Cherry blows raspberries. Imagine how all of the blueberries feel.

Mia just uses a lot of "W's" for Aww. It's not even a real word, Spork killer.

Readers- I'm crying right now, b/c I can't handle you leaving me tomorrow. So, here... *thrusts chapter your way and bawls in the corner*

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Forgiveness and Forever

"Say it."

"I don't wanna."

"Say it."

Refusal. Denial. Absolute defiance.

They cover my skin, his treachery and sneakiness.

I thought we were past this–past the lies and past the dishonesty.

It bounces back like a seesaw, however, hitting me in the face.

The truth hurts.

His doing this behind my back and then throwing it in my face? It's unforgiveable.

"I'm not fucking around, Dimples. Say it."

I can't deny him.

"Your cake is better than mine."

He smiles gleefully, cheering like no grown man ever should. He gallops around, pretending to slap an invisible behind.

"You see this? That's me, smacking that cake lovin' ass."

I despise him for it.

I don't know how he does it, how I win the battles but he conquers the wars. I savor another bite of his hazelnut marble dessert, hating him from within.

"Tell me you love it." He doesn't stop. He uses his prettiness and jade eyes to seduce me. Cadillac's lips linger just below my ear as I lick the frosting off my fingers.

"I fucking love it." It spurs him on, me eating his food. Or it may be the way my tongue runs over each individual limb.

"Of course you do." He lifts me up on his kitchen counter and I wrap my legs around his waist. He leaves no breathing room between us, sucking in my air as his own. "Our love is like your cakes. They last forever. And ever. They literally will not die."

I playfully push against his broad shoulders. "Shut up. One of these days I'm going to bake something everyone will eat."

"Everyone does eat your cakes–that's the problem," he jokes.

"I meant they'll eat them and not throw them up. You'll see, just you wait."

"Uh huh." Cadillac buries his head in my chest. "While you're waiting to prove the world wrong, I'm just going to stay here. It's comfy."

"What about your business?"

"I'll quit."

"I have school."

"You're already smart." He fondles me roughly, pushing and squeezing my breasts together. "Look at 'em. Do you see these?"

"They're mine, so, yeah," I reply sarcastically. "I've taken a peek."

"They're like water balloons." He bounces them simultaneously until I smack his hands away.

"What are you, twelve?" I push him to the side and jump off the counter's edge. "'Sides, I don't have time to fool around. I've got to get home for supper."

Cadillac pouts and reaches up, patting the stubble on his face. "Cheer up. We can hang out tomorrow. Fun Saturdays and all that jazz."

"Can't you spend the night? I'm lonely. I'm a lonely man, just me and my right hand."

I giggle and grab my purse from his kitchen table. "You'll survive. I told you, I can't afford to buy my own place right now, so I'm stuck living at Daddy's. And I think I owe him some time."

"But-"

I sigh, 'cause I know where this conversation is headed. It's been moving in the wrong direction for weeks and I have yet to divert him.

"Don't even go there. I'm not living here and freeloading off of you. That's what fathers are for."

"One day, Dimples, I'm gonna make you all mine. Tell Charlie his days are numbered."

I remind him of Daddy's gun collection.

"Never mind," he says, swallowing in panic. "Don't tell him shit."

Oh, but I am.

And when I do, I'll be the one laughing from here to Kansas.

.

.

.

"Daddy, get off the phone…"

"Uh huh … yes siree … won't know what hit her."

"Daddy!"

"Uh huh. Tomorrow? All right…"

"Charles Swan!"

I nudge Daddy's soft belly with my pointer finger. "C'mon, supper's ready."

Daddy holds the phone down to his chest. "Go set the table, baby girl. I'm coming."

Huffing, I turn on my bare feet and walk to the kitchen. Taking my time, I divide up the baked chicken, string beans, and macaroni and cheese. After I pour glasses of sweet tea, Daddy finally walks in, smiling like a buffoon.

"Who was that?" I ask, my curiosity getting the best of me.

Daddy takes a seat across from me, spreading out a napkin.

"Someone from work," he says nonchalantly. "So, how is school going?"

The both of us are so busy we rarely get a chance to see each other, much less talk. "Fine. Emmett McCarty is in all of my classes, so it's nice to have a friend to study with."

"Peter's boy?" he asks.

I nod. Emmett's still not really enrolled in school, but Cadillac gave him a car and now Emmett feels like it's his duty to walk around with me. I don't mind so much, and it's kind of fun having him keep me company.

Even if he is a pathological liar.

Emmett told me Cadillac doesn't know what he's talkin' about and Heidi Saunders ain't no lawyer. He said Cadillac just tells himself that to make up for how horrible he made her feel that one day we blackmailed her in the barn.

Emmett backtracked on his story and told me she got eaten by a polar bear in the Artic on an expedition trip.

I don't know what to believe anymore.

"Tomorrow is Esme's birthday," Daddy says between bites.

"Oh!" I feel bad, 'cause I've missed so many already. "I ain't know that. I should get her a gift."

"No need," Daddy says quickly. "I got her something. But we're clearing out the showroom at the dealership tomorrow, so we gotta be there at seven sharp."

"All right. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"You better not," Daddy says, winking.

