Disclaimer- The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, not me.

BPOV

The next morning, I helped Liz and Ted pack up their things for the wedding. They too, were staying in the hotel with us, for the wedding. Liz had made some breakfast for us before we left.

I was feeling more and more comfortable with the Masens. I called Charlie to see how things were going back in Forks. Charlie was going to watch even more college football and drink beer today. He'd stay busy. The traffic was terrible- Ted took us through the backstreets to avoid the day-after-Thanksgiving sales.

Edward's whole day would be filled- he had the rehearsal wedding this afternoon, and then, the rehearsal dinner, after that, the bachelor party. Alice and Jasper were coming in this morning. Tomorrow was going to be the big day; the wedding announcement had been put in Chicago Sun-Times last Sunday. I didn't know how rich Rosalie and Emmett's families were until Edward told me that they'd be covering the whole wedding. We checked into the hotel. It was beautiful- it was restored, but modern at the same time. It was lovely. I knew that Emmett had had a hand in picking this hotel.

Edward had reserved a really nice hotel room for us. Luckily, it was a few rooms down from his parent's. I called Alice's cell phone and left a message. She probably hadn't landed in Chicago, yet.

Ted and Liz took us out to eat. I felt comfortable enough to eat, now. We had sushi, which wasn't bad, calorie-wise. I only had three rolls.

Alice called me while I was in the middle of lunch. She said that she and Jasper were on their way to the hotel. I couldn't wait.

Back at the hotel, I took a quick nap while Edward checked his email. When Alice called, I woke up and went downstairs to meet her and Jasper. I noticed how stiff I was getting.

"Alice!" I cried when she came in, wearing a giant peacoat and hat. She ran up and hugged me.

"How did Thanksgiving go?"

"It went," I said darkly.

"We'll talk about it."

"So, what do you think of Chicago?"

"I'll tell you if I can ever see it under the snow."

When Jasper checked in, and we went down to the bar, where I called Edward to let him know that Jasper and Alice were here. I rubbed my shoulder and elbows. "God, what's wrong with me?" I muttered.

"There's less fat on your joints than the rest of your body," Edward whispered. "Your joints are freezing. A simple solution is to gain weight."

"You're irritating me."

"When do we have to be at the church for the rehearsal wedding?" Jasper asked.

"In about an hour," Edward said, glancing at his phone.

"Let's make this drink quick, then."

"We better, Rosalie can be a real bitch when things don't go her way. I'm sure she's a complete bridezilla right now," Edward said.

"Can I stay here at the hotel, then?" I asked.

"You're coming to the rehearsal dinner," Edward said. "You're not getting out of it."

"I'm staying with Bella," Alice announced.

After having some drinks, Edward and Jasper caught a cab to the First Methodist Church, and Alice and I went to her hotel room so she could change clothes. We ended up in my room, watching TV and I relayed all the horrifying events of Thanksgiving Day while I started knitting. "Edward says that his parents don't know," I said.

"They know by now, Bella," Alice said. "Really, they must."

"I'll die if they do!"

"You thought you'd die if Edward found out, but Edward finding out has been one of the best things to ever happen to you," Alice said. "You've changed so much- for the better- since you've fallen in love with Edward. This is his family. If they know- all the better."

"I want them to like me."

"They know a lot more about him than you think, just by looking at him," Alice said. "When you come to my house, doesn't Esme know what's going on with you without even asking? I don't even have to tell her. His parents know that there's something up with you, that Edward's holding something back about you."

Edward called me around 6- Alice and I had to meet them at Japonaise at 8 for the rehearsal dinner. Alice and I changed clothes and called a cab. I couldn't believe how cold it was, now.

The restaurant was pretty- a nouveau Japanese, as Alice called it. Edward and Jasper met us at the door. "Welcome back, girls," Edward said. "Bridezilla's on the rampage."

"You bet," Jasper said. We went to the backroom, where the wedding party was milling around. Rosalie was sitting at the main table, with a group of blonde bridesmaids surrounding her, who looked like carbon copies of her, but had comforting smiles. Rosalie looked like she had just been screaming at someone. She was a bit scary, sometimes.

Edward and I were supposed to sit down at the far end of the table, but Emmett cut us off. He clobbered us in a huge hug at once. "My favorite doctor… and his favorite patient."

"I'm not his patient."

"You look really good, Bella," Emmett said, pulling me into a hug.

