Edward POV
I took her hand in mine, my decision made. The idea had lingered in my mind since the moment I realized I could no longer resist her lure. The concept had grown and then fizzled with nary a hope when I left. Now that I was back, I couldn't deny it any longer. I wanted Bella for my wife. After reflecting on what Carlisle had told me earlier and what Bella herself had confirmed, I knew there was no other choice, not if we were to both be happy. Time for negotiations, however entertaining they were, was over.
"Seriously. If you want me to turn you, give me one year."
Her answer was quicker this time. "Done." She said. "Was that so bad?"
"I wasn't finished yet." I told her.
"Oh"
"One year and you have to marry me first."
I could tell I surprised her and I suppressed a smile. "Marry you?"
I nodded slowly cupping her face in my hands, my eyes trying to convey to her the depth of my feelings on this matter.
"Marry me Bella." My voice had grown hoarse with emotion and I held my breath waiting for her answer. Surely she couldn't deny me.
But she answered me with a question of her own. "Which comes first the marriage or the year?"
There was no hesitation on my part. There was no way I would wait a year for her to be mine officially. "Marriage."
Her brows furrowed and not for the first time I wished I knew what was going on in that beautiful head of hers. I was growing impatient. She was taking too long to answer and I started to fear her response would not be what I had hoped, what I had craved.
"You do realize that the only reason girls get married at my age is if they are knocked up"
It wasn't a yes but it wasn't a no either. There was room for persuasion. "Are you worried what people will think, is that it?"
She turned from me and started to pace. "Well…that's certainly part of it.
Cursing inwardly, I heard the motor of Charlie's car as it came down the block. I knew I had to leave but I didn't want to leave it like this, with this air of uncertainty between us.
"Charlie's coming" I said and winced at the relieved look on her face.
"I guess you have to go." She said coming over to me and wrapping her arms around me. I held her close breathing in her freesia scent and I didn't want to let go. She looked up at me "Can I have some time to think before I give you an answer?" She asked he brown eyes pleading for understanding.
I kissed her forehead reveling in the warm flesh beneath my lips. 'Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere." I gave her a half smile then "Well figuratively anyway. I do have to go home now. It wouldn't be good if Charlie caught me in your room."
"I know." She said holding me tighter. "So I guess you'll be going into school early tomorrow to re-register."
"Yes. Just Alice, Jasper and myself. Emmett and Rosalie are supposed to be a college." I said with a smirk.
"Will you come by later after Charlie goes to sleep?" She sounded hopeful and a bit uncertain.
"Nothing could keep me away." I heard the front door open and Charlie walked in the house.
"Bella!" he yelled out. "Bella are you here?"
"Down in a minute, Dad!" Bella yelled back. "I guess you should go." She said to me with a frown on her face.
I nodded hating the thought of being separated from her once again. Could vampires get separation anxiety? "Yes, I should…but first I want to do this." I bent down and kissed her as deeply and passionately as I dared. I felt her response, felt her body lean into mine and wanted nothing more than to push aside my carefully laid boundaries. My tongue moved across her lips seeking entry into her mouth and she gave it willingly. I groaned tasting the warm honey of her mouth and pressed my body closer. Unconsciously, I grinded my hips against hers and smelled the sweet ambrosia of her arousal. I knew I had reached my limit. When I pulled away, we were both breathing harshly.
The passion glazed look in Bella's eyes and the pout of her kissed swollen lips were nearly my undoing. If I didn't leave now, the results could be disastrous. I still didn't trust myself in that regard. "I really have to go." I whispered huskily. With one last caress to her cheek, I jumped from the window already missing her touch.
Alice POV
Stupid, stupid man! I kept repeating to myself pacing back and forth waiting for Edward to come back so I can tell him what I thought in person. He could have asked my advice but nooo; he had to wing it and botched it all. Thankfully, all was not lost.
I heard Edward approach and as soon as I saw him walk in the door, my temper got the best of me and I slapped him upside the head.
"Ow! Alice. What did you do that for?" He seemed genuinely surprised and more than a little annoyed.
"What the hell was that?" I countered. For someone so smart you can be so dumb.
"If I knew what you were talking about I'd answer you." He growled.
