Sorry this chappie took so long. It was just really, really long - 16 pages, the longest chapter I've ever written (yet). There's not a lot of real, plot altering action,but it does a lot of sorting out things and tying up loose ends that needed to be tied before the last three heart-warming chapters and the epilogue. There are also a couple of surprises in side, but for that, you need to read on....
Chapter 26 – Meant to Be (Rosalie's POV)
Several days later…
Almost three weeks had pasted since Emmett and I got engaged and I couldn't be happier. This wasn't like when Royce and I had gotten engaged; then, I had just felt this glowing sense of pride, knowing I would be a King and the envy of every other woman. Now, I felt lighter than air, like I was always floating, I was that happy. Being around Emmett made me really realize just how lucky I truly was. I still couldn't believe my good luck.
When the McCarties arrived, Emmett immediately came over to me and kissed me on the cheek, as he always did. Then he pulled me off the loveseat where I sat and started leading me to the door. "Emmett, where are we going?" I asked him.
He paused in front of the door. "I just realized this morning that we never told Carlisle and Esme that their matchmaking attempt finally succeeded," he said. "I thought that we should go tell them in person, rather then having them find out from the wedding invitation. What do you think?"
I wound my fingers through his. "I think you are absolutely right. Let's go." Fingers laced together, we hurried outside, into my carriage, and set off for Carlisle and Esme's house.
Alice's POV
My parents and I walked into the Whitlocks' sitting room to find the Whitlocks' already there, waiting. Jasper's whole face lit up as I walked into the room. Immediately, he was on his feet and across the room, standing next to me. He kissed me on the cheek before leading me over to the loveseat. We sat down and he wrapped an arm around my waist. I snuggled the tiniest bit closer to him, thanking my lucky stars that Jasper and I had met at Carlisle and Esme's party. I gasped.
"Is something wrong, Alice?" Jasper asked me, concerned.
"No," I said. "I just realized that we haven't told two very important people that we're getting married." Jasper looked at me, confused. "We haven't told Carlisle and Esme. Think of how happy they'll be to hear that we're getting married."
"You're right," Jasper said. "We should go tell them immediately. Is that a problem, mother, father, Mr. Brandon, Mrs. Brandon?"
"Not at all," said Mr. Whitlock. Jasper and I immediately got up from the loveseat. We walked outside, got into his carriage, and set off for Carlisle and Esme's.
Bella's POV
"Bella, sweetheart, you said you wanted Alice and Rosalie as your bridesmaids, yes?" my mother asked.
"They're my closest friends, mother," I said with a smile. "Of course I want them as my bridesmaids."
"And Edward, you said you wanted Emmett and Jasper as your groomsmen?" Mrs. Masen asked.
"They won't forgive me if I don't let them be groomsmen, so I don't have a choice," Edward joked.
"Excellent," my father said. "Now all we need is a minister and someone to do the music. But who?"
All of us fell into silence as we contemplated who we could get to fill the last two parts of the ceremony. Suddenly, I had an idea. "What about Carlisle?" I suggested.
"Carlisle Cullen?" Mr. Masen asked.
"That's a wonderful idea, Bella," my mother said.
"I agree," Mrs. Masen said. "After all, he and Esme are partially responsible for bringing you two together."
"I'm fine with Carlisle officiating," my father said. "Now all that leaves is music."
"Well," Edward said. "Esme does have some musical talent and it would be unfair to leave her out of this. Why doesn't she play piano for the ceremony?" Nodding heads were all around the room.
"Then it settled," Mr. Masen said. "Carlisle will officiate and Esme will provide the music. Edward, why don't you and Bella walk over there right now and ask them if they don't mind?"
"Of course, father." Edward and I stood and walked out of the room. We walked outside, into the light of a rare sunny day, and set off for the Cullen's mansion.
Rosalie's POV
My carriage pulled up outside of the Cullen house. Fortunately, their carriage stood in the driveway, which meant they were at home. Emmett and I climbed out of the carriage and started walking up the steps. We were half way up the steps when we heard the sounds of carriage wheels on the Cullen's driveway. A carriage door opened and we heard two people get out. The door shut and I heard them walking towards the stairs.
"Rosalie?" I heard a familiar, high soprano female voice say at the same time a male voice with a slight southern accent said, "Emmett?"
