Authors Note: Thanks for the R&R and continued support.
There's a bit of a time jump in this one, not that much, I'd probably say two years at most since Bella moved.
~Bella's P.O.V
I knocked on the door three times hoping that someone would hear it on the other side. I checked my shoes once again and mentally berate myself, dammit, I should have given it just one more shine before I left the house today.
But, before I can further fix my attire, I hear the door open.
Esme Cullen, dressed in a beautiful purple gown stood before me, she smiled at me and I swear I died a little.
There was nothing else in her eyes but happiness; it was as palpable as the lily in her hair.
I smile, instantly forgetting how inadequate I am compared to this woman.
"Bella, you look quite dashing," she remarks, a slight twinkle in her eye.
I automatically grin and clear my quickly drying throat, "Esme, you look amazing," I reply honestly.
My body moves in towards hers for just a fraction, "Maybe we should make this a double wedding," I whisper haughtily and, even though it was a lame joke, we let it pass. I've caught her excitement and I've only been in her presence for ten seconds.
Her smile widens if it we possible and then I realize how lucky Carlisle is, how they both are, to have moments like these, "Come in, quickly."
She ushers me into the hotel room and, when my vision returns, I see something that stops me immediately in my tracks.
Rosalie freaking Cullen is standing on a pedestal in a gown of white, she's mesmerizing and I remember why we're all here today.
There are bridesmaids and other people who I've never met before, dashing around her, to and fro, pins are in their mouths, (hazard), make up in their hands and they're frantically trying to piece whatever else need be but, there she is, in all her splendour.
As the door clicks shut, she turns her attention towards me and then, I see it, I could recognise that look anywhere.
She's panicking.
"Bella," she whispers.
It's so soft that I could barely hear it over the hysterical crowd.
I smile at her and take a few steps towards her, the mob unconsciously make a path for me. I take her trembling hands in my own, "Rosalie," I state, trying to reassure her.
She swallows nervously and her neck is a contrast of sweat due to nerves and the perfect foundation which covers it.
She closes her eyes and I know what's she's doing, she's pretending that she's somewhere else.
I give a resolute nod, and then yell, "We'll be right back!"
She snaps her eyes open but, I disregard that and take her from her pedestal to lead her into the room next door. A number of protests hit my ears, something about time, place, waiting, guests and Leah but, that's not my concern at the moment.
When the door to the unoccupied room clicks shut, I lock it, I sit her on the bed and wait next to her. Her hands are gloved and I internally smile, knowing that Alice and her had fought tooth and nail regarding if she should wear it with her gown. Minutes tick by and, when it becomes so silent that I can almost hear her heart beat outside of her chest, I decide to ask her the one thing that I know no-one else has asked her today.
"Are you ok?"
She looks at me with glassy eyes and I know that it isn't because of my words.
"What if it fails?" she asks me desperately.
I swallow down visions of the past, I clear my throat, "Rose, it won't," I state in all seriousness and with every hint of a promise in my voice that I can muster. And I know that I'm being honest, if I had ever believed that two people were more suited together, these two are it.
She nods her head as a way to say that she's acknowledging what I'm saying.
"But, what if it does?" She asks me again.
I rub the back of my neck, this is usually Leah's or Alice's forte, Rose and I don't really talk much to each other, well, not serious stuff like this anyway. She's the most vulnerable I've ever seen since knowing her and, I know that this sounds terrible, especially given the present circumstance but, it's oddly humbling that she trusts me like this.
Visions welter in my mind's eye because; truth is, years ago, I was in the exact same "cold feet," state that Rose is in, so, yeah, I can empathize with her. I was a nervous wreck hours before my own wedding but, I can't think of that now, because it doesn't really matter, this isn't my day anymore. It's the present and here is a bride that needs to know that she's doing the right thing. Even if years down the track it isn't, in this moment in time, it is and, that is what makes all of this worthwhile. I try to remember all the reassuring things that Jacob had said to me when I was pacing up and down the aisle in a church that I can't even remember the name of but, I come up blank. That's the thing with opinions, good to hear but not to listen to.
