Friday
POV: Edward

"Will one of you please tell me what is going on?" I demanded, utterly frustrated. "What 'girly thing'?"

Bella was watching me slightly apprehensively, although her eyes were shining with unconcealed humor. I stared right back at her, completely unamused. It was at times like these when I desperately wished I could read her mind.

"Bella." I growled, shaking her gently.

Alice sighed and shoved me towards my car. "Go, Edward."

"But I don't understand." I said through clenched teeth. "Why can't I just go you with you two? I'll be driving her back anyway. And what is so important that it needs to be done right now?"

"If you'll just follow my instructions, you can find out everything under an hour."

"Please, Edward?" Bella begged, turning the power of her doe-eyes on me. "It's nothing bad and you'll find out eventually."

I sighed unwillingly but softening instantly. Resigned, I stroked her cheek and pulled her to me. "I just got you back." I murmured into her ear.

"I know," she whispered sympathetically, reaching up to twist my hair between her fingers. "I've missed you, too, but will you please just trust me?"

"I do trust you." I jerked my head towards Alice. "It's that manipulating pixie I don't trust."

Alice, who was impatiently waiting a few feet away from us, folded her arms, looking offended. She muttered to herself, "This was her idea," she huffed. "First Carlisle, now you. I'm not the bad guy here, people."

"Alice is fine," Bella assured me immediately. "She's been helping me."

"With what?"

"I can't tell you."

"Bella —" I began tiredly.

"Yet."

Her eyes were dancing with glee. There was an almost mischievous glint in her gaze, and I knew she was thoroughly enjoying my frustration at this big mystery. I let myself get trapped in its depths for a while, thoroughly enjoying the warmth I felt spreading through me as I got a glimpse of her soul.

I really missed those eyes.

"Fine. I'm giving you two no more than an hour. If you don't drive her back here by –" I swiftly checked my pointing a finger at Alice "– four twenty-eight sharp… actually, no, I'm coming to pick her up."

"Even better." Bella said quickly, kissing my cheek. "We have a deal."

Once again, I tried to get a glimpse of Alice's thoughts, but she was focused solely on something completely off-topic.

"I still don't like this." I warned them.

"You don't like anything," Alice grumbled, too low for Bella to hear. She dragged Bella to my car. "Let's go before he changes his mind."

Alice's thoughts were screaming at me as they pulled away.

Don't you dare follow us, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! I'll catch you anyway, and you will be in big trouble. Don't forget that Bella wants this, otherwise she wouldn't be asking. I know it'll be a difficult task, but try to mind your own business for an hour maximum, okay? See you in an hour. No. Peeking!

I sighed and turned back towards Bella's house. Despite it being afternoon, nobody was paying attention, so I was free to jump through her window without worry. Only this time, there was no Bella to welcome me.

I couldn't believe my two favorite girls had talked me into waiting here by myself for an hour. I would go insane with boredom.

Bella's scent was most prominent here. I inhaled deeply, letting her tantalizing scent wash over me. If she wasn't here physically, it was next best comfort to me.

I set down her school backpack that she had requested I put in room. My fingers froze suddenly as I remembered her little agitation earlier in class. The CD, I was sure, was still in there, and I had the growing suspicion that she was hiding something from me.

I let my fingers trail hesitantly over her bag, circling the zipper with my index finger.

Maybe just one quick peek… ?

No, I reprimanded myself, firmly closing the zipper and shooting across the room to sit on her bed. Bella would surely be terribly sore with me if she ever found out that I had invaded her privacy, and frankly, it really was none of my business.

Even if she was keeping a secret from me.

I hated that I was being kept in the dark about something. I'd been hoping that after school was out, Bella and I could spend the day together, simply relaxing and making up for the time that we'd lost this past week. Now that Bella had other plans with Alice, even if they were for an hour, I couldn't help the feeling of hurt pass through me.

Did she not want to spend time with me?

Perhaps I'd been suffocating her with my presence ever since the incident with James. Maybe she wanted to spend time with other friends too. Mentally, I vowed to myself that over the course of this summer, no matter how selfish I wanted to be and keep her all to myself, I would grant her the space and time with her human friends without my interference.