Alice's POV
As Jasper's carriage pulled up in the Cullen's driveway, I noticed a second carriage standing there alongside theirs. Oh, dear, I thought, I hope we're not interrupting something. Jasper and I got out of our carriage and started walking towards the stairs. At the bottom, we both jerked to a stop. Half way up the steps was another young couple, not much older than Jasper and I. The man was burly and muscular and tall, with curly dark hair. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't place him. The woman at his side was stunning, blond hair and a statuesque body. Her I recognized.
"Rosalie?" I called in surprise.
"Emmett?" I heard Jasper call at the same time.
The couple turned. I could see now that it was, in fact, Rosalie and Emmett. No wonder he seemed so familiar, I thought. Wait a second; I thought Rosalie and Emmett were in a fight. What are they doing here, together? They started walking down the stairs, surprise coloring both of their faces. "Alice, Jasper, whatever are you doing here?" Rosalie asked once they had joined us at the bottom of the stairs. She sounded every bit as surprised to see me with Jasper as I was to see her with Emmett.
"We were about to ask you the same thing," Jasper said.
"As were we," said a velvety male voice from somewhere behind and off to the side of our little grouping.
Bella's POV
Edward and I ambled slowly through the gates at the bottom of Carlisle and Esme's driveway, enjoying the sun and each other's company. As we got further up, we could see two carriages in addition to Carlisle and Esme's own. "Do you think they're busy?" I asked Edward.
"We'll find out, love," he replied. As the house came into sight we saw two couples outside the house. One stood at the bottom of the stairs, a muscular but lean honey-blond man and a petite black-haired woman. The other couple was walking down the stairs towards the first, a burly, tall, muscular dark-haired man and a statuesque blond woman.
"Isn't that Rosalie and Alice?" Edward asked me.
"I think so. Is that Jasper and Emmett with them?"
"That appears to be the case."
"I thought Rosalie and Emmett were in a fight."
"So did I. And weren't Alice and Jasper in a fight as well?"
"According to Alice, they were. I wonder what's going on."
Why don't we go say hi? Maybe that will give us some answers."
We walked up behind them just in time to hear Rosalie say, "Alice, Jasper, whatever are you doing here?"
"We were about to ask you the same thing," Jasper replied.
"As were we," Edward said. All four of them turned to look at us, even more surprised.
"Well, this was unexpected," Alice murmured.
Emmett laughed. "Anybody else planning to show up unexpectedly?" he asked.
Rosalie eyed Edward and me speculatively. "So what are you two doing here? And together, no less," she asked.
"We could ask the same thing of you and Emmett," I said.
"And you and Alice, Jasper," Edward said.
Alice laughed. "I think we all owe each other some explanations. Who wants to start?" Nobody spoke. "I guess I will, then. Jacob and I annulled our betrothal."
"What?!" Rosalie and I shrieked at the same second.
"You heard me. We mutually decided that getting married to each other wouldn't work, so we got the marriage annulled."
"So where does Jasper fit into this story?" Emmett asked.
"Well," Jasper said. "After she got her engagement annulled, Alice sent me a letter asking me to meet her and talk with her. I met with her and we talked….. and I proposed."
Suddenly I noticed a sparkling gold band, embedded with sapphires and diamonds on Alice's left hand. I pointed at it. "Alice, is that…?"
Alice giggled and held her hand out so we could see the ring. "It's pretty, isn't it?"
"Gorgeous," Rosalie said. I nodded. "You are such a lucky girl, Alice. Congratulations. And you," she said, turning on Jasper. "Don't mess this up, cousin."
"Cousin?" said Edward, clearly amused.
"Yes, Rosalie's my cousin," Jasper said.
"I knew there was a reason why you two looked alike," Emmett said.
"As much as I love family reunions, there are still a few people here with some explaining to do," Alice said. She threw two pointed glances at me and Edward and Rosalie and Emmett.
Rosalie sighed. "We'll go next." She took a deep breath. "Well, as you've probably guessed, I'm not marrying Royce anymore." At the mention of Royce's name, Emmett growled slightly.
"Why doesn't Emmett like hearing Royce's name?" I questioned.
