AN: Thanks for all the reviews since the last update. Fated Love is over 100 now! Let's get to 200. I want to send out special thanks to edaddict3254, Edward's Baby Bella, JTStyle, Amazone3, and pmk kelly for your continuing to review each chapter. I appreciate all the reviews so much and thank everyone for any they contribute. Also, one special shout out to edaddict3254 for the reference to BJ101. I laughed when I read that review and I totally used that reference in this chapter. Thanks! Here is the week before the wedding. I hope you enjoy.
*I don't own them.
Prenuptial Week
BPOV
What a week!
The days preceding my wedding were a constant barrage of doctors, friends new and old, parties, visits, and games. I barely had time to breathe. On Monday, Edward and I decided on an OB/Gyn for me, Dr. Emily Young at the Northwestern Women's Center. However, it took us a couple rounds to get to that choice. We were having dinner of roasted pork loin and vegetables, while we discussed my options for obstetricians.
"I think you would really like Dr. Williams. He is a family friend and an esteemed long-time colleague of my father." Edward suggested.
"He?" I asked, raising my eyebrow at him. Edward seemed a little confused by my question.
"Yes, Dr. Douglas Williams." He told me, as if adding the first name made it all better.
"Yeah, Edward. I don't think so. No other man, aside from you, is touching my hoo-hah if I have anything to say about it." No way, no how. Edward just looked at me for a second before busting out laughing. What was so funny about that? Did he want me to invite the male population over for a show? I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Did you say hoo-hah?" He gasped out between his chortles.
"Is there a problem with my terminology?" I asked as I crossed my arms over my chest. He calmed down his laughter and came over to stand behind me and rub my arms.
"I'm sorry, baby. I've just never heard that term before. It just caught me by surprise." He said, all the while trying to contain his chuckles.
"Would vagina work better for you, Doctor Cullen? Whichever term you want to use, I don't want another man messing with either one of them." I said, pouting.
"Sweetheart, he's a doctor. Not some random guy on the street." He said, obviously not sympathizing with me.
"He's a man, doctor or not." I re-affirmed. Men just did not understand these things.
"OK, baby. I'm sorry. It was just a suggestion. There is an OB that I consult with a lot at Northwestern Medical. Her name is Emily Young. She is also very highly sought after." That sounded much better and I agreed that we should set up an appointment with her. She was able to get us in Wednesday morning at ten.
So, Wednesday morning came and I woke up to find Edward rubbing slow circles on my abdomen and smiling at me. He was too cute for words.
"Good morning my angel and my baby." He said softly as he kissed my lips and then moved down to kiss my belly. He had given us this greeting every morning since he found out I was pregnant. I didn't think I could love him more than I already did, but each day my feelings for him grew. I was glad that Edward didn't have to rush around and leave me for work. That morning was the first day of his vacation for our wedding and honeymoon. I played with his hair as his face remained near my stomach.
"Edward, what is going to happen at my appointment today?" I asked him. "I'm not sure if I ever told you this, but I don't really like doctors." I smiled as he lifted his face to give me a playful scowl and I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Don't stick that tongue out at me, Miss Swan, unless you plan on using it." He said as his face started creeping up towards mine again.
Hmmm. He used that sexy voice that makes my hoo-hah tingle. Edward likes my hoo-hah, even if he thinks her name is funny.
Inner good girl reminded me that I was trying to have a conversation.
"No tongue action right now. Tell me about my appointment." I warned him off from kissing my mouth by covering it with my hand, so he pressed against me and began sucking on my neck. Oooh, that felt good.
"Edward?" I asked. He hummed. The man has a one-track mind in the mornings. And in the evenings. Actually, pretty much all day long.
Not that I mind or anything.
I tugged on his hair to pull his face up. Unfortunately, he likes it when I tug on his hair. He groaned and began licking and sucking. I giggled at him.
He lifted his head and grinned at me. He took a calming breath and put his arms around me to hold me tight against him.
