A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.
Chapter 32- The last twenty four hours of my mortal life
Bella's POV-
Things to do before I die…..
Go scuba diving- not possible- don't have enough time and with my infamous luck, I may just end up being bitten by some random sea animal, who mysteriously appeared where I was….so no, that option is out.
Road trip across the entire United States- Again, not enough time, and wait, which eighteen year old really has enough money for this?
Hike through the Himalayas- you know what, let's just keep adventure and anything related to physical activity as far away from me as possible. I am already dying by venom. I don't need to die by accidental death before that dreaded moment arrives.
Okay…so everything even minutely related to physical activity is out. I can hardly walk straight on my own two feet; the idea of me climbing a mountain is absolutely laugh worthy!
Hmm…so what else can we do?
Learn a foreign language- again, the bane of my current life- shortage of time. I can learn the basics, but learning a language from start to end needs more time- so, this falls under the maybe category….
Get a tattoo- yeah, that is a good idea, but- complication- I was just informed- and I use the term 'informed' lightly here- that I cannot leave the castle gates till the moment that I don't wake up as a newborn vampire. Apparently, Aro needs more entertainment in his boring life. So yeah, the idea of getting a tattoo is out.
Eat the very best dinner of my life- Can be done, may be done, should be done….
Moving on….
Camp out under the stars and earn the very best kiss of your life while you are at it….
"What are you doing?"
I turned around abruptly, jumping slightly at the sudden invasion of voice. I had not even noticed someone- namely Peter- enter the room. I put a hand to my chest, giving him a look filled with annoyance and disbelief.
"Give a warning, will you? Not everyone here has superior hearing like you." I scoffed in partly mock anger.
He smirked back at me, his eyes shining with the smart comment I knew was on the tip of his tongue- like it always was, the smartass that he was.
"You won't need that warning in less than a day's time. Your hearing will be as good as mine, if not better." He shrugged at me, almost as if he were telling me a given fact.
I guess it was given in a way.
I was going to be a vampire in merely a few more hours- come hell or high water.
I sighed, hitting myself in the face with my pillow, frustration clear in my features. "Argh, don't even remind me of that. I have already wasted three hours out of my twenty four, and do you know what I have done in those precious three hours- nothing, absolutely nothing."
Okay, so that was not the entire truth.
I had spent the first hour narrating the events of the throne room to Peter, telling him of my twenty four hour deadline- well needed, I know. I had spent the next one hour consoling a weeping Angela, who had just been informed that she too would be turning into a vampire in less than twenty four hours- Master's orders- not as much needed, but come on, she is my friend and she needed me by her side, and I had spent this third hour doing all the mundane- completely unnecessary when you are on such a tight schedule- tasks such as showering, dressing up, combing my hair and eating.
So there went my three hours up in the air, never to be seen again.
Can I say damn?
Anyway, I had around twenty one hours left and I just didn't know how to cover possibly everything under the face of this earth in such a less amount of time?
There was so much that I still wanted to do before I could never do it again.
Okay, so I wasn't technically dying- in the literal sense- I was aware of that, but I would never get to eat again- no pies or pizzas for me after these twenty one hours. I wouldn't be able to sleep or dream, or even get those horrendous nightmares that often woke me up screaming- I wouldn't miss them- obviously- but still, it is worth a mention. I wouldn't be able to go out in the sun, without worrying about someone seeing my glittering form. I wouldn't be able to be out in huge crowds for at least another decade or so. I would be under the constant threshold of bloodlust. I would be…..
How did I ever agree to become a vampire?
Had I been off my rocker?
Yeah, that sounds like the most likely possibility.
I loved the sun, hating the cold and rain with all my heart.
How was I ever suppose to go years without standing under the light of the direct sun, the only other option being to find a secluded enough location to do the deed, almost as if I were doing something illegal that needed to be kept hidden from the eyes of another.
It would be strange, no doubt in that.
"What were you doing earlier?" Peter spoke up- an expression of sheer curiosity on his face. "You were writing something?"
