28

I pulled at the collar of my shirt, grimacing at my reflection in the mirror. I had been forced into a tuxedo. Yes, forced. I didn't want to wear it. I'd planned on just wearing a simple jacket and tie, but no. Esme said I had to wear a tux, and when I smirked and told her I didn't have one, Alice, aka the mini terminator, laughed, walked into Bella's room in the apartment over the gym, which was still being used as wedding headquarter, and came out with a dress bag in her hands. She thrust at me and said, "It'll be a perfect fit." And of course, it did.

"Looking good, kiddo," Ed laughed, stepping up next to me. He was also wearing a tuxedo.

"Thanks," I muttered, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I lifted my hand to run through my hair, but he grabbed it.

"Your mother will beat your ass if you mess up your hair before pictures," he teased.

"Right," I replied, turning from the mirror and looking at the men standing behind me.

Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle were all wearing similar suits, only Carlisle's was a bit different. I'd been shocked the night before when Carlisle asked if I would stand at the front of the church with his brothers, but I said yes. It was important to Bella that we get along, and I genuinely liked Carlisle. It was his brothers that I was less than thrilled to be near. Though, in their defense, they'd made a lot of effort to be nice to me. Almost too nice. It was unnatural, and I knew that if it hadn't been for the fact that they were terrified of my father, they wouldn't be making such an effort.

A knock at our door broke through my train of thought and I watched as Ed walked over to the door and revealed Bella. She looked amazing. She was wearing a strapless, dark blue silk dress that hugged her breasts, before flaring out until it hit the floor. Her hair had been pulled up on the back of her head and curled to perfection. Along with the prefect balance of make-up, it was the first time Bella had looked like a girlie-girl, something I could tell she hated.

"I need Edward," she whispered to my father.

"Okay, sweetheart." Ed frowned as he looked over at me, concern marred in his features. "Only about ten minutes before the ceremony starts, Edward."

"I know, Dad," I murmured, walking out into the hallway. He closed the door behind us and I looked down at Bella. "Baby, are you okay?"

"What? I'm fine," she rambled as she slipped her hand in mine and started dragging me through the church. "Your sister, on the other hand, is freaking out. She's locked everyone out of the bridal suite and is refusing to come out."

"Fuck," I spat, rushing down the hallway, through the lobby to the other side of the church, and to the bridal suite, where I found Elizabeth, Alice, and Rose by the door. "Move," I ordered as I placed my hand on the door. "Esme, it's Edward."

Less than a second later, the door was opened and she grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me into the room, slamming the door shut again before anyone could come in. I would have laughed, but when I looked at my sister, she had a terrified look on her face.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked, bringing my hands to her face and trying to stop her tears from ruining her make-up.

"I can't do this, Edward," she wept.

"What? Marry Carlisle?"

She nodded.

"Come sit down," I told her, leading her to a small red, velvet couch and nearly pushing her down. I grabbed a few tissues and handed them to her before I sat next to her. "Talk to me, Esme."

"I love him," she whispered. "I love him so much that my heart feels like it's going to explode, but I'm terrified."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because if I have to leave him, I'll never survive," she said, shame filling her words.

And suddenly I understood. Much like myself, Esme had never allowed herself to become close to anyone while growing up. We moved too much, and even after she went to college, she never let someone close. All because she was afraid of having to say goodbye.

"Es, it's different with him," I told her. "He's not going to let you go, and once you're married, you're kind of stuck with the asshole."

Esme smiled. "Logically, I know that, Edward, but what if he decides that he doesn't really love me?"

"That won't happen," I scoffed.

"You can't know that," she mumbled.

"I can," I said. "You don't see the way he looks at you, the way he moves around you. You're the only person he sees."

Esme sighed, leaning forward and placing her elbows on her knees. "Everyone I've ever loved had left, Edward. Mom and Dad are in D.C. You and Bella are in California. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that you've found her and you're following your dreams, but I feel left behind. I need Carlisle; he's the only person I've ever loved. The only person who makes me feel . . . beautiful."

"Es, I know I'm just a kid, but I do know about love," I murmured. "I know how scary it is to open yourself up to being hurt. I feel the same way with Bella. I keep thinking that one day she's going to look at me and realize that she can do better than me, and I don't know if I would survive losing her. But I will tell you that I won't give her up without a fight. I love her, and if you love Carlisle the way I think you do, then you will stop being a baby and get your ass to the alter and marry the douche."

Esme laughed. "There's the Edward Masen I love. You can't do a proper rant without using the word douche."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's a vital word when it comes to rants."

"She won't, though," Esme whispered, shifting her eyes to mine. "Bella—she'll never let you go. She loves you."

"I know she does," I admitted. "She's everything to me. I need her to survive."

"Wow, my little brother is all grown up." Esme smiled. "You know I love you, right?"

"I do." I smirked. "I love you, too, sis. Even when you're having a drama queen moment."

"Shut the fuck up," she snickered, bumping me with her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she stood up. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

I stood up next to her and leaned over, kissing her cheek. "You look beautiful, Esme. Carlisle's a good man, and I guess if I have to let you marry someone, he'd a good choice."

"Aw, you think you're letting me get married," she cooed. "That's so cute."

"Laugh it up," I muttered.

Esme laughed again. "Sorry, I'm just nervous."

"I know," I said, wrapping my arm around her. "You and Carlisle give me hope, Esme."

"Hope for what?" she asked.

"That when Bella and I do get married, that we'll be as happy as you two are. Minus Alice. I don't think either of us want her anywhere near our wedding."

"Oh, Edward." Esme shook her head. "You won't have a choice. Well, unless you elope."

I nodded and walked over to the door. "Now, that's a good idea."

