Quick update because it's New Year! Enjoy!

That's Why You're Beautiful

Chapter Eighteen

I woke up the next morning feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement, along with a tiny bit of fear. I was so happy for Alice and Jasper and couldn't wait until they were married, but the whole occasion was still a little raw for me.

But today wasn't all about me, so I just had to grin and bear it.

I rolled out of my bed and shuffled drowsily into the lounge. I wasn't too surprised that Alice was already wide awake; in fact, she was over by the sink, drinking a glass of water.

"Morning, bride-to-be," I grinned and she jumped a little at my presence.

"Bella!" she said shakily. "Oh God, Bells, I'm so worried!"

"Don't be," I replied softly. "It's the best day of your life."

"So far," she added under her breath and I smiled at her optimism.

"So, when do you wanna start getting ready?" I asked, preparing some bread in the toaster.

"As soon as possible, really. I'll be able to relax when we're all set to go."

"Alright then. We'll start as soon as I finish this toast. And stop biting your fingernails, please."

"Ugh, Bella," she moaned. "How can you even consider eating something? I feel like I'm gonna throw up at any moment."

"Thanks for that lovely image, Alice," I grumbled. "I'll surely enjoy my breakfast even more now."

She disappeared off into her room with an evil laugh.

***

"Alice," I breathed once she stepped out in front of me. "Gosh, you look so beautiful."

She had her wonderful wedding dress on, as well as a veil and a bunch of flowers. She was wearing a perfect wig that she'd picked out a few days ago and her make up complimented her skin, making her look breathtaking. She seemed alive and resilient, just like the old Alice.

Jasper was certainly a lucky man.

She walked closer towards me, twirling carefully. "Are you sure it's alright?"

I scoffed. "It's more than alright. It makes you look so... healthy!"

She smiled timidly. "Good." Her eyes swept down my body. "Bella, you look so lovely as well. That dress really suits you... I knew I had good taste."

I didn't want to sound self-loving or anything, but the dress Alice had picked for me was pretty brilliant. It was a dark blue sleeveless number, with a darker bow tied around my waist. It stopped just above my knees and, on my feet, I had dark shoes. I had gone to the trouble of curling my normally straight hair and Alice had smothered me in make up. On top of this, I was wearing a necklace that Mom had lent me, along with a handbag and bunch of flowers.

I felt a bit like a princess.

I could feel myself slowly beginning to get emotional. I took a deep breath and turned away, trying my hardest not to cry in front of Alice; that really wouldn't help matters.

Alice was clever though. She knew how I was feeling and spun me around to face her. "Oh, Bells," she murmured softly, pulling me close. "I should be the one crying, not you!"

I sniffed, wiping absently at my eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just... hard. I shouldn't be so selfish."

"Bella, anyone who knew what you've been through would understand."

I didn't say anything so Alice continued in her attempt at reassurance.

"I know you feel guilty over how you feel about Edward." I opened my mouth to protest but she quickly carried on. "Ssh, ssh. I know you do. But, Bells, it's been a while now since David." I winced at the name, like always. "I know it's tough to move on but... sometimes it needs to be done."

I felt awful at how everything was suddenly revolving around me again. "I don't want him to think that I've replaced him."

"He knows you wouldn't. He'd want you to be happy, anyway."

Before I could think too much about my dream last night, I drew out a long breath and shook my head. "We shouldn't be talking about this. It's your day."

"I want you to be happy as well, though."

I sighed again. "This is probably all ridiculous, anyway. Like I said, Edward probably doesn't even feel the same way anyway. It's stupid."

Alice snorted. "Bells, don't be so silly! We're going around in circles now... but anywho, just wait till you see what I've done to him!"

I couldn't help swallowing nervously.

"Now, remember, you need to stand outside and welcome everybody. That is if you don't mind... I'm sorry, but nobody else would be able to-"

"No, it's alright," I replied, trying to ignore how cold it looked through the window. The dark clouds in the sky looked a little threatening and I quickly prayed for a dry day. "That's fine."