I sigh and hope that my next question doesn't come to bite me up the ass too much, "Are you ready to settle with Leah?"
She snaps her head at me and then jolts away a little, "Settling? You think I'm settling with Leah?" she accuses.
My hands go up in order placate the bride to maybe be, "Rose, I'm just saying, I mean, you're having doubts now, I can see that and hey, you're right what if this doesn't work? I mean, you and Leah are total opposites right? That's what you were thinking not but 5 minutes ago. There's nothing wrong with settling," I reason.
I can basically see the steam coming out of her ears and she moves to grab onto the collar of my shirt, "Now, you listen here, I don't know how it was with your marriage," she spits, O.k ouch, those words kind of hurt, "But, I'm not fucking settling with Leah. How dare you, she's the only one that's ever understood me. The only one that has ever bothered enough to try and understand me and my terrible mood swings. No one else gets why I like my orange juice with a hint of cola, no one else gets why I love working with cars or why I hate everyone so damn much. And it's not because she reasons it to, 'that's Rosalie just being weird', no, she asks me why and tries to understand why I am this way. And she supports it, has been patient with me every step of the Goddamn way. So, no asshole, I'm not ready to settle with Leah because it will never ever be settling with her."
She breathes heavily for a bit and, although I'm slowly losing air to my lungs, I don't move a muscle, I think this is the first time she has ever said so much to me in one conversation. Holy crap, I'm not sure if I've wet myself or died, possibly both, note to self, never ever get Rosalie Lillian Hale angry again. I gulp, I knew that she was either going to act this way or she was going to demand to call Leah privately, I'm not going to lie, I was really hoping for the latter.
The blonde bride blinks after a few moments of self-reflection and I know that she's clicked on.
She releases me mercifully and I subtly kiss the air.
When I've regained oxygen to my bloodstream, I try my best to smirk at her, "And therein lies your answer," I comment, albeit a bit smugly.
Rosalie Lillian Hale looks at me with daggers for a moment before picking me up by the lapels of my blazer, her eyes bore onto mine and, I prepare myself to get assaulted when, I feel something wrap around my middle.
I shudder because, I've never ever been this close to her before, she smells like lilies and she's smiling into the crook of my neck, I know it.
"Thank you," she whispers and I can't help but lift my arms to return her hug.
When it starts to get a little awkward, she gets me at an arm's length and, I tug at the collar of my shirt, I've always hated monkey suits.
Rose scoffs and then goes to fix my tie instantly, I don't want to ruin whatever we have going on at the moment so I just let her be.
"You're hopeless," she states, though, it's muffled because her tongue's poking out, disregarding her applied red lipstick.
I chuckle, "No, I used to be hopeless, I was supposed to find Alice to ask her to fix me up but, here we are."
She gives the knot at my throat an extra tug, after a few moments, her tongue conceals itself again, "I had my concerns with you and Alice," she starts, "But, you've been with my sister for a long time now and I know that she's happy with you. Leah also likes you very much," she informs me.
I hum in acknowledgement to her words, not really knowing where this is leading.
"Just...Look, I know that I've never said this so, I'm sorry about your wife but, I hope that you can find it within yourself to look at a future with Alice," she continues looking intently at my throat. There's a slight hue to her cheeks, though, I'm going to justify her colouration to the lighting or makeup.
O.k this, really isn't what I was expecting and, to be honest, this is a little out of character for the usually stoic Rose. I mean, we've known each other for a while now and whenever I hung out with them all, she was kind of calm and snarky. Not that I didn't appreciate that but, is she really giving me this talk? I don't know what to say, so, I remain silent because what do you say in this situation?
She ceases fiddling with my tie and gives a nod to herself then, she looks me directly in the eye, I want to look away but I can't. "For all your lack of co-ordination, dramatics and plain silliness, I couldn't imagine anyone else with my sister," she says this sincerely and concisely but also in such a way that I couldn't even begin to challenge her words.