"Let's see. Well, you will probably get the usual blood pressure, weight, blood test. They will confirm your pregnancy. Since you are definitely less than six weeks pregnant, they will probably wait to do an ultrasound until your next appointment. They will calculate the birthdate by using the first day of your last period and counting forward 40 weeks. When was your last period?" He asked me. I thought back.
"Let's see. I left for Angela's wedding the first week of July. I remember being on my period the last week of June, so around June 25." I told him. He started counting in his head.
"So, they will set the birthdate around the beginning of April." He told me.
"Do you think we conceived on our first night together?" I smiled as I remembered our night in New York. He looked at me and kissed me.
"It's quite possible. We will have a better idea when they do the first ultrasound." He went back to rubbing my tummy and I sighed in happiness.
The appointment with Dr. Young went just as Edward described. She was fantastic and I felt very comfortable with her. My pregnancy was confirmed by the blood test and by her feeling my uterus. She estimated that I was likely around five weeks pregnant based on my uterus and symptoms so far. She scheduled another appointment for me in two weeks, where she said we would do an ultrasound to get a more definitive birthdate.
After leaving the doctor's office, Edward and I both met Esme out for our weekly lunch. She wanted to hear all the details of the appointment. She practically squealed when she heard that the birthdate was estimated around the beginning of April. We all three then went to the hospital to play with the kids. Dr. Edward was there on unofficial business and it was fun to watch him fooling around with the children. I started yawning after being there an hour and Esme told Edward to get me home for a nap. I did want to rest a little bit because we were picking up Jacob, Leah, Angela, and Ben at the airport later that evening and taking them to their hotel and out to dinner.
Edward took me home and I fell right asleep and stayed out for three hours. Eventually, Edward woke me up to leave for the airport. I was glad that we got each couple flights that arrived around the same time, so we didn't have to go to the airport twice. Angela and Ben were the first to arrive. I saw them walking out the doors, looking around. I grabbed Edward's hand and pulled him over to them. Angela gave me a big hug and we spent a couple minutes getting caught up. Edward charmed her right from the beginning and when the guys were talking by themselves, she looked at me and fanned her face with her hand, telling me Edward was hot. Like I didn't know that already.
We were only there about five minutes before I heard Jake calling my name. I turned around and I was caught up in a big hug. He was twirling me around and I could actually feel Edward's anxiety increasing. When Jake put me down, I smiled over at Edward, whose face looked strained. I went and grabbed his hand to hold and introduced him to Jake as I was introduced to Leah. She was quite pretty, with her long, dark shiny hair and rich skin tone.
Edward helped everyone get their bags in the Suburban and we all got in to take them to their hotel. We had reserved them rooms at the Drake. We got them checked in and they put their luggage in their rooms before we all met downstairs in one of the hotel restaurants for dinner. As we were dining, Ben and Edward were talking like old friends. Angela and Leah were also engrossed in conversation, leaving Jake and I to each other during most of dinner. He filled me in on his dad and everything happening, or not happening, back at home. Edward kept my hand in his under the table the whole time. Everyone was tired from their travel, so we called it a night after dinner and told them we would pick them up bright and early in the morning. Edward kissed my hand when we got back into the car to go home.
"Did you have fun seeing your friends?" He asked me.
"Yes, it's great seeing them. I'm happy they were able to be here for my wedding." I told him, smiling.
"Jake and Leah seem like a good couple." He said, sounding a little unsure. He glanced over at me.
"They seem good together from what I can tell. I'm happy he has found somebody." I said. He seemed to want to say something, but was hesitating.
"So, you don't think he still has feelings for you, do you?" He asked. I chuckled. So, that is what this is all about. Edward was wary of Jake. I shook my head.
"No, Edward. And even if he did, I've never returned them and I never would. There is only one man in the world that I have eyes for." Truthfully, Edward was so far out of every other guy's league in my eyes, I didn't understand how he did not know that. He looked over at me again with a little smile on his face.
"Oh yeah? Who is that one man?" The playful tone of his voice assured me he believed me. I decided to play with him a little though.
"George Clooney." I replied dreamily. His mouth dropped open in surprise. I started rolling in my seat laughing. He was muttering something about George Clooney being an asshole under his breath. I grabbed his hand and kissed it over and over.
