Bella tapped my shoulder lightly and I looked at her confused. "I'm feeling a little… stiff." She said carefully. "I'm sorry." I said letting her go. She got up to stretch her arms and glanced towards the window. "Hey! The rain stopped!" She said smiling and looking down at me on the chair. I got up and returned her smile. "So what do you want to do then?" I asked concerned. "I want to go to your place." She said happily. "Any reason?" I asked. "I just want to visit everyone without reason for once." She said still with delight. "Bells?" Charlie called. Bella took her attention away from me and it looked like she forgot Charlie was even here. "Yes, dad?" She answered. "I'm leaving. If you're going anywhere, don't forget to lock up." Charlie reminded. "All right. Bye dad!" She said loudly. She turned her attention back to me and waited for a response. "I guess we leave too then?" I said confused at her silence.
"You got that right." She smiled.
She walked up to me and wrapped her arm around my waist. She allowed me to guide her out of the kitchen and towards the front door. Charlie finally pulled away from the house as Bella let my waist go and opened the door. The wind blew Bella scent in my direction and I took a deep breath. "Wonderful." I said in appreciation. Bella walked forward a little and turned around to look at me with an annoyed look. She then smiled soon after as I approached her direction. She shut the door and locked it. She turned her direction to face the front area of her house searching for something with her eyes. "Didn't you drive here?" She asked confused. "No." I smiled. "Oh right." She sighed. "Up you go." I said with a smile. Bella positioned herself on my back and I sprinted towards my place. "…Edward." Bella whispered lightly. I slowed my pace to give her time to say something else. "Yes?" I asked. "Oh what? You heard that?" She said embarrassed. "Of course." I answered. "I wasn't calling you directly… just appreciating you." She admitted still embarrassed.
"Appreciating me?" I asked confused.
"Yes." She answered. "Bella." I said. "Huh?" She responded confused. "I'm appreciating you too." I smiled but she couldn't see that. Bella laughed lightly as we finally arrived in front of my house. Bella jumped off of my back and nearly slipped on the wet surface below her. I caught her by her hand and set her in place. "Thanks." She said laughing lightly. I nodded and smiled before opening my front door. I walked in with Bella and stopped to look in her direction. "Lead the way." I said calmly. Bella stood there looking at me for a moment and decided to walk towards our living room. She walked in the middle of the living room and I stopped in the doorway waiting for her to make some kind of move. She turned to smile at me before gesturing towards the couch near her. She proceeded to sit down and I walked to sit next to her as well.
"Hi Emmett."
"Hey, man." Emmett said slightly annoyed of me knowing he was here. "What's up Bella?" He asked walking to Bella's side of the couch. "Hi Emmett." She responded with a smile in his direction. "What brings you?" He asked curious. "I just wanted to stop by and visit everyone." She admitted a little embarrassed. I looked towards the doorway I came from and sighed. Emmett and Bella looked at me confused. "What's wrong?" Bella asked still confused. "Alice knew you were coming… she has something for you." I said blankly. Alice showed up at the doorway with a smile aimed at Bella. "Hi Bella!" She said happily. "Hey Alice." Bella responded with delight and slight worry. "Don't worry. She didn't wrap it." I assured Bella as I turned my attention away from Alice. Emmett smiled and I knew he was aware of what Alice had planned, but he didn't know what she had for Bella. Alice skipped her way next to Emmett and was behind Bella's head. Bella turned her body to face Alice's direction and put her arm on the couch to hold her position there.
"I'm guessing Edward told you I planned this, but I'm hoping he didn't say what I have." She said sounding slightly depressed.
"He didn't." She said reassuring Alice. "Great!" Alice said happily again. I finally turned my attention to Bella and noticed she looked eager to see what Alice had. "Quit stalling." I said glancing at Alice. Alice shot a look at me, but continued to smile. "Here!" She said handing Bella a necklace. Bella's eyes widened as the necklace sparkled in her eyes. "It's beautiful! Thank you!" She said pushing herself up from the couch and turning to look at Alice. "You shouldn't be thanking me." Alice admitted. "Why not?" Bella asked. "Because she didn't make it. Jasper did." I said pointing towards the doorway again. Bella followed my direction and noticed Jasper standing in the doorway. "You made this, Jasper?" Bella asked confused. "Yes, I did." He said walking slowly closer to our position. "It's getting crowded in here. I'm going to go check on Rosalie." Emmett said while leaving the room. "Thank you. It's really beautiful." Bella said while unhooking the necklace and putting it around her neck. "Do you mind, Alice?" She asked.
"Oh sure!" Alice said as she rushed behind Bella and clipped the necklace in place.
I got up from my chair and turned to face Jasper's direction. I looked at him for a moment as he stood there completely still and I looked towards Bella who now focused on him again. I shot my eyes towards Jasper once more. "Now would be the time to tell her why, Jasper." I said calmly. Jasper nodded and turned his attention back to Bella. "It's my apology. For when I tried to… kill you." He admitted with apologetic eyes. Bella was silent for a moment and it appeared she was trying to remember. "Oh… that. It's fine. You guys are naturally attracted to human blood. I know you couldn't control yourself as well as the others." She said with a depressed tone. Jasper smiled but didn't say anything beyond what needed to be said. "It's a really beautiful apology. Thank you very much." Bella admitted with a smile. Alice skipped from Bella's side to Jaspers and they both locked eyes for a moment. Alice turned her attention back to Bella and smiled. "We're going to go. Jasper just needed to make up for his mistake. Thanks for accepting his apology." Alice said still smiling at Bella and proceeding to turn around with Jasper to leave. They exited out of the room and Bella was fiddling with her new necklace of apology.