The seconds were ticking by agonizingly slowly, so to prevent myself from losing my sanity completely, I drifted through her empty house, entertaining myself – even if only barely – by sifting through dusty photo albums and any kind of links to her past.

By the time the hour passed, I think all my hair had been pulled out in my aggravation. I slipped out of Bella's house and into the forest, speeding towards my home where Bella would be waiting.

I met Alice on the porch steps instead.

"I gave you two an hour," I told her briskly, pushing past her. Bella's scent was even more prominent now, evidence of her being here within the past hour. "As per your request."

Alice didn't respond as I whirled through the house. There was no use anyway. I couldn't hear Bella's heartbeat.

"Alright, where is she?" I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. In the back of my mind, I registered that everybody was gone from the house, but I refused to dwell on it.

"I'll tell you," Alice promised. "But first, do her a favor and change clothes."

I bristled impatiently. "Alice, Bella doesn't care about —"

"She does this time."

With that, my sister pulled me up to my room and handed me a navy blue button up with dress pants.

"What are these for?" I asked, confused, but pulling them on regardless.

Alice flitted in between her bedroom and mine, bringing a wet comb with her and proceeding to attack my hair.

"You're doing an amazing job at controlling your thoughts, you know," I observed, irked. "And the hair won't stay. It hasn't been for the past century. So you might as well give up and tell me what's going on."

"Bella's waiting for you." Alice said.

I watched as a familiar place floated up into Alice's mind. My meadow. Our meadow.

For a moment, I was frozen in shock before I shouted, "She's at the meadow? By herself? How could you let this happen, Alice? What if she gets hurt?"

I didn't even bother to wait for her answer. I could see nothing past the red cloud of fury that there was a chance of Bella being in even the slightest danger.

Throwing myself out my bedroom, I sprinted for the garage and jammed my keys into the ignition. The garage door, I realized with an agitated hiss, was opening at an infuriatingly slow pace, so I simply started the engine and shot right through the door, leaving a gaping car-sized hole in it.

Oops. Esme wouldn't be too pleased about that.

It was a good thing the traffic was light at this time of day because at this particular moment, I certainly didn't give a damn about abiding by the laws. Not that somebody could have caught me anyway; I was shooting past well over one hundred and fifty.

Before I could completely lose my sanity, the meadow came into view and I unintentionally toppled over a young tree in my violent parking.

"Please be safe, please be safe," I begged desperately, chanting the phrase like a mantra.

The closer I got, the quicker it was to narrow in on the familiar pounding of Bella's heart. I latched onto it like a lifeline, my fears instantly dissipating at the soothing, calm and steady throbbing. Her breathing was much quieter, but my ears picked up on it.

Despite my relief, I still burst into the meadow anxiously, my gaze instantly locking onto her, needing to see for myself that she was physically safe.

I let myself relax at her beautiful smile which was now directed at me.

She was safe.

Alright, so perhaps I had overreacted a bit.

"Bella," I breathed reverently, taking a step towards her. "I —"

Only then, as my body began to calm down from my apparently unnecessary worries and the dark haze fully clear, did I notice… well, everything.

With each new detail I took in, my mouth parted that many inches apart. Any words I'd been possibly trying to form died on my lips as my gaze hungrily feasted on every inch of Bella's slender physique.

She was dazzling.

My breath hitched as I took in every inch of her. She was sitting down in the middle of our meadow, a thin picnic blanket spread out underneath her. Her body was somewhat twisted in my direction as if she'd been expecting my arrival from this side of the meadow the entire time. She was leaning back, her hands, sheathed in white gloves, were supporting her from behind.

Her hair, which was tied up in a neat bun, was shining the familiar red I was so accustomed to seeing under the sunlight. As a gentle breeze picked up, my eyes zeroed in on the ends of her hair that were loose from the bun. It was impossible to miss the subtle curls in the tips as they fluttered around her face and clung to the curves of her chest. My gaze was trapped there, and as soon as the venom began to pool into my mouth, I finally chastised myself for my ungentlemanly behavior. I moved further down; her legs…

Dear God.