"Hey, hands off my woman," Edward said.

"Alright, alright," Emmett said. "Just trying to cop a last feel before I take the long walk."

"Don't let Rosalie hear you talking like that."

"Rose has her sorority sisters to keep her entertained," Emmett said. "Are we ready for tonight?"

"You know it," Edward said.

The rehearsal dinner started off well, but Edward and I started talking to some of the other guests at the party after the toasts were over.

I met Rosalie's mother, who looked like Rosalie's older sister from a distance, but up close, I realized how much botox and how many face lifts she had had to look like that. She had been remarried, so Liza Hale was actually Liza Spencer. I met Rosalie's bridesmaids. There was only one brunette among them, and they asked Alice and me to go out with them to the bachelorette party. Alice bounced up and down at the idea, but I didn't like the idea at all. I just wanted to go back to the hotel room and sleep until Edward came back, except he'd probably be drunk as a skunk. I wasn't going to leave Alice alone in an unfamiliar city with people we didn't know. I agreed to go out with them.

I said good-bye to Edward and they had a limo waiting out front. Rosalie was brought out with an awful-looking veil on and a giant, goofy-looking button that said something obscene.

"So, Alice, Bella, what sorority did you rush?" one of the blonde bimbos asked me.

"Oh, we didn't do sororities," I said.

All the eyes in the limo looked at us like we had just sprouted antlers. "We're practically sisters anyway," Alice scoffed. "We didn't want to be separated."

"Okay," blonde #1 said.

"We have French Champagne!" blonde #2 announced, holding up a bottle. They all squealed so loud it hurt my ears. Alice never screamed that loud. The only one that seemed a little too good for it all was Rosalie. They passed out the flutes and popped the cork. I took a sip at the first toast- it was good stuff. I downed it one chug after that.

"Bella, slow down, you were always a cheap drunk," Alice warned.

I held onto her when we got to the Karaoke bar. Each of the blondes took turns trying to sing slow, meaningful ballads, absolutely ruining them. I wanted nothing more than to hear Edward sit down at a piano and play Blackbird instead in an empty room and to be sitting in his lap in our underwear. Rosalie looked pretty annoyed the whole time. I hardly noticed because the champagne made my head swim. Alice and I got up and sang Harper Valley PTA, which nobody seemed to get.

At one point, I heard a few of them talking about diets. One of them (I couldn't remember which number I had name her) said, "I just wish I could be anorexical for a few months, that would take care of everything!" And then, they laughed. I felt sick at that comment. I hated people who thought they could turn it on and off like a switch and not feel the emotional repercussions. I took another flute of champagne.

More and more people bought us drinks and took pictures for us. I looked like a complete drunk, I'm sure. When we finally got back to the hotel, I found that Edward wasn't home, yet. I managed to get into bed without breaking anything.

I vaguely remembered Edward coming back, completely drunk, stumbling into bed, apologizing for his drunkenness. In the morning, we woke up with huge hangovers. "What did you end up doing last night?" he asked.

"Drinking too much, singing Karaoke."

"I'd have loved to hear that," he said, getting up.

"All I wanted was to hear you sing and play piano," I said. "In nothing but our underwear."

"Hopefully not in a room full of people."

"Of course not!"

"I need to sleep off this hangover," he said. "I gotta be at the church, dressed, ready to go at 2."

"Get back in bed with me."

"I don't want to expose you to my morning breath," he said, getting out his toothbrush and toothpaste.

I groaned. That was so sweet. And I was going to expose him to my own morning breath. I got up and brushed my own teeth, too, beside him. I held his hand as we climbed back in bed.

"This is alright," I said, climbing under the covers.

"I know this Thanksgiving has been rough on you," he said. "I'm sorry."

"You meant well," I said. "That's what counts. I'll be better next year. I promise."

"I'm gonna hold you to that," he said, his hands finding the bare skin of my stomach under the hem of my t-shirt, his lips finding mine. "My parents really like you. They want you to come back with me- soon. Like maybe Easter?"

"Will it be warmer then?"

"I'll keep you warm," he promised, his hands sliding up my rib cage.

Edward had to get up and get showered around noon in order to get to the church by 2. I slept until around two anyways, only getting out of bed for a few bottles of water, despite knowing I was missing out on getting a good workout in the hotel's gym that I desparately needed. Liz and Ted came by around 3 to pick me up. "You look beautiful," Ted said, helping me into my coat.

