Gowns and Paradise

The sound of people talking somewhere is the apartment greeted me as I woke from my heavy slumber. I stretched my arms out onto Edward's side of the bed the bed, only to have it come up empty. I rolled over onto his cold pillow and groaned. Edward must be one of the voices that I was hearing. I threw the covers off of me and winced when my warm body made contact with the cold air. I was still only wearing one of Edward's big t-shirts. I jumped off of the bed and walked over to the closet, throwing on some yoga pants, a tank top, and a sweatshirt. I padded quietly down the hallway so I wouldn't wake anyone if they were still asleep. The mumbled voices became clearer as I got closer to the kitchen. The voices I heard were coming from Esme and Edward.

"She's fantastic Edward," Esme said sweetly. I smiled at her words. She actually did love me.

"I know mom, she's perfect. I'm so afraid to mess it up," he said forlornly. The upturned corners of my lips quickly turned down. Why would he ever mess it up?

"Don't think like that dear. Just because things with Tanya didn't work out, doesn't mean that they won't with Bella," Esme consoled him.

"Tanya fell out of love with me, Bella could just as easily as Tanya did," Edward replied. I could hear the distinct sound of Esme smacking Edward roughly.

"That's ridiculous! Have you seen the way that girl looks at you? She's fallen for you hard, and there's no turning back!" Esme scolded him. I heard Edward sigh loudly.

"You really think she loves me as much as I love her?" he asked her. Esme scoffed and I could practically see her rolling her eyes and nodding. Edward is clearly delusional if he thinks that I don't love him just as much as he loves me. I had to stop his thoughts before he could psych himself out. I chose this moment to make my appearance, trying to make it seem like I had just rolled out of bed and wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation. I walked in rubbing my eyes, trying my best to look groggy and looked over to Edward and Esme. They jumped apart from the hug they were in and looked over at me nervously, trying to gauge whether I had heard anything or not.

"Morning hon, morning Esme," I called over and waved slightly as I opened the fridge to get some juice. I must have convinced him that I didn't hear their conversation seeing as how he pushed off of the counter he was leaning on and sauntered over to where I stood, trying to reach a cup out of the cabinet. He laughed and picked me up by the waist so that I could reach my destination. He put me down and I spun around, giving him a quick good morning kiss. He let go and jumped up onto the counter next to me.

"Bella dear," Esme called over to me, "after breakfast Rosalie and I are going to look at fabrics and furniture for the apartment and are then going to lunch and shopping around a bit. Would you like to join us?" she asked hopefully. I internally cringed at the word shopping, but smiled brightly and nodded my head, thanking her for inviting me along.

"Don't be silly! You would have nothing to do all day! The boys are going to a Seahawks football game and will be out all day. We would be delighted if you would come along for some quality girl time!" she cried out happily. I laughed at her childlike expression and agreed to go with her after breakfast.

I departed with a promise to take a quick shower before breakfast, and skipped to Edward's room. It's a good thing that Alice and I went shopping for clothes this week. I bought a casual jeans and sweater outfit, but Alice insisted on a more stylish shopping worthy outfit. Just in case, as she put it. I hated to admit it, but the little pixie was always right. I jumped into the shower, washing quickly, and stepped out. I ran over to my weekend bag and pulled out the 'just in case' shopping outfit.

I threw on my new Marc Jacobs sundress. It went to just above my knee and was a light blue, lavender, pink, and white floral. It had ruffle cap sleeves and from the waist down, consisted of ruffle layers. I wore tan Prada patent leather wedges that Alice let me borrow, and pulled it all other with a white, oversized ring and big studs that had a large light blue stone in the middle with smaller diamonds surrounding them. I didn't even look at the price of them when Alice bought them so I wouldn't throw them back to the sales lady and take out of there. Alice had no problems money wise, seeing as how she came from a wealthy family as well as owned a highly appraised boutique, so she paid for it all even if I argued. I sighed and grabbed my bag and light jean jacket. It was only the beginning of July, but I never knew if I would get cold somewhere so I came prepared. (A.N.- Clothes on profile!)