"I was just kidding!" she called after me as I opened the door and walked into the hallway. In an instant, Alice, Rose, and Elizabeth were in my face, begging me for answers on what had just happened.

"She's fine," I insisted. "And ready to go."

While they pushed me out of the way and rushed inside to my sister, I kept my attention on Bella, who was leaning against the wall with a smirk on her lips. I stepped up in front of her, placing one hand on the wall and the other on her hip.

"You look incredible," I whispered.

"I look like a girl," she groused. "Alice tried to force me into dying my hair back to normal. I almost hit her."

"She might have been able to take you, baby," I snickered. "She's scrappy."

"And she fights like a girl," Bella laughed. "Hair pulling, eye gauging. All of it."

I nodded as I tightened my grip on her hip and pressed my lips against hers. However, before I could deepen the kiss, my mother cleared her throat. We looked over at her, finding her trying very hard to look stern.

"Edward, release Bella and go get ready," she ordered.

"Yes, mom," I sighed, but not before kissing Bella again.

Ed was waiting for Esme in the lobby, and once I assured him that everything was okay, I slipped into the sanctuary and made my way down to where Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper were standing. Though all three of them questioned me with their eyes, I simply shook my head. If Esme wanted then to know, she'd tell them herself.

I shifted my eyes around the church, noticing that Nolan, Corrine, Charlie, and Renee were sitting in the front row on the groom's side of the church. Though he'd made great strides when it came to his relationship with his parents, older sister, and brother-in-law, Carlisle hadn't been able to forgive them the way Bella had.

As the organist began to play, the doors to the back opened and Elizabeth made her way down the aisle, taking her spot in the front row on the bride's side. Next, came Bella, who looked embarrassed and uncomfortable with the attention she was receiving. Most of our teachers from the high school were in attendance. She shifted her eyes over to mine, smiling as she took her place on the opposite side of the aisle.

I kept my attention on her as Alice and Rose joined her, and as Ed escorted Esme down the aisle, awkwardly placing her hand in Carlisle's, and I wondered. When Bella and I got married, would she ask Nolan to give her away?

"We're gathered here today . . ." As Reverend Peterson performed the ceremony, I kept my attention on Bella.

—LO—

"Edward, come dance with me," Elizabeth ordered, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of my seat.

I groaned, threw a pleading look for help toward Bella, who laughed and shook her head. "Sorry, baby, you mother wants to dance. Be a good boy," she teased.

"I'll get you back for this," I muttered, ignoring the way she and Elizabeth laughed.

"You act like dancing with me is so horrible," Elizabeth snickered, placing her hand on my shoulder and while gripping mine. I placed my hand on her hip and we started moving, only making it a few steps before her foot landed on mine. "Sorry."

"It's fine," I laughed. "I was prepared. You never could dance."

"Boy, I can dance circles around you," she lied. My mother was a horrible dance. She had trouble finding the beat, and more often than not, she ended up stepping all of my feet. But she loved to dance, and I loved her enough to take it. "You look happy."

"I am happy."

"Still, I worry about you and Bella," she said with a sigh.

"Mom, we're fine," I insisted.

"No, I know, but I'm a mother. It's my job to worry."

"And you do it so well," I teased.

She smiled. "You know, when Dad and I left for Italy, I figured only a month would go by before you were begging us to come home. But you never did. You found your home here."

"I did," I admitted, shifting my eyes over to where Bella and Jasper were dancing. She was laughing, looking more carefree than I'd seen her, at least around them. She'd been so nervous about us coming back again, afraid of what her brothers would do to me. It was nice to see her loosening up and having fun. "I love her. I think I fell in love with her the moment I saw her."

"I wasn't sure what to expect," Elisabeth admitted, causing me to look down at her. "Esme told us about her, about the fights, about the trouble, and I'll admit to being afraid that you were falling for the wrong girl."

"I wasn't, though," I argued. "You know none of that was her fault."

"I do," she said quickly. "But you'd never had a friend, much less a girlfriend before, and you were getting into fights. You weren't the Edward I left with your sister. When we came back, when we met Bella, and I saw how desperately she needed a mother to love her, to hold her, I knew she was a keeper. But then I saw how much she loved you, how much you loved her, and I knew that one day, she'd be a part of our family. Officially."

"Mom," I whispered as the song came to an end.

Elizabeth leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips against my cheek. "It's okay, darling boy, I can wait until you and Bella are ready."

"Gee, thanks," I scoffed.

"You're welcome." She beamed. "Now, I believe your father owes me a dance."

With that said, she turned and went searching for Ed. A moment later, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and I smiled as I turned, finding Bella standing there. "Can we get out of here? This is all too much."

"Sure," I murmured, sliding my hand into hers. Glancing over at Esme and Carlisle, who were watching us, I nodded my head toward the exit, letting them know we were leaving. They smiled, telling us they understood. I led Bella out of the fellowship hall, and out of the church, sweeping her in my arms and carrying her to my car. Bella laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck.

Once I had her inside the car, I rushed around to the driver's seat and took off. A few minutes later, I parked at First Beach. Bella smiled as I helped her out of the car and lead her through the sand. We settled in the sand, and wrapped our arms around each other. So much needed to be said, but at the same time, we didn't need to voice it. We just knew. Our relationship had grown stronger, and together, we'd be able to face anything.

"Edward," Bella whispered.

"Yeah?"

Bella shifted her eyes up to mine. "Marry me."

I smiled, bringing my hand up to her face. "Okay."

"Yeah?" she giggled.

"Of course," I scoffed. "Though, I thought I was supposed to ask you."

"So ask me."

"Will you marry me, Bella?"

"No," she giggled.

"Bella!" I laughed, laying her in the sand.

"Of course I'll marry you," she whispered. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Closing the distance between our lips, I kissed her.