"Thanks, Bells."

I took a quick glance at my watch. "Oh God. It's time to go."

Alice bit her lip and checked her reflection in the mirror. "How do I look?"

"I told you before," I said, rolling my eyes. "Amazing."

"I'm sorry that you couldn't come in the car with me," she said in a rush. "But there wasn't enough room and-"

"I know, it's no problem. I'll see you later."

She squealed and I rushed out the room, ready to go to the church.

***

It was really chilly outside, just like I'd expected; the wind kept whipping around my dress and I was beginning to feel like Marilyn Monroe. Not that that was a bad thing really...

I continued smiling at the people I didn't recognise as they all filtered into the church. I was beginning to wonder whether these people really knew Alice and Jasper; I hadn't recognised anybody so far. They could all be strangers, for all I knew. Wedding crashers.

Goosebumps were quickly spreading along my bare arms and I started shivering. It really was freezing and I was starting to feel a little fed up. Why did I have to stand out here and forcibly greet everyone? And it had been sunny for weeks on end, yet it had suddenly turned cold on today of all days.

But, I wasn't going to moan. Much.

It was Alice's big day, after all, and I had agreed to do this. I just prayed that Alice would arrive soon. Jasper was already waiting in the church and was probably feeling nervous.

The time dragged by for about another half and hour, and I began staring at the pavement to amuse myself. Things were getting that bad. I frowned at the mud splats on my previously clean shoes, when suddenly a pair of black, leather ones came into my view. I slowly looked up to meet the person's face, plastering the forced smile onto my face. My eyes widened almost immediately.

Oh my gosh.

He was, undoubtably, the most handsome man I had ever seen, yet there was something strangely familiar about him. I couldn't quite place it.

I oggled for a while, taking in his cream skin and admiring his messy hair that was a wonderful but unusual shade of bronze. It was messy from the wind and was somehow still looking fantastic. He was wearing a tight fitting dark suit and a loosely done up tie, and I took in each crease of his shirt, staring shamelessly. He also wore a coat which drew my attention to his slim figure.

I then met his piercing green eyes and felt completely lost in them. It was at this moment that I frowned, and my heart skipped a few beats.

"Hello B-Bella," he said, suddenly smiling crookedly. I recognised the voice instantly.

Oh my goodness.

No... No it couldn't be...

But it was.

It was Edward.

Ohmylord.

I realised that my breathing was uneven and laughed nervously in a pathetic attempt to disguise this. I was just in complete disbelief. I knew that it was a task letting Alice give him a little makeover, but I'd never expected this...

He was just... wow.

His glasses had clearly covered up most of his face before and, now that he was free from them, he was just beautiful. Completely and utterly beautiful.

His hair that was usually combed down was now wild and just brilliant. His eyes were dazzling.

Well, it just goes to show that miracles do happen.

I shook my head to myself; just thinking of how I felt about Edward a few weeks ago compared to now... it was almost laughable.

"Hi E-Edward," I eventually managed. "You... you look nice!"

Understatement of the century.

He smiled adorably and my heart could have quite literally melted. "You look b-beautiful Bella."

I felt my cheeks flushing from a mixture of happiness and embarrassment.

"Thanks," I mumbled quietly. I was alarmed to see him staring at me, and couldn't deny that I felt secretly pleased. Carlisle's words suddenly echoed in my mind.

"Edward really likes you."

I winced to myself at thinking about this. My thoughts kept turning back to David and what he would think... it made me ache a tiny bit with guilt. But, despite this, I couldn't forget the dream I'd had last night.

"How are y-you anyway?" he asked. "This must be h-hard for you..."

I flooded with warmth at his thoughtfulness. He really was just so darn perfect...

Stop it Bella, you're daydreaming again... he's waiting for a reply for God's sake!

