As always: Everything and anything related to the Twilight saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. This is a work of fiction based on her writings. No harm is meant by it.

Special thanks and much adoration to my beta Kelly

Chapter Thirty: The Last Letter

Edward woke up early on Sunday morning, groaning as his muscles protested against even the slightest movement. It didn't matter what he moved, everything hurt. Even just tilting his head to look down at Bella was painful, but it was an ache he didn't mind.

Yesterday had been such a stepping stone in his relationship with Bella, if that was what they had. They hadn't discussed it, but Edward was more than certain that was what they were regardless of the lack of labels. He had a hunch that the actual words 'girlfriend' and 'boyfriend' didn't need to be discussed between them; it was pretty self-explanatory and clear.

He turned ever so slowly and rested his head in the palm of this hand to look at Bella, trying his damndest not to shift his body too aggressively. Bella was sound asleep, nestled against his chest. Her hair was fanned against the bed, resting against her face, and parts of his chest. Her breathing was steady and her hand was gripping Edward's hip, her pinky hiding just under the rolled up waistband of his sweat pants.

She looked so at peace in her sleep.

For a few minutes, he just watched her sleep, letting his cluttered mind rest. His sleep had been restless with him spending most of it tossing and turning before he finally settled down into a deep slumber.

His mind was consumed with the rumors at work, and not just the one he had mentioned to Bella. The one he was worried about would take his career to the next level, and it was everything he had hoped for since he began working at the company.

But so many things had changed, things were so different now.

There was another person in the mix now, someone else he had to consider, and it was all he'd been able to think about for the last few days, but he tried to push it to the back of his mind though he knew Bella could tell something was wrong. She always could recognize his emotions.

Edward brushed a section of hair away from Bella's face, sliding it behind her ear, all while making sure not to wake her up. He rested his hand on her lower back and slowly ran his fingertips up and down her spine. She made a tiny mewling sound in her sleep and Edward smiled to himself and shook his head.

He still couldn't believe that it had taken this long, over twenty years, to see what had been in front of him.

Yesterday had been so intense. Though there had been a few laughs throughout their day, it had been so different from their normal day-to-day life.

It was obvious that a day like that was needed in their relationship as emotional as it had been. He understood that Bella had needed to say all she was feeling and that that had been the only way she knew how to do it, though when she had suggested jumping, his heart had instantly shot up into his throat. The images from years prior bombarded him as he looked over the edge of the cliff, but he jumped nonetheless. He was so glad he did, though now his body was arguing with that thought.

Deep in his thoughts, Edward hadn't noticed Bella's sleepy eyes open. Her hand had managed to travel up his side and to the center of his face without him realizing it. She was trying to push the tension from his brows away.

"Doing math in your head there, Cullen?" she teased groggily as he looked down to see that she was still waking up. Her eyes were only little slits, but he could still see a sliver of those lovely, dark eyes.

"Always, Swan, always."

"My body hurts," she groaned and Edward chuckled.

"Mine does too. Maybe jumping off a cliff wasn't the smartest thing to do," he chastised and Bella weakly jabbed him in his bicep.

"Hey, I tell you I'm hurt and you try to punch me. That's just mean."

"Man up," Bella provoked and Edward rolled her on top of him. Both of them moaning in pain before Edward dropped Bella back onto the bed.

"Ugh, brute," she reprimanded as Edward apologized.

"Sorry… not one of my best ideas."

"I don't feel like moving at all."

"Me neither, let's just go park ourselves in front of the couch and watch TV all day," Edward suggested and Bella sighed.

"That entails moving. That's the last thing I want to do."

Edward chuckled, as he stood up, moving as slowly as he could before he craned his neck to look down at Bella still in yesterday's clothes. The smile that formed couldn't be stopped even if he tried.

"Come on, Bells. I'll even pay for the food and get my lazy ass up to get it at the door," Edward persuaded as he stood over the side of the bed, waggling his eyebrows as if he were making a wager.

"Fine, but you also have to get the drinks in the fridge every time," she argued and Edward nodded as Bella reached a hand out to him. With ease he pulled her up against him, reveling in the feeling of her arms wrapping around him. It never got old.

