Dusk and Summer

Chapter 2

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As if she suddenly possessed with the mind reading powers of Edward, Bella sensed that he was ready to pick her up. Book-marking her page in Wuthering Hights, a book she must have read over twelve times, Bella shouted a goodbye to Charlie and stepped outside. Edward was just getting out of the car.

For the first time since Bella had found out that Edward was a vampire, she was unsure of what to say to him. Even Edward himself, who had always been a picture of confidence and poise, was looking more human than Bella had ever seen him.

As always, the mere sight of Edward took her breath away. He was tall and an angelic pale, with eyes that were an ocean of thoughts and memories that Bella would give anything, even her soul, to know. Edward gazed back at her, and Bella felt her heart flutter. It was as if Edward could see inside her. Just the thought brought on waves of emotion she had never known existed until she met him.

Finally deciding that it would be best to bring up this morning's exchanges when they had more time to talk, Bella silently climbed into Edward's latest gift from Emment, a jet black convertible, and in minutes they were pulling into the Cullen's driveway. Edward stepped out of the car, but Bella remained in place, seatbelt on, hoping that that the strap alone would protect her from the impending meeting.

Closing her eyes and slowly taking a deep breath, Bella released herself from her only defense and allowed herself to slide out of the car. Edward was waiting patiently on the other side of the door, his hand extended. Grasping his icy hands with a combination of instinct and self-preservation, Bella allowed Edward to lead her into the Cullen's spacious living room, where Alice stood poised at the door.

"Bella!" Alice exclaimed as soon as the couple stepped into sight. Nearly forcing Bella's hand free from Edward's protective grip, Alice dragged Bella over to the room's formal couch. Managing nothing more than a weak hello, Bella braced herself for what Alice had in store.

Alice did not waste time on casual conversation. Dressed in a sleek black dress suit that perfectly contrasted to her milky white complexion, she looked as if she were prepared for a business meeting.

"I'm assuming we're going for Edward's old-time theme for the wedding. Is that correct?" Alice addressed them in a serious tone. Bella and Edward nodded in unison and Alice continued. "Well then I think our backyard would be perfect for the occasion. It will provide a mysterious charm that will be sure to instill a sense of wonder in the hearts of our guests."

Out of the corner of her eye Bella saw Edward attempting to stifle a snicker. Bella had to agree. It sounded to her like Alice had read a few too many wedding magazines.

For hours Bella endured Alice's all-business tone about anything and everything wedding related. It was decided that the wedding cake would be Bella's decision, since, as Edward jokingly pointed out, "No one from our side of the family cares for that particular type of sweet." Charlie in mind, Bella selected his favorite type of cake, a yellow layered with a strawberry filling. As for the other decisions to be made such as the limo service, the centerpieces, and the music selection, Alice assured them that she would be more than happy to take care of. However, when it came to Bella's wedding dress, Alice made Edward leave the room to ask Bella her opinion.

"Well..I haven't really given it much thought…" Bella admitted after Alice was sure Edward was out of earshot.

"HAVEN"T GIVEN IT MUCH THOUGHT!?!" Alice threw up her hands in frustration. "Bella, Bella, Bella what am I going to do with you? I have been planning your wedding dress for months now. Months!!!"

The idea made Bella smile. She and Edward have only been engaged for under a month. But when Bella pointed this out, Alice just smiled mysteriously and said, "You forget I can see the future. I knew about this marriage from the moment Edward decided he was going to make you his wife."

That being said, Alice continued. "I thought first perhaps the dress should be a simple white dress to go along with the "old-time" theme." Bella watched as Alice's expression grew more and more animated. "But then I thought to myself, where's the fun in that?" Bella's eyes grew wide as Alice described her wedding dress with her typical girlish excitment. Hating to upset Alice, but also knowing her mother would not be happy for defying tradition, Bella tried to compromise. Alice wouldn't hear of it.

