Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 26: Return to New York

I hated taking the red eye. As soon as I closed my eyes to sleep, the flight attendant would inevitably come on the loudspeaker and wake me up. So I finally decided to stay awake and not pretend to be sleeping like everyone else.

I pulled out my book and turned on the overhead light, which was surprisingly bright in the darkness of the cabin. Edward was leaning against the window using his jacket as a pillow and sleeping peacefully, remarkably. He looked so serene, as if he didn't have a care in the world.

We'd both had to rearrange our schedules to make it out to New York for Jasper's wedding. He'd met some woman at the restaurant and had fallen madly in love. Even though they'd only been together for a short time, Jasper was sure she was the one, so he proposed. They'd planned a small, quiet affair, but I knew I had to be there. He'd been a good friend to me. He kept me together when I thought Edward and I were falling apart.

December in New York City is magical. I had forgotten just how much I liked the city this time of year. Edward looked deep in thought as we cabbed it over the bridge into Manhattan. I put my hand on his knee, pulling him from his thoughts.

"You okay?" I asked as I gave his knee a squeeze. "You're awfully quiet."

He smiled, but it wasn't entirely genuine. "Yeah, it is weird being back here. I'm okay, though."

I had worried about that same thing, knowing how much painful history had transpired here. "It means a lot to me that you came."

He pulled me against him and sighed. "Of course I came. I want to meet your friends, and I liked Jasper. I just didn't know how I'd feel."

"And how do you feel?"

A part of me hated asking that question because I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer. His painful past had been the source of so much that had happened between us, and I needed to know he'd moved on – that it wasn't going to keep coming between us.

Edward looked out the window again and then back at me. "Surprisingly, I feel nothing. I can't guarantee it'll stay that way, but it's not as bad as I thought it would be."

It wasn't exactly the answer I was hoping for, but it was enough.

We pulled up in front of the hotel and went about the mundane task of retrieving our bags and checking in. Edward was still quiet, but he tried to reassure me with well-timed, loving gestures.

After we'd gotten settled, we decided to take a walk to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. As soon as I saw it, I was reminded of the picture I'd seen in Peter's apartment of him and Charlotte standing in front of it, smiling as if they didn't have a care in the world. Anger welled up in me at my blind faith in him.

Edward and I grabbed a coffee from a stand and sat down on a bench overlooking the skating rink. The people looked so happy. I envied their carefree smiles and laughs.

I held my coffee cup with both hands, trying simultaneously to calm myself down and warm my hands.

I turned to face Edward. "Do you remember when I came out here for Jasper's birthday?"

He nodded. "That was a tough time for me."

I winced. It had been a tough time for me as well – for numerous reasons.

"When I was here, I stopped by Peter's place to pick up a few of my things."

Edward stiffened next to me but said nothing, so I continued. "There was a picture of him with Charlotte in front of that tree." I pointed to the enormous Christmas tree.

"I hate that you saw him, but I understand," Edward said soothingly, picking up on my tense mood.

"He stood right there with his arm around Charlotte, smiling like the smug bastard he is, all the while he was cheating on me. We were together when the picture was taken, and he had it proudly displayed in his apartment. He made a fool of me."

Edward nodded, obviously able to understand the betrayal I felt. "I'm sorry."

I snapped out of my funk. "I'm not telling you this to hurt you. I'm not sorry about Peter and what happened, and I really don't care that he's with Charlotte. I just can't believe I didn't know. I can't believe that was all happening under my nose, and I had no idea."

"I know how you feel." Edward looked up at the skaters, pretending to take an interest. "It makes me wonder what else I didn't know."

We both needed confirmation. I trusted Edward, and I knew he trusted me, but there was still an underlying doubt that nagged at me. I was a product of my experiences, and Edward was as well.

"I would never do that to you, Edward. Never."

He smiled, and this one was sincere. "I know." He brought his gloved hand up to my face and leaned in to give me a kiss. "I'd never hurt you that way, either."

I sighed. Edward wasn't Peter, and I believed him, but it was so scary to know he had my heart so completely.

"I love you so much, baby," I said, nuzzling my nose into his neck. "Now I have happy memories here, instead of angry ones. This place should make happy memories this time of year."

We stayed for a few minutes, talking and laughing. It was nice to spend time together away from our everyday lives. Here we had no worries. We had no stress. We could just be ourselves.

We wandered lazily back to the hotel, taking time to window shop. The streets were bustling, yet it felt as if it was just the two of us.

When we got back to the room, I had barely taken off my coat and put my stuff down when I felt Edward slide his arms around my waist and kiss the back of my neck. The hair all over my body stood on end as he brought out the emotions in me. His touch was intoxicating.

"He was a damn fool," he said in between kisses. I didn't need to ask who he was talking about, and I had to admit his possessive nature only added to his allure.

