Chapter Thirty Eight- Epilogue

EPOV*

I leaned over my desk glancing over a document that had me smiling as the TV ran in the back ground.

"Last week Thursday business mogul James was arrested on charges of extortion. Just today words of several cases of attempted rape and sexual harassment have also been brought to light…"

The sound of James' name made me look up. Plastered all over the news was the video of his arrest. This had been the major news for the past few days.

I grinned. That bastard was getting what he deserved. In fact he was getting off easy in my opinion.

I leaned back and stretched my arms above my head as I turned in my chair to view the busy city. It had been months since the Christmas party and the memory of James was barely there in Bella's head but every now and again when she came across his picture or heard his name she would lock up. I would find a way, mainly a kiss to wipe her mind clean but it just made me wonder what would have happened if I hadn't been paying attention to her that night. I shook my head. I didn't want to think about that, not today. I glanced at the clock over my coffee station and grinned. We should leave soon; I thought before I rose to my feet and stretched. I gathered the papers I was working on and put them neatly into my briefcase with my laptop, shut off the TV then walked over to the couch in my office and pulled on my suit jacket. I turned off the lights for the day and exited the office. Stepping into the hallway I could hear my assistant busy around the corner. I veered around the wall and watched as she juggled the phone on one shoulder while she flipped from computer screen to paper file. I chuckled to myself and made my way over to her quietly but quickly. She hated it when I did this but I just couldn't stop myself. Her reaction was always priceless even though very predictable.

"Okay thanks Angela. Call me if you need anything," she stated. I heard Angela laugh on the other line and mumbled something.

"I know I know, see you when we get back." Pause.

"I will bye." She hung up the phone and let out a loud sigh. I leaned forward over her shoulder.

"We're going to be late,"

She screamed.

I laughed leaning back. "Edward," she frowned, hand over heart. "How many times do I have to tell you don't do that?"

"Until it's not funny anymore, "I stated seating myself on the edge of her desk.

She glared at me before getting to her feet.

"Oh don't be mad," I chuckled. She gathered the papers on her desk, straightened them and walked into the file room. I watched as she walked away. She wore a tight navy knee length skirt that hugged her in all the right places. Bella didn't think that she was sexy in the least but she was. And most days it was hard keeping that thought out my head especially when she was so close to me day after day. She'd been very strict about maintaining a strict policy while at work but off the clock it was impossible to keep that policy. And Bella always made it worthwhile after hours. She still hadn't agreed to move into my place yet but I could always see the wheels turning when I asked her about. I was being selfish because I knew she enjoyed her own space but I enjoyed my time with her. We had practically become inseparable since she became mine. I smile at the thought. Bella was mine but there was only one thing I had to do to make it known to the world.

"What are you grinning at?"

I snapped out of my trance. She was standing in the hall staring at me. I shook my head.

"Are you ready?" She nodded and took her purse from the draw at the bottom of her desk before she glanced at her watch.

"Crap we are going to be late," She rushed to the elevator. I calmly got to my feet and followed her. She was already in the pulley by the time I made it half way across the lobby.

"Edward hurry, do you want to miss our flight?"

I just smiled; she didn't realize that when I said I'd take of the air fare I meant taking the private jet. They couldn't leave the runway without us and the flight was a little over an hour. We'd make it in plenty of time for Emmett and Rose's rehearsal dinner.

I stepped in and the doors closed. She was practically dancing next to me.

"Calm down Bella, we'll make the flight."

"It's not that. I've only flown a few times in my life so I'm really excited." I watched her stare at the numbers fall. Her excitement was contagious as I found myself anxious even though flying was something I did quite frequently but I was excited to take this trip with her.

"How long will it take to get to the airport?" She asked. I glanced at the watch on my wrist. With traffic we could make in thirty minutes if Vince took the short cuts.

"I'd say roughly thirty minutes,"

Her lips only formed an O, just as we reached the ground floor and the doors opened. I allowed her to step out first and followed far enough behind to be respectfully but close enough I could still smell her perfume. Some of my employees knew Bella and I were in a relationship but I didn't want to do anything to cause Bella to feel uncomfortable.

"Are you heading out now, Mr. Cullen?" The evening security guard stated.

"Yes, we'll be gone till Monday. How are the kids by the way, and Sara?" Sara was Barry's wife.