"He…. He tried to…." Emmett placed a reassuring hand on Rosalie's shoulder. "He tried to rape me." Alice and I gasped. "He nearly succeeded. If Emmett hadn't shown up when he did, he probably would have succeeded. To show their gratitude, my parents let Emmett marry me." Rosalie's left hand reached up and intertwined with the hand Emmett was resting on her shoulder. The gold, diamonds, and amethysts of her ring sparkled in the sunlight.
"Well, congratulations to you both," I said. "I'm sure you'll be very happy together." Rosalie and Emmett looked at each other and smiled.
"Bella, Edward," Alice said. "It's your turn."
"Well…" I turned to Edward, unsure of how to begin. He smiled and wrapped an arm around my waist, turning us back to our friends.
"The whole thing starts about a week and a half ago. I sent Bella a letter asking her to meet me to talk. She didn't come meet me. A few days later, I went to her house to apologize in person. I was incredibly fortunate that she decided to forgive me so fully and that she was willing to marry me as well." Edward smiled down at me and I smiled back. Suddenly, I felt someone grab my left hand. Alice and Rosalie stood a few inches away, admiring the ring on my left hand.
"It's so pretty, Bella," Rosalie cooed.
"It is," Alice agreed. "Congratulations, Bella, Edward." She turned to Edward. "Don't you ever hurt her again, or you'll be answering to both of us."
"I would never dream of it." Edward turned to Emmett and Jasper. "Congratulations, Emmett, Jasper."
"You too," Emmett said. "And you, Jasper."
"You both as well," Jasper said. "But I think we're forgetting some people who need to hear the good news as well." We all laughed and proceeded up the stairs. Once inside, we were shown into the sitting room while someone was sent to bring Carlisle and Esme. Each couple stood together, slightly apart from the other two.
Carlisle and Esme walked into the room. They stopped, surprised, as they saw all six of us standing in the room, paired off. I could almost see the scene through their eyes: Emmett with his arms loosely wrapped around Rosalie's waist, her back pressed against his chest, Alice with one hand resting lightly on Jasper's chest and her head leaning against him, his hand at the small of her back, Edward's arms around my waist, and mine around his, almost as if we were hugging.
"Rosalie, Alice, Isabella, Emmett, Jasper, Edward, what a surprise," Carlisle said. "Whatever brings you to our house?"
"We all have some good news for you," I said.
"And what would that be, dears?" Esme asked.
"We thought you would be happy to know that your matchmaking attempts have finally succeeded," Alice said. "We're all getting married."
"When you say you're all getting married…" Carlisle and Esme looked slightly confused.
"Why don't we clarify," Emmett said. "Rosalie and I are getting married."
"As are Alice and I," Jasper said.
"And Bella and I," Edward said.
For a while, neither Carlisle nor Esme spoke. The next thing I knew, Esme was hugging me so tightly I thought my lungs would pop, tears of joy streaming down her face. She let go of me and went to hug Edward, then Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett.
"I'm so happy for all of you," Esme sobbed. "My congratulations to all of you."
"Mine too," Carlisle said. "You are all very lucky people and you should remember that. And boys," he said to Emmett, Jasper, and Edward. "I don't want to hear one word from Alice, Bella, or Rosalie about you mistreating them. These girls are like my daughters and I love them, so you better take good care of them."
"We will, Carlisle," Jasper promised. "They'll be safe with us." Edward and Emmett nodded.
Esme smiled. "Well, dears, we'd love to have you all stay longer, but we're expecting company soon. We hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Rosalie said. "We just wanted to share the good news. We'll be on our way now. It was nice to see you both."
The six of us started to leave when I remembered why Edward and I had originally come to see Carlisle and Esme. I turned to remind him, but he was already one step ahead of me.
"Carlisle, Esme?" he called.
"Yes, Edward?" Carlisle said.
"Bella and I have a request to make of both of you. We were wondering if you would be interested in officiating our wedding ceremony, Carlisle, and if Esme, you would be interested in doing the music for the ceremony."
"I would be honored to do the music," Esme said. "What were you thinking?"
"Is piano alright by you?"
"Piano is perfect."
"And Carlisle? Would you officiate?"
"I'm honored that you would choose me and I will gladly officiate."
"Thank you both." We hurried off to catch up with our friends.
