A/N: Okay, so this is it. Last chapter! I know it feels like it took forever! This has certainly been a challenging story to write but I'm incredibly proud of it. So as always, please review! Come on, last chance to let me know what you think! Pretty please? I'll see you around dear readers, as I continue my other stories. Don't forget to check out my latest Jalice—"Underneath It All"! Thanks for another great ride!

Disclaimer: I am writing this story because I am a fan of Stephenie Meyer and the Twilight Saga. I do not own any of the characters, plot lines or any Twilight-related materials. I only claim ownership to my own unique imaginings.

Whom I Love Alone

Chapter 8: Forever

Esme's POV

"Esme? Are you ready?" My adopted son's melodic voice was accompanied by a light rap on the bedroom door. I was so glad that Victor told us he'd paid a visit to Edward on his way down and he'd agreed to accompany him to Isle Esme for the wedding.

I'd been pleased to learn more about the dark fallen angel who was one of Carlisle's oldest friends. I'm sure he'd revealed more boyhood stories about Carlisle than he would have ever wished me to know but it'd been strangely comforting and endlessly entertaining to see my usually unruffled fiancée' so…ruffled. Some of the stories had even coaxed a guffaw or too out of Edward.

So we'd spent a very pleasant week in paradise but I was anxious for the next step so that Victor and Edward could return to their lives and leave Carlisle and I here to savor paradise on our own for a while. I found that I missed our quiet nights when it'd just been us and the ocean and a million stars. But just a few more hours and I'd be able to work all of my wiles to break down my straight laced love into the wild vampire that drove me crazy with a single brush of his lips or a simple touch of his fingertips.

I took one last glimpse in the vanity mirror and dabbed a final touch of my berry-colored lipstick. I couldn't believe that it was the same Esme that Carlisle had rescued so long ago. My hair was down and flowing around my shoulders because I knew that was how Carlisle liked it best. I'd tucked a lotus blossom behind my ear because they were plentiful on the island.

And Carlisle seemed partial to them when we'd take moonlit strolls to a hidden lagoon where both lotus and jasmine seemed to abound and engulf us when we would take leisurely swims in the warm water. Until they weren't so leisurely. A smile touched my lips at all the memories we'd already managed to make here on our very own private island.

"Esme?" Edward's voice rang out a little louder this time. I shook myself out of my reverie and stood letting the layers of antique lace fall into their natural bias cut. I straightened the straps of my halter and gave a short nod of approval at the image in the mirror. I didn't look like myself and knew I would pale in comparison to how gorgeous my angel would look but my look would do.

"Coming, Edward." My voice sounded a little breathy even to my own ears. I knew it was from the nervous excitement that the day I had dreamed of for so long was finally here. And I was about to belong to Carlisle and he would belong to me too. Forever.

I swung the door open wide and took in the lanky figure of my bronze haired son encased in a white linen shirt and loose matching linen pants. Carlisle and I had decided that we wanted a beachy casual feel to the wedding. This was an intimate affair with only our son in attendance and Victor serving as the officiate. Thank goodness he'd been ordained a few dozen times.

Edward's gaze swept over me from head to toe as he let out a long, low whistle. "Wow, Carlisle sure is a lucky man." He gave me an audacious wink and I'm sure a blush would've heated my face if I could still blush. I playfully slapped his arm and shook my head. "Don't exaggerate." He gave me a crooked smile. "Oh I promise, I'm not." I shook my head again and gave him my best exasperated look. He just grinned back giving me his best innocent look.

"Shall we?" He presented me with his elbow and I took it. As we made our way through the bungalow, I abruptly stopped. Before I could say a word, Edward turned to me and said "Don't worry, your bouquet is sitting on the table in the foyer." I looked at him and then burst into a tinkling laugh. "You'd think I wouldn't forget that you know what I'm thinking." He chuckled ruefully. "Yeah, sorry about that." I patted his forearm reassuringly. "No worries. Hey, ready to walk me down the aisle?" I didn't want him to feel bad.

"Absolutely. I'm so glad Carlisle found you." He gave a small shrug. "I never realized we were missing anything until you came along and made where we lived actually feel like a home." I felt a knot in my chest and it moved to my throat at his words. I knew tears would be coursing down my cheeks if it were physically possible. He was such a dear sweet boy and I couldn't have loved him more if he was my own son.

We'd reached the foyer and he handed me my small but brightly colored bouquet I'd put together from flowers around the island. As he opened the door, and we stepped onto the whitewashed wooden porch, he leaned down and whispered in my ear. "By the way, I love you too. Mom." And with another small wink, he led me down the path to the beach to where his father and the beginning of our forever waited.

Carlisle's POV

I knew I was standing as still as a statue, frozen by my nerves. I always prided myself on my calmness, my ability to take any situation even the most stressful ones, in stride. But now as I stood slightly to the side of my old friend, I was overcome by nervousness. I wanted everything to go perfectly. And until Victor declared us man and wife forever, I wouldn't be able to relax.

We were standing on the beach and you could hear the turquoise waves gently washing up to the shore. The sun was a red fireball as it started to sink into the pink horizon behind the blue waters. It was nearly sunset which meant it was time for the wedding. Just as Esme had planned.

She'd wanted things elegantly simple. She'd quietly explained to me one night as we'd shared a swim in our secret lagoon that she'd had the big fancy wedding full of people she didn't know and that hadn't turned out so well. I'd felt my chest tighten as I'd seen the shadows of her human life in her liquid topaz eyes. So I'd pulled her into my arms and assured her that we would have a simple beach wedding—whatever she wanted. As long as she married me.

