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tomorrow morning's chapter will be the last.
I shouldn't have been surprised that Edward would take me back to the place we fell in love. Although, I'd always assumed – in the back of my mind—we'd return there for our honeymoon. Even when our relationship was brand new, a part of me had acknowledged that Edward was different than everyone else in my life. He served a different purpose, filled a special place in my heart.
We went for the last week of July. August would bring a lot of change: a new fall semester, moving to our new place in Seattle; a trip away was the perfect way to remedy the upcoming busyness.
Like before, Edward dozed on the plane after awhile, the headphones to his iPod stuffed snugly in his ears. I sat beside him, leafing through tourism magazines, folding back the pages on the activities and places I wanted to try. We were staying at the Grand Wailea again but instead of the towers, we had one of the Villas at Ho'olei.
If I'd been slack jawed at the opulence the first time around, I could barely function this time.
I knew better than to second guess Edward's plans though. Not only would it be futile, but it would also seem sort of ungrateful. I did my best to pull my own weight back home; I didn't need to prove myself or haggle with him over budgeting if he wanted a luxurious vacation. Besides, he was the numbers person – not me.
He was also the one with the trust fund.
"You coming in or are you gonna stand there and over think this?" Edward teased, urging me indoors. "I know what you're thinking."
"I'm savoring. Can't I savor?"
His voice was already deep inside the villa. "I suppose so."
I closed my eyes and turned my face to the sun, enjoying the balmy breeze and the warmth. I couldn't believe I was back.
Inside, there was a pile of baggage and a trail of clothing leading to what I imagined was one of the bedrooms. Smiling, I pulled my t-shirt off and unbuttoned my jeans, letting them join Edward's.
I found him propped up on a bed in just boxers, hands behind his head. The ceiling fan spun lazily.
The sliding glass doors opened to a picture perfect ocean panorama.
"Look, just like home," I said sarcastically, gesturing to the view.
Edward grinned, patting the space next to him.
"I think I need a shower first," I hedged, inching toward the bathroom.
"No you don't," he said, slipping off of the bed and grabbing me before I could escape.
"Edward," I giggled, sounding breathy and ridiculous even to myself, "I'm gross. Let me go shower!"
"Fine," he huffed, releasing me.
He followed me in to the bathroom, needless to say.
So, we were staying at the same resort, but everything felt different. For one thing, Edward didn't have any meetings. His time wasn't divided between work and play. For another, we'd now been together for a while. A year ago we'd so green, just barely sticking our toes into coupledom.
"C'mon, I want to get the good sun," I called, waiting impatiently by the door.
I was determined to get as get as much outside time as possible. We'd slept in a good deal, not wanting to squander our time away from rigid schedules, but now it was time to seize (the rest of) the day.
Edward came out of the bedroom with a beach bag – I laughed because he never had a bag unless it was for school – and followed me out of the villa.
We were smart this time. Instead of only frequenting the bars for delicious but overpriced drinks, we bought a bunch at a local market and made them on the beach. It reminded me of something the girls and I would have done in high school; it was awesome.
The day could not have been more perfect. The sky was brilliant and blue, soft cotton ball clouds floating cheerily by, the breeze constant yet warm, the sand fine and white.
"Mm, I'm gonna get a good tan," I murmured, laying flat on my towel.
"And Vitamin D." Edward handed me a cup of rum punch.
I peeked over to see him pouring himself a drink from a large plastic bottle. So that's what he'd been doing in the kitchen back at our villa.
"This is good," I said, sipping the fruity deliciousness in surprise.
"I googled the recipe," he said, touching his glass to mine. "Cheers."
We goofed around on the beach for so long that we went from sober to drunk to sober again. At one point Edward ventured off and found us hamburgers from one of the hotel's restaurants. It was just the thing, perfect after a long day of swimming and drinking.
"Oh man," I moaned, sprawled on the sand. "I don't wanna move."
Edward took a picture of me.
"No!" I cried, kicking sand at him. "I look horrible! What're you doing…"
"You don't," he laughed, scooting closer. "You're beautiful."
"You're cheesy," I sighed, kissing him.
The next thing I knew he'd whipped his guitar out.
"Where'd that come from?" I asked, completely shocked.
"I grabbed it when I went to buy the burgers," he said. "You were just too out of it to notice."
"Damn. That's pretty big for me to not notice."
"No kidding."
"Shush." I went to kick playfully at him again but he grabbed my foot and held it, resting it in his lap.
Edward started to strum quietly, and as always, the notes found themselves arranged into melodies.
He looked at me while he sang, barely blinking, a sweet and soulful song about how good we were together and how lucky. I'd never heard it before and I didn't know where he'd gotten it but it turned me inside out and made my heart beat different.
The song faded to a quiet close, and still his eyes were locked with mine. He reached into his bag and dug around, all the while looking at me, looking. He slipped something on to my toe and held it there, his expression becoming very serious.
