I own nothing here but the plot. I don't even own the dress Alice made Bella wear and I really wish I did. I think it is absolutely gorgeous. Review please or I will conjure up a fictional army of demons (I've become obsessed with a new series that have demons in it) to haunt you in your worst nightmares. I hope that is a scary enough threat for you. Read and review please.
Chapter Four
BPOV
Edward towed me over to his shiny, silver Aston Martin. I squirmed uncomfortably as I looked at how ostentatious it was. I turned to Edward with raised eyebrows as I asked "Why are you using your Aston Martin today?"
"Well Bella, if I had asked Emmet to drive us around today then he would have to spend the whole time with us and I hardly think that having Emmet with us will create the right setting if you know what I mean. Today is a special occasion so I thought that I would be entitled to use my Aston Martin" Edward answered.
"So are you saying we'll be driving a lot today?" I questioned.
"It's a surprise Bella. You might as well end this interrogation now because you are not getting anything out of me." Edward advised me.
I scowled and huffed a little. He knew I hated surprises. From the rear view mirror I could see from the wide grin on his face that he was trying to restrain himself from laughing aloud. My scowl deepened and this time he did not even try to refrain from chuckling amusedly. I glared at him and he laughed some more.
"Edward, you know I hate surprises. I don't see any reason for you to be laughing." I hissed through gritted teeth.
"I promise you that you will like this surprise, love." Edward told me reassuringly.
I felt all my irritation melt away when he called me love. In the months we had been together, Edward had adopted many endearments for me. Many of which included, 'my angel', 'my Bella', but his most common one was 'my love' or just 'love'. It warmed my heart whenever he addressed me by something as sweet and loving as that and that was all he ever had to do to brush away any ire I may currently be holding in my heart.
I smiled at him and he returned my smile lopsidedly. He rested one of his hands on top of mine whilst keeping the other on the steering wheel. We drove in silence as the houses and buildings of Forks whizzed past us. It was a while before Edward turned off the engine at a place where the road ended and the dense, compacted overgrowth of the forest began. Edward got out of the car and then stared at me expectantly upon which I threw him a quizzical glance. He smiled and sauntered around to where I was sitting in the passenger seat and then opened the door, holding it open for me. I got out, taking his outstretched hand.
He shut the door and then began strolling towards the forest. I decided not to ask anything and to just trust Edward as he led us deeper and deeper into the forest. Eventually we came to a familiar clearing; Edward threw me a wide breathtaking smile before he led us into a meadow. Not just any meadow either. But The Meadow. The meadow in which Edward had confessed to me on my birthday, five months ago, how much he loved me. I gazed about me in awe and then stopped when something had caught my eye. The blossom tree with those words that Edward had carved for me, the words that seemed to mark this place as something momentous in my life, the words that seemed to claim this meadow as a place solely for Edward and me.
I slowly walked to the tree in a dreamlike trance. I slowly let my fingers trace the words that were carved into the bark of the blossom tree: 'There is a beautiful angel blessed upon my life, forever fluttering in my mind and in my heart with soft, gentle wings and…'
"There is an angel blessed upon my life, forever fluttering in my mind and in my heart with soft, gentle wings and you are that perfect angel that I love with all my heart." I heard Edward's soft, musical voice whisper into my ear as his arms snaked themselves around my waist, his breath causing an involuntary shiver to run up the entire column of my spine.
It was exactly like how it was that evening. But things had changed for the better.
"No. I'm not the angel." I disagreed. I twisted around in his arms to face him as I said "You are".
"Hmmm. You might find that I disagree with you on that one, Miss Swan" he murmured into my neck.
"Well, let me see if I can change your mind" I said coyly as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his head down so that I could reach his lips.
Once we had pulled away he sighed contentedly as he leaned his forehead against mine.
I gazed up into his sparkling emerald eyes which were looking extremely peaceful right now.
"Edward?"
"Yes, love?"
"Why do you love me?" I asked, genuinely curious. I had always wondered that ever since he had admitted to me that he loved me. He was a gorgeous godly figure with intelligence that I had never seen in anyone before. I failed to see what someone like him could possibly find in me.
Edward pulled back to stare at me incredulously. "How can you even ask something like that? I love you because you are a stunningly beautiful angel with the most mesmerising brown eyes. I love you not just because of that but because you are intelligent, kind, funny, and you always brighten up my day. Not only are you all of that but you are the bravest person I know. No one without bravery like yours could have stood by me like you did. How could I not love you, my Bella?"
