Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. This storyline and all original characters belong to the author. No copyright infringement intended.
Thanks so much to MauiGirl60, who waited so patiently for this final chapter to arrive for her to beta. Thanks also to Cared and Midnight Cougar, and to all of you, my loyal readers, who stuck with this story even when you weren't sure what to make of it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Tuesday 30 August 2011
After three days of tramping round other people's homes, Bella found the perfect house—a three-storey, Victorian townhouse, a ten minute walk from Magdalene College and the river. She fell in love with it immediately and, as chance would have it, the property was empty. It had just been extensively refurbished, and when she offered the estate agent a cash deal at £20,000 below the asking price of £800,000, he practically tore her hand off. It was agreed that the normal four-week delay between signing and exchange of contracts could be waived and that as soon as they were prepared and signed, she could move in.
Bella was ecstatic, and Edward couldn't help but be swept up by her excitement at owning her first home. He laughed joyously at all her plans for the house, but couldn't help wondering how he would fit into them. Now, though, he knew they would talk about it, that they would work something out.
Over dinner that night, before they were due to return to London in the morning, Edward ordered champagne, much to Bella's surprise. She hadn't had a drink since that dreadful night in London when Jane had come calling, and had decided that she no longer wanted—or needed—to use it as an emotional crutch.
"Just a glass, B, to celebrate the house and getting into college, and… well, you and me." He smiled at her as the waiter returned with two champagne flutes, which he placed in front of them. Edward lifted his glass, holding it up towards her, and she copied the gesture, the clinking of lead crystal ringing out, high and clear.
"To us, Edward, and to everything that comes with it." She grinned across the table at him as she sipped the chilled wine, giggling as the bubbles exploded up her nose.
After the first mouthful, he put his glass down and reached for Bella's left hand with his right, grasping her fingers and rubbing his thumb across the soft skin on the back of her hand.
"I love you, Bella, and I don't want to do the long distance thing. I think it would kill me to be apart from you now."
He looked down at their joined hands and then back up to her beautiful face, which wore a slightly quizzical expression.
"I don't want to be away from you either, Edward, but I can't live in New York—or London, for that matter. At least, not until I finish university." She cocked her head to one side in question.
Edward fixed his gaze back on Bella's hand in his. "I know you can't, B, and I wouldn't ask you to. What I want—if you can bear it—is to live with you here… in Cambridge. I mean, I know it will probably be a massive downer for you, and—" He stopped when he glanced up and saw the look of utter bewilderment on Bella's face.
"But what about SP? How will you arrange it?"
Before he could respond, the waiter approached to take their order. When he'd gone, Edward once again took Bella's hand.
"Okay, well, I need to start by saying that the company is still very important to me, and I fully intend to work hard to maintain and broaden its success. But—and it's a big but—it's no longer my main priority."
Bella cocked her head to one side, regarding him thoughtfully. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he loved her, but the company… well, that was his baby.
"But SP… I don't understand, you've poured your heart and soul into the company, Edward. When did it stop being your priority?"
Edward frowned and shook his head. "Since I spent 24 hours thinking you were going to die, Bella. Since I held you in my arms and watched as your life's blood poured out of you and my heart broke because I thought yours had stopped."
His hand gripped hers so hard it was almost starting to hurt, but she was trapped by the intensity of his gaze, held fast as she witnessed the profound pain which filled his beautiful, moss green eyes. She blinked away the tears she could feel welling up.
"From that moment, I realised that nothing—absolutely nothing—in this world was more important than you and the time I have with you. Bella, I'm sorry… I hate the thought of ruining your college experiences, but I need to be here with you as much as work will allow. I can work from home a lot of the time, use video conferencing, and just travel down to London for the day when a face-to-face meeting can't be avoided. As for New York… well, I've given it a lot of thought and have an idea I want to discuss with you before I make a decision."
There was such a hopeful look on his face—almost desperate, in fact—as Bella sat mute across from him trying to formulate a response. Just as she was about to speak, however, the waiter returned with their starters. Reluctantly, Edward released Bella's hand and sat back, waiting for him to leave.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, as he gazed—unseeing—at his food.
"I'm being selfish, aren't I? I'm sorry, B. Maybe we can compromise. Maybe I should stay in London and you could come down every weekend…"
"Edward…"
"…Or, if you've got a party or something, you could come every other weekend—although, to be honest, that would be really difficult for me… God, I'd miss you…"
"Edward…"
"… But if you can't make it down for the weekend, I could come up to Cambridge during the week for a couple of days, or something… just… God, Bella, I need more than two or three weekends each semester…"
"Edward!"
He looked up at her, his brows knitted, to see her reach across the table and grab his hand, just as he'd done to her earlier.
"Edward, are you saying you want to live with me here full time… in Cambridge… stay with me until I graduate? Because if you are, that's what I want too." She smiled at him—a big, joyously happy smile.
"You do? You mean, all the time?"
"As much time as you can possibly give me. I want that… I want you… in my bed, every night."
Edward swallowed and licked his lips. He then turned to catch the waiter's eye.
"Can you send our food up to our room, please—we're in the Masters Penthouse. My wife is… uh… feeling a little feverish." He gave Bella a dark, positively lascivious look. Without letting go of her hand, he stood and pulled her to her feet, relishing the hot blush which suffused her cheeks.
"Of course, sir." The waiter took their untouched plates and whisked them away to the kitchen.
"Feverish, Edward? Seriously? And I hope you're not suggesting we have… S-E-X. I don't want you to overdo it." She whispered the last part, making Edward laugh out loud as he led her quickly out of the restaurant towards the lift.
"Well, I'm not rushing back to the room to watch TV, Bella."
The fact was, much to Edward's annoyance, after they'd made love the day before, she had kept him at arms' length, saying she didn't want to push their luck.
They had reached the lift, the doors opening immediately when Edward pressed the button. He dragged her in and stabbed the button for the top floor, wrapping his arms around Bella as the doors closed.
"Edward, your stitches, we have to be care—"
He stopped her talking by the simple expedient of covering her mouth with his, and they were still kissing when the doors opened again. In fact, they continued kissing as he backed her towards the Penthouse, only breaking off while he found his key-card and opened the door. As soon as they were inside, he kicked the door shut and started kissing her again, whilst continuing to move her in the direction of the bedroom.
"Edward… mmmph… what about… mmmmm… the food….?"
"What… about it?"