"You are in big trouble when we get home, Miss Swan." He said gruffly. I bit my lip, knowing I was about to get sexed up by my personal adonis.
My inner bad girl was deleting her Clooney pics from her laptop.
I swear the tires squealed a little as Edward swerved into his parking spot. I may have squealed a little, too. Edward jumped out as soon as he cut the engine. My door was opened and his mouth was on mine before I had my seatbelt unbuckled. He got my seatbelt off of me while his attack on my mouth continued. Then, Caveward appeared. I was suddenly hanging over his shoulder as he made his way to the elevator.
"Edward, put me down." I shrieked. I started smacking his ass.
"No." He just got on the elevator nonchalantly like he was carrying a piece of luggage or something.
Unfortunately, the elevator stopped on the lobby level and somebody else got on. I couldn't see them because all that was in front of me was Edward's fine ass.
"Edward, put me down!" I whispered furiously. Whoever else was on the elevator was chuckling at us.
"I can't do that, Miss Swan. George Clooney's on the elevator with us." I couldn't help myself. I started laughing. I felt the elevator stop and let off whichever of our neighbors that I would never be able to face again. When the door closed, I smacked Edward's ass again.
"Edward!" I whined.
"I think it is you that needs the spanking, Miss Swan." He said coolly. Finally, we reached our floor and Caveward trotted us inside.
I felt the world right itself as I was plopped on the living room couch. I licked my lips remembering that we hadn't yet christened the living room couch. My khaki capris, pink top, and bra were on the floor immediately, along with Edward's clothes. His mouth was back on mine and I moaned, feeling his body press down on top of me. I felt his fingers dip into my panties and stroke me. His lips then left mine so that he could talk in my ear.
"You are wet for me, right Bella? Is this for me? Tell me I am the only one you'll ever want." I felt his fingers thrust inside me. He was in possessive mode and that was alright with me.
"Ungh! Yes, Edward. Ah. Only you…Ever." I tried to get the words to come out, but his fingers felt so good and his mouth had moved to my nipples, sending shivers down my spine. His mouth swirled my breasts, licking and sucking his way from one to the other. He then moved to my neck again, while his magical fingers continued their ministrations. When his thumb started rubbing my clit, I was so close to my orgasm that I could taste it.
"Do you want to come, Bella? Come for me, love. Only for me." His panting words in my ear sent me over the edge. I was still shaking from my high when Edward ripped my panties off and moved into position between my legs. We both moaned as he entered me. I have no doubt, it will be the same feeling of completion in thirty years as it is now. I wrapped my legs around him, so I could feel him as deeply as possible when he buried himself inside me.
"Oh, my Bella. You feel so good." He said to me, his hot breath gliding over my neck. He was pumping in long, slow strokes, as if he wanted to take his time feeling every part of me. I squeezed my muscles down there which made him groan as he felt it. "Baby, you are so tight when you do that." He moaned. His mouth came back to mine, kissing me until we were both gasping for air. Then his hands came around my legs, unwrapping them from around him, and hooking my knees with his elbows. This movement bent my thighs all the way back, so they were practically touching my torso.
Holy shit! This was new. He started pounding me in this position and I had never felt him go so deep before. We were both emitting incoherent sounds with each thrust. I was soon coming again, praising his name for making me feel that good. I felt him straining to hold himself back until I came and he let loose quickly after me. I sighed in pleasure as he filled me up, slowing his thrusts down as he released. He let go of my legs and brought his arms around me to hold me tight to him, as we both caught our breath. My fingers reached to brush through his hair.
"Mmmm, Edward. That was fantastic." I murmured in his ear. I felt him smile against my neck.
"Yes, it was, baby. Clooney Schmooney." He laughed as I giggled at him. We eventually made it up to our bed.
