So sorry for the long wait!!! RL has started picking up, so I guess it's pretty good timing that this story is at its end.
Thank you so much for all your support and reviews. They mean the world to me, and they really do help me improve my writing.
So here is the short but sweet epilouge of I'll Be the Light! I hope you enjoy it!
~MissSingItAll
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all that Twilight stuff.
BPOV:
"Hello? Yes, Mom. Yes, I know," Edward said into his cell phone, cradling it with his shoulder as he picked up a box full of shoes and moved it down the hall. I watched him from my perch on a small chair next to the counter, playing with the ends of my sleeves.
We were in our modest apartment in Seattle. That's right: our apartment. Edward and I had just started our freshman year of college at the University of Washington. We had moved into this cozy little space a few weeks ago, but things were still very messy. After Dr. Cullen had talked to the Dean of Admissions and pulled some strings, I ended up taking my classes online. So far I had set my heart on writing as a career, taking courses in many different genres of literature. Edward was still thinking about becoming a doctor, but he was taking many classes so he could try the alternatives.
Living with Edward was a dream come true; we fell right into a comfortable routine of studying and hanging out with friends by day and staying wrapped up in each other by night. Of course, getting here wasn't easy. It was similar to when I had moved out to Forks. It was a blur of tears and screaming as Edward tried to help coax me into the car. But it wasn't as bad as it could have been, though, since Edward was actually there to hold me and make sure that I was alright. I could never make myself regret the decision to move here, no matter how much of a strain it was to go out.
Emmett came by to visit often, since he lived on campus not too far away. He loved college life, but he also missed his family terribly. Most of all, he missed Rosalie, who had decided to go to California for college instead. She was studying child psychology, something that surprised us all, really. We came to learn that Rosalie adored children, and I figured that someday she would make an amazing mother. We always knew when Rosalie was in town; Emmett would disappear unexpectedly for a few days, and then he would randomly show up again, a sparkle in his eyes and a few hickeys on his thick neck.
Jasper and Alice were completely inseparable, choosing to attend Seattle University together. Alice was tentatively looking at fashion design, while Jasper was still undecided, choosing instead to just take things as they came. We saw Alice and Jasper at least once a week, most of the time staying in to have a movie night.
Although our whole group mostly did activities that involved us staying inside for my sake, I was working on moving past my panic and anxiety. I began to see a therapist under the advice of Dr. Cullen. Her name was Maggie (she insisted on being on a first-name basis), and she gave me lots of helpful tips and advice to get me to be more comfortable outside. She praised Edward and his method of gradually coaxing me outside, and she sometimes spoke to him to give him advice on how to deal with me in that regard. Overall, she was a really positive force in my life, and I figured that with her help and the help of my family and friends I would one day be able to go out in public places without fear.
"Yes, Mom, we'll be able to see you soon," Edward said, still on the phone, coming back to sit on the kitchen counter beside me. "Alright...I love you, too...bye." He hung up, setting his phone on the table. He smiled crookedly at me.
"How are things in Forks?" I asked him, scooting my chair closer to him.
"Pretty good. My dad actually won some big award from a doctor's association. They're presenting it to him at a banquet not too far from here. So my parents are planning on coming up and seeing us while they're here," he replied. He took a look around the small space, which was still halfway buried with boxes and items that we had taken from home.
"We'll definitely need to clean all this up soon, though. My mother might have a heart attack if she saw this."
"True," I grinned, "but I'm pretty sure that we would have cleaned this all up weeks ago if someone hadn't distracted me."
A coy smile lit up his face. "Whatever do you mean, Miss Swan?"
"Well, Mister Cullen, I seem to recall a certain person saying that we should 'break in the apartment' before we actually got any work done," I said casually, looking up at him from under my lashes.
"Ah, what a lovely first week that was," Edward said almost dreamily, looking up to the ceiling. I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head.
"Alright, Lover Boy, let's clean this place up," I ordered, jumping off of my seat. Edward sighed and followed me into the living room, where we spent the rest of the time unpacking the rest of our things.
