First, I own nothing to do with Twilight, and never will.

I want to thank you all so much for your support and encouragement, you're all so truly amazing! As for this chapter, I apologize! I feel like I've let you all down, into where I've taken it. Feel free to let me know if you thought it was very bad! I'm sorry! I love you all and am so humbled by the support! Hopefully see you again next update if I haven't blown it for you all! xx Hope you're all well and happy! My love x

I knew what tomorrow was. Tomorrow was my eighteenth birthday. I felt there was some type of significance in the date, something that Edward would want out of it. And the night before it arrived, everything felt different.

I took my time in the small bathroom, lathering up my skin, washing my hair, steaming up all the mirrors. When I emerged from the hotel bathroom, I was instantly smacked in the center of my heart with a lethal dose of suspicion. It was the last thing I expected to see; Edward was silent, preoccupied with setting up a small fold-out table, which he had decorated. He had lit several candles, dimmed the lights around the room, and there was even a bottle of champagne sitting in a cooler. Edward couldn't possibly drink alcohol, let alone eat, like a normal regular human could. So, why the big production for dinner if it's only for one?

"Perfect timing," he said quietly, without looking up from the silverware he was setting out beside two empty plates. "Dinner is almost ready."

I caught onto what he was wearing next; A light blue tuxedo, the men's blazer undone and a clean white button-up shirt peeking through, with loose slacks. His hair was combed back, neat, and slick at the sides. It appeared to me that he was getting ready for a special occasion of some sort. I just didn't know what it was. Immediately, I felt out-of-place in just the fluffy white bathrobe I was wearing.

"Oh," I breathed out in shock. "Just a minute, um. Let me quickly go change. I feel a bit awkward in a bathrobe, especially when you're so formally dressed."

He finally glanced up at me; His eyes twinkling. "No, it's fine. You're perfect just the way you are." I didn't know what to say in response to that, so I didn't bother saying anything. "I thought you would be hungry, so I decided to arrange a few things together for you."

"Oh, I am!" I grinned at him, feeling breathless. Everything was so extravagant. But with Edward, I think everything almost always was. He moved to slide open my chair for me; I sat, and then waited for him to do the same. "It's beautiful. Thank you!"

We sat in silence for several moments, Edward just staring meaningfully, hardly blinking one bit. Then, it dawned onto me he was waiting for me to start eating, since he couldn't eat the solid food himself. I picked up the fork on my side of the table, and reached over for a napkin.

I unfurled the napkin. Something fell into my lap; A light blue satin pouch. There was an engagement ring inside, a stone with a silver band. It was emerald, and the dim lights casting over it from the candles reflected it all sparkling and pretty. The ring clearly deserved to be worn, for such a beautiful thing, and it seemed Edward had picked the right girl he deemed fit and deserving to wear it. Too bad that girl wasn't truly me. At least, I felt I wasn't it.

My stomach lurched. "What is this? Is this what I... think it is?"

Wordlessly, he came towards me and slid down onto his knees in front of me. In the next, he took gentle hold of my left hand. He was almost trembling visibly in excitement. "I wanted to wait until after I got some food into you, but then I just couldn't resist. The timing is right as it is, everything is perfect. Forgive me if I'm a little too impatient, I've just been waiting very long for this moment. And, as you're already probably aware, tomorrow you turn eighteen."

"What moment is this?" My voice sounded small and scared, and I hated it. I think I already knew what was about to come.

"Marry me. Please, say you will. It's all I'm asking, all I'll ever ask from you." He was stroking my hand with his fingertips.

I tried to bite down on my tongue, but I couldn't help it. "Marry you? You make it seem as if it's something so unimportant, and not something you need to take into serious consideration to answer."

"I know, it's very sudden. I just couldn't help it, waiting is too hard for me." It was his turn to look a little abashed. "Just, please. Please say you will. Say you'll marry me. I won't ever deprive you of anything, you won't ever go without. We can start on our forever, we can do whatever you like. We can go travelling, you can even study. Anything you want, everything I have and am, its yours. All yours. But all you have to do, is say yes. We would be so happy together, like it should be. I would be so happy to call you mine. All you would have to do, is agree to be my wife and take my name. And also, eventually, I could bring you over to this life, so that we'll always have each other where you won't ever, ever, be able to leave me."

I was flabbergasted.

"Edward, I... I'm very grateful and honoured that you're asking me this. Believe me, I am," I started slowly and anxiously. His face turned eager underneath my gaze. "But... this isn't something I can answer. Not yet, anyhow. Marriage is a... serious committment. I would have some... preconditions before I gave you a serious answer to this."

"Preconditions?" He was very surprised by that.

"Yes, well. One of them, the first and only really, would be to... see my father first. To make sure he's fine. You see, that's why I've acted towards you the way I have. I'm scared for Charlie. I just wanted to know he is safe and well, after what happened with your friends. That's it." He was instantly opposed to that condition; Though he never verbally said it, I could read as much into the expression on his face. His mouth twisted, his face contorting. "Then, I will give myself to you, in every possible way. We can even leave straight after I see Charlie, and we can go get married. Then we can start anew, in a way, as husband and wife. We'll try move on from everything that has happened, and we can get married soon as you'd like. But I need you to honour my precondition first."

Something in my words irked him; He shied away from me, got to his feet, and turned his back on me. He was breathing harshly, his head hanging low towards the ground, and a moan tore through his teeth. He was despondent over something.

Something was wrong. It was something I said. Something I did, and I couldn't tell what.

"Edward?" I whispered nervously, talking to his rigid shoulders and the back of his head. His hands were wrung halfway behind his back, his fingers curled tightly like he was scooping something up in between them. "What did I do?" I reached out and ran my thumbnail along the side of his hand gently. "What did I say to upset you?"