"You feel warm," she yawned against his chest and Edward set his hand at the wispy strands of hair at the nape of her neck. He rubbed them softly before letting her go.

"Come on, Sleepy. Let's go brush our teeth."

"That's just because you want to make out with me," she taunted as she barely walked toward the bathroom.

"That and your breath isn't exactly all that fresh at the moment," Edward retorted laughing and Bella gasped in mock hurt.

"You're one to talk."

"I'm not. That's why I said let's go brush 'our' teeth."

"Yeah, yeah," Bella groaned while the two made their way to the bathroom. "And don't even think about it," Bella warned as she quickly swiped her toothbrush out of the holder. Edward chuckled, shaking his head.

"I don't use it when you can see me. I do it when you're not around to witness the crime. That's how I get away with."

"Ew, I'm gonna buy a new toothbrush after work tomorrow, and by the way, you never get away with it. Trust me."

Edward smiled and watched Bella through the mirror in front of the sink as the two of them brushed their teeth. Even with the froth of toothpaste covering her mouth, Edward couldn't help but be captivated by Bella, and again, he wondered why he never really noticed how beautiful she truly was until the game.

"Math again, Cullen?" Bella asked after gargling some mouthwash. She had that coy little smile on her face that Edward adored.

"Nope. I was thinking of other things," he responded, pulling Bella toward him before pushing her against the wall. He kissed her quickly, letting his lips brush against hers tightly. "Much nicer things than math. Unless you count subtracting our clothes as math."

Bella burst out laughing and pushed Edward away as he laughed along with her.

"That was bad, Edward. So bad."

"I know, at least I didn't say the whole damn joke," he defended and Bella nodded in agreement.

"True. To the couch?"

"To the couch," he repeated leading the way, pulling Bella down beside him. The two groaned as their bodies crashed against each other.

"Damn it, that hurt," Edward groaned and repositioned himself so not as much of Bella's weight rested on his leg.

"Your fault."

"It was," he conceded and reached over to the table to grab the remote.

"So what do you want to watch?" he asked and Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"That doesn't help me, Swan."

"Just go through the channels and we'll find something to watch," Bella suggested snuggling closer to Edward. Gently, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

The rest of the day was spent lounging on the couch, watching the Monty Python marathon on IFC, and barely moving. They laughed until they cried and enjoyed Mexican food from the little taco place two blocks over. Bella even played nice and got up occasionally to get things from the kitchen.

All in all, it was a calm and carefree Sunday like many of their weekends before the game. It felt normal and for those brief hours, Edward forgot about what was to possibly meet him at work on Monday. All he thought of was the woman in his arms, his best friend, and his possible forever.

The two fell asleep leaning against each other to the sounds of Brave Sir Robin.

=x=

Edward was the first to wake up the next morning. The sound of his alarm clock buzzing woke him up and he quickly jumped out off the couch and walked to his room to turn it off. The sudden movement had caused Bella to fall against the seat cushions of the couch and wake up.

He headed toward the kitchen nodding his head at her as a greeting when he passed.

"Good morning," Bella half-spoke and half-yawned as she stood up and joined him in the kitchen.

"Morning," he mumbled in return, rather disinterested.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," he groaned and pulled the orange juice carton out of the fridge taking a big gulp of it. "I'm just tired and it's early and Monday. God, I hate Mondays."

Bella chuckled as she watched Edward stretch and rub the sleep out of his eyes. He yawned loudly and plopped down into a chair, mumbling about nonsense at work and Monday.

"Stop being such a crabby mess Edward and tell me what you want to eat."

"Stop being so mean to me," he pouted and Bella pursued her lips in an attempt to suppress the smile that yearned to stretch. He looked adorable and ridiculous all at the same time.

"I'm not being mean, but I'm sure no one at work is going to like you very much if you go in there with this crabapple attitude," she retorted as she pulled cereal and some bowls out of the cupboards.

"They adore me," he smugly replied and stood up to help Bella.

"I know they adore you," she retorted dolefully.