Even as I allowed my eyes to briefly roam each and every visible inch of her pale, smooth and long legs, I had to bite back a groan at the sheer desire that coursed through me at the sight.

Especially when she was dressed like that.

I tried my best to limit my ogling, but the dark blue dress was snug and tight against her body. Though the dress was free of any distracting embroidery and bows, the top half was ruffled, brushing against her curves. The sleeves were aboveher elbows which gave Bella a rather old-fashioned look.

I finally met her stare, gazing deeply into the warm depths and surrendering myself to her. It was evident that she had all the control over me.

In that moment, it was confirmed that Bella Swan had been deceiving me all along. She wasn't a human. She was the cross between a goddess and temptress.

"Bella?" I choked out, taking a few hesitant steps forward. "What —?"

Smiling widely, Bella began to stand up, and that was when I noticed a stack of what looked like books and CD cases held tightly together within a ribbon and a bow on top. She walked up to where I was standing, frozen and bewildered, and pressed the stack into my hands.

"For you." she smiled.

"What is all this?" I finally managed to demand, not looking at the books. "Bella, what is going on?"

I sniffed the air curiously. Alice had been here. Her scent was fading which meant that it was probably a few days old.

Now that she was centimeters away from me, I was having difficulty in saying anything. She looked so stunning in her dress and her eyes were dancing with mirth. The sun was doing wonders to her dark brown hair and her pale skin glowed under the bright light. Her lips were rosy and shiny, courtesy of Alice's lip gloss. And her scent…

Christ. She was killing me.

Bella didn't reply. She surveyed me with a grin. "I didn't think Alice would actually listen to me," she mused to herself. "I'm glad she didn't force you into wearing a tux." Her heartbeat sped up, pounding against her chest. "This heart-racking enough for me. Wait here."

I got a glimpse of the blood pooling into her cheeks, but she turned around before I could cradle her face in my palms. The dress was doing wonderful, wonderful things to her body as she skipped away, and I hurriedly averted my gaze to my hands as a distraction, so that I wouldn't attack her right there.

I frowned down at the stack, yanking the ribbon off with one swipe. My puzzlement grew as I studied each item. Dracula was included with some other books. Ironic, giving a vampire this particular book. My eyes widened at several of the CDs I found there. Before I could pay them any more attention, I heard a soft click several feet away.

Glancing up, my gaze immediately flitted over to the speaker I hadn't noticed earlier. And I knew why. It was buried in the grass and surrounded by some of the tallest flowers as if purposefully hidden.

Bella was walking back to me now. With a glorious smile, she pushed the books out of my hands and flung her own arms around my neck.

I staggered back, taken off guard, as she raised herself on her toes to press her lips against mine. Even though my arms instinctively went around her middle to pull her closer, my stance was still stiff with confusion.

What on earth was going on?

I was about to ease back, worried that our intimacy was getting a little too dangerous, but Bella pulled away first, much to my surprise. Our faces were inches apart and she was breathing heavily, as was I.

Her fingers were at the nape of my neck, softly lacing and tugging her fingers through my hair. I couldn't think straight.

When she finally opened them, her eyes were dark, shining and loving on mine. "Happy Birthday, Edward." she whispered.

My mouth dropped open. I stared at her, hearing but not comprehending the words

Birthday?

My mind was racing. It was indeed the twentieth of June, my human birthday. How had I not realized it?

I was still gaping like an idiot when she grabbed my hands to drag me to the middle of the meadow.

She slid one hand up to my shoulders while twining our free hands in the air. "Dance with me?" she requested in a soft murmur, her voice shaking slightly.

As soon as the words fell from her lips, a soft melody began to play out from the speaker, slowly filling the meadow with music.

And then, we were waltzing.

My jaw was slack as I twirled with her mindlessly. My brain was numb. It was as if I'd been transported to a different world.

"Bella," I whispered in shock.

I hadn't celebrated my birthday in more than a century. Birthdays, to vampires especially, weren't considered momentous occasions. The life of a vampire was forever. It wasn't even a life. Just a mere existence. An eternal existence, and I always despised it. I was a soulless, blood-sucking monster. There was nothing celebratory-worthy of growing old each year to a vampire. We would never get old. We were trapped within our own selves.

