BPOV
"You're looking well Bella, it's nice to see you Esme." Sam bowed his head and greeted us both as we stood on the front stairs. I could tell he was eager to join Emmett, Edward and Seth with the Veyron so I stepped down into the drive and led the way to the others.
"I am well, thanks Sam. And you?" I asked.
"Yes, thank you. Seth tells me you and Edward are getting married on New Years Eve, congratulations."
"Thanks Sam, keep an eye out for your invitation, wont you?" I grinned. "Edward, Sam's here to collect Seth." I went to his side and tucked myself into his arm.
"Hey Edward, Emmett." Sam nodded at them but never really took his eyes off the car. "Veyron? Unbelievable." He muttered and Edward stood straighter and I heard his pride in his mental thoughts as he showed Sam over the car.
I went back to stand with Esme and we watched the boys drool over the machine. It was pretty, of course, and the way Edward looked in it was nothing short of mind boggling, but it was just a car.
'I'm going to have you in this car at some point Isabella.' I heard from Edward and I sucked in a huge gulp of air in shock.
Esme was giggling at Emmett's antics. He was trying desperately to get Edward to let him sit in the drivers seat by tugging Edward's arm but to no avail.
Seth came to stand beside me and all of a sudden I felt queasy, a sort of fluttery feeling in my stomach. I wrapped an arm across my belly and tried to hold myself together. I looked down at Seth and he was staring up at me with wide eyes, adoring wide eyes, which was strange. He said nothing and he made no move to be closer to me, but he stood right beside me watching my face. I could feel my burn amplify as we stood and I moved my eyes back to the car in time to see Edward stalk towards us and put himself between Seth and me, rather rudely I thought.
I looked to Edward hoping he would tell me what the problem was, but he stood staring between Seth and I and said nothing. He was cursing Seth in his mind and I felt distinctly uncomfortable. Edward was obviously jealous of Seth's proximity to me but it was odd for him to behave this way physically, normally his mental thoughts were the only sign of his turmoil.
I reached for his hand and squeezed it and felt the same fluttery, queasy feeling settle over me. "I need to hunt Edward." I whispered into his shoulder.
'I do too Bella.' Even his mental voice was sharp and caustic. "Sam, Bella needs to hunt, Seth I'll see you at school tomorrow, remember what I said yes?"
And with that he grabbed my hand and all but dragged me across the driveway and through the thicket of trees across the road.
EPOV
Seth Clearwater had gone to stand next to Bella and had spent the next ten minutes cataloging her beauty. While I was there!
What the fuck was that about?
Bella's reaction was equally strange, she'd wrapped an arm around herself and an odd pained expression clouded her face as she watched Seth staring.
I dragged Bella into the forest and only stopped running when I felt and smelt the small herd of deer half a mile ahead. I told her they were there, kissed her lightly on her temple and took off due north to find something for myself.
A few minutes later I tore at the flesh of an elk and drank from it furiously. I was so angry I ripped its neck open and drank straight from its pulsing jugular. I hardly stopped to think about what I was doing, I just drank and then threw the body away in disgust. I wiped my hand and spat out the piece of fur that clung to my lip. Fucking disgusting, that's what I am. A jealous emotional wreck. I sat for a moment on the cool grass and ran a hand through my hair. I had grit my teeth and put up with my brothers touching her, I could almost handle the salacious thoughts of other men and boys, almost. What I couldn't handle was the way Seth Clearwater had looked at her. Like she was the centre of his universe.
I pulled off my bloodstained jersey and flung it into the base of a tree. I straightened my t-shirt and ran back towards where I'd left Bella. It had been a very, very long time since I'd had such a slovenly kill, not since I was a newborn myself probably.
I saw her perched on a rock under a dogwood tree looking as lovely as ever. No stained clothing and self-loathing for her today. I walked the last few paces between us and leaned over and hung my head on her shoulder soberly.
"Edward, what is it love?" She whispered against my neck as her arms came to fold around me.
"Bella I can't handle much more of this. They all want you, how will I ever hold you?" I whimpered against her throat.
