I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.
Please check out the author's note at the end.
Chapter Three
Welcome to the New Year
On the morning Edward and I were driving back to Seattle, I found myself in Carlisle's office. When I was a teenager, I had spent a lot of time in that room. It was probably one of my favorite places in the world, with his incredible and extensive library collection.
I snuck in there pretty early that morning and curled up on one of the long leather couches with a copy of Pride and Prejudice. With a blanket I had taken from Edward's room wrapped snuggly around me, I quickly found myself lost in the world of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.
Even though I knew exactly the way it ended, I couldn't help getting swept up in the story as though it was my first time reading it. I heard the door to the office open and glanced up quickly, to see Edward trying to sneak in without disturbing me.
He was always so considerate of me. Forget about Mr. Darcy, Edward was everything that I could have dreamed of that I wanted. And the best part was that he was real and right in front of me.
I tried to keep my eyes focused on the book, to act as though I hadn't heard him come in the room.
When I felt him settled in behind me, my heart beat increased. Whether it was from the lingering fear I still felt or just from his proximity, I'm not sure. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. "I know that you saw me coming in, Bella. We've already gone over what a terrible actress you are." He teased me.
Pouting, I leaned my head back against his shoulder so that he could see my disapproval.
That only managed to make him chuckle. "I'm sorry, but it's true. And, I love you anyways." He kissed my temple gentle and then pressed his forehead against it. We sat that way for a couple of minutes, it felt familiar and comfortable.
I was learning to enjoy is warm embrace again. There was no way I could tell him that there were still lingering of fear at his touch, but I didn't visibly flinch or pull away as I had before.
"So, I guess that we are leaving soon." I said.
He nodded his head. "I figured that this way, we could get back early enough to maybe take a walk. There's something I've wanted to show you for awhile."
"Really? Okay, I think that would be alright." I told him shyly.
A grin, my favorite grin, spread across his face and he held me a little tighter.
We got up not too long after that and left the office. He grabbed our bags while I went downstairs to say goodbye to our parents.
Charlie had come over Christmas morning and spent part of the day with us, before heading over to La Push. It was nice to see him. Even though we talked on the phone now, it just wasn't the same.
So I went over to him and hugged him, promising to call him when we made it back. I kissed his cheek.
Esme and Carlisle hugged me tightly. They were coming up to Seattle in a few days for New Years Eve; Alice had announced Christmas morning that she wanted to have a party with everyone.
I pressed my cheek to Esme's before stepping out of her grasp and was surprised when Carlisle kissed me on the forehead, making my cheeks turn crimson. They both laughed.
Thankfully, Edward came down the stairs with our bags at that moment. He said his goodbyes to our parents, even shaking hands with Charlie, while I waited by the front door. He smiled at me when he was finished. "Are you ready, love?"
"Yes." I nodded my head.
He opened the front door for me and we waved to his family as we left. Once he had our bags in the trunk, he opened the passenger door for me and waited until I was safely tucked inside before closing it. He maneuvered quickly to his side, starting the Volvo up and grinning at the purr of the engine. When he got to the freeway and was really able to speed up, I took his hand in mine. He squeezed my hand gently and winked at me.
We stayed silent for most of the drive. His iPod was plugged in and we listened to one of his favorite playlists. Arriving back at our apartment, Edward had me wait downstairs while he brought our things in.
I grinned when he came back down and began leading me down the street.
"Edward, where are you taking me?" I had one hand twined with his and the other wrapped tightly around that arm. We had been walking for about ten minutes through an area of Seattle that I had never been before.
He didn't say anything at first and then finally stopped walking, turning us to the right. "Take a look." He smiled.
"Oh…" I lifted my eyes and glanced around at what was in front of me. The sign in front of me said Chittenden Locks. You could take guided boat tours, watch the ferries, or visit the Botanical Gardens.
"Do you like it?" He whispered in my ear.
I could only gasp as I took in the scene before me. "This is beautiful, Edward." I leaned back a little so that I could see his face. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"You are more than welcome, my love." He kissed my cheek. "Shall we?" He gestured toward the dock.
"Yes." I smiled.
He grinned and led me across the street. Since it was too cold to go out on the water, we decided to explore the Gardens.
It was almost like a fairy tale, I had never seen so many different types of flowers before. Edward took pictures for me and even read off the descriptions of the ones that particularly caught my attention.
For awhile I lost track of where I was, feeling almost as though Edward and I were in our own little world. It was just the two of us and it was amazing.
It was such a romantic way to spend an afternoon; I didn't want it to end.