"Thanks."

We stopped by Alice's room to give her a ride to the church, too. "Hi, everybody!" she cried, stepping out. She was all bright and chipper.

"Was that really you I went out with last night?" I asked.

"You and champagne don't go too well together," she said. She never seemed to get hangovers. "Hello, Dr. and Mrs. Masen!"

"Hello, Alice," Ted said. "Can I help you with your coat?"

"Actually, if you could hold our wedding present," she said, holding out the white-wrapped box. I helped her put on the coat. We went out the door.

Edward and Jasper met us in the church's foyer, dressed in their tuxes. I looked into the church doors- it looked like one of those weddings you see in a movie. There was a string quartet and tons and tons winter flowers and veils and ribbons. All the weddings receptions I had been to had been in gymnasiums.

"You look beautiful," Edward said as I took off my coat. "And you were nervous."

"I know," I said, blushing.

"You made a big mistake," he said, holding my hand. "You should never look better than the bride."

"Edward, shut up. You're laying it on pretty thick."

"That's my girl." We both laughed. "Besides, I prefer brunettes."

"We need to be seated," Ted said.

"Let me seat my Mom," Edward said, kissing me on the cheek.

He took his mother's arm and escorted her into the church, Ted following. I almost followed them in, but Alice grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

"I'm sitting down!"

"In a wedding like this, you have to wait for one of the groomsmen to escort you to a seat."

In all the weddings I had been to, I had just followed my friends to a seat. Edward came back. "I don't want to seat you," he said. "That means we'll be apart." I swooned.

"Okay, you two are making me gag," Alice replied. "It's a Protestant wedding, it's not going to be that long."

"I'm wondering if things'll get better or worse," Jasper muttered.

"What?"

"Nevermind," Jasper said, dragging Alice into the church.

"I have the feeling they've got a bet going," Edward said. "Come on, I'll seat you with Alice and my Mom."

When the wedding started, Rosalie came through the doors looking like an angel in her dress, on her father's arm. Every eye on the church was on her. I stole a glance back at Emmett, and for once, that goofy grin was gone. He actually looked serious, for once.

The wedding wasn't too long. I followed Alice's lead, realizing I was completely socially stupid here. Edward escorted me out of the church.

The reception was in the hotel where we were staying- which meant we could drink all we wanted. Alice and I got some cosmos. We weren't seated with the Masens- we were seated with a bunch of older women who cooed about how pretty and young we were- maybe a subtle hint that we weren't supposed to be around any other single men. The women were Emmett's relatives- his family was originally from East Tennessee. I knew that Emmett had gone to UT, they explained to us that their family was from Sevierville, TN. They were old southern biddies, basically.

Nicky Pappas attacked me once I met all of Emmett's single female relatives.

"He give you marriage ring, yet?" she asked, elbowing me. I burst out laughing. "Epimoni- patience! He gonna give to you!"

"Thea Nicky, this is Alice Cullen, she's my roommate in Chicago," I said, tugging on Alice's shoulder. "Alice, this is Nicky Pappas, Edward's childhood neighbor."

"Hi," Alice said. She gave her best grin.

"Alice! You best friend with Bellas?"

"The very best," Alice said.

They shook hands, but Nicky took a look at her. "You getting married?" she cried.

Alice sighed, but smiled. "Yes. Jasper- the blonde groomsman- he proposed to me on Thanksgiving Day."

I gasped as I realized there was a rock on Alice's hand. "Alice! How could you not tell me!"

"Congratulations, koukla!"

"We were going to keep it a secret until we got back to Seattle," she said. "That's why Jasper wanted to ride alone in the car with my parents on your birthday- he was asking my father for permission to ask to marry me."

"He did?" I asked. "And it took him almost two months to do it?"

"Carlisle's been getting on him about it," she said. "He kept loosing his nerve."

"Have you made any plans, yet?"

"Just that you'll be my maid of honor," Alice said shyly.

"Oh, Alice, of course!" I cried, and hugged her.

"Oh Bellas!" Nicky cried. "You gonna be such a beautiful bridesmaid!"

We were interrupted by the wedding singer announcing the entrance of the wedding party. After everybody ate, they began the first dance.

Right as they were going to start dancing to a nice, classy slow song, it was suddenly interrupted with Rocky Top. A bunch of semi-drunk southerners started cheering. Rosalie looked as if she'd die. At least she got the father-daughter dance.

