Chapter 2

Moving through the dark forest, my quick movements nearly silent but not completely, my suppressed noises diminished by the many wayward branches and ferns brushing against me.

I could only think of spending some time with my Bella. I knew that once our wedding came to an end that she would be in my company for as long as we wished.

Though, I also knew Alice. I knew that if I over stayed the two hours with her tonight that the pixie would surely kill me herself.

There was also the other piece that I couldn't ignore. I also realized that if I was going to be with Bella more than two weeks, I was going to need to hunt. The main reason behind the Bachelor Party. That's the only reason I saw behind it anyways.

Emmett saw it a little differently. He felt that bachelor parties were a party to wish the single days... months... years away from my life.

My mind ventured back to the night we'd told Charlie about our engagement. "You're pregnant aren't you!"

I sighed, stopping for a moment in a branch near her home.

Sitting, I pinched the bridge of my nose.

How could I be so selfish?

I loved her more than anything... even my own life, yet I was taking something away from her that, as far as I knew, most women wanted.

A child.

Shaking my head, I couldn't help but to picture Bella, healthy, happy, well, her abdomen rounded with a life within her.

If only I had the ability to give her this. To give her this most basic but most beautiful human experience.

It was true, when I was human, I had thoughts of having children myself, it was something I definitely wanted then.

But once I was changed, I knew that it would be impossible, so I threw the thought away completely.

Taking a deep breath, I bit my lip before continuing on my journey. I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could tonight.

Peering down at my watch, I sighed. I had been lost in my own endless mind longer than I'd thought. It was now 7:45... Only one hour and fifteen minutes.

The amount of time sounds more than it actually feels.

Rolling my eyes, I got to her window, seeing it open.

I smiled, Bella must have had a feeling I'd still come to see her tonight.

Hopping up, I watched her as she was putting the last of her items into a large box, moving into her bed.

I stayed silent for a minute, listening for Charlie who was watching the television, football.

'Tomorrow... My baby... married. There's still time... No... No, Charlie. Bella really does seem happy. Things will be alright. She'll be taken care of... what more could I ask for?'

I nodded, feeling at ease now with his thoughts.

I came into her window, taking a deep breath of her scent. The burn was still there, but much more manageable than it had been when I'd first met her.

I took a moment to stop my train of thought right there.

Bella had learned when to be aware for me.

As I had jumped into her window, she turned to me, the wind from the air of my entrance having blown against her.

Slowly, she turned towards me.

Her body poised in a very welcoming way.

Her blood moved to her cheeks, turning them pink almost immediately.

She wore clothes that shouldn't be so alluring, but on her, they hugged her body tightly. A red velvet style top matched with a pair of fleece lined gray sweatpants.

She smiled at me, patting the empty side of the bed, gently rubbing her hand on the soft satin finish of her purple comforter.

I acknowledged this, moving towards her. I moved the comforter to cover her with it while I moved to lay on the other side.

It was saddening for me, to know that she would cold if I were to hold her the way I always dreamed of doing so.

I grinned, wrapping my arms around her clothed body.

Her arm was out of the comforter, resting on my chest as I listened to her breathing in my scent.

Tilting my head, I pressed my lips gently to the crown of her head, her hair smelling fresh of her shampoo, sugared strawberries and vanilla.

I closed my eyes, taking in her scent and listening to her heartbeat.

I smiled as I thought of my time, when I was human... when my heart could beat and my body was warm.

Unable to resist, I imagined what if it would have been like if I hadn't been sick... if Bella had been born back then and our love.

Swallowing, even though I loved that image, I also loved the fact that I could be with Bella forever, immortal. Our love never having to move from each other.

A happy sigh broke me out of my thoughts, Bella's heat radiating through me.

"What?" I probed, placing another kiss on her cheek.

Bella let out a warm breath. "Well, this is the night before our wedding... I know Alice has her reservations about you staying here over night with me. Though, I do hope we can have... well..."

This time, I could tell exactly what she wanted. Bella knew I wanted to save both her and I's virginity until we were married.

As old a notion it might be, I knew this one was something that stuck with me strongly.

Despite this, I knew I couldn't resist Bella when she wanted love.

Turning on my side, I wrapped my arms tightly around her while making sure to keep my arms above the comforter.

Unable to hold back, I moved my lips to hers, breathing in her scent while also trying to hold back the monster within me. Even if I was adjusted to this and able to manage it, I knew I could hold it back.

Bella let out an excited sigh, pressing her lips hard to mine.

With spontaneity.

Her arms moved against me, her warm hand pressed to my cheek, her fingers slowing moving towards my hair.

A moan left her lips as her tongue swept my lower lip, begging for entry.

