So that fall we packed up cars and headed for the east coast, but the journey wasn't always paved smooth for us. We made it through freshman year together great before Edward said that there was too much stress between school and worrying about me all the time, so we took a brief hiatus for a few months. From then on we were off and on more frequently than a light switch. By junior year we had broken up nearly 23 times, and quite frankly I was tired of it. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Edward and if he asked me to marry him tomorrow I would but the winter break of our junior year while we on another break I decided to mess with him some and see what I truly meant to him and where he saw us 20 years from now. We had never dated other people even while we were broken up but that summer I decided to change that…well it was mostly Alice's idea but all the same, it was a brilliant idea. I met Anthony through a friend and we had causally hung out in large groups before Edward's and I's split but now I was looking for something more. Anthony knew the situation and he was fine dating me to get back at Edward so it was a kind of win-win situation.

Anthony and I sat in the small booth a local pizza place that was all the rave on a Friday night before all the big parties hit, Anthony sat across from me absent mindedly drawing circles on the back of my hand as we waited for our pizza to arrive. Anthony was nowhere near as good looking as Edward in my eyes but I had of course been jaded many years ago by the Greek god's beauty, but Anthony was handsome. He stood around 6'1" with bright blue eyes and kind of dirty blonde hair. He was the epitome of east coast preppy.

"Bella? Hello earth to Bella!" I look up to see Anthony waving his hand in front of my face with a big goofy grin on his face telling me that he had been trying to catch my attention for awhile now. "Just thought you would like to know that Edward is about to walk through that door and I am guessing he saw us through the window and he doesn't look to pleased." And he was right because no sooner than a minute later Edward stood at the end of our table with a fury blazing in his eyes.

"What the hell is going on here?" He voiced soaked with venom which I am not sure was directed at Anthony or me.

"Hey Edward, you remember Anthony…my boyfriend." That put the cherry on the cake and Edward looked like he was about to explode.

"Bella can I talk to outside for just a moment…alone." I looked back at Anthony who gave me a slight nod before leaning over and kissing my cheek. He was so good at this game; he knew exactly how to push Edward's buttons without crossing any gentlemanly lines. I stood and began walking towards the door when Edward grabbed my elbow and began to make me walk faster out of the crowded restaurant. Once outside he spun me around to face him and all hell broke loose.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" He shouted.

"I am trying to have a nice pizza with my boyfriend before you so rudely pulled me away." I made sure to sound irritated even though all I wanted to do was laugh at the look on his face. 

"Edward we have been broken up for nearly a month and a half…it's not like I just picked up the first guy I met."

"But you and me ….we are suppose….we are always…Damn it Bella! You are mine!" I was shocked and turned on by his statement all at the same time but I couldn't give in and let him win.

"Well you relinquished that claim when you said you couldn't do this anymore." I motioned between us and he just seemed to get angrier. Edward threw his hands up and spun so his back was facing me as his hands rested clasped behind his head. For the first time in Edward's presence I was afraid…not of what he might do but of the fact that I had finally pushed him to far in my quest to get him to settle down.

"So everything we had, that's it, it's over?" He spoke finally with his back still to me but his hands had dropped to in front of his face.

"That's your call Edward. It has always been your call. This whole time it has never been me to call the quits, it's always been you. I put my whole heart into it but you are always willing to discard it at the drop of a hat when it becomes too hard for you to handle. Well I can't do it anymore. My heart can't handle the pain of being crushed again. So again it's your call." After I had finished my speech I was just left standing there for what seemed like eternity…..until finally he turned to face me.

It was one of those moments that will be documented in history for when the world stopped and time was lost. Every part of me went numb and the air felt like it had been kicked out of me and I was unable to grab another breath. And as I became immobile it seemed that Mother Nature wanted in on the emotion that ran rampart in the parking lot of the small diner. The sky split open exploding with heart retching silence as the sky cried its tears in the dark night. But none of this mattered. No the only thing that mattered was the feel of his lips on mine and his fingers that twirled at the hair on the back of my neck. His other hand that had grasped onto my waist moved and I suddenly missed its ferocious grasp, until I felt it take my left hand, slipping a cold piece of heavy metal around my third finger.

"I was saving it for Christmas, but I guess December 10th is just as romantic." He let out a small sigh as he rested his forehead against mine as I stared at the ring that was now resting on my finger. "I always want you Bella…I just get scared that you won't always want crazy ole' me. But never forget that I will always want you now and forever."

And there we stood holding each other in the first December snow, making a silent agreement that we would always love each other forever.

Someone holds me ,
Safe and warm,
Horses prance through a silver storm,
Figures dancing gracefully,
Across my memory...


Far away,
Long ago,
Glowing dim as an ember
Things my heart used to know
Things it yearns to remember

And a song
Someone sings
Once upon a December.

THE END