A/N: I am SO sorry for not updating! I've had so much going on but I'm back! Enjoy :)
Edward POV:
Bella smiled, the most beautiful blush spreading across her cheeks. "I love you," she said, her voice such a relief to hear after so long.
"I love you, too, Bella. Now, please, get some rest." As selfish as it was for me to admit, I wished that we could talk longer. Mainly to hear her voice in reality rather than the voice I had constantly heard from memories, which did not at all do her justice. But the darkness of the circles beneath her eyes persuaded me otherwise. She needed sleep.
I could tell Bella was ready to argue with me before she realized how exhausted she was. Her eye lids were drooping; she fought hard to keep them open a little longer. A delicate smile was still on her face when they finally closed. I wondered what she could be thinking about.
Remembering that she was always able to sleep easier when she was listening to my voice, I began to hum her lullaby, a tune that I refused to let slip past the barriers in my mind. Now that I had seen her, it all came flooding back at once.
Bella's heartbeat began to slow, and her breathing evened out. I knew she was on the very edge of sleep. I stroked her hair as I heard Alice slide in through the window.
"Told you so," she said, confidence in her voice.
I turned to look at her, unable to hold back the smile. "Remind me to listen to you next time. I owe you."
She shook her head and sat down beside me, looking at Bella with the most cheerful expression. "There won't be a next time." She tapped her forehead. "Trust me."
I inhaled deeply, knowing what idea she was implying. Of course, the Volturi had found out about the situation. And surprisingly enough, granted Bella mercy, realizing that she was no threat to our kind because she simply had no recollection of anything. But now things had changed . . . and I hoped that they wouldn't realize it.
"You're not going to change her now, are you?" Alice asked, her tone filled with mixed emotions.
I clenched my teeth and sighed. "There's no reason to anymore."
"At the same time, there's all the reason in the world."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" I struggled to keep my voice down to a whisper. As a stood up, Alice understood and met me outside in the hallway, closing the door softly behind her. "There is no reason at all to be damned as we are. This is not a life I would choose for anyone."
"I understand that. She wants to be with you forever, Edward. And face it, you won't live without her. You can't live without her." Her expression was serious, her eyes flashing with anger. "We all saw what this did to you. And none of us will agree with your decision to keep her human. It was bad enough to have lost her once."
Shaking my head, I pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing my eyes shut. Alice was right. About as right as anyone could possibly get. And she knew it . . . which was unbelieveably and undeniably frustrating.
"And you know it's going to come up in conversation at some point." Alice crossed her arms over her chest, well aware that she had just won her argument.
I could wish as hard as I wanted to for her to be wrong, but I knew that it wouldn't do me any good. I highly doubted that Bella had changed in any way . . . and if anything, she may be even more stubborn when it comes to staying human. Even though I didn't realize it until now, I hadn't only lost her, but she had also lost me as well. I couldn't blame her . . . I'd want to be immortal too. And I never wanted to be separated from Bella ever again.
If only it didn't take me killing her to fulfill such a thing.
"I'll address everything when that time comes then," I said, sounding drained.
Alice sighed. I knew she was about to bring up an unwanted subject. "You know Jacob is going to come here tomorrow once he hears about Bella."
"Yes, I know." I sighed, the sound coming out as a low growl. "But I know Bella will want to see him . . ."
Just then, I heard Bella stirring. I stepped back into the room, peeking my head around the corner. She was staring up at the ceiling, the most heartbroken expression on her beautiful face.
I sat down by her side, resting my hand on her cheek. "Everything's okay, I'm here."
"I was starting to think I was dreaming again," she whispered.
There was a sharp pain in my chest, seeing her like this. "I'm not going anywhere ever again. I promise you that, Bella."
She shifted over to rest her head on my shoulder. I pulled the comforter closer to her to keep her warm and she sighed. "I love you."
"I love you, too. More than you will ever know." I stroked her hair, wishing more than anything that I could read her thoughts. I wanted to know everything that I had missed. I wanted to know everything, period.
Bella drifted off to sleep once more. I slid her head down onto the pillow gently, shifting myself so I could lay down right beside her. I softly brushed her cheek, and then kissed her on the forehead, watching her expression grow more and more peaceful.
A/N: There you go a cute little chappie for you all :) Review!