The next day we were busy from the start. Edward and I picked up my guests while Alice and Jasper chauffeured several of Edward's guests from the Drake. We first stopped by Alice's boutique so she could quickly do fittings on Angela and Dave, since they were both in the bridal party. Then, we took everyone out for brunch, before heading to the dock so Edward could take us all sailing for the day. We had so much fun out on the boat, even though I was really nauseous for part of the ride. I think Jacob even started winning over Edward as they seemed like best buddies when Jacob was helping maneuver the sails. After the boat, everyone went home or to the hotel briefly to get showered and dressed before we all headed to the Bears' last home preseason game. Jake and Angela were so excited to see Emmett out there playing in a professional game. Esme and Carlisle made sure my guests were well taken care of and comfortable. The catered stadium food was a big hit with everyone, as we were all famished from being out on the water all day. When we finally got home, Edward and I both collapsed from the fatigue of the day and fell to sleep quickly.
Friday, the boys and girls were separated most of the day. Rose, Alice, Angela, Leah, Dave's wife Kate, and I were picked up in a limo around noon and treated to a full day's treatment at a spa. I was excited to see Mitch again. He was practically doing cartwheels when he found out that night would be my bachelorette party and my wedding was in two days. After the pampering, the girls all went to Alice's house to get ready, since Alice had outfits for all of us. I was in a strapless red dress that was tight down to the waist, but had a swingy short skirt that only hung to mid thigh. The girls took me out to a nice dinner first, where they gave me gifts that were going to make Edward's tongue wag, including crotchless panties and massage oils. They all laughed when I told them I didn't need any accessories to get Edward excited. Next, they took me to a private club where all of us were given pole dancing lessons. I blushed like a tomato when Alice explained to us why we were there.
"Rose and I figured that since you passed BJ101 with flying colors, that you were ready for more advanced education." Alice said. My hands covered my face in embarrassment as the rest of the girls chuckled.
Our "tutor" was named Lola. Shocking, I know. She taught us how to hang and spin on the pole and even hold on upside down. We each had a turn on the pole as she instructed. Alice had a pair of shorts for each of us to throw on under our dresses before we got on the pole. My thighs certainly got a workout from clenching around that pole. It was actually really fun, although I didn't know when I would ever use the information I gained. It wasn't like I was going to put a stripper pole up in our bedroom.
Although, inner bad girl was drawing up designs for one.
Following the pole dancing lesson, our limo took us bar hopping. Alice stayed sober with me, as the rest of the girls were getting quite schnockered. Angela kept dragging me onto the dance floor and yelling to everyone that I was getting married. There were several eager males wanting to give me a last night of fun. Rose's claws came out when I was having trouble getting away from one guy that didn't want to let me go. One thing you don't want to mess with is a drunken Rose. That guy will probably have to ice his balls for a week. By midnight, I was dragging from exhaustion. Alice noticed and got everyone gathered up and into the car. After dropping Angela, Kate and Leah off at the hotel, Alice handed me back my cell phone she had been carrying. I smiled and laughed when I saw several drunken texts from my bronze-haired bachelor.
I love you, Bella –xoxoEdward
You are sooooo beeyouteeful –xoxoxxEdward
I wich you were here –xxEdwerd
Jas#peer sux -xE
Lick yu so mcuh –E
Ned u her –e
I snickered thinking of the mess he was going to be when I got home. Alice helped me gather my gifts and take them up to the apartment when we arrived. When I opened the door, I heard Edward in the living room.
"Baby?" He called out. I walked in there and saw him sitting, rumpled on the couch. His hair stood out in all directions and he had a silly grin on his face. I looked at Alice and she just shook her head at Drunkward.
"Good luck with him, Bella. I am going to go home. I will see you tomorrow." She gave me a hug.
"Thanks for tonight, Alice. It was a lot of fun. I'm glad you listened to me about no strippers." I told her as I hugged her back. I made it clear I didn't want some stranger's junk in my face all night. She laughed and headed for the door.
"I'll lock up behind me. Goodnight." She said before walking out the door. I turned back to Edward.
"Baby!" He said and held out his arms for me. My silly, drunk man. I needed to get him some aspirin and water.
"Did you have fun tonight?" I asked him.
"Yeah, but I would rather be with you." He slurred out. I went over to him and he pulled me onto his lap. He smelled like he had been drowned in bourbon. I felt my stomach getting queasy.
