Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the authors. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
This story takes place in an alternate universe and begins almost fifteen years after chapter three of New Moon. When Charlie called Renée to come to Forks, Bella went back to Jacksonville with Renée.
Thanks to Alphie, Be My Escape and Bronzehairedgirl for their help and patience with this story. They were all so much more than beta readers.
Also, I want to reference Safe Harbor, by Kissa and Cocoa (or Skipper-Pompeii on While I have always had this beach scene planned as part of the story, there are certain similarities between their story and mine. What can I say, I like rain on the water. If you've already read theirs, then you'll catch it quickly. If you haven't, then go read it so you'll know what I'm talking about.
Storm Front
by silly bella
I stared as the porter placed our bags in the bedroom and pointed out the amenities of our suite: the opulent living room, the dining room for six, the full kitchen, and all three balconies. I could tell from the sound of the ocean that we had a view of the beach, even though in the darkness, all I could see was my reflection against the night. "Will there be anything else I can do for you?" he asked.
"No, thank you," Edward said courteously and placed what I was sure must be a gigantic tip in the porter's hand.
"Your meal will be here momentarily," he added on his way out.
I stood in the immense living room. "Edward, this suite is too much. There has to be something less extravagant," I murmured.
He grinned. "I wanted you to feel at home. To be comfortable."
"My home would fit inside this suite with room to spare." I frowned and narrowed my eyes. "Besides, I thought you said you wanted to be comfortable."
A knock on the door interrupted his response. It was room service. The waiter set a place on the dining room table. It was the first time I'd ever had a hamburger served on real china, the kind people pass down in families and use on holidays. I'd wager from the heft of the knife I used to cut the burger in half that it was sterling silver, too.
Edward saw him out and returned to sit across from me. I felt self-conscious as he watched me eat. The food did make me feel better. I hadn't noticed how very hungry I was. I licked a wayward dab of mustard off the corner of my mouth and Edward laughed.
"Do you really find that so entertaining?" I asked as he observed me, noting the most minuscule of movements.
"Watching you?" He nodded gravely. "Absolutely. You fascinate me. Perhaps more so now than before. Although I wish I could tell what you're thinking. That still frustrates me."
"Right now I'm thinking I'd like to take a walk on that beach, if you wouldn't mind. The sound of the ocean is luring me in." Regardless of how tired I might be, I wanted to stretch my legs after spending the day cooped up in the plane.
Instantly, Edward was beside me, offering his arm. "I would be honored to accompany you." He walked me quietly to the elevator and we slipped out of the hotel into the night.
I stumbled in the sand, but Edward kept me from falling. He couldn't stop my shoe from wrenching off, though. After adding my other shoe and my socks to the pile, I took his hand and led him closer to the water. He'd left his shoes, too, and we ran into the cool spray together, dodging the edge of the water to keep our jeans from getting drenched.
The water reflected the darkness of the night, the emptiness of the sky. It felt like standing on the edge of the world, unknown, yet familiar. The air, so humid, closed in around me as Edward's cool hand offered welcome relief from the heat that lingered long after the sun had set. The waves drummed against the shore like a heartbeat, their rhythm so regular, so relaxing, the sound receded into silence.
He broke the stillness, whispering, "I've never been to Florida before."
"I imagine it's not among the preferred vacation destinations for people who sparkle in the sun." I laughed.
"Not really." He spoke softly, his voice just above the sound of the pounding water. "It's so warm. And quiet."
"Quiet?"
With a nod he explained, "It's an atmospheric effect of the heat and humidity. They absorb the sound. It's quite nice, really. But it doesn't affect the volume of people's thoughts."
We walked for a while in silence along the rim of wet sand. The steady wind blew my hair; the tangles would take hours to comb out. Every so often, Edward would pull me close, his cool lips grazing along my jaw or my neck. The contrast between his touch and the warm air sent more shivers than usual down my spine.
He must have sensed me tiring as I leaned against him. "Want to sit for a while?"
