A/N: Did you really think I'd leave you hanging with an ending like last chapter? No, I can be cruel but not that cruel!
The further I walk, though from Tanya's room to the office isn't too far, my feet begin to feel heavier and heavier. I was trying with all of my might not to fall right out and throw a hissy fit. The feeling in my chest was utter panic. The look on Edward's face said nothing and everything at all.
This was over.
When Mike dumped me I honestly felt hurt, but mainly just because my ego was bruised. I wanted to get him back just to dump him again and watch his little weasley face crumble. This was so much more than that. Not only did I have Edward, the man I honestly couldn't get out of my mind ever, the man I swore I'd spend the rest of my life with, but I had his kids as well. Sure, I wasn't their mother, but damn it if I didn't love them like they were my own.
And now, now it could all just disappear. I'd never see them again.
Edward had made his way into the office before me and shut the door. I stood outside of it for a minute or two before I could collect myself enough to knock. I feared if I opened my mouth to attempt speech I'd start sobbing, it was bad enough I couldn't stop shaking.
"Come in." I heard him call from the other side of the door. There wasn't much inflection in his voice so I couldn't really discern what he was feeling. All I knew was if this lasted much longer I'd pass out or puke, or both.
With shaky hands I opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind me. I pressed my back up against the door because the room felt a lot smaller and because if I didn't I'd fall down.
"Bella, why don't you have a seat?" Edward asked me and I looked at him and then to the leather couch next to me and back at him.
"Um, I'm fine, thanks." Truth be told, I was kind of frozen in place.
"If you insist." He sighed. "Bella. . ."
I stood against the door, playing with my hands and finding them fascinating when I began talking, "I am so sorry! I didn't think that I'd ever hear any of them say that and I didn't know how to react. I can tell them to never call me that again, if you want. Hell, I'll even move out and only come here on work hours. I'm sure there's something that says something somewhere about nannies getting too familiar with the kids. . ."
"Bella. . ." Edward interrupted me and I looked up at him, frozen. I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest, and my pulse was getting louder and louder in my ears, I knew I was on the verge of hyperventilating and I had to try and calm myself down. I took a deep breath and steadied myself.
He moved from his desk and stood right in front of me. He reached out and tried to hold me but I flinched away. I think fight or flight was definitely at top speed and in my mind if he was going to end this I couldn't take his touch, it would probably kill me. The way I shrunk back made his passive expression change. His gorgeous eyes dimmed a little and a slight frown tugged at his perfect mouth. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
"Um. . .I need to sit." I finally said and he backed away a little and as I moved the few feet over to the couch my body felt tight, like my movements were almost robotic with their stiffness. Once I seated myself I clasped my hands to my chest and put my elbows on my legs, curling in on myself.
I'd never in a million years thought I'd ever act that way. Especially over some stupid guy, but here I was, crumbling like that stupid pound cake earlier and I was powerless to stop it. Edward held my life, my sanity in his hands. How had I gotten so attached, so dependant on him that just the thought of him leaving me would cripple me? When did this go from an equal partnership to me being a puppet and Edward holding the strings?
This was so not healthy.
Edward knelt down in front of me close enough where there was only a whisper of space between him and me, but he didn't touch me. His green eyes searched my face and I couldn't keep my eyes on him. They'd travel from his face to his body, to his hands and then to his lips, finally resting again on his eyes and back and forth. If he caught my eyes I'd be done for, more so than I already was.
"Please, calm down." He whispered. "God, what have I done to you to get you so upset? I'll do whatever I can to get you to calm down."
"I'm too attached." I blurted and he raised an eyebrow.
"Does this upset you? Would you like space?" He didn't seem happy asking that question.
"I don't really know what I'll do if you are going fire me or worse, break up with me. It's one thing to love you beyond all reason, but I love your kids, too. Now I see how easy it was for Rose to snap. Maybe she needs a roomy." I said this out loud, but it was more to myself. Maybe I was insane!
Edward chuckled. My eyes snapped to his and I giggled.