"You call that a proposal, Edward? What girl in her right mind would accept a half assed proposal like that? You didn't even ask. You demanded. As part of a stupid negotiation no less. Ugh." I said disgustedly throwing my hands in the air.
He grimaced raking his fingers through his hair. "Okay, I'll admit. I botched it. It wasn't like I planned it…not really. It just came out."
No kidding. I expected better from you. "Well, I'm sure we can fix this."
"We?" he didn't sound too enthusiastic for my help and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"You've already proven you can't do this on your own. You didn't ask her for one" I starting counting off on my fingers of each element that went wrong. "Two, where were the flowers, Edward? A girl likes to have flowers."
"Bella is not like other girls, Alice. She doesn't go for all that stuff." He was sounding more exasperated by the minute. I watched him almost gleefully.
Thankfully, I'll have lots of time to teach her. "And third and most important Edward, THERE WAS NO RING! How can you expect to propose without a ring?" I shouted.
"Who's proposing?" Emmett said coming into the house and literally plopping himself down on the couch with his feet automatically settling on the coffee table.
"Feet on the floor, Emmett." Esme said walking in behind him.
"Sorry." He put his feet on the floor. "So who's proposing?" he repeated.
"Someone's proposing?" Esme asked.
"Edward." I announced smugly.
I watched a bright smile light up Esme's face. "Oh, Edward that's wonderful. I know she'll say yes."
"She would have already if he didn't screw it up." I muttered under my breath.
Emmett guffawed loudly. "What did ya do bro? Go all caveman and demand marriage?"
"Essentially." I answered.
If possible, Emmett laughed louder.
"What's going on?" Rosalie, Jasper and Carlisle asked simultaneously coming in following Esme.
"Our Eddie here is getting married." Emmett never could resist gossip.
"Thanks Alice" Edward said sarcastically. I could tell he was uncomfortable and felt sorry that I opened my mouth.
Leaving our family to their own reactions, I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him up the stairs with me.
"We have some planning to do." I told them over my shoulder.
Edward was grumbling behind me. Poor Edward didn't like to be on display anymore than Bella did.
"So what happened with the wolf?" I asked curiously because I couldn't see anything of that confrontation though I knew that obviously nothing extreme happened or we wouldn't be discussing marriage plans.
Edward growled and his body tensed. Maybe I was wrong. "He had his hands on her Alice. He bruised her…badly. I wanted to kill him. I really did. But I stopped myself." His fists clenched at his sides.
Good thing too, Edward. Things would have been very bad if you didn't. "She is okay then, right?"
"Physically, she'll be fine." He shook his head then "But the things he was saying to her Alice. They were cruel and completely unjust. I won't repeat what he said. I don't think I can force the words through my mouth but suffice it to say, it left her badly shaken, especially in her trust in me."
"That's why you have to do it right this time." My mind quickly flitted through different scenarios all meeting with Edward's disapproval judging by the expression on his face. Then my mind settled on the meadow…their meadow and was met with a smile. The meadow would be in bloom of course so the flowers requirement was met.
"Of course" he said in wonder. "That's perfect."
I am a genius, I thought congratulating myself. "Now you just need a ring. Something from Tiffany's perhaps?" I queried.
"No." He said thoughtfully with a small smile. "I have something much better."
I followed him to his room where he pulled out a velvet box from his drawer.
"I was still debating when I took this from the safety deposit box at the bank yesterday." He opened the box to reveal an exquisite long oval ring that glistened with stones. "It was my mother's." he said softly with reverence in his tone. "I had always imagined giving it to the woman I was going to marry, to Bella" He amended. "And now, over 100 years later, I finally get the opportunity." He gave a lopsided grin.
"Oh Edward. It's beautiful. I am sure she'll love it." And it really was perfect. I could see it on Bella's finger without a doubt. As to when, well that was another story.
"Can you see Alice? Do you know if she'll accept?" He sounded so hopeful and so uncertain; I didn't want to disappoint him.
"She hasn't made her final decision yet so I can't tell you that." I tried for a vision, hoping to block him from my mind at the same time. "She's making a list." I said amused. How typical of Bella.
"A list." He responded his voice flat.
"Yes, a list. Of pros and cons. Why she should and why she shouldn't… right now" I said emphasizing the last 2 words to let him know that no matter what the outcome was now, she did eventually intend to marry him.