"Edward, my love. Why don't we go upstairs? I want to get you into a quick shower and get you to bed." His arms tightened around me.
"Shower with you." He mumbled into my hair. I stifled a laugh and broke his grip around me so I could stand up. I grabbed his hands and tried to pull him off the couch. It took a while to get him up the stairs. I really did have to get him in the shower because there was no way I was going to be able to sleep next to him smelling like a distillery. He was moaning when I started taking his clothes off of him. Luckily his coordination wasn't so great, so he couldn't get a good grip on me, and I was able to ward his hands off enough to get him naked and push him into the shower. He started singing as the water steamed around him. I went to go get him some water and aspirin so he wouldn't have a massive hangover in the morning. After I thought he was relatively clean, I turned off the water and dried him off as he grinned lasciviously at me. I made him brush his teeth, drink his water, and take his pills. I got him into bed and turned around to get myself undressed and wash my face. By the time I got into the bed with him, he was snoring.
But, at least he smelled good again. I smiled and curled up next to him and fell asleep.
EPOV
It was a busy week leading up to the wedding. I was overwhelmed with joy on Sunday when I got my gift from Bella, telling me she was pregnant. I couldn't wait to go with her to her first doctor's appointment. Each morning, I rubbed her belly, just watching her sleeping, and thought about how much she meant to me and how lucky I was. My Bella couldn't give me a greater gift than the one she carried inside her. After deciding to go with Dr. Young as the OB, I called her personally to see if she could fit Bella in as a patient. She was very accommodating and got us in for an appointment on Wednesday. Bella seemed to like Dr. Young very much and it made me happy that she felt comfortable with her.
Bella was getting fatigued very easily and I didn't want to wake her from her nap on Wednesday afternoon. But, I knew she would be upset if I went and picked up her friends without her, so I let her sleep as long as I could before rousing her. Her friends were very happy to see her and excited to meet me. I didn't particularly care for the way Jacob was swinging Bella around when they first arrived. I bit my tongue from saying anything though. I tried to gauge all night whether he was still harboring romantic feelings for her, even if he was with Leah. I couldn't help feeling a little jealous because he has known her so long. That jealousy stemmed a little possessiveness in me, provoking me to haul Bella into our home and show her she was mine. It didn't help matters when she teased me about George Clooney.
Fuck him.
On Thursday, I realized Jacob wasn't so bad. He was really good at helping me manage the boat. He sat down with me and engaged me in a private talk, sizing me up just as Emmett and Rose had.
"So, you and Bella are jumping in pretty fast?" He said with curiosity in his eyes.
"It was meant to be. She and I knew instantly there was a strong connection between us. Why waste time when we know?" I replied. He held up his hands, as if surrendering.
"I just want to see her happy. I used to think that I would be the man for her, but it never came to be." I couldn't help my glare. He sighed. "Look, I'm not in that place anymore. She is my best friend and I would do anything for her. But, I know she loves you and you love her. Anybody can see it just looking at you two. I'm happy for her. Just don't ever hurt her." He said. There is no way I would ever hurt my angel. We came to an understanding and I felt better when I knew he didn't think of her as more than a friend anymore.
Friday, all the guys got together during the afternoon for a round of golf. We had a blast out on the course and I was already half lit by the end, having imbibed in quite a few beers. All of us were being driven around in a stretch Hummer and went out to dinner following golf. After dinner, I was escorted to a club where we had a reserved VIP section that overlooked a packed dance floor. The drinks were flowing. I was curious when I saw Emmett and Jacob huddled in what seemed like an intense conversation in the corner. I swore I heard the name James as I neared them and I immediately tensed up.
"What's up?" I asked them and looked at Emmett's anxious face. He was hesitating to tell me something. That sent off my panic alarm.
"Emmett, what is going on?" I asked him again more urgently.
"Calm down, Edward. It's probably nothing." He said, but he sounded worried. I looked at Jacob, demanding with my eyes that he give me some answers. I saw Emmett nod to him to tell me.