"Bella."
Oh, God.
I sat up straighter, completely sober now, and yet somehow intoxicated all over again, heady, spun out, not even touching the ground.
"Bella, you're the reason I come home. I want you to always be the reason. Will you? Will you marry me?"
Eyes burning, throat closed up, I pulled my foot away and slid the ring off of my toe and onto my finger. I got on my knees and inched closer.
"Yes."
We were in bed, snuggling and talking quietly.
Well, maybe not that quietly. It was our third day in Hawaii and it had been pouring rain since we'd opened our eyes that morning. So, instead of stressing over the homelike weather (albeit a much more tropical, humid version) we stayed in bed, in our PJs, and ordered room service.
Four mimosas later, I was rockin' and rollin'.
"We could make everyone wear black," Edward said, twirling the wedding ring around my toe. He kept slipping it off my finger and sticking it onto my toe. I thought this was quirky and cute, and very Edward.
Although I doubt either of us would be laughing if I decided to keep the ring down there and subsequently lost it.
"Yeah… it would be very funeral-esque," I said, grinning dopily at him. "Or maybe make them be barefoot. In the mud."
"They could wear rain boots. "
"Or – oh, this is good!" I cackled, clapping my hands. "I could ride down the aisle on a horse, but instead of just a horse I could attach a horn to his forehead and it would look like I was riding a unicorn down the aisle! Yes! I could wear a princess wedding gown…"
Edward laughed, making a face. "No more champagne for you."
"No, listen," I giggled. "Everyone loves having these romantic weddings where they're barefoot at the beach or there's a dove release – "
"So, no doves."
"No, stop! Okay, and you know they always have these themes – "
"We'll go theme less. Maybe topless too."
"Edward!" I grabbed his face and gave him a wet, drunken smooch. "And you say I'm silly?"
"You make me silly," he said, smiling crookedly at me.
"You make me happy," I sighed, kissing his chin and cheek.
"You make me horny," he said, waggling his eyebrows.
Grinning, I sat up on my knees and ripped my shirt off.
Edward smiled up at me, reaching up to run this thumb over my bare nipples. "Can't believe you're mine."
"I've always been yours." I closed my eyes, shivering a little at the way Edward's fingers felt.
He pulled me down so that we were laying side by side, his hands large and warm on my hips.
"And I've always been yours," he echoed, looking very suddenly serious.
Through the tipsiness I felt a surge of love and affection… and need. I pulled myself even closer so that we were all lined up, body to body, and kissed him deep and thorough. I loved how his skin felt against mine, his chest against my breasts, his belly against my belly.
His hands tickled and tugged through my hair, massaging me right at the base of my neck.
We kissed until it wasn't enough and then Edward scooted away and stood up, taking his pants off. I took mine off too, rolling my panties right along with them.
He got back into bed, pushing me onto my back, burying his face in my neck and the valley between my breasts, his fingers touching me below and opening me.
The slow steady rumbles of thunder and of the morning grew louder as the rain continued to fall, silver splashes of water and lightning. I was glad we'd left the sliding doors open, glad the warm breeze was blowing inside.
I licked Edward's mouth and pushed his hand away with my own, opening wider and guiding him in to me.
He slid inside, gasping into my mouth as he did.
Every time felt like the best time. I thought this every time, as well.
Nothing new, nothing fancy. Just him and me, rocking together, pushing and pulling and taking and receiving.
"Love you," I said, my voice shaky with what I was feeling. It was so hard to express it in words, even words as boundless and grand as "love". Even trying to express it physically, with my body, sometimes felt inadequate.
"I love you, too, Bella. I love you." He showered my face with kisses, slowing down and moving the way he knew would make me come.
We'd had a year of practice; he knew just what to do, just how to push his body against me.
I clenched around him, squeezing my eyes shut in the fury of it all.
So good.
He pounded his release right back into me, clutching me tight as he came down.
"Let's do this always," I whisper-giggled, once again airy in my post-orgasm euphoria.
He nodded sleepily, tugging me close as we slipped apart.
the song he sings her is
"You're the Reason I Come Home" by Ron Pope
Watching you watching me,
A fine way to fall asleep.
The neighbors fight,
As we both rest our eyes.
Hands in the fallen snow;
Numb to the winter cold,
But we don't mind,
'Cause we'll get warm inside.
You're the reason I come home.
You're the reason I come home, my love.
You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart...
Well, you're the reason I come home.
Paper doll silhouettes,
Fingertips on window glass;
The street's asleep,
So I breathe you in deep.
The tragedies of chemistry,
People dream of what you and me
Have found...
Effortlessly.
You're the reason I come home.
You're the reason I come home, my love.
You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart...
Well, you're the reason I come home.
And for a long time, I remember,
Saying prayers for something perfect,
Saying prayers for someone kind.
It's in my head,
We're spinning circles down the avenues instead.