I shrugged in forced nonchalance, crumbling the evidence that lay in my hand in a tight ball. It wasn't that I didn't want him to see my attempt at a bucket list filled with the very first idea that crossed my mind, but…..wait that is exactly that.
I didn't want him to think of me as dumb or immature.
I wasn't really dying, you know, so this bucket list idea was probably stupid, but I couldn't stop myself. Life after turning into a vampire would be well- different- understatement right there.
Peter had given me a clear cut picture of what life as a newborn would be for me. He had not even attempted to downplay it, giving me the picture as it was. The first year of my life would revolve completely around blood- there were exceptions, of course, but that was how it was for the normal newborns, and I had no reason to believe that I would be an exception to this. For the first twelve months or so, I wouldn't even have the mental capacity to think anything other than satisfying my ever present bloodlust, all other needs and wants pushed to the back of my mind. I would be ruled by my instincts- acting as they told me to, my rational mind going on a prolonged vacation. I would be wary of other vampires, always ready to fight anyone who even looked like a threat from afar. I wouldn't have basic control over my strength, tearing or breaking everything that I touched. I would be able to hear anything and everything, often feeling overwhelmed by all the random sounds that would reach my ears, or would feel disgusted by observing those minute particles in the air that no one really wants to know exist.
Anyway, it was not only about those twelve months- they would pass, I was sure of that; even after the dreaded newborn period ended; life wouldn't exactly become normal for me. I wouldn't be able to go out, surrounding myself by a human or ten, without feeling the burn in my throat, for at least a good decade or so. I wouldn't be able to hold a job or have a picnic by the beach. Needless to say, there would be things that I would never get to do again.
Sure the vampire life had its advantages- immortality, speed, strength and beauty.
But it also had its disadvantages- the list clear as the day for me to see.
I didn't know if the advantages would surpass the disadvantages in the long run or not, but for now, it felt as if my life were about to end- which was really not an exaggeration in a way.
"Tell me," Peter pleaded to me- still trying to get me to show what I had been writing, his eyes trying to do the impersonation of a puppy dog eyes.
I shook my head, refusing to give in- no matter how innocent he attempted to look at the moment.
"No way,"
He raised an eyebrow at me, his eyes peaked with curiosity. He would not let this go now. I was sure of that. Once Peter became curious about something, he would not leave the matter alone until he had every answer related to that topic in mind. That was just who he was. He needed to have everything under his control, or at least he had to have a way to get out in case things went out of control.
Saying so, I was aware that he wouldn't actually force me to speak about something I was not comfortable speaking of, but the actual task here was to stop myself from giving in when he looked at me with his eyebrows raised, waiting for me to speak, a look of clear determination and curiosity written on his trying hard to be innocent face.
Because let's admit it, Peter and innocent are not exactly synonyms.
I sighed. His eyes would be my undoing, I was sure of that. I had never considered red eyes to be this gorgeous and captivating before, but I had been proved wrong, oh how wrong!
"I don't want you to think of me as childish or dumb," I whispered under my breath, looking up slightly- only to see Peter shrug, almost as if silently saying- I am going to call a spade a spade, because that's what it is.
I hit him lightly in the arm- being careful enough to not hurt myself in the process.
"Go. I am not going to tell you." I crossed my arms across my chest, staring at him in defiance.
He chuckled lightly, giving me a look of amusement. He found this very entertaining.
Asshole!
"Okay, okay," he put his hands up in defense. "I will not laugh. I swear."
I could still see the tiny smirk present on his face, and I frowned, looking everywhere else except at him. I know it was juvenile, and I was probably proving his point all the more, but I was already nervous about admitting this to him.
"Bella," he sighed, turning my face slightly- his hands extremely soft and tender- to look at him. "I won't laugh, I promise. Please tell me what is on your mind."
I stared at him for a few minutes, his eyes genuine and even a bit worried for me. He truly wanted to know of what was on my mind. He did care enough to show concern.
"It is dumb…." I shrugged, trailing off.
"It is not dumb." He insisted, interrupting me. "If it is bothering you it can never be dumb or nothing. You know that you can tell me anything, right?"