"Did you just give me your blessing?" I blurt out in lieu of an actual response.
She smirks but nods her head, effectively breaking whatever moment we had, she accepts me fully, as I am. No games or reading between the lines or hidden agendas, she just clearly gave me an indication that she doesn't hate that Alice and I are together. In the past ten minutes, I may have completed my job as the bride's sister's girlfriend who used to be married to a woman but, I have also gained so much more.
"You know, Alice isn't getting any younger," she states pointedly, now completely letting go of my body. Yep, moment definitely gone.
My eyebrow quirks, "Neither are you, " I look at my wristwatch, "I'm pretty sure that your maternal clock is ticking away," I reply dramatically.
And then, Rosalie Lillian Hale bashfully looks at me and I admit that it is adorable. "In due time," she states, "but seriously, you need to make an honest woman out of Alice."
"I'm sorry, 18th Century bullshit rhetoric, doesn't apply today," I scoff.
She rolls her eyes, "I take back everything I just said," she deadpans. Out of all the Cullen's, Rosalie is probably the most like me, she has wit that shines if you ever care to notice it.
I laugh, "Nope, too late, it's already burned into my memory."
I grin cheekily at her, causing her lips to turn upward, and it only embalms the notion that I had previously held about Rosalie. She's an angry, sarcastic and terrifying woman who also happens to be one of the most caring, layered and fiercely loyal people I have ever met.
A door opens and in comes the one woman who has connected us all together today.
"Can someone help me with my zip?… oh," Alice stands in the bathrooms doorway; she's holding the sides of her dress against her bosom so it doesn't fall. Even though I know that she's wearing the exact same thing as all the other bridesmaids and as Esme, I can't help but think that she is the most beautiful out of them all.
It isn't until I feel Rose's hand underneath my chin to snap it closed do I realize I had my mouth open the entire time.
"Errr, sure," I respond. Words…they come and go depending on the occasion.
"I'm just going to leave," I think I hear Rose say and then, she whispers close to my ear, "You better fucking believe that I believe in you two."
I nod my head dumbly and I somehow have a moment's cognition to reply, "Just remember to breathe, Mrs Bride Woman."
She nods her head and then she makes her way over to Alice, they lean close to each other so that she can murmur something in my girlfriends ear, it must have been something important if Alice's blushing is anything to go by but, I'll let it go. For now.
When I hear the door click shut, I make my way over to Alice slowly, this isn't the first time she has put me in a trance before and, I doubt that it will be the last.
I point my finger upwards and rotate it as a, turn around signal, because I don't trust my voice at the moment. She complies wordlessly.
I have memorised the entirety of her back a thousand and one times, my fingertips have trailed the dip where her spine curves, I have tasted the flesh that arches beneath my tongue when they meet but, I will never have enough of the sight of her naked back.
With trembling fingertips, I tug upwards so that the zip closes, extremely careful to not blemish the skin with metal teeth and, when it's completed I let out a shaky breath.
She turns around to look into my eyes, "Are you ok?" She asks me, being sensitive to the fact that I'm at a wedding. At first, yeah, I had my reservations about going to Leah and Rose's wedding, I was scared that it'd bring up memories of my own wedding. But, now that I'm standing here, in front of this lovely woman, much like how I had done so many years ago. I know that I'm going to be ok.
I nod my head and she sighs in relief, but, when my silence continues she begins to shift from foot to foot, "So, how do I look?" she asks a little insecurely.
I frown for a second because, Alice should know by now how long it takes for me to remember how to speak when she's around.
"Fucking breath taking," I whisper as if we weren't in the only two people in the room.
She smiles at me with that smile, the one that, without fail will always makes my heart melt, "You really think so, don't you?" she asks.
I pull her into my arms, knowing that this reality is right.
"I do," I reply, before sealing my words with a kiss.
Thank you for reading this and for the support.