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Disclaimer: Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer!

EPOV

"What'd she say?" Emmett asked me.

We had just finished taking down everything in the backyard. The statue was now sitting in my backyard; I could see it perfectly from my bedroom window. Emmett, Jasper and I were still standing beside Bella's house. I shot a quick glance at my watch. Two A.M.. I could hear Bella breathing slowly and deeply from her bedroom, fast asleep.

At eleven, Alice had come back to the house. She told me she had been talking with Bella all evening. Alice didn't say anything else, so I searched into her thoughts for more details, only to find she was doing some extreme math in her head.

thirty-four to the power of seventy-six…thirty-four to the power of ninety-two…

She was keeping something from me. I tried harder and harder to hear her thoughts, when she suddenly announced she was going hunting. Before I had the chance to blink, she was out the door, and only minutes later, she was much too far away for me to read her thoughts.

"Edward?" Emmett asked again, pulling me back to the present.

"Mhm?" I prompted, only semi-concentrating.

"What did Bella say when you asked her to marry you?"

Emmett's words were like a splash of cold water on my face. I blinked and focused all my attention on him. Jasper and Emmett stared at me intently while waiting for my answer.

"Nothing," I breathed. "She said nothing."

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Emmett swallowed, and then said, "Nothing? What do you mean?"

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers.

"I slid the ring onto her finger and then asked her if she would marry me. All she did was stare, and then Charlie pulled up. I put her on her bed and then took off."

Emmet began to laugh, and I narrowed my eyes.

"Smooth, bro. Real smooth," he snickered. Jasper tried to keep a straight face, but his lips were pressed together and his body trembled from his silent laughter.

"Why'd you put the ring on first?" Emmett asked between laughs.

I sighed deeply and ran my hand through my hair.

"I don't know!" I moaned. I had dreamed of seeing my mother's ring on her finger ever since I realized I loved her. And seeing her sitting there looking so beautiful, I felt like I needed to see the ring on her immediately, and I just couldn't stop myself from reaching out and sliding it on to her delicate finger.

Jasper spoke for the first time.

"How long was she silent?"

I thought back to a few hours ago.

"About fifteen seconds." What had her pause meant? Was she overwhelmed? And if so, overwhelmed with what? Joy? Or was it shock? Worry? Fear?

"Maybe she was just surprised, Edward," Jasper said, sensing my emotions. He sent a wave of calm over me, and I felt a bit better. It was easier to think with a clear mind.

"Charlie has great timing," Emmett grinned, his easy-going nature unaffected by my distress.

I groaned and I let my head fall into my hands.

"Just a more few seconds—that's all I needed." If Charlie had not come home earlier than he had planned, would Bella have said yes to me? Or would it have been a no?

Jasper patted my back.

"Me and Em are going back to the house. We'll leave you alone with Bella."

Emmett punched my arm.

"It's all gonna work out, man," he assured me. I nodded, not sure if I believed him.

"See you two later," I said as they began to sprint away.

I turned back toward the half-opened window of Bella's room. Taking a deep breath, I jumped up into a tree and swung myself into the bedroom.

My mood lightened immediately when I saw her. Her eyelashes cast long shadows on her face, and her chest rose and fell with every deep breath she took. Her soft, full lips were slightly parted, and seeing them made me want to cross the room and lightly kiss them.

"Edward," she sighed.

My heart fluttered. It was the first time since I'd been back in Forks that I had heard her speak my name in her sleep.

"I'm sorry," she continued, puzzling me. What did she have to be sorry for? I listened on.

"I can't marry you."

My entire body froze. My world came to a standstill. My eyes prickled with dry tears that could not be shed.

In my peripheral vision, something glinted, sending a small rainbow to the ceiling. I glanced toward it, and my eyes took in the view of my mother's wedding ring, sitting on the bedside table.

I walked forward without realizing it and reached out for the piece of jewelry. I stared at the item in my hand with hurt and sorrow. This little article had meant so much to me throughout the last century. I looked at it everyday, and dreamed of giving it to my own special someone as long as I remembered.

My fingers curled around it, and my hand turned over.

Then I dropped the ring that had gone from meaning everything to meaning nothing on the ground.

BPOV

I woke up in an excellent mood—mostly because of the dream I had. Just last night I had been worried about marriage. Yes, I wanted to be with him forever, but I couldn't stand the thought of getting married; at least not at age 18. I started out in the dream with shaky hands as I told Edward I didn't want to marry him. He had started to walk away, shoulders hunched, just as Alice popped into the dream. She asked me why I wouldn't do one little thing that wouldn't make a difference to me, but would make Edward incredibly happy. I ran up to Edward, then told him I loved him more than anything and would certainly marry him. Dream Edward kissed me, and I woke up smiling.

I shuddered now, depressed at the thought of telling Edward I didn't want to marry him. After all, dream Alice was very right. He clearly wanted this a lot, and I had been planning on crushing his hopes.

Sitting up, I touched my finger, trying to feel for the ring. I felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness when I realized it wasn't there.

You took it off last night, stupid,I scolded myself. Sighing at my own stupidity, I reached to the side, feeling for Edward's mother's ring. My ring. When my hands came up empty, I got out of bed to turn on the light.

The room brightened immediately and I squinted my half-asleep eyes as I looked toward the table.

No ring.

I glanced around the room frantically, and sighed in relief when I saw it on the floor by the window. I picked it up and slid it onto my finger as I pondered why it would be all the way over here.

My breath caught. Edward wouldn't have seen it…would he have?

Before I could dwell on that thought any longer, there was a loud knock on my door.

"Come in," I called, hiding my hand behind my back.

Charlie's head poked in the room, followed by his body. I couldn't help but grimace—I wasn't ready for the talk about Edward yet.

"I wasn't sure if you'd be up," he started.

"Mmm," I assented.

We stood in awkward silence for a few moments before Charlie spoke.

"I'm guessing you know what I'd like to talk about?"

I sighed and scolded myself when I realized I had been hoping he'd hold off just a little longer.

"Yes."

Charlie took a seat in the rocking chair while I stood beside the window, still holding my hand behind me.

"Bella…"

I waited patiently.

"I'd like it if you'd stay away from him."

I gasped. That was completely out of the question.

"No, Dad! I won't! He's—"

"He left you, Bella!" Charlie yelled, cutting me off.

"Because he thought I didn't love him anymore!" I shot back.

Charlie looked a little taken aback. It took me a moment to realize I had said the word 'love'. Never before had I told Charlie I was in love with Edward.

Taking a deep breath, Charlie spoke again.

"Do you really?" he asked, with genuine curiosity.

I held my hands out helplessly and shrugged my shoulders. My eye caught the ring that was now in front of me, and I quickly threw my hands behind my back again. Charlie noticed my hastiness and became suspicious.

"What's behind your back, Bella?" he asked through narrowed eyes.

"Nothing." But I spoke too quickly, giving myself away.

"Bella," Charlie said, using the most fatherly tone I had heard in a long time.

I bit my lip.

"Isabella Marie Swan."

There was too much authority in his voice for me to ignore.

Wordlessly, I held my left hand out to him. The light from the window shone on the ring, creating an elegant rainbow and enhancing the event.