True Love Never Dies
The rest of the family was waiting for me and Edward. We had all driven down from Alaska together, and were ready to move to yet another place.
We had decided to move to a little town in Northern Manitoba, Canada. The weather would be a lot like Alaska, but slightly warmer and sunnier during the summer months (which we wouldn't have to worry about, as no one would see us). Edward and I would both be fifteen, about to turn sixteen, and so would Jasper and Alice, while Emmett and Rosalie, who in no way would be able to pass for fifteen, would start out at sixteen.
There was the issue, of course, with what my last name would be. Edward and I could not have the same last name while being together, and neither of us looked at all like Jasper or Rosalie and therefore could not take the name "Hale", so we decided that I would keep the last name "Swan". The others would keep their adoption stories, and I would make up a new one (as to why I was living with Carlisle and the rest of them). I decided to take Edward's story and modify it slightly to better fit the time period. My "parents" had died from an unknown cause, and I, having no other relatives whatsoever, was left to the care of the kind and caring doctor that had taken care of them.
The plan was set in motion. We drove up to Manitoba, each couple taking a car (we had already shipped the extra ones). Edward drove me and him in my car, as after Edward and I visited Charlie he got rid of "the old scrap of metal" (his Volvo) and was going to buy another one once we got settled in.
As we sat in the car, listening to whatever music came on the radio, my thoughts raced. It would the first time I return to school, and I had no idea what to expect. In the past few years I noticed how much easier it was to learn and retain information, and how little effort it took to memorize things, so I knew the schoolwork wouldn't be a problem. It was the social part, or even just the "acting normal" part, that would be tough.
I would have to make sure I watch my speed and strength every second of the day, and not make it too obvious if someone smelled particularly tasty. I hadn't yet asked Edward whether we would mingle or just stick to ourselves like he and the Cullens did so many years ago. I had a bit too much on my mind.
Edward, suddenly spoke. "Bella, there is nothing—nothing—for you to worry about. You are extraordinary beautiful, talented. Just be yourself. We've trained you enough we know you won't make any mistakes. Just relax sweetheart."
"How do you know what I'm thinking? Are you sure you can't read my mind? It sounds an awful lot like you can" I replied. In the past few months he had been reading me almost as well as he could other people. It was making me wonder…
"Nope, I still can't. And what a shame too, I would love to take a peek into your strange mind once in a while, see how it works."
"Hey!" I yelled and playfully smacked him on the arm. "But then, how do you do it?" I asked.
"Honey, after being married to you for almost five years, and observing you for even longer, I have developed a type of encyclopaedia of your expressions, your movement and your breathing rate. I can read you like a farsighted person reads a book without their reading glasses. I can get a pretty good—vague, but good nonetheless—reading of your mind."
I just rolled my eyes at him. He chuckled and took my left hand in his right. He brushed his lips softly on the porcelain skin, his soft breath warming me instantly.
"And," he continued. "The rolling of your eyes indicates that you are exasperated because you know there is nothing you can say back to me. And you don't like it when I'm right." He smirked at me, and the car swerved to the left, cutting off Emmett and Rosalie who were driving right behind us.
"You better watch it Bella, Emmett will kill us both if we total his new Jeep."
"But we have better reflexes than that, Edward, surely you remember that?" I asked, jokingly. "After you used to scare the crap out of me every time we drove in your car you would remind me of that."
As a vampire, fast speeds were no longer fast to me, but a nice, medium pace. Whenever we were in big cities, and there were cops nearby, we would always slow down to the speed limit. And I could see why the Cullens drove so quickly. Normal speed was slow.
"Okay, fine, whatever, you win Bella." He said, and I sat back in my seat with a smug smile on my face. Little competitions were a common occurrence between Edward and I. He usually let me win.
Ever since I joined the family, competition between the members grew immensely, but in a friendly way. Edward and I still haven't let Emmett forget the many days following my change when I could crush him in an arm wrestling match in two seconds flat.
We very soon pulled up in front of our new home. It was ridiculously large compared to the other houses in the small town, but for once I wasn't complaining. For the last five years I had been trying to prevent Edward from spending any money on me, but I had to admit, I truly was warming up to the rich lifestyle (though I would never admit that to anyone, Alice included and especially not Edward).
The whole clan went inside to take a peek at our new home. It was slightly larger than the Cullen house back in Forks, but extremely beautiful, just the same. It had four landings instead of three.
The first floor was completely open, with no walls, only the grand staircase in the middle of the room. We would turn it into a lounge/living room type for the most part, but in case we decided to have visitors, the men of the house would do some simple renovating to create a small kitchen in the back corner.
The second floor was divided into three rooms: an overly large bathroom with a bathtub the size of a backyard swimming pool, a slightly smaller room to be used as Carlisle's study, and another room to be used as Carlisle and Esme's bedroom.
The third floor was divided into two huge rooms, each with their own bathroom, to be used by Alice and Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett.
The fourth floor was the most amazing. It was basically one big open space, the back wall being completely glass, like one large window. In one corner there was a door leading to a huge balcony outside. On the balcony was a gigantic hot tub. Everyone agreed that the still-newly weds (Edward and I), should get the biggest and coolest room. Even Rosalie, who claimed she could give up having the best room in the house for three or four years.
We began to unload the moving van we had rented and brought the pieces of furniture to their respective rooms in the house. The process took all of ten minutes, and soon Edward and I found ourselves alone in our room, trying to decide how to set up our furniture.
We finally agreed on a certain setup, so while he put everything into place, I attempted to organize his thousands of CDs the way he liked them set up. I stood still, two CDs in my hands, trying to remember which of them he liked better. Suddenly I felt his cool hands snake themselves around my waist and his hot breath as he whispered into my ear, "I prefer the one in your left over the one in your right any day".
I shivered, and he chuckled, and began kissing my neck. "But" he continued whispering. "I must admit, you've done a wonderful job so far, love."
It was true. I was almost finished, and the wall was nearly completely filled with stacks of his CDs. I turned in his arms and saw that the room was completely set up—and it was beautiful. I told him so. His lips found mine and we shared our first kiss in the new home.
It was sweet at first, but the kiss grew stronger and more passionate, as we poured out our worries into each other and let loose. We slowly made our way to the other side of the room. I pushed Edward down onto the huge King-sized bed and climbed on top of him. Our lips urgently met once more, and soon we found ourselves carried away, but did not have to pull back for my safety like we would have had to so many years ago…