Then she'd melted a little in my arms, her slender arms circled around my neck and as her fingers twined in the hair at the nape of my neck , she pulled my head down to meet her lips and I knew in that moment that I'd have sold my soul to give her whatever she wanted if it meant she would be in my arms like this forever.

I felt a slight nudge to my side and I turned to look at Vic. His gaze was fixed on a point ahead of us and he just gave a slight smile and inclined his head forward. I turned to see what he was pointing out. And then my breath stopped.

I was vaguely aware that her arm was hooked through Edward's but honestly I couldn't have told you what he was wearing or what expression he might have on his face. I only had eyes for my love. Esme. It was like a prayer on my lips and I realized that I'd whispered her name aloud. Victor just gave a low chuckle. Then a low wolf whistle. I turned to glare at my old friend. I felt an intense stab of jealousy at his appreciative gaze on Esme. And at the same time an equally intense sense of pride.

Clenching my fists at my side, I concentrated on not smashing one of them right into his square jaw. Good god, that wasn't like me! I abhorred violence and Vic was one of my oldest friends. Drawn to her orbit, I settled my gaze back on Esme's radiant countenance. I relaxed my fists as I realized that her gaze met mine and the love shining from her eyes was all the reassurance I needed that she, like me, only had eyes for one another.

And I would never get my fill of looking into her eyes. Thank goodness I now had an eternity to do it. To indulge my very real addiction to touching her, looking at her, loving her with every molecule of my being. In a few moments, she would be bound to me forever and neither of us would be alone again. And I would do everything in my power to make sure that I never caused her the pain she'd felt in her first marriage. That I would be her last and best husband.

Before I knew it, she was in front of me. Edward leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her cheek and then gently took her small hand from the crook of his elbow and held it toward me. I reached up and realized that my own hand was trembling slightly as I took her hand in mine. She gave me a shy smile as she looked up from our entwined hands. Her dimple was peeking out at me and as I smiled back, it deepened.

God, she was beautiful. She looked even better than I had imagined. Her wavy caramel hair was flowing around her shoulders in my favorite style and she had a lotus blossom tucked behind her ear. As if she didn't already smell mouthwatering, that just sealed the deal for me. She had on a halter cream-colored silk dress that gave a hint of her cleavage and was overlaid with antique lace that flowed in layers down to nearly her slender ankles. Her feet were bare as were mine. I had on the simple cream linen suit she'd selected for me.

Victor cleared his throat and then began speaking in his deep bass voice. We'd both turned to face each other and now had both hands entwined together. Later I would never recall what Vic said. I knew it had to do with the bonds of marriage, love, and support for one another. But all I could see was Esme, her eyes bright with tears that would never come and the love in those eyes hitting me right in the solar plexus until I couldn't breathe.

Her voice was breathy, husky as she repeated her vows. My own voice sounded gruff to my own eyes and I cleared my throat and my accent became more pronounced as I uttered my vows to her for the first time. I was lost in her eyes, engulfed in her jasmine and lotus scent that was unique to her and had been with me for so long that I could no longer remember a time when it wasn't a part of who I was.

It seemed to go by so quickly and yet it also seemed to last forever as we stood there on the white sands with the sun sinking slowly out of sight. We exchanged rings and I was aware that my hand was still trembling. I knew it was because of the emotion I was feeling. I hoped that Esme would realize that I had no trepidation about binding myself to her forever. But then I noticed that her hand trembled too and I knew that we would be fine. We belonged together. We had so much in common. I wanted to give the world to her and spend the rest of my existence with her.

Her eyes widened as she looked into mine and I was suddenly aware that I was saying the words in my mind aloud to her. I was reciting my own vows. We hadn't planned it that way but I couldn't keep what I'd waited three hundred years for to stay inside any longer. As I slid the slim gold band over her delicate knuckle, I continued to tell her what she meant to me. What this meant to me. What forever meant to me.

Then before Vic could even pronounce us man and wife she had flung her arms around my neck and her lips were crushed against mine. She was sealing her eternity with me. We needed no more words, no official pronouncement. Just as it'd been meant to be that day that sweet lovely sixteen year old girl had burst into my life, my existence had never been the same. And it would not be the same forever. We had become a family. An unexpected family.

We only broke apart when Vic and Edward started clapping and whistling. Reluctantly, I loosened my grip on my new bride. She embraced Edward as I reached over and gave Vic a hearty handshake. Then I embraced my son.

"I'm really happy for you Dad." He whispered in my ear. Thanks son. I pray that you find the same happiness someday and know the joy of an eternal love. As was our custom, I did not respond aloud. He pulled back and raised a sardonic eyebrow and gave a slight shake of his head as he gave me a crooked smile. "You just never quit do you Carlisle?" I smiled back indulgently. "I'll never give up on you, Edward."

Esme had an arm around Vic's waist and he had a loose arm around her shoulder and she was beaming at Edward and me. I could see that fierce look of pride she got when she was feeling like we were a family.

I reached out and pulled her out of Vic's grasp. Perhaps a little more possessively than I should have but I couldn't wait any longer, I needed my bride back in my arms. I didn't even notice when Vic and Edward quietly slipped away down the dock and headed back to the mainland to give us newlyweds the run of our island.

Isle Esme. Paradise on earth. Because the most beautiful angel had just married me. Unable to contain my excitement and happiness any longer, I swept her in my arms and took her into the bungalow that would be the sight of many happy memories. And would always hold a special place in my heart because it was where I started my forever with the love of my existence.

As I gently laid her on the bed, I whispered, "I love you, sweeting. Always." Her face had a dreamy look and lit up at my words. "Love you too. Forever." And then we didn't speak for a long time. It felt like forever. Which was just fine with me. I'd waited forever for a love like ours. And I'd spend forever letting her know it.