I sighed, nodding my head. I knew that I could talk to him about anything and everything, but I still needed to decide if I was ready to share this with him or not.
He patiently waited for me to take my decision, his eyes blinking after every few seconds- an action I knew he was consciously doing in order to make me feel more comfortable.
"Okay," I sighed, having made up my mind.
I trusted Peter. We had shared so much about our thoughts and feelings in the past, what was one more- completely unimportant in a way- thing?
"I was making a bucket list. I mean I know that I am not dying- dying and I will still be able to do most of these things…but….."
"It is not dumb." He interrupted me, looking pointedly at me. "Your life is going to change in an almost permanent way. It will be decades before you get to have some sort of normalcy in your life again. It is not weird or childish if you want to fulfill a few wishes of yours before you get a chance to do them again a long while from now."
"Yeah," I raised an eyebrow in question. I had half assumed him to laugh at me or call me a kid for making a bucket list- keeping in mind the situation I was in.
"Of course," He nodded his head. "So, will you tell me what is on your list?"
"Um," I blinked my eyes, not quite expecting such a reaction from him. "It is mostly just random thoughts. I mean, I know that I can go scuba diving or mountain climbing after my change- that is if I somehow magically become less clumsy. Apart from that, I want to eat the best meal of my life and maybe learn something new, considering I won't get that chance for at least the first few decades…and wait…" I paused suddenly. "Is it possible for vampires to get themselves tattooed?"
He gaped at me, his mouth in a thin line and confusion evident in his eyes. "I am not sure, actually. I mean I have never tried to get a tattoo. I don't really think we can, anyway. Our skin is hard like a stone. It cannot be pierced that easily."
I nodded my head. "Yeah, makes sense."
"Why, is that something you wanted?" he turned to look at me.
I shrugged, giving it a brief thought, "Probably. I mean I have never had any firm plans on the matter, but I think I would have liked to get one. Charlie would have definitely killed Renee if she gave me the consent to get one, and after I turned eighteen, I was too tied up in what Edward had done to think about these things."
He nodded his head, tilting his head a little to the side. "What will you miss the most?"
"The sun," I said with a small smile. "I loved sitting under the direct sun- back in Phoenix, reading a book, with no worries of the world around. I can still do that, I know, but it won't be the same. I won't be able to feel the warmth of the sun ever again."
I felt sadness engulf me at the thought of that, but I pushed it aside.
"Apart from that- and I know this is completely irrelevant to the topic, but I always wanted to camp out under the stars, light shivers passing through me as I wrap the blanket tighter to me. The thought of that simply thrills me."
He nodded his head, pausing for a few minutes.
I sat beside him in complete silence, letting my thoughts run free. I had loved my life back in Phoenix. I had been a loner, no doubt, but I had been happy in my solitude.
"Give me fifteen minutes." He finally said when he opened his mouth. I gaped at him, waiting for him to continue, but apparently that was all I was going to get, as he ran out of the room before I could stop him, running to he only knew where.
I shrugged, sighing audibly as I looked around the room, trying to find some activity for me to do. I had a brief thought of going and seeing what Angela was doing, but she had made it clear that she wanted to be left alone for some time. She needed time to properly mourn her parents and brother, needing to be alone for the process of grieving.
Poor her!
I would still have Charlie in my life after my change. She would be losing her entire family.
That reminds me, Peter had told me a while back of his conversation with Marilyn. She was taking him away from the castle, and while I was not exactly happy with not seeing him for an entire year, I understood her reasons for doing what she did. We would be seeing one another soon. It was just a matter of a few months- nothing in comparison to the eternity we had in front of us.
I was doodling on a piece of paper when Peter entered my room again- less than fifteen minutes after he was first gone.
"Come with me," he said, putting his hand ahead for me to take.
"What? Where are we going?" I asked, confused.
He shrugged. "You will get all your answers. Just come."
I gave him a brief nod- slightly doubtful but trusting him nonetheless, putting my hand in his.
He tightened his grip over me, pulling me out of the room.
