Hello my darlings. Thank you for the love and support to this story. I think this one is coming to an end soon.

I hope you like this chapter as well. It's a bit more angsty and dwells on Bella's past.

Stay safe and enjoy!

TWO CENTURIES LOVE

Chapter 9: You, and only you.

As we made our way around, meeting old friends, in Bella's case, and acquaintances in mine, I noticed that for a hundred year old vampire she seemed to know a lot of people. I wondered why none of them had told them they knew her when I had asked Carlisle to inquire. But I quickly realized that they were loyal to her, and her only. I remembered then that she had told me a few times she traveled around the world, not quite settling in one place. Most hung on her every word They truly cared for her. Authentically. She could rival Carlisle's connection.

In a humourous turn of events, I had turned to be arm candy for my very popular girlfriend. I enjoyed watching her waltz through the room, meeting people, chatting here and there while I was on the sidelines a few times. But I enjoyed being there, I loved watching her. She had always been a very secure woman, but there was something about her now, that it was simply marvelous.

A vampire I knew was on the guard, approached me with a stern look. I immediately tensed up. His thoughts were all about Bella. But what surprised me, is that he was truly in love with her.

"I know your abilities, Cullen. This is between you and I." I nodded. "I know a lost fight when I see one. I won't fight for her, because I would lose her forever. But mark my words. I do love her. And I will do anything for her. If you hurt her, disrespect her in any way or form, remember that I have very powerful tools at my disposal." The threat was explicit. Harm her and I'll kill you.

He didnt wait for my answer. He turned his back on me and went to join Bella in a conversation.

I was not worried about that. If there was something I was sure of, was Bella. At some point I told her that, but in the privacy of our hotel room, I would elaborate. There were too many ears in here for my comfort.

A few times, Bella asked if I was alright. As an answer I would force a smile and nod to her. I would voice my thoughts in the privacy of our hotel room. It's not that we needed sleep, but neither of us was keen on spending the night at the castle. Bella said, she was doing this for Demetri and for a few others, but the truth was that the Volturi 'kinda creeped her out'. It was funny that she was not scared of them, but creeped out. She knew them, knew of their power and still she was only creeped out. She was beyond anything I ever dreamed.

I was sure that I would never truly get to the deepest of her mind, that every day would be an adventure with her. I couldnt wait, to be honest.

Demetri was a constant person in Bella's social circle. I began to get curious about it. I didn't know what the story behind that friendship was, but it had to be very interesting, because despite Demetri's feelings for Bella, I could see he valued their friendship first.

I chatted with those acquaintances, and I partly enjoyed the change of scene, though this made me miss the quiet mess of the house. From time to time, I could see that Bella seemed spaced, but she would quickly recover. I wondered what that was about.

Here, everybody knew almost everybody. It was truly a birthday party. No displays of power, or vampires being asked to join the guard, just old friends catching up. I relaxed a little and let go of the thoughts from those surrounding me. I enjoyed myself eventually.

However, I kept my eyes on Bella. It was impossible not to follow her around. I wasn't doing it to control her. It was instinctive. She was beautiful in her golden knee length dress and her black heels. She was a sight to behold.

Currently she was talking with a blonde, tall girl with red eyes, a broad shouldered and black haired guy and Demetri. They seemed tight. Demetri had his arm around Bella's shoulder and she was laughing. I felt the jealous monster lurk in me, and I almost made my way to her. But she caught my stare and she winked at me. A different smile crossed her face, and I knew that even if she was with friends, her attention was also on me.

I settled down and winked back, but the monster didn't subside.

At long last, I had her alone in our hotel room. She chatted my ears off all the way to the hotel. It was funny seeing her so hyped. I was happy she had had a time to reconnect with old friends.

"Spit it out, please." I looked at her surprised and confused. "Something's eating you from inside. Talk to me." She patted my chest and I knew that I could never conceal anything from her.

"Demetri's in love with you." That's what really bothered me.

She didn't look surprised. She remained in her spot. Standing between my bent legs as I sat in the bed. "I know." She said calmly.

I snorted. "It doesn't bother you?"

"No." Her face was unreadable.

"Why not?"

"Because he won't act on it. And because I never reciprocated his feelings."

The confidence in her voice did nothing to soothe my jealousy.

"How so?" I tried to keep my tone casual, but it was fucking hard to do.

"He knows it's a lost fight." I didn't like the pause at the end, it made me uncomfortable. "He's always known that I would never love him."

How could she be so calm?

"Why would you never love him?"

She frowned and I knew then that I should put my foot in my mouth. She slapped me harder than necessary on the shoulders. "I can't believe you're asking me that." Me neither, to be honest. "I love you, Edward. I loved you the first time I saw you in that park in Chicago, I loved you the moment I laughed at your first bad joke." I smiled remembering that moment. My memories of her were something I always treasured and therefore fought so hard to keep them alive. "When we first kissed, I was way gone. You have no idea how bad I had it when the nurse told me you had died." I squeezed her hips; I didn't like the look on her face.

"What happened?" I had to know. She had avoided that topic since we re-connected.