If Rosalie and I had anything in common, it was the hateful sentiments we shared towards our existences. Rosalie was jealous of the human experiences she'd been denied. Despite her external beauty, she wasn't too pleased that her chance of becoming a mother and growing old had been snatched away from her. To her, birthdays were just a cruel reminder of what she didn't – could never – have.

Unlike Rosalie, I didn't particularly resent this life because of the human experiences I couldn't have, such as having a family and growing old with a spouse. Until Bella, it wasn't as if I'd ever had the motivation to feel that way.

But now, Bella was in my life. And we were dancing, of all things.

I was astounded of her graceful movements. She was doing all the leading, and her steps were confident and bold, yet slightly wary at the same time. Under normal circumstances, I would have enjoyed taking the lead, but just one look at the obvious happiness on her face made me decide to take a back seat. She was gazing down and biting her lip in concentration. It was so beautiful, I couldn't dare to shatter that picture. For the moment, I was extremely content to simply follow and let her remain in her element.

"Bella," I murmured. "Am I dreaming?"

Her soft tinkling laugh echoed in the meadow and my ears. "Vampires can't sleep, remember?" she reminded me, looking up and meeting my enraptured stare.

We pulled apart, still joined by the hands. As we were apart, the sunlight hit my arms, causing sparkles to arise. Bella glanced at it, grinned to herself, and we came together again. Not once did her expression betray any disgust of my unnatural and monstrous skin that I was so accustomed to thinking of myself.

What did I do to deserve this angel? She was so accepting, so selfless, so brave, so graceful…

"Well, then," I ran my nose down the side of her face, inhaling deeply. "This is a very beautiful daydream that I never want to wake up from."

She giggled, twirling around under my raised arm.

"Did you learn how to waltz for me?"

She couldn't have missed the astonishment in my voice.

"Yes," Her blush grew more pronounced, and she dropped her eyes bashfully under my awestruck stare.

"And just when I think you can't get any more selfless." I mused in awe.

Bella difficulties with gravity and balance were dangerous yet endearing at the same time. I knew it frustrated her greatly that she couldn't last two minutes without stumbling. And because I was very familiar with her aversion to dancing, the effort and willingness she must have had to learn waltzing in the first place was the most valuable present ever.

And it was all for me.

"I know I'm not very good," She blew out a nervous breath, as if she'd been holding on it for quite some time, looking more and more embarrassed by the second. "I mean, Alice and I only had four days to practice, and everything was kind of rushed. But I didn't want to let your birthday pass by unacknowledged. Alice and Esme told me you've never celebrated one since before your transformation. And I remember how much Prom meant to you. I'm sorry if this is weird for you. I just thought —"

I planted my feet on the ground and halted our movements. She gasped in surprise when I yanked her to my chest to kiss her as hard as I could without hurting her. Her lips were like fire under mine, a very pleasant fire. I expected the venom to pool into my mouth, to send me into a frenzy of wanting to bite down and drink her blood, but the week-long worth of hunting and my sheer love for her overrode any feelings of bloodlust.

Her mouth moved eagerly under mine, and I had to remind myself to break off the kiss before I got carried away.

"Sweetheart," I panted, my breath rough and chest heaving. "This is perfect. You're perfect."

"Thank you," I told her earnestly, pressing my lips to her shoulder. I trailed butterfly kisses down the length of her arm, before raising her hand to my mouth for a kiss. "I didn't even realize it was my birthday, and you turned it into one of the best days of my life. A lovely surprise."

"I was only able to surprise you because you can't read my mind."

"Thanks for the reminder," I said sourly, before relaxing into a smile. "Maybe that's true. But even if I were able to read your mind, I know you would still surprise me just by being yourself."

She stared at me quizzically.

"You're so different from other people, humans or vampires; you're unique," I explained reverently. "Your reactions, your feelings, your words. Everything about you is a surprise. I know that there are so many mysteries I haven't yet uncovered about you."