I pranced out into the living room to find Edward and Carlisle sitting on the sofa watching some sports game. They turned at the sounds of my arrival and both rose from their seats.

"You look lovely Bella," Carlisle said as he kissed my cheek in a fatherly manner. I blushed and thanked him embarrassed. Edward's eyes were so wide, that it made me look down and make sure I hadn't forgotten a shoe or something. I looked perfectly fine from what I saw and looked back up to Edward in confusion. At my second glance, I could see his eyes filled with lust. He walked over to me and swooped me into his arms as he gave me a light kiss.

"You look stunning love," he whispered into my ear. I shivered at the close contact. Our little moment was interrupted as Esme announced her arrival before she even got into the living room. She was chatting away about some ad she had seen in the newspaper this morning about a new furniture store.

She looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress. She dressed appropriately for her age, but was incredibly chic at the same time. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that buttoned up the front with a color and cuffed sleeves. At the waist, there was a sash in the same fabric. Under the sash the dress flared out and fell right at her knees. She was wearing black patent leather wedges and carried a black patent Yves St Laurent tote. I knew the bag from when one day when I went into Alice's shop and found her raving about the bag to a costumer. Paired with the outfit, she had a large turquoise ring with matching earring, and a few bangles on that matched her black shoes as well as turquoise ones that matched her other jewelry. She looked beautiful.

She grabbed my hand tightly with her and practically skipped out of the apartment. She was chatting away about how she couldn't wait to see Emmett and Rose, and how proud she was of them. I listened intently and found myself mesmerized by her clear love for them. Esme is the kind of person that finds the positive in everything and couldn't hurt a fly. She was the epitome of the perfect mother. I found myself wondering if she would ever become my official mother. From the way that Esme talked to me about Edward and mines future, she clearly thought that she would. I smiled at the thought of always having Esme there to comfort me and to give me advice. She was the exact opposite of my own mother, and I found myself craving for her to take me in as her own. There was absolutely nothing about Edward's family that I didn't love. They were kind, generous, loving, and most of all they seemed to love me as much as I loved them.

We decided to walk to the restaurant since it wasn't too far and it was a gorgeous day. The entire walk, Esme and I walked ahead of the men chatting happily. Every time that I would turn around to look at Edward, I found him and his father looking at their significant other fondly. They were so similar that it was kind of freaky.

We arrived at the small cafe just as the clock hit 9. Emmett and Rose were already at a table waiting for us to arrive. Esme and Rose squealed when the saw each other and jumped to hug each other. Emmett laughed and went over to hug his father, and pat Edward on the back. He came over to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek and a tight squeeze. I laughed and hugged him back.

"Emmett Cullen! Your own mother doesn't get a hug?" I heard Esme ask behind me teasingly.

"Sorry mommy! You were so busy hugging my fiance that I didn't want to interrupt you!" he replied cheekily. She laughed and held her arms out for her baby to hug her. He smiled and bounded over to his mother, picking her up and spinning her around. These boys were clearly wrapped around their mother's dainty finger. She laughed, unaffected by the storm that is Emmett. I guess when you raised the boy, nothing came as a surprise to you anymore.

Rosalie came over to me as she watched Emmett and his mother interact. She picked up my hand and squeezed it lightly. I looked up at her as she looked lovingly at the mother and sons in front of us.

"They sure are mamma's boys huh?" she asked me with a laugh. I nodded and laughed along with her. "I didn't have a chance to tell you before, but congratulations on the relationship. I knew the minute that I met you, that you were perfect for Edward," she whispered to me. I smiled at her brightly and pulled her into a hug. She clutched me just as tightly as I did her. With one last squeeze, we let go and went to sit down. Edward pulled out my chair for me after giving me a quick peck. I beamed at him happily as he sat down beside me. He grasped my hand and handed me a menu.

Unfortunately, I had to let go of his hand to hold my menu seeing as how I only had one good hand. My right hand was still wrapped in the brace. I glanced over the menu and quickly decided on a Belgium waffle with strawberries on top. That was my absolute favorite thing to eat for breakfast. I closed my menu and picked Edward's hand back up. He glanced up from his menu briefly to smile at me before looking back down.