"What are you talking about Edward? I'm yours, all yours." She held me tighter and drew me between her knees. I kissed my way up her throat and into her hair and held her to me.
"Did you not see the way Seth was staring at you just now? And every single boy at that god-forsaken school had you on their mind all day. Even my own brothers touch and kiss you. I can't be away from you, ever." I was desperately seeking reassurance, I felt so inept. So undeserving. Why couldn't the hard part be just getting her to choose me? "This is worse than when you were human and I craved you. This hurts Bella. I can't be away from you, ever.' I told her mentally as I slumped against her.
BPOV
I had no idea what he was rambling about. One minute we were standing in the yard and the boys were swooning over his car the next we were in the deep forest and he was all but crying against my shoulder about how everyone wants me. Now he was berating himself in his head about being undeserving. So I tried again.
"Edward, look at me, please." I pulled him away from me and held him at arms length. His face was etched in pain and his mental voice was in turmoil. "Please Edward, calm down. I'm here. Tell me what's wrong." I ran my hands through his hair and felt him relax a little.
He turned around and slid down the rock and sat on the ground between my knees. I put my hands back into his hair and ran my fingers through his messy locks. He took a deep breath and was trying to calm himself through my touch.
"I've spent two entire days listening to boys who think I don't deserve you, that us being married is a mistake. That stupid newspaper story just fuelled an already out of control fire and now I've got to contend with rumors about you being pregnant or you repeating your fathers mistake. Did you really not see the change in Seth's demeanor just now?" He leaned back and tipped his face up so that I could see him.
"I was a bit weirded out when he came to stand by me, I mean, he didn't say anything or appear to want anything did he? He just stood there staring, so that was a bit strange but why would that make you uncomfortable? What was he thinking?" I asked.
"Not too much of anything really and nothing disrespectful. He was thinking you smelled good, that you looked good, better. It was like he was compelled to stand there Bella, not just because he wanted to be near you, more like he felt that he should be near you. I know that feeling Bella, I know it well."
I couldn't avoid the hiss I made with my lips and teeth when he said that word. "I'm sure you're wrong Edward. He's just very protective of me. We went through a lot that day, I like being near to him too you know. Besides, it sounds like he's dating an older girl from school anyway. I'm sure you're just reading things wrong love. It doesn't matter anyway, I'm yours, and you're mine. Nothing and nobody will ever come between us. That includes idiot boys at school." I ran my hand down his jaw and felt him kiss my palm as I came closer to his mouth. "Edward, look…" I put my hands in front of him and turned them over so all my jewellery could be seen. "I'm yours in almost everyway and as you said yourself today, in only 32 days that last way will be yours too. I wear your rings, look at them Edward, and I wear your locket and I wear your bracelet. If that wasn't enough I wear this crest too, I'm yours Edward. Nobody can take me from you if I don't want to go."
I stood and made my way around so I was kneeling between his knees, I put one hand on his chest and used my fingers to tilt his face to mine. I kissed him softly on his lips and then used my free hand to pull across my t-shirt. "That's your name there Edward," I said nodding towards my tattoo, "I'm yours, always. Are you mine?" I whispered and watched his eyes darken.
He reached over and took both my cheeks between his palms and pulled my mouth to his. 'Mine' he told me as his warm tongue licked my bottom lip.
EPOV
She was right of course, she usually was. Nobody could take her from me if she didn't want to go. I would have to make sure to never give her any reason to want to go, simple. Ha!
"You seem to have lost your jersey Edward." She whispered against my lips.
'I did' I thought, knowing she was listening. 'I'd have made more of an effort to lose my pants if I'd known we were going to be sitting here like this.'
"Lose your pants Edward." She cried out abruptly.
I stood and bought her up with me, against my chest. Then I turned her and put her back against the rock then I tugged my jeans down over my knees and let them fall to the ground at the base of the rock. I pulled my t-shirt over my head and flung it towards my pants.
I stood before her totally naked and totally in love with this beautiful creature. "I love you Bella." I whispered against her lips as she folded her arms around my neck and pulled my mouth to hers.