The air was chilly and moist as the sun set further behind the clouds. The sounds of the city below floated up to Alice and I as we sat out on the balcony of the apartment, wrapped in thick blankets and sipping hot apple cider. Jasper and Edward were inside, trying to cook for us. Judging by the fact that the apartment hadn't burst into flames yet, I'd say that they were doing fine. I was incredibly proud of myself; I was handling the space and the openness of the balcony without any trouble.
"So Bella, what do you want to do for your birthday this year?" Alice asked, leaning back into her chair. I glanced at her, surprised. With everything that had been going on, I had forgotten that my birthday was this month, next week, actually.
"I don't know," I said thoughtfully, playing with my cup of cider. "I really don't like parties."
"Well, how about something simple with all of us? Please, Bella?" Alice implored, looking at me with doe eyes and a tiny pout. I rolled my eyes and sighed.
"Fine, but nothing too big, okay? And please, you guys really don't have to get me gifts or anything."
Alice's eyes twinkled with mischief. "I'm not sure I can promise that, Bella."
"Promise what?" Edward stepped out onto the balcony just as I was about to protest. Alice sat up straight and gave Edward a look that was all business.
"You and I will talk later," she said, giving him a pointed look. His brow furrowed in confusion, and Alice simply giggled and stood to go back inside. Edward shook his head as Alice slipped inside, and he took her spot in the chair across from me.
"I hope the kitchen is still intact," I joked. He scoffed at me, giving me a mock-glare.
"I happen to think Jasper and I are fine cooks and are capable of making a decent meal, thank you very much," he replied, trying to sound offended. I grinned at him, standing up and wrapping the blanket into a small bundle. He stood to join me, placing himself so close that all I had to do was stand on my toes to press his lips to mine.
"And as I recall, you seem to like my cooking," he murmured, one of his hands reaching to caress my arm. My thoughts jumped back to that picnic on the porch that seemed so long ago, my heart warming with the memory. I leaned into him, pressing my face into his chest. His arms wrapped around me and squeezed, his scent filling my senses.
"I do," I breathed, feeling his chest rise and fall as he sighed contentedly.
"Good, because I plan on cooking for you and caring for you and doing anything for you for a long time," he said, and I suddenly felt my eyes tear up. What did I ever do to deserve him?
"Hey, are you two coming? Alice and I can't eat everything, you know," Jasper called from inside.
We both smiled and made our way inside, his hand firmly grasped around mine.
EPOV:
My life is amazing. Truly, it is. I'm living with the most wonderful woman in the world and I'm starting the very beginning of a new and exciting college experience, and I'm able to do all of this with the support of my family and friends. But more significantly, Bella has changed my life permanently. I can't even fathom a future without her.
Today was her birthday, and I knew that she didn't like the attention. So I tried as best I could to respect her wishes and not turn this day into a big deal. Still, a large part of me wanted to celebrate her and make her know that she was loved. Alice was helping me in that department; we had put together a small gathering involving all of us. Even Rosalie had come up for the occasion, for she had grown to love Bella as a friend, too.
It was a little difficult trying to arrange a kind of surprise since Bella couldn't actually leave the apartment. We decided that everyone would knock on the door instead, bringing everything with them.
Bella was currently putting dishes away in the kitchen, humming lightly to herself. She had a small grin on her face, and I looked away from her to quickly check my watch. Any minute now...
"What's up with you today, Edward?" Bella teased from her spot by the dishwasher. "You've been acting like a restless child all day."
"Don't you know? I'm a child at heart," I winked, and as she laughed there were finally loud knocks on the door. Bella looked at me questioningly, and I only shrugged at her. She walked to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open.
"SURPRISE!" I swear, Bella must have jumped five feet in the air as the small group of four yelled at her in greeting. Bella placed a hand over her heart and grasped the edge of the door, breathing heavily.
"What are you doing here?" she gasped out. I walked over to stand next to her.