"They're doing great, thank you. Have a safe flight. Mr. Cullen. Ms. Swan."

"Thanks Barry, I'll be sure to bring you something back." Bella waved pushing the revolving doors. I managed to slip in behind her and she stiffened at our closeness. She glanced up at me with questioning eyes and I only grinned. She stumbled out the doors and I had to catch her before she went face first into the pavement.

"Bella be careful," I stated when she was back on her feet, her face turned red with embarrassment. I took a deep breath to calm myself. God she was so clumsy. I wasn't sure if I could put up with it anymore, always worrying about her when she mentioned going anywhere without me. Honestly how she'd get so far without me was still a mystery to me.

"Sorry." She mumbled and turned away heading to the waiting limo. Vince had the door open for her and she slipped in after a quick hello to my driver.

"To the Jet," I stated. Vince nodded as I bent into the vehicle. She was already on the other side of the seat as far from me as possible. I had flustered her and if she thought I was done then my assistant had another thing coming. I smiled as scooted as close to her as I could. "I'm hot Edward," she protested with a lie of sorts.

"I bet you are," I stated with a devilish grin. She turned back to me and I crushed my lips onto hers. I had wanted to do that all day and now that we had left the office she couldn't complain.

Her hands were immediately in my hair. I pulled back panting.

"You were saying," I grinned.

She shook her head and kissed me again.

We lay in a heap of our clothes holding unto to each other on the floor of the limo. My back against the seat and Bella's head where it was most nights, on my chest. Her eyes were closed and one would have thought she was asleep if I didn't know any better.

"I can't believe we just did that." She spoke through the silence. I laughed.

She buried her face in my chest with a moan.

"I can't imagine what Vince must think of me?"

Suddenly the intercom sounded and Vince spoke. "We'll be at the airport soon." He stated very sharply.

"Thanks Vince," Then it sounded again.

"And I think only the best of you Ms. Swan. As I always have." I watched as her face grew brighter.

"See Bella, nothing to be ashamed of, plus he's quite use to it." Just as I said the words I knew that it was the wrong thing to do. I felt her stiffen before she sat up.

"That's not what I meant." I added mentally kicking myself in the head. I admit that there was a time where I dated and not dated quite a few women before I had met Bella. But after the affair with my last girlfriend I had decided it was time to slow down and focus hard on work.

"I know what you meant." She stated reaching for her bra and slipping it on. She continued to get dressed, tossing the rest of my clothes over at me. Bella understood that I had been with quite a few women before her but it still didn't make it easier to hear. I felt bad that I had mentioned anything.

She was upset. I wanted to smack myself in the face. Even though Bella was much more confident than when I first met her I knew that she still struggled. She had this odd idea that she didn't fit the mold of the person that should be beside me. I explained that I didn't have a mold, that I wanted her and that was all she needed to worry about. But just last week, we'd attended a dinner for the company and my ex-girlfriend and French model, Jacqueline was there with an associate. She apparently made it no secret that she and I had had relations. Unfortunately, she'd spoken to Bella unaware of the fact that Bella and I were together. But it turned in my favor as I got to spend the rest of the night showing Bella exactly what she was to me.

"Bella please don't be mad." I tried, talking to her back.

I watched her begin to shake and thought I heard a sniffle. Oh shit I made her cry. That I could not handle. I wasn't sure what it was about Bella's tears but I just couldn't stand for her to cry.

"Bella, please don't…" I scooted around so that I could see her face. "..cry?" Suddenly I realized that she wasn't crying. She was actually holding her hand over her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.

"You dirty little monster." I fell back.

She suddenly burst into laughter. " I'm…sorry! I couldn't he….lp it." Frowning upset at myself for falling for her little charade I pulled in my own clothes.

"Oh now, don't you be mad," She laughed. I continued to ignore her as I sat back completely dressed.

"Come on Edward, you have to admit that I got you." I turned away, too upset at myself to look at her.

"Okay, okay I'm sorry." She apologized. I glanced over at her and her eyes tugged at my heart.

"Do you forgive me?" She smiled. It thought for moment, if she had any idea, any small sliver of an idea how much I loved her. Did she honestly think I could stay mad at her? I pulled her into a kiss.

"Yeah I forgive you little demon," She laughed and fell against my chest.

"Well now you know how it feels," She added.

"Honestly I think you are hanging out with my sister too much." I rubbed her shoulder.