I stared at him in confusion as we passed through the wide corridors, walking to a completely unknown part of the castle. I had never been to this side of the castle before- the rooms more like massive chambers with fewer vampires in the corridors.
Peter soon pushed open a door for me to enter, my eyes immediately falling on the huge bookshelf in the room- filled with fiction as well as nonfiction books.
I looked around me. This room looked to be occupied. I could see clothes laying outside on the couch- the bedroom door lying wide open. The lack of a bed though told me that this was not the chamber of a mated couple.
"Select a book," Peter nudged me ahead.
"Are you sure?" I inquired. I did not want to trespass.
He gave me a nod. "Go ahead,"
I stared at him for a few more seconds, deciding to take him up on the offer. I could see no harm in it. I walked ahead, sifting through the books that lay in front of me. I had read a few of the classics in here, but most of the books fell under the category of the unknown for me. There were books in almost every language in here, shockingly so.
How many languages did the owner of this room know?
I read through the titles, of course of those that I could decode, trying to decide of which book I wanted to pick, finally settling down by removing the book from the shelf and waving it to Peter, a wide smile on my face.
"Pride and Prejudice," he questioned; a raise in his eyebrow.
I shrugged. "I was confused between Wuthering Heights and this. I chose this."
He nodded his head. "The next destination is waiting for us. Let's go."
"But where are we going?"
He decided to ignore my spoken words, leading me towards another part of the castle, stopping before a shut door.
"I will have to pick you up. We have to go a thousand stairs. Are you okay with that?"
"A thousand stairs," I repeated his words, disbelief clear in my voice.
Where were we going?
Heaven….
"Are you?" he asked, waiting for me to reply.
"Um okay," I shrugged. Let's be real here, I can't climb through a thousand stairs, at least not in this form.
He asked me to shut my eyes- which I easily complied with, picking me up and starting to run up the stairs. I held tighter to him, thinking about everything on the planet except this very moment- I did not want to feel nauseous, which I was sure to feel if I let myself open my eyes.
It was hardly a few seconds before Peter told me to open my eyes again.
We had reached our destination.
I complied, looking around me. We were on the rooftop, more like roof terrace, it seemed.
Huh. I had not even known that the Volturi owned a roof terrace in the first place.
I walked ahead, towards the edge of the roof, my eyes going wide at the realization of how far above we were. It was magical, the entire city of Volterra down below for us to observe, looking like the smallest houses in the game of monopoly.
"Wow," I could not stop myself from commenting. It was surreal of how fascinating this small town looked from this far up. The bigger realization though was the fact that the sun was shining wide upon me, drowning me in its light.
I could not stop the smile that spread upon my face. I was basking in the warmth of the sun after so long. I did not even remember the last time I had felt this good. It probably had been months.
"This was Didyme's favorite place," a voice spoke, making me turn to look at the owner of said voice.
"Master Marcus," I whispered, honestly surprised to see him here.
He nodded his head, giving me a small smile, his eyes blank though. "My mate, Didyme, had converted this into a roof garden- back when she was alive. She loved spending hours here. After her demise though, I was too lost to keep this maintained. It withered, naturally. Anyway, when Peter asked me if I knew of any such place- even a balcony would do- wherein you would get the direct rays of the sun, I could not stop myself from offering this."
"That is…very sweet of you." I smiled at the gesture.
He shrugged. "I will leave you at it."
"So," Peter spoke up after Marcus had left. "You have a book in your hand and the rays of the sun falling on you…."
I smiled at him, his words trailing off. He had done this for me, managing to cross an item out of my wish list.
"Thank you," I said, trying to convey through my voice of how much I appreciated his gesture.
He shrugged. "I have errands to run, and anyway, I am sure you have plans for the next few hours."
I nodded my head, grinning at him. "Yea, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are waiting for me."
He waved his hand in the air, telling me that he would be back before I knew it- after all I would need someone to take me down again. I obviously could not walk down a thousand stairs.
I saw him leave the roof terrace, walking towards the edge with the book in my hand. I smiled, letting the rays fall over me, opening my book and starting to read.