Alice got up and started dancing when the dance floor was opened to the guests. By now, the seating arrangements were being ignored and people were sitting wherever. Edward came over to me while I was getting a refill on a drink, placing a kiss on my temple. "Have you been having a good time?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. "Guess what I just found out?"

"What?" he asked.

"That Jasper proposed to Alice on Thanksgiving."

"You're kidding," he said. "No, you're not, I should have seen this coming."

"I'm going to be the maid of honor," I said, excitedly. "I'm supposed to keep it secret until we get home, but I can't hide things like this from you."

"Another wedding… great."

"So, I guess this tux isn't going to waste so soon."

"I've been keeping a secret, too."

"What?"

"I've been about to burst from this… but Rosalie's expecting," he whispered in my ear. "Don't tell anybody. They're waiting until after the honeymoon to announce it."

"Cross my heart," I said, grinning.

We went to my table, and I sat down on his lap. He held my hand and I leaned on his shoulder while we watched the different couples and groups dance wildly. He leaned down and brushed a kiss to my lips.

I heard some whispers and giggles from behind us. Emmett's single relatives weren't watching the dance floor, but Edward and me. I couldn't blame them- Edward was really beautiful. When it came time for the cake, I watched as Rosalie and Emmett cut it- I felt… a pang of jealousy. It had been years since I had eaten cake, and when I had, it had been by myself and on a binge- I had vomited it all up out of guilt.

For years, I had held onto my eating disorder. When everything else felt like it was out of control, I could rely on that one bit of lack of control. I allowed the demon to go crazy. It was part of my identity. It was part of who I was. I wasn't a photographer, I wasn't a daughter, I wasn't a best friend, I wasn't a Literature graduate student, I wasn't Edward's girlfriend. Not really. I wanted to be all those things, now. But, I was an eating disorder, deep down in my soul- it made me special, different- it took me away from being anything else. I wanted to leave the demons behind suddenly. Being myself, without an eating disorder, without the demons wasn't so scary, now. I was tired of being Jim and Victoria's victim.

I held onto Edward's arm as I watched Emmett smear Rosalie's face with icing. She looked cross for a moment, then smiled. She was beautiful. They were beautiful together. I wanted to be beautiful, with icing covering my face in public, and people to tell me I was, too.

Even though I hated dancing, I let Edward take me out onto the dance floor. I didn't have much experience at ballroom dancing, but it was so easy with Edward. I could absolutely give up everything in the world for him suddenly.

That night, after the wedding was over, blowing bubbles and ringing bells for Emmett and Rosalie on their way to the limo, I had a few drinks with Edward, Alice and Jasper in the hotel bar.

Afterwards, I took Edward's hand and lead him into our room. I ran our card through the lock, listening for the click. I opened the door and we slipped in. I pulled him close to me, and into a kiss. I felt almost feverish.

"I love you," I whispered into the kiss. "I just want to make love to you tonight."

I heard the sound of my dress's zipper coming down under my arm. "Anything for you, love," he said, his hand grazing my thigh. I groaned softly, wrapping a leg around his. He pressed me against the wall- I arched my back against it. Why did I wait so long? I wrapped the other leg around him. "Bella, if we're going to do this, you're going to have to get down. We can't get our clothes off if you don't."

I begrudgingly unwrapped my legs from around him. "Just a moment," he muttered in my ear, and went to his shaving kit. When he came back, he had a condom, tossing it on the nightstand. He started tugging my dress off, leaving me in my bra, underwear and pantyhose. I pressed a kiss on his jaw, then undid his tie. I felt his hand cup my breast through my bra, making me moan. Despite the lack of coherency in my brain, I undid the buttons of his vest. So many buttons! I groaned in frustration.

"Why do tuxedos have to be so complicated?" I muttered.

"So I can look sexy," he replied. In the dark of our hotel room, with a few lights reflecting outside from the street, I laughed. In the shadows, I could see him smirking. "Something changed in you tonight," he said, stroking my face. "I just want to make you happy."

"I want to make you happy, too."

I started with the vest, then the tie. He was wearing suspenders under the vest- I unbuttoned his shirt, feverishly, then his pants, letting them pool at his feet. He kicked off his shoes and socks- he was down to his underwear- he pulled his undershirt shirt off and while he did so, I unhooked my bra in the back. I had seen him completely naked several times before, but tonight... complete nudity was the point of no return. I couldn't back down once those shorts came off. I thought of being that bride, with Edward, the normal girl, not the walking eating disorder, all alone. I took a deep breath and his shorts were down at his ankles, revealing his member. I had held it, sucked it, stroked it... it wasn't so scary.