"Only you Edward, only ever you." She answered.
'Bring on summer' I thought idly.
"Why summer Edward?" Bella asked as she slipped out of her jersey exposing her flesh and her tattoo to me.
As I bent my lips to suck the raised flesh of my name I told her that I was looking forward to summer because she'd be able to wear skirts. She giggled at the thought and I nuzzled her neck and nipped at her ear lobe in response to the most beautiful sound in my world.
"I don't feel the cold Edward, I could wear skirts now you know, you only have to ask." She said out loud.
"I'm asking." I growled as she let her jeans slide down her thighs to her ankles.
I raked my hands up her thighs and palmed her as she writhed and squirmed under my touch. "But only for me, no skirts outside the house."
"Silly boy." She growled as she took my ear lobe into her mouth again. She slid her hand down between us and cupped me fully. The same ever present tingle made me shiver at her touch and I pushed up against her unashamedly.
I pulled her to the ground with me and bought her to straddle my hips. I pushed up once and was inside her instantly. I let go a deep, satisfied groan as she sheathed me completely. 'So beautiful…mine…all mine…' I thought as she began to rock.
"So good…so, so good…I love you, I love you, only you…" she chanted as she rode me.
I felt the first tug of my release in my groin so I pressed my hips up to meet her as she plunged her hot body down onto me, increasing the depth and friction for us both. She was bucking against me wildly, her breasts bobbing with each stroke. I let my fingertips graze the peaked bud of her right nipple as I pulled her to me with my free hand on her hip. 'I'm so close baby…so good…so beautiful up there…' I told her as she threw her head back and climaxed on top of me. Her cry signaled my own undoing and I held her still above me as I spilled into her.
Bella collapsed down onto my chest and I stroked her back and shoulders as she calmed her breathing and sighed contentedly. I kissed her temple and told her again and again how much I loved her as we lay on the forest floor.
I rolled us to the side and put my arm underneath her to cradle her head in my palm. I kissed her swollen lips and murmured "Your mother will be waiting for you online Bella, we should head home love." I whispered.
I didn't want to go back to the house, I wanted to be here, with her, for as long as possible. Just us. Alone. I didn't want to have to keep sharing her, not even with my own family and neither with hers. I was being childish and selfish, I knew that, but I didn't much care right now as she lay in my arms.
"I want to be alone with you too Edward, our days are shared, I hate it too." She pouted against my shoulder. There always seemed to be one more thing to do, one more person to speak with, one more responsibility. Thirty-two days Bella, then we'll get away for a bit.
"Will we get away after the wedding then Edward?" she asked and I realized I'd been read again. Christ.
"Yes Bella, but please don't ask me anything more, I've got it all in hand, I don't want to spoil the surprise by being read, please darling, let me surprise you with this?" I asked.
"Okay Edward. I'd like that, to be away with you all to myself for a bit." She stood and began to dress. I reluctantly did the same. She took my hand and we ran back to the house, the long way round so we could prolong being together, alone, just for a little while longer.
"She's online with her dad Jaz." I answered when Jasper called from the bedroom of the cottage. All the renovations were done now so we weren't here to work now, we were here to try on suits for the wedding.
"Stand still Edward. I don't want to stab you with this pin but I will." She growled between her teeth as she spat the spare pins onto the table.
Everything Alice needed to hide from Bella regarding the wedding was here in the cottage. "What is all this for Alice?" I asked as she pinned my trousers for the third time. She was never happy this woman, ever.
"That box there is thank you cards for after the wedding. Those ones have the wedding favors in them and that one over there, by the fireplace, that's stuff for Bella's trousseau."
"What is a trousseau?" Emmett asked as he tugged the tie off over his head and threw it in the pile with Carlisle's and mine. Jasper came out of the bedroom and I stifled a laugh. His trousers were easily two feet too long and his shirtsleeves half a foot too short.
"Laugh it up Eddie, I might look lame but it's your wedding photos I'll be starring in." He laughed as he came to stand beside me so Alice could pin his pants.
I went through to what was going to be my new bedroom and changed back into my jeans, being careful to not dislodge any of the pins Alice had just put in them. I didn't want to have to go through that again in a hurry.
