2brown-eyes reads!

Mistakes are mine!

I blow out a steady breath. "Alice's line is spectacular, so yes, I had an amazing time."

Edward's jaw ticks, the grinding of his teeth loud in the silent car. "And Jasper? How's he doing?"

"He seemed okay." My eyes roam his face as I try to decipher where this is headed. "Hurt, but it's to be expected."

"Because his crush is engaged, no doubt." His tone is snide, and it annoys me.

"More like, because I ran to my family's sworn enemy," I bite back, ready to get this conversation behind us. "You didn't have to charge in accusingly. I would've told you all on my own."

A single brow lifts. "If I had charged in accusingly, Jasper would be dead, and Alice's show would've been ruined."

"Touché." I dip my chin, conceding his point. "So far, you've been fair."

"Fair." He snorts, turning to stare out the window. "More than fair." His breaths are slow and even. "I allowed my enemy to speak with my fiancée."

"Allowed?" My heart picks up speed. "You knew he was there?"

"I'd be doing a shit job of protecting you if I didn't." He's still staring out the window, so it's hard to tell what he's really thinking. His hands aren't fisted, but the tendons in his forearms flex. His voice isn't harsh, but it isn't soft and kind either.

"Are you mad?" I reach out to touch him, but then I think better of it. "I was never in any danger."

"Did he offer you an out?" His head swivels in my direction, and the intensity of his stare is unnerving.

I don't falter because I don't want an out. For whatever Edward is, he isn't anything like the men who raised me. "He thought he could help me again, but I don't need to be rescued. I'm happy here."

"I hope that's true." He brushes my cheek with the backs of his fingers, but his hand drops to his lap right after. "Though I do sometimes wonder if we're fooling ourselves. Maybe this thing between us is destined to fail. Our shared history is bound to become a burden someday."

"Where is this coming from?" My heart leaps into my throat. "I don't like hearing you talk this way."

His shoulders relax, eyes soft. "I don't like it, either." His sigh is heavy in the enclosed space. "But I do wonder, Bella, if you'll always be so forgiving when it comes to your family." He rubs his thumb between my brows to smooth away the wrinkles. "Will you regret that our children will never meet their maternal grandfather? Even more so when the reason is that their father murdered him? What about their Uncle Emmett? Will there be a day when your anger at them subsides and you begin to resent me for it?"

"Edward." My voice is just above a strangled whisper. "I already care more about you than I ever cared about them. And it's not because I'm some silly schoolgirl with a crush. It's because they were awful, awful people, and you're"—I pause, licking my lips—"not."

"But I am." He's resigned. "At least, I can be. Every bit as awful."

"Not to me," I counter, scooting closer to his side.

"Are you sure about that?" He searches my face. "It was only a last week when you accused me of being just like them."

"I was acting like a spoiled brat." The corner of his lip lifts at the joke, and I give him my own small smile in return. "What you did was unacceptable, but I should've accepted your apology."

"I like that you gave me hell," he says, his smile growing. "A man like me doesn't get challenged." His eyes sparkle. "Ever."

"Well, you better get used to it, bud." I jab my finger toward his chest in a playful manner, but he grabs my hand before it makes contact.

The air in the car crackles, and my skin burns from his touch. "Today was hard for me, Bella."

"I'm sorry." I deflate, all playfulness gone. "But you can't know how much it means to me that you let me see him again."

"I think I do." His thumb brushes my wrist. "Which is why it happened, but did you get closure?"

"Of course." Jasper is my past, and Edward is my future. "We said our goodbyes."

He brings our hands up and presses a soft kiss to my wrist. "I'm sorry it's a necessity, but I'll do my level best to make sure you don't miss that connection."

"While Jasper has always been a true friend, let's not forget, even that, was a twisted thing," I say, my mind spinning as I try to explain to him and myself how that's so. "I know him because he's a part of my father's organization. We weren't friends by choice like normal kids would be, so it's tainted in a way."

"He grew up in the life, much like you," Edward counters, offering Jasper a sort of absolution from my judgment. "He didn't have many other options in life."

"For someone who doesn't like him, you're defending him more than I am." I narrow my eyes. "Do you want me to pitch a fit over him?"

Edward takes entirely too long to answer. "I'd like for you to fight for what you want." He pushes a hand through his neatly styled hair, leaving it perfectly tousled. "Even if that includes a friendship with Jasper, though there would be … challenges to that."

"Edward." Tears prick my eyes, and I shake my head. "As much as I appreciated his friendship, I'd never ask that of either of you. It's wrong. It'd likely only cost him his life anyway."

"I won't kill someone important to you," he vows, and I can't mask my surprise. He's been thinking this through since our argument, apparently. "It'd be cruel and vindictive, and I don't want to ever treat my wife like her feelings don't matter. Or like they have no place in my business because, as the daughter of Charles Swan, you've always been a part of that realm."

My mouth pops open, but the words don't come. The emotions swirling inside me are too great. He's caught me off guard in the best way. He's willing to accept me and any part of my old life that I might wish to hold onto—with exceptions, of course.

Instead of words, I show him how it makes me feel with action. I leap forward, gripping him in a hug so tight, the rumble from his laughter reverberates through my body. My lips find the soft skin of his neck, just above the stiff collar of his white shirt, and they trail a slow path up to his ear.

"Thank you," I whisper before pulling back and attacking his mouth.

Edward eagerly accepts the affection, parting his lips so I can bury my tongue inside his warm, delicious mouth. My heart hammers loudly and my skin buzzes with life as my fists grip his hair, pulling, pulling, pulling, never letting go.

His husky laughter rumbles between us as his lips leave mine and trail across my jaw. "God, Bella, you're killing me."

"What a way to die," I say, tilting my head to give him better access to my neck.

He stills, snickering against my skin. "I've corrupted you."

"Not yet." I giggle, happy and carefree. Today could've been ugly, but Edward's proving to me he meant what he said. "But I'm eager for the day you do."

He lifts his head, and joy dances in his eyes. "In five days, you'll be my wife."

"And you'll be my husband."

He takes a deep breath through his nose, eyes closed. When he reopens them, they're tender. "I promise to take excellent care of you."

I cup his cheek. "I know you will."

He sighs, and it's entirely different from the earlier frustrated ones. This one is happy. "I apologize for the dramatics when you first got in the car. It was in poor taste."

"It's okay." I straighten his tie; it's slightly crooked due to our kissing session. "I can see you adapting, rethinking your worldview to ensure I'm happy. That's … incredible."

"I have a good reason."

We stare into each other's eyes for a long minute without saying anything. Our fight was a giant step backward in our growth, but turns out, it was needed. Trust and honesty have grown by leaps and bounds since then, because of that argument. It brought to light faults on both our parts and gave us the space to reassess ourselves and make necessary adjustments.

"Shall we." He holds out his hand.

I look out the dark-tinted windows, only to realize we're parked in the garage. My eyes widen as I look back at him. "How long have we been here?"

He smirks, waggling his brows. "For a minute."

Heat creeps up my neck, but I take his hand, knowing that this is truly where I'm meant to be.

I won't be drawing out the wedding and honeymoon, as this story has taken a long time to get there. It's time to see them married, consummated, and living their life.

When I see you next depends on what I get written this week! Hubs is back to work, so I will do my best to get one written so I can give you one Thurs!

See ya next time :)