He began rubbing my nipple. I groaned, arching against him. When he did that, I was going to believe anything he told me. He rolled my nipple between his fingers.

"Edward," I sighed, stroking his hair. "I love you."

"I love you more," he said, rubbing back and forth, still. His head dipped down and took my nipple into his mouth, his tongue flicking over it, sending shocks of electricity through me, biting and sucking, pushing me down onto the bed. He slipped an arm under the small of my back, and lifted my hips. His fingers tore at my stockings and thong, causing runs.

"Sorry, I think they're done for," he said, holding up my pantyhose.

I smiled. "It's okay," I said. He lifted my foot, and kissed the instep.

"I'll buy a few pair for you," he muttered. He kissed it again, up my leg. I was so glad I had shaved my legs.

"Only if they're thigh-highs," I muttered.

"I've wanted you for so long, Isabella…" His hand pushed my legs apart and he settled between them.

"Stop calling me that," I murmured, softly, bringing him close. His fingers lazily ran up the inside of my thigh, and I shivered.

"It's such a beautiful name," he said, his mouth finding my collarbone. "And you're so beautiful. It's just fits."

He rolled me over on my side and moved up behind me, then pulling me on top of him. I felt his fingers part my lips and stroke. I arched my back, grinding my hips into him.

"Edward, shut up about how beautiful I am and all that crap," I said, resting my head on his shoulder.

"When are you going to start believing that I can't find anything else in this world any more beautiful than you?" he asked, his fingers strumming me, his hips grinding into mine, just like in my fantasy when I was alone with myself. "I love you. More than anything else in the world."

He put on the condom- I had no idea how to do it. I rolled over off of him and onto the bed on my back.

"Relax, or I can't get in," he said, rolling over onto me. I laid back on the bed, and opened my legs, nervously and he laid on top of me, on hand on the side of my head, the other on his shaft, holding it. "This might hurt," he warned. I nodded, biting my lip. I felt a sense of dread and excitement all at once. He took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and positioned himself at my entrance.

A whole flood of emotion entered me- fear, insecurities, acceptance, greed, desire- and so many other things I couldn't name.

I gasped- it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would, but it wasn't comfortable. Edward stayed still for a moment while I got used to the sensation of stretching against him, although I knew it was killing him not to move. I repositioned myself a little in an attempt to relax a little, wrapping my legs around his hips, allowing him to start thrusting against me. We started moving together, awkwardly, at first, but eventually got it. He pulled a little bit, and I felt my walls clenching against him, causing… a friction? I began to dig my nails into his shoulders as he pressed into my chest. I lifted my hips in an attempt to take more of him into me.

"You feel... so... good..." he moaned. He looked almost high.

"I've wanted you."

"You gotta stop doing that," Edward said as my hips bucked.

I paused, and tried to hold my hips still so he could thrust into me, but the hot, burning ache built in my pelvis. I couldn't stop.

I thought I had experienced it while fooling around with him before, but this felt much, much, better. I wrapped my legs around his hips, crossing my ankles behind his butt.

He grunted, slowly, the waves of each thrust, each time I lifted my hips to him building into something. "Oh, Bella- Isabella!" He stopped for a moment, and cried out. "I'm sorry," he said softly, collapsing onto me. He came without me. It definitely hurt, but there was relief in it. "I'll make it up to you."

"No, don't," I said, grinning. "We'll do this again, right?"

"Oh, of course," he said. "Is that a question?"

I ran my foot down the length of his calf. "No," I admitted.

"You'll probably be sore," he said, kissing my forehead. "I'm sorry."

I ran my hand through his hair- the roots were a little damp with sweat. "Did I do alright?"

"You were amazing."

"Can we just stay here?" I asked.

"No. We have to go home," Edward said, holding me, stroking my face. "But you do look so beautiful right now." His hand covered my hair and he kissed me, again. "I don't want to leave here, either."

"Me neither."

"So, how was your first time?"

"Perfect. Absolutely perfect," I replied. "It just hurt a little."

"It'll get better."

"Angela wasn't kidding," I said. "Can we try again tomorrow?"

He picked up my hair and kissed it. "If you're feeling better, I'd love to," he said.