"I'm good, thank you," I replied. "Alice is better and that's all that counts really." I paused for a moment. "How are you? How's the flat?"

He smiled a little and I didn't quite know why. "It seems alright, t-thank you. I'm looking f-forward to having the p-piano in there."

I felt a strange pang of sadness knowing that Edward would be back at his own flat soon; I'd gotten used to having him around. Would that mean he'd have to leave me? But then I'd never get a chance to-

"So, when's A-Alice arriving?" he asked, keeping his gaze on me. I glanced over his shoulder, shivering a little.

"I'm not sure... What I am sure of, though, is that she'll be fashionably late."

He chuckled, unbuttoning his coat. Don't stare, Bella. Do not stare...

"You look c-cold," he said, handing me the coat. "Wear this."

I smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you."

He helped me slip into the sleeves and there was an immediate comforting smell from the fabric. I inhaled deeply and sighed contentedly.

"Ah... nice and warm now."

He simply smiled.

I now knew that the conversation I'd had with Alice during her hen night was completely true. I was in love with him. Helplessly so. In fact, I'd fallen even more in love with him over the course of five minutes. I'd fallen for his personality before, but now he was beautiful on the outside, too. I was slowly running out of adjectives and there honestly weren't enough of them to describe him.

I sighed and was just opening my mouth to say something else, when Alice suddenly appeared in her car and made her grand entrance.

"Oh, I'd b-better go inside," Edward said, heading towards the doors.

"OK," I replied, my gaze lingering on him. "See you later."

"Will do."

He smiled and left me shivering after him, not just from the cold.

"Hi Bella!"

Alice was practically bouncing next to me and she must have noticed my expression because she grinned knowingly. "You've seen Edward, then?"

I sighed. "Yes."

"And?"

"Unbelievable," I murmured.

"Told you so."

"Gosh, Alice, I expected you to sound smug."

Organ music suddenly echoed around the church and we both took a deep breath. "Ready?" I asked.

"Definitely."

***

The wedding had gone swimmingly and I'd never seen Alice looking so happy. Her face was full of bliss when their vows finished and, after kissing Jasper, tears were streaming down everybody's faces. Edward was sat next to me and helpfully handed me a tissue, a gesture which somehow managed to take my breath away.

During the party afterwards, everybody was still having a fantastic time. Edward and myself had danced a little and walked outside together, taking a breather from all the noise.

We both sat down on the bench, laughing like a pair of teenagers.

"You really do have some killer dance moves," I giggled, thinking back to Edward's kind-of-shimmy. He looked like a robot and, after a few moments, people had seemed to follow the trend. There was soon a dancefloor full of people dancing like... well, idiots would be the correct word.

But Edward was a beautiful idiot.

"K-Killer as in they made everyone evacuate the d-dancefloor?" he asked, chuckling to himself.

The music from the party was still ringing in my ears, yet I was still very aware of my heart thumping rapidly. There had been another moment earlier... I wasn't sure if I was imagining it, but I did feel a spark. There was definitely something there. Or maybe I was hoping that there was. I couldn't even bear thinking of Edward rejecting me. I didn't know if I'd survive another broken heart. It had only just about healed and now, if it became hurt again, I don't think I'd ever recover.

"W-What are you thinking about?" he suddenly asked, causing me to start a little.

"I'm just picturing you dancing," I lied, causing him to smirk. Darn, I loved that.

We locked eye contact at that moment, and I suddenly found it very, very hard to breathe. As I stared into the wonderful pools of emerald, I found myself reflecting back on all of our experiences together. So much had brought us closer as friends, but now... I knew I was being greedy, but I definitely wanted to be more than friends.

Alice had someone now. Someone who she loved.

I needed someone to care for me because, due to my past, I was damaged.

I needed Edward.

I was afraid my eyes had betrayed what I was thinking, but I could see Edward's pupils dilating a little, and felt a small thrill pass through me.