Esme, who was on my other side, was busy catching up with Rose who sat next to her. Emmett was next to Rose and was chatting away with his dad about work. He worked as a sports agent in the area and was loving every minute of it. Rose was doing an occasional modeling job here and there, but was focused mainly on her shop. She was a mechanic for fine sports cars, and was known as the best place in Washington to go if your Porsche needed a tune up. Her parents were some of the wealthiest in the Seattle area. The Hales have been socialites for over five decades, so Rosalie had no trouble getting what she wants around here.

Edward put his menu down and looked back over at me. He smiled and kissed the back of my hand lightly.

"Thank you for doing all of this with my mother love. She absolutely loves you," he said. I laughed and told him it was no problem before I was interrupted by the waitress asking if she could take our order. We all placed our breakfast order and began to converse as a whole table. The entire meal passed by in a flash, and before I knew it, I was saying goodbye to Edward as his dad hailed us a cab. I looked up at him sadly, not happy about having to be away from each other until 5 o'clock tonight.

"Don't worry love, you'll have so much fun today, that you won't even think about the time," he said. I sighed and kissed his lips sweetly.

"I love you," I said as I got into the cab.

"Always," was his simple response. He closed the door and waved one last time before we turned the corner and I could no longer see him.

"Are you ladies ready to shop until we drop!?" Esme cried out excitedly. I laughed and Rosalie threw her arms up in the air with a whoop.

This was going to be a long day.

---------------

We walked out of the cool air conditioned restaurant and onto the blazing concrete sidewalks. It was unusual for the weather here to be so warm, but I wasn't complaining. I loved the heat.

I was told during our delicious lunch that we weren't just shopping for everyday clothes. We were shopping for Rosalie's wedding dress.

We walked a few blocks until we came to a small bridal boutique that only took appointments. Rosalie walked in like she owned the place as Esme and I followed. The girl behind the desk cowered in her seat as she took in the stunning blonde before her.

"Hale," was all she said before turning around and walking back towards Esme and I as we flipped through Bridal magazines. The young girl behind the counter looked through the papers on her desk frantically, trying to find Rosalie's information. She found it and quickly called someone on the phone. Just moments later, the french doors that led into the back swung open to reveal a middle aged woman who was dressed in a neatly pressed Chanel suit.

"Ms. Hale, Mrs. Cullen, what a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance," she called out in a heavy French accent. Rosalie and Esme both rose gracefully from their seats and walked over to the woman, kissing her on both cheeks in greeting.

"And who might this young lady be?" she asked pointing towards me. I blushed and lowered my gaze to the floor.

"This is my maid of honor Bella," Rosalie replied. I snapped my head up shocked. What? Since when was I appointed maid of honor?

"She is my youngest son Edward's girlfriend," Esme added in with a smile as she grabbed my hand. The French woman appraised me and nodded her head sharply once.

"She is pretty in a very innocent way. She has good proportions. We will find her the perfect dress in the color that you have chosen," she said approvingly. I blushed at her comment. She thought I was pretty? This was getting stranger and stranger by the minute.

"Well we can't just stand around here all day can we?" Rosalie asked, excited to get back there and look for her dress. The woman nodded and turned, leading us through the doors that she came out of previously. I started to follow her, but Rosalie grabbed my hand, pulling me back.

"I know we don't know each other well Bella, but I really would love for you to be my maid of honor. I think that we are going to get along great. I have never really had any close girlfriends. Girls have always been too afraid to approach me, so they don't. I really like your honesty and your kind heart. Would you mind being in the wedding? Alice is going to be the other bridesmaid so you really don't have to do much. She is already planning," Rosalie asked me nervously as if she was worried that I would turn her down. It was hard for me to believe that Rosalie never had many friends. Sure she was intimidating at first, but under that beauty was a real sweet woman.

"Of course I would Rose. I'm really honored that you chose me. I would love nothing more than to be your bridesmaid," I replied smiling. She smiled dazzlingly at me and pulled me into a tight hug, thanking me profusely. I laughed and pulled away.