"It's your birthday, silly! Did you honestly think that we were just going to leave you alone?" Alice said, holding a few gift bags in her tiny arms. Jasper stood next to her holding a large boxed cake. Emmett and Rosalie were also in the doorway, holding hands.
"Are you gonna let us in, or are you just gonna stand there gaping," Rosalie asked with a joking tone. Bella blinked and suddenly rushed to Rosalie, embracing her.
"Rose! I can't believe you're here," Bella said, and I gestured for everyone to come in. We all settled into the living room, the girls catching up with Rosalie and the guys all standing by the counter, chatting.
Eventually, Alice shifted into hostess-mode, and whenever that happened we all stayed out of her way. She opened the box that contained the cake and, with Jasper's help, set it down on our small coffee table. She pulled out a couple of candles and a lighter from her purse, and placed them around the cake. Lighting each one, she ordered everyone to stand and sing. Emmett stood in the front of the group, acting hilariously as a conductor.
Bella blushed as we all got through a rather off-key round of the birthday song, and I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist as she got ready to blow out the candles. I nipped at her neck at she blew, and she shivered and leaned back into me as everyone cheered around us. Alice and Rosalie walked into the kitchen to grab plates, and Jasper and Emmett worked on cutting the cake into small squares. I grabbed Bella's hand and tugged, pulling her out to the balcony with me. I wanted to give her my gift before everyone else.
"Now, I know you said no presents, but I really wanted to give you this," I pulled her to one of the patio chairs and sat her down. Bella looked at me confused as I sat in the chair next to her. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small velvet box and set it carefully in front of her. Her eyes grew wide and darted back and forth between me and the box.
"Go ahead, open it," I said softly, smiling gently. She took a deep breath and reached for the box timidly, her hand shaking as she did so. She finally popped it open and gasped.
"Edward..." she trailed off as she pulled out the simple silver band, engraved with a swirling pattern that wrapped all the way around. She held it delicately, tracing the design. She looked up at me then, awe in her eyes.
"I know we're young, but I feel so strongly about this. About us. That isn't an engagement ring, no, but it is a promise ring. My promise to you, Bella. I promise, I swear that I will always love you and care for you, no matter what. You are the most important person in my life. I can't even imagine living without you. And I hope that maybe someday, you'll allow me your hand in marriage. But for now, will you accept this ring, accept my promise that I will be completely devoted to you?"
I watched as Bella's eyes filled with tears, and her hand clasped firmly around the ring. "Yes," she finally whispered, nodding at me. "Yes, of course, Edward. Thank you."
I smiled and reached across to grab her hands so I could slide the ring onto her finger. It was a perfect fit. My hand rose to cup Bella's cheek, and my thumb wiped away the moisture from the tears that had slipped down.
"I love you, Edward."
"And I love you, Bella. Happy Birthday."
That night, as Bella lay asleep in my arms, I noticed that something was sitting on the small table beside the bed. I reached to grab it without disturbing Bella. It was my old journal, the one that I had given her for Christmas so long ago. I searched through the pages with one hand, looking at all of the lyrics I had written, the pages a little worn but still legible. I came across one line, stretched out at the bottom of a page:
I'll be the light.
I remembered the mindset I was in when I had written this line. I had vowed to help Bella, to protect her, to be the source of light when all she could find was darkness. I hoped that that was what I was now, for she was definitely my light. Bella made everything brighter, and everything seemed clear and crisp whenever she smiled, or laughed, or whispered my name in the dim light of our bedroom.
Bella was my light, and as I traced the silver promise ring that adorned her ring finger, I knew that she would always be there to brighten my way.
A/N: The song lyric is from "The One" by the Backstreet Boys. Yes, folks, the title of this story comes from a Backstreet Boys song. Don't judge me. :)
So there you have it, the end! How was it? Let me know in a review, and once again, thank you so much for reading this story. I promise I definitely have more stories up my sleeve, so be on the lookout for those. Love you all!