I let my head fall back as his hands slowly lifted my shirt. His body was hot, and the warmth radiated off him. "How do you do that?" I managed to spit out in my lust-induced haze.

His lips never left my skin as he asked, "Mmm…do what?"

"Dazzle me." It was the best way I could describe how he made me feel. He'd been doing it since the night I first saw him at the Harvest Party. It was just - him.

His lips curved up into a smile against my skin that I could feel instead of see. "I'd say you're pretty dazzling too."

I let myself completely succumb to him, and he took over. His hands were everywhere on me, and I could barely think. All I could do was feel him and show him with my body just how much he owned me.

Needless to say, neither of us got much sleep that night.

The next day, the day of the wedding, I woke up and Edward was gone. He'd left me a note saying he was out for a run and would be back in a bit. After our night of making love, a run was the last thing on my mind. I set the paper down, already missing Edward, and hopped into the shower.

When Edward wasn't back after an hour, I began to get worried. Where the hell had he gone running? I would have called him, but I saw his phone sitting on top of the table. I didn't like having no way to get in touch with him.

Needing a distraction, I flipped on the TV in the room and curled up onto the bed. I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I knew Edward was kissing my cheek.

I didn't open my eyes. I just pulled him down onto the bed and into my arms. "I was worried about you."

He kissed my forehead and then my cheek as he held me close. "Sorry, love. I got distracted by the shops."

I could understand that. Christmastime really was magical here.

By the time Edward showered and we ate, it was almost time to leave for the wedding. Edward looked amazing as always in his perfectly fitted suit. He wasn't wearing a tie, so his collar was unbuttoned and slightly casual. I wore a cream and gray bandage dress that was strapless and fell just to my knees and a gray pashmina shawl. I felt a little self conscious in something so form fitting, but Edward assured me he liked it, and if his facial expression when I walked out was any indicator, I'd say he liked it A LOT.

We hopped into the cab on our way to the small church where the ceremony was being held. Edward was tense next to me.

"Hey," I said, giving him a little shake. "It'll be okay."

"I know. It's just been years since I've seen Aro, and I'm not looking forward to it."

I kissed him on the cheek. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm not really looking forward to seeing him either. I'm different now, and seeing him is only going to make it obvious just how different."

Edward cupped my face with one of his hands as the other one pulled me into his side for a hug. "I can't tell you how happy I am about that."

And just like that, we were okay.

The wedding was short and sweet. Jasper's new wife Maria was every bit as lovely as he'd described. I felt a twinge of jealousy as I watched them declare their love and commit to each other. I allowed my mind to wander and fantasize about what that moment would be like for me one day. I listened to the vows and the significance of their meaning, and a tear came to my eye. I'd never understood people who sobbed at weddings, yet here I was doing just that. I tried to wipe it discreetly, but Edward saw me and grabbed my hand and pulled it into his lap.

The reception was being held in the private rooms of one of Aro's restaurants only a few blocks from our hotel. We had avoided the spot since we arrived, not able to deal with our respective pasts just yet.

Jasper had worked for Aro for years and had garnered much respect in the eyes of the New York culinary community. I guessed letting him have his reception at the restaurant was Aro's way of thanking him for his loyalty – not that Aro understood true loyalty.

We barely managed to grab a drink before I saw Aro approach.

"Bella, darling! I was hoping I'd see you here." His voice made the hair on my neck stand on end. I'd never noticed when I worked for him just how much he could turn on the faux charm. He pulled me into an awkward hug.

I stepped back and took a moment to look at my former boss. Physically, he was a handsome man, but the years of working himself to the bone and the constant partying were taking their toll. He looked exhausted and weathered. All I could think about was that it could have been me.

"Hi, Aro," I replied, hoping it sounded remotely sincere. I'd worked for Aro for years, and had been happy doing it, but hindsight had uglied him, and I didn't want to see or talk to him.

"I've heard good things about your new place. Glad to see you learned a few things working for me."

I cringed and wondered how I hadn't seen this side of him before.

Edward stood firm at my side. I could see his body tense without needing to even touch him, but he was doing a good job of keeping himself under control. I had a quick flashback of the man I'd met when I first moved to Napa and quickly recalled how closed off and controlled he could be. It wasn't a fond memory, and I despised Aro for bringing out the worst in Edward.

Aro stuck out his hand and smiled politely at Edward. "Aro Volturi."

He didn't even remember Edward? He ruined his life and couldn't even be bothered to show the slightest recollection?

Edward paused and looked down at Aro's extended hand, and I could see the internal struggle going on inside him. He eventually slid his hand into Aro's but his face remained tense. "Actually, we've met. I'm Edward." There was still nothing from Aro, so Edward continued. "Edward Cullen."

Recognition lit up Aro's face, and he smiled smugly. Edward's knuckles were white as he gripped Aro's hand and tried not to beat the shit out of him for so blatantly disregarding the consequences of his actions.

