Dreams Of Gold Chapter 22: Speedo!, a twilight fanfic

Ok, I made a typo, Bella injured her right knee, not her left knee

HOLY #!. 42 Amazing, wonderful, happy-making(that's not a word, but whatever) REVIEWS! You guys are (pick your favorite nice adjective and place it here)!! I asked for 35 and got 42- hello happy dance. I bet you can't do it again!- that is my subtle way of asking you nicely to keep up the amazing wondrous number of reviews! I rushed this chapter as fast as I could to get this out for you guys in thanks. I would have had it up last night, but comp problems. So keep up the good reviews and I'll keep up the writing. Thanks always to Nancy.

Ok, I made a typo in the last chapter, Bella injured her right knee, not her left knee.

Meg

"It's beautiful," I whispered. And it was. I recognized it as a Claddagh ring, but this one was slightly different. There was a second band under the traditional hands, heart and crown. It was angled down and the front was imbedded with alternating emeralds and diamonds. The heart set into the hands, was also an emerald, and the crown had three small diamonds sparkling out of it. All in all, the white gold ring was breathtaking.

"It's a Claddagh. Do you know the story behind it?" Edward asked me as I stroked the pretty gems.

"Um, I think it is something like 'with these hands, I give you my heart, and I crown it with my love.'"

He nodded. "It is the Irish symbol for love, loyalty, and friendship." He took my right hand. "I thought it was a good representation of the way that I love you, promise to be loyal to you, and even if you do not forgive me, I will always be your friend." He took the ring out of its satin box and slid it gently on my right ring finger.

"If you wear it like this," he slid it on my finger with the heart facing out. "Then it means that your heart is free. But I hope you wear it like this." He slid it out and gently placed it with the heart facing in; facing my heart. He kissed my ring finger. "That means…." He kissed the next finger. "That your heart…." He kissed my pointer finger. "Belongs to someone…." He kissed my hand. "And I hope that that someone is me…." He leaned in to kiss my lips.

My breath caught in my chest, and I pulled away. I felt my already shattered heart break when I saw the pain in his eyes.

"Edward, I-I-I'm just not ready yet. I want to trust you, but it seems every time I do, you let me down. I love you too, but maybe we just need to take it slow."

His eyes tightened a bit, but he leaned back and attempted a smile. "I can live with slow." He held out his arms to hug me and I willingly stepped into his arms.

I began to cry, I couldn't help it. So much had happened and it all happened at the same time. I knew I loved him, but I was so confused. And then there was the whole 'I am competing in the Olympics' thing. Not to mention that I was injured and my dream of competing in the all around in the Olympics could have just been flushed away. God, it made me cry harder just to think about it.

"Ah, don't cry love." He pulled my chin up and brushed my tears away with his thumb.

I pulled away from him, this time in anger. "How do you do that? One minute I could hate you with a passion and then you do something amazingly romantic and sweet which makes me fall even deeper in love with you, and then you do something totally irritating that makes me want to be with you despite your being the ultimate playboy and annoyingly perfect man!"

I plopped to the ground, my rage spent. I was feeling exhausted from the crazy rush of emotions I was experiencing.

He sat down next to me. "You're right," he sighed.

"There you go again!"

"Ok, I will stay completely silent from now on. How about a movie and chocolate milkshakes?"

I pretended to dither. He was playing on my weaknesses and he knew it. I had already decided to forgive him. I don't think there was a time when I wasn't ready to forgive him, but that didn't mean I couldn't make him work for it. "Ok, fine," I sighed.

He helped me over to the nest of pillows and blankets, and when he replaced the message on the skylight with a movie, I was in for another shock.

"Funny Face?" I questioned. "Oh, you are good," I accused him, trying to hide a smile.

"Hey, I never said that I would fight fair," he had a look on his face that was way too innocent. "Chocolate milkshake?" This time he couldn't keep my favorite crooked smile off his face.

I couldn't help it. I grabbed his chin and pulled his face to mine. This time it was his turn to pull away. I held my gaze steady under his questioning one.

"Are you sure?"

I leaned in again.

"Bella, are you sure?"

"Just shut up you idiot, and kiss me."

This time neither of us hesitated. And let me tell you WOW! If you have ever heard the expression 'it was like fireworks,' well then I'll just say this was the fourth of July… in Washington D.C.

My phone rang. I hit the ignore button and put all of my focus back in kissing Edward. Edward phone's rang, it went flying across the room. I stopped kissing him for a second in favor of staring at him questioningly.

"Oops," he shrugged, moving on to kissing my neck.

"Oops," I repeated slightly dazed. "Oops, I like the sound of that."

He chuckled at me and returned his attention to my lips. "Hmm."

"Ahem."

Edward waved his hand at whoever was interrupting us. I barely even noticed.

"Not to break up the love fest, but… Oh, forget it. Bella do you want me to take you on a shopping trip or are you going to stop making out with my brother."

Edward and I pulled apart- reluctantly I might add- to see a very perky Alice standing there.

"I'm sorry to break up your make out session, but you have a message that you have to hear, Bells."

Edward and I exchanged a look. "We should probably get out of the cold anyway," Edward told me.

I gave in and he picked me up and carried me quickly back to my room. He gently placed me on my bed and I pouted.

Before he could say anything, the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, yes Isabella?"

"This is she."

"My name is Stephen Cimaron, and I work for Speedo."

I glanced at Edward and mouthed the word Speedo, with a shrug.

BBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEB

Edward Pov:

Bella's brow was crumpled in confusion. She mouthed the word Speedo to me, and between that and her responses that she was giving whoever was on the phone, I got the gist of it; apparently Speedo wanted to meet with her.

I whispered to Bella that I was going to get her some ice for her knee, and left the room. As I was finishing filling the ice bag with ice, my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Edward, it's Stephen."

'Hi, Stephen." Stephen was my representative for my Speedo endorsement.

"Listen, Edward, I was wondering after your morning race tomorrow we could meet for a lunch about your endorsement with us, along with your father and coach."

Hmm, I was starting to guess what this meeting was about, but I played along.

"Sure Stephen."

"Alright, good talking with you kiddo, keep bringing in those gold medals."

I shook my head, and headed back to Bella. When I let myself back into the room, I found Bella already asleep. I smiled and walked over to tuck her in.

I sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. About halfway through an old That Seventies' show episode, I nodded off.

Beep, beep, beep. The alarm on my phone woke me a few hours later.

"Wuzz goin on?" Bella sat up yawning.

I laughed. her hair looked like a haystack, but on her it was adorable.

"What?"

"Nothing," I answered. She glanced at the clock. "Shit," she cursed. "What is it about this place that always makes me late?" She hopped up the best she could on one foot and began hopping around trying to find clothes and stuff. She was muttering under her breath, causing me to laugh again.

"You think that's funny do you?" She asked with an adorable smirk on her face. "Don't you have a race in less than an hour."

I glanced cursorily at my phone. It was my turn to curse. "Damnit!" I threw her a kiss and ran out the door to her laughter.