I swallowed. No one had ever praised me so highly and with such conviction that I could actually believe that they were sincere. I looked up at Edward with tears in my eyes as I asked in a small whisper "Do you really think all of that?"
"You really don't see yourself clearly at all, Bella." Edward perceived disapprovingly but he kissed me softly on the forehead as he said "Yes, I really think that. You are my fallen angel from heaven, my Bella and I will be forever grateful to fate for blessing me with you."
"You can be really annoying sometimes, you know" I told him, trying to hide the quaver in my voice as I tried to stop myself from crying at the sweetness of his words.
Edward looked surprised as he queried "Annoying? How so?"
"It's so annoying how you can say the sweetest things ever and leave me speechless because I could never match anything you say." I explained.
Edward chuckled quietly as he replied "I just have a way with words, love. Besides, you don't need to worry about matching what I say. Your voice is more than enough. It is the sweetest thing to my ears, my angel."
"It is impossible to stay mad at you for any period of time" I complained.
He laughed as he took my hand and led me out of the meadow back to his car. He began driving once more. I knew he loved how fast his car went but I still did not understand why he always felt so compelled to drive like a maniac. I was expecting him to take me either back home or to his house and so was surprised when he stopped at a lovely, sandy beach where the rise and fall of the sea darkened the colour of the sand by a few shades.
"Come on Bella. We have reservations, you know" Edward told me.
"Reservations at where?" I asked him suspiciously.
"At a restaurant of course" Edward answered.
"Edward! I told you not to spend any money on me" I exclaimed.
"Well, tough. I've already made reservations so you are going to have to come" Edward stated matter-of-factly.
"Fine." I huffed as I got out of the car.
He laced his fingers in mine once again and led me towards a small restaurant on the beach. We entered inside where Edward asked about our reserved table upon which someone led us over to a secluded table in the corner of the restaurant which immediately promised us plenty of privacy.
The restaurant seemed sophisticated with huge windows built into the walls facing the sea, giving us a spectacular view of the beach and the surface of the sea that seemed to glisten under the late afternoon sun's rays. The tables in the restaurant were all made from dark mahogany and the lighting was bright and open unlike most restaurants I had seen. But the brightness of the restaurant seemed fitting considering the fact that it was located on a sunny beach. There were silver vases on each table containing lovely, white lilies. The floor was white and tiled which just seemed to add to the bright décor of the restaurant.
Edward pulled out the chair for me to sit on. I shook my head at his old-fashioned gentlemanly manners. We ordered our food and I stared about me whilst we waited for our orders to arrive.
"So what do you think?" Edward asked me. I stared at him. He looked calm and unfazed but I could see beneath his laidback demeanour that he was actually worried about my opinion.
"It's perfect Edward. I can't believe you went to all the trouble of making reservations just for me." I said, shaking my head.
"Bella, never say 'just' for you because you mean everything to me. You are my life now." Edward confessed seriously.
"You really are theatrical aren't you?" I mused.
"I'm just telling the truth, love." He contradicted.
I didn't get a chance to argue as it was just then that our food arrived. We ate and talked and laughed with the sea always visible through the huge bay window near us. It was magical. Every moment I spent with Edward was magical. When we finally finished our food, Edward offered me his hand and I took it. He paid the bill, unsurprisingly, completely ignoring my many protests.
He led me out of the restaurant but paused just at the exit, looking up at the orange, red, and purple streaked sky as the sun set.
"Perfect timing" I thought I heard him murmur to himself.
He turned to me with a beatific smile as he enquired "You wouldn't mind a little walk along the shore, would you?"
"Edward, just look at the shoes Alice has put me in. I can just barely walk in them and you expect me to go on a long romantic stroll along the beach." I objected.
"Don't worry Bella. I won't let you fall and we won't walk too long. I promise." Edward assured me. But then he grinned quite unexpectedly.
He suddenly got down on his knees on the bare sand and then gently brushed the skin that was uncovered by the shoes with his long fingers. I jumped.
"Relax, Bella. I promise I won't hurt you." Edward soothed me gently.
