AN: The penultimate chapter and everything becomes clear ...

Esme

I was absolutely ecstatic to see Bella and Edward together again. They both looked so happy and a little flushed; it was so obviously the right thing for the both of them, and it was something I'd hoped would happen ever since they went their separate ways all those years ago.

I'd watched my beautiful son practically shrink in front of me, coming home less and less. I knew he sort of blamed us for not supporting him to persuade Bella to stay here in the States, even though he never asked her, either. In all good conscience, neither Carlisle nor I could take that sort of responsibility for his life, never mind hers. She'd won that scholarship, and if I was being honest, I kind of thought she should take it. Not that I'd wanted them to be apart; far from it. I knew he loved her the moment he first brought her home after school.

Unfortunately, he had a warped sense of responsibility and pushed her away, breaking up with her instead of coming to an agreement that they'd do the long distance thing. It would have been hard, but I know they would have made it work.

Then he met Tanya, and though I'm sure she is a lovely girl in her own way, she just isn't good enough for Edward. In all conscience, it wasn't my place to tell him who he should have a relationship with, especially since the fiasco with Bella, but Tanya was definitely not the one.

Instead, I prayed for a miracle.

And it seemed as if my prayers had been answered when we found them wrapped around each other in Carlisle's truck; it warmed my heart through and through. Now everything was back on track.

Renée, Charlie, Carlisle, and I retired to the kitchen to open another bottle of wine and finish up some of the snacks that had been left by the vultures—oops; guests. We'd barely settled with full plates and glasses when loud voices from the front porch penetrated as far as the kitchen. "What the?"

I rose from my seat and headed along the hallway to the front door, the voices getting louder still. Opening the door, I saw Edward and Bella standing side by side with their arms around each others' waists, and beyond them I could see a young man waving his arms around.

"Is everything okay, Edward?" I stepped onto the porch and around them to see who was shouting. He turned his head slightly, but his attention was pulled away from me to listen to what the young man was yelling.

"How could you do this to me, Bella? I thought you were coming here to settle your past so we could be married. I came here to surprise you and find you wrapped in someone else's arms."

"I'm so sorry, Riley. I've gone about this all wrong. I truly was coming here to speak to Edward, but things have developed since then. Honestly, I was planning on speaking to you in a day or so when I returned to England―to explain―"

"Well, I'm here now, so explain it to me now." The young man looked angry, but hurt flashed across his features, too.

I stepped forward, ready to invite him inside, when a taxi practically slid around the corner and came to a halt just behind this Riley. The rear door opened and Tanya unfolded herself from the back seat, stooping to tell the driver to retrieve her bags from the trunk.

"Tanya? What the hell are you doing here? I thought we'd said everything there was to say the day before yesterday?" Edward sounded confused.

"Oh, Edward, darling. That was just a little tiff, and I didn't want my fiancé to spend all of New Year's on his own." She stood straight and walked toward the house. "So here I am. Can you pay the driver, please? Oh, good morning, Mrs. Cullen," she said as she walked toward me. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I couldn't get an earlier flight." She pulled the glove off of her left hand and extended it toward me, showing me an ostentatious, but garish, engagement ring. I know I didn't want Edward to marry Tanya, but I honestly thought he had better taste than that―thing.

I looked at Edward, mystified as to why he'd been wrapped around Bella, clearly with an engagement ring on her finger―though nothing official had been said―and yet here was Tanya, also engaged, it would seem. I raised my eyebrow at him.

I could see Bella's confusion and something like hurt crossed her face, but his arm only tightened on her waist, drawing her closer, no doubt giving her reassurance.

"Tanya," he said evenly. "I thought I made myself perfectly clear back at the apartment. What didn't you understand when I told you that it wasn't fair to marry you, when I explained that I still had feelings for Bella." He said the words looking directly at Bella.

"Oh, that. Just pre-wedding jitters, Edward. You know we're perfect together, and I am wearing the ring you gave me."

"Then you'll need to take it off. I can't marry you, Tanya, because I've asked Bella to marry me, an hour or so ago, and she has made me the happiest man alive by agreeing to be my wife." He leaned down and gave her a kiss more suited to privacy, but I couldn't fault him for showing Tanya exactly where she stood.