I folded the pants up carefully and took them back to Alice in the dining room. I laid them on top of where Carlisle had put his and went to join him in the living room. He was running his hand over my book collection fondly, he was thinking about how nice it would be to have a little hideaway like this for him and Esme. I cringed when I saw in his mind why he'd like to have one, but went to stand by him anyway.
"You have quite a collection here. I'd say you were both going to enjoy spending time reading them but I doubt you'll pick up a volume in the first decade." He chuckled lightly at the end of his statement and I couldn't help but join in.
"I won't bother to deny it." I laughed. "Esme says she did remarkably well today shopping and again with her mother this afternoon." I tried to change the subject.
"It's remarkable." He mused. He immediately began reading off the spines of the books and I wondered if he was blocking some errant thought from me. I shrugged it off and took the opportunity to wander through the now finished rooms.
BPOV
"Ok mom, I'd like that." I'd just agreed to go to my parent's house – it wasn't just Charlie's house anymore – after dinner on Thursday night for a visit when I thought of an idea that might interest Renee. "Are you doing anything in particular on Friday?" I asked.
"Nope. Just hanging around waiting for your father to get home from work." She answered.
"Um, I know you said you wanted to find a dress and Esme and I are going to the city again, Esme wants to look at a dress too, would you like to come?"
"Oh baby I'd love to. Thank you for inviting me. Which reminds me, did you know that Edward invited your dad to go driving with him on Saturday?" She was smiling widely so I knew she was happy about that, them spending some time together.
"No, he hasn't mentioned it yet. Us girls are going to be doing something or other for the wedding in the afternoon, would you like to come help? I don't really know what it is they were planning on doing, but I'd like you to be here, if you want to be?" I asked carefully. I wasn't too sure how my mom was coping with all this and I didn't want to force too much on her at once.
When I saw her start bouncing in her seat I knew she was coping fine.
"Will you be okay with me there, at the Cullen house, though?" She was worried, I could see it in her eyes.
"I'll do my best mom. I can always duck out um, for a bit, if it gets too much. And the other girls will be there, and Emmett and Jaz too probably, so there's no need for you to worry."
"Then I'd love to. Wow, we went from thinking we'd not see you for an entire year, or more, to seeing you twice already and now making plans to see you three more times this week at least. I'm so proud of you baby."
"Thanks mom. It's getting easier every day. Esme and I went to Port Angeles today and I got some portraits blown up that I took on the weekend away. And we went to that massive décor store, you know the one on Canal Street?" I asked.
"Sure, I know the one. Is the cottage finished now then?" She asked and I wondered how she knew about that, but I guessed that Edward would've told them by now. He went there almost everyday to see them both, I loved that he did that.
"I think it's finished yeah. I'm not allowed to see it though, not till after the wedding. We went to the store today for things for our rooms here mom." I clarified.
"Oh, right. Will you still keep rooms there then, after you're married?"
"Yeah. Edward doesn't think I'll want to be apart from the family all the time, he said he went it alone, they all did at various times I think, but that they all gravitate back to the main house eventually. I can't see it myself…" I trailed off before I had a chance to curb what I'd said.
Renee started giggling. "Oh baby, it's so sweet to watch you so in love. Will your room be fancy then?"
"Not really, no. Just modern and sort of different from what it is now. Did you see it before, when you were here?"
"No, Phil and I stayed in the guest suite downstairs, I think your dad stayed in Edward's room though. He told me it was strange waking up in the room when he realized it was Edward's and that you'd shared it with him, before, you know?" She cringed a little when she said it.
"Yeah, I guess that would've been weird for him. Mom, I hear the others coming back from the cottage. I'll talk to you again tomorrow yeah?" I began to fidget in my seat at the thought of Edward being home again and Renee started giggling again.
"Okay Bell's, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Say hi to everyone for me. Love you."
"Love you too mom, bye." I closed the chat app and shut the lid of the laptop.
I heard him say a quick hello to Esme and then he was there, at the door to our room, smiling at me with his beautiful angels face lit up like I was the answer to the sixty-four thousand dollar question.