When we were all outside, Emmett slung his arms around Jasper and Edward's shoulders. "Come on, boys, I think this occasion needs celebrating!" Jasper and Edward groaned.
"Do you mind, girls?" Jasper asked.
"It's fine," Rosalie said. "I think we girls need a little time to talk. We'll see you later."
Edward broke free from Emmett's grip and walked to my side. He hugged me and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you later, love," he whispered.
"I love you," I whispered back.
"I love you too." We broke apart and I turned to Alice and Rosalie. Both of them were firmly wrapped in their fiancés' arms, exchanging goodbyes. Finally, they broke apart. The boys headed towards Jasper's carriage, while Alice, Rosalie, and I got into Rosalie's and set off for the park.
When we reached the park, we started along the familiar path towards our willow grove. Suddenly, Rosalie groaned. "Oh, no," murmured Alice. I followed her gaze and spotted a trio of men heading our way. I groaned too, recognizing them as Mike, Eric, and Tyler, the three men from the Cullen's party four months ago, when we first met Edward, Emmett, and Jasper. They walked over to us and stood less than three feet away.
"Well, hello, ladies," Tyler said. "How are you three?"
"We're fine," said Rosalie curtly.
"You all look lovely today, if we may be so bold," Eric commented.
"You may not," Alice hissed under her breath, so only Rosalie and I could hear. I smiled slightly, but otherwise, did not respond.
Mike, Eric, and Tyler remained oblivious to the fact that we did not want to talk to them. They kept making idle small talk for the next few minutes, undiscouraged by our short answers and snarky tones of voice. Finally, they got around to the real reason they had come to talk to us.
"Would you care to join us for a walk around the pond, ladies?" Mike offered. Each of them held out a hand to one of us: Tyler to Rosalie, Eric to Alice, Mike to me. We subtly looked back and forth between each other, panicking. Suddenly, I had an idea.
I place my left hand on Rosalie's shoulder, angling it so my ring caught the light and sparkled. I saw Mike's glance land on the ring and he gave a nervous gulp. "I don't know, Rosalie, what do you think?" I asked her. She looked at me like I was insane. Subtly, I squeezed her shoulder. She looked down for a fraction of a second, her eyes setting on my sparkling engagement ring before looking back up, comprehension in her eyes. Beside me, I felt Alice brush my hand with hers, signaling she was in on the plan.
Rosalie raised her left hand to her collarbone and placed it where her ring would catch the light. Tyler's eyes widened nervously. "I think it sounds like a lovely idea. What do you think Alice?"
Alice mimicked Rosalie's movement of bringing her left hand to her collarbone and placing it where her ring would catch the light. Eric spotted the sparkling ring and he coughed uncomfortably. "Well, I simply can't join you. You know how much I'm discouraged from being alone with members of the opposite gender."
"Oh, my goodness, I completely forgot about that, Alice. How inconsiderate of me." My left hand flew to my cheek as I spoke, once again throwing the ring into prominence.
"Here, we'll stay with you." Rosalie walked over to Alice and wrapped her left arm around her shoulders, resting her fingers so the ring was visible.
"No, no, you two go." Alice shooed us with her left hand causing the diamonds and sapphires of her ring to sparkle. "I don't want to keep you two from having fun. Go. Enjoy yourselves. I'll just wait here."
"Are you sure, Alice?"
"I'm sure. I'll be fine. It's such a nice day out."
Rosalie turned to Mike, Tyler, and Eric. "Well, then, Bella and I would be glad to join you."
"Erm, actually, well, we're late," Tyler said.
"Late for what?" I asked.
"Um…" Tyler looked nervously at Mike and Eric.
"Um… we have an, um, appointment," Eric interjected.
"Oh, well that's too bad," I cooed, my voice dripping with false sympathy. Rosalie nodded. "We were so looking forward to that walk around the pond, too. Will we see you soon?"
"Um, w-well, m-maybe," Mike stammered. "We better go." Mike, Tyler, and Eric started to walk away.
"It was nice to see you three," Alice called. Each of us waved goodbye with her left hand so that the gold band of our rings were visible. They exchanged on last, nervous look over the rings and hurried away.
Alice, Rosalie, and I burst into laughter as soon as they were gone. "That was brilliant, Bella," Alice said through her laughter. "How ever did you think of that?"