X-X-X
"Bella," I looked up.
Peter was standing in front of me, a shit eating grin on his face.
"Uh-oh, what have you done now?" I asked, sighing dramatically.
"Why do you simple assume that I have done something?" he asked; a glare on his face.
I shrugged. "I know you."
He thought about it for a minute, shrugging as well. "Yeah okay, makes sense."
I giggled, hiding my smile.
"So, what have you done?" I asked again.
He gave me a look filled with amusement. "Someone is waiting back in your room for you."
"Who," I raised an eyebrow in question, confusion evident in my tone.
He shook his head. "You will see. Let's go?"
I nodded my head, shutting my book and standing up from where I had been seated.
I shut my eyes as he picked me up in his arms, his coldness not even registering in my mind anymore. He quickly ran down the stairs, the two of us reaching my room within mere seconds.
"Should I be worried?" I inquired; suspicion thick in my tone.
He chuckled, pushing open the door and letting me enter.
I frowned at the sight that welcomed me. A man- wait, correction- human man- in his late twenties stood in front of me, tattoos covering almost every inch of his visible skin.
"Yes," I questioned, confused.
"Bella," Peter turned me to look at him. "You wanted a tattoo, right?"
My eyes went wide at his words. He….this man… was the tattoo artist.
"How did you manage this?" I gaped in shock.
Was Peter a magician?
He grinned at me. "You could not leave the castle, so I had to somehow get him inside the castle. I had to pull some strings, make an offer to Aro that he could not reject, but here he is."
"What offer?" I asked, skeptically.
He tried to shrug it off, but answered when he thought I was not going to give in.
"I offered him my services- basically my fighting prowess- for the next ten years."
"Peter," I shouted, appalled.
I could not believe him.
This was too big a price to pay for something this small.
He shrugged it off. "It's worth it."
I sighed. It was not worth it. I was just being stupid.
He shouldn't have had to do this.
"Come on, now Ryan- the tattoo artist is already here. Do you want my effort to go in vain?"
I sighed, meeting his eyes. "Thank you."
He nodded his head, nudging me ahead.
"What kind of tattoo do you want? Generally I don't take orders as such- miles away from my shop, but when your boyfriend here agreed to pay me four times the amount, I could not say no."
I blushed at the usage of the word 'boyfriend', but chose not to correct Ryan.
"Um, I am not sure. Can I think about what I want?"
He nodded his head, starting to show me some tattoo designs.
X-X-X
It hurt. It hurt like anything, but at the end of the torture session I did have a sweet little butterfly tattoo on the back of my neck, so I guess it was worth it.
"I love it. Thank you." I grinned at Peter, Ryan having just left.
He smiled back at me, cupping my cheeks in his hands. "I am glad you like it."
"So, what's next?" I asked in sheer excitement. It was clear to me that he was fulfilling my wishes one after another, and I really wanted to know what was coming next. I could not wait for it.
Peter laughed. "Come on,"
He led me out once again, leading me towards another corridor of this castle. I had a slight jump in my step, no longer capable of keeping it within me.
"Have you ever heard of the board game- Nine Men's Morris?" Peter asked, turning to look at me.
I shook my head. "No, what is it?"
He grinned. "It is this ancient board game, so old that there is no clear record of when and where it originated. It was played in Ancient Rome back in the day, but there is someone in this castle who is still the very best at this game, playing it whenever he gets the opportunity to."
"Who," I questioned in confusion.
I had never even heard the name of this board game, much less ever played it.
He shrugged, shaking his head, "That you will have to wait to see, but just know that convincing him was much more difficult- doable- but difficult. You wanted to learn something new, right?"
I gave him a brief nod. "I hope you didn't have to offer anything much for whatever favor you have now pulled."
I really hoped that he was not going to pay very heavily for fulfilling another wish of mine. My happiness should not come at the cost of his sadness or pain.
He shrugged, "Nah, just a sparring match. Nothing I can't handle."
I nodded my head, slightly relieved by his words. He was a good fighter. I was aware of that.
