6. The Meeting of Old Friends and Saying Goodbye
"You will?!" Edward screamed. He picked me up off the stone and kissed me. Then he sat me back down on the rock and picked up the box I had laid on next to it.
"Why were you afraid to ask me?" I asked puzzled.
"I was afraid that you'd say no. That you weren't ready to be married to me yet."
I took Edward's face in between my cold hard hands. "Why would you ever think that I didn't want to marry you? I want to be with you Edward. How many times do I have to tell you?"
He took the ring out of its box and slid it onto my ring finger. Then he stood up pulling me up with him. He sat down on the rock and pulled me down onto his lap. He pressed me against his cold, marble chest and laid his chin on my head. I laid my head against his perfect chest and breathed in his wonderful scent. Then he pulled back and looked down at me with beautiful golden eyes.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing." He stood, with me still against his chest, and ran back to the Convertible. When we got there he placed me in the passenger seat and kissed me lightly. He then went around, getting in the car. When he got in, he took my left hand in his right hand and started the engine. We drove the rest of the way home staring at each other. When we finally arrived home, I saw that Jacob's Rabbit was sitting in the driveway behind my truck. The both of us stared for a minute until I broke the silence.
"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Tell the family I said goodnight and that I love them, all of them."
"I will." He pecked me lightly on the lips and I got out of the car. I stared back at him for a moment.
"I love you Edward."
"I know."
With that, I turned and walked to the house. Edward pulled out and drove around the corner when I opened the door and stepped in. As soon as I stepped in, Jake and Charlie were standing in the living room doorway, staring at me.
"Bella, can I talk to you outside?" Jacob asked.
"Sure." I hunched my shoulders.
I turned around and opened the door back up and walked out. Jacob was right behind me. When he closed the door, he turned to face me. He turned away and started walking toward the woods that engulfed my house. He stopped and then turned again. We both kept our distance from each other.
"Bella, what happened to you?" he asked astonished.
"Why?" I asked, trying to act innocent.
"Don't play dumb. You know what. How could you do this?"
"I did it because I wanted to. I know I hurt you Jacob and I didn't want to. But I love Edward. I just can't live without him. You know that."
"But Bella, why couldn't you just be with Edward without changing into a vampire?"
"Because I don't want to be an old lady going out with a seventeen year old! I want to be an eighteen year old going out with a seventeen year old."
"But Bella, you used to be so beautiful. And now don't take this personally, because you're even more beautiful now, but you're a vampire. I can't love you knowing you're a vampire. You used to have long, straight, dark brown hair and now it's gotten lighter. Your eyes were the most deep chocolate brown ever imaginable and now they're gold. Your fair skin has turned almost white-even though it was almost white before. Instead of a heart-faced face, it's more prominent. Your forehead has gotten a little less wide but you still have your widow's peak. Your eyes look like they moved closer together. Your still prominent cheekbones hold your now wide jaw and rounded chin. Your nose has still stayed thin though. Your lips have grown into your jaw line now, too. Straight, golden eyebrows instead of dark ones. You've stayed your slender old self but have grown some muscles. You look like you've lost about ten or fifteen pounds. Even your nails are longer and healthier looking now then they used to be. You're just not you anymore, Bella."
Jacob started to walk away and-reluctantly-grabbed his hand. He turned sharply around to face me again and I let go of his hand.
"Jacob, I know that I've changed. There are numerous things about me that have changed. But some of the changes, I love. Don't you understand? I love Edward and I'd walk through hell to stay with him. I don't ever want to lose him. I love you too, Jacob, but I love Edward more. If there was some way that we could still be friends now, I'd be all for it. I don't think that's ever going to happen, though. You're my very closest friend here in Forks and I don't want to lose you, but I fear that there's no choice now. I will miss you terribly, Jacob. Just remember that. I held out my hand as though I wanted him to shake it, but I knew he never would. After a long look at my hand and face, Jacob reluctantly took hold of my hand and pulled me closer to his body.
"I will miss you terribly, too." He let go of me then and ran back to his car. I followed after him. When I got to the corner of the house, he was getting into the car and starting the engine. He sat in the driver seat and stared at me for a long while and then backed up and left.