"Well my lovely bride-to-be, shall we go find ourselves some gowns?" I asked, grabbing her hand. She laughed and pulled me into the back. We walked into a beautiful room. It was all cream with beautiful, luxurious gowns lined up against the wall. There were multiple love seats placed in front of a multifaceted mirror that was placed in front of a small platform where the bride was supposed to stand.

Rosalie was already in the dressing room putting the first dress on. She walked out and both Esme and I gasped. It was perfect.

It was a Grecian looking dress that flowed nicely down her body without hugging it tightly. The straps were two fingers width wide and beaded with silver beads. They went around her shoulders and under her bodice, creating a simple and classy look that also made her already perfect chest look bigger. The neckline was a slight v and was gathered as they crossed. Right under her bust, the material gathered slightly and flowed effortlessly down. Her golden blonde waves and icy blue eyes made her look like an angel. She smiled nervously at us and glanced over.

"What do you think?" she asked.

"It's perfect!" Esme and I exclaimed at the same time. She laughed and looked back in the mirror.

"It really is isn't it?" she asked herself out loud. She turned around and looked at the French woman who was silent over in the corner.

"We'll take it," she said smiling brightly. The woman nodded before hustling into the back mumbling something about a bridesmaid dress. Rose went back to change and we waited for the French woman to return. She returned moments later with a red dress over her arm.

"Okay Bella, I chose red as my accent color, so Marguerite went and found a dress she thinks would look good. Go try it on," Rose said, pushing me into the dressing room. I pulled it on carefully and stepped out.

"Oh Bella it looks fantastic!" Esme cried when she saw me.

The dress was a blood red and strapless. It was made out of satin and laser cut to make straight lines that flowed from layer to layer. Red was usually not my color, but with my chestnut hair down and with silver heels, it would be perfect. Rose nodded in approval.

"We'll take that one too. We don't have to worry about Alice's dress. She already got one with me yesterday," Rose said and then sauntered towards the french doors. I went back and changed out of the dress and then handed it to the woman. She walked briskly away and put the dress into a garment bag next to the Wedding gown.

"That was successful!" Esme exclaimed happily as we walked back out the doors once Rosalie had made all of her purchases. I tried so hard to let her pay for my dress, but she would have none of it, saying that she was buying her maid of honor her dress and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her. I eventually relented, but silently made a promise to myself that I would find a away to repay her.

While Rose was browsing through shoes for both of us, Esme had picked out her mother of the groom dress. It was a black form fitting knee length dress that went off the shoulders with a white top and a huge white flower. It was simple yet sophisticated and fabulous all the same. She chose to wear red patent leather pumps with it to keep the red theme consistent.

Rosalie chose silver strappy Jimmy Choo's for Alice and I, and went with beautiful white Stuart Weitzman heels with chiffon roses going down the t-strap front. They were absolutely gorgeous. Rose being Rose, insisted that those were "the ones" because of the roses going down the front. I laughed at her reasoning, but couldn't argue. They were perfect.

We hailed a cab and took it back to Edward's apartment where we had promised the boys that we would meet them there when we were done. Rose had already texted Emmett and they were stuck in traffic and wouldn't be home for another thirty minutes. We had just enough time to get there and stash the dress where Emmett wouldn't find it.

We got there twenty minutes later and paid the cabbie quickly, not even bothering the ask for change. Emmett had texted five minutes ago that they were ten minutes away. We had five minutes to get up to the 10th floor and hide the dress before the boys got back. We ran into the lobby frantically. I spared Jacob and quick wave and a smile before running towards the elevator. It would be just our luck that they had broken down this morning after we left and were currently being repaired. We all glanced at each other panicked before I had an idea. I ran back over to Jacob and came to a clumsy halt in front of him.

"Jake I need a favor," I panted. He looked at me curiously but nodded. "Edward, Emmett, and their father will be here any minute and we have to hide Rosalie's wedding dress before Emmett finds it and demands to see it or sees us stashing it. I have one word for you my friend. Stall," I pleaded with him desperately. He nodded and saluted me before pushing me back towards the frenzied Esme and Rose.

