A/N:

This week has been all kinds of crazy (I'll tell you more about it at the bottom) but your reviews has helped me through and kept me balanced!

Now, let's get into this because I know you want to know what will happen!

Title: Love is Strange

Author: MarieCarro

Beta: Alice's White Rabbit

Pre-reader: LunaEclipse

Genre: Friendship/Romance/Drama

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Bella Swan and Edward Cullen live in the small town of Ligonier in Pennsylvania. They've been best friends since they were six years old, and not much can keep them apart. Bella wants to leave small-town life behind, while Edward is fine with whatever, but that's not the only complication in their relationship. What happens when they fall in love … with each other?

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 23

SEEMINGLY OUT OF NOWHERE

Bella took one last sweep of the room before she left and went downstairs to check out. The three days she'd spent in Manchester, Vermont, hadn't provided her with as much clarity as she'd wished. She'd hoped getting away from the city environment and being by herself would help her think—Emmett had also thought it was a good idea—but she didn't feel much closer to making a decision.

Thinking of Edward made her feel warm inside, and her heart always beat faster, but breaking up with George and hurting him in the process made her feel physically nauseous, and it hadn't exactly helped when he relentlessly called her.

Eventually, she felt that she didn't have a choice but to answer the phone, and she told him where she was and that he didn't need to worry. He didn't ask for an explanation for her sudden disappearance, but something in his voice made Bella believe he already knew.

It wouldn't have surprised her if Emmett told Rosalie, who most likely would have told George.

The important thing she took from the conversation was that he said she didn't have to rush back. Whenever she felt ready to return, he'd be there.

His consideration had certainly not made things easier for her, and a part of her almost wished he'd been a jerk about it so she'd have a reason to leave him. But, no. Instead, he was the sweetest, most understanding boyfriend, and it killed Bella.

In her desperation for answers and advise—since Emmett hadn't provided her with anything more elaborate than the choice was only hers to make—Bella had even gone so far as to call her dad.

"What the hell am I gonna do, Dad?" she had sobbed to him, locked inside her rented room of the B&B. "I never imagined myself in a situation like this. I didn't even think stuff like this happened in real life, only in movies."

"Bells, you can't ask me to make the decision for you." His deep, familiar voice was soothing in her ear, and she felt herself calm down. "I watched Edward grow up from the age of five, and his parents are two of my closest friends. I know him very well while I've only met George once. It wouldn't be fair of me to point you in either direction based on that."

"I know." She sighed in frustration. "I just feel stupid, and I wish someone could just tell me what the obvious choice is supposed to be."

"There's never an obvious choice when it comes to love, honey. But tell me one thing. You said Edward wants the whole nine yards with you. The marriage, the family, everything. Now, I know the two of you have been down that road before, so I don't doubt you're able to imagine that life with him, but can you see yourself doing the same with George?"

"But that's the thing, Dad. I don't know," she said. "Being with someone for three months doesn't mean I know if he's possibly the love of my life or not. We've never lived together. Hell, we haven't even been on a single couple's holiday. I don't know what he's like twenty-four hours a day. We might not be compatible at all, but does that mean I should throw away a potential life with a good man. Who knows? He might be my soul mate, but I would never know because I couldn't let go of the past."

"I didn't know you believed in soul mates, Bells." Charlie chuckled to himself.

"Dad," Bella said exasperatedly.

"Fine. Honey, I know what you're getting at, and I understand your worries, but that's life. We take risks every day for what we think will work for us in that moment. You can't live and constantly ask yourself a bunch of 'what ifs.' That's just a straight path toward driving yourself crazy."

Three days, and she was still conflicted. Her heart and mind was telling her two very different things because one of them felt Edward was the only one, while the other thought George was the sound choice.

The entire train ride back to New York she spent looking out the window and turning everything over in her head yet another time. She had already texted George and told him she would come back home today, but he hadn't replied, so she assumed he had been swallowed up by his writing as he had a tendency to be whenever he worked on a new project.

She sent the same text to Edward, and he had replied within an hour.

"I hope you had the chance to figure out what you needed. Whatever you decide, I'm just a call away if you need to talk."

It was late afternoon when she arrived back home, and she felt tired and worn out. All she wanted was to spend the rest of the day binging a random TV show and stuff her face. She wanted to shut off her mind and do absolutely nothing for a few hours.

But when she reached to unlock her front door and realized it was open, she instantly understood her relaxing afternoon would be filled with gut-wrenching emotions instead because the first thing she saw when she stepped inside were rose petals strewn over her floor.

Instead of seeing it as a romantic gesture, it annoyed Bella because she would be the one who had to clean it up. On top of that, she hated that George had taken the liberty of using her hidden spare key to let himself inside her apartment without her permission. There was a reason she hadn't even given him his own key. She wasn't ready for their relationship to reach that level, and she thought he'd understood and respected that.

The farther she walked inside her home, she saw lit candles and heard romantic music softly playing from her speakers. She was reluctant to do so, but eventually, she reached her living room and found George standing there with a bouquet of wild flowers in his hands.

"Welcome home," he said and smiled at her.