When it started getting late, Edward suggested that we pick up some Mexican food on the way home. I hadn't had enchiladas in a long time so that sounded perfect. He smiled when I agreed and reached out to tuck my hair behind my ear, sliding a bud of an orchid with it.
He didn't give me a chance to respond as he wrapped his arm around my waist, and led me out.
Even though my natural inclination was to get angry with him for spending on me yet again, I decided to let it go. Things had been going well, especially with our afternoon, and I didn't want to spoil it by arguing with him. Besides, it was a small flower.
A relieved smile spread across his face when he saw that I wasn't going to fight him on it.
We found a restaurant down the street from our apartment and got some take-out. My mouth was practically salivating as the aroma of cheese and spices floated up to me. I could hardly wait to get home and eat.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~
New Years Eve morning I found myself curled against Edward's pillow, he was nowhere to be seen. I burrowed my face into the fabric and breathed deeply, it smelled just like him. I couldn't describe it, but it was comforting.
I was just about to fall asleep again when I realized that the shower had been running, and was now turned off. What is Edward doing up so early?
He came out of the bathroom dressed in jeans, a snug fitting t-shirt, and a jacket.
The only reason he would be awake and completely dressed this early would be if he was going into the hospital. But he couldn't, this was his day off. "Edward," I said softly.
Coming over to the bed, the look in his eyes told me everything that I already knew. "Bella, I am so sorry." He took my hand in his. "There's been an emergency at the hospital and I have to go in."
"When will you be home?" I couldn't seem to make my voice go any higher than a whisper. Being separated from him was never easy.
Edward sighed, running his free hand through his hair. "Probably not until late this evening, after midnight seems like a good possibility."
I knew that he had to do this, but that did nothing to stop the ache I felt bubbling to the surface at his words. We had to learn how to be apart, it was healthy. "Okay," I finally managed to say.
He leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine, his mouth parted slightly, but he made no move to slip his tongue in. "I will do everything that I can to get home to you as soon as humanly possible." He said against my lips.
A tear slid down my cheek as I nodded my head. I tightened my fingers in his hair, trying to keep him there as long as I could. I just needed to feel him closer; the safety of his arms was all that I needed.
Edward, as gently as possible, removed himself from my grip. A look of amusement was on his face before he pressed one last kiss to my temple.
I lay down and hugged his pillow to me, allowing his scent to wash over me.
"Love," Edward stroked my cheek with the back of his hand, "why don't you give Alice a call? I know that she's going to be busy with Rosalie and my parents, setting up for the party tonight. The distraction should be nice."
"Maybe." I finally told him. "Call me?"
He smiled my favorite smile and nodded. "As soon as I get a break I will call you."
"Okay." I bit my lip.
He stood up and went over to the dresser to grab his cell phone and wallet. "Go back to sleep, love," he said as he stopped in the door way.
I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep again.
That worked for about an hour, and then I just continued to lie in the bed and stare up at the ceiling. Eventually I found my phone and decided to call Alice. She picked up on the third ring. "Hello, Bella."
"Hey, Ali." I rubbed my eyes, trying to help myself wake up a little more. "How is the decorating going?"
"Very well. Jasper, Emmett and Uncle Carlisle are taking care of all the heavy lifting. Aunt Esme, Rosalie and I are working on the food right now." She was talking very fast so I must have caught her in the middle of chopping something.
"That's good, at least everything is underway." I wasn't really sure what to say to her. Usually when we did anything Alice was the one who initiated it.
She quiet for a moment. I could almost picture her standing there with her hands on her hips, waiting for me to go on. "Bella, I know you didn't call to ask me about the party preparations. Talk to me."
"Edward got called into the hospital this morning and he's probably going to be gone all day." I bit my lip, not liking that I was being so vulnerable. "I don't want to be alone." I whispered.
"You can come over if you like. Bring your dress and shoes with you so that you can just change here when its time." There were times where I just wanted to squeeze Alice. We were about to hang up when Alice stopped me. "I hope you know that you don't ever have to ask to come over, Bella. My door is always open for you."
"I know. Thanks, Alice." I ended the call, waiting another minute before climbing out of the bed.
After ten minutes, a fight with my hair brush, and tripping over the box with my new shoes inside, I was on my way to Alice and Jasper's house. I drove slowly since the streets were icy, to avoid getting into an accident.
Carlisle was in the yard hanging some lights when I pulled up. He opened the driver's side door for me and pulled me into a hug. "It's wonderful to see you, Bella."
