I was standing in the airport terminal, trying to blink away the tears blurring my vision of Edward. I handed him the package in my hands wordlessly, choking on a sob. I was no good at good-byes. Edward took the gift and stroked my cheek, wiping away the tears before taking the paper off smoothly, never removing his eyes from my own.
Several minuets passed and I thanked my lucky stars we came to the airport early. Finally he looked down into his hands. It was a think leather photo album, already filled with photos. He pulled me down sitting Indian style on the floor despite the rows of gray and blue plastic chairs. He lifted open the thick cover and grinned at the first set of pictures. The first was me when I was about four or five. Edward had found the picture a few months ago while digging through my room.
April 13th
(Spring break earlier that year)
"Well I told Alice I wouldn't wear it if it didn't provide enough…coverage. She made the deal and I think that she ought to stick to it, so I am wearing my old suit." I huffed as I stormed into my room, Edward following behind.
"Yes love, I realize but I thought the bathing suit Alice picked out was entirely lovely." I turned around to argue but Edward caught me around the waist and I found myself looking into a pair of green lusty eyes. My mouth formed a little O but was soon was replaced with a smirk.
"That is because you are a hormone driven teenage boy my dear." I teased pulling myself from his grasp and resuming my search. I heard some rustling behind me but though nothing of it until I heard Edward chuckle. I froze. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing." I spun around and saw Edward holding my "photo box" where I had stashed almost every photo that came into my possession. I lunged and grabbed the picture out of his hand.
In the picture I was standing on First Beach. My hair was in ringlets like it had been naturally until I hit about ten and my hair got thick and wavy instead. I have a slight grin and was looking at something out of the picture, the sun hitting me in a way that almost made me glow. This was actually the least embarrassing picture he could have found.
"You were such an adorable little girl." He whispered, his lips against my neck.
"Hmmm, I wonder what happened." I sighed contentedly.
He pulled back and looked me in the eye. "You became the most beautiful young woman."
Present Day
He had begged and pleaded for a copy of the picture but I would just blush and shake my head in response. Now it was sitting in the album on his lap, I would almost always give Edward his way. Next to it was a picture of me that summer, it was almost identical to the one to the left of it, the only differences were my appearance and the restaurant behind me was a little worse for wear. I couldn't v\believe the similarities between the two pictures when Alice had developed that batch.
Edward stroked the photos with one finger and then reached over and stroked my cheek with the same finger, "Beautiful," he sighed. I looked down and let my hair fall in a curtain around my crimson cheeks before turning the page for him.
On the next page was a…candid shot Emmett took of Edward and I. It was the summer after I met Alice, we were thirteen at the time and Edward was fourteen. Edward and Alice had been debating over which grade was better, 8th or 9th, and I was sat between then on the couch as they argued, trying to watch an episode of Cow and Chicken. At one point Alice asked my opinion, or rather told me to agree with her, and I had turned to look at her. Unbeknown to me Edward had leaned across the space to smell my hair, his eyes closed and a smile on his face. This was the shot Em got.
I hadn't seen this picture until about a month ago when Emmett felt Edward needed a good dose of embarrassment. I loved the picture because it brought the rare blush to Edwards face; it was nice to know I wasn't the only one, to blush or to have been in love with the other so soon. I looked up from the album and sure enough his cheeks were tinted pink.
I smiled to myself then flipped the page. It was Edward's Graduation, he was in the ridiculous yellow cap and gown and had his arms snaked around my waist, his chin resting on my head, both of us grinning and looking toward the other instead of the camera, which had frustrated Alice to no end.
The next page had a posed picture from Prom, like I said I would almost always give Edward his way. Unluckily for me this included prom. Next to the Picture I had written a list of quotes, either about love or Edward and I.
"What's this one?" He asked pointing to one about halfway down the list. It's strange, like gravity. If one of you moves the other follows, like there can only be some much space between the two of you.
"Oh that's something Renee said, after her visit in August." It was when I had subtly asked her to help me in the kitchen the evening she came over to meet Edward at dinner. I smiled and looked up at him and scooted just a little closer to him. "I'd never noticed it but I do know I don't like when you stray too far."
Edward chuckled and turned the page. Edward and I were standing by a pool his arms wrapped around my waist and my legs wrapped around his, my arms around his neck. We were staring at each other smiling lightly. Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Rose were standing in the shallow end of the pool, looking at us smiling like a bunch of goons. After Esme snapped the camera Emmett had swum over and grabbed Edwards's ankle and yanked, successfully submerging us in the water.
And so it went for the next half hour, flipping through the Album. The pictures stopped halfway thorough with one taken just the week before. We were in the Cullens front yard, I was riding piggyback on Edward smiling at the camera while trying to make Edward face the camera with my hand as he tried to turn around enough to kiss me as well as waving Alice away simultaneously.
"What about the rest of the pages?" He asked flipping through the blank sheets after studying the last photo with a serene smile on his faces.