"Thanks," she said. She wanted to ask him, and rather harshly at that, what he was doing there, but instead, she opted for a kinder question. "What is all this?"

"Bella, when I imagine my life going forward, I can only think of one thing that would make me happy."

She looked around the room, at anything but George, as her feelings of dread slowly built up, and she hoped with every fiber of her being he wasn't about to do what it looked like he was about to do.

"George, no—"

He held up his hand. "Please, let me finish." He walked up to her, placing the flowers on her coffee table, and grabbed her hands. "I have loved you since the moment I met you. I knew even at my sister's wedding and our first conversation that you were the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I can't wait any longer." He dropped to one knee and took out a velvet box from his pocket. "I want you for my wife, so will you marry me?"

Bella didn't know what to do. A part of her wanted to scream at him that he was delusional, and another part wanted to cry because she knew her rejection would crush him. She was only certain of one thing, and that was that George had just made the decision for her.

How could he be so blinded by his infatuation that he seriously believed she was in the same place as him romantically? How could he propose to her after three months of dating and think she'd accept? Didn't he know her at all?

But instead of saying anything, she was just gaping silently at him, staring wide-eyed into his hopeful expression. After an awkwardly long moment, she finally found her voice.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I love you," he immediately said without any hesitation whatsoever. "I want to marry you."

She clasped her hands together and took a step away from him. "George, I want you to take a moment and really think about this because it's beyond crazy."

He blanched, and she could see her words were definitely not what he had expected. "Why do you say that?"

"How can you think this is a good idea?" she exclaimed and grabbed handfuls of her hair and felt the urge to rip it out. "You say you love me, but I've never said those words back to you. I've never even given you the slightest indication that I am ready for marriage. You don't even have your own key to my apartment. You used my spare to step into my home uninvited, and I want you to leave right now."

"But, Bella—"

"No! I said leave."

Forlornly, George rose from his kneeling position and put the box back into his pocket, but as he passed Bella on his way to the front door, he paused.

"I'm used to rejection from you. It took me three years to get a date, so I won't see this as the end."

Bella was suddenly furious. "If you think this is the same as rejecting a date, you're sorely mistaken," she spit out. His audacity toward taking liberties in her home, and then in the same breath basically declaring he wouldn't take no for an answer actually scared her a little bit.

She had always known he was tenacious, but his actions now were on a whole different level.

"We obviously don't understand each other," she said, but this time, she held back her anger in hopes of getting her message across. "The fact that you think I'd be okay with this shows that." As she spoke, she realized she didn't even feel bad for hurting him because he had stepped way over the line, and she wasn't going to act as if that was okay. "I don't want to see you anymore. We're done. Just get out of my home."

George's lip curled up in anger, but he didn't say anything. As Bella turned her back to him, she couldn't see what he was doing, but he remained rooted on the spot for a moment before he strode out of the apartment.

When the door clicked close, Bella let out a long exhale, and then took the flowers to the trash. As she walked around the apartment blowing out candles and sweeping up petals, she called Emmett, and she was so angry she could hear her blood pumping in her ears.

"What's up, Belly?"

"Are you at home with Rosalie?" she asked, almost interrupting him before he'd gotten his full greeting out.

"Uh, yeah. Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice concerned.

"Get her and put me on speakerphone."

There was some shuffling, and Bella could hear Emmett calling for Rosalie. She waited, fuming, and hoping they'd tell her what she wanted to hear.

"All right, you're on," Emmett said.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Rosalie asked, and she sounded genuinely confused, so that made Bella feel a bit better.

"Did either of you know what George was planning?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, no, what did he do?"

Bella, even though she couldn't see either of them, focused on Rosalie. "Your brother just freaking proposed to me," she gritted out.

"What?!"

Emmett chuckled. "Usually, girls are much more excited when they receive a proposal."

"Emmett, shut up," Rosalie said, and then her voice was much louder and clearer, so Bella figured she'd taken her off the speaker. "Bella, tell me you're joking."

"I wish." She rolled her eyes. "I came home not even an hour ago and found him in my apartment with flowers and candles and all that shit." She dumped the swept-up petals in the trash as well. "Rose, he had a ring. He went down on one knee and asked me to marry him."

"Oh, the idiot," Rosalie groaned. "I love him and he's my brother, but I am seriously ashamed of him right now. Do you want me to call him? 'Cause I'll call him."

"No, you don't have to do that. I just wanted to make sure you guys weren't in on it."

"Oh, fuck no! If he'd come to me and told me, I would've smacked him. I know he's had it in his head for a long time that you're the love of his life, but I at least expected him to wait for you to get on the same level."

"Yeah, I expected the same, but I guess this just showed how different he and I are." She threw herself down on her bed. "I broke up with him, Rose. I wish things had been different, but something just clicked when I saw him get down on his knee, and I realized his vision of us wasn't the same as mine. I'm sorry I had to hurt him, and I hope you'll forgive me because you are one of my closest friends, and I don't want you to hate me."

"I don't hate you, Bella," she said with a soft reassuring voice. "He brought it on himself, so he's only got himself to blame. I don't care what you said before, I am going to call him and let him know exactly what I think of his actions."

