EPOV
"We have to find her." I said to Jacob, in his wolf form.
Jacob and I sniffed the air; Jacob sniffing the trampled grass that she had walked on. Jacob, Leah and I took off into the forest, following her scent.
It was only after we had started running that the question's came to me.
What am I going to say to her?
How can I tell her that I wanted her with me?
What if she won't listen to me?
What if she no longer wants me?
BPOV
The darkness made the forest quiet, but I strode through the forest faster then human speed, oblivious to the beauty the full moon gave the forest and river. I didn't know where I was going. I just followed the river I had found. But with each step I took further away from Edward, my thoughts seemed to feel heavier.
Why am I leaving?
Why am I leaving without him?
Why am I traveling alone?
Maybe I should go back, ask him he wants to come with me?
Or should I stay there with his family?
They are his family, and he doesn't want me.
Did I even give him a choice?
I don't think I had. How could he make a choice if there was none to make. I had never even asked him what he wanted.
EPOV
She hadn't chose Jacob, as I had stupidly assumed. I didn't even give her a chance to tell me that she hadn't chose him, and as I looked back at it, it seemed like there was nothing to tell. She probably didn't even realise I had thought that. Me and my wild imagination came up with that all by ourselves. I never gave her a choice. I had pushed her away, wrapped up in my own feelings, I had left her no other option but to share her feelings with someone else.
Why didn't I give her a chance to express her feelings?
Oh that's right because I wouldn't talk to her when she came to me.
Why wouldn't I talk to her?
I answered my own question;
It was because I was afraid she would choose someone else.
I didn't give her the chance to talk to me. Was I better off now? No.
What will I say to her when I see her?
What can I offer her?
I know she doesn't want to hear another apology.
I could ask her to come back. I could even offer to be just her friend if that's what she wanted.
Could I stand that? Could I share her with someone else should she find someone else?
It was possible that she could, considering we lived forever.
If the only other choice is not having her at all, could I stay together for the family, and share her?
I frowned while I ran.
Only if I had no other choice. What I wanted the most was to take her home, to our home, our cottage.
We are close, Jacob's thoughts told me. Stay back, Ill go to her first, just in case….she's angry. I'll come for you when I find her.
I nodded. "Thank you Jacob,"
He nodded his large wolf head, and disappeared into the darkness, while Leah remained with me.
BPOV
I was so engrossed in my thoughts; I didn't even hear the dull crunch of paws running on the riverbed until Jacob in wolf form suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Jacob? What are you doing here?" I stared at him in disbelief.
He whined.
"Im leaving Jacob, you can't stop me."
He whined again, and then phased back to human.
"Im not trying to stop you, but someone else might be. Just try and listen. Promise me you will hear him out."
"Jacob what are you talking about?" I asked, confused.
"Just listen to him, if not for anyone else, listen to him for me." he kissed me on the cheek.
What was he talking about?
"Wait here," he whispered the phased back into wolf form and disappeared back into the forest.
I stood in silence, except for the sound of the water flowing down the river.
EPOV
Go to her, Jacob thought, she's waiting. We will leave you to have some privacy. Bring your wife home Edward, and with that he and Leah ran off back the way we came.
I ran toward where Bella waited, and slowed before I emerged from the bushes. I walked out the bushes, and she spun around to face me. I walked towards her, shy now, so afraid she would turn her back on me. How could I tell her, how could I make her listen? What could I do if she wouldn't listen to me? I walked up to her, neither of us saying anything. Her eyes were wide with surprise. I didn't now how to start, so I did the one thing I thought of. That was getting on my knees, in a way trying to show her I wanted to beg her to forgive me.
"Get up," she said. "You don't have to do that."
But I said nothing. She dropped down in front of me.
"Edward, why are you doing this? Why are you here?" she asked.
"Bella, earlier today you tried to tell me something and I wouldn't listen to you. Now I want to tell you something. It is difficult to say, but I want you to listen. Will you listen to me, and not turn away?"
She nodded, and hope blazed so hot I couldn't speak for a few seconds. I reached out and held her hands.
"Awhile ago, you wanted to be like me" I began, "and I didn't want to change you so soon, but my selfish side wanted it, wanted it more then anything. When I lost control and it happened when you weren't ready, I thought you would hate me and never forgive me. I feel like somewhere through your change I lost you, I thought….I thought you loved Jacob. Once you told me you loved me, that you wanted me. Now, I think you don't want to love me, but I still love you."
"Get up Edward, please," she said, as she stood up herself. "I don't want Jacob, Edward. I never did. I love you Edward, I never stopped loving you."
I wrapped my arms around her.
"You love me? You still love me? Oh Bella, my Bella," I said, and I crushed her into me. I pulled back and looked at her, as thought I was seeing her for the first time. My eyes, my entire body, filled with love for this woman in my arms. She reached for me, and my mouth found hers. We came together, holding each other, with a hard and tender passion, full of love, full of longing.
BPOV
I couldn't believe I was in his arms, that he was holding me, wanting me, loving me, after what seemed like an eternity. I wanted to cry tears of happiness.
He looked at me, his face beautiful in the moonlight. "Are you alright?" he asked.
"Yes Im fine, I just love you. I wish I could cry tears of happiness. It feels like it has been forever without you and I love you so much."
He kissed my eyes, my mouth, and it fell open to him, gently but firmly. I could kiss him completely now, and it was incredible.