Of course I knew that he wouldn't hurt me. I hadn't jumped back in fear. I had jumped because of the surprising reaction his touch on my bare skin had triggered in me. His gentle touch on the exposed part of the skin on my foot caused my heart to start racing erratically and my breath to hitch in my throat whilst all the thoughts in my head became one jumbled mess. I realized what Edward was trying to do and because I was too breathless and my knees were too shaky I didn't argue but instead rested my hands on his shoulders as he slowly and tenderly pulled the high heeled purple death traps of my feet.
Then, he stood up with my shoes in one hand and with his free hand he took my hand and led me out into the open air of the beach. He wound his arm tightly around my waist and drew me closer to him so that my whole body was pressed against his left side. I could feel the heat radiating of him and it warmed my bare arm. There was a wind blowing along the shore that flew my curled hair back behind me. The sea looked beautiful under the twilit sky and birds flew over our heads and over to the sea to unknown regions whilst I kept my eyes fixed on Edward's seraphic face.
He looked dazzling under the twilit sky, even more beautiful than the sea, more peaceful than the sky, and more pure than the soft, white sand under my bare feet. We walked hand in hand along the shore until the sun had finally set and twilight turned to the dusky black of the night. As soon as the dark settled Edward looked up at the sky again and then said "Well, looks like it's time to go."
"Home?" I asked.
"Of course not Bella, I still have somewhere I want to take you." Edward told me as he led me back to his car with his arm still around my waist and my shoes still dangling from his hand.
"How much are we doing today?" I questioned.
"I am taking you to a special place for each month we have spent together" Edward answered.
I stared at him in awed admiration. "That's a very original idea. So does that mean we're going to five places today?"
"Yes, unless you're feeling tired in which case I could take you home if you like." Edward told me with a small frown on his face as though he did not particularly like that idea and to be honest I didn't either.
"No, it's okay. I want to be here with you. So we went to the meadow, the restaurant, and then the beach. That's three places so where are we going for the fourth?" I asked him.
"Seattle" Edward answered.
"Seattle! But we'll get home very late then. Charlie would freak! I hope you're not taking me to another restaurant because we already ate and I am stuffed." I disputed.
"Calm down Bella. Alice has arranged for you and Rosalie to spend the night at our house. Esme has already talked with Charlie about it and don't worry. I'm not taking you to another restaurant. I'm not hungry anyway." Edward soothed me.
He opened the car door for me and I slid in. Edward sat down beside me and started the car and then began to drive. I was feeling rather tired due to Alice having woken me up so insanely early this morning and then subjecting me to hours of racing around the mall, and then I had done a lot with Edward today as well. These facts could be the only reasons for why a while later I felt Edward gently shaking me awake. We had arrived in Seattle.
"Come on Bella. We're here." Edward informed me. 'Here' happened to be a busy street of Seattle.
"Okay, you can give me my shoes back now, Edward." I told him, holding my hand out for the shoes but he just glanced down at my hand with a smile.
"Oh, I don't think so Miss Swan." Edward said teasingly with a mischievous gleam in his green eyes.
"But Edward, I can't walk around in Seattle bare foot." I pointed out.
"And who said you're going to have to walk?" Edward queried with a raised eyebrow.
I stared at him questioningly but he just grinned as he got out of the car and sauntered round to my side of the car where he opened the passenger door and then lifted me into his arms! He kicked the door shut and then proceeded to stroll along the streets with me still in his arms, bridal style. I noticed the stares we got as we passed many strangers in the street as we walked.
"Edward. Put me down. People are staring at us" I hissed.
"But I thought you didn't want to walk around bare foot." Edward reminded me.
"Which is why I had asked for my shoes back" I spat at him irritably.
Edward laughed as he responded "If people are staring at us it could only be because they are jealous that they don't have an angel as beautiful as you in their arms."
I blushed profusely as I contradicted "Or it could be because they might be considering calling the ambulance to take us away in strait jackets to the nearest mental asylum."
Edward laughed again as he observed "You worry too much, my love."
I sighed as I accepted that there was no way he was going to put me down and I found that once I accepted that then I quite liked the feel of his arms under me, and the feeling of floating on air, and the hard muscles of his chest as I rested my head against it.
"We're almost there, my angel." Edward whispered to me.
I exhaled in relief that we would soon escape the many stares of the strangers we were walking past. I closed my eyes as I ran my finger along the contours of his chest beneath his shirt. I could still feel Edward moving and it seemed like he was moving up, like he was mounting stairs. But I kept my eyes closed, feeling so peaceful that I could have been asleep.
