AN – First of all a huge, huge thank you to everyone who took the time to leave me a review for the last chapter: VampLove617, Cullen1994, CassieCat97, filthyhalfbreed, Icatch0302, VampirePrincess1244, twilightcrazed999, star-night-love14, Lulutbo, twilight-vamp-sis, Bellaangel383, ROSE, jac master and glamorai beauty.
Also a huge thank you to Cullen1994, Lultbo and newmoonuk40 for reviewing several previous chapters.
Secondly I'm really….really sorry I haven't updated in absolutely ages….I have just been so caught up with everything lately I really haven't had time for anything. I'm really not too sure how this chapter has turned out but I really hope you all enjoy it considering you have all had to wait so long….and I will do my best in future to update a little more regularly.
BPOV
"I….." His phone let off a loud shrill ring in the middle of my sentence and I couldn't help but notice the pained look of disgust which crossed his features.
He answered with a sharp brisk….. "Hello….."
"No!" he stated clearly irritated with the person….I had a feeling it was Tanya, due to his abrupt change in mood and stance.
"Fine….No….I'm not….Yes…..I'm….Errr….." His face reddened and he looked flustered for a moment… "Emmett's….."
My eyes instantly flickered towards his. It was Tanya. And he was lying about being with me.
"Fine…I will see you later," he hung up without even saying goodbye.
"I'm sorry…I," he whispered as his eyes met mine.
"Don't….I understand why you didn't tell her where you were, I don't think it would look good for either of us."
"Wha…." He tried to interrupt but I continued.
"You really shouldn't be here, I should not have told you where I live and I should not have let you through my front door."
"Then why did you let me in?" His voice held a slight edge to it.
I paused and looked down at both my hands, staring intently at them, not wanting to meet his gaze because I knew I couldn't answer him, I didn't know why I had told him where I lived and I didn't know why I had agreed to let him in.
In my line of work it was always made very clear that the relationship between myself and the grooms always stays professional. No bride wants the worry and pressure of her husband to be, running off with the wedding planner.
Not that, that really mattered in this case anyway, Tanya would never feel threatened by somebody so plain and boring as I was. I just couldn't help but feel this was wrong…somehow.
I was so lost in my own thoughts that my head sharply shot up when he spoke again….. "And…why does this matter, we aren't doing anything wrong….So there's no problem, I think your blowing this way out of proportion."
I couldn't help but feel slightly irritated by his blasé attitude, "If we're not doing anything wrong then why exactly did you lie to Tanya?"
He opened his mouth for a moment and then closed it again, seemingly not knowing how to answer.
"Maybe it would be best if you left." I whispered the words sadly, cringing at the way my voice squeaked.
What the hell was wrong with me? Could I really be upset at the thought of him leaving?
"Maybe it would." He agreed, "but I'm not sure I can bring myself to leave you just yet….I know that sounds odd but when I'm with you...I feel like….like…myself"
I smiled knowingly and continued for him, "you don't have to pretend to be something you're not…..You can just simply be…"
"Exactly," he whispered and I smiled and nodded in understanding.
"I used to – and still do - feel that way when reading Jane Austen…I know books are only books and they don't really compare to human contact or human company but after…..after my Mother's death and during my Father's….." I paused trying to think of a suitable word finally settling on the word "decline….it was my only true escape…..I didn't have to pretend to be brave. I didn't even have to worry about my problems; I just let the novel consume every part of me." He stared into my eyes as I finished talking and I shifted under his intense gaze.
"Emma" he whispered suddenly.
"Sorry?" I asked slightly confused.
"Emma, my favourite Jane Austen novel is Emma."
"Emma?" I repeated laughing; I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly.
"She's a little self absorbed isn't she? Not to mention a one hundred percent snob. She wants everyone perfectly and wealthily matched but lets her snobbish ways guide her, only succeeding in causing unhappiness….not really heroine material."
I finished satisfied at my short explanation, when talking about Jane Austen I had a habit of letting my mouth run away with itself.
"Ohhh" he proclaimed, his mouth turned up into a half smile. "As opposed to Persuasion's Anne Elliott, who doesn't even know her own mind and lets people easily persuade her into refusing the proposal of an honest and decent man who clearly loves her with every bone in his body."
"Persuasion is my" I emphasized the word my before continuing "favourite Jane Austen novel. Anne Elliott is – in my opinion one of the greater heroines – her struggle in finding love is even more endearing than Elizabeth Bennett and Eleanor Dashwood."
"Well I have read Persuasion twice and I have never found anything endearing or appealing about the character Anne Elliott, just feebleness of both mind and character."
I huffed, "Maybe you're just an exceedingly slow reader." I muttered sarcastically with irritation.
