Disclaimer: I don't own it.

Chapter Twenty

EPOV

Six months later...

"No, no, no, not there!" Maggie shrieked, waving her arms out in front of her. I grunted, picking up the box labeled 'living room' and turned to see where exactly it was supposed to go.

"It goes in the kitchen." She pointed down the hall dismissively, her attention back on the box in front of her.

"Yes, of course," I drawled, "Because I label all of my kitchen boxes 'living room'." I took off down the hall and dumped the box on the kitchen table. I had no idea what in the hell was in there, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a mini fridge.

I heard a giggle behind me and spun around. Bella was leaning against the door frame, a wide smile on her face. She was so fucking beautiful when she smiled. Especially that smile, my smile, the one that never seemed to leave her face these days.

"Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" I sneered playfully. She looked around the room blankly.

"Who, me?" She feigned innocence, her eyes wide with mock surprise. I narrowed mine, a smirk pulling at the corner of my mouth as I took a step in her direction. Her jaw snapped shut, her eyes glinting as real surprise took over her features.

"Yes, you," I taunted lowly, moving across the kitchen until I was directly in front of her, my chest brushing against hers. I reached for her chin, tugging her face up as I dipped my head, touching my lips to hers. I slid my fingers around to cradle the back of her neck, my other arm winding around her waist, pulling her flush against me.

She sighed against my lips, her arms reaching around me until her fingers were locked together and pressing between my shoulder blades. I nipped her bottom lip before molding my lips to hers again, my tongue softly stroking hers. The way it felt when I kissed her was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, it was like we were made to kiss only each other, forever. And I loved kissing her, loved touching her, loved her.

"At least they have their clothes on this time," Maggie joked, causing us to jerk apart. Alec laughed, wrapping his arms around Maggie from behind before leaning down and kissing the side of her neck, both of them grinning at us.

Bella let her head fall forward against my chest as her hands fisted the front of my shirt. I wrapped my arms around her and propped my chin on the top of her head, peering at Alec and Maggie.

"Hey Alec," I smirked, "Have you noticed these counter tops are about the same height as the ones at Maggie's old apartment?" He shook his head, his grin widening as Bella shook with laughter against my chest. Maggie's eyes were shooting daggers at me, but the smile she was fighting let me know she was about to lose it.

"Yup, almost exactly. I thought that would've been the first thing you guys noticed, since you've been so fond of them in the past," I quipped. I'd never forget the day I found out first hand just how fond they were of counter tops. Which is another reason why all of us were more than a little excited about the new living arrangements. Well, mostly excited.

Maggie rolled her eyes and huffed, but her pink cheeks and wide smile ruined her attempt at appearing upset.

"You know, the sooner you get the rest of those boxes out of the truck the sooner Alec and I will be able to test that out. Now, chop chop." She clapped, then reached forward and grabbed Bella by the elbow, tugging her away from me.

"C'mon, you're with me," Maggie insisted with a smirk, her brow lifted. "You two can't be trusted alone."

I laughed when Bella looked at me, her bottom lip poking out pathetically as Maggie drug her down the hall.

"So, when are you two gonna quit beating around the bush and take the next step?" Alec asked, stepping to the fridge and pulling out two beers.

I smiled and shrugged. "I would move in with her today if she wanted. Hell, I'd probably marry her today if she agreed," I added, laughing when Alec choked on his beer.

"Marriage?" he sputtered, his face turning red.

"Hey man, you're moving in with your girl, do you not realize things are heading in that direction?" The look on his face said he had not considered that scenario. I shook my head.

"So, Bella's still being stubborn," he answered instead, avoiding my question.

"She just, she needs this for herself, ya know?" I answered, thinking about all the changes we'd experienced over the part six months. She'd come so far and we were better than I could ever have imagined. She still had moments of doubt, where old insecurities flared, but she was better at handling them now, better at moving past them.

"I get that. And her new job certainly didn't hurt with the financial situation either."

"No joke," I laughed, downing my beer and following Alec out to the moving truck. Apparently, Maggie and Alec had decided to move in together about a month ago, but Maggie didn't want to abandon Bella with all the extra expenses of losing a roommate.

Fortunately, Bella getting a cold and being unable to sing one night at the bar turned into a steady gig for her. When open mic night started and the crowd realized Bella wasn't there, the place almost emptied out. So the owners decided to give her a weekly gig to play, and pay her for it. The extra money would cover Maggie's part of the bills.

As soon as Bella told them about the new job they announced they were moving in together and started packing the following weekend. I was worried about how Bella would take the change, but I shouldn't have. My girl's strong, and she took it all in stride. I hinted she could move in with me, and by hinted I mean I'd asked her everyday for the past month. But she wanted to stand on her own for a while, and I respected that. That didn't mean I wasn't a little disappointed I wouldn't be able to wake up with her every morning instead of just most mornings.