"We have an entire future to fill those pages up with memories." I sighed as I started to well up. "I only hope I've left enough room."
Edward lifted me from the spot beside him and placed me on his lap in one swift motion before pulling me in for a long passionate kiss. After we pulled apart, dragging in air in gasps, he lent his forehead on mine. "We will make them Isabella, more memories then we'll be able to keep track of."
I smiled despite the tears rolling down my face and let out a watery chuckle. "You know you're the only one who gets to call me that. Without you here I'm going to forget it's my name."
"Oh Bella," he sighed. "I wish more than anything I could take you with me."
"Then do so," I placed my hand over where his heart was and felt it thudding against my palm, "here."
"You're already there my love, always."
"Good." I smiled and turned my self so my back was to his chest in order to get more comfortable and earned a chortle from Edward with my pleased expression. He rested his head in the crook of my neck and we sat in silence, both wondering how much time was left. "Edward?"
"Hmm?"
"Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Do really, really well for me, and you, okay?"
"Of course." He replied moving his head to peck me on the cheek before resuming his position. "You too missy, I expect you to be boarding a plane with me a year from now."
And then I burst. I started sobbing, my head finding a resting spot in the crook of his neck, and my arms winding round too. I mumbled, "a year" incredulously into his chest several times before I was rendered incoherent. I just kept sobbing as he rubbed soothing circles on my back. Eventually my lamentation petered out but he kept up his soothing motions.
"Bella, we will be fine." He grabbed my face between his cool palms and his eyes bore into my own. "I promise you." He took a hand from my left cheek and reached into the pocket of his jacket, pulling something out and holding it in his palm, which blocked it from my view. "And I'd be honored if you would make me a promise."
"Anything." He smiled and opened his palm to reveal a leather…ring box? I gasped.
"I was hoping you'd say that," he grinned. "Bella, one day I want nothing more than to get down on one knee and tell you how I've loved you since I met you and all of the other wonderful and cliché things you make me feel as I ask you to be my wife. But as we are so young I would like to give you this ring as a promise of my love and fidelity to you and yours to me. Would you, perhaps, be willing to accept?"
He handed me the box and buried his nose in my hair, kissing my head from behind, as I opened it. It was beautiful, and obviously expensive, which I would scold him for later. It was a platinum band with a small emerald, a diamond on either side, and another emerald on each end. I loved it and I told him so.
"Yes, Edward of course I promise, and not just because it's beautiful. I love it almost an eighth as much as I love you."
"I'm not sure if that's a compliment to me, or an insult to your ring and I." He chuckled. I spun around on his lap and ended up straddling him, taking a moment to thank god I had convinced Alice to allow me to wear jeans today- I hadn't been so lucky at Edward's sendoff dinner. And then I captured his lips with mine in a passionate embrace, my fingers finding their spot in his hair and his hands resting on my waist.
I pulled away, breathing hard. "Most definitely the former."
He chuckled and pulled me to his chest in a tight hug. "Bella," He whispered in my ear. "As much as I hate it, it's time." I whimpered quietly, not caring in that moment if I seemed pathetic. I clung to him a moment before releasing him and standing, him following suit shortly after.
"I love you, I'll miss you, and I want you to call me when you land straight after you call your mother so I know nothing horrible happened okay?" I said attempting to look stern.
"Of course my love. I will, after all, need to be sure you are okay. I wont be here to catch you so you'll have to be extra careful…if you can." His words were playful but I could hear the sincerity in his voice.
I watched as he said his goodbyes to the rest of his friends and family who had recently rejoined us to send him off. And then he came beck to me and pulled me into a hug tight enough to rival Emmet's. "Be safe." He whispered fiercely in my ear, and when he pulled back I saw his eyes were rimmed red and were now wet for the first time today.
I placed my palm to his cheek and felt him lean into my hand. "I will." And then he turned around and made his way through security, turning back to us once more to wave as he made it to the other side. As Alice came to wrap her arms around me I wondered how I would be able to make it until thanksgiving.
Okay Guys, longest chapter, to date. I have to admit I'm a little bit proud of me.
So I made a decision about the story. Originally I was going to do more of Edward's senior year and that summer and then get to this point and move onto the sequel but that was turning out crap so I FastForwarded again. Don't like it? Well put it in your juice box and suck it. Not really though I just enjoy saying that. More than I should really...
So point being I am going to do their year apart, probably condensing it down to just a few chapter and then a year later and here is where I need your opinion dudes! Should I get to that point and keep going or, start a sequel once they are all off to college?
SO lemme know what you think because in general it gives me the warm fuzzies and whatnot.
The Promise Ring:
www(dot)bluenile(dot)com/emerald-diamond-ring_6476?oid1=6070&oid2=6887&oid3=5603&nav1=jewelry_&stone_filter=emerald&catid=112&set_shape=