He pushed open the door of the room when we had reached our destination, my jaw dropping open at the vampire that stood in front of me.
I could not believe this. I rubbed my eyes furiously, unable to believe the sight in front of me.
I had to be dreaming.
This was impossible.
"Master Caius," I whispered, too shocked to speak in even a notch higher.
Had I walked into some sort of parallel universe wherein Caius Volturi was friendly to people?
Or was I simply going crazy?
"Yea yea," he waved me off. "Now that the introductions are done, can we begin? I have other work as well to do."
I grinned to myself. I was in the same universe- slightly twisted but still the same. Caius had his ever present scowl on his face, a huge relief, honestly.
Peter nudged me ahead, telling me to sit opposite Caius, a board set in front of us. Peter stood in the back, not speaking but simply observing the game.
"Won't you be playing?" I turned to look at Peter, confusion evident in my tone.
Peter was about to reply when Caius scoffed from his seat.
"This is a two player game."
"Oh," I blushed, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. "Um, let's begin."
Caius frowned lightly but nodded his head, starting to explain the rules to me. It was similar to chess, but still different in its own way, and before I knew it, I was learning something new.
X-X-X
"So, that was fun," I spoke, walking out of Caius's room.
Caius was exceptionally competitive- scowling whenever things didn't go his way, but it had been fun to play against him, different but fun.
Peter gave me a brief nod. "The day is not over yet."
"Really," my eyes widened at his words. "What comes next?"
"Wait and watch," his eyes sparkled with joy.
I smiled back, my happiness uncontainable.
The two of us soon reached my room and I pushed open the door, standing still in shock when I saw the widespread buffet of food that lay in front of me, covering an entire centre table- a huge centre table that had not been in my room till this afternoon.
"What is this?" I whispered; my eyes wide. There were almost twenty dishes- if not more- lying on that table in my room. Various kinds of Pasta, Pizzas, Lasagna, Risotto, Salads and some other dishes whose names also I didn't know were spread through the table, looking as attractive as food could ever get.
Peter shrugged nonchalantly when I turned to look at him. "You wanted to eat the very best dinner of your life, and as we are in Italy- we are going to do it the Italian way."
I grinned at him, jumping into his arms. He pulled me tighter to him, sighing when my head was firmly tucked into his chest.
"Thank you so much for all of this. I can't tell you amazing my day has been."
He shook his head, twirling a strand of hair in his finger.
"The day is not over yet. Come on, its dinner time for the human."
I blushed, walking inside the room, picking up a piece of bread that lay in front of me.
"How did you even arrange all of this?" I moaned through my words, gorging like anything.
This was my last dinner. I was going to fill myself to the brim, enjoying every bite of this meal.
He shrugged. "I have my ways. Angela helped a bit in telling me what all to get, though."
I nodded my head, sobering a bit. "How is she?"
He sighed. "She is doing better. Jasper has been with her since morning, talking to her. He has a lot of experience when it comes to emotions, courtesy of his gift. He is helping her in reducing her guilt. To go into that life with repressed guilt can be very harmful."
"Why is she guilty?" I questioned.
He sighed. "She feels that her parents will be mourning her, believing that they have lost their child- even though she is still alive, holding herself responsible for every tear that they shed."
"Oh," I whispered. "I feel terrible for her."
"Yeah," he nodded his head. "She got the short end of the stick."
I hummed in agreement, playing with my fingers.
"She will be okay though," he spoke a few seconds later.
"Yeah," I asked, surprised by the surety in his voice.
He nodded his head. "I have a feeling."
I smiled a bit at that. Angela deserved to be happy.
"Anyway," Peter spoke up. "You need to eat before your food gets cold. We also have places to be, and not much time to give."
I smiled at the tenderness in his tone, going back to eating my food.
Soon we were done eating and were ready to leave the room, an unknown vampire having come in to clear our dishes.
"So, where to next?" I asked, grinning.
"Any guesses?" he asked me back.
I thought about it, the answer coming to me in mere seconds. He had fulfilled every wish of mine that I had mentioned this morning… well, all apart from one.
"We are going back to the rooftop." I stated.