"I got it. Hurry Bella. I'm not sure how long I can keep them down here," Jake called as I ran over to the stairs.

"Thanks Jake!" I yelled over my shoulder.

We sprinted up the stairs as fast as we could. Well, as fast as one possibly could when they were weighed down with three garment bags, a bag filled with shoe boxes, and bags from earlier stores. Not to mention all wearing heels. This was not an easy task to accomplish. I tripped multiple times, but caught myself before much damage could be done. My hands were burning from the concrete, but I paid them no mind. We were women on a mission.

We arrived to the 10th floor, panting like dogs and sweating like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh my god," Rose exclaimed breathlessly. "Keys," was all she said. We have no keys! We started to freak out as we heard unmistakable laughter float up the stairs. They were here.

"Does he keep a spare?" Esme asked. I gasped at my stupidity! Of course he did! That's the only way I ever got into his apartment!

I dropped all of my bags and got up onto my tip-toes to get the one key that Edward kept on the top of the door frame. My hands were shaking as I shoved the key into the door and unlocked it with a resounding click. We thrust the door open and sprinted down the hallway. I threw open the linen closet and shoved all of the bags into it. We heard the distinct sound of keys jiggling in the door. I slammed the door shut and flew over to the living room. Rose frantically turned the t.v. on and flopped down ungracefully next to me. Esme collapsed into the arm chair and grabbed a magazine off of the coffee table. She opened it and tried to look like she was engrossed.

The boys walked in just at that moment, laughing and teasing each other like sons and fathers do. Edward and Emmett must have gone into the kitchen seeing as just Carlisle appeared into the living room to say hello. He smiled happily at us and walked over to kiss his wife on the cheek. We must have looked like the picture of ease as Rose and I lounged lazily on the coach and Esme read her magazine intently.

"Hello ladies! How was your day? Did you just get back?" Carlisle asked cheerily as he sat down on the arm of Esme's chair. Rose shrugged and replied with a simple "fun" as I nodded my head and smiled agreeably. Esme was the one to respond for all of us.

"Oh no dear, we got in quite a while ago. You know that there are only a few shops that there are where we were," Esme responded in a light, completely fake tone. Clearly, Carlisle didn't pick up on it.

"Oh my! Sorry to keep you waiting! There was terrible traffic on the way home. What have you lovely ladies been doing to occupy your time?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that Rose and I were silently trying to catch our breath from the marathon we just ran.

"The girls have been flipping through channels and I have just been reading my magazine," Esme replied. Carlisle smiled and then looked down at her reading material. He picked it up off of her lap and looked at it as if it had three heads.

"You've been reading on how to please your man in the bedroom?" he asked incredulously. Rose and I froze in our seats. Oh no. We had been caught.

Edward and Emmett chose to walk in at the exact moment hearing just that last sentence. Edward spit the sip of beer that he had just taken out and began coughing loudly. Emmett covered his ears and screamed.

"EW! I SO DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR THAT!" he screamed as his face scrunched up in horror. Edward's face was red as he recovered from his cough attack.

Esme simply shrugged her shoulders and smiled up at Carlisle.

"You never know. They are always coming up with new things these days," she replied nonchalantly. Carlisle blushed madly and looked around uncomfortably. Edward and Emmet were covering their ears, screaming out that they didn't want to hear anything about their parent's sex life. The moment would have been purely hysterical if it weren't for the fact that Rose and I were sitting like rigid boards, waiting for the moment that we would be caught.

"Whatever you want dear," Carlisle responded. I let out my breath relieved. I hadn't even realized that I was holding it. He bought it. He walked over to his sons and then into the kitchen to get, what I assume, another beer. Emmett and Edward followed, clearly not wanting to hear any more.

"Oh thank god," Esme sighed with relief. Rose and I relaxed out tense muscles and looked over at Esme gratefully.

"I can't believe he bought that," Rose cried out. Esme laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't care why he bought it, just the fact that he bought it is all I need," she replied.