He'd unzipped her dress and was pushing it off, when she pressed her hands against his chest, forcing him to stop kissing her and take a step back. Her action, which was intended to put a damper on his ardour, had rather the opposite effect, as it merely aided the descent of her dress to the floor, leaving her in just her underwear and shoes.
"Ummmmh, fuck the food, I've got all I want to eat right here." Edward moved back in, sliding his hands into her hair and kissed her again, his tongue languidly pushing into her mouth and tangling with hers.
"Edwar—mmmmmh."
His kisses moved from her lips to her jaw, and down her neck, while his nimble fingers made short work of her bra clasp. Bella moaned as he peeled the scrap of lace and satin from her body.
"Oh, God, Edward, please… I don't want you to hurt yourself…"
"Shhh, I won't. We already proved that. Now, get on the bed… hands and knees… If you're that worried, I'll do you from behind," he demanded huskily.
Bella gasped softly, backing slowly away from him as he pulled urgently at his shirt, a button flying off as he lost patience. Her eyes moved over his torso, taking in his smooth skin, his defined pecs and abs—he was such a beautiful man. But his beauty was marred by the very obvious dressings which were visible on his left biceps and across his ribs on the right. Unseen, but still very much part of Bella's perception, was the third dressing over his shoulder blade.
Edward paused as he went to unzip his trousers.
"I'm fine, B, stitches out tomorrow—remember?" He made a twirling gesture in the air, indicating that she should turn around and get on the bed. Unable to resist any longer, she complied.
He kicked off his shoes and bent to pull his socks off, before removing his trousers and climbing up on the bed behind Bella.
"Just let me make love to you, beautiful girl," he whispered, sweeping her hair over one shoulder and bending to kiss her on the nape of her neck.
She moaned softly, turning her head to look over her shoulder, and he leaned further forward to capture her lips. As they kissed, he gripped her hip with his left hand and slid the right one around her until he could push two fingers inside her. Already wet, he revelled in the feel of her—she was always ready for him… always.
"Oh, babe, you are so fucking wet for me," he groaned, straightening his back and pushing his fingers deeper and then curling and turning them to find that magical spot inside her that acted like a booster switch. She cried out and pushed herself into him, feeling his thick, hard dick twitch against her buttocks.
"Oh, God, Edward… fuck me, please," she moaned, pressing herself harder against him, and looking at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and full of desire, and he was so turned on he could barely think.
But instinct took over and he pulled his fingers from her, causing another low, feral whimper. Using the moisture from Bella's dripping sex, he took hold of his aching cock and pumped it a couple of times, before lining it up and pushing home.
"Yessssss," she hissed as he thrust into her, balls deep.
She was tight, hot and wet… and she was perfect. Not for the first—or the last—time, Edward ruminated about how this small, fine-boned woman could take all of him without a problem. But then, all thought was driven from his mind as Bella pushed against him and rotated her hips at the same time, making him gasp with the pleasure of it.
"Fuck, Bella… do that again."
She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a sexy smirk. Then she repeated the movement, grinding a little harder against him and deliberately flexing her vaginal muscles.
"Oh, Christ…" he gasped, tightening his hold on her hips to stop her doing it a third time.
He heard her giggle, so he reached up and cupped her right breast, giving it a quick squeeze, which made her squeak like a teddy bear.
Grinning, he withdrew his hand and put it back on her hip. He eased himself slowly out of her until only the tip was still inside, and then he slammed into her hard.
Bella cried out, but it was choked off as Edward started to move inside her, slowly at first, gyrating his hips each time he pushed into her, and leaning over her so that he could lay warm, wet kisses along her shoulders and down her spine.
Bella moaned softly, matching every long, deep thrust, until, unable to hold back, she gasped aloud.
"Oh, God, Edward, harder, please."
Edward immediately complied, gripping her hips more firmly, and increasing the force of his movements.
"Yes, oh, God, yes. Faster, Edward. I'm nearly… oh, fuck… there!"
Edward momentarily released Bella's hips, leaning forward to gather up her hair, which he wound around his right hand. Then, with his left hand back on her hip, steadying her, he pulled her head up and began to pound into her, his flesh slapping against hers. He grunted in pleasure as she met each furious thrust, her gasps and shrieks escalating in volume as his hips pistoned furiously. Her cries became higher pitched, and he could feel her inner muscles pulsing and rippling along his length, bringing him tantalisingly close to release.
And then her orgasm was surging through her, and she was unable to stop herself from dropping onto her forearms, her head hitting the bed, which effectively changed the angle of Edward's thrusts, forcing him deeper.
"Oh, dear God, yessss…!"
He clenched his jaw, the exquisite, endless pleasure so intense, he could barely stand it, and then he was erupting deep inside her, her body clamping around him, taking everything he had to give her. And he knew… they both knew… that it would never—could never be like this with anyone else.
~o0o~
They eventually found the food, cold and inedible, outside the door, although they found that the dessert of strawberries and cream made for interesting—and delicious—foreplay.
~o0o~
Wednesday 31 August – Monday 12 September 2011
The next day, they returned to London, leaving the estate agent to sort out the sale with the owner and their solicitor.
Back in London, they spent a slightly uneasy few days at Jay Mews whilst they attended to various matters, including a hospital appointment for Edward to get his stitches removed. As he had assured Bella, all was well, and the doctor was happy with how his wounds had healed, although he suggested he might want to think about cosmetic surgery. Bella also took the opportunity to get her own injury checked again, with similar results.
The following day, they both went up to SP, as Edward wanted to get an update on what had happened during his absence.
They walked in, hand-in-hand, but as they entered Edward's office, Bella pulled her hand from his and wrapped her arm tightly around his waist, causing him to automatically put his own arm around her shoulders. He smiled down at her quizzically, but Bella wasn't looking at him.
She was looking straight at Kate, frozen in place, her face an expressionless mask.
Opposite her, Lynda jumped up and came round her desk.
"Mr Cullen! Bella! Oh my goodness, it's so good to see you!" she cried.
Bella extricated herself from Edward and moved forward to hug the girl who had been such a Godsend on the morning after Jane's attack.
Pulling back from her, Bella smiled warmly. "Lynda, I'm so glad to see you. I wanted to thank you personally for all you did for us last month. I think I can speak for Edward as well, and I'm pretty sure there will be a substantial bonus paid to you come Christmas… won't there, Edward?" she said, looking up at him.
Edward grinned and shook his head in feigned resignation.