He nodded his head. "It is a clear night. It will be good."
I agreed with him, a huge grin covering my face.
We climbed back the stairs to the rooftop, his hand intertwined with mine- I had not even realized when he had taken my hand in his- the feeling of our joined hands making me blush, as I observed the beautiful night that stood in front of me.
"Wow," I murmured to myself, never having seen such a sight in life before.
The town of Volterra looked even more ethereal at night, under the gaze of the moon.
Peter smiled. "Ma'am, your throne is waiting for you."
I blushed, my eyes following his finger, observing the mattress- blanket- pillow setup that had been made.
He rubbed the back of his neck, nervously looking at me. "I know this is not exactly camping, but…"
"It is perfect." I reassured him. It was perfect. The fact that he had put so much effort into this was what made it perfect.
He led me towards the mattress, the wall being our back support, as we watched the thousands of stars that glittered through the sky, with Peter pointing out the name of each star to me.
It was surreal.
If I hadn't already realized that I was in love with Peter, I would have realized it this very minute. No one had ever done for me as much as he had done. No one had ever cared for me as much as he had. No one had ever worried for me as much as he had.
I turned to look at him, a tear falling down my eyes.
He stilled, his words trailing off at the expression on my face. He, too, silently started to look at me, perfect silence surrounding us.
Words were neither needed nor spoken, our eyes conveying what was in our hearts.
He leaned closer to me, pausing a mere inch away- a chance for me to back out.
I knew what was coming and I wet my lips in anticipation.
I wanted this. I needed this.
That was all the clue he needed, his soft lips meeting mine as his arms wrapped around me tighter, never to let go again.
I shut my eyes, losing myself in the sensation of being kissed by Peter, butterflies swirling in my stomach as goose bumps settled over my skin.
I pulled him closer to me. I could not get enough. Any distance between us was now too much to bear.
He moaned, silently agreeing with me on this, his arms tightening around me once again as his lips continued to remain on mine, softly demanding an entrance.
I smiled, granting him that entrance.
We kissed for- I don't even know how long- but it felt too short….too quick.
I needed more of him. I wanted more of him.
"I love you," he whispered, shocking me with his suddenly spoken words. "I don't know how I didn't realize this till now…."
I put a finger over his lips, stopping him from completing that sentence. "I love you, too."
He smiled, his hands running through my hair as his lips once again came to meet mine.
X-X-X
"Bella,"
A voice was calling me through my sleep filled haze, briefly registering in my mind. I hummed my reply, going back to sleep.
"Bella, it is time to wake up. Your twenty four hours are over."
"Oh shoot," my eyes opened suddenly, all traces of sleep vanished from them.
Broad daylight was staring at me, the sun wide upon us.
I frowned from the sudden light, observing that I was still on the rooftop, Peter sitting beside me.
"How long did I sleep?" I questioned. I did not even remember falling asleep.
He shrugged, "A few hours,"
"Oh," I rubbed my eyes. "It is time?"
"Yeah," he sighed. "Angela has agreed to let Jasper change her."
"Will he be okay with that?" I asked, worried. I knew how difficult it was for him to stop himself from drinking human blood.
He nodded his head instantly. "Jasper has the best control out of all of us. He had changed hundreds while he was in the Newborn army. What happened on your birthday was a strange rarity."
I nodded my head, sighing once. "Let's do this."
We did not have any time to waste. This had to be done.
Peter sighed, nodding his head. "I will see you in three days."
I smiled at him- albeit a small smile. "Yeah, I will be waiting."
I shut my eyes, going back to lying down on the mattress, Peter's teeth coming close to my jugular, stopping there briefly.
"I love you," I mumbled, wanting those to be my last words before I bid bye to my human self. Human Bella was in love with Peter; hopefully vampire Bella would love him, too.
"I love you, too."
His lips met mine one last time before sharp teeth broke through my soft skin, gut- wrenching pain bringing itself with it.
And then the burning began.
A/N: This is the last chapter of this story. I will be adding three small outtakes to this in the coming days before I mark this complete.