"Bella, you thought I was going to. . . I must confess I was completely shocked that the children said what they said, but I wasn't angry. I was more angry with myself for not knowing how much they truly loved you, and I was angry that I seem to be the last one out of the four of us to ever say anything or do anything. I hope this will make up for it. . ." I stared at him and my brain went on a seriously crazy vacation because as he reached into the breast pocket of his vest and pulled out the most sparkly thing I'd ever seen my jaw dropped and I may or may not have started drooling.
I collected myself long enough to gasp, "Oh, Edward!"
"Bella, Isabella, I never thought that I could ever love someone again and what I learned surprised me. I can love again, and I can love deeper and more truly than I ever thought possible. How I managed without you astounds me and just imagining losing you. . ." He shook his head and took my hand in his free one. "Bella, I can't exist in a life that doesn't have you in it, please tell me you'll ease my mind and soul by becoming my wife?"
"We have so much to discuss between us." I choked.
"We can talk all day and all night and the next day, too if you'll just answer me!" He begged and I giggled.
I had always imagined being proposed to, romantic candle light, a sunset, or perhaps a walk on the beach. Never in a million years would I think it would be so down to earth and yet so earth shattering at the same time. So, I had always had a little speech in my head that'd I'd say in answer, something Elizabeth Darcy said or something like that. Now that it was really happening I drew a blank!
"Of course, I would have loved to do this in a more romantic. . ." I crushed my lips to his and somewhere I heard a feint tink as Edward's arms wrapped around me and he stood, twirling me around his office. "Is that a 'yes'?"
"Uh huh! Yes! Yes, I'll marry you, Edward." I cheesed and cried a little. Edward's face grew pale as he looked around. "What is it?"
"I seem to have dropped your ring." He said and the two of us got down on our hands and knees and started searching around on the floor. Finally I saw something sparkle under the couch and squealed as he bumped me aside to grab it. Once he got it he helped me up and grabbed my left hand. He gently slipped the ring on my finger and I shrieked. "What? Have I hurt you?"
"Oh my God! This thing is huge! Oh, I can't accept this, it's like the price of a car! And it's heavy! I'll have to do workouts for my finger. Oh, but it's so pretty!" Edward captured my face in his hands and as I watched his eyes sparkle he chuckled.
"It is not huge! It's small compared to some. I knew you wouldn't like anything too big, so I settled for two and a half carats." He smiled.
"Edward, I think that is only the big diamond. This thing is swimming in diamonds!" I gasped.
"You don't like it?" He looked so sad and I wanted to smack the hell out of myself for making him look like that.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not used to this kind of opulence, that's all. It's gorgeous, I'm sorry I made you feel like I didn't like it. How rude of me?" I blushed and looked at the ring again. The big diamond was, from what I could tell, perfect and all the little diamonds around the ring were, too. It was perfect, just maybe it was more than I thought I deserved.
"Gold digger, you are not." He winked and I had to laugh. Between his mother and Rosalie I'd be killed once it got out what my ring looked like. I grinned.
"We should invite your mother and Rose to our wedding shower." I said.
"That's pure evil." He raised an eyebrow at me.
"But so freaking tempting!" I laughed.
"Let's do it!"
"Not until after the wedding, Mister!" I put my hands on my hips and he blushed. "I'm kidding! Oy! What am I going to do with you?"
"Anything you wish. . ." He purred as he captured me in his arms again, devouring my neck. I got a bit dizzy and melted a little. Boy, could he play dirty!
A/N: I hope you liked this little chapter. I think most of you could guess where I was going with this. Still so much more to do! This is going to be one hellofa long fic apparently. That's good for people like me who never want a story to end. *laughs*
Let me know what you think by reviewing, I love to hear what you all have to say! It means so much!
Bella's ring, y'all! : ) (along with the wedding band she won't have for a minute, lol) www . tiffany Engagement / item . aspx ? GroupSku = GRP10015 & selectedSku = 23958562#f+0/0/0/0/0/0 Just remove the spaces per usual!