Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga
Chapter Three – Finally it's our time now
Oh oh oh oh oh
There will be no rules tonight
If there were we'd break 'em
Nothing's gonna stop us now
Let's get down to it
Nervous hands and anxious smiles
I can feel you breathing
This is right where we belong
Turn up the music
~:~:~
BPOV
All too soon, we broke apart from our kiss. The need for air an annoying habit.
"Breathe Bella," Edward smiled.
As much as I wanted to stay in Edward's arms, I had work to do.
"I'm sorry, I've got to get back to work," I said.
"Do you work here now?" he asked.
I nodded, then smiled, struck by an idea. "Hey, there's a show on tonight."
"Yeah, I wasn't going to go."
"Will you go with me?" I asked hopefully.
He smiled, then lifted our intertwined hands to lips. "It would be my pleasure, Ms. Swan," he said in his irresistible voice.
I giggled and quickly pressed my lips to his.
"I'll see you later then."
I ran quickly to my room, already missing Edward's touch. His cool hand felt perfect in mine and the jolt of electricity it sent up was like nothing I'd ever felt before.
I quickly changed into some clothes than ran down to the pool where Jasper was waiting.
"Bella! Where have you been?" he asked anxiously.
"Sorry Jazz, I got a bit caught up."
"Doing what?" he asked suspiciously.
"Tell you later," I said quietly, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I'd never been a fan of attention, usually when I was in the spotlight I'd be my normal klutzy self which didn't help.
After the activity was finished, Jasper and I made our way back up to his and Alice's room. I knew he wanted to interrogate me but luckily he didn't mention anything. Jasper was always so perceptive of people and I could tell he knew that something was different with me.
"Bella!" Alice squealed as soon as we opened her door. "Where have you been? We've only got a few hours to get ready for the show tonight!"
"Only a few hours? What a tragedy, Alice!" I gasped in shock.
She hit me playfully on the arm. "Jazz, get out of here! You're not allowed to see us before!" she shouted, shooing her boyfriend out of the room.
"But Alice…"
"No buts! Now get out of this room this instant Jasper Whitlock!"
He sighed, defeated. I felt for him, he sure did put up with a lot from the girl he loved.
"Hey Rose," I said, entering the living area.
She eyed me with a wary look on her face. "Is something up Bella? You usually whine constantly when Alice and I get you ready for anything. I think this is the first time you've ever readily agreed to this."
I blushed, not wanting to tell them, but of course that just gave it away.
"Bella Swan, why are you blushing red all of a sudden? Oh my god, are you going with someone tonight?" Alice guessed, jumping to conclusions.
I sighed, I might as well get it over with. And besides, I needed someone to talk to and who better than my two best friends?
"Okay, I did meet someone. When I left at lunch, I went down for a walk and guess who I saw?"
"Who?" they asked in unison.
"Edward Cullen."
Alice gasped loudly and Rosalie just stared at me blankly.
"Who?" she repeated.
"You know, famous singer Edward Cullen who-"
"Yeah I know who he is, just how did you get a date with him of all people?"
"Bella, don't tell me you have a date with Edward," Alice said in a disbelieving tone.
I knew where she was coming from. When Edward left me in Forks and after a few months had passed and I had not heard from him, I had been an emotional wreck. It was like I switched off all of my senses and acted like a robot. An empty shell. Alice eventually got me to tell her what had happened and convinced me it was all not worth it. She had been there for me when he wasn't.
I knew how she felt about Edward, she absolutely hated him. As much as I tried to deny it, I hadn't hated Edward like her. Whenever I tried to think of him like that, all those memories of that long summer ago came back to me and made me feel happy instead of the despair that I knew I should have felt.
For Alice, Edward coming back into my life was possibly one of the worst things that could happen.
"Alice, please, for once can you stop thinking of him like that?" I begged.
"How can you possibly defend him, Bella? After what he did to you?" she asked, outraged.
"Will someone please tell me how Bella knows the ridiculously famous and good looking Edward Cullen?" Rosalie interrupted.
"I met Edward when he came to Forks on a holiday when we were seventeen," I explained. "He was just a normal kid back then."
"Did you like him?" she probed.
"Of course Rose," I said, blushing again, "But it wasn't till the very end that we expressed our feelings for each other."
"Yeah, and then do you remember what happened next Bella? He left you in Forks without another word, never calling you or contacting you and then he goes off and becomes a famous celebrity without a second thought about the girl he met when he was a teenager," Alice said acidly.
"Alice, he's changed!" I defended. "He told me he really regretted what happened and I believe him. I want to be with him Alice and he wants to be with me and the only way that we'll ever progress is if we put the past behind us!"
She stayed silent, absorbing my words.
"So you do have a date with Edward Cullen?" Rosalie asked.
"Yeah," I confirmed.
She broke into a wide smile. "This is great, Bella! After all these years of us trying to set you up, you've finally gone and gotten a date on your own. I'm so proud of you!" she squealed, hugging me. "And to think it's the Edward Cullen."