"Hey, what's that all about?" he asked as he walked up behind her and pulled her against his chest.

"Nothing, it's just…what are we?" she stuttered and Edward spun her around.

"We are whatever you want us to be, Bella."

"So, if I were to introduce you to people," she began slowly, looking up at him timidly. "I could introduce you as my boyfriend?"

"Of course, but I'm going to introduce you to people as my soul mate," he smiled down at her when she looked up and watched as that lovely shade of pink tinged her cheeks.

"I love when you blush," he murmured and Bella blushed even more.

"You know I hate it," she whimpered and Edward chuckled.

"Well, I seem to love all the things you hate about yourself."

"Smooth, Edward Cullen, you are smooth. Soul mate, I love every thing you hate about yourself, it's like you read the 'How to Make Your Woman Happy' handbook," she teased and Edward tickled her in the ribs causing her to giggle.

"I write my own lines, Squirt," he winked and Bella's jaw dropped as the heat quickly rushed back to her face.

"Did I ever tell you that I love our kitchen table?" he whispered, his voice holding a teasing yet seductive tone.

"I think you may have," Bella replied, swallowing and clearing her throat.

"Good," he answered and pulled away to sit down and eat cereal.

Bella remained standing against the counter slack jawed.

"I hate when you do that," she complained and grumbled all the way to her seat.

"I know," he chuckled as Bella glared at him.

"You have anything new to deal with at work?" Bella asked.

"I have no idea yet, but I'm sure there's a nice big folder waiting on my desk for a new campaign," he said somewhat sourly.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked for the second time that morning and Edward shrugged his shoulders.

"Seriously Edward, what's wrong?" Bella's tone showed concerned and Edward grimaced at the worried expression on her face.

"Nothing's wrong, Bella. I promise."

"I don't believe you."

"It's work related. Don't worry about it," he brushed her concerns away with a wave of his hand.

"I want to know," she persisted.

"Really, Bells. It's nothing. If it were, I'd tell you," he stated firmly as he stood up and placed his bowl in the sink. When he turned back around, he saw the upset look on Bella's face and went to sit down beside her.

"I swear, Bella. It's really nothing."

"Then why are you being so distant about it," she retorted and Edward huffed as he put an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry if I've come off that way. I just don't know what's going on, so I don't want to stress you out as well."

"I'm here for you to talk to, Edward. You know that, right?"

"Of course I do. I just don't want to make a big deal out of something that might turn out to be a nonissue."

"Fine," Bella conceded, "But if it becomes an issue," she stressed, "please tell me."

"You know you'll be the first one."

=x=

Edward sat in his office most of Monday contemplating when he would hear any news or when Mr. Austen or Mr. Meyers would come down or call him up. His stomach was in knots all day and even when Alice offered to tell everyone that he was sick so he could go home early, Edward refused. He told her that he needed to stay.

Alice walked into his office periodically to make sure he was okay. She too had heard the rumors flying about Edward's possible promotion and in all likelihood, she knew that it was going to happen. Yes, Edward was her cousin, but she had never known someone to work as hard as him. Even though he was younger than most of the executives in the company, Edward exceeded their skills by a mile.

Edward knew what Alice was up to every time she walked into his office. Every time, he'd claim he was just stressed out about a new campaign he had to finish up by the following week, but he knew better than to assume Alice's naivety.

He spent all of Monday a nervous wreck and even talking to Bella throughout the day had done nothing for his nerves. It had just managed to make things worse. Her voice was a reminder of what he would be losing.

When it came time to go home, Edward nearly flew out of the office, springing toward the elevator to avoid everyone. Inside the elevator, he tried to will the contraption to descend faster than it was going. He was desperate to get away from the office.

The moment he stepped into the apartment, a sense of relief washed over him. He made quick work of getting rid of the stuffy tie he was wearing and threw on a t-shirt and some sweats and began making some chicken and potatoes for dinner as he waited for Bella to arrive.

He didn't have to wait too long.

"Hey, so how was the rest of your day?" Bella asked as she dropped her purse on the kitchen table and began to remove her shoes.