"Well, you're the boss, Mrs Cullen. Who am I to argue?"
Lynda made a sort of squeaking noise and hugged Bella again.
"Oh my days, I can't believe you're married. That is so random," she cried.
Edward and Bella both chuckled and looked at one another.
Out of the corner of his eye, Edward noticed that Kate looked, for all the world, as if she was going to vomit. He was suddenly reminded of one of Bella's ridiculous sayings, thinking that Kate looked like a bulldog chewing a wasp, and could barely contain his smirk.
He turned back to the two younger women.
"Lynda, be an angel and get us some drinks, please—my usual and tea for Bella."
"Coming right up," she grinned and disappeared out the door.
Edward turned back to his assistant. "Kate, could you ask Geoff to come up and give us a status report, please."
She merely nodded and picked up the phone, and without another word, Edward opened the door to the inner office and guided Bella through, his hand placed proprietorially on the small of her back.
When they were leaving a couple of hours later, Bella let Edward go ahead, telling him she would catch him up. He gave her a speculative look, but didn't argue.
"Lynda, could you give us five minutes, please," she said, smiling warmly at Kate's assistant.
The girl looked a little shocked, but agreed immediately and left the room swiftly, leaving Bella and Kate alone.
The older woman paled, but said nothing, keeping her eyes firmly on her computer screen.
"Kate, I wanted to have a quick chat. For whatever reason, it seems you and I got off on the wrong foot in the spring, and I think it's time we cleared the air.
"Edward tells me you are an excellent PA, and I must trust his judgement on that. But whatever feelings you harbour for my husband, you need to find a way to deal with them, or you and I are going to fall out in spectacular fashion. I can't fire you, Kate, and, if you're as good as Edward seems to think you are, I don't particularly want to. But, in September, I will be joining the Board and if you and I continue to have a problem, then I will find a way to make your life here very difficult. It may even be that you will fall victim to a new redundancy plan. And make no mistake, Kate—when push comes to shove, Edward will take my side over yours every single time.
"Now, I'm willing to concede that your initial crappy attitude has improved over the last month, and your efforts in dealing with the house were much appreciated, so I'm hoping that we're going to get along better in the future. Because, if not, I suggest you start looking for a new job before my first Board meeting in October."
Throughout Bella's speech, Kate stared determinedly at her PC, but as she became aware that Bella was just standing by her desk waiting for a response, she swivelled in her chair to face her.
Slowly raising her eyes to look at her soon-to-be boss, she was somewhat taken aback by the confident, self-assured young woman staring back at her—it seemed inconceivable that she was still nearly two weeks shy of her eighteenth birthday. Kate sighed, knowing there was no way she could win this.
"I'm sorry, Bel—Miss Sw—Mrs Cullen. My behaviour when we first met was… inexcusable, and I can only offer you my sincere apology. I'd like to say that I, uh, well, I enjoy working for Edward—Mr Cullen, and I'm sure that I can, uh, maintain my professionalism."
Bella said nothing for a full minute, making Kate squirm in discomfort, but then appeared to take pity on her.
"I appreciate the apology, Kate. Let's call it quits and start again. Okay?"
When Kate looked up again, Bella held her hand out, and after a moment's hesitation, Kate stood up and took it, shaking it briefly and giving her a thin smile. It wasn't much, but Bella was willing to accept it… for now.
"Great. Well, I've got to run. I'm glad we had this chance to talk. Goodbye, Kate."
She didn't wait for the other woman's response, merely giving her a quick smile and heading out the door, passing Lynda, who was obviously hovering outside, not wanting to interrupt.
"'Bye, Lynda," she said, giving the girl a quick hug and then walking quickly to the lift to catch up with Edward, who was waiting for her in the back of the Bentley. He looked at her for a moment when she got in the car, but didn't ask her anything, and minutes later, they were pulling out of the underground car park and onto Gower Street for the short drive home.
~o0o~
Satisfied that things were running smoothly, on Saturday 3 September, they flew to New York. Having spent more time in London and Cambridge than they had expected, they decided to put back their holiday for a few weeks. Edward was keen to settle certain matters in the US prior to moving up to Cambridge with Bella, and before Bella's birthday party on the 17th, which Jessica's parents were hosting. Bella was excited to see her friends again after everything that had transpired over the last few weeks and Edward wanted everything agreed and in place so they could both relax and enjoy themselves.
~o0o~
Being back in New York was cause for both celebration and reflection. They were undoubtedly happy to be there, reconciled and together as a couple, and without any more drama hanging over them. At the same time, however, they were equally conscious that the last time either of them had been there, they had been weighed down by sadness and heartache.
Arriving late in the afternoon, it had been an easy decision just to relax at the apartment for the whole weekend. They had ordered in dinner, followed by an early night, where they took their time exploring and pleasing one another. For Edward, having allowed Bella to dismantle all his walls, the discovery that he revelled in the simple pleasure of just holding her after making love was revelatory. As for Bella, despite Jane's attack on them in London, she couldn't help but feel safe and protected in Edward's embrace—after all, he had saved her from the poison dwarf twice; once when he found her at the roadside in Italy, and a second time when he had risked his own life in order to protect her in London.
~o0o~
On Monday, they went into the office, where they were surprised to be greeted by something of a welcoming committee. As they exited the elevator and walked towards Edward's office, what seemed like the entire staff was gathered in the main office. There was a huge banner strung across the space, announcing: "Edward & Bella – Congratulations" in huge red lettering, plus dozens of red, white and blue balloons and equally colourful bunting. Stopping dead as they came through the double glass doors into the open area, everyone turned towards them and started applauding.
Bella gasped and covered her mouth, then looked up at Edward, who was frowning in confusion. Before either of them could speak, however, Rose emerged from the centre of the crowd, with Emmett following close behind her.
She walked straight up to Edward and threw her arms around his shoulders, hugging him hard; and, after barely a moment's hesitation, Edward found himself reciprocating with equal enthusiasm. At the same time, Emmett had swept Bella up into his arms, leaving her feet dangling, as he enveloped her in what could only be described as a bear hug.
"Bel-laaaaa," he shouted, nearly deafening her.
"Oomph, Emmm," Bella mumbled, barely able to speak as he squeezed all the oxygen out of her lungs.
Extricating himself from Rose's arms, Edward put his hand on his friend's arm. "Ease up there, big man, she did get shot."