"Actually she's the one that you should be cautious of. She's not happy with you." I sighed. That was right. Alice had left me a very long voice message at home the other day. She was upset that I was hogging her best friend. It may have been true but I just couldn't get enough of Bella. No matter how many hours of the day I spent with her, it just didn't seem sufficient.

"I really do need to call her, but I'll see her this weekend so I guess it's pointless." She stated.

Suddenly Vince lowered the window separating us.

"We're here Sir."

Bella sat up and looked around.

"Where are we?" She stated.

"The airport," What I forgot to mention was that it was the airport were I kept my private jet. I knew that Bella would be against it so I didn't tell her about it.

I opened the door and got out, and helped her from the car. She took one look at the small plane that had Cullen Corp on it before she glared back at me.

I turned my eyes skyward. "Stop looking at me like that," I put my hands in my pocket and walked toward the plane. I watched as Vince climbed the narrow stairs with our luggage. Surprisingly I had packed more than my girlfriend. But I already knew that Bella was a practical girl, only the necessities would be brought on this trip.

I heard her sigh behind me. "What am I going to with you and Alice?

"Just ignore Alice, "I advised. "She'll just have to understand that's she's no longer the only Cullen in your life." I grinned.

"It's not easy to ignore someone who has a key to your house."

"Fine, then you'll just have to come live with me. I took her key back a few months ago" I stated.

Bella laughed, it was like the song of a siren. "I told you I won't move in with you. I can't live with a guy I'm not married too. Wow look at that sun set." I stopped than and felt her bump into to me.

"Oww, Edward."

I turned to her. My heart began to race and my hand was getting clammy holding unto the small box that was in my pocket.

"Bella," She looked up. She must have noticed that something wasn't right because she looked worried. Then slowly, ever so slowly as the sun in all its glory began to descend the even sky I fell to one knee. I couldn't read her expression until I pulled out the velvet blue box. I took her hand and she gasped and cupped her mouth with her other hand.

"Bella Swan, you have hypnotized me. You have taken me completely under you spell. I never thought I'd find this type of love and I never imagined that it would come walking though my door. You are the smartest, sexist most beautiful women I have ever met. I want to grow old with you, I want to watch our children grow into adults with you by my side. I can't imagine my life without you. I love you and will love you for a thousand lifetimes. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Tears were already streaming down her face and I for the first time I couldn't read them, were they tears of joy or she sad because she was going to break my heart.

"Will you marry me?" I hadn't planned it like this; I wanted to do something extravagant; maybe write the question in the night sky or maybe hide the ring in her champagne glass at the wedding, but now felt so right. And honestly I couldn't wait anymore. I wanted our lives to start right away, no delays. But I knew Bella's thoughts on marriage. Her parents hadn't had the fairytale marriage that she would have hoped but I prayed that she wouldn't use that as an excuse to keep us apart. I loved Bella more than anything and I would do anything to make her happy. I just prayed that she knew that.

I watched her as every emotion read across her face. It scared me that I could not read her. She just looked at the ring, then back at me then back at the ring. It was the only thing I had that belonged to my birth mother. It had belonged to my grandmother, before my father had given it my mother. The ring was old and out dated but it was still very beautiful. A large sapphire, described as the color of my grandmothers eyes, sat surrounded by a circle of smaller diamonds all them nestled safely in white gold band. Her silence was killing me but I knew she needed time to sort everything out. Bella wasn't one to jump into anything without thoroughly thinking it out. We were alike in that.

Suddenly she began to shake and covered her face. She began to sob and I was on my feet arms on her shoulders.

"Bella, what's wrong. Please don't cry. I'm sorry."

She continued to cry and I pulled her into my chest. I hadn't meant this to happen. Had the thought of marriage been so overwhelming for her?

"Bella please tell me what's wrong," I pleaded. She knew by now that I couldn't stand it when she shed tears, especially over me.

"Nothing," I heard her mumble before she pulled back. "Nothing's wrong. I just can't stop crying because I'm so happy." She sobbed out. I was taken back for moment.

"So is that a…"

"Yes, Yes I'll marry you." Her words shook me to my very core. I wanted to marry Bella more than anything in this life. Words could not describe the joy I felt when I kissed her. I vowed right then and there that my love for Bella would not waiver. Nothing less than forever would be enough with her. And I planned to make every day count.