Anne Elliott is a character I most related to of all classic novels, her selfless nature of being able to please everybody without question is a quality – or weakness should I possibly say – that I had always felt I carried.
"Have you ever considered that maybe your just as slow a reader….Your strong dislike for Emma leads me to believe you don't understand the true meaning of the novel….Perhaps….."
My laughter cut him off as I suddenly realised the silliness of my insult, and I noticed his eyes appraise me for a moment before grinning widely himself.
"Maybe we both need a little educating when it comes to Jane Austen….I think I may read Persuasion again now, perhaps I will be able to relate a little more to Anne Elliott than I ever have before."
"If you have read it twice already what makes you think a third time will change your mind?" I asked generally puzzled at his logic.
He smiled slowly….. "because this time a beautiful and clever woman recommended it to me."
I stared at him for a long moment not quite understanding his remark….There was no way he could mean me? Was there? There wasn't exactly anyone else he could mean though….
Not that it really mattered; he was probably just being exceedingly polite and complimentary. For one thing me and beautiful could not really not be used in the same sentence – I wasn't beautiful I was simply ordinary – and for another thing Edward was getting married….I just wished I didn't have to keep reminding myself of that fact.
"Maybe I could also try and….and relate – you don't know how much this sentence pains me – to Emma a little more, even though she is a self absorbed snob."
He smiled wryly and shook his head…
We were both silent for a moment recollecting our thoughts when he finally spoke again.
"Sense and Sensibility is my second favourite."
"Mine too," I replied smiling at the fact that we could agree.
"If you love books so much, why do plan weddings?" he asked suddenly.
"Edward, do you like books?"
"Yes, I love to read." He looked at me his brows furrowed.
"So if you love to read so much why are you a doctor?"
"OK….Point taken. But seriously though why do you plan weddings?"
"I honestly have no idea. When I was younger I had this dream of opening my own little quaint bookshop...but my dreams soon became reality and I realised I needed money to live, I originally came to Seattle for college only after a few months my Father got sick….a heart condition and he needed money for medication and treatment, so finding a job became my first priority."
"Angela – my friend from high school who came here with me – had managed to find work at the firm we both work at now, she recommended me to her boss, I was given a trial, I was good, and so they hired me."
"Do you enjoy it?" he asked seemingly interested.
"It depends."
"On what?"
"When I see two people so in love that they want to spend eternity together and grow old together…I love it, I really do. But I rarely ever see it, I look at marriage and what it should represent and then I look at the many people I help to marry and what they represent together and it just isn't there. Am I making sense?"
Edward stared at me for moment before shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.
"What I mean is, is when I look at two people who are getting married, I can tell you if they are in fact in love with each other, or whether they simply just claim to be in love with each other. I can tell you whether the marriage will last forever, for two years or even three months."
"And you can tell all of that from just looking at how they are with each other!" Edward asked somewhat wary.
"Yes, from observing how two people orient around each other, or how they don't orient around each other, from watching them interact with each other. You would be very surprised at what you can learn when you watch people closely enough."
"So tell me what have you observed when watching me and Tanya?"
I opened my mouth to reply and then closed it again as my cheeks flushed crimson.
Edward smirked wryly, probably already anticipating my answer – as I dropped my eyes to the table - unless he was fooling himself into believing that Tanya and he were the perfect couple, which is however more than unlikely considering the open display of irritation he expresses around her.
I raised my eyes up once again to his and he was still wearing the same wry smirk which was really starting to irate and goad me, he was still waiting for me to answer clearing sensing my embarrassment so in a sudden fit of uncharacteristic boldness I decided to be entirely honest.
"I see two people who wish to marry to further themselves in society and their careers; you do work for her Father don't you?"
The smirk he was wearing only a second ago soon faded into a frown with a hint of sadness.
I swallowed not quite knowing where to place my face, I probably should not have said that, I don't know what came over me, I was never that honest with someone I worked for, no matter what my feelings where.
"And that is what you think of me?" He asked his voice hardened and callous.
"I…..I….No…..I" I stuttered and stammered not knowing how I could dig myself out of this situation.
"Your right coming here was one big mistake" he exclaimed abruptly; "it must be easy judging people from your position, planning weddings certainly may have given you a mild insight into people's feelings for each other but it has not made you an expert on people's motives for said feelings." His voice held an icy tone instantly getting my back up.
"You asked me the question Edward, if you couldn't handle the obvious answer why did you ask?"
He laughed bitterly:
"I may not love Tanya, she may not love me, but in three weeks I will marry her and in three weeks and one day you will most likely be planning another wedding, tell me Bella will you ever be planning your own wedding?"
How the hell he had turned this into about me, I do not know but before I could retort he had pushed away his chair and left without a word leaving me absolutely dumbfounded…
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