I wished I could let her.

While my mouth wasn't filled with saliva, it was venom. The venom for this wasn't potent enough to cause damage to unwounded skin.

If my heart were still beating, I knew it would be racing like a hummingbirds wings.

Bella pulled back for a moment, taking a deep breath.

My hands moved on their own accord, grabbing her hips, pulling our bodies together.

As close as this was that I could move her to me, I wished I could move her closer in.

With as much quickness as before, Bella moved in again, her move moving from my cheek, down to my jaw, and down my neck. I could almost hear her begging to move further down my body.

Chuckling, I pulled her back, holding her in place to smooth her hair.

"I miss you already." Bella said

"I don't need to leave. I can stay. . . ." I grinned at the idea of ignoring Alice's warning.

"Mmm."

"Definitely staying," I could stay and kiss her, hold her. I didn't need this party.

"No, no. It's your bachelor party. You have to go." Bella urged, resting her hot hand against my chest, where my heart would be.

"Bachelor parties are designed for those who are sad to see the passing of their single days. I couldn't be more eager to have mine behind me. So there's really no point."

"True." With Charlie now snoring loudly in the next room, I could finally speak more.

I removed my top, wanting to feel her warm hand and kisses on my torso.

Bella seemed to enjoy this too, once again pressing her lips to me, though this time, her temperature seemed hotter this time.

I could hear her heart racing again, passion coursing through her.

I knew that if I let this continue, that I couldn't and wouldn't be able to stop what was to come.

Gently, I moved back again, holding her but keeping our lips a certain distance apart.

"Wait!" She begged as she swung one hot leg around me, rubbing the bottom of her foot along my clothed calf. "Practice makes perfect."

"Well, we should be fairly close to perfection by this point, then, shouldn't we? Have you slept at all in the last month?" I couldn't help but to laugh at her notion. These hormones were definitely intense, for sure. I knew what she wanted, but also what I wanted. This was one of those things I didn't want to let go of.

"But this is the dress rehearsal and we've only practiced certain scenes. It's no time for playing safe." Bella teased, winking at me.

"Bella..." My voice now quiet but begging with earnest.

"Don't start this again, A deal's a deal."

"I don't know. It's too hard to concentrate when you're with me like this. I—I can't think straight. I won't be able to control myself. You'll get hurt."

This was my most honest fear. This was another reason why I wanted to wait. I wanted to wait because I knew that in the chance that Bella could get hurt or something happened, that I could be able to change her, to save her from passing.

It was a common thing amongst repulsive nomads. They would lure vulnerable women, the term for an incubus in its literal form.

They would take these women and most times the women would pass from a rupture or being drank empty.

Bella had hope that I could do so as well... so much hope in me that I started to belief too, as long as I could fully control myself.

"I'll be fine." Bella insisted.

"Bella..."

"Shh!" Bella soothed, pressing her lips to mine once more. It was a relaxing feeling.

"How are your feet?"

I couldn't help but to ask.

"Toasty warm." Bella's voice, honest.

Hesitating, I bit the inside of my cheek, determining whether or not I should even mention my concerns. "Really? No second thoughts? It's not too late to change your mind."

"Are you trying to ditch me?" Bella pressed.

What? No! How could she think I could do that to her?

"Just making sure. I don't want you to do anything you're not sure about." She needed to hear what I wanted to know.

"I'm sure about you. The rest I can live through."

"Can you? I don't mean the wedding—which I am positive you will survive despite your qualms—but afterward... what about Renée, what about Charlie?" I pressed.

"I'll miss them."

"Angela and Ben and Jessica and Mike."

Venom rose in my throat at the name Mike. That boy, throughout the entire two years of high school, had been thinking of nothing but stealing Bella from me, much like Jacob, but at least Jacob had the decency to not think of sexual events like the Newton boy did.

"I'll miss my friends, too. Especially Mike. Oh, Mike! How will I go on?" Bella spoke, almost as if she were a Shakespearean actor, the tone full of despair as Romeo had been when he had found Juliet believing her to be dead.

"Edward, we've been through this and through this. I know it will be hard, but this is what I want. I want you, and I want you forever. One lifetime is simply not enough for me." Bella looked at me, her expression holding nothing but love.

"Frozen forever at eighteen," I paused.

"Every woman's dream come true,"

Eyes rolling, so that's what women dream about? Looks maybe... not everything else.

"Never changing... never moving forward."

I couldn't help it when my voice came out, almost pained.

"What does that mean?" Bella questioned.

"Do you remember when we told Charlie we were getting married? And he thought you were... pregnant?"