"Thanks for dodging that bullet Esme," I told her. " I thought we were toast."

Both Esme and Rose laughed loudly at my clear fear. I did not want to be the one who would have had to block Emmett from the linen closet.

"Anytime dear," she replied. Our conversation couldn't continue any further as the boys walked back in, fresh beers in their hands. Edward walked over to me, handing me a glass of red wine whilst pecking my lips lightly. He sat down next to me and pulled me onto his lap so that Emmett and Rosalie could fit as well. The couch was supposed to hold four people, but Emmett really counted at two in the size category.

"I missed you," he sighed. I kissed his cheek and smiled.

"I missed you too," I replied. He smiled brilliantly back at my and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Was your day eventful?" he asked conversationally. Rose heard that and looked over at me, clear amusement in her eyes. I chuckled and nodded my head.

"You have no idea," I murmured. He looked at me confused, but let it go, clearly seeing as how it was a long, complicated story that even if I told him, he wouldn't understand.

We joined in on the conversation that was flowing around the room. I felt so at ease here. I was in Edward's arms and with people that I was already smitten with. The last piece of my puzzle was finally in place.

---------------

The rest of the weekend flew by in a whirlwind of delicious food, good wine, and excellent conversation. Before I knew it, it was Monday morning and we were at the airport bidding Edward's parents goodbye. I was sad to see them go. I had come to love them in the past three days. I felt loved and like I flowed easily into their family.

Em and Rose had already said goodbye that morning when they came to the apartment before Carlisle and Esme left. Esme hugged Rose like a daughter and told Emmett to make sure to clean his dishes and do his laundry. Always a mother.

Esme was hugging her son goodbye, her eyes beginning to water. Carlisle was hugging me and told me to come see them soon. He kissed my forehead and moved behind Esme as he waited for his turn to tell his son goodbye.

"You better come visit me soon," she told him sternly. He laughed and nodded.

"I promise mommy," he said, kissing her cheek. She smiled at the term of endearment and let him go, moving onto me.

"Bella dear, you better force that boy to come to Chicago soon. I don't care what the reason is or when, just as long as you are along for the trip," she whispered into my ear. My eyes began to water too. Esme was already becoming a mother figure in my life.

"I promise Esme. Thank you for everything. You gave me the love of my life," I replied. She scoffed and shook her head.

"I should be the one thanking you! You brought my son to life," she told me. I smiled a watery smile and hugged her one last time. She kissed my forehead maternally and grabbed onto Carlisle's hand.

"Thank you both so much for having us," Carlisle said.

"Please dad, you guys are always welcome with Bella and I," Edward replied, wrapping his arm around my waist. I smiled when he said 'Bella and I'. I love how Edward was already putting me into the equation effortlessly.

"I expect a phone call from you at least once a week," Esme said as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Of course mom. Have a safe flight and call us when you land," Edward replied. Esme smiled and nodded. They turned towards the security and went through. The last glance I saw of them was Esme waving as she went through the metal detector and Carlisle laughing at his wife.

Edward and I walked back to the parked car, his arm never leaving my waist. He opened the door for me and then slid into the drivers seat. The entire ride back to the apartment was spent in a comfortable silence as I played with Edward's fingers on his free hand.

We arrived at the apartment and took the now fixed elevator back up to the 10th floor. I laughed at the memory of how the thing broke down at the worst possible time. Saturday had been quite the exciting day. Edward looked over at me curiously.

"So are you ever going to tell me what you three actually did on Saturday?" he asked me. I looked over at him shocked. We didn't fool Edward as much as I thought we had. He looked over at me smirking.

"You really weren't very good at lying. I don't know how Emmett and dad believed you. Rosalie and my mother I can understand, but you my dear, now you are a terrible lier," he told me. I laughed at him loudly. He really did know me well.

We walked into the apartment and I dropped my purse. Instead of explaining everything to him, I simply walked over to the linen closet and opened the door. Our entire lot of purchases fell out into a puddle at my feet. He looked at them completely puzzled.