My gaze was constantly being pulled towards his lips. His beautiful lips. Was it just me, or were they closer to me? Within my reach?

I stared at Edward intensely, and I noticed how he edged his body closer to me. His breath was fanning my face, and it felt like it was just us two together in our own perfect little world.

Gosh, I sounded cheesy. Guess that's what love does to you... There really was no point in denying it anymore, I really did love him. So, so much.

"Edward." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. This could be a big moment of my life and I didn't want to mess it up. "I..."

The words wouldn't come out of my mouth; they sort of became stuck in my throat and lodged themselves there. But I needed to tell him before I made a bigger fool of myself.

"Edward," I repeated. "Edward... I-" I trailed off out of fear. I closed my eyes and blurted out my thoughts in a rush. "Edward, I... I... I think have feelings for... for somebody." I couldn't say his name, I wasn't strong enough.

His body turned rigid in a split second and an emotion flickered across his eyes. I knew I'd done the wrong thing because he sat back, looking at me a little sadly.

"I think I've fallen in love with..." I continued, trying to ignore the effect his expression was having on me. "I-"

My unspoken words hung in the air and, during that moment, he looked so sad that I felt my throat tighten.

I'm guessing he didn't return the feelings. It felt like I was going to shatter at any moment. It had taken me a lot of effort to realise how I felt and now... now it was all going to waste.

"B-Bella, I-" His words were shaky and I panicked when he suddenly stood up. "I'd... I'm... I'd b-better go."

I watched as he hastily walked away and I leapt up after him, calling his name. He didn't bother to turn around and talk to me.

My heart splintered into hundreds of pieces at that moment.

I collapsed back down onto the ground, holding my head in my hands. I'd completely ruined everything. I'd been so, so stupid thinking that he felt the same way. I cringed to myself in disbelief at how foolish I was. I should have listened to myself.

I suddenly felt a pair of arms around my shoulders and briefly hoped it would be Edward but, when I glanced up, it was Alice.

"Bella," she murmured quietly. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Alice," I sobbed, telling her everything that had happened. It was tough but, when I had finished, she looked incredulous.

"Bella! God, why didn't you tell him you were in love with him?"

"I did!" I frowned. "I told him."

"No," she sighed heavily. "You told me that you said you had feelings for 'somebody!' He probably thinks you meant somebody else!"

My whole body went cold in realisation. I was the human version of stupid.

"W-What?" I murmured.

"Bella, I know he feels the same way," Alice sighed. "I-" she trailed off.

"What?"

"I... I, well, I sort of... made him tell me."

"Alice!" I shrieked, feeling my face redden.

"I know, I know, but you have to admit that you're happy about it..."

I couldn't quite manage a smile.

"All you have to do now is find Edward and tell him!"

"But... but I don't know where he's gone!" I spluttered.

"A likely guess would be the flat," Alice replied calmly.

I bit my lip hesitantly.

"I don't mind you leaving, Bells. I've had a brilliant day. I can't believe you sometimes, though! Why couldn't you just tell him straight?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, feeling incredibly foolish. Playing back the conversation in my mind, it must have sounded bad.

"Anyway, you need to find him."

I nodded to myself, feeling a rush of exhiliration. I knew Alice had told me about his feelings but I wouldn't believe it until he said it himself.

"Go," Alice said, giving me an encouraging smile.

I hugged her and rushed off into the distance, praying that Edward hadn't done anything stupid, like me.

Silly Bella!

I hope you liked that... the story's coming to an end now with just one more chapter and an epilogue left, so it seems like a good time to please leave a review.

Also, somebody said something about Bella loving Edward just because of how he looks now... that's a good point, but she doesn't. Edward will realise that during the next chapter.

I was also wondering if you would like to see a little extra from Edward's POV, or would it ruin the mystery (?) about him? Just curious, because I'm not sure.

Anyway, happy new year! 2010 already... blimey!