I grabbed the shoes and garment bag I had placed in the bed of the truck and smiled shyly at him. "Thank you Carlisle. Did you and Esme have a nice drive here?"
"We did, thank you. She's inside with Alice and Rosalie. They've been cooking all morning." He warned me.
I glanced warily toward the house. "Wish me luck."
"You will be fine. We'll talk later." He kissed my forehead and turned back to the lights he had been working on.
Giggling and chopping filled the house as I walked inside. I placed my things on the stairs and made my way into the kitchen. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Oh, Bella," Esme pulled me into a tight embrace. She kissed my cheek and then stepped back to look at me. "How are you doing, my dear?"
I felt my cheeks redden slightly and was grateful when she motioned for me to sit down. Nodding to Alice and Rosalie, I pulled up one of the stools a little closer to the counter and sat down. "I'm doing fine."
Thankfully they didn't push for any more details. I just sat back and listened to them talk and giggle, occasionally tasting one of the hors d'oeuvres that they were making.
Everything was going to be beautiful, Alice never did anything halfway.
Jasper and Emmett would occasionally come into the kitchen to ask for clarification on the table settings or the placement of the rest of the decorations.
Rosalie and Esme eventually left to get ready for the party, leaving Alice and I alone to talk.
I finally noticed how much food had been fixed, placed all around the kitchen. "Ali, did you invite half of Seattle here? There's definitely enough food here for that."
She laughed, looking over her work. "I just wanted to make sure that we had enough. Now all that's left to do is decorating the cookies. Can you hand me one of those?" Alice pointed to the bags carefully laid out on the counter, filled with different colored icing.
Handing one to her, I remembered our sophomore year of high school. She had somehow talked me into helping her with our school's bake sale. We somehow managed to get into food fight and ended up with chocolate frosting all over ourselves and Esme's kitchen.
"What?" Alice asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"I'm going to sit over here. Even though this isn't Esme's kitchen, I don't think she'd be amused if she found us covered in frosting again." I moved to the other side of the counter, putting as much distance between us as possible.
A small snort came from her, obviously remembering the bake sale incident as well. "Have a little faith in me, Bella. We aren't sixteen anymore." She winked at me, before picking up a cookie.
We sat in silence for awhile, Alice working her magic on the cookies while I placed them carefully on the plates she had set out.
"So," she finally spoke, "how are things going with you and Edward?"
"Pretty well actually."I chewed on my lower lip for a second. "I don't know if I thanked you for setting up that Christmas week, but it really was wonderful. Thank you."
Alice grinned. "I'm glad. You and Edward have been through so much, apart and together, I just… wanted you both to take a break from it all and enjoy each other."
"It felt nice to be so comfortable around him again. I'm not completely there yet, but I'm working on it." I admitted. It felt good to talk to her, to my best friend, about this.
"That's wonderful, Bella. You deserve to be happy." She finished up the last of the cookies, checking to see if anything else needed to be done.
Rosalie and Esme came back into the kitchen not too long after that, ushering us out so that we could get ready.
I grabbed my things that I had left on the stairs and followed Alice up to her and Jasper's room. Since she had already done so, Alice had me get in the shower while she got herself ready.
Once my hair was washed and I was clean, I shut the water off and wrapped myself up in a towel. I avoided the mirror as I gathered my toiletries from the shower and dried off. That was something I just couldn't seem to bring myself to do yet.
The dress I was going to wear was black and white. The skirt of it was made of tulle that was white with a couple of layers on top that were black, while the top was one shouldered. There were a few ribbons tied to the pieces of fabric that connected to the shoulder strap.
I put the dress on before heading out into the bedroom so that Alice could do my hair and makeup.
She looked beautiful in a honey colored strapless dress that looked as though it had been melted to her body and took extra care on me.
"What's the point of me getting all dressed up, Ali. It's not like Edward's going to be here to see it." I complained as she put the final touches on my makeup.
Alice just smiled. "This isn't for Edward. You deserve to feel like a princess for a few hours," and she turned me toward the vanity so that I could look into the mirror.
My jaw dropped as I took in the sight before me. Looking at myself this way still wasn't easy, but I could handle it a lot better than when I got out of the shower. Alice had outdone herself with my hair and makeup, it was flawless.
"Thank you," I turned to hug her, kissing her cheek in the process.
Once Alice deemed that we were presentable and ready to go out, she grabbed my hand and led me down to the party.
Guests had begun arriving while we were getting ready and the house was teeming with people mingling, listening to the music and dancing. There were a lot of people from Forks that we had gone to high school with.