"Yes, I think we have met." With that, Aro looked around the room for an escape and finally settled his eyes on me. "I have to run and help the servers. It was a pleasure to see you, Bella."

I watched him disappear into the small crowd, amazed at what had just happened. Aro was all Edward had thought about for years after Tanya left, and it was just like brushing a fly off his sleeve to Aro. I wasn't sure what was the bigger insult – the fact that he'd forgotten to begin with or how blasé he was once the realization set in. I felt sick to my stomach knowing I'd worked for such an asshole for so many years.

I glanced up at Edward, whose head was still turned in the direction Aro had walked. He was stone cold. Needing to diffuse the awkward situation, I slipped my arms around his waist, causing him to look down at me.

"He doesn't matter." I rubbed his back for emphasis. "All that's in the past."

I felt Edward soften, and his hands came up and pushed my hair over my shoulders. "So many times I've wondered what I would say to him if and when I ever saw him again. So many times. But when he walked up and hugged you, all I could think was 'not her.' Nothing else mattered but protecting you from him."

I rested my cheek on his chest, loving the comforting sound of his heartbeat. "You don't have to protect me from him, but I'm happy that you want to."

He kissed the top of my head. "It's over now. After all these years, it's finally over for me."

I closed my eyes. It was music to my ears. "I'm so happy to hear that, Edward. I left this place behind me long ago. And this just confirms that decision."

"Come on," he said, pulling me back and grabbing my hand. "Let's go find Jasper and Maria."

Aro eventually made his grand reappearance, but it didn't have the same effect. The curtain had been pulled back, leaving only an attention-starved asshole instead of the wizard. What Aro did or didn't do from that point on had no bearing on us. It was as if the weight of the world had just been lifted off our shoulders.

We drank and ate and chatted up Jasper and Maria. It was nice to be around old friends again, especially with Edward at my side.

The reception wound down, and we promised to stop by and say goodbye before they left for their honeymoon and we had to leave to go home. It was late, but we'd never have known it from the amount of people on the street. Edward held me against his side as we clumsily walked the short distance to the hotel.

I flopped onto the bed, exhausted and really happy, letting my arms fall above my head. My eyes never left Edward as he toed off his shoes and took off his jacket, hanging it on the back of the desk chair adjacent to the bed.

I was wearing the hugest smile on my face, but I couldn't help it. It was the first time I'd felt this free and happy in a very long time.

Edward crawled up the bed, settling a knee between my legs as he rested his body on top of mine. His fingers played with the tendrils of my hair, but his eyes were fixed on mine. "You're so beautiful, you know that?"

I reached up and threaded my fingers in the hair at the back of his head and pulled him down to me. "You're perfect."

Our kisses weren't rushed. We were too tired to take this further. This was just a verbal confirmation that another door to the past had closed, leaving only the future to think about.

I slept amazingly well.

Edward had already ordered room service, complete with coffee, juices and a wide assortment of breakfast pastries, by the time I woke up. I lay in bed quietly and watched him across the room, carelessly eating a croissant as he read the paper. I loved watching him when he didn't know I was watching. There was serenity to his face that was breathtaking.

I sighed audibly, causing him to notice me. "Hey, you're awake. Come eat! I ordered breakfast. I hope you don't mind."

I sat up and stretched and then swung my legs over the side of the bed. I was still groggy, but the promise of coffee was hugely motivating, so I forced myself to get up. I leaned down and kissed Edward on the cheek over the back of the couch. It was such a domestic gesture, and something we'd gotten in the habit of at home.

I thought back to when we first moved in together – how unsure I was about it. I didn't want anything to ruin what we had, and I was worried Edward didn't take it as seriously as I did. But it had been as natural as walking. We settled into our comfortable routine as though we'd been doing it for years.

In the eight months since I'd moved in with Edward, we'd only had three major issues. The first was right after the fourth of July when Tanya showed up unannounced. I had answered the door and immediately recognized her from the pictures I'd seen. The look of shock on her face was no less than mine, I was sure, and it took all the strength I had not to claw her eyes out. How dare she show up here after what she'd done?

Edward had walked up behind me, no doubt wondering who was at the door, and when he saw her, he froze. He'd asked me if he could speak to her alone, a thought which made me extremely nervous, but I obliged. He'd walked out the front door and shut it behind him. I paced the floor of the kitchen, wishing it were later in the day so I could have a glass of wine – or four. After what seemed like forever, he had walked back in, alone thankfully. He watched me with trepidation, probably wondering when I was going to explode.

Instead, I waited for him.

"She left," he said nervously.

"Uh huh…" What the hell else was I supposed to have said?

He had closed the distance between us and engulfed me in a hug. "I told her not to come back, that I'm happy now."