Immediately, Emmett put her down, but held onto her arms as she wobbled breathlessly in front of him.
"Whoa, sorry, Bells. Are you okay?" His eyes scanned over her worriedly.
"I'm fine, Emmett, really. It's good to see you too!" she laughed, when she finally had breath to do so.
Emmett grinned, leaned forward to kiss her hard on the forehead and then flicked his eyes up to Edward.
Letting Bella go with a final affectionate pat on her cheek, he stepped around her to stand in front of Edward. Bella turned to watch them, seeing something silent pass between the two men, something only they understood and acknowledged.
"Hey, man, you're looking good, considering you've been used as a human dart board."
Edward smirked and shook his head, but before he could respond, Emmett had stepped forward and pulled his friend into a careful, but no less affectionate, hug.
"Jesus, Ed, you scared us there for a moment… it's good to have you back," he said softly into Edward's ear, his voice full of emotion.
Edward squeezed him back, but said nothing… unable, for a moment, to articulate how much it meant to him to be here, now, with these people whom he realised were his family. Pulling back, he looked across at Rose rocking his beautiful wife from side to side in a warm embrace, and he smiled.
Then, there were champagne corks popping, and more people coming up to shake his hand or hug the two of them. Everyone talked at once, wanting to know all the sordid details, but mostly expressing their heartfelt relief that they had each returned, more or less in one piece. Interestingly, whilst Edward was quizzed on the dreadful attacks, most of the questions directed towards Bella were about their marriage, with some of the women flashing disappointed looks in his direction.
Various staff members and executives came and went, but after an hour, Edward called a halt and ushered Bella, Emmett and Rose into his office.
Over the next hour or so, Emmett and Rose updated them on events since they were attacked, their story becoming more and more outlandish and unbelievable. It seemed there had been a great deal of surprise when, having got his lawyers to blacken Bella's name whilst she lay in an Italian hospital bed, Aro had subsequently appeared remarkably untouched by his daughter's death at her hands.
The FBI went to talk to him, to find out what Jane was doing in London, and to discuss whether there was a case for extraditing Bella for involuntary manslaughter of a US citizen. He had been unexpectedly tight-lipped and unhelpful, giving them the distinct impression he had something to hide. This had set off alarm bells with the Feds and an investigation was set in motion, the results of which couldn't have been more surprising.
As Emmett and Rose took it in turns to describe the events of the last month, during which time Emmett had stepped in as Acting CEO, Edward and Bella became utterly bemused. The Volturi Group, it seemed, was nothing more than a collection of holding companies and sham businesses, the only legitimate component of which had been its publishing arm. The whole setup, upon investigation, was revealed as a major money laundering facility for organised crime, and as the layers had been peeled back, the fragile house of cards had swiftly tumbled, leaving Aro and Caius exposed. The biggest surprise was just how quickly it had all fallen down, which was due, in no small part, to the brothers' arrogant complacency.
However, another significant factor was that Demetri Constantinou had been brought in for questioning. Embittered by the loss of Jane, Aro's seeming indifference, and the end of his aspirations to return to the Volturi fold, he agreed to spill all their dirty secrets before a Grand Jury, and arrests had rapidly followed.
Edward and Bella sat together on the couch in Edward's office, hand-in-hand, listening to their friends' report with increasing incredulity.
"But a publishing company, Em? I mean, it's hardly what one expects of the Mafia or whoever was behind the Volturis. It all seems so ridiculous… surreal, even." Edward shook his head in disbelief.
"I know, you're right. But it seems that the original publishing company was a small enterprise which was on the verge of going bust, and the Volturis just bought it for a song. It was apparently regarded as the perfect front for money laundering—I mean, who the hell was going to suspect a seemingly respectable publisher? They ran it at a loss, despite millions of dollars' worth of business, which has now got the IRS involved as well, looking into what's probably going to be a multi-million dollar tax fraud.
"So there you have it, Edward," Emmett concluded. "On top of all that, under the Securities Exchange Act, the stock purchased by Jane through one of those suspect holding companies has been deemed to have been illegally obtained, rendering the deal null and void."
"Which means…?" Edward queried.
"Which means, my friend, that the stock reverts to Swan Publishing Inc," he said with a grin.
"Not to the original shareholders?" Bella asked.
"Nope. As they received the full value of the stock in good faith—money which can't be specifically identified as being the proceeds of criminal activity—they no longer have any title over the stock; therefore, it has to be returned to the company."
Edward grinned at Emmett and then turned to Bella, who returned his smile. Kissing her quickly on the mouth, he transferred his attention back to his friend.
"That's fantastic news, Em, just fantastic. I can't thank you enough for stepping in—"
"Can it, Edward, it's what friends do. I don't want your thanks. Besides, I have a vested interest now in what happens, and, in all honesty, I've enjoyed the last few weeks more than I could ever have imagined. Beats corporate law down on Wall Street any day, and I'll be sorry to go back. In fact, I wish I had some more vacation time so I could persuade you both to leave me in charge more often."
He laughed, but stopped when he saw Edward and Bella exchange a look.
"What? Listen, don't mind me, I didn't mean to imply—"
Edward held up his hand.
"It's okay, Em. As a matter of fact… well, Bella and I have been talking, and… are you serious about getting out of corporate law?"
Emmett looked at Rose, who shrugged.
"I don't know, Edward. I mean, yeah, I guess, now that I've got some money, and a stake in SP… well, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought about it. Why?"
"Well, the truth is, Em, Rose, I don't think I'm going to be back in New York for a while…" he held up his hand again to forestall any interruption. "Bella's starting college in the fall and she's bought a house in Cambridge—so I'm going to move in with her there."
He looked at Bella, squeezing her hand and smiling. Turning back, he glanced between Emmett and Rose, who were looking a little bemused.
"So, the fact is that I'm going to step down as CEO of the New York business and I'm going to need someone I can trust to step into my shoes. Mike Newton's a great CFO, but he'd be the first to admit that he'd make a lousy CEO. So, if you're serious about wanting to spend more time at SP… well, I can't think of a better man for the job."
Emmett stared at Edward and then at Bella, who smiled warmly at him, nodding. Then, he looked at Rose, who had a broad grin on her face.
"You okay with this, babe?"
"Are you kidding me, Bear? I think it's a fantastic idea."
"But, would you… I mean, would you carry on as my assistant? Do you think we can work together long-term?"
Edward spoke up before Rose could reply.