After a few more hours we'd finally emptied the truck and were promptly told thanks, and to get the hell out.

"Well, that wasn't rude at all." Bella laughed as we made our way to her apartment.

"Well, it depends on how you look at it. They could've tested out those counter tops while we were still there."

Bella shuddered dramatically, laughing. I threw my arm over her shoulders and kissed the top of her head as we walked down the sidewalk, her hand tucked in my back pocket. It was these small things, the unintentional acts of intimacy, that made it glaringly obvious to me that I'd found the person I was going to grow old with. And I was so fucking lucky.

We wordlessly walked the rest of the way to her apartment, content to just be after a day of working our asses off. She grabbed the mail from her box, thumbing though the letters as we hit the landing of her floor. She groaned and l looked down, seeing Garrett's messy scrawl strewn across the front of an envelope.

"You know," I said casually, walking through the door, "Maybe you should just read one, see what it is that he finds so important to tell you."

She shook her head, throwing the letter in the trash. Just like she'd done with all of the letters he'd sent the last four months. He'd been in the hospital for weeks and the doctors were ready to write him off when one day, he just woke up. No fanfare, no fuss.

"It doesn't matter." She sighed. "I've said all I needed to say, and I'm done with that chapter of my life."

"You realize that he was in a coma and probably doesn't even know you were there," I pointed out, but to be honest was perfectly fucking fine with her refusal to read his letters.

She'd run into one of her old friends, Charlotte, a few months back. She was apparently with Katie that night at the bar, but I don't remember seeing her. I don't remember much about that night, and I tried to think about it as little as possible.

Charlotte told her that Garrett was back living with his parents and he'd spent thirty days in rehab after he was released from the hospital, but last she'd heard he'd already relapsed once. Bella just shook her head, told Charlotte it wasn't her problem, and walked away.

Later that night lying in bed she told me about her run it with Charlotte, hesitant, but honest. I pulled her to me and kissed her, letting her know without words, that I was there, that I'd always be there for her.

"Pizza for dinner?" she asked, bringing me back to the present.

"Double pep?" I grinned.

"You're going to die from all the fat you eat."

"No, I'm not. I'm a man. We can eat anything." I smacked my palm against my stomach for emphasis.

"Then maybe we should order from that Indian place down the street again..." she trailed off, looking up at the ceiling and around the rest of the room, avoiding my gaze.

I knew what she was doing, the little smart ass. Let's just say my cast iron stomach stops at Indian food. The first and only time we'd eaten there, we crossed a line of familiarity that usually doesn't happen until marriage.

"Pizza is fine," I shot back quickly, narrowing my eyes as she tried and failed to hold back her laughter. The sound bounced off the walls and brightened the room. And shit, if my inability to eat Indian food made her laugh like that, then she could pick on me about it forever.

After we'd eaten dinner and made out on her couch, we stumbled into the bedroom, clothes flying and teeth knocking as we fell into bed, and into each other.

"Stay?" she whispered.

"Always." I sighed sleepily.

The next day after rushing to my apartment for an early conference call and sending dirty texts to Bella while she was in class, it was finally time to head to the bar for her new weekly set. She met me out front, tugging my hand and pulling me through the front door.

"I have a surprise for you," she sang, a shy smile on her face.

"Is that so?" I asked, my brows lifting suggestively.

"Not that kind of surprise, you perv," she scolded and smacked my arm. She scrunched her face and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip. "Well, not entirely?"

"Well, now I'm definitely intrigued." Anything that led to us being naked was always a good thing. She rolled her eyes and pushed up on the balls of her feet, planting a quick kiss on my lips.

"I'm going to set up. Go grab a table and I'll see you in a bit." She spun away from me and made a move towards the dressing room before I latched onto her arm and spun her back around to me.

"C'mere," I whispered, pulling her flush against me and kissing her. She smiled as we pulled apart, her eyes shining and happy. "Now go." I laughed, patting her ass.

I moved towards the front of the bar and found a table close to the stage. I liked to see my girl when she sang, the way she melted into her music, it was so intimate that a part of me wanted to hide her away from others, keep that image for my eyes only. But the rest of me wanted to hoist her on my shoulders and parade her around for everyone to see. I wanted everyone to know how special she was.

I settled in at my usual table and ordered a drink. Maggie was working tonight so I expected Alec to show up at some point. Heidi said she'd try and stop by tonight as well, but she'd been so busy lately she hardly had time to do anything. Well too busy for anything that wasn't work related or went by the name Felix.

I still shook my head at that one. He worked for one of the companies I was designing a site for and we were in the middle of a lunch meeting when Heidi called out of the blue and wanted to see me. I told her where I was, and when she showed up her and Felix acted like I wasn't even there. It was pretty fucking awkward if I was being honest. But I was happy for her, and Felix was a good guy, albeit a little nerdy. But I really couldn't say too much about that.