"Awful nice of him." I said calmly.
Bella turned her attention from her necklace to me as I smiled in her direction. "It's really pretty." She said lifting the necklace up to show me and locking her own eyes on it again as well. Carlisle entered the house and it appeared he just got off from work again. He entered the living room and noticed Bella and I. "Hi Carlisle." I said waving quickly to him. Bella let go of the necklace and turned to face Carlisle's direction. "Ah. I see Jasper has been forgiven." He said with a smile. "He was forgiven before he gave this to me, actually." Bella admitted. "He's been told, but he didn't feel like that was enough for his conscious." Carlisle said calmly. "Before you ask, we're just here for no reason at all." I said catching Carlisle's thought. "That's fine. I always welcome Bella's company." He admitted with a returning smile. "Thank you." Bella said smiling. "I'll be upstairs if either of you two require my attention." He said while turning back to go upstairs. Bella turned to look at me again as I gestured her to sit back down. "This is what we originally planned." I laughed lightly as I proceeded to sit back on the couch. Bella did the same and laughed a little as well.
"How long do you think you can keep sitting here before cramping?" I joked.
Bella looked annoyed, but quickly shook that off before responding. "I can manage. We can't be long anyway because I have to be home soon." She noted. "Right. We don't want to anger the law enforcer." I smiled. Bella laughed lightly and I put my arm around her. We were thirty minutes through just sitting here again before Bella alarmed me of the time by pointing at my clock. "All right then." I said nodding in agreement. I slowly pulled Bella up with me and made our way towards my front door before stopping us both in front of the door. "Is something wrong?" Bella asked me confused. I turned my attention from my front door to her face and smiled. "Carlisle apparently has something to discuss with me, so I'm not going to immediately be with you tonight." I admitted blankly. "Oh… so you're still coming though, right?" She asked concerned. "Of course." I smiled. Bella returned my smile as I proceeded to open my front door. Revealing the darkness. We walked out of the house and I didn't bother to shut the door. "Edward." Carlisle said with his hand on the front door.
"I know. I'll be back." I answered looking back at him.
"Bye Bella." He said calmly. Bella turned her direction to Carlisle and waved with a smile. "We'll take my car this time." I said turning my attention to Bella again as Carlisle shut the front door. We both entered my car and I drove towards Charlie's. "Hey?" Bella asked. "Yes?" I answered keeping my eyes on the road. "What exactly does Carlisle want to talk to you about?" She said concerned. "He wants to discuss my intentions… with you." I answered turning my attention to Bella and then back to the road. "I'd like to know that as well." She admitted. "You'll actually find out when the time comes. He wants to discuss me and you after all." I said smiling. We finally arrived at Charlie's and Bella unbuckled her seatbelt. She turned her attention back to me with a concerned look. "I will be back." I assured her. She smiled at me and exited my car. I kept the headlights on so she could see the ground and her front door easier. Charlie didn't appear to be home, so no lights were on. She unlocked the door and turned to wave at me with a smile. She went inside her house and closed the door. I sighed and rolled down the passenger window.
"Hi Alice." I said slightly irritated.
"Hey. I know Charlie won't be in for a while, so I'll keep watch over Bella while you're away." She admitted with a smile. "Thanks." I returned her smile as Alice proceeded to walk to Charlie's front door and knock. I pulled out not waiting to see how it's going to turn out as I made my way back home. I arrived at my place and exited my car feeling a little resistant to even speak to Carlisle about this. I walked normally to my front door and opened it. Standing just several feet away from me was Carlisle with his arms crossed. "You look hesitant." Carlisle said calmly. I knew he wanted this to be discussed in his room upstairs, so I just pushed myself in that direction and Carlisle followed casually. I made my way to Carlisle's area and opened the door leaving it open for Carlisle to come in as well. I stopped in the middle of the room and turned around to see Carlisle shutting the door behind us. "I guess I'll take point." I said knowing he wanted me to start. Carlisle nodded and walked to his seat behind a desk. He sat there in wait as I chose the words to start with. "I'll be up front about this." I said in a sigh. Carlisle said nothing and continued to wait on me. "I've been convinced that turning Bella into a vampire isn't such a bad thing anymore. But I still can't help but want her to remain human for as long as possible." I said blankly. "Edward… the only thing that accomplishes is prolonging the inevitable. Bella does not appear to want to wait on becoming one of us. You're not only affecting Bella, but also yourself. By you keeping her human, you bring unnecessary anticipating upon yourself. This is going to happen, but the more you stall… the more both of you will suffer." He said calmly. "I know… but I have something I want her to do before I turn her." I said slightly irritated. "Oh? And what might that be?" He said curious.
"I want her to marry me first." I admitted.
Carlisle looked at me with a surprised expression and then smiled soon after. "Have you told her this?" He asked still smiling slightly. "No I haven't. It would have come up eventually though." I said blankly. Carlisle sighed, got up from his chair, and walked up to me. "This isn't the kind of thing that needs to wait. You must inform her of this so she can get a general idea on what you want to experience with her human state." He said putting one hand over my shoulder. "I'll take this up with her as soon as I get back then." I assured him. Carlisle nodded and took his hand from my shoulder. "I guess I'll go let her know now then." I sighed. Carlisle smiled at me in agreement as he stepped to the side allowing me to exit. I walked down the stairs and made my way outside of the house again.