My head was spinning as I shook hands and talked with people that I hadn't seen in years. The dull ache I felt at being away from Edward was ever present, the night wearing on and thankfully getting closer and closer to midnight.
I was sipping on a glass of champagne and making my way to the living room to look for some food, when Angela bumped into me.
"Bella, it's so wonderful to see you." She seemed genuinely pleased.
"You, too. It has been such a long time." I had felt horrible taking so much time off of work, but I didn't feel it would be beneficial to anyone if I was only half there and Angela never made me feel guilty for doing so.
Angela smiled, moving so that we weren't blocking the flow of traffic. "Is Edward here? I haven't seen him?"
"No, he had to go into the hospital today." The ache in my stomach flickered at having to mention it. "Is Ben here?"
"He's talking with Jasper I believe." Her husband, Ben, had gone to school with us and I was thrilled when I found out that they were married. "I got the dedication you sent in. It was really beautiful."
I blushed. "Thank you. I hope that it was enough."
She nodded her head. "I'm sure that he will love it, Bella," she tried to assure me.
We talked a little while longer, making plans for me to come into the office after the holidays to meet with her and Mr. Bryant.
I went in search of the hors d'oeuvres when Angela saw Ben being cornered by a few women and went to rescue him.
The holiday music that had been playing stooped, leaving only the steady thrum of voices throughout the house. I was standing over the table trying to decide if I was going to eat in anything, when different music began playing.
A beautiful melody, familiar permeated the air. I couldn't quite place where I had heard it before. And then a voice began to sing.
It was as smooth as silk and sensuous, one that I knew quite. I remained frozen in place, unable to will myself to move.
How? He wasn't supposed to be here.
The house was completely silent except for the music.
My eyes filled with tears, blurring my vision slightly. I felt my feet take on a life of their own as I made my way through the crowd of people, ignoring their stares. The music was coming from the living room.
I had to see him.
Sitting on the piano bench near the back of the living room, was Edward. He smiled crookedly as I walked slowly across the room, his voice singing sweetly just for me. The song was one that he had written after our engagement.
When I finally made it to his side, my cheeks were tear stained.
He played the last few notes, letting his fingers hover over the keys for a moment. Then he brought his hands to his lap and turned on the bench so that he was facing me, a look of apprehension on his face.
Edward had never looked more beautiful to me. With a few strands of his messy bronze hair falling into his eyes, his lips curved into my favorite smile, and a black suit that fit perfectly to his body.
I launched myself into his arms, burying my face in the crook of his neck. A sob escaped my throat as I clung tightly to him. "You're here," I managed.
His hands rubbed up and down along my back in a soothing manner. "I'm here."
"What about the hospital?" I pressed a kiss to his jaw, taking in his scent.
"That was a cover. I went downtown to a friend's recording studio and put together a track for this song, the violins that were playing in the background." He explained, tensing up a little as though he was afraid I was angry with him. "I wanted to do something special for you. Was this alright?"
I pulled back a little so that I could look into his eyes, the emerald pools that melted me to my core. "Thank you. It was perfect." I rested my forehead against, letting out a sigh of contentment. "I missed you," I whispered.
"So did I, love." He wrapped me up in his arms.
"5…4…3…2…1… Happy New Year!" Everyone in the room shouted.
"Happy New Year, Bella." Edward pressed his lips to mine in a tender kiss.
Unwilling to pull back from him, I whispered against his lips, "Happy New Year."
Thank you to everyone for reading. I know that it's taken awhile for me to post the next chapter, I wanted to have the story completed. There's just a companion piece left, which is in Alice's POV. Hopefully I can have it up for you guys soon.
Okay a few notes: November 15th- 20th there will be an auction for The Fandom Gives Back and it is hosted by tby789, Lolashoes, and ninapolitan. This is for a really worthy cause, helping to find a cure for childhood cancer, and I am offering myself up for bid, so please check out my auction thread. The link should be in my profile either tonight or later on tomorrow.
Also, kyla713 and I have started a podcast called Cullens Court Cast andthe link to our blog is in my profile, you can check out past episodes and download them on iTunes. Our most recent guest was ericastwilight, and that episode should be up this week.
The latest Support Stacie Author Auction was a huge success. I had two auctions (one with the wonderful SoceressCirce) which were bought by some amazing women. Keep your eyes open for these two stories.
Anyways, thank you all so much for the support and I really hope that you liked this. Thanks again to rmcrms5 for betaing this for me.