I went to him and kissed him soundly, "I need to go and have a quick word with Rose. Alice said tomorrow will be sunny so we can sleep in." I patted him on his butt as I left the room.
"You'll be in bed but you won't be sleeping Isabella." He thought.
Neither will you, Edward.
EPOV
While Bella went off to see Rose, for what I had no idea and no inclination to listen, I went in search of Esme. I found her in her loft checking details on the piano's placement for tomorrow. Our bed still hadn't been delivered and there were a few special items Esme was still waiting on.
"Hello dear, how is she this evening?" Esme asked me as I came to sit by her drafting table.
"Perfect." I smirked and Esme smiled indulgently down at me. "Did you know we missed Thanksgiving while she, um…" I couldn't bring myself to say the word burn but couldn't for the life of me think of any other way to describe it. "We missed Thanksgiving because Bella was in the throes of her change." I said simply.
"Yes dear, I know. It's okay, we were all a little distracted, we'll make a big deal out of Christmas instead."
"Did Bella really do as well as you said, at the store?" I asked, an idea forming.
"Oh yes, a little bit hesitant at first and a couple of false starts but she seemed to come to terms with the scents around her and then she was fine. We spent more than an hour in that store and then a couple of hours in another while we waited for photos to be printed, she was fine Edward. We hunted a little on the way there and on the way back, but other than that she was perfect." Esme was grinning, obviously proud of her.
"Renee invited Bella and I over after their dinner on Thursday night for a visit. I was wondering, while Bella was off with Rose tomorrow and the rest of us were busy at the cottage with the last of these deliveries would you ask Renee if she would mind if we turned tomorrow night into a belated Thanksgiving?"
"That's a lovely idea Edward! We don't need to wait till tomorrow to organize it though, I'll text Renee and ask now." She pulled her cell phone from her pocket and began flicking keys. I looked on in silent shock.
Esme texting? Esme texting Renee? "Close your mouth dear, you'll catch flies." She giggled.
I waited for Bella in our room. I took a quick sneaky peak into a couple of the boxes by the closet but tried my best to not snoop too much, I was looking forward to the surprise. I could still hear Rose and Bella whispering on the first floor so I grabbed my ipod and opened the laptop.
I was soon chuckling away at the dent in my credit card. Bella had taken to shopping rather well. I busied myself shuffling some cash around and was just checking on the online tracking site for my new piano delivery when I heard Jasper and Emmett coming back across the river laughing their heads off.
I closed the laptop and went to the double glass doors at the far end of my room and called to them both to come share their joke with me.
One at a time they landed softly on the carpeting in my room as they flung themselves from the trees to inside.
"What gives?" I asked.
"We've just left a little present for the Douchebag. We aren't going to school tomorrow so there's no way it can be tied to us." Jaz said as he high fived Emmett. I could see in their minds what they'd done and I rolled my eyes.
"Oh come on Eddie, it's funny, laugh a little." Emmett crowed.
"I didn't say it wasn't going to be funny and don't call me Eddie fuckwad." I moved towards him in a false playful crouch.
"Does Eddie want to play then?" Emmett teased.
"No, but Edward does you retard." I yelled at Emmett as I crash tackled him and we fell out the open doors onto the lawn below.
I could hear Esme tell us not to play fight in the house but we were already running towards the river before she realized we'd gone outside. Jasper stood in the open doorway telling us to grow up, but I could tell he wanted in on it so I called him to come fight the winner and he was soon refereeing our bout.
BPOV
"Are you sure Bell's?" Rose was grinning so I knew she liked the idea.
"Yep. What do you think? Can you teach me?" I asked.
"Of course I can, I can teach anyone. Even you." She laughed and I knew it was a reference to my previous clumsiness.
"So tomorrow, I know Edward and Esme are going to the cottage, but we could hang back and do it then?"
"Sure, come find me when you two drag your asses out of bed." She winked.
"Will do. Thanks Rose." I went to leave but she called me back. "What's up?" I asked coming back into the centre of the room.