"You went shopping? Why was that such a big deal, I mean we all know that Rose and Esme like to shop," he scratched his head. I laughed again at his cute puzzled expression and picked up the garment bags.

"We didn't do just any plain old shopping. We were wedding dress shopping." I explained. Realization came across his face as he looked at the bags once more.

"Good thing you didn't tell Emmett. He would have torn up the apartment to find it. I still don't understand why you were all panting and sweaty though," he replied. Wow. Edward was much more observant than I gave him credit for.

"We only had five minutes to run up ten flights of stairs, get into the apartment, and stash the dresses somewhere. You guys got to the apartment right as we flew over towards the couches and tried to look like we had been there forever," I told him. He laughed loudly and picked up the bags off of the floor.

"It all makes sense now," he said. A mischievous smile overtook his face. "You said 'dresses.' Do I get to see yours?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I laughed and smacked his chest.

"Nice try bud! You won't be seeing this dress until we are arm in arm walking down the aisle. I can't let the best man see the maid of honor's dress before the wedding!" I cried out.

"Maid of honor?" he asked me. I nodded and smiled.

"Rosalie asked me Saturday. She said she didn't have a lot of girlfriends and it would mean a lot to her. I was honored she even wanted me to be in the wedding at all!" I exclaimed. Edward laughed and pulled me into the living room, sitting me down on his lap.

He didn't say anything but began kissing my neck lightly. He kissed right below my ear and I gasped. He had found my sweet spot. He chuckled at my response and kissed it again. I entwined my fingers through his messy bronze lock and tugged lightly. He growled and picked me up, bringing me into his bedroom.

Edward and I had never talked about going all the way before. I hadn't told him yet, but I was still a virgin. It's not that I didn't want to lose my virginity. I just had never found the right guy. I wanted Edward to be that guy, but before I could let him go any further, I had to tell him.

"Edward stop," I commanded him and pushed on his chest. He froze and released me immediately.

"I'm so sorry Bella, I got carried away. If you think it's too soon I completely understand. I'll wait for you forever," he rushed out. I put a finger over his lips to silence him.

"No Edward it's not that. I want to, but I just need to tell you something first," I said shyly. He nodded his head, telling me to continue.

"Well..you see..I don't necessarily have um...the most...experience...in this department," I told him embarrassed. He looked at my confused, processing the information. It dawned on him what I meant as his eyes widened.

"You mean you're a virgin?" he asked me incredulously. I nodded my head, lowering my head as I turned crimson.

His response was the last thing I was expecting. He burst out laughing. I looked up at him offended and angrily. So he was going to laugh at me now? I made a move to get up and storm out of the room, but he pulled me back to him.

"I'm sorry Bella, that just came as a shock," he told me. I looked over at his confused. "You seemed like you had experience. I assumed that you had already had sex before. The thing I was going to tell you but you beat me to it was that I'm a virgin too," he said. I gasped. There was no way.

"What about Tanya?" I asked him. He sighed and looked away.

"That's the reason I suspected Tanya cheated on me. I told her I wasn't ready and so she went behind my back to screw someone else because she wasn't getting any from me. That's how I found out. I walked in on her and that Ethan guy," he told me. His cheeks were tinted a light pink. Edward was embarrassed. I smiled at him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"It looks like we are both new in this department," I told him. He laughed and hugged me to his body tighter.

"The only reason I didn't sleep with Tanya was because it didn't feel right. I knew that when I was ready, it would come to me. I know that we have only been dating for a week, but Bella, this feels right," he told me, staring intently into my eyes. I smiled and leaned my head up to kiss him passionately.

"I know," was all I said before he was on top of me.

The rest of the night was a blur of shedding clothes and love pouring out from every single one of both of our pores.

I lay on Edward's bare chest as she stroked my head and hummed an unfamiliar tune.

"I love you," I said groggily as began to fall to sleep.

"As I you," he said.

The last thing I heard as I fell into a deep slumber was Edward humming a sweet lullaby that floated throughout my dreams. This right here, this was paradise.

Thanks for reading! Please review! Pictures are all on my profile!

xoxo, VK