When the clock struck three o'clock in the afternoon, Bella had never been so grateful for the interruption. Politely thanking Alice as she dropped a huge pile of wedding plans into Bella's arms, she and Edward drove home. Her mind exhausted from all of Alice's incessant chatter, Bella slowly dragged herself up to her room, where Edward already lay across her bed.

"Well…at least that's over." Bella sighed as she plopped down next to Edward.

Edward sat up and picked up a to-do list that Alice had placed atop the large wedding plans. Bella saw a flash of excitement cross his beautiful eyes.

Suddenly Bella didn't feel so tired. Turning her body to completely face Edward, she followed his eyes to where he was looking. She read the lines, one by one, finally stopping on the space that read "Write and rehearse wedding vows."

Realization slowly crept up to Bella. "You told Alice that we were going to write our own vows?"

Edward sensed the tension in Bella's voice. "Was that ok of me to do?" He asked with a concerned expression.

Bella thought back to every paper she had written for her English teacher last year, Mr. Burton. Atop almost every assignment he had written "Lacks emotion" or "Needs something more." Her favorite was a poem she had written about Edward. On top by her name he was written, "Can you please find your voice? Because I certainly couldn't." It wasn't as if Bella did not feel passionate about Edward. In fact she did every time he looked at her. But to put those thoughts on paper, she simply could not do it.

"Well, the thing is..." Bella began, too embarrassed to look directly at Edward, "I've never been good at expressing my feelings on paper. You should have seen the grades I got on Mr. Burton's assignments last year…" Bella looked up, and she saw Edward suppress a smile playing on his lips.

"You don't think your good and expressing your feelings?"

"On paper." Bella added defensively.

Leveling himself to meet Bella's eyes, Edward silently traced his cold fingertips along Bella's throat. Bella tried to swallow.

"Edward,"

Edward proceeded to trace down past Bella's shoulders, down her arms and back up again. "Mmm.." Was all he replied.

"Earlier today, before Charlie called me," Bella's heart raced at Edward's touch. "Did you…would you….?" Before Bella could finish her sentence, Edward silenced her with a kiss.

When it came to Edward, there was no such thing as an ordinary kiss. But this kiss, this one made all the others seem like nothing. Child's play.

Bella reached with her arms around Edward, pressing herself tightly into his chest. Edward's granite hands found the small of her back and slowly glided up, sending chills running down her spine. Bella's heart beat faster than it ever had before. Her lips parted with Edward's, and she knew that he would pick up on the scent of the blood rushing to her face. Greedily she plunged her tongue into Edward's mouth, and she felt Edward's fingers knot into her shirt. She paused for a split second, knowing that this was when Edward usually pulled away. He didn't. Instead he pulled her in tighter, increasing the pressure of their bodies together and elevating her to a level she had never thought possible. When she finally came back down, she was no longer the only one breathing heavily.

Bella was not sure how long her eyes were locked with Edward. Did they lie there only for a moment? Over an hour? Bella thought she would have believed Edward if he had told her they had lay there the entire summer. Finally Edward broke the silence.

"Isabella Swan," He started, shaking his head, "If there's one thing you're good at, it is expressing yourself."

Bella blushed a deep scarlet and looked back at Edward skeptically; still unconvinced despite his soothing voice.

"My sweet Bella," He whispered, reaching over to caress her cheek, "I know you can do this. Anything you write is going to be beautiful, because everything you do is beautiful." Edward smiled. "It is who you are."

Bella felt herself cave. "I love you." She sighed as she went to take his hand.

"And I love you. He said the last part so slow Bella could barely make it out. "More than you could ever realize."

"Why in the world does Edward love me?" she thought to herself after he had left. With him gone, her anxiety over her wedding vows returned. "He's perfect, he's beautiful, he deserves so much better, he…" Scavenging her mind for ideas, she finally felt herself fall upon something. "Wait." She thought excitedly. "That's it!"

Reaching for the journal she wrote in religiously every night, she turned to the next blank page and began her latest entry.