"We're here now Bella. Open your eyes" I heard Edward instruct me quietly.
I slowly opened my eyes to see Edward's face hovering above my own but then Edward jerked his head in a gesture that told me to look straight ahead of me. I turned my head only to gasp at the sight below me. Below us, there were thousands of twinkling lights of buildings, malls, and houses, all shining brightly at us in the black of the night sky. Red lights, green lights, yellow lights, and white lights as cars drove along on the streets below us. Grey and black buildings dotted with lights shining from their many windows towered into the sky around us as we stood on the roof of a building in Seattle- me in Edward's arms- gazing down at the blinking lights of the buildings and cars on the streets of Seattle.
"Edward, this is beautiful. How and where are we?" I exclaimed in an amazed gasp.
"We're on the roof of a building of apartments. Carlisle knows some people who live in this building and well, they showed me how to get up here and gave me permission so long as I don't try to stone their windows or throw chewing gum at the passers-by below us." Edward explained with a wide grin.
"Edward, I can't believe how much you have done. This is amazing, it's beautiful, it's-"
Edward hushed me with a sudden, but soft kiss that cut off my last words and made me forget what I had even wanted to say in the first place. I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to me and we kissed passionately for several minutes. By the time we pulled away, we were both panting for breath as though we had run several miles.
"This is all so beautiful Edward" I said as we leaned our foreheads together.
"It's no more than you deserve, my love." Edward told me with closed eyes as he kissed my nose.
I wrapped my arms around him and he pulled me even closer to him, tucking my head under his chin. Suddenly, we could hear music playing; perhaps it was someone playing music from inside one of the apartments, the music drifting towards us through an open window. Edward put his finger under my chin and gently tilted my head up to look at him.
"Dance with me please. My Bella." Edward beseeched me.
Edward already knew I couldn't dance but the tenderness and love in his face instantly told me that he didn't care and that he would never let anything happen to me. I nodded once and he put me down on my bare feet and placed his arms around my waist whilst I placed my hands on his shoulders. Then, we were dancing on the roof of a building as the lights of Seattle shone brightly all around us. I leaned my head on his shoulder as I closed my eyes and whispered:
"I think this is my favourite part of our date today."
"Hmmm. We still have one more place to go." Edward told me.
"And where is that?" I enquired with my eyes still closed as we danced.
"My house. I still have your present to give you." He answered.
My eye flew open as I looked up to glare at him as I told him accusingly "Edward. I told you not to spend any money on me."
"I didn't. It's just a new composition I wrote for you." Edward replied.
"Oh" I said.
Edward abruptly stopped dancing as he observed "We should get going now if we don't want to get back too late and then worry Esme."
I nodded though I was disappointed to have to leave this wondrous place. Edward swung me up into his arms once again and this time I gave no objections but just leaned my head onto Edward's shoulder. He carried me all the way back to his car and then gently, carefully lowered me into the passenger seat. Then, he got in beside me and we were driving again. I had to admit, everything about today had been romantic and magical. The drive from Seattle to Forks was a long one so even that was romantic as we just drove in peaceful silence.
I guess I must have fallen asleep again as I woke up in Edward's arms as he carried me through the front door and into his house. It was pretty late so I guess everyone must have been asleep. Edward carried me over to his piano where he sat me down on the stool beside him. He gave me one heart-breaking, crooked smile before his hands were then sinuously flowing across the ivory keys of the piano. The music was beautiful and by the time he had finished there were tears in my eyes. He gently wiped away the tears, kissing me where the tears dampened my cheeks.
"You're probably tired now. We should get you to bed. Alice and Esme has prepared the guest room for you." Edward told me before he lifted me into his arms once more before he carried me up the stairs into the guest room of the Cullen's mansion.
I was already half asleep by the time he carried me into the room and put me down on the bed where he told me "Alice already brought some of your stuff and has packed it in the wardrobe over there."
I yawned hugely, not really having understood what Edward said. I crawled towards the front of the bed and pulled back the covers so that I could get in. I thought I heard Edward chuckle before I suddenly felt him pulling back the covers for me. He tucked me in and then leaned down and kissed me softly on the forehead and then I heard him whisper "Sleep, my Bella, my angel. I love you more than life itself."
I was about to tell him that I loved him too when I couldn't fight sleep anymore and found myself drifting off into a peaceful slumber.
So, did you like it? Was it sweet enough for you? What was your favourite part? Review please!