"Well, that's the other thing, Em. Rose is much more than my assistant—she already practically runs this place when I'm not around. I'd… well, actually Bella had the idea, and we would like to create a new position as Senior Vice President, working directly under you, taking responsibility for all day-to-day operational matters, leaving you to deal with corporate affairs and expanding the business. What do you say?"
Rose's mouth had dropped open. "Seriously, Edward?"
"Seriously, Rose. You'd finally get to put that business degree that you keep banging on about to good use," he grinned.
She turned to the man beside her. "Bear?"
He laughed and threw his arms around her, kissing her soundly on the mouth. Then he turned back to Edward and Bella.
"We'll do it, man. We're in."
They all got up, and started hugging each other, although this time Emmett managed to remember that his friends were still a little fragile.
"Dinner on us tonight," he claimed, as soon as they had all broken apart, and Rose went off to make a reservation at Le Bernadin on 51st Street.
~o0o~
The rest of the week went by in a haze of paperwork and meetings, as arrangements were put in place for Edward's resignation as CEO, and Emmett worked on extricating himself from his employers, Schonfeld & Weinstein. At the same time, Bella was given full access to all discussions and meetings, which she found utterly fascinating and diverting.
Nevertheless, she still managed to get some shopping done, wanting to make sure she had something to wear to her birthday party on the 17th.
She and Edward had decided that with a big party being planned for the weekend after her birthday, it would be nice for the two of them to spend the actual day together, just the two of them. However, when Rose discovered that it was her birthday the following Tuesday, she managed to persuade Bella that it was absolutely incumbent upon her to celebrate en masse, or, at least, with herself and Emmett.
"Emmett's practically your brother-in-law, you can't not invite him to celebrate your coming of age—even if you still need fake ID to buy a drink here. However… it is legal for you to consume alcohol in the privacy of your home… or our home."
Bella laughed. "But I don't know if Edward's got anything planned, Rose."
"I'll take care of it," she replied, whipping out her phone.
In the end, Rose got her way, as Bella suspected she would, opting to host a dinner party for the four of them. However, at the last minute, on bumping into Angela at the office, Bella invited her and her fiancé, Ben, telling Rose to suck it up, as it was her idea.
She and Edward spent a quiet day on the Sunday, watching the various newscasts and programmes covering the tenth anniversary of 9/11, leaving them in a somewhat sombre mood. Later, as he did every year, Edward called Emmett, who had lost a number of friends and colleagues that ghastly and unforgettable day. Bella left him to talk to his friend, busying herself making dinner. She, of course, had been just a child in 2001, and she couldn't help thinking about the fact that her parents had still been alive then, her heart aching for all those who had lost loved ones.
When Edward finished his call, they ate dinner and spent the rest of the evening in quiet reflection, just holding one another—something that was probably happening in many homes across New York.
~o0o~
Tuesday 13 September 2011
"Bella."
The soft, velvety voice in her ear made her squirm a little in her sleep, but she didn't wake up.
"Bella."
Now she could feel something hard poking her in the back and she frowned as her sleep-addled brain tried to convince her she'd left a shoe in the bed.
"Hey, wake up, beautiful."
Goosebumps sprang up across her skin, as a large hand encased her left breast, before sliding down, down, down to… ohhhhh!
"Edward, mmmmmmh," she sighed, as his fingers slid inside her and she found herself automatically moving her leg back over his in order to give him more room. Instinctively, she moved rhythmically against his hand.
Panting softly, she turned her head, her half-open, dark eyes finding his, which were like two sparkling emeralds.
He leaned over her shoulder and captured her top lip, sucking it in gently, then repeating the gesture with her bottom lip, all the while rubbing insistently at her rapidly-swelling clit.
"Mmmmmh… oh, God, yes, just like th—oh my God, oh, fuck, Edward…" Bella's ability to form coherent sentences evaporated then, as she climaxed swiftly and comprehensively.
"Happy birthday, beautiful girl."
Bella could hear the smile in his voice, and as he pulled his fingers from her, she turned in his arms and kissed him. She pushed her hands into the hair at the nape of his neck, encouraging him to roll on top of her. Without preamble, she opened her legs, allowing him to settle between them and slip inside her wet, welcoming body.
The night before, they had pretty much fucked one another senseless, but this morning it was slow and gentle and so very tender. When they came, it was with smiles and soft moans, rather than the gasping, screaming passion of the dark and quiet hours before dawn.
Spent, Edward looked down at his lovely wife, and silently thanked whatever deity or karmic force was responsible for letting him have her and, more importantly, keep her.
"Mmmmh, best birthday present ever," she sighed, letting her fingers trail down his back.
"I love you, Bella," he whispered, kissing her lightly.
"Yep, and so you bloody should—I'm a catch."
He laughed, which caused his softening cock to slip out of her. He rolled onto his back, pulling her with him, his arms wrapped securely around her.
"A catch, huh? How so?"
"Well, I've got squillions of pounds, a fab des. res. in Cambridge, and I am hot… like, smoking hot! Crikey, with the luck you're having, you should buy a lottery ticket."
She struggled to get the last words out, as Edward's laughter was vibrating through her and making her head bounce on his chest.
"Dez-rez? What the hell is that?" he chuckled.
Bella rolled her eyes. "Duh—desirable residence? And out of that sentence, that's what you got?" She slapped his chest and went to pull away, but he held her fast.
"Hey, where do you think you're going, birthday girl? I haven't finished with you yet."
And indeed, he hadn't.
~o0o~
Later—much later—Edward disappeared to the kitchen for an inordinate amount of time, insisting that Bella remain in bed. Eventually, just as she was starting to doze off again, the bedroom door crashed open as Edward manhandled a large tray into the room and over to the bed, a sheepish grin on his face.
Bella looked down at the tray as he put it on the bed beside her. "Wow, that's… impressive." She looked from the tray to Edward and back again, taking in the veritable mountain of food he had set before her. Apart from a large plate of scrambled eggs, there was a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, four giant strawberries, buttered wholewheat toast, a miniature jar of English marmalade, two tumblers of freshly-squeezed orange juice, a small pot of tea with a cup and saucer and a jug of milk, and a big mug of black coffee, which was obviously Edward's.
Bella stared at it as he manoeuvred himself back into bed with the tray between them. Then he picked up a fork and proceeded to feed Bella and himself, smirking as she opened her mouth in readiness for each forkful of eggs. Then, when the eggs were gone, she made him laugh out loud when she made exaggerated noises of satisfaction whilst munching on her cereal.