"I was telling Em about something that happened a couple days before we flew out. Like he said, it's probably nothing." Jacob said. "Leah was picking up something from the grocery store and ran into a girl named Victoria Johnson. Leah didn't know who she was, but she was very friendly to Leah. Thinking about it now, I'm sure Victoria must have seen Leah and me together sometime." He said, as if he was talking to himself. He paused and then continued. "Anyway, Victoria started chatting Leah up and she was asking questions about Bella, telling Leah she was an old friend from high school. Leah didn't know any different and mentioned that she was actually leaving in a couple days for Bella's wedding in Chicago." My mind was whirling. I didn't know who Victoria was, but by Emmett's expression, it had something to do with James Monroe. I stared at Emmett.
"Who is Victoria Johnson?" I asked him. He slumped his shoulders.
"She was James' girlfriend during his six months in high school." He replied. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I felt Emmett's hand on my shoulder. He was trying to calm me down. "Edward, I'm not sure if this means anything at all. She is on the other side of the country and James is locked up with no chance at parole." For some reason, that didn't make me feel any better. I had a bad feeling about this Victoria.
"Is there a way to find out if Victoria is still in contact with James?" I asked. Emmett nodded.
"I am going to call some of dad's old police buddies to see if they can find out if James has had any visitors or phone calls from her." He explained. I nodded. It was obvious this girl had some agenda if she went to so much trouble to get information about Bella. Why would Leah say anything in the first place? Jacob almost seemed to sense my irritation with Leah.
"Leah didn't know, Edward. We come from a small town. Everybody talks to everybody. She felt awful when I told her who Victoria was, after she informed me of her meeting and conversation." He said. "But, she never mentioned you at all. She only kept the information to Bella getting married and us traveling to Chicago to see it." He added. I was thinking to myself that it would be difficult to find out where Bella was in Chicago without knowing my name. In fact, hers was about to change to Cullen. But, there was always the link to Emmett. I'm sure everyone in Forks knew that one of their own now played for the Chicago Bears. I was deep in contemplation of maybe hiring a private investigator to dig up any info on this Victoria when I noticed all my med school buddies start shouting. I sighed when I realized that they had hired a couple private dancers. I was so not in the mood. Not only did I not want any other woman near me except Bella, I especially didn't want to go back to my pregnant fiancé smelling like cheap perfume. I saw Jasper walking towards me.
"Jazz, I can't deal with that now. Go tell them to stay away from me. They can keep the other guys entertained." He heard the resolve in my voice and nodded. I saw him walk over to the group to lay out the instructions. Emmett, Jacob, and I sat down at a small table. Then, Jasper was back, pulling up a chair with a bottle of Jack and four shotglasses. The four of us proceeded to get fully shit-faced. I needed the alcohol to ease my anxiety a little. I texted Bella for the next couple hours. I just wanted to be with her and hold her in my arms.
I don't remember a lot after Emmett and Jasper practically carried me into my apartment. I do recall my angel in a red dress and how much I wanted to kiss her. The next thing I remember is waking up with cotton mouth and Bella sitting beside me on the bed with a tray of hangover cures for me. She must have made me take some pain relievers prior to bed the night before because my head didn't hurt too badly. I smiled up at her. She was so beautiful.
"I love you, baby." I told her. She looked over at me and chuckled.
"Drink some coffee, Edward. I have some toast here also and a little juice. You need some fluids." She said. She sounded like the doctor in our relationship.
I sat up and ate and drank what she had brought up for me. I didn't say anything about wishing she hadn't carried a tray up the stairs, even though I wanted to. I looked over at the clock and noticed it was 10:30.
"Wow, I really slept in didn't I?" I asked.
"You guys must have ingested most of the liquor in Chicago. It was funny seeing you so toasted last night." She said, grinning at me. I groaned thinking of all that Jack I drank. I don't normally indulge in hard liquor like that, mostly sticking with beer and wine. But, hell, it was my bachelor party. My one and only. I suddenly remembered we were getting married the next day. I smiled over at her.
"Baby, we are getting married tomorrow." I was so excited to see her dress as she walked down the aisle toward me.