"Sure, but don't go too hard on him," Bella said with just a hint of guilt settling in her stomach. "He did just have to endure a proposal rejection. That's never good for anyone's ego."

"True, but he'll still have to give me a very good explanation for his thickheadedness." She paused for a short moment. "So you're choosing Edward, then?"

Bella contemplated it, and then took a deep breath. "Yeah, I am. But I won't immediately jump into his arms and start a new relationship. Everything is still rather complicated, and I think he and I need to take it slow."

"I'm grateful for that … for my brother's sake. I don't think he would be able to handle seeing you with Edward directly after the two of you broke up."

"Thank you for being so calm and reasonable, Rose. I appreciate that."

"You were my friend long before you were George's girlfriend," she said, the smile apparent in her voice. "And I know you never had malicious intent when everything became such a hot mess."

Soon after, they hung up the phone, and Bella splayed out on her bed, her head turning to the side. She felt calm again, and the anger George had invoked had drained away, but then she spotted a missed rose petal, and she realized she wouldn't be able to relax in her own home without being constantly reminded of her horrible afternoon.

Before she changed her mind, she grabbed her coat again and went out the door. She needed to talk to the person who had always understood her, and she needed to see the one man who always put her at ease.

But when Edward opened his front door, she started to doubt whether it had been such a good idea to go to his place after all. She had really meant it when she told Rosalie she wanted to take things slow with Edward, but standing on his doorstep might send different signals to him.

"Bella?" he asked with wide confused eyes. "Is something wrong?"

"Kinda," she said and looked down at her feet in shame. "But I'm starting to feel like I shouldn't be here."

"Uh, okay. Well, why did you come?"

She was completely unable to stop herself as her next words burst out of her. "George asked me to marry him, but I said no, and now I can't relax in my own apartment without being reminded of it, so I was hoping that maybe I could stay here tonight."

Without a single word of protest, Edward stepped to the side and let her inside. He offered to take her coat and hang it up, and then walked with her to the kitchen where he immediately started a pot of coffee.

"Of course, you can stay here," he said as he put the steaming cup in front of her. "I have two guest rooms, so you can choose either one."

"Thank you," she said and cradled the cup in her hands. "I still feel shitty for coming here, though, and putting you in this position."

"What position?"

"Well," she started. "I just told you I said no to George, and I'm here, so that obviously only means one thing."

He shook his head. "No, it doesn't, Bella. As a lawyer, I've learned to never jump to conclusions, and you being here could simply mean you're seeking comfort with a friend." He placed a gentle hand on top of hers on the table between them. "I know what I said last time you were here, and I haven't changed my mind, but I would never give you an ultimatum. If you want us to just stay friends even though you're no longer together with George, that's your choice and something I'd be willing to accept because I don't ever want to force you to feel what you don't feel."

She looked into his eyes and all the feelings for him she'd suppressed for so long bloomed out and almost took her breath away. With him sitting opposite from her, she couldn't fathom how she ever could have convinced herself she could get over him and move on.

"You haven't forced me to feel anything," she said. "I just needed to be reminded." His eyes lit up with cautious hopefulness. "I want to be with you, Edward, but I'm also terrified. I'm terrified of making the same mistakes again, or new mistakes that will hurt you even more."

"Mistakes are inevitable in a relationship," he said, his back suddenly very straight as he leaned forward closer to her. "We'll learn together."

She smiled. "Yes. I want that. I want us to cherish this second chance and do it right this time." She turned her hand over and their fingers entwined. "We need to be careful and not rush into anything just because we have a past. There's still so much we need to learn about each other."

"Yes," he breathed out as his own smile took over. "Absolutely. You're right." An incredulous and breathy laugh escaped him. "I'm sorry, but you've just made me so damn happy." He brought their hands up toward his mouth and kissed her fingers reverently.

"Then I've done at least one good thing today."

A/N:

Of course she said no to George! Damn, that man was/is delusional on several levels!

Some of you might disagree with her decision to go to Edward. Some might say she's fickle. Go ahead. Your opinion is your opinion, but this is in line with Bella's character in this story.

Edward's a person she's always trusted. Never once as she felt unsafe around him. For her to seek comfort with him is only natural.

Now for the news of my crazy week:

The Golden Onion Awards have opened the nominations (I'm one of 3 hosts) If you want to know more about this and maybe nominate go to the TwiFandomNews website and search out the Golden Onion (sorry I can't link you there, but you know how FFN is with links!)

So … I (this little Swedish gal with a big dream!) is going to New York in the fall! :-O I've been accepted at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and everything feels somewhat surreal.

That was the good news.

The lesser news is that I found out TODAY (Tuesday) that my grandfather has tested positive for Covid-19. He was already in the hospital for other stuff and he's been going downhill for years. I want to be optimistic he'll pull through since he's stable, but I'm afraid to hope.

I'm not religious, so no prayer is necessary, but I would appreciate it if you could spare him a thought!

Thank you so much!

I'll see you next week, and until then,

Stay Awesome!