But his smile faded, turning to something far darker, when he held a strawberry to her mouth and she bit into it. Juice ran down her chin and dripped onto her chest, but she made no move to wipe it away. Pretty soon they were both doing things with the fruit that would render it inedible, and not long after that the tray ended up being moved onto the floor, whilst Edward ended up on—and in—Bella.
It was almost mid-day when Bella was awoken from a lovely dream, and allowed herself to be led, naked, into the bathroom, where Edward had drawn her a deep, bubbly bath. Helping her in, he left her to settle, returning a couple of minutes later to find her, head back, with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. He was carrying a bottle of Cristal champagne and two fluted glasses, which he set down on the side of the bath, along with a small, gift-wrapped package.
"Hey, beautiful, scootch up," he whispered, watching her smile and open her eyes slowly. She slid forward and Edward stripped off his boxers and climbed in behind her, pulling her back against his chest, while the hot water sloshed and settled around them. She had twisted her hair up and secured it on top of her head, and he indulged himself by kissing the nape of her neck several times, making her shiver. Twisting round, he filled the two glasses and handed one to Bella, which she chinked against his.
"Happy birthday, my love," he said softly into her ear. She turned her head and he leaned forward to kiss her, before they sipped at their drinks. They were quiet for a moment, and then Edward put his glass down and took Bella's from her hand to set that down as well. He picked up the small package which he had brought with him and held it in front of her.
Bella looked down and took the box from him, turning again to kiss him.
"Ooh, I love presents," she told him, ripping the paper excitedly, to reveal a red leather box with gold tooling, and the word 'Cartier' picked out, also in gold. She was immediately transported back to that day when, on her eleventh birthday, Edward had given her a Cartier name-bracelet. She still had it, packed away amongst all her things at Jessica's, too small to wear but still so precious.
Her eyes filled with tears and she wondered if he'd remembered and bought her a new one, one that would fit. Or perhaps it was a locket with his picture inside, or a strand of his beautiful hair. Then again, he could have bought her earrings, or even a belly button ring.
She was unaware that she was just staring at the box, until she felt Edward's lips against her ear.
"You do know that the box isn't the present, love… that you have to open the box to get to it?"
He kissed her jaw and she could feel his smile against her skin. He leaned forward and rested his chin on her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her waist. She only had to turn her head a little to kiss his cheek, before returning her attention to the small red box.
Cupping her left hand underneath it, she grasped the lid in her right and pulled it open. The sight which greeted her caused her to gasp aloud, all the air seeming to leave her lungs.
"Edward…" she whispered, her voice choking as she continued to stare at the contents.
He unwound his arms from around her and reached in front of her to take the box from her unresponsive hands. She watched as he took hold of the curved, diamond-encrusted, white metal wedding band with his long, elegant fingers. Setting the box on the side of the bath, he then took her left hand in his and with his right, slid the ring onto the third finger. It fit perfectly.
Bella bit her lip, as she tracked his every movement with her eyes.
He picked up the box again, and removed the second ring, again in white metal, with a large, round, multi-faceted diamond solitaire, with diamonds set into the shank. Again, he took her hand and placed the ring on her third finger where it exactly matched and fitted against the wedding ring.
Edward held her hand up, away from them, so they could both admire the rings. It was only then that Bella noticed the white metal ring on the third finger of Edward's left hand where he held hers.
She sniffed loudly, and the tears she had held at bay finally spilled over and down her cheeks.
"I love you, Bella… so very much," he told her, his voice soft and a little husky against her neck. "I should have done this in Vegas, or, at the very least, the moment we got back to New York, and I will never forgive myself for being such an idiot and for all the hurt I caused."
Bella pulled her hand from his and swivelled round on her knees, causing soapy water to splash over the lip of the bath onto the tiled floor.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she crashed her mouth to his in a passionate kiss. Edward responded immediately, their tongues stroking and tangling with one another. For a long minute, all that could be heard was the ragged sound of the two lovers as they desperately breathed through their noses, together with the glug and splash of the bath water.
Edward moaned as Bella's thigh rubbed against his cock, which lay hard and heavy between them. He broke the kiss, pulling back from her a little.
"So, you like the rings, then," he asked, breathing heavily.
Bella nodded, her eyes wide and shining. "I like yours even better," she said.
He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Really?"
"Absolutely. Now everyone can see that you're taken… that you're mine."
He reached a hand up and stroked his thumb across her cheek. "God, I love the sound of that."
"Me, too," she told him, raising herself up a little and reaching down to wrap her fingers around him, guiding him to her entrance and then sinking down. Their mutual groans of pleasure were accompanied by the splash of yet more water cascading over the side of the bath. The lovers moved slowly, almost lazily, building gradually to their climaxes, which washed over them simultaneously, much like the warm, soap-softened bath water.
~o0o~
Needless to say, they were late arriving at Rose and Emmett's, which earned them some knowing looks and a lot of ribbing from Emmett. It didn't take long, however, for Rose and Angela to spot Bella's new jewellery, which caused gasps and tears of delight from the women, and scowls from the men.
Edward merely smirked, his impersonation of the cat that got the cream and the pussy absolutely pitch-perfect.
As for Bella, well, the sight of all the beautifully wrapped gifts made her glad she had let Rose talk her into this—and, truth be told—her poor, over-worked vaj was happy for the respite, no matter how brief.
Sitting on the couch next to Edward, she extracted her right hand from his tight grip, and took the package held out by Rose. She unwrapped it slowly, relishing the moment, until she revealed a beautiful brown leather Valentino handbag with a chain shoulder strap, which elicited a squeal of delight.
"Oh, Rose, it's gorgeous. Thank you so much."
Edward rolled his eyes, wondering, not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, just how many purses one woman needed.
Emmett picked up a gift from the coffee table and handed it to Bella with a smile.
"Here ya go, Bells—a proper gift that you can use." He smirked at Rose's scowl.
Bella pursed her lips at him. "I will so use this bag, Emmett. I mean, look at it… it's Valentino!"
Edward chuckled, the implied but unspoken 'duh' at the end of that sentence completely clear to everyone.
She ripped the paper from Emmett's gift, revealing a Mont Blanc box, inside of which was a beautiful black lacquer and platinum rollerball pen. The lacquer was grooved, making it feel like an old-fashioned vinyl record, and Bella then noticed the 'John Lennon Special Edition' legend on the box.