"I suppose you think I'm that dumb, don't you?" There was something odd about his voice. There was a sharp, angry edge to it. "Don't you think I know you need witnesses to get officially married, Bella?"

"Edward, please." I hated the quavering in my voice. "What is wrong here?"

"I know what will happen if I take you back to your father's. You mightn't think I do, but I do. I know things, and I know when you're trying to trick me. You get me to agree to take you back, then you'll turn on me and say you never want to see me again. You'll desert me for good so that you can stay with your father. I know how this works!"

"No," I protested numbly. "I promise you, it won't happen like that. Once I see my father is safe, we can leave together. Just the pair of us, and I will be your wife." Sure, I could see why such an idea would percolate through his brain, and it wasn't entirely wrong.

He turned his head very slowly and met my eyes. "Tell me, it won't happen like that then. Show me."

I shook my head slowly, at a loss. "How am I meant to... show you that?"

"Just tell me, if you can't show me." His voice was nothing more than a broken whisper, like it was very imperative for me to illustrate it to him in some magical way that could have the ability to quell his doubts for good. I just didn't know where to even start.

"Then you have to show me how I can do that," I whispered, very slowly. I took his hand gently, and held it in mine. "Tell me how so we can both figure this out together."

"Just show me you know its true," he said, his voice turning too loud and strangled. "Show me you know that we belong. Tell me you know its right!"

I began to shake. "But I... I don't belong. I'm undeserving. You deserve someone who... someone not at all like me."

"Right. So here it is. It's all about prejudice, isn't it?" He was yelling. Even though I felt all dried up, I felt I was going to start crying. "You think we don't belong together, because we're not the same. You think we're not the same, because I am vampire and you are human? You believe because of that, I'm incapable of feeling anything... that I'm some monster who's going to kill you and only eventually will suck the life out of you, as well as the blood? Is that it? All due to some preconceived notions?"

"No, not at all," I cried, startled when my voice came out a low and desperate growl. "Please, I'm just worried about my father! When I get to see him, I'll do whatever you want! Please, whatever to make you happy, I swear!"

"You believe you're so much better than me because you're human, don't you?" He muttered, his voice low and intense. He was clinging onto my hand in his so tight, it still wouldn't prevent the trembling all over. "You have the preconceived notion inside your head, something you've jumped to the conclusion of ever since I first revealed my true self to you! Can't you think logically for one minute? All this time we've spent together... and you constantly assume I'm going to hurt you! All that time and you assume I just want to kill you due to what I am! Well, if you see me as a monster due to what I am, then perhaps I ought to show you what a monster like me is capable of, shouldn't I?"

"I'm sorry!" Despairingly, I sank down onto my knees heavily, begging, pleading. "I'm so sorry, Edward! I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm sorry!"

"Oh, you're sorry?" His hand landed on my shoulder, pressing down and backwards. "Well, no. Too late. I'll show you what I'm capable of, because it's what you expect of me, isn't it?" He blinked down at me, disconcertingly unfeeling. "If I'm such a monster to you, then... I suppose I better start acting like it, shouldn't I?" His hands moved in front of him to unlatch the buckle of his belt, and then in another harsh movement, he slid the leather out of the loops.

"Wait," I whimpered, hating the fear in my voice. "Please... don't."

I stared up at him, tears running down my face. I didn't care anymore. I didn't care if I let him see me cry. Along with it, I had expected just the sight of it to calm him down and create him to act more responsibly. To my horror, it didn't. I saw stark reluctance flicker in his eyes when he grabbed me by the wrists and yanked me up onto the arches of my knees. And then he wrapped the belt around my wrists, made sure they were secure and tightly held, looked down at me, and sucked in his cheeks defiantly.

"What comes next, Bella?" he sighed out in uneasiness. Though he seemed as if he was playing it up, his eyes were crazy as hell. There was something... absent in them. No light, all hard and cold for me. "What does the monster do now?"

"You're not... a monster," I said, so softly and weakly, I wasn't sure whether he was able to hear me coherently or not. "This isn't you. I... I know this now." Weariness soaked through every pore within. Though my eyes were filling up, I think I was about ready to surrender now, ready to submit to whatever he was about to do to me physically to enhance his point. "So, please. I'm sorry, deep down inside I... I don't believe you're bad. I've never... ever really believed that." I touched his hand, brought his knuckles down to my lips, but let it drop when he didn't respond in any way whatsoever.

He raised his hand, and I closed my eyes very tightly.

Here it comes. Here it all comes. There was no use in crying anymore.

He placed his hand lightly on the top of my scalp, fingers stretched and eagerly brushing through my hair, and I felt paralyzed, not truly suspecting what would be about to come next. My hands were bound, so I couldn't fight. I couldn't do anything, but sit there. I could use my voice, and my legs, yes. But now, I was perfectly content with lying there still on my knees.

"Tell me you know that we belong together!" he screamed, out of nowhere. "Tell me you're not like all those other shallow girls! The ones I tried to date... and they... they couldn't accept me! Please, just tell me you'll accept me for what I am! Especially as my mate, tell me!"

"I... I accept you," I said helplessly. "Of course, I do! I do, please!"

"You're just like the others, aren't you?" he hissed coldly through his teeth. "You're like the rest. How could you be so cold? Would you really cut me off due to what I am, due to something that was beyond my control? You really are like the others, aren't you? Well, here's the monster for you. It's what you're expecting anyway, isn't it?"

And then, he seized me by the hair, his fingers snarling, curling... twisting. I screamed.