"We have forever." she reminded me, her voice sounding hopeful.

My eyebrows furrowed. At the moment, I didn't want this to escalate into our usual disagreement. I simply held her tighter, neither accepting nor contradicting her statements.

I dropped my head to her shoulder. "I love you." I murmured, my voice slightly muffled by the fabric.

"Love you," she mumbled back. After a moment's pause, she asked almost tentatively, "Edward, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, sweetheart."

"How old are you?"

I grimaced before sighing. "Still seventeen."

She sighed, too, and I didn't need to read her mind to know where her thoughts were going.

We stood motionless, just hugging in the middle of the meadow and basking in each other's presence.

"Well, that went well." Bella sighed, stepping back and casting a rueful glance at the stereo. The music was just reaching its final notes before coming to a stop. "I'm surprised I didn't fall. Or die of anxiety."

"Don't talk like that," I scolded lightly. "And I don't think we're done just yet."

"What?"

I cocked my head to the side, hearing apparently the next round of music which was too low for Bella's ears to catch right away.

"There's more." I smiled mischievously. I bowed, determined to take the lead this time. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Her eyes widened, frowning down at her feet. "There's more? Alice didn't teach me this part."

"Are your feet sore?" I demanded anxiously.

"Only a little," she admitted. "The high heels kill it. But even then, I don't know the steps."

"Oh," I smiled in relief. "Well in that case… take off the heels."

She stared at me suspiciously before obliging. As soon as her feet were free, I grabbed her closer and slid her feet over mine, like the way I had done at Prom. I took her hand and waist once again, and we continued to spin just as gracefully as before.

I took care to spin at a relatively slow pace. I was aware, from experience, that Bella tended to react to my speed with lightheadedness and fainting.

"Better?" I asked, grinning.

Her face was red, but she nodded with a smile.

"Impressive; you're just getting better and better at dancing, you know," I told her proudly.

"Thank you," she said shyly. "Alice is a great teacher."

My thoughts went back to Alice and my conversation with earlier. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you had your cast removed. Are you still experiencing any pain?"

"Relax, Edward," she assured me. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

I nodded solemnly. "Let me know if it does; I'll have Carlisle —"

"Shh," she demanded, cutting me off with a swift peck. "No more worrying. You're supposed to be enjoying your birthday with a peace of mind."

"I am," I told her sincerely. "This is the best birthday I've ever celebrated. I love it."

"Did you notice the theme Alice and I were going for?"

I chuckled, lifting her hand to kiss it again. "I certainly did. The early 1900s. Your gloves," I gestured to her hands. "Your hair tied up. Your dress. Speaking of which, did I tell you how gorgeous you are?"

"Um… "

"You've always been insanely beautiful," I said huskily. "And the dress is a wonderful surprise, but it isn't exactly making things easier for me."

She giggled, ducking her head into my chest. "I didn't even see the dress until two hours ago."

"Wait a minute." I paused as it dawned on me. "So this is the dress we were sent to New York to pick up?"

She nodded. "Alice needed you to stay away as long as possible. Sorry about that. But how did you not notice it?"

"It was mainly Rosalie who handled it. And frankly, I was too angry at Alice and busy missing you to care."

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry I was so distant over the phone."

"Don't apologize; I understand now."

She leaned more heavily on me so that her head fit perfectly in the crook of my neck. The warmth of her skin pressed tightly against mine ignites sparks to erupt between our bodies. Our waltzing was gradually fading into slow revolving. The sun was setting beside us. A soft breeze around us made the wildflowers sway around our ankles. The background music was still on, a gentle lullaby to our ears.

Everything was perfect.

"Make a wish, Edward." Her voice was droopy against my shoulder; she was getting sleepy.

"I already did."

"And? Did it come true?"

I hid a smile in her hair and flexed my arms around the greatest gift I could possibly receive. "It sure did."

She hummed, amused. "Happy birthday, Edward."

A very happy birthday indeed.

AN: Your thoughts? I think the surprise-reveal could have been better, but I did my best… Well, that's the end! I couldn't think of anything for the epilogue. Thanks for sticking till the end!