"I can't wait." She said softly, her eyes watering a little. I loved her so much.
I finally got up, showered, and dressed. Alice came over around noon to help us get everything packed up and ready for our honeymoon and to get everything Bella needed for tomorrow. After the dinner that night, Bella would be staying with Rose and Alice at my parent's house for the evening and getting ready there the next morning. I didn't like sleeping away from her but had agreed to the arrangement and supposed I could deal with it for one night only.
A few hours later, we were on our way to my parent's house for the rehearsal and to meet the minister. Bella gasped as we walked out with mom and dad to see the tents set up and the decorations that were already in place. It did look really great. There were a lot of workers around, busily arranging everything for the next day.
"Oh Esme, it's gorgeous." Bella said, bouncing around and holding my mom's hand. Mom was beaming at her.
"I'm glad you like it. It should look even better tomorrow." Mom told us.
Soon after, the bridal party arrived along with the minister. He met with Bella and I privately to start, introducing himself and asking us some questions. He seemed like a very nice man and he invited us to attend his church if we were ever inclined. He led us all through a mock ceremony, as he and Alice gave everyone instructions on where we would be walking from and where to stand and what to do. I saw Bella's eyes watering as Emmett walked her down the aisle. I heard him joking with her, trying to get her to laugh. Emmett was not only going to be giving her away, but he was then going to be one of my groomsmen. After everyone was confident in the procedure, we bid farewell to the minister and all of us loaded in cars to meet my grandparents for dinner. They had arranged a private room for us at a local restaurant. Champagne was poured for every person and my dad got up to give a toast.
"We are happy to have you all here tonight to celebrate the wedding of Edward and Bella tomorrow. Esme and I were beginning to get nervous that this day would never come for our Edward. But, we are overjoyed that fate brought Bella into his and our lives. We love you both very much and wish you a lifetime of happiness together. Cheers!" We all raised our glasses and I saw Bella take a tiny sip and set her glass to the side, left untouched for the rest of the night. I smiled at her and rubbed her belly.
I drove her back to my parent's house after dinner. She and I walked in and sat down next to each other in the living room to exchange our wedding gifts. I held her hand in mine, before leaning in to kiss her softly. She was so beautiful, as her eyes glistened with tears even before we opened our gifts. I knew how much it meant that we were so close to our vows tomorrow. I felt the same butterflies of anticipation as she did, knowing that we would soon be bound together forever.
She handed me my gift. I smiled at her before carefully removing the wrapping. I opened the box and pushed the tissue paper to the side, revealing a new stethoscope. I grinned as I saw she had it engraved.
My heart beats only for you, forever. Love, your Bella.
My eyes began to water, reading the inscription. My fingers traced the engraving lightly before I pulled her tight to me in a hug.
"Thank you, love. It is beautiful and I love it." I whispered in her ear.
The tears were streaming down her face as I pulled back to look at her and hand over her gift. I brushed her cheeks with my thumb and kissed her softly again. She opened the box and saw that I had gotten her a first edition book, one of her favorite romance novels, Wuthering Heights.
She turned over the front cover to reveal my inscription to her.
My Bella,
Our love story surpasses all of the classics. Romeo and Juliet, Heathcliff and Catherine, Elizabeth and Darcy, none of them hold a candle to Edward and Bella.
I love you forever.
Your Edward
She cried as she read it over and over. She then placed it to the side and threw her arms around me.
"I love you so much." She said through her tears. "Thank you for that, it is the most wonderful gift."
We sat there holding each other for a long time, enjoying the humming energy between us. I finally pulled back, knowing my family was waiting for us to part before coming in. We smiled at each other and I brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" I asked her.
"I'm ready to be your wife." She replied simply, making my heart stutter in excitement.
I helped her up off of the couch and she walked with me to the door to say goodnight. I pressed her into the frame, needing to feel her close once more before I left. She raised her face to me for one, last deep kiss. That was the last time I would kiss Isabella Marie Swan.
My next kiss would be to Isabella Marie Cullen.
AN2: Next up is the wedding. Please review and let me know what you think!
Also, if you love vamps, check out my other story, Choices.