Why the hell can't I find something to wear? Even after I took every piece of clothing out of the closet, I still had nothing to wear to announce my engagement to the Second Richest Man in the World.
"What has you all in a tizzy?" Rose asked from the only chair in the room that wasn't covered with clothes. "We can run down to the shop to see if there is something there."
I purposely hid my left hand when I went downstairs to get her from the security desk. I thought we would just come to my apartment and access what we needed to move all my things to Edward's apartment. However, I didn't think about not finding "the" dress to let our friends and family know about the engagement.
Collapsing onto my clothes-covered bed, I bend over and try to regulate my breathing. This had to be the craziest thing I had ever done in my life. Who gets engaged to a man she has known for a month? But as utterly insane as it is, I couldn't wait to be Mrs. Edward Cullen. My love for him was beyond words. However, it reminded me of the love my parents shared. There was no doubt they would have loved Edward and would have approved of our engagement. I wouldn't have waited to tell mom. She had been my best friend and my guiding light through life. She would have helped me find the perfect dress for the announcement.
I jump to my feet and rush over to the engraved wooden chest that had been my mother's. As I lifted the lid, I was bombarded with memories of my mother. This chest was a gift to her from her mother on her eighteenth birthday, as it had been hers. Then on my eighteenth birthday, she gave it to me, telling me to store my possible "future" inside. The weekend before the horrible accident, Mom and I went shopping. She was looking for something to wear to the annual library fundraiser. We were in Barney's, and Mom had found the dress she liked and liked it even more when she found out it was on sale. As we were about to leave the women's department, I saw a dress hanging at the end of the rack.
It wasn't something I usually wore, yet something about it called to me. My Mom saw me looking at the dress and told me in no specific terms that we were getting it. I tried to tell her I didn't have anywhere to wear it, but she gave me one of the smiles which warmed every cell in my body and told me we would put it away for that special day in the future. When we got home, we placed it in the chest. The following week she was gone, and I had forgotten about the dress.
The box where the dress was neatly stored, was on the very top. I took a deep breath and removed the lid. Inside, the dress looked the same as it did the day when my Mom bought it. It was a black off-the-shoulder dress with a large white flower pattern. The sleeves were long and belled at the cuff. The hem hit just above my knees.
"Bella, that dress is stunning," Rose said beside me.
"It is. My Mom bought it for me the week before she died. With their unexpected deaths, I'd forgotten about it. She told me it was the dress I was meant to wear for a special day."
Rose's brow furrowed. "What is so special about today?"
I lift my left hand and smile. "I'm engaged."
"HOLY SHIT!" Rose yelled and grabbed my hand. "This is a vintage Tiffany."
"It was his grandmother's," I say as I gaze down at my beautiful ring and then at my dress. Mom, as always, had been right. This was the dress I was meant to wear when I announced my engagement. As tears burned my eyes, I looked towards heaven and silently spoke.
"Mom, I want nothing more than to have you here today. But since you can't, I have peace knowing you were the one who bought me this dress. You would have really loved Edward. Tell Dad he reminds me of him, except he is a Dodger fan. I will try to make him see the error in his judgment."
"Bella, what is this?" Rose asked, holding a long black velvet box.
It was something I had never seen before. I take out the box and open the lid. I couldn't help but gasp. It was a tennis bracelet. Taking the delicate bracelet out, I see the tiny diamonds around it. They weren't huge but sparkled in the light like prisms in the sun. Where did this come from? As I placed it back in the box, I saw a piece of paper folded in the lid. Removing the paper, I unfolded it and immediately recognized my mother's beautiful handwriting.
Bella,
Your father and I are so proud of you. We know you are destined to do great things. This bracelet is a symbol of our love. It is a circle that has no beginning or end. When you wear it, remember us and know we will always be looking out for you no matter where we may go.
Love,
Mom & Dad
"Oh, Bella, that is so lovely," Rose said in a broken voice.
With tears running down my face, I couldn't seem to express just how much I loved it. So I just nodded.
Rose wrapped her arm around me and pulled me close. After several minutes, the tears slowed, and I swallowed hard. "Thank you, Rose, for being such a great friend."
"Of course, now let's get this lovely dress and bracelet upstairs. You have guests arriving in a few hours. What else do you want to take up now?"
A bubble of laughter breaks through me as I think of the first reason I needed to come down here. "Panties, I need lots and lots of panties."
"Oh my," Rose said as her lips turned up with a wicked smile. "So, have you punched your "V" card?"
I could feel the warmth across my cheeks and down my neck. Why was this so embarrassing? "No. He is still so weak."
"But have you done anything else?" She asks. "Because why do you need lots of panties?"
"Alright, he has touched me, and I gave him a blowjob."
"Damn, girl. How was it?"
"Fucking fantastic. He is so big. At first, I was scared I wouldn't be able to do it right, but I guess all those videos helped."
"So, how big?"
"Rose, I'm not going to tell you how big my fiancé's dick is."
"Okay. Let's get your panties and anything else you want to take up. I'll come over tomorrow and help you pack up," Rose says.
I grab a duffle and stuff in panties, bras, and the sexy nightgowns Rose encouraged me to buy. If Edward wasn't too exhausted after dinner, I might have to wear one to thank him for the beautiful office. I zipped up the bag and walked into the living room. Boxes were everywhere because I hadn't had time to unpack them. It was a good thing, since it wouldn't take us long to pack up the few things I had unpacked.
"Rose, grab one of the lightweight ones. I'll get Jasper and Emmett to help us tomorrow move all these upstairs."
