Hello! Thank you so much for your support. It makes me very happy.

I have one thing to clarify. One of you asked me if the twins Bella taught and babysat were Alec and Jane. No, they're not. I'm already playing too much with the timeline here, and I prefer to leave the Volturi as they are.

Also, in this chapter, it is mentioned that Bella as an inner voice that tells her if bad things are coming. I want to clarify that it is not a gift. It's just one of those things that she has. I usually have a bad feeling when something bad is happening or is about to happen. So, I based that "inner voice" on that.

That's it. Stay safe and enjoy!

TWO CENTURIES LOVE

Chapter 14: Garrett.

The weeks following the Denali departure were a whirlwind of activity and planning. Edward and I had decided to get married on the same day he had proposed the first time. That left us with two months to plan a wedding, which was good enough for the both of us because neither of the guests needed to eat (at least, their food was of a different sort), there was no need to book a venue because we were marrying in the backyard, facing the forest. There was no need to fuss about fittings because neither of us was going to change in two months. That basically left us with letting the guests know they had been invited to our wedding. But Alice was a tornado of activity.

She constantly complained of lack of space, of lack of time, and so many other things that only she could understand. I had asked Edward, but he said he preferred to stay out of her mind when she was in her planning a big event phase. I wondered how many big events she had had to plan for a family of vampires that repeated high school over and over, and it's not as if she was involved in planning the school dances and such. Maybe she planned big events for vampires? Who knew? With Alice, everything was possible.

As soon as the invitations were sent, Alice began to relax a little, and she actually listened to my choice of flowers and my idea of decoration. She gave her opinion, and we ended mixing her plans with my ideas. I didn't really care that much. As long as I could have sunflowers and Edward waiting for me at the end of the aisle, I couldn't care less if Alice wanted her dress to be brown, yellow, or blue. For all I care, she could go naked.

Edward agreed with me when I spoke these thoughts out loud in the privacy of my apartment. I didn't want to appear ungrateful or hurt Alice's feelings by saying this to her, so I carried it with me until I could get Edward alone and talk to him.

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The first guest to reply was Garrett (no surprise there). His answer came with a note saying he would be here in the following week. I couldn't wait to introduce my big brother to my new family. I knew they would get along great. Garrett was very easygoing, he had a sense of humor that could be childish sometimes, but it was what you need when you're down. He was loyal, smart, and would have your back through thick and thin.

Edward teased me endlessly, saying he was going to make Garrett talk about my newborn phase. Putting aside my grief of losing Edward, I was an extremely clumsy newborn. I kept breaking things, getting sidetracked, distracted. It was as if suddenly I had developed attention deficit (or the vampire equivalent of it). I knew Garrett would love to reminisce about it.

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Garrett called the day of his arrival to let me know the time he would be at the house. And as with the Denali's, we stepped out to receive him. He quirked one of his eyebrows when he saw the reception but didn't say anything out loud. However, judging by Edward's shaking form, his thoughts were loud enough and funny too.

I stepped forward to hug him and greet him. It was so great to see him again.

"It's good to see you too, Bella." He replied to my unspoken words while holding me tightly. I guess I hadn't been the only one missing the other.

When we broke the embrace, I kept him in a one-arm hug and turned to the family. "Garrett, these are the Cullens." I pointed with my palm to them. "They're great." Esme beamed. "Family, this is Garrett." Emmett looked unusually serious, which worried me. He had always been so sunny and happy. Even the first time we saw each other, he was smiling like he had done mischief, and no one had discovered him.

Carlisle was the first to step forward almost at the same time I introduced them to each other. "Welcome to our home, Garret. Any friend of Bella's is always welcome. I'm Carlisle."

Garrett stretched Carlisle's hand and thanked him. After Carlisle, the rest followed. Emmett didn't smile once. I eyed Rose discreetly, and she mouthed 'later' to which I nodded. Edward was the last one.

"Are you taking care of my little sister?" He asked, puffing his chest out and looking all sort of ridiculous.

Edward laughed hard at something in Garrett's mind, I assumed because his words weren't funny. "Trust me; she has no complaints." Edward turned to me and winked. Then, I understood what the innuendo behind Garrett's words was.

I gaped at him. "You're horrible!" Everyone laughed, including Emmett.

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The day after Garrett's arrival, I took him on a hunt alone and proceeded to explain about my gift and Eleazar's assessments.

"I always knew you had some sort of gift." He shrugged. "But you were too downcast, and depressed to mind it, least of all, manage it successfully." It was sort of rude to say that, but I knew he was right. I was too depressed, too into my own misery that I wouldn't have been a good student had I found out back then about my shield.

"Do you think I have something to worry about now, and that's why it's manifesting?"

"It is not manifesting, Bella." I cocked an eyebrow. "You've always had it. You're just gaining conscience about it now. It has not suddenly appeared. It's not as if Edward had always been able to read you, and then one day, he wasn't. What happened with Alice was some sort of accident." I opened my mouth to interrupt him, but he kept talking, giving me that look that he always gave me when he knew I was going to be stubborn. "I know the fatalist in you might look for something bad to cling to, something that would explain why you, of all people, have a defensive gift. But I'm sure without Eleazar's powers, that this time, there is nothing bad lurking in the corner to come at you. The worst has already passed. You have a shield, the same way Alice can see the future, and Jasper can sense and manipulate emotions. It's just one of those things, you know. Not everything needs a logical explanation."

I frowned at him calling me a fatalist. I was not a fatalist. At least, not anymore. I was a fatalist a long time ago, but I learned to go on, even if my heart was broken and unmendable. Now, my heart was whole again, mended, put together, and strongly secured by the only person who has ever had power over it.

"Do you really think there's nothing to worry about?" It seemed too good to be true sometimes.

"Has Alice said anything bad is coming?" I shook my head. "Do you have a bad feeling, like those you used to get sometimes?" I shook my head once more. "There you have it—neither your seeing sister-in-law nor your inner weird voice sense anything. So, stop fretting, and enjoy. You deserve it."

I let out an unnecessary sigh. I knew he was right. That's why I chose to have this conversation with him and not with any of the the Cullens. Garrett knew me better than anyone, maybe except Edward. He knew when I was not giving my all, when I was trying to talk myself into something stupid, or when I was trying to be fatalistic, like now. I knew there was nothing bad coming around, nor now or in the distant future. I had not made any enemies, the Volturi couldn't care less about me, and they were the real threat overall. I was able to be happy. I deserved to be happy. I was going to be happy.

"I see my words sank in." He smiled warmly. "I'm happy for you, you know. It is a truly remarkable story." I nodded. That was an understatement, if there was ever any.

"You'll walk me down the aisle, right?" I haven't asked him properly yet, but with him, I knew I didn't need to ask.

"I would have been offended if you had chosen anyone else." He winked. I smiled. As if I would choose anyone else to give me away.