"Wow, Em, this is beautiful. Thank you, big man."
"Well, I thought, John Lennon was British, you're British…"
She laughed. "Yeah, Lennon and me… so much in common! Seriously, though, Emmett, I love it." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek, making him grin from ear to ear.
Then Angela handed Bella her gift. "This is from me and Ben. I hope you like it, but if you don't we can get you something else."
Bella smiled as she took the proffered gift. "I'm sure I'll love it, Angela—and, really, you didn't have to."
Angela waved her hand dismissively as Bella unwrapped her last present. Inside was a square box sporting the Vivien Westwood logo, and inside was a watch. It was made of satin stainless steel, inset with tortoiseshell, and a tortoiseshell bezel surrounding a silver face with the Westwood signature curved heart.
"Oh my God, Angela—"
"Um, we had it engraved on the back," Angela murmured, pointing.
Bella turned it around to read the back, which read: To Bella, with love, Angela & Ben – 09.13.2011
Eyes welling, she looked up at her two new friends, giving them a shaky smile.
"Thank you, both of you, it's… oh, Angela, it's beautiful," she said softly, her voice breaking. She hugged them both and then sat back, holding the watch out to Edward to fasten around her wrist.
As Rose announced dinner and led the way into the dining room, Bella paused in the doorway and slipped her arms around Edward. Looking up at him, she reached up on tiptoe in order to brush her lips against his.
He smiled down at her, his eyes a vibrant green. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"
"Because I love you, and I'm so happy I could burst. This has been the best birthday ever."
He kissed her again, harder and deeper than before, only breaking off when Emmett yelled at them to 'either get your asses to the table or get a room!'
~o0o~
As the anniversary of Bella's birth finally passed, tipping over into the early hours of her nineteenth year, she lay in Edward's arms, her left hand resting on his chest, gazing at the elegant rings on her finger.
"You're sure you like them, B?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Bella glanced up at his strikingly handsome face and smiled. "I love them, Edward, they're beautiful… absolutely perfect," she breathed.
They were silent for a minute or two, as Bella's fingers traced meaningless patterns on his chest. After a while, she looked up at him, only to meet two very pensive green eyes staring intently back at her.
"What's got you looking so serious?"
He sighed, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling and running his free hand through his hair.
"I just wish…"
She raised herself up on one elbow, frowning at him.
"What? Tell me, Edward."
He looked at her, then looked away again.
"I wish I could take back that awful wedding. I wish we could have done it properly, with you in a beautiful white dress, walking up the aisle—"
Bella pressed a finger to his lips.
"I don't care about any of that, Edward. And if I can't have my father walk me down the aisle, then I don't really want to do it. I just want to be married to you, and I am. The why and the how simply don't matter. All that really matters is that we're here, now, bloodied but unbowed, and that we love each other—it's all I'll ever want, Edward; the rest is just window dressing."
He pushed himself up and rolled Bella onto her back, hovering over her. "God, I love you, Bella Cullen," he growled, before kissing her hard and deep.
~o0o~
Saturday 17 September 2011
The day of Bella's birthday party dawned clear and bright—a wonderful example of a late English summer's day. She and Edward had arrived in Buckinghamshire the evening before, sharing a fun and noisy dinner with Jessica's and Lauren's families. All eight bedrooms were in use, as well as the accommodation over the stables, where several of their school friends were staying. Still more were housed at local hotels and pubs.
Bella had chased Edward out of the bedroom when it became clear she would never manage to get dressed or make it to breakfast if he remained in the room with her. Having had her before they got up, then in the shower, and again, bent over the dresser while she looked for underwear, he finally allowed himself to be pushed out the door.
When Bella finally descended the stairs to the entrance hall, she immediately noticed the front door was flung wide and a number of people seemed to be milling about in the driveway. Puzzled, she was standing on the last step when Edward made his way indoors, some papers in one hand and what looked like a set of keys in the other.
As he came through the door he looked up and saw Bella standing on the stairs, and a big grin erupted across his face.
"Hey, beautiful. That's what I call perfect timing."
He walked up to her and held his hand out for her to take, which she did without hesitation, giving him a quizzical smile.
At that moment, Jessica and Lauren burst through the door, their eyes bright with excitement. The moment they saw Bella, they stopped dead in their tracks, emitting loud squeals. However, before they could say a word, Edward held up a warning finger, giving them a stern look, which silenced them both, their eyes wide and mouths dropping open. He grinned at them and then turned to an increasingly bewildered Bella. With her hand still in his, he pulled her to him and kissed her lightly on the lips. Then, letting go of her hand, he held the papers out behind him and, without taking his eyes from Bella's, asked the girls to hold onto them for him, at the same time slipping the keys into the pocket of his jeans. From the other pocket he withdrew a bright, multi-coloured silk scarf.
Bella's brows knitted together as she looked at the vividly hued piece of material.
"What's that?" she asked suspiciously.
Edward smirked at her. "Trust me?"
Her eyes came back to his. "I suppose…" she replied warily.
"Turn around."
Hesitantly, she complied, then gasped as she felt Edward loop the scarf over her head and then secure it across her eyes, knotting it behind her. It wasn't tight, but it effectively rendered her blind and she put her hands up to move it.
"Ah, ah, don't touch. It's just for a minute, B, so please, humour me."
He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her back to face him. She felt him lean into her, his nose gliding across her cheek until she felt his breath against her ear.
"Hmm, I rather like you like this. Perhaps we should try this again… in private," he murmured, making a shiver of pure desire ripple through her entire body, causing her nipples to harden painfully and a gush of arousal to dampen her underwear.
He chuckled, fully aware of the effect he was having on her. Then he wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her towards the door.
"Where are we going?"
"Just outside for a couple of minutes, my love. Here, mind the step… that's it, one down, two…" He counted her down to the bottom of the steps and then stopped her.
Bella could hear excited whispering going on around her and a lot of giggling, but the only person she was tuned into was Edward.
"Happy birthday, my beautiful wife. I love you very much."
She turned towards him. "But… it's not my birth—"
At that moment, he pulled the scarf up and away from her eyes, and Bella turned to look around. There in the drive was a brand new, metallic blue Mini Cooper.
There were squeals and the sound of people clapping, but Bella only had eyes for one person.
"What… Edward… what is this?" she gasped, utterly bemused.
"It's your birthday present, love," he told her, an enormous grin on his face.