She sighed and looked down, as if trying to put herself together before answering my question. "I crumbled. I fell to the floor, I screamed until I couldn't speak for days. I cried until I couldn't shed any more tears. I almost got sick. I broke into your house and stole a few of your things. I stole a few of your nightshirts because they still smelled like you. Which, by the way, I still have. I stole a few photographs your parents had of you. No one caught me there because no one expected anyone to go there." I passed my hands up and down her back. I could see her doing all she was telling me. I felt a lump in my throat and my eyes filled with venom.

"I hid those things in my room. I don't know how my parents never found them. I think they thought I was too broken to push things more. I barely spoke. I went to your funeral, I told you already that I didn't cry that day. But I didn't tell you that I hung onto my mother's arm so hard that I left bruises. That day I decided to leave Chicago. As much as I loved you, the memories were too strong, and I didn't trust myself with my grief."

I frowned worried about the meaning of her words. "Bella…"

She put a hand gently on my mouth. "Yes, Edward. I didn't trust myself not to harm myself." I knew that if she were able to shed tears, she would be crying a river now.

"That's why you chose to tutor those two kids. You knew that kids were too hungry on the world to ask too many questions." It was dawning on me. It all made sense now.

She nodded slowly.

I leaned towards her and kissed her softly on the lips. It was meant to be comforting.

She smiled sadly. "Is that too much?"

I embraced her tightly and took her with me while I let myself lie backwards on the bed. She giggled on top of me. I smiled at that sound. I didn't like seeing her so serious. I kept my arms on her waist and laced my fingers on her back. She put her hands flat on my chest.

We remained silent for a few seconds.

"You have nothing to worry about with Demetri." She circled back to our original topic. "I don't have the words to express my relationship with him and how it differs from the one I have with Garrett. While Garrett is my brother, my protector and my best friend, and also one of those who I consider home, Demetri is different. I've always known he was in love with me, and I never took advantage of that. But he's… I don't know...different. He's seen me at my very worse. I ran from Garrett when I was too depressed. I was newly turned, and my memories hunted me all the time. I don't think he's ever forgiven me for that. He looked frantically for me. He knew that the Volturi were the most likely to have heard from me. He found me pretty quickly. It took him a few weeks. But he was really concerned. I have never seen a vampire cry the way he did when he held me. By the time he found me, Demetri and I had already form a weird relationship. They both helped me cheer up. They forced fed me.

You have to understand, that I literally owe my life to those two."

I nodded, understanding. I have never had a relationship like that. The Cullens were my family. I think, the closest I had ever heard of a situation like Bella's is that of Peter and Charlotte's, Jasper's friends.

My most horrific moments, reside in the time when I ran from Carlisle and Esme. I didn't last much, they received me with open arms.

She had a far away look, like she was remembering the unpleasant times. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I might not be able to cry, but the feeling of my throat closing was the same. She had been through so much. She had a tough life. She must really have a guardian angel. First, Garret finds her, then she runs away from him and somehow ends up in Italy, where a powerful vampire fell in love with her, even when she was broken, and with no desire to go on.

"I would never see Demetri in a different like than that of friendship. And despite the fact that my friends are home, what you are to me is something more than home. It transcends the meaning of home. You and your family. What you've offered me…It's my place in the world. There is nowhere I'd rather be."

I caressed her cheek with one hand, tracing the contour of her face with the second knuckle of my index finger. I traced her face lightly, marveling at her expression, her eyes. She had always had golden eyes. She must have figured out a way with Garret to not hurt people.

"I love you." It was all I could manage to tell her after that.

She smiled brightly at me and leaned down to kiss me. I savored her lips, her neck, and the beginning of her breasts.

"Marry me." I blurt out against her neck.

She laughed surprised. "What?"

"Marry me." I repeated stronger and looking her straight in the eye.

This wasn't the romantic proposal I had thought, but I couldn't imagine doing it any other way.

I lifted her slightly for a second to get the ring out of my suit pocket. I was planning on proposing tonight. I just didn't know when during the night.

She gasped as I presented her the ring. Realization came to her when she looked at the ring. "Is that…"

"My mother's ring? Yes. She actually gave it to me when I told her I wanted to marry you." She smiled hugely. She knew my mother approved of her, but I could see it meant a lot to her that it was passed on while she was alive.

"Yes! Of course I'll marry you." She answered. I put the ring on her finger and she kissed me. "I love you. So damn much." I laughed.

"Well, that's a good thing, since you've agreed to be my wife." I grin.

She frowned then. "What about this ring?" She asked taking her chain out.

I had thought about it. "You could use it as jewelry. It meant a lot to me that you use my mother's ring. I thought at first we could use that one, but then I remembered she gave me her ring…" I was rambling on. "Which one do you prefer as your engagement ring?"

She pondered a bit about it. "I think your mom's ring would be a beautiful engagement ring. And this one, would be a beautiful promise ring that I could use as jewelry." I nodded and kissed her cheek. "I'll have to find a charm for my necklace."

The chain her dad had given her now would lay naked on her chest. It could lay like that, as her father intended. But she could also add a charm. We had time for that.

For now, I wanted to celebrate with my fiance.

"This is what Alice was pestering you about this week right?" She giggled, tilting her head back as I traced my lips up and down.

"I love you. I don't want to think about my sister when I'm about to make love to you. It's bad enough at the house."

She laughed harder and kissed me with such passion that had I been human again, I would have been breathless.