"You're engaged?" Riley's voice was soft. "You accepted his proposal without answering mine?"

Bella loosened her hold on Edward and stepped carefully down to stand in front of him. She really was the nicest girl, and the most perfect one for Edward. Tanya scowled at her and took a step up to where Edward stood.

"I did come here to get some answers, Riley," Bella began. "I'm sorry, but things happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to speak to you face to face to tell you the truth. I never meant to hurt you, but I hadn't even really been honest with myself until yesterday. I've always loved Edward, and marrying you would have been the worst kind of betrayal to you." She looked down before taking a deep breath and finishing. "I did love you, too, but it's always been him."

A screech split the silence that followed Bella's declaration. "He's mine. I told you that six years ago." Bella flinched as Tanya stepped toward her with a raised fist. Riley pulled Bella behind him as Edward jumped down the three steps to stand beside Riley.

"No, Tanya, I'm not yours. I never really was. I've always been in love with Bella. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I never led you on; I was truthful with you." Edward's voice hardened. "Just in case I haven't been clear: I'm engaged to, and will be marrying, Bella." He looked at Riley apologetically and stepped back beside Bella, once again pulling her into his side.

Carlisle had been busy and had replaced Tanya's bags back into the taxi, and now held the door open for her. Ripping the ring off and throwing it in Edward's direction, she screeched and stomped back toward the car, scowling around at each of us before disappearing inside. Carlisle handed some cash to the driver, who nodded and turned the car, heading back the way he'd come.

"Riley, it's nice to meet you, despite the circumstances. It's highly unlikely you'll get a taxi tonight, so you're welcome to stay here. I hope that won't be too uncomfortable for you." He looked so lost that I couldn't just leave him out in the cold.

He nodded at me and picked up the bag at his feet, looking toward Bella who confirmed that she was fine with my offer. Charlie and Renée stepped back from the doorway and disappeared inside, Carlisle following Riley and me, leaving Bella and Edward outside, together, as it should be.

~oOo~

Edward

"That went well," I said, turning to Bella and pulling her back into my arms.

"If you consider me breaking Riley's heart as going well, I guess so." I could tell that she was already beating herself up about the pain she had caused him, albeit unintended.

"Bella." I lifted her chin gently with my fingers until she was looking directly at me. "He would have been heartbroken no matter when you told him. I know you planned on returning to England to speak to him, but he preempted that by coming here―of his own free will. He had to know." When she looked a little unconvinced, I kissed her lightly. "Don't beat yourself up; if you love me, his pain was inevitable."

She leaned her head against my chest. "I suppose so," she muttered quietly.

"I didn't expect Tanya to turn up, either, and yes, I am sorry you had to listen to that shit she spilled. I promise you that when I left New York, she'd have had no illusions about me calling it all off. I told her I couldn't marry her―not that I ever had a chance to actually ask."

Bella lifted her head to look at me in confusion. "You didn't ask her? Why did she think you were engaged, then?"

"She found the ring and made an assumption. I plied her with alcohol trying to find a kind way to let her down, and when she'd had a little too much, she let slip about the letter and your visit. I never knew about either of them, and it was in that moment I knew that I didn't love her enough to marry her; you were the one I wanted. Before I left New York, I noticed that she'd left Granny Cullen's ring―no surprise there; she always hated it―and the one she'd assumed I was proposing with was gone. I definitely wasn't surprised that one was missing. I knew she'd taken it, but I figured that if that was all it cost me to have her go quietly, I got off lightly. Well, she proved me wrong there."

"She's fucking delusional, then." This time Bella laughed and pulled me close enough to kiss me again.

An idea crossed my mind and I blurted it out before I could second guess myself. "What do you say we get out of here? I've no doubt there are rooms at the hotel and I really, really want to make love to you without my family or Riley hearing us. We won't be quiet, I promise you."

"Sounds like a plan, but won't they be worried about us?"

"We can call or text them to let them know where we'll be when we get there. Come on!"

Bella didn't hesitate for more than a minute before taking my hand and pulling me back to the garage and Carlisle's truck.

~oOo~

** Last Chances **