"I was remembering how frazzled they had gotten at the party when Emmett, Edward, and Jasper had shown up to save us. Then the idea came for me. If the guys scare them that much, wouldn't a couple of engagement rings?"
"I can see the logic behind that," Rosalie said. "Obviously, this is just another one of their pitiful attempts to court us. The first time they were scared of by Emmett, Edward, and Jasper because they knew they had no chance. This time, the engagement rings scared them off because they knew they had lost. They couldn't court us and stand a chance of getting us to marry them if we're already engaged. That was quite brilliant, Bella."
"Thank you," I said. We continued walking towards our willow grove. We slipped through the trees and into our safe haven. We walked over to the bench and sat down.
Alice pounced on us immediately. "Alright, now I think I speak for all of us when I say that we need to each tell our stories in full, with as many details as possible. We each need to know exactly what happened. Any volunteers to go first?"
"I'll start," I volunteered. "Where do you want me to begin from?"
"The letter," Rosalie said. Alice nodded.
"Well," I began. "About two weeks ago, I received a letter. There was no name on it and the messenger didn't say who it was from. I only figured out that it was from Edward because of the handwriting. In the letter, he apologized for hurting me and asked me to meet him at the town square, that afternoon, simply to talk. I didn't go."
"So then what happened?" Alice prompted me.
"Three days went by and I didn't hear anything from him. Then he came in person to talk to me. Originally, he only came to ask me why I didn't come to meet him and if it was too late for me to forgive him. I wasn't sure, so he almost left, to give me some time to think."
"Almost?" asked Rosalie.
"I begged him to stay with me at the last second. I just couldn't bear the pain it was causing. At that point, we really started to talk and explained everything. I started asking him all these questions, and he answered them. He told me everything. How Tanya was never really attracted to him, she just wanted him around as some kind of play toy and how he fell for it and…"
"She what?!" shrieked Alice, cutting me off.
"That witch!" Rosalie fumed. "I'm going to kill her for this."
"Why?" I asked. "Edward realized the truth and is through with her. That's all that matters."
"Bella's right," Alice said. "Edward came to his senses and is with Bella again. We should just be happy and move on. Keep going with the story, Bella."
Before I could continue, Rosalie interjected with a question. "So if she only cared about him as an accessory, what happened at the ball?"
"I was getting there. Apparently, Tanya thought it was all an act to make her jealous. Edward realized long before that that he cared more for me than her, but she was deluding herself. By that point he was already consumed with trying to get me to forgive him. Apparently, the plan to have Angela, Jessica, and Lauren lead them to us was their first attempt. It was Jasper's idea."
"And when that didn't work?" Alice questioned.
"Then came the letter. It only took him so long, both to send it and to come see me, because he was afraid. I told him that I was glad he found the courage to come see me. Then the cross-examination began. He started asking me questions. He was mostly interested in why I didn't come to meet him and why I ran away at the masquerade ball."
"And?" Rosalie said.
"And I told him the truth. I told him that I was afraid to look weak by running back to him whenever he apologizes and that I didn't feel ready to forgive him at the time. Then he asked if I felt ready then, and I said yes. He gave me this bouquet of wildflowers he got from the meadow where we first told each other we love each other."
"And now you're engaged," Rosalie said.
"Yes." I smiled. "Now we're engaged."
Alice smiled. "We're so happy for you, Bella." She turned to Rosalie. "Your turn, Rose."
Rosalie sighed. "Fine." She took a deep breath. "After our last conference here, I went home, seriously thinking over what to do and who to be with: Royce or Emmett. By the time I got home, I had made my choice. I told my family and Royce's family that I no longer wanted to marry him. We canceled all the plans, annulled the engagement, and the Kings left. As he left, Royce threatened me, saying I'd regret choosing Emmett over him."
Alice and I gasped. "Is that why he tried to rape you?" I asked.
"Yes. I'm getting ahead of the story though. The next day I went to see Emmett, both to apologize and warn him. It took some convincing, but he finally realized that I was truly sorry and he forgave me. When I went home that night, Royce tried to rape me. Fortunately, Emmett arrived just in time and pulled him off of me. I was so grateful that he rescued me. My parents were even more grateful. Naturally, they agreed to let us get married as thanks."