"Edward are you really here?" I asked, "I thought Id lost you, and I knew it was my own fault. I love you, Edward. I never stopped loving you. You must believe that. I never stopped, even though I knew why you thought so."
He nodded, and kissed me again. "I love you Bella. Maybe only now do I realize how important that is to me. Not just that you love me, but that I love you. Now I know, for me there is only one choice. You are more important to me then my family, more important then anyone. I want to be, wherever you are. If you want to continue to travel I will follow, if you choose to return home I will be at home with you."
"If that's what you want?" I asked. I didn't care either way now, as long as I was with him, I couldn't care less where I was.
"I want to be with you, that's the most important, believe me, but if you ask me what I want. I want to go home, to our cottage, and I want to take you with me."
"Oh Edward." he had said everything I had wanted to hear, plus more.
EPOV
I was feeling happier than I ever had in my life. I kissed her, then held her to me as though I was afraid if I let her go, I might lose her, like I almost did before.
I kissed her again, and the need for her grew with the wonder of being there. But I wanted no taking of her like last time. I wanted her fully, completely. I removed the backpack that was still on Bella's back.
I walked Bella over to a small patch of grass and sat down. I reached my hand up to her, and she sat down and joined me. I was already tingling with anticipation, from wanting her so much.
I kissed her then, lightly, and reached for her breast, and savored even the small familiarity of its full, round shape through her cotton top. She obviously remembered the touch of my hands, because she sat up pulled her shirt off and looked at me, inviting me to touch her. I reached for her with both hands, and in the next instant I had her on her back with my mouth firmly on hers. I didn't have to be careful with her anymore. My hand caressed her breast, and found the nipple.
BPOV
I moaned, as the sensation of his mouth on me sent waves of electricity to deep inside me, to the place that hungered for him. I rubbed his arms, and his back, then the back of his neck, and his hair. He was kissing me again, his tongue gently probing. I pulled his tongue into my mouth, and then put my tongue into his mouth. His touch was never too much, it now could be never too hard, or rough, or frenzied. I delighted in the new feeling that he didn't have to control himself, he could just be him. It almost felt like our first time, and I guess it was in this form. I was learning how to be with him in this form, and remembering just how well he knew me. How many nights had I longed for him?
EPOV
I tasted the sweet scent of her mouth, and the taste of her skin as I kissed her throat, she shivered under my touch. I kissed her shoulder, nibbled lightly, and suckled, playing with the sensitive places I knew were there. Unexpectedly I took her nipple again. She gasped, and moaned with pleasure. I sat up and looked at her. I wanted to memorize her. She was smiling up at me.
"I love you Edward, and I have wanted you so much."
"Oh Bella, I ached with wanting you, and yet I almost lost you. How could I, when I love you so much?" I kissed her again, holding her tight. She clung to me with the same fervor, and suddenly there was no more waiting. I removed her jeans. She lifted her hips and helped push them off, then I unfastened my own, pulled off my shirt and kicked off my shoes.
I hugged her around the waist with my head on her stomach, then moved down between her legs, kissed her in her special place. I pushed her legs apart, and with both hands I held her open and looked at her deep pink folds, like soft moist flower petals. Then like a bee, I dipped and tasted. Bella cried out, and arched her back. I explored each fold, each crease, nibbling, sucking, teasing, licking, and reveling in giving her pleasure, as I had wanted to do, for days without number.
This was Bella, This was my Bella. This was her taste, her honey. I was so full and eager for her now, but I wanted to wait, wanted this to last, but suddenly Bella could not. She was breathing hard, and fast, panting, gasping, calling out to me. She reached for me, pulling me up like a rag doll, and then she reached down to guide me into her warm deep depths.
As I slid in, I breathed a deep sigh, and let my full length glide in and in, until she enfolded me fully. This was my Bella. The woman I fitted. I stayed for a moment, enjoying her full embrace. It had been like this with her from the first time, and every time.
I pulled back, and felt her thrust to me, as I thrust into her. I pulled back again, and pushed, and back and in again. Then suddenly, I was ready, and she was crying out, and I pulled back and in once more, and the wave rolled and up reached the peak, and broke over them in a release of shuddering spent delight.
I collapsed on top of her, knowing she could now take my weight. Resting was part of the pleasure.
BPOV
I loved the feel of his weight on me. He didn't feel heavy at all. It was a new high for me to have him lay on top of me. I now felt complete, with him breathing heavily on top of me, still buried inside of me.
EPOV
I loved the feel of her full body under me. It had been so long, so stupidly long. But Bella loved me. How could she still me after all that? How could he be so lucky? Never, ever again would I let her go.
After a short while, I pulled out and rolled over and smile at her.
"Edward?" Bella asked after a while.
"Yes my love?" I said
"Let's go swimming, the river is right there. Let's go for a moon lit skinny dip."
I sat up beside her, "Let's go." I said. I was up in an instant, and then helped her up. Not that she needed help.
We swam and played in the river, like it was the middle of the day. After our swim we got dressed, feeling refreshed and happy.
"Edward?" she asked again.
"Yes my love," I replied again.
"Let's go home."
Ï smiled my dazzling smile. "Race you there!"
She grinned back at me, "Ok, can you grab my bag please."
"Sure." I turned to get her bag, and then heard her laughter, as she disappeared in the forest running home. Running to our home.
I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face; I picked the back pack off the ground and took off after her.