"Do you think she'll stick to that or should we expect another surprise visit?" There had been a bite in my voice; I hadn't been able to control it. "I mean, what did she want after all this time?"

I could see the frustration in Edward's face. "I don't want to –"

"Please, it's okay to tell me."

He ran his hands through his hair. "I don't know…she apologized and said she was young and impressionable. Whatever. She wants to be friends. She says she feels horrible about what happened. Blah, blah, blah."

"And what did you say?"

"I don't want to be her friend. I don't want a relationship with her at all. It's not that I'm even mad or upset anymore, it's just…over." He leaned back and made eye contact. "She's not coming back, baby."

I'd closed my eyes and exhaled, willing the tears not to come.

She's not coming back. How I'd hoped that was true.

But she did honor his request, and since that time, she'd stayed away.

The other two disagreements we'd had were minor in comparison, mostly about both of our stubborn tendencies to keep things inside when we were upset. We were changing that slowly, but it was going to take some time.

Other than that, living with Edward had been the best decision of my life. I loved waking up in his arms, or even just feeling the warm bed he left behind. I loved the way his pillow smelled and the smell of his soap. I loved how he made an extra pot of coffee in the morning because he knew I liked Vanilla Bean or how he'd moved his clothes to the hall closet so I could have more space. But mostly, I loved his kiss first thing in the morning, reminding me that I still had him.

"Here you go." He handed me a cup of coffee, pulling me from my reverie. I inhaled the aroma and smiled, wondering if this morning could be any more perfect.

We decided to go to the museums for a few hours before we had to head to Jasper's house and then on to the airport. We walked lazily through Central Park, hand in hand. Despite the chill in the air, I was quite warm.

"Bella," Edward said suddenly. "Can we stop here for a minute?"

He pointed at a vacant bench that overlooked a frozen pond with a bridge crossing it. The starkness of the trees provided a picturesque backdrop, even in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world.

He led me to the bench, wiping it clear before we both sat down.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, curious as to why we'd stopped walking.

He grabbed my gloved hands, gently rubbing the backs with his thumbs. "Everything's fine. I'm just…I don't know…I'm nervous."

"Nervous? I'm sorry, babe. I guess I – "

"Bella, be quiet." I looked up at him in shock, at least until I saw the beaming smile on his face.

I closed my mouth dramatically and waited for him to say something.

"You know how I was gone yesterday morning?"

I nodded.

"I lied. I didn't go on a run."

My stomach was in knots. Where was this conversation going?

"Where'd you go, then?"

He reached into his coat and pulled out a small box. "I was getting this."

A small box.

A small box.

My mind was going a million miles a minute.

A small box.

Sensing my obvious distress, Edward put the box in my palm and opened it, revealing the most stunning diamond ring I had ever seen. It was square cut and had small diamonds all the way around the band.

The tears blurred my vision, and all I could see was a sparkly blob in a sea of black velvet.

Edward lifted my quivering chin, and I could practically feel the love pouring out of him. "See why I'm nervous?"

I nodded and continued my blubbering.

He looked down momentarily as if steeling his resolve and then looked back up at me. "I love you, Bella. I know how I acted at the beginning when we first met, and I wish I could take it all back. I was just so scared of getting hurt, and I took it out on you. I'm so sorry I hurt you – "

"Edward – "

"No, let me say this. I never expected this. Hell, I never thought I'd get over what happened before, but I was so drawn to you. I wanted to be around you, and it was so confusing. You were so patient, even when I treated you horribly. I regret that; it was a defense mechanism. If you didn't get close, you couldn't hurt me. But you did get close, and I did get over my past and now you're in my life, and I can't ever let you go. I know now that I went through all of that to lead me to you."

I sniffled through my tears, letting the true weight of his words sink in.

He continued. "I wanted to do this here. It seems like the perfect place to close one chapter of our lives and start a new one. I can't imagine my life without you. You make everything better. So, Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

Oh my God. The words hit me like a freight train. It was nothing like I had imagined it would feel like. It was perfect – because it was him.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked up into his eyes. His face held every imaginable emotion – happiness, love, anxiety, but most of all hope.

"Yes." It had never been easier to say.

A/N: So, what did you think? Did our boy do okay? We're wrapping up the story. Only one more chapter and then an outtake from chapter 2 – the first time he sees Bella. Not going to lie - this chapter was the hardest for me to write. I struggled a lot with it.

I feel like I apologize for my delays every chapter, and I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to post. I promise, I'm really trying!

New pics are on my profile. Come check them out!

The last chapter had the fewest reviews of any one so far. Did I lose some of you? What happened? You have to know that as an author, every time I hit post, I am filled with anxiety, so please leave me a review and let me know what you think. I can take constructive criticism – believe me, it's much better than your silence. Even though I've been too swamped to respond, I read every single one. I'm worried. Help a sister out!

Thanks to my team this week, who always make me feel better.