I nodded and we sank to the sand together. I inhaled the sharp, salty scent of the ocean air. "Alice's rain is coming in. You can smell the change in the weather."
"You can always count on Alice." He grinned and kissed my hand as the wind whipped up the waves.
"I was," I whispered.
He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and watched me intently. "I've been thinking," he said quietly, taking my hand in his once more. He kissed my fingers and then my palm. "Bella, do you have any idea how much I love you? How much the thought of being away from you, even for a weekend, pains me? Just seeing you again was like a precious gift dropped in my lap," he paused, cupping my face in his free hand and gazing into my eyes, "but that was nothing compared to how I felt when you forgave me. When you told me that you still loved me." Exhaling slowly, he continued, "Bella, I never want to be separated from you again. No, actually, what I want is to never to be separated from you again." He shook his head and turned suddenly so that he was on one knee, facing me. "Bella, please marry me."
My shock must have been obvious. I hadn't been expecting that at all. A flicker of sorrow crossed his face and he looked away when he saw my expression. I hadn't meant to hurt him. He anticipated a smiling, enthusiastic acceptance, not a furrowed brow and taut lips. By the time I recovered, he was talking to himself under his breath, his words much too fast for me to understand.
"Edward," I whispered, interrupting him. "Look at me." He turned, the anguish apparent on his face.
"I'm sorry. I deserved that," he stated simply.
"It's not about what you deserve," I shook my head. "There are so many complications. Not just the fact that one day – and that day is not so very far away – I will be old enough that people will think I'm your mother. I have Mari Alice to think about, too."
His brow furrowed. "Do you love me?"
"I never stopped loving you, and I never will."
"Then why isn't it that simple? At least tell me what things are so complicated." He had moved back, sitting there on the sand with his knees up in front of him, watching me carefully.
"For starters, there's Mari Alice," I began. "She has school. For that matter, so do I. How do I manage to keep a job when your family runs off in the middle of the night with hardly any notice? That isn't stable for a child. And what will her grandmothers think? Or are you counting on just writing them off? Because that isn't fair. As much as Tony's family is difficult for me, they love Mari Alice. They've lost him; I won't take Mari Alice away from them or them away from her."
He nodded thoughtfully before he responded. "Obviously, barring some disastrous situation, we would need to stay in one area until Marietta finishes high school. That's only five years. We've managed much longer than that before," he assured me. "And you don't need to worry about working. I want to take care of you, to provide for you, and I understand that means taking care of Marietta, too." He sighed, pausing for a few moments before he continued, "We'll find a way for her to see her grandmothers. It's a detail we can work out later. Bella, please, think about it. By some miracle of fate we found each other again." He cupped my face in his hand. "I can't loose you."
Slipping my fingers over his I whispered, "You sweet, beautiful boy."
"I am not a boy," he said, his voice low and hoarse. He met my gaze, his eyes pleading. "I haven't been a boy for a long time."
"Part of you will always be a boy."
"Is that one of the reasons?" Pain winced across his face.
"It's too late for me to move to Neverland," I sighed.
He frowned. "This is not some play for children. I love you, and if you love me, then nothing else matters." He pulled my hand away, gripping it in his.
"Everything matters, Edward." I could barely hear myself speak, but I knew he heard.
The wind blew more fiercely now, no longer a gentle breeze. It carried the first drops of rain with it. He lowered his head and kissed my hand. "Marry me, Bella. I exist in a world of impossibilities."
I shut my eyes, unable to answer and unable to bear the reproach in his eyes. I knew just how impossible his world was. But for me, it was more impossible than ever. I heard the rain before I felt it, a wall of water thundering in on the waves, pounding across the sand. Each drop stung as it pelted against me. Did it hide the tears?
Then I felt his mouth against mine, cool and smooth as marble. He kissed me, not just my lips, but my cheeks, my eyes, the hollow of my throat. And when he followed the curve of my neck up to my ear, he said, his voice soft but urgent, "I love you. I'll ask again and again until you say yes."