The lights flickered on and off and I settled in as Bella climbed the stairs to the stage. When she pulled the stool closer to the mic and introduced herself, cheers and cat calls rang out, causing her cheeks to pink. Her eyes darted to me, a soft smile forming on her face, my smile. I winked and chuckled when she bit her lip and ducked her head.

She started singing and I swear just like every other time I fell in love with her a little more. Each song she played crested and crashed over me, her new stuff so tender and light. A reflection of who she'd become, who she was with me, and how our relationship had strengthened her. Alec slid silently into the chair beside me, his eyes on Bella, a look of pride on his face. They had become close over the last few months, Alec having dealt with a similar situation as Bella with his brother.

"Man, she can fucking sing," he said as her song came to a close.

I nodded. There was no denying her talent. She'd even finally taught me how to play a few songs, but we both knew I was fucking terrible. That was okay though, there were plenty of other ways to waste away the day with her that still involved a wooden instrument between us. As if she'd heard my thoughts, she turned her attention towards me, a devilish grin on her face, a glint in her eye.

"Okay guys, this is the last one for tonight. This is for you, Edward," she said softly, dipping her chin slightly.

I sat up a little, curious what she was up to. I heard Alec chuckle beside me as Maggie came over and kissed him, planting herself in his lap.

"Hey, Edward."

"Shh," I scolded with a grin and waved my hand dismissively, "my girl's about to sing me a song."

She laughed and smacked my hand as Alec and I both chuckled at her. Bella strummed a few notes on the guitar, it was soft then harder, deeper notes, then back again. Almost like a pulse.

It started with a touch, a ghost of a promise,
of teeth and tongues, and bodies slick with sweat.
And then you pressed inside and I kept my eyes open wide
I wouldn't miss a moment, never a moment with you.

Holy shit, what was she singing about? I cut my eyes to Maggie, her mouth was hanging open, eyes wide like saucers. I swung my head back towards Bella and she was staring at me, her eyes locked on my face. I swallowed thickly, leaning forward as the pulse of the music made sense to me now, the steady thrum of the beat mimicking intimate motions.

No one else fits me,
No one else ever will.

Harsh breaths escape my rigid body,
flashes of light dance before my eyes.
The heat begins to spread starting at my toes,
flames lick and kiss their way up my thighs.
They burn and sooth and my body subsides,
pleasure no longer pushed to the side.

No one else fits me,
No one else ever will.

My back arches towards the sky,
I feel as though I could take off and fly.
Pushing, pulling, panting,
oh how the anticipation is mounting.

A twist in my gut and I know what is near
You smile and shift,
a breath, a moan and then we're gone
sighing an exhale, we've both hit home.

No one else fits me,
No one else ever will.

Maggie breathed a quiet 'damn' from behind, but I was already moving. I reached the side of the stage just as Bella stepped off the last platform. I didn't speak as I reached out and wordlessly took the guitar from her hand and set it to the side.

She looked at me questioningly, her brows pulled down, teeth sunk into her lower lip. I bent my knees and wrapped my arms around her thighs before hoisting her up over my shoulder. She let out a startled yelp and a choking laugh as I turned and marched towards the dressing room, slamming the door shut behind me. I settled her on top of the vanity and moved between her legs.

"Bella, that was a very dirty thing to sing about," I chastised her, my hands slipping under her shirt and caressing her back.

"So you didn't like it?"

She was being playful, teasing. But her song had already teased me, worked me up until I was ready to explode.

"Oh, I liked it," I told her, "I would have liked it even more if you'd been singing it to me at home, naked." I kissed her then, pressing against her and letting her know exactly how much I liked it. She grinned and hooked her feet around the back of my knees, holding me to her.

"Well I think that can be arranged," she laughed and hopped down from the vanity. "Let me grab my stuff and we can get out of here."

She popped up on her toes and kissed me before trying to dart away. I swear it had become some sort of game for her to see if she could get away from me with one quick kiss. Not gonna happen.

So I did what I'd always done and pulled her back against me before she could get out the door. She giggled and pretended to try and get away, but it was all an act, the little faker. She didn't want me to let her go any more than I wanted to. I turned her to me and cradled her face in my hands, pressing my forehead to hers before kissing her again.

"Will you always be like this?" She sighed, a small smile on her face.

"Baby, I could kiss you till I'm old and all I have are lips and gums," I chuckled, kissing her again. "And it still wouldn't be enough."

"I'm going to hold you to that," she said shakily, her eyes glistening.

"I'm counting on it. I'm counting on forever with you."

And the look in her eyes told me that I would have it.

A/N

SSSOOBBBSSS. That's it guys. I can't even begin to tell you how much I've enjoyed taking this journey with all of you. This story and these characters hold such special meaning to me, and I hope I did them justice. I appreciate all your kind words and tweets and recs as well.

Meg, Julie, and Kelly- thank you guys for pushing me to do this and for all of your support. I love y'all hard.