Chapter two: The wedding
I could feel the vicious butterflies battling it out in the depths of my stomach, and my hands were slightly trembling as I waited impatiently for Alice's return. So today was the day. My wedding. Though I still flinched at the word, it was mostly out of habit. The idea didn't really bother me that much anymore, now that Charlie and Renee approved of it.
Telling Renee about my wedding was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. Edward thought it was very odd for me to be apprehensive about it, considering that I'd willingly walked right up to a vicious murdering nomadic vampire before without a second thought. But that had seemed relatively easy since James would've killed me in a few minutes. Now Renee on the other hand, she could make me suffer for a lifetime if she really wanted to.
But, to my utter surprise, she took it much better than Charlie. She wasn't surprised at all. Of course, she disapproved, but she said that she knew that Edward and I had something stronger than the average teenage couple ever since we visited her in Florida. Renee said she suspected it even before that, when I was in the hospital, and she first saw the way that Edward looked at me. However, after giving me some warnings and motherly words of advice, she consented to give us her blessings and promised to attend my wedding with Phil. I loved my mother and her observant ways so much. I was going to miss her terribly, but she was part of the price I had to pay for true love.
Lost in thought, I barely noticed when Alice slipped back into the room, wielding a makeup kit in one hand and brandishing a hair curler in the other. I winced. This was going to be pure torture.
"Bella! Stop fidgeting! You don't want me to smear this eyeliner do you?"
I stopped fidgeting but let out an exasperated sigh to indicate that I wasn't pleased. Besides, it wasn't as though Alice's nimble fingers were capable of smearing anything.
"You don't have to put on so much. I feel like my face is cracking already." I complained.
" Bella!" Alice chided, her tone offended. "This is your wedding day! You have to look perfect! Now sit" She pushed me back into the chair with her iron grip.
I was beginning to question my sanity in allowing Alice to have her way and plan my wedding. She was like a sister to me, but I had the uneasy feeling that she completely ignored me when I asked her not to go overboard. Well, it was Alice after all, what did I expect?
"You're DONE!! Time to take a look!" Alice smiled encouragingly, her topaz eyes sparkling with excitement as she danced over to the mirror, dragging me along with her. I couldn't deny my nervousness. After almost hours of primping, I wondered if I looked any different at all. Alice gouged my feelings and replied breezily, "Don't worry. You're going to like it!" Of course she would already know.
Hesitantly, I stepped in front of the tall glass frame and gasped! I could barely recognize myself. My mahogany hair, usually wispy and tousled, was pulled up into a sleek chignon with a few perfectly formed curls framing my face. My skin, pale as ever, was flushed, and I could notice a hint of lavender eye shadow and light pink lipstick that accentuated my delicate features. But what was really spectacular was the dress. The long flowing peach gown fit me perfectly and the ruffled train dragged across the floor. It was breath-taking. Though I didn't look nearly as beautiful as Rosalie or even Alice, I did look like a slightly better, more polished version of myself and I couldn't be more pleased with the turnout.
"Oh thank you Alice! So MUCH!" I turned to hug her, but she held out her arms to stop me.
"Well if you like it so much don't go and ruin it!" She teased. Then her eyes turned devilishly mischievous and she added in a low note,
"You can let Edward do that later tonight"
I blushed profusely and looked away. Obviously Alice had seen what we were planning. I was extremely embarrassed.
"Don't be embarrassed! You will be a married couple after all. And don't worry, I will totally close my mind off to any possible visions that I might have after the wedding. It would be too weird seeing Edward…. You know…." She shuddered at the thought. I didn't laugh.
Just then, Esme stuck her head into the room.
"Hurry up girls, the wedding is about to start. Bella, Charlie is waiting for you outside." She walked over and gave my shoulders a quick squeeze, and whispered in my ear, "Bella, sweetie, I'm so proud of you. You have no idea how grateful I am that you are doing this for Edward. You've made him so happy." I smiled weakly in response as the butterflies resumed their violent bickering in the pit of my stomach. It was finally time. I walked carefully out into the cloud-covered backyard of the Cullen's house concentrating on not tripping, and when I did, Charlie was there to catch me. He patted me on the back but didn't say anything. He looked like he was about to cry and didn't trust his voice. That suited me just fine.
It was right as we took our first step into the aisle that it really hit me. This was it. Today was the beginning of an eternity with Edward. After today, I would have to leave behind everything I knew and live only for him, and I was ready. After today, there would be nothing left of humanity for me to cling to and I found myself looking forward to it. I was utterly and whole-heartedly in love and about to get married. What more could a girl ask for?
As if to confirm my thoughts, I looked up and my eyes immediately riveted to Edward, standing at the end of the aisle. He took my breath away, no pun intended. I had never before seen him look so beautiful, and the thought that he was all mine made my knees go weak and I had to lean against Charlie for support.
His bronze hair was fixed in its usual state of casual disarray, and his perfectly sculpted marble body was swathed in a sleek, black suit that strikingly complemented his snowy pallor. His jaw was clenched, though not out of restraint, but rather out of pure emotion. Today, for the first time, I could find no trace of thirst in his gold eyes, I could only find love, and it made my heart flutter pathetically. His radiance distracted me from the grandeur of the backyard itself. Candles were everywhere, and rose petals were strewn all across the lawn. Strung across every tree were colorful orb-like lights, and intricate ice sculptures stood solemnly in every corner. Earlier, I would have scolded Alice for such extravagance, but now it just seemed petty in comparison to what was about to happen.
Renee was sobbing in the front row, and Esme was sobbing too, though her eyes were dry.
I only felt the shortest pang of disappointment when I noticed that Jacob, my best friend, wasn't seated among my many well-wishers. But even that couldn't dishearten me today.
Finally, I felt Charlie release me and I went to take my rightful place across from Edward. He reached out and took my warm hand in his cold one, and our faces expressed what we could not courteously say in front of all these people. When he had the opportunity, he leaned in and whispered mellifluously in my ear, "You look lovely, Isabella." His eyes smoldered, and I couldn't look away from him. I had to remind myself to breathe in and out. Edward noticed my predicament and his lips pulled into that wonderful crooked smile that I loved. My heart did flip-flops. Why couldn't we just get to the 'kiss the bride' part already!!
Slowly, Edward and I took turns slipping rings onto each other's fingers, though I had already been wearing mine now for the past few weeks. I could feel the anticipation thick in the air as the priest finally said,
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Edward crushed me to him and swept me up as his cold lips caressed mine tenderly. I could smell his heady scent as I twined my fingers into his hair and he placed his hands subtly onto the small of my back. This was where I belonged. I knew it right then in the core of my being. I was now officially Mrs. Edward Cullen, and it felt undeniably and irrefutably… right.