"Who are Jasper and Emmett again?"
"Both are executives in the company and Edward's best friends. They will be here tonight."
A small "Oh" escapes her lips as she nibbles on her lower lip, giving the impression of a composed and self-assured businesswoman. Yet I can see past the facade. Rose and I share the same curves, and although we've learned to embrace them, the lingering "skinny girl" mentality still haunts us. Society's expectations have ingrained in us the idea that a size sixteen equates to laziness and indulgence in sugary treats, leaving us feeling judged and insecure.
"Hey, I think you are going to like them. They are a lot like Edward, and as you know, he loves all this," I say as I run my hands over my curvy hips. Looking around, I see a box labeled office. "Take that box, and I will show the office Edward set up for us."
At five thirty, Edward, Rose, and I were sitting in the living room, the soft warmth of the sun streaming in through the window as we waited for everyone to arrive. Edward stared at me with such intensity when he saw me in my dress that a line of drool escaped his lips. After the shock had worn off, I showed him my bracelet and the message. He hugged me close, the warmth of his body radiating through me. I could feel the love he had for me humming between us. He softly asked if he could, when he was feeling better, pay his respects at their graves. I was already head over heels for him, but when I heard him wanting to do that, it felt like all of my love for him was amplified.
"They are on the way up," Edward says, looking down at his phone.
I felt my chest tightening as my heart raced. I closed my eyes and prayed that they will feel the same sense of elation we did about our engagement. But what if they weren't? I couldn't come between him and his parents. His large hand grasped mine and squeezed it. I looked up to his emerald eyes alight with overwhelming love. At that moment, I knew my fears were unfounded, and I just needed to be assured of our love for each other.
"Edward, Bella," Esme called out as she entered the room. She approached us and embraced Edward tightly before enveloping me in a warm hug. She stepped away from me and tilted her head, arching one eyebrow in question. She beamed at me, her smile radiating warmth before her eyes moved to Rose. "You must be the extraordinary designer I have heard so much about."
"I wouldn't go that far, Mrs. Cullen," Rose said as a bright hue colored her face.
"It's Esme, and I've admired the stunning dresses Bella wears. You have a way of cutting fabric which emphasizes a woman's figure."
"Thank you, Mrs., I mean Esme."
"The party can start now that I am in the house," Emmett boomed, walking into the room with Jasper. Both of them were carrying a bottle of beer. This was something I was going to have to stop. I loved Emmett and Jasper like the brothers I never had, but this was Edward's and my home, not a frat house. Some ground rules will need to be established. I didn't want them to walk in when Edward and I were having sex. Hell, it could have happened this afternoon when I was giving Edward a blow job. I didn't want to limit our sexual activities to behind closed doors.
"Emmett, you big idiot, come meet Bella's friend, Rose," Edward said, shaking his head.
As Emmett's eyes fixed on Rose, his mouth dropped in awe. His expression was like a man who had been in the desert for months, and she was the cool, refreshing glass of water he had been longing for. I waited for him to make a smooth move, but he just gave her a nod and walked to the other side of the room. What the fuck? Emmett was always so boisterous, yet he was acting like the shy freshman nerd around a hot senior cheerleader.
I looked up at Edward with a raised brow. He leaned down and whispered. "I'll tell you later."
"Okay."
He smiled and gave me a kiss on my forehead. He straightened up and took my hand, and gave it a squeeze. "Thank you for coming over this evening. I can't express how thankful I am for your support. Without each and every one of you, I don't know if I would have survived. Being near death made me see how much I had, and that isn't money, but love."
God, just when I didn't think I couldn't love him more, he goes and says something like that.
"When Newton Holdings came on my radar, I had no clue how life-changing this takeover would be. I wanted a place to put down roots not only for me but my base of operations. New York is where I was born, where my family is, and where the love of my life is. Well, I didn't know that last part until my friend brought me the information about an employee at Newton Holdings. She had something most people don't have, common sense. I didn't know at the time, but I fell in love with her without even knowing what she looked like. Then Jasper gave me a picture and my heart stopped. She was the woman of my dreams. I was an idiot for not telling her right away about my feelings and almost lost her. However, the higher powers have given me a second chance, and I am not wasting another minute," he said, then brought my hand up and turned it so everyone could see the stunning ring. "I asked Bella to marry me today and she said yes."
"OH, MY GOD!" Esme yelled as she rushed over, wrapping both of us into a tight embrace. "I knew it the moment I saw you two together."
"Yeah, I figured you did," Edward said. Esme stepped back and Carlisle took her place, giving us a hug.
"Welcome to the family," Carlisle said as he placed a kiss on my cheek.
"Dad, there is a bottle of champagne in the wine cooler and a bottle of sparkling water in the refrigerator. Can you get that for us to toast this special moment?"
"Sure."
Moments later, we all had a flute filled with the most delicious champagne except Edward, who was drinking sparkling water. He couldn't have alcohol until he had gained all his weight back.
"So, have you two decided on a wedding date?" Esme asked.
"As soon as possible," Edward answered as he turned towards Carlisle. "Dad, I've been away for so long, so I was wondering if you happened to know any judges who would be willing to perform the ceremony?"
"Why so fast?" Jasper asked.
"Because we want to start our life together. I don't want a fancy wedding. We want a small ceremony on the roof with just our close friends and family present," I answer.
"Edward, I know a judge and I know for sure they would be excited to marry you," Carlisle said.
"Really, who is it?" Edward asked.
"Judge Brandon."