"And what about Royce?" Alice asked.
"The sheriff has been alerted and is keeping a lookout for him. They've already arrested his accomplice."
"That's good news, I guess," I said.
Rosalie nodded. "Hopefully the catch Royce soon. I'll feel much safer when he's behind bars, even if I have Emmett to protect me."
"I guess you're getting your knight in shining armor after all, aren't you Rose?" Alice joked.
Rosalie smiled. "Yes, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Rosalie and I turned to Alice, expectant.
Alice sighed. "I guess it's my turn, isn't it?" We nodded. "Okay." She thought for a long moment. "About three weeks ago, Jacob and I ended our betrothal. We mutually agreed that it would be better for us to marry other people. He could tell I wasn't happy and he didn't want to force me into the marriage. So we annulled it." "
"Just like that? Jacob wasn't upset or angry or anything?" I asked.
"Yes, just like that."
"So what happened next?" Rosalie asked.
"After we annulled the engagement, I sent a letter to Jasper, hoping he would come and meet me so we could talk. He came and we talked. He seemed so angry at first that I was afraid he wouldn't forgive me. But he did and I found out what he was really feeling."
"And what did he really feel?" I asked her.
"He was jealous. He wanted to be in Jacob's position and be the one loving me. At that point, I told him that he could be the one loving me and that, more importantly, I wanted him to be the one, no one else. At that point, he asked me to marry him and I said yes."
Rosalie laughed. "I will never understand the way my cousin's mind works," she said. Then her face turned serious again. "But what about Jacob? You got your happily ever after, Alice, but where does that leave him?"
"Last I heard from him, he was courting our old friend Lizzie," Alice said. "They met at the masquerade ball."
"That's sweet," Rosalie said. "Lizzie's perfect for him."
I looked around at the long shadows surrounding us. "It's getting late," I said. "We should go." The three of us stood up and starting walking, back through the willow trees and out of the park. We were almost to Rosalie's carriage when I heard someone calling my name.
"Isabella!" I turned. My hand flew up in shock when I saw who it was. Tanya was walking towards me, calling my name. Beside me, Rosalie hissed. Tanya stopped a few feet away from us, suddenly looking uncomfortable.
"Hello, Tanya," Alice said politely.
"Er… hello Alice, Rosalie. How are you?" Tanya asked.
"We're fine," Rosalie said.
"That's nice. Er, Isabella, can I talk to you?"
I started. "Um… sure. Alice, Rose, I'll meet you in the carriage." Alice and Rosalie turned and walked off. I watched them go, then turned back to Tanya. "So, you wanted to talk to me, Tanya?"
"Yes." Tanya looked away. "I owe you an apology, Isabella. I never meant to come in between you and Edward. I just thought that there was something between us and I let things get out of hand. I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Actually, yes." Tanya looked up, surprised. "It was just a misunderstanding, Tanya. They happen all the time, more frequently then we think. I know you didn't mean any intentional harm to Edward and my relationship. You were just looking for love and you thought you found it with him. It just wasn't meant to be, but I'm sure that someday, you'll find someone as perfect for you as Edward is for me."
Tanya smiled. "Thank you, Isabella."
"You're welcome, Tanya. Oh, and feel free to call me Bella." Suddenly, Kate and Irina drifted over to us, Carmen, Eleazar, Garrett, and a fourth person behind them.
"Is everything all better, sister?" Kate asked, wrapping an arm around Tanya's shoulders.
"Yes," Tanya said. "Everything is fine. Bella and I aren't mad at each other anymore."
"Good," said Irina, draping an arm over Kate's so it was also looped around Tanya's shoulders. "We don't like it when our friend is fighting with our sister." She turned to me. "How are you, Bella?"
"I'm fine," I answered. "How are you both?"
Kate laughed. "I'm doing great."
"Just great?" Garrett said, coming over and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Just great? Nothing more?"
"Garrett, sweetie, you know as well as I do that I can hardly wait for our wedding next month." She turned to me. "You'll be there, right Bella?"
"Of course," I promised her. "And how are you doing, Irina?"
"I'm…. lovely," Irina said. "Actually, I have a bit of good news, but it's not public yet, so promise you won't say anything?"
"Not even to Alice and Rosalie?"