"But… but my rings—"
"Are something I should have given you when we got married. This, my beautiful girl, is for your eighteenth birthday. But if you don't want it…"
"What? No… yes… of course I want it. Oh my God, Edward!"
She threw her arms around his neck and showered his face with kisses.
He pulled the keys out of his pocket, and, with one last kiss on her mouth, he pulled back.
"So, wanna take me for a ride, beautiful?" he asked softly… lasciviously.
Bella laughed. "Ooh, wanna see if you can shag me in the back seat of a Mini, Edward? How 1960s of you. I'll probably have to hang my legs out the windows on either side!"
There was laughter from behind, and Bella blushed to her roots as she remembered that they weren't alone. She buried her face in his chest, but was unable to keep it there due to his own laughter.
She swung round to face the assembled group, comprising her school friends, Jessica's parents, brothers and their friends, and Lauren's parents. Her face still ablaze, she made a shooing motion at them.
"Bugger off, you lot, I want to thank my husband properly for his brilliant birthday present."
With laughs and a few cat-calls, they all started drifting away, some back into the house and others to the stables and grounds.
Turning back, Bella slipped her hands into the hair at the back of Edward's neck and pulled him down for a long, positively sizzling kiss. As soon as she felt him harden against her hip, she pulled away and snatched the keys from his unresponsive hand.
"Come on, then, let's go for that ride," she laughed.
~o0o~
The party was in full swing, as Bella slipped away from the dance floor to make her way out of the open doors of the Orangery, leading to the rear of the Manor. From round the corner, she could hear laughter and the clink of glasses coming from the pool area, but here it was cool and relatively quiet. She sat down on the edge of one of the large planters surrounding the patio area, bracing her hands on either side of her and tipping her head back.
"Hey, my little swamp duck, whatcha doin'?"
Bella turned towards the voice and smiled.
"Hey, Jizz."
Her friend sat down beside her on the planter, and for a minute they were both quiet, letting the beat of the music coming from inside the house fill the silence.
"So, Bell, are you having fun?"
Bella looked at her dearest friend and smiled warmly. "I'm having the best time, Jess. Thank you so much for this."
Jessica knocked her shoulder against Bella's, shaking her head. "My pleasure, dollface. Besides, mummy did all the hard work," she laughed.
"I know that's not true. Anyway, where's Lobz?" Bella looked around Jess to try and peer inside the orangery.
"Ugh, she's playing tonsil tennis with Xander, would you believe? Eww, it's disgusting!" She gave a mock shudder and then grinned at Bella. "I swear, if she tries to get her leg over in my bedroom with my own brother, I will make her wear nipple clamps for a week!"
The two girls laughed, and rested their heads together. After a moment, Jessica reached over and picked up Bella's left hand, rubbing her thumb over Bella's wedding and engagement rings.
"These are gorgeous, Bell."
Bella simply nodded, as they both sat for a moment regarding her hand.
"He loves you so much, Bella," Jessica said, her voice full of quiet sincerity. "He can hardly keep his hands off you and when you're away from him, his eyes follow you everywhere."
Bella dropped her hand and looked at Jess, her eyes a little glassy. "Oh, Jess, I love him so much that sometimes it hurts… you know? It's like… I don't know… like in Jane Eyre, when Rochester says there's a string tying their hearts together… it feels like that, and if I go too far, the string pulls and I have to get back to him before it starts to hurt too much."
"Wow, that's… God, I hope I find that one day."
Bella grabbed her friend's hand and squeezed it. "You will, sweetie, I'm sure."
"You know, you two should get married again, or, like, have a blessing or something."
"Ugh, neither of us are religious, and I already told Edward that without Daddy to walk me down the aisle, I'm not bothered."
"But you could have a… what's it called? You know, like a non-religious thing. Um… oh, a renewal of your wedding vows? And then you could walk down the aisle together… or not even have an aisle."
"Now, there's an idea!"
Both girls looked round at the sound of Edward's rich, velvety tones, as he exited the house to join them on the terrace.
Jessica put her arm round Bella's shoulders, squeezing her, then kissed her on the cheek. Getting up, she put her hand lightly on Edward's arm, smiling up at him, before going back into the orangery to rejoin the party.
"Hey, sweet girl, I was wondering where you were. Are you okay?" he asked softly, coming to stand in front of her and holding his hand out.
Bella smiled up at him, taking his hand and letting him pull her to her feet.
"I'm so much better than okay, my love. I just needed to cool down a bit."
"Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?" he asked, clasping their joined hands to his heart and slipping his other hand around her waist so he could pull her closer.
They started swaying gently to the music coming from the house and Bella rested her head against his chest, her free hand sliding up around his neck and into his hair.
"Hmmm, yes, I think you may have mentioned it a couple of times," she smiled.
"You know, I rather like Jessica's idea."
Bella lifted her head to look up at him. "Really?"
"Yes, really."
Suddenly he moved away from her and, still holding on to her left hand, he dropped to one knee, as Bella's mouth fell open and her eyes widened in surprise.
"Isabella Marie Swan Cullen, I love you with every fibre… every molecule of my being, and I promise to love you every minute of every hour of every day until I die. Will you please, please marry me… again?"
His eyes, intense and dark in the half-light cast by the orangery lights and the garden lanterns, never left hers for a second.
For a long moment, Bella was transfixed above him, before, mindless of the hard concrete, she knelt down in front of him, drawing their clasped hands to her breast, whilst her other hand cupped his cheek.
"Oh, Edward, I will never, ever stop loving you. Of course I'll marry you… or renew our vows… or whatever the hell you want." Her voice broke on the last word, as tears welled up and spilled down her face.
As Edward wrapped his arms round his wife, he realised he, too, was crying. But it didn't matter. Their tears combined as their lips met in a kiss full of happiness and emotion. Neither of them noticed the people pouring out onto the patio and applauding, lost in each other as they were.
In Edward's arms, Bella knew she would always feel safe and loved, cherished, whole.
And in Bella's arms, Edward knew he had found his home, his heart, his reason for living.
END NOTES:
I hope no one is offended by the mention of the 9/11 anniversary. The time period specifically covers that date, and I felt it would be disrespectful to gloss over it while they were in New York – it was far too major and important an event to ignore.
You can find all the visuals, including Bella's birthday presents, posted in my Facebook group (FB URL followed by /groups/417364658302809/) or on my story blog, a link to which is posted on my FFn profile.