"Boring actually. Aside from Alice, no one bothered me."

"That's good I guess," she chuckled and picked up her shoes. "I'm gonna go change into some pajamas. I'll be back to help you finish peeling the potatoes."

Edward nodded and watched as Bella headed toward her bedroom, and suddenly an idea popped into his head. Bella was out shortly and joined Edward by the garbage bin to help peel the potatoes to boil.

"How was your day?" Edward asked.

"Good actually. I really like this new story I'm looking over. It's got great potential to be a bestseller."

"What's it about?"

"A dying couple and their last day together, though they don't know it's their last day together."

"Sounds interesting."

"It's so sweet and charming," Bella praised and Edward smiled along with her before heading over to wash the potatoes.

"Can you put these in the pot? I have to get something," he asked as he dried his hands off with the dishtowel beside the sink.

"Sure. What do you need to get?"

"You'll see. Just make sure to turn the chicken over in the oven in about a minute."

Bella nodded and watched Edward walk hurriedly to his bedroom. She heard the rustling of clothes before she heard Edward pacing around his bedroom.

"You okay in there?" she shouted.

"Yeah, just turn the chicken over."

Edward stepped out of his bedroom quietly and walked toward the kitchen, watching Bella pulling the oven door open and using the dishtowel to pull the tray closer to her. He hid something behind the corner wall where the kitchen met the living room, waiting for her to shut the over door.

"Bella?" Edward asked his tone of voice very serious. Bella turned around to meet his eyes that were just as somber as his voice.

"What? Edward, what is it?" she asked concerned. She dropped the dishtowel onto the counter and watched as Edward took a deep breath in. For a moment, she was mesmerized by the motion to notice what was going on.

Edward was on one knee.

He was kneeling in front of her and Bella couldn't help the sudden sensation of heat that collected in her chest at the sight and the sudden gasps of breaths that emanated from her mouth.

The pounding in Edward's chest was just as bad Bella's. It felt like his heart was going to rip itself right out of his chest.

"Bella Swan, I adore you, and I can't picture living without you. Will you-"

"Wait!" Bella interrupted, feeling out of breath and panicky. "What are you doing?"

"Let me finish, so you can find out," he contended and Bella nodded numbly. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. She looked down at Edward while he stared up at her.

"Like I was saying, I can't live without you. I love waking up beside you and watching you stretch as you let the morning take over. I love watching you brush back your hair and I love fighting with you over damn toothbrushes. Will you," he paused and reached for the object hidden behind the wall and Bella breathed in relief and began to laugh.

"Is that a drawer from your dresser?"

"So, Bella Swan, will you move into my room? I made space for you," he proposed lifting the drawer up to Bella as she continued to laugh in relief.

"Yes, I will," Bella replied and Edward smiled widely at her and stood up. He dropped the drawer back onto the floor and pulled Bella close to him to kiss her.

"What did you think I was going to ask?" he teased as he kissed the tip of her nose before just tapping his lips against hers.

"I have no idea, honestly. I just saw you one knee and I started freaking out."

"The idea of marrying me freaks you out?"

"We've only just started this relationship," she defended and Edward pulled away smiling.

"Have we? I think we started twenty some odd years ago."

"True," Bella replied with a small smile on her face.

"Very true," Edward retorted and sat down at the table.

"You always have to be right?"

"You just realized this after all this time?"

"Snarky bastard," Bella teased as she stirred the potatoes in the pot.

"Your snarky bastard."

"How did I ever get so lucky?" Bella snorted and Edward scoffed.

"I speak sarcasm."

"Get the chicken out of the over, Smartass."

"With pleasure, love," he replied and smiled as he watched that familiar pink tinge cover Bella's cheeks.

They ate dinner by the television and enjoyed watching old reruns of some shows before Edward headed toward Bella's room.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm gonna help you pack."

It took an hour to grab all of Bella's things and bring them over to Edward's room and another two hours to try to figure out where to put everything in his bedroom. All the while, Edward smiled watching Bella's clothes start to take up space in his closet and her shoes starting to sit alongside his.

By eleven, the two were completely spent and sprawled across Edward's bed.

