AN- Okay so I know I said that I wouldn't be able to update until I finished my training schedule, but I had the insight to bring a pad & pen with me when I took my kids to the park. I had told myself it was to map out task descriptions & activity planners. hah! my imagination had other plans, and here they are. enjoy!
The days passed, and I managed to avoid Edward's Venus Flytrap of a question. So alluring, so easy to answer, yet so dangerous. I had my scenario, what I had pictured my life would have ended up like. Go to college, meet somebody nice, get married, have kids, grow old & die. Very boring, and very generic. I knew he would never buy it.
Then there was the fairy tale, the fantastical version. Where I was literally the damsel in distress, rescued by the handsome prince, who then whisks me away to his enchanted castle, where we live happily ever after. Which ironically was closer to what I actually ended up with. With a few alterations like the fact that the handsomest of princes paled in comparison to Edward. Only because before I met him, I never dreamed it was humanly possible to be that beautiful, and to be honest, it wasn't humanly possible.
Click! And there it was, my answer. I had never imagined this as my life because it was too fantastical. I mean was there even a choice? between Edward and the prince? Even the most beautiful prince, the most chivalrous, couldn't hold a candle to Edward, my Edward. -Was I tempting fate just thinking how lucky I was?-
Not only was he impossibly beautiful, could also run faster than the prince's fastest horse, was stronger than any prince could ever be. He even had the added allure of forever.
The only thing that Edward could see to mar this fairytale, was the fact that we wouldn't be able to have a family, not in the traditional sense anyway. But even that was only a watermark on the page, faded, barely there, easily overlooked. It had never been the shining point of the story anyway.
We were sitting on the porch again, looking out at the waves, rolling gently over the shimmering sand. We had done some other things during our time here, besides give in to our libidos.
The tarp covered thing under the house turned out to be a jet-ski and a couple of surfboards. Edward was eager to jet ski, as he was with anything that was capable of any sort of speed. Although he never let me drive, something about my reflexes, he said.
the fact that Edward hadn't let me get hurt in quite a while, was giving me confidence to try things I never would have before. Surfing however took some persuasion.
Edward, of course, could surf. What could he not do. Getting him to teach me, took some coercion, and a few more peaches. I could feel the blood rising to my face as I thought about it.
Edward had finally admitted, in a rare moment of weakness, that it was the way that I suckled at the peach, which was his downfall, as it caused him to think of the way I suckled on other things. My blush intensified.
"Edward" I asked, before he could say anything about my blush.
"Yes love?" he answered softly, turning his face to look at me. He was looking unbelievably gorgeous in his bathing suit and a surf shirt, that clung to him, defining the muscles of his chest. I had to blink to keep my eyes from glazing over.
"What does it smell like?" I asked him "to you" I added, holding up the last peach, to indicate what I was talking about.
"Hmm" he pondered, twisting his lips to the side,and looking up. Adorable, as usual. "It smells, what I imagine it tastes like, to you anyway, but more intense. I can pick out all the different elements, that make up the flavour" he explained
I looked at him, intrigued, and nodded for him to continue.
"I can smell the things that grew around the tree, things that influenced the aroma, subtle nuances." he inhaled deeply, drawing in the aroma " A hint of lavender, jasmine, grass of course and uhm..." he trailed off, looking away like he was unsure of whether he should continue.
"What?" I asked, with intense curiosity. As he had mentioned those things, I was sure I could taste them, the jasmine especially. I wanted to know more.
"I'd rather not ruin it for you, you seem to like peaches" he stated, a playful smile at his lips.
"Edward" I said exasperated "Just say it" I begged
"Finish your peach first" he insisted "Please?" he added, cocking his head to the side, his eyes smoldering.
Uggh! Why did he have to be so irresistible!.
"Why?" I questioned, losing the battle of wills
"You'll understand when I tell you" he said with a look of disgust on his face.
Frustrated, I gobbled the remainder of my snack. He frowned
"You look disappointed." I mentioned
"I am" he admitted truthfully " I enjoy watching you eat" he explained, arching one perfect eyebrow, and giving me a sly smile.
"Oh" I said, blushing as I got it. By rushing through my peach, I cheated him out of his little show.
"Well are you going to tell me now?" I demanded, reminding him of our previous topic.
"Are you going to answer my question?" he bargained. I should have known he wouldn't forget. "besides, I'm not sure you really want to know" he stated, dangling it like bait.
"Edward" I said, insisting. I was ready to answer now, so I gave in to my curiosity.
"Okay" he sang "Just remember you insisted" he repeated his warning " I smell the, uhm" his eyes darted around, looking for the word. "fertilizer" he said, grimacing
I sat, looking perplexed for a moment, before it dawned on me "EW!" I yelled, wrinkling my nose. Edward just laughed.
"Your turn, darling" he reminded, when he had finished laughing. His tone a trifle impatient. I thought about how many times we had bargained over this question.
"Alright, let's see" I deliberated on how to start. "First of all, no matter what. You are not allowed to, sulk, mope or be miserable in anyway" I stipulated. " Remember, this" I gestured all around us, standing up "You" I placed my hands on his chest for emphasis, as I sat in his lap. "Are what I want, even before I knew it." I explained, as he nodded, acknowledging what I said. Whether he agreed or accepted it was another matter.
I proceed to explain to him, my previous revelation, placing importance on the fact that it was not his speed, his strength, not even his beauty, that made me love him. But rather who he was, how he used his gifts, his mind, his soul. -He frowned when I mentioned that -. The way he cared for his family, for me. Everything he did, said, thought. Him. Perfect or not was irrelevant. We were bound together, strands of the same rope, twisted, woven, intertwined together. Not just once but several times over. We were one and soon, it would be forever.
I reached up my hair to brush his hair out of his eyes, tenderly with my fingertips. Then tracing lightly the dark circles under his eyes. Looking deeply into them, as he thought over everything I had said.
The gold was fading from them, he would need to hunt soon. I leaned my face slowly to his, kissing him gently. Holding his face in my hands. Like he was made of china. The similarities were remarkable, I thought. Cold, hard, absurdly beautiful. the only thing that didn't fit was fragile. not in that sense anyway.
"Bella" he began, after our kiss had ended.
"Don't start Edward" I said cutting him off " I don't want to hear about how you're taking things away from me." I scolded "You have given me a life, a future, an existence. So wonderful, so impossibly fantastical, that I couldn't even imagine it" I said with conviction
"Bella" he repeated a smile playing on his lips, no doubt from watching my rant" I was going to tell you that I love you" he pointed out, his face turning serious. I looked down, sheepishly
"I was also going to say that I don't deserve you" he mentioned off-hand,with a hint of remorse. perhaps hoping that I wouldn't pick up on it. "you have too much faith in me" he elaborated, when I gave him a scowl.
"It's a two way street Edward" I chided, thinking of how I put him in constant pain, just keeping him with me. How he bore it for my happiness.
"Touché" he conceded
"No moping?" I questioned, reminding him of our bargain
"No moping" he agreed, as he pulled me closer for another kiss.
AN- I realize it seems like a good place to end the story, but don't worry folks, I'm not done with them yet.