Again, I was struck by that same vision, the idea that she and I could... that things could work that way...

"And he thought about shooting you, Admit it—for one second, he honestly considered it. What, Edward?" Giggles rang from her soft voice.

I paused, staying silent as I pondered how to word this.

How could I say this and not possible be offensive or make her sad?

"I just wish..." Pausing again, "well, I wish that he'd been right."

"Gah," Bella's eyes went wide, in what looked to be a mixture of shock and disbelief. Almost as if she couldn't believe what I was saying.

"More that there was some way he could have been. That we had that kind of potential. I hate taking that away from you, too."

I sighed, looking deep into her chocolate pools.

From what I saw, she at least understood what I was saying, or at least I hope she did.

She deserved a man who not only loved her, but could offer her everything. Perhaps Jacob would have been a better suitor.

I bit my tongue at that thought, No. She was my Bella. I knew and understood this.

"I know what I'm doing." Bella defended.

"How could you know that, Bella? Look at my mother, look at my sister. It's not as easy a sacrifice as you imagine."

"Esme and Rosalie get by just fine. If it's a problem later, we can do what Esme did—we'll adopt."

I wanted to shake my head furiously, to get her to understand why I felt upset with taking these things away from her.

Did she happen to be one of those that didn't really care whether she had them or not?

Unable to hide the intense tone in my voice, I let my thoughts ramble on, "It's not right! I don't want you to have to make sacrifices for me. I want to give you things, not take things away from you. I don't want to steal your future. If I were human—" I was cut off by Bella, gently placed her soft hand over my lips, gently asking me to calm down.

Her gaze eyed me, almost as if she was pleading with me. "You are my future. Now stop. No moping, or I'm calling your brothers to come and get you. Maybe you need a bachelor party." Bella pitched.

I sighed, unable to hold back my chuckle.

"I'm sorry. I am moping, aren't I? Must be the nerves."

"Are your feet cold?" Bella wondered, her tone soft but also concerned.

Shaking my head, I pulled her close again, pressing my lips lovingly to her forehead once more.

"Not in that sense. I've been waiting a century to marry you, Miss Swan. The wedding ceremony is the one thing I can't wait—"

It's that time brother! Get your ass out here!

For god's sake Emmett!

"Oh, for the love of all that's holy!"

"What's wrong?" Bella's brows furrowed, of course she wouldn't be able to hear them outside.

"You don't have to call my brothers. Apparently Emmett and Jasper are not going to let me bow out tonight."

"Have fun." Bella smiled, her smirk almost seeming amused. But she also didn't seem to want to let me go.

With no warning, there was a god awful screeching sound, almost as if it were someone scraping a metal fork against a place.

Bella jumped, looking over at the window, seeing Emmett smirking evilly

"If you don't send Edward out, we're coming in after him!" Emmett growled as he slowly lifted the window.

"Go, before they break my house." Bella urged, pushing me off of her bed as she went to get up.

Thought Emmett's mind, I could see him eyeing the fact that I was topless.

Oh ho! Did your dearest brothers interrupt something? Get your ass out here.

"Okay! Okay!" I nearly snarled in a volume too low for Bella to hear, pulling my sweater over my head.

Turning back towards Bella, I smiled, gently caressing the side of her cheek and placing a kiss upon her head.

"Get to sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow." Or rather, we do, but unlike me, she needed as much rest as she could get.

"Thanks! That's sure to help me wind down." Bella whispered, rolling her eyes.

Come on man! This is brother time! Time to hunt!

Edward, please do hurry, Emmett's going insane out here. Jasper begged.

"I'll meet you at the altar."

Winking at her, I could feel the excitement boiling within me now.

"I'll be the one in white."

"Very convincing," I smirked as I moved out the window, looking to aim my fall on top of Emmett.

To human's it sounded like a light thud but I knew this time, Emmett had been taken by surprise, his thirst distracting him.

"You'd better not make him late," Bella warned, her tone much worse than we knew her bite could be, for now anyways.

Jasper hopped up, gripping to the window to meet Bella eye to eye.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll get him home in plenty of time."

"Jasper? What do vampires do for bachelor parties? You're not taking him to a strip club, are you?" Bella wondered, peaking her curiosity.

"Don't tell her anything!" Emmett growled.

"Relax, We Cullen's have our own version. Just a few mountain lions, a couple of grizzly bears. Pretty much an ordinary night out." Jasper chuckled.

"Thanks, Jasper." Bella whispered.

I watched as my two brothers walked towards the tree line. I looked up on last time, winking at Bella.

"LET'S GO LOVER BOY!" Emmett yelled back.

Shaking my head, I made a run for it.

To Be Continued...