"God, that took forever."

"Who the hell knew you had so much crap," Edward teased.

"Yeah, because your collection of baseball cards isn't crap," she retorted and Edward gasped.

"Blasphemy! Those are worth money."

"Of course they are," Bella teased and got up to grab a change of clothes for the shower. When she placed her hair tie on the nightstand, she found a piece of paper sticking out from underneath the nightstand lamp. When she pulled it out and unfolded it, the letter X stood proudly.

"So this is where you hid it," she addressed Edward who smiled innocently at her.

"You found it. Give it here," he grabbed at it and Bella handed it over. He stood up, headed toward the closet, pulled out the wool cap, and placed the letter in it.

"What are you doing?" Bella asked perplexed.

"Might as well end the game correctly," he suggested and Bella shook her head.

"What's the point? We know what the letter is."

"If we had continued playing, we would have known what it was anyway. Besides, I thought you would enjoy following the rules one last time."

"Sure, why not, but we would have had to have done this yesterday."

"So, we'll make a tiny change and I'll pick the letter Friday night."

"You're out of your mind," Bella chuckled.

"Am not, Franco. I thought you would like this."

"I think I prefer your brand of anarchy, Chomsky."

=x=

The week seemed to have passed Edward by quickly even though his nerves would beg to differ. Every day since Monday, he sat anxiously awaiting any news from Mr. Meyers or Mr. Austen, but was disappointed and relived when he heard nothing.

Whenever it was time to go home, he would sprint down to the elevator and run to his car and peal out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. He didn't want to give them the opportunity to stop him on his way home.

However, everything changed on Friday.

It was around three when Alice buzzed him via the intercom.

"Edward," she called, her voice grave, making Edward's heart thump furiously in his chest.

"Yes, Alice?" he answered with trepidation and a slight warble to his voice.

"Mr. Austen would like to see you up in his office. I'm sorry, Edward."

"Alice, it's fine. It might not even be about that," he tried to convince not only Alice but also himself.

"You might be right," she told him as he walked by her.

"We both know I'm wrong," he quietly murmured and Alice nodded solemnly.

The elevator ride up was slow and torturous. The chiming of the numbers as he rose floor by floor only served to make him feel even more nauseous.

Edward made his presence known to Mr. Austen's secretary and walked with a delay in his step into Mr. Austen's office.

"Edward," both Mr. Austen and Mr. Meyers addressed Edward, and he wished them both a good afternoon.

"Sit, Edward," Mr. Meyers suggested and slowly he did.

"I'm sure you've heard around the water cooler why we've called you up here," Mr. Austen spoke and Edward nodded. For a moment, he felt like he was back in high school, sitting in the principal's office.

"That's good, Edward. Mr. Meyers and I think that you would make a fine executive officer of this company. We're opening up our second branch on the east coast, and we would love for you to be there for the initial first months as the director."

"Sir-" Edward began but Mr. Meyers interrupted him.

"I know it's a huge change Edward, especially because we would need to leave for New York next month, but there are very few people we believe have the capabilities to do this and you were the first person on the list."

"Sir, I appreciate the offer. I do. It's everything I've wanted since I started here, but my entire life is here in Washington. My family and my friends are here. I don't know if I can just uproot myself and move out east," Edward explained as he looked at the two men he considered his role models in the field and his bosses.

"I have a feeling this may have to do more with someone than a group of somebody's," Mr. Austen said and Edward hung his head in shame.

"There's no need to be embarrassed by that Edward," Mr. Austen comforted. "Who's the lucky lady that had stolen your heart?"

"Do you remember the Christmas party?" he asked and both men nodded.

"That lovely brunette that accompanied you?" Mr. Meyers asked and Edward nodded his head.

"But I thought…you kept introducing her as your best friend," Mr. Austen addressed confused.

"She is my best friend, but we've begun to explore the realms of our friendship further."

"She was a lovely woman Edward, and not to undermine what you two have, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime for you. This could really get your name out there in the advertising world, and in New York City," Mr. Meyers began. "New York City is the Mecca of all things advertising, Edward. If you got your name out there in New York, it could mean big things for your career."