"You can tell them, but no one else."
"I promise not to say anything to anyone but Alice and Rosalie. So what's the good news?"
Irina smiled. "I'm engaged."
"Congratulations! To who?" Someone wrapped an arm around Irina. I looked up at their face and received a pleasant shock as I recognized them. "Laurent! How nice to see you again."
"You too, Isabella." He looked down at Irina. "I thought we had to keep our engagement a secret, Irina."
"We can trust Bella, dear," Irina said. "She's my friend. She won't tell."
"I promise I won't tell, but what I pleasant surprise," I said. "I wasn't aware you two knew each other."
"We met at the masquerade ball," Laurent explained. "It was another one of Carlisle and Esme's matchmaking attempts."
I laughed. "Carlisle and Esme seem to be getting better and better at matchmaking everyday. This would be their fourth successful attempt in less than half a year."
"What do you mean, Bella?" Carmen asked, interjecting herself into the conversation.
"Alice, Rosalie, and I are all engaged to gentlemen we met through Carlisle and Esme," I explained.
"Congratulations," Kate said. "What are their names?"
"Well, Rosalie's engaged to Emmett McCarty," I said. "And Alice is engaged to Jasper Whitlock."
"That's lovely for both of them," Carmen said. "And who are you engaged to, Bella?"
"I think you all know him," I said. "His name is Edward Masen."
Tanya was the first to respond. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for you both."
Eleazar was next. "I happen to know all three of your fiancés well and I will attest that you are all very lucky people. Congratulations Bella. Would you be so kind as to pass on my congratulations to your fiancé and your friends?"
"Mine too," interjected Kate.
"Mine as well," added Irina.
"Please include mine as well, Bella," Carmen requested.
"In addition to mine, of course," said Garrett.
"Give them my congratulations also," said Laurent.
I smiled. "I will."
"Thank you dear," Carmen smiled. She glanced over my shoulder. "I think Alice and Rosalie are getting a bit impatient dear. You should go." She hugged me.
Eleazar was next. "It was wonderful to see you again, Bella."
"It was wonderful to see you, too," I said.
Garrett and Laurent both gave me a pleasant hand shake goodbye. Tanya, Irina, and Kate all hugged me and made me promise that we would all spend a little time together between our various weddings. Finally, I said my last goodbyes and walked over to Alice and Rosalie.
"Sorry that took so long," I apologized as we climbed into Rosalie's carriage.
"It's okay, Bella," Alice said. "But we're dreadfully curious: what did Tanya want?"
"She apologized for coming in between me and Edward," I told them. Their mouths dropped open. "She said she didn't mean to ruin our relationship, she just thought that they had something and she let things get out of hand."
"Did you forgive her?" Rosalie asked.
I nodded. "It was the right thing to do. Holding a grudge against her will get me nowhere. It's better to forgive her."
Alice smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, Bella." She turned to Rosalie. "We really should all get home. It's getting late."
"We should," Rosalie said. She turned to her driver and gave him instructions to go first to my house, then Alice's, then hers. We set off immediately.
When we reached my house, I started to get out of my carriage, then I remembered an important question and had for Alice and Rosalie. "I almost forgot," I said. "I want you two to be my bridesmaids at my and Edward's wedding. I'm pretty sure Emmett and Jasper are going to be groomsmen."
"On one condition," Alice said. "Only if you both are bridesmaids at my wedding."
"The same condition applies to me as well," Rosalie said.
I laughed. "So I guess we're each other's bridesmaids?"
Alice laughed too. "Yes, we are."
Rosalie joined the laughter. "Good."
I smiled. "I'll see you both soon; we need to pick out dresses." Alice and Rosalie nodded in agreement. With that, I climbed out of the carriage and watched my two best friends ride off into the distance.
Betcha didn't see some of that coming. Who woulda thought that Mike, Eric, and Tyler would make a reappearance after a 24-chapter absence? And who woulda thought that Tanya would apologize? I'm just full of surprises, aren't I?
K, so I'm going out of town soon, but I'll try to update once more before then, and at least one more time after that before my winter break ends. Hopefully, this story should wrap by M.L.K. weekend, and then..... on to the boys' version!
As always, I love you all and don't forget to review!
xoxoxoxoxoxo, TwilightTeen212