rosalie and I would both share the honor. We both silently cheered in our heads that the maid of honor duties wouldn't be entirely up to one of us.

Rosalie stepped out of the dressing room across from me, and caught my eyes.

"What the fuck?" she mouthed to me.

I shrugged in return. Pretty sure the old homage about brides picking out ugly dresses so they looked even more beautiful was spot on.

Alice finally looked up from her binder, and saw the two of us standing together in front of her.

Her eyes teared up, as mine rolled.

I couldn't wait for this wedding to be over.

It's not that I'm actually mad at her, I thought to myself on the drive back to my small apartment. To my elation, I was finally dressed back into my tank top and comfortable, holey jeans. And to be honest, it wasn't that I wasn't happy for Alice and Jasper – I couldn't have been more thrilled. But with the waterworks and the Bridezilla meltdowns and the awkward pressure that gets put on any relationship when there was a nearby wedding...well, I was just plain tired.

As for Edward, he was taking it all in with a goofy grin on his face. Of course he was. What was a groomsman in charge of anyway? Reserving the keg? Please, I'd trade him jobs any day. Everyone knew Murphy's Bar had the best deals, no deposit required.

Speaking of...

I gazed longingly at my favorite bar as I drove past it. Alice would kill me if I put on weight and didn't fit into the lavender nightmare next week. Which meant it was a beer free week for me.

When my short drive home ended, I tossed my keys onto the counter and flipped on the light in my small apartment. It wasn't much, but plenty for me. I didn't keep much; the walls were bare except for a few pictures of my friends and family. I had never bought into the whole interior decoration thing. Alice had begged and pleaded with me to let her at it, and I had agreed so long as I liked everything she picked out.

Alas, the apartment was still bare.

I pulled out a bottled water from the fridge and took a long drink, when I noticed a sunflower and box sitting on my kitchen table. I couldn't begin to stop the grin that crept onto my face.

Edward.

He knew I had the awful habit of leaving my door unlocked, and had recently started leaving random things in my apartment. Some were sweet, most were typically Edward. Three days ago I walked in and promptly fell flat on my ass courtesy of the butter smeared on the floor.

I walked slowly toward the flower and box, eyeing it suspiciously. The flower was my favorite, so one could only hope the mystery box held a nice little something inside.

A small envelope caught my attention just before I lifted the lid. Inside, Edward left a simple message.

Wear tonight – I'm picking you up at eight.

-E

I set the card down, my interest certainly piqued. When I opened the box, I laughed out loud and took out my beautiful new present; a brand new pair of Converse High-Tops.

The old-school black and whites.

Nothing fancy, just the way I liked them. My old pair had busted a seam the last time we'd played ball and I hadn't had the time (or the cash) to buy a new pair.

The romantic asshole even laced them up for me. Either he was sucking up for something, or still asking forgiveness for the butter incident. Or, most likely, he knew just how to cheer me up.

Between work, the wedding, and trying to afford the apartment on my own since Alice and Rosalie had both moved in with their men, I probably hadn't been the most upbeat person to be around.

I set the shoes at the foot of my bed, and picked out a suitable outfit that worked well with my chucks, and let's face it, most of my wardrobe went perfectly well with chucks.

Tonight's winner was a pair of dark wash denim jeans and a fitted black t-shirt. It was old and fit me like a glove. The Sublime emblem was worn out, and barely visible, but it was my favorite shirt and I was having a shitty day. If we had been going anywhere fancy, he'd have bought me a cocktail dress or something. Granted, I wouldn't have worn it, but still.

I showered and dressed, and did my minimal hair care routine. By that I mean I ran some mousse through my hair and called it good.

Alice did talk me into holding onto some make-up. I finished getting ready with a tiny bit of eyeliner and a touch of mascara. Pleased with what I saw in the mirror, I left the bedroom to find Edward sitting on my couch, his head back and eyes closed.

I smiled to myself and tiptoed toward him. I decided against messing with him in this state, only because I caught a glimpse of my sunflower on the table behind him.

Instead, I put one knee down on his left side, and then carefully put my other on his right. Sitting down gently, I straddled him and leaned in to press my lips against his cute unshaven jaw. I loved it when he had a good three days growth on his face. The hair wasn't prickly then. It was soft and gave him that bad-boy edgy look I couldn't get enough of.

I followed the trail of hair up his jaw, up to the soft lobe of his ear. I took it between my teeth and bit down softly, arousing a soft groan from him.

"Wake up, sleepy head. I thought we were going out?" I whispered, continuing my assault on the planes of his jaw line.

"You're making home sound much more enticing," he replied, and grabbed me around the waist. He moved quickly, and flipped us so he was on top of me, in between my thighs.

"Besides, I'm sure Mumford and Sons will be playing here again soon." He smiled through his words, and then raised his mouth to mine to kiss me. I gave in briefly, letting him take my bottom lip between his teeth before his words fully sunk in.

"Wait, what?" I jumped out from under him, so quickly that he rolled and fell to the floor with a thud. "You didn't tell me they were playing! Let's go!" I yelled at his groaning body still on the floor as I ran to the kitchen to grab my wallet and keys.

"Yes ma'am," Edward replied, following behind me, "you know, you should really lock your door. I could've been a serial killer or something."

I laughed back at him. "And miss your cute little napping face when I'm done getting ready? Not likely!"

.

.

That had been the last night of sanity in my life. Okay, in the last week, but forecast showed that those days were over.

Sunday, I made centerpieces until my thumbs bled.

Monday through Friday, every moment that I wasn't at my job, I was holding on to Hurricane Alice with all my strength. Edward was acting strange every time we were in the same room together. He opened his mouth to tell me something at the rehearsal dinner so many times that I stopped waiting for him to spit it out. I told him to.

"Edward, whatever the hell is waiting to jump off your tongue, let it already. I'm at the edge of my seat here!"

I exploded, gaining the attention of the filled banquet room; looked like the speeches were done for the night. Edward grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the balcony.

"What the hell is you problem, Swan?"

I tugged my arm out of his grip and finished the rest of my overpriced champagne.

"You. You're my problem right now. I'm pulling my hair out trying to get Alice down the aisle and off to fuckin' Jamaica or wherever they are going, and trying to work as many hours as I can to afford everything else in my life, while you're choking on whatever is stuck in your vocal chords every time you see me! Out with it already!"

I gasped in a breath of air, and pressed a hand against my flushed chest.

There. Now he knew how I felt, and I deserved the same back; hopefully with a few more pauses for breaths than I took.

"Bella...Jesus, woman, calm down. I was just waiting for the right time to ask you this..." He paused again, and looked back into the room full of our friends.

"With the wedding happening and all," he continued quietly.

Oh god no, he is not doing this.

"I feel like we're ready..."

I'm not ready!

"...to take the next step."

I held my hand up to stop him.

"Edward, I can't...I'm so sorry."

I ran inside to Alice and Rosalie, said my goodbyes, and quickly left.

I promise, I'm working on the conclusion! If you read my other stories, the Everly ending is in the works, and Stranger will be completed. I promise we haven't abandoned it!