I could tell by his tense body language that he wasn't at all amused that I was keeping him from my thoughts.
"And?" He asked through gritted teeth.
The list was really funny actually. On one side there really was only a few cons; too young, gossip and that girl? The last one I didn't get. On the pros side, all down the page listed Edward Forever.
"And" I said "I would say the odds are in your favor."
Bella POV
I had hidden my pros and cons list in my drawer. I knew Edward would respect my privacy but I didn't want to take the chance he would accidentally see it and question me about it. There was no denying that I did want to marry Edward. That desire had always existed but now with the actual question laid right out in front of me, I couldn't help but be hesitant. What if I wasn't enough for him? Pulling the list from my drawer, I quickly wrote that on the cons side and tucked the list away again.
When Edward came back later that night there was no more talk of marriage or vampire transformations. We just laid in a comfortable silence on my bed, arms wrapped around each other, lightly kissing and caressing each other. He was always careful to stay within the limits of his self control and it irked me that he was able to when I had such a difficult time respecting his boundaries.
As we lay there, my mind wandered to thoughts of school in the morning and the questions from our classmates and friends that Edward's sudden return would inevitably bring. As if sensing my inward frown, Edward traced his finger down my cheek in a comforting gesture.
"Why do you look so troubled?" Edward asked. I could hear the concern in his voice and debated on whether or not I would answer truthfully.
"It's nothing" I finally replied feeling a slight blush rise to my cheeks. His lips flattened into a thin line. Apparently he wasn't happy with my answer.
"Bella, please be honest with me."
I sighed looking up at the ceiling. "If you must know, I was thinking about tomorrow."
"What about it?"
Obviously, he wasn't as concerned as I was. Didn't he realize that he would be faced with at school? "It's bound to be tough…for you I mean. I'll be on the receiving end of lots of questions about your return but at least I won't be able to read their minds. I just want to warn you that it may not be very pretty."
Although I couldn't see into my friend's minds, I could guess what types of memories they would recall of the toll Edward's departure had taken on me.
"I didn't expect it to be. I am sure though whatever I hear will be no less than what I deserve."
"How can you be so nonchalant about it?" I asked turning to look at him.
It was his turn to sigh. "Bella, love, what I did to you was unforgivable." I opened my mouth to interrupt him but he silenced me by placing a finger over my lips. "Let me finish. I thank the heavens above that you could forgive me so easily not that I am worth of it in the least. Even if you had not, I would never stop trying to gain it but I never expected others to grant me that same forgiveness. I deserve every bit of censure I get. I know it will be difficult to hear but I need to hear it, none the less."
"And I thought I was masochistic." I told him.
He smiled at me then kissing me on the forehead. "Let's not talk anymore if this. You need your sleep."
He started to hum my lullaby and I slowly drifted off into oblivion.
When I woke up in the morning, Edward was gone as I knew he would be but I still felt the loss of his presence. For the first time in a long time I was grateful for the chilly wet air that embraced Forks for I could wear a long sleeve shirt that covered up the dark bruises that Jake had given me. Jake. I thought wistfully and angrily at the same time. In one afternoon, he had effectively ruined our close friendship. I supposed I had played a large part in that but that didn't lessen the hurt I felt over his actions.
Edward's Volvo was parked in its usual spot as if he had never left. As soon as I walked into school, Jessica and Angela both ran up to me. Angela looked concerned but Jessica had what could be considered a malicious gleam in her eye. I didn't need Alice's gift to know that she couldn't wait to inform me of Edward's return and not in a way that was compassionate.
"Hey" I said in greeting, playing it off as if I didn't know anything.
"Bella" Angela looked at me. "I just wanted to warn you that…" Her voice trailed off as her eyes narrowed staring off at some point behind me. I could sense rather than see Edward coming up behind me. I felt his arms circle around my waist as he bent down to kiss my head.
"Hello, love." He whispered to me in that soft velvety voice that always reduced my legs to jello. I leaned back into him.
"Hi back." I said.
Angela's eyes were still narrowed and she looked like she was poised to say something. Jessica's mouth had gaped open, the malicious gleam turned to shock. I felt some inner satisfaction to her stunned reaction.