I roll my eyes at him and take another bite of my green beans. "Daddy, have you heard from Alice? I stopped by her parents' house and won't nobody there."

Daddy shrugs, taking a sip of his tea. "I haven't talked to her in months."

"Is she in school? Does she work somewhere?"

"I don't know, baby girl. Wherever she is, give her time. She came by the house almost every day for an entire year when you were gone. She's hurt, honey. Probably figures you didn't want to be her friend anymore. You went through a lot, Bella, but so did the people you left behind."

I nod, understanding. Not everyone is like the Cullens or my Daddy. I can't expect the world to forgive me just 'cause they had. I don't blame her; I just miss her.

"All right."

Daddy glances at me with pity. "Why don't we go catch a movie? I heard about a great one on Twitter."

I frown, pushing my eyebrows together. "What's Twitter?"

Daddy shakes his head. "Bella, you've got to get out more."

I disagree.

I didn't want to face books and go around twittering anything.

Nope. I didn't fancy those activities–not one bit.

.

.

.

"Whaddya think?"

Daddy whistles and spins me around with one hand. "You're beautiful, Bella."

I glance down, touching the soft feathered hem and watching the twinkle of the cream sparkled bodice catch in the light. It's one thing to be told you're a princess, but it's another to feel like one. My gold strappy heels hurt just the slightest, but they're worth it.

"It's not too much?" I ask, hesitating. Daddy and I had driven to Seattle earlier that day to get a new gown. He said Esme's birthday was a formal affair, and I didn't want to be out of place. Cadillac would have gone, but he said was busy and didn't have time.

I miss him some kind of awful.

"It's perfect."

Even Daddy looks handsome in his dark suit. He helps me pull on a sand colored coat for the chilly September weather. Daddy grabs his keys and we head out, singing and laughing the entire way. When we finally reach the dealership, it's almost completely dark inside except for a soft light that glows from the windows.

I'm thinking we're late, but the clock on the dashboard reads 6:58. Crap, maybe everybody was already hiding.

I bet it's gonna be like the movies, where Daddy and I walk in and everyone yells surprise, only to be disappointed that it's just us.

I snicker internally.

"Ready, baby girl?"

"Yep!" I'm excited and I know Esme is going to be in shock. Daddy parks his vehicle and holds my hand as we walk to the front doors.

"I love you, Bella," he says softly, his eyes watering.

"I love you too." Look at him, getting all emotional. If he cries like that in front of Esme, she'll lose it. Bawling babies.

The second we step inside, Daddy pulls my coat off and tosses it over his arm. He helps me navigate through the dimly lit room, which is only lit up with Christmas lights and a trail of candles

A familiar smell penetrates my nostrils and when I look closer, I realize why.

It's wildflowers and they're everywhere.

As soon as the door clicks behind us, soft music from a stereo turns on.

It's Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years".

I'd know this song anywhere. It's one of the many Cadillac pretended he could play on the guitar.

Heart beats fast

Colors and promises

How to be brave?

How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?

But watching you stand alone,

All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow…

Daddy kisses me on the cheek, and when I turn to glance at him in confusion I notice a soft light from the corner of my eye.

I inhale sharply.

It's not a stereo.

One step closer…

Cadillac, my Cadillac, is sitting on a chair, gazing at me with the most loving eyes, playing the guitar. He belts out the lyrics, and on the outside of the circle of lights are all of my family and friends.

Everyone. Jasper. Emmett and Rose. Emily. Jess and Tyler. Even Heidi Saunders beams at me genuinely and gives a small wave.

But it's the sight of Alice that makes me gasp as tears fall from my eyes.

I have died everyday waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you

For a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

A background piano version finishes the instrumental as Cadillac lays down the guitar and gets down on one knee.

My feet feel like lead when I walk closer to him. Daddy joins Carlisle and Esme and squeezes her shoulder.

I tremble as Cadillac grasps my hands. I look down at him in awe, crying uncontrollably. "Dimples, I love you more than words can express. You are my life, my absolute world. There's not another person on this entire Earth I love more."

Cadillac. That's not even a real name.

"Since the day I met you, I'm a changed person. You've made me better. You've made me complete."

"How come I don't know you?" I ask. He sighs in response. "That's 'cause you haven't been looking."

"I want to spend forever holding you in my arms, treating you like the queen that you are."

"Kissin' is like catching raindrops, Dimples. By the time we're done, you'll see all the colors of the rainbow."

"Most people don't get to experience this much joy in their entire lifetime, but you gave me mine one day at an ice cream stand. It was the best day of my life."

"I don't know where you're leading me to, but it feels like home."

"I ain't perfect, but I'll try my best to be. I'll be your best friend, your lover, and the only one you'll ever need."

"You're just a baby bird, fluttering her wings."

"Your love makes me whole, baby. So please, in front of all of our family and friends, please say that you will…"

"What if I can't hold steady, like you said?" Cadillac pauses. "You don't need water for that, Dimples. It means you were already drowning."

"Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"But it's just one flower," I complain.

"I gotta save the rest, baby bird. I'm gonna need 'em for the rest of our lives."

I wrap my arms around him, kissing him with the only word that would ever leave my lips.

"Yes."