"I know Mr. Meyers, but she means everything to me. I know it's bizarre to just outright express that she's that much of a fixture of my life, but I was in New York for three days, and all I wanted to do, was jump on the first plane back to Seattle," Edward replied and Mr. Austen smiled kindly at him.

"You are quite smitten with her, aren't you?" he asked.

"I love her," he answered and the two men turned to each other.

"Think about it Edward," Mr. Meyers seriously addressed him. "Talk to her about this. Perhaps she will make the move with you. Besides, it will only be for about six to nine months. Do you really think we would let you leave our firm here in Seattle?" He tried to make it sound light hearted but all Edward could think about was Bella. He knew she wouldn't go with him.

"Just think about it Edward," Mr. Austen repeated and Edward nodded as he shook both of their hands and walked back down to his office.

When Alice's head pulled away from the computer to look at him, he watched as she figured out what the serious look on his face was all about.

"I'm going home early, Alice," he quietly told her as he passed and Alice followed him into his office. She hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, Edward. It's funny how instead of celebrating this, we're taking it as if someone's just died."

"That's close to how I feel," he mumbled and Alice patted his arm in a comforting manner.

"Go home."

"I'll see you on Monday," he waved as he headed out.

=x=

He waited for two and half hours for Bella.

As soon as she walked in, she knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" she asked and Edward stood up.

"We need to talk."

"Nothing good ever comes from those words," she whispered and followed Edward into their bedroom.

"I'm getting a promotion," he began and Bella ran into him, hugging him tightly.

"Edward, that's incredible. That's fantastic," she cheered before she realized she was the only one. "Why am I the only one celebrating?"

"I would have to move to New York City."

"Oh," Bella struggled for breath as she sat down on the foot of the bed. "New York City," she repeated quietly while Edward stood next to her.

"They want me to leave next month."

"That's….that's great Edward," Bella quietly said, trying to control her emotions. Edward could tell by her shaking hands and the slight waver of her voice that she was on the verge of tears.

"I'm not taking it," Edward declared and Bella stood up quickly.

"Don't be stupid!" she scolded. "This is everything you've worked for. You have to do it."

"I can't, Bella. I can't go to New York without you."

"This is your career-"

"I can't leave you, Bella. I love you. I need to be with you all the time. I need to wake up and see your face every day," he argued and Bella shook her head as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

"You will not stay here because of me. Do you hear me? You have to do this. I love you too, but you have to do this."

"Bella-" he tried to speak but Bella interrupted.

"No, Edward. I knew this game was going to mess everything up. Look at us. You're jeopardizing your career for something that might not even last longer than the next month."

"I don't care."

"You should care!" she shouted.

"The game brought us together, Bella. It did what we least expected it to, but it gave me you."

"This game was the dumbest thing we've ever done. I should've never agreed to it."

"How can you say that, Bella? Do you regret it?" he bellowed.

"We should have never done this! I knew this would fuck everything up," Bella chastised, as Edward just stared blankly at her from across the bed.

They had set up the rules, shehad implemented them—she had been the one to really enforce them strictly,but damn it all to hell, the rules were meant to be broken.

"What do you want me to say Bella? I have no fucking clue what you want me to say, so please…please don't act like I'mthe bad guy! You were just a much a part of this, as I was. You agreed from the very beginning. I'm not the only one at fault here."

Bella wailed as she grabbed at the roots of her hair, muttering, "I knew it, I knew this would happen."

"There's only one letter left, Bella. Let's just finish what we started. After that, we'll see what happens," Edward whispered, walking up to her, bumping his shoulder with hers, trying to calm her down, but it didn't work; she was unbelievably tense.

He pulled the hat from the drawer, shook it twice, and handed it to Bella. They both knew what the letter was, but this was how the game was played since they first started four months ago.

"It's my turn," he muttered, taking a deep breath as he pulled up the rolled up loose-leaf paper. Quickly pocketing the paper after reading it, he walked out of their apartment to prepare for Saturday, leaving Bella to fester alone with her thoughts.