"Esme told me that you asked her to sing for the wedding. I figured you weren't going to advertise it though, right?" She waited while I nodded, wondering where she was going with it. "Well, I sort of thought there was something else I could teach you, that would be a fantastic surprise for Edward on the wedding day."
I was intrigued to say the least. "Ok, I'm in, what are you going to teach me Rose?"
"Edward's love of music. How would you feel about playing for him?" she asked and I grinned widely.
"I'd love to be able to play his piano for him on our wedding day but we've only got four weeks Rose, not four years." I laughed.
"He's on his way back from the river with the other two idiots so we'll have to shut up now, but I'll talk to you more about it tomorrow during our other lesson, okay?"
"Sure. Thanks Rose. See you tomorrow." This time I did leave.
I went back to our room to wait for Edward. I watched out the windows as the three boys rolled and jumped and played across the yard towards the house. Edward was magnificent. He was laughing loudly, his head thrown right back, and he was carefree and he was quite obviously happy.
He glanced up at the windows of our room and saw me standing there. He smiled in my direction and my heart leapt at the sheer joy of his happy and smiling face and eyes.
I winked and he smirked up at me before saying goodnight to his brothers and leaping up the tree and perching on a branch directly across from our bedroom doors.
"Hey monkey boy." I called to him.
"That's monkey man Bella, monkey man." He grinned holding his hand out for me to join him in the tree. I eyed him speculatively, was he really suggesting we hang out in a tree? "Come on love, you'll love it up here. This is the reason I chose this room, let me show you." He still had his hand out for me and I trusted him so I took his hand and let him pull me up onto the branch where he was crouched.
"This is the reason you chose the bedroom on the third floor?" I looked above us to the height of the tree. It was easily fifty meters tall and we were already ten meters off the ground just sitting here.
"Of course. Alice chose the front one on the first floor because she could see the driveway, nosey little bugger she is. Rose picked the middle floor room because they had room for their own study there. Esme gave me a choice of this or their room, I took one look at this big boy and knew I wanted this room. Will you let me show you why?" He grinned at me and I nodded.
He began to circle around behind me, standing to his full height against my back he drew me up so I was standing too and then he looked up above me at the top of the tree. He began to climb and I followed. We circled around the huge trunk as we went, avoiding the smaller branches and only stepping on the thicker ones as we made our way to the canopy. A few feet from the top Edward chose a branch and perched himself on it facing out over the yard. He patted the bit of wood beside him and I sat down and swung my legs over the edge as his arm came to rest about my waist. I didn't know if it could hurt me, falling from this high, so I was a little nervous. It felt like a stupid thing to ask so I was quiet.
"Look." He pointed out across the river and I followed his hand.
The sun was just setting so the water had a silvery sheen. I could see for miles. The little white beaches along the edges of the far side of the river looked like a wide velvet ribbon as they followed the curves of the river out to where it met the sea. The sea too was covered in a silver net as the sun dropped below the horizon for the night. Twilight, at its most beautiful. "It's gorgeous Edward." I whispered as he leaned his head onto my shoulder.
"I love it up here. So quiet. I spent a lot of time up this tree while I waited for you to move here from Phoenix you know? We'd come down from Denali in time for the start of the school year and so that Carlisle could begin at the hospital. But you were still tucked up in Phoenix." His voice was sad as he recalled this for my benefit. His mental thoughts were sad too, he was thinking about how long he'd waited for me.
"Did you ever think of finding someone to be with while you waited for me?" The question had been nagging at me for some time. I wasn't sure I'd like the answer, but wanted to ask anyway.
"No, never. Of course not. From the moment I saw you I knew you were who I'd been waiting for Isabella. No, I've never once thought of anyone else, even before I met you too, before you ask. I was okay on my own before I met you because I didn't know what it was I was missing. After I met you I was happy to wait patiently, or not so patiently sometimes, for you to grow up. But then once you did grow up and we starting getting to know each other, I knew that if you didn't choose this, me, us, I'd go back to being alone. Only you Bella, always only you." He whispered as he turned my face to his and planted a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth.