AN: So, after many requests, I've decided to give my best shot at finishing God Love Her. Plus, I've put twenty-five chapters of work into this! I want to see it to the end. And not only that, but I feel like I owe it to all of you who have read and reviewed this story. I know I hate it when a story I enjoy doesn't get finished, and so I've decided it's not fair to you if I do that. I can't guarantee quick updates, but it will get finished, darn it! The chapter title comes from the Carrie Underwood song. It will make sense if you know the song. Please enjoy:

Twenty-Six. Quitter

If you had asked me todescribe myself just three weeks ago, I would have told you that I was focused and a little bit stubborn. I then could have laid out the next eight years of my life perfectly. It would start with getting my undergrad degree, and lead to a PhD in literature that would allow me to become a professor.

That was three weeks ago, when Edward Cullen was just the cute boy that I refused to think twice about.

If I were to be asked now, in the moment where I stood wrapped in the warmth of Edward's arms, feeling as if I could really rely on someone other than Charlie for the first time in my life, I would say that my life had been turned upside down.

And I was ecstatic about it.

I had never really thought of myself as insecure. Probably because, until Edward, there was no one that inspired such a feeling in me. With Edward I found myself wanting things that I had never wanted before. Things, like marriage, that left me terrified and completely unsure about where I stood in our relationship. Yet, I wouldn't give it up for the world. Even when I was acting like a complete mess, Edward got me. He understood me in a way that no one else ever had, not even Angela who had been my best friend (besides Jessica) since my return to Forks.

"This is completely crazy. You realize that, right?" I asked, my voice muffled by Edward's chest.

"That depends… what is completely crazy?" I felt Edward press his lips to my hair and play with some of the dark strands, and I couldn't help the goofy grin that crossed my face at his affectionate actions.

"This… us. It's been less than two weeks since we've left Forks, and here we are getting all angsty over kids and marriage." I pulled back so I could grin at him wryly. "Our life just became a Harlequin cliché."

"Not quite. We would have been a Harlequin cliché if I'd knocked you up then we got all angsty about kids and marriage. We're more of a romantic comedy cliché." He gave me a crooked grin, causing my own to change from wry to genuine. "I don't mind, though. Do you?"

I took a step back from Edward and lifted myself onto one of the bar stools, cocking my head to survey him in the process. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days, so his face was scruffy and he wore simple blue jeans and a black t-shirt that clung to his form. My boyfriend was hot, and looked every inch the motorcycle riding bad boy that Charlie said he was.

But I knew better. Edward was kind, and he wanted to help people. He was insecure, and came with baggage that I would have never though I'd be willing to deal with, yet I couldn't imagine being anywhere but right where I was. I couldn't imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

"I think we're us," I said, reaching out my hand to him. He placed his own warm hand into mine, and I held it tightly, enjoying the skin-on-skin connection. "I think that we move too fast, and make out at zoos, and have so many miscommunications that couples therapy should almost be mandatory… but it works for us. Renee and Charlie both think you're trouble, and that I'm going to ruin my life over you… but I think I'm as much myself with you as I am without you."

Edward cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Judging by the look on your face, I'm assuming that's a good thing, although I don't quite get it."

"It's from a book I read," I explained, pulling him closer. "This woman is in a crappy relationship with a guy who has some sort of narcissistic disorder. He completely changes her, turns her into some sort of Stepford wife, but still doesn't view her as good enough. She ends up leaving him and coming home where she meets another guy, who ends up being the right one, and on the day they get married, she tells him that she's as much herself with him as she is without him. I'm not saying that I've had anywhere near the troubles she has, but I do understand wanting to be what others expect you to be, even when that's not who you are. With you, I'm me, and I'm not afraid to be me because I know you'll love me anyways, even if I do talk in my sleep and have the tendency to trip over air if I'm not careful."

Edward wrapped his arm around me and nuzzled my neck.

"Well, aren't you a sentimental fool," he teased, and I laughed, both because of his words, and because of the tickling kisses he was trailing on my neck.

It was a sweet moment, a moment that was ruined by Renee's sudden entrance. I could tell by the faint sparkle of tears in her eyes that she had been listening. I thought about giving her the privacy lecture, a lecture that I had given her on previous occasions but which she always seemed to forget, but there was a new look in her eyes as she looked at Edward that stopped me before the words formed.

It was something like approval. I decided that, if it meant Renee changed her tune regarding Edward, I could accept a little invasion of privacy this one time.

But just once.

GLH

Renee's decision to accept my relationship with Edward made the next day's trip to the beach much more enjoyable than it probably would have been otherwise. It also served to show me that my decision to not live in Florida was the right one.

The day started bright and early, with Edward being the one to wake me up.

"Mmmm," I moaned against his lips, which were pressed firmly to mine. I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck when he moved to pull back. "Don't even think about it. I want you to keep kissing me."

Edward chuckled, but allowed himself to be pulled down for another kiss. When I tried to tease his lips apart with my tongue, however, he pulled back.

"You know I would love nothing more than to completely ravage you, Bella, but your mother only just accepted that perhaps I'm not going to totally ruin your life. Let's not press our luck with her… and why are you laughing?"

"Ravaged. Who uses words like ravaged anymore?" I said in response, still snickering. "You read Harlequin's, don't you? That's how you knew what their cliché plot line is… and why you use words like ravaged."

"Hmmm… well there was a Sheik in last month's collection who was rather inventive," Edward grazed his teeth along my neck, the sensation causing me to shiver in delight. I groaned in disappointment when Edward pulled away from me and left the bed. "But that will have to wait for another day. Come along, Isabella, the beach is calling."

"Tease!" I muttered throwing a pillow at Edward's back. He closed the door, blocking the shot and I cursed while he laughed lightly on the other side of the door. Scowling, I got out of the bed and found my swimsuit. I frowned thoughtfully as I looked between the two that I had purchased on the trip. One was a simple red and black one-piece. Sporty, modest, and serviceable.

The other was a string bikini that hid enough to keep it legal, but showed enough to make sure all Edward would think about was what was underneath. The first had been my choice, the second Rosalie and Alice's. My first instinct was to put on the one piece. It was comfortable and my normal style… but then I thought of Edward's morning kisses and that laugh and I decided that turnabout was fair play.

I was confident about my choice in apparel up until we got to the beach and it was time for me to actually show the suit off.

I decided then that revenge was over-rated and I would never pursue it again.

"I thought we came here to swim," Edward said, looking at me with raised brows when I sat on a towel without taking off my shorts and tank top. "Or at least to work on a tan. Those won't help with that."

Edward himself had tossed off his shirt almost as soon as he had seen the sand. I had been almost too busy staring at his shirtless chest to notice Renee's raised by brows and quickly flashed thumbs up.

"You just want to get me out of my pants," I joked. Renee and Phil were busy laying out their own towels, so I wasn't worried about them overhearing the teasing remark, and it helped me hide my unease.

"Well, that is always true," Edward agreed, laying on my towel next to me. "Let's see if I can't do it now."

I gave a surprised curse when he began to pull up my tank top.

"Now that's interesting. A lot of skin," Edward mused with a smirk as he managed to out-muscle me and keep raising the tank top. "Is this part of the shopping- holy shit."

He had managed to get the tank top off and was now getting an eyeful of my scantily clad boobs. I glared at him and crossed my arms.

"It seemed like a good idea after your tease display this morning," I muttered, hating the heat I felt burning in my cheeks. "Then we got here."

"Ah… well. Here. We can cover that back up," Edward replied, handing me back my shirt and looking around suspiciously. At first I felt insulted that my boyfriend, who claimed I was beautiful, wanted me to cover up.

Then I realized that it wasn't the lack of clothes he disliked, but rather the location. Edward, my Edward, didn't like that other men would be able to see me in the bikini!

I narrowed my eyes at him, then caught sight of a pair of pretty blondes ogling him over his shoulder. Glaring at Edward, I stood and pushed my shorts down, revealing the bottoms. I gave the blondes a too sweet smile and a finger wave, causing Edward to look around to see who had caught my attention. A flush rose in his cheeks when he realized what the blondes had been doing.

"Double standards suck, Edward. You wanted to swim," I pointed out with a smirk. "Well then, let's swim."

I began to saunter towards the water, and then squealed when a pair of arms lifted me. Within a minute, Edward had plunged us into the water. When we surfaced, I pushed my sopping hair out of my face while Edward wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I get it," he muttered, leaning down to touch his nose to mine. "No double standards. Although I didn't ask those girls to stare at me."

"You took off your shirt. That's enough," I replied, wrapping my own arms around his neck. "How about we just appreciate that we both can pull off swimsuits like pros and not get jealous? After all, we both know who we're going home with at the end of the day."

"Deal," Edward agreed, and then he sealed it by kissing me. I kissed him back and felt myself growing heated as the kiss grew deeper.

Then the ocean decided to interrupt and send a wave over us, immediately cooling the moment.

"Wrong place?" Edward asked with a laugh. I caught Renee watching us with hawk's eyes over his shoulders and gave my own laugh and a nod.

"Definitely the wrong place."

GLH

By the end of the day I regretted the bikini for a whole new reason.

"You should have known better!" Renee lectured me as Edward rubbed aloe lotion on the burn that I had gained. Pale skin plus bikini plus lots of sun equals extremely pained Bella, as it turned out.

"I'm aware of that now," I growled, irritated and not looking forward to putting on clothes that would only chafe against my skin and keep me awake. "It would have been nice to have had some of that wisdom earlier. You know, before I turned into a lobster."

I heard Edward give a chuckle, and I tried to glare at him, but that just caused me more pain, so I gave up.

"My poor pale Bella," he said, kissing my shoulder. I muttered incoherently in reply.

GLH

We stayed with Renee and Phil long enough for my burn to heal to a tolerable level. It was nice, spending time with them. It was even nicer seeing Renee grow more and more fond of Edward with each passing day.

When it came time for us to hit the road again, this time to start to head towards the north and home, Renee gave me a tight hug.

"He's a good boy," she whispered in my ear. "I'm not saying to elope tomorrow. But if, after an appropriate amount of time passes and you have a degree, you decide he's the one, I wouldn't hate it."

From Renee, it was the best blessing we could possibly get.

"You know," I said contemplatively, looking to where Edward was saying good-bye to Phil, "I think I might do that. After an appropriate amount of time, of course."

Then, our good-byes were finished and I was once again on the bike behind Edward, headed for our next adventure.

AN2: And so they're off again, this time headed back to towards Forks. I hope to finish this in five to seven chapters. These two have faced most of their pressing issues, so now all that's left is a few shenanigans, dealing with those they left behind, and seeing what the future brings them. I thank anyone who decides to give this a shot after so very long, and here's to a finish to the story!