Alice still hadn't said anything and her silence was starting to worry me. Alice was never quiet for more than a minute at a time.
"Please say something Alice," I said nervously.
"What do you want me to say Bella? You're like my sister and I just want what's best for you and I just don't think it's a good idea to get involved with him after all these years."
"Thanks for looking out for me, but please, trust me on this."
She sighed, "Alright. You know I love you Bells."
"I love you too Alice."
We hugged tightly before turning to Rosalie who was looking on the scene.
"Come on Rose, you too," I grinned.
We stayed like that for a while before Alice looked at the clock and shrieked.
"I can't believe we wasted all that time and now that Bella has a date, she needs to look even better than usual!"
Uh oh, I'd been hoping she wouldn't notice.
"Bella, go have a shower and use all the products that we put on the counter," Rose said, pushing me in the direction of the bathroom.
When I came out, Alice grabbed my arm impatiently and dragged me to a chair, sitting me down and brushing my hair impatiently while Rosalie worked on my make up.
"What's the matter Bella, nervous about you date?" she asked.
I shrugged, hoping she wouldn't notice. The truth was, I was nervous. This day had been a hectic rollercoaster. I sure hadn't thought when I woke up in the morning that I would be meeting up with a guy from my past who was also an international celebrity and end up getting a date with him.
After an hour or so, Alice and Rosalie got ready themselves while I went into the bedroom to get changed. Alice had lain out a summer dress which was covered in splashes of blue and white. It went down to my knees and she had also put out a pair of white sandals to go with the outfit.
I put on my dress, grateful that she wasn't making me wear heels. When we were back at university, Alice would always by me clothes and shoes that I didn't need and which I couldn't wear without tripping over in them. Luckily, Hawaii wasn't the best place to wear heels.
I glanced at myself one more time in the mirror before walking out back to my friends.
"You look gorgeous Bella," Rosalie complimented.
"Thanks Rose, you look good yourself."
"Come on girls, we don't want to be late," Alice said impatiently.
We walked through the resort to the hall where the show was to be held. My eyes searched the crowded hall instinctively for Edward, but I couldn't see him.
"You look very beautiful tonight, Ms. Swan," I heard a voice say into my ear.
~:~:~
Oh oh oh oh oh
This is the dance for all the lovers
Takin' a chance for one another
Finally it's our time now
These are the times that we'll remember
Breaking the city's heart together
Finally it's our time now
It's our time now
~:~:~
EPOV
I couldn't believe that Bella had forgiven me so easily. I had seen the hurt in her eyes and it had pained me more than anything to know that I had caused that.
When I returned home to Chicago after out holiday, I had wanted to call her right away but I could never think of what to say to her. All my words seemed too heavy for a seventeen year old to say and I didn't want to scare her with the depth of my emotion that I felt for her. So I kept putting it off day after day until it became too late.
I had actually called her once. About a year after I last saw her, I called her but as soon as she answered the phone, I hung up, panicking. It had been so long since I had heard her melodious voice and I was worried that she had forgotten me. But I never forgot her.
"Bella, if you don't want to be with me, I understand, but I need you. If you look me in the eye and tell me you don't feel anything for me, I can live with that," I said. I needed her, she was like the air I couldn't live without, my everything. But it was too much to ask of this perfect angel to return my feelings. After all, I had already abandoned her once, she would be wondering if there was any chance of me doing it again.
"Edward," she began, "I do feel something for you. I can't deny it. When you left, I was broken because you weren't with me anymore. But now that you're here, we can start anew. I want you too Edward."
My heart soared at her words. She was willing to give me a chance which I hardly deserved. I would not fail her.
"Thank you," I whispered. "I promise, no I swear, that I will make up for every moment I've spent away from you. You deserve so much more than me Bella, but you are the only thing that makes me whole."
I wanted to say more, there was so much more that I needed her to understand, but I didn't want to overwhelm her.
As soon as she left my arms, I felt as if a part of me was missing. Her small frame had fit perfectly in my arms as if we were two halves of the same whole. Without her, I felt incomplete.
She asked me if I wanted to go to the show that was on tonight. I had not intended on going but I wanted any opportunity to spend with her. And she asked me.
I accepted of course and now I was waiting in the hall where it was to be held. I was starting to attract so stares though, people finally starting to recognize me.
I finally saw her enter. She looked stunning in a blue and white dress with her hair in light curls and her face glowing with happiness and life. I approached her from behind, whispering in her ear, "You look very beautiful tonight, Ms. Swan."
She jumped then turned to face me, laughing. "Why Mr. Cullen, what a surprise to see you," she teased.
"Is it a good surprise?"
"Definitely."
I held out my arm for her and she looped hers through it, giggling as she did so. She led me to some seats near the front.
"These are my friends, Alice, Jasper, Emmet and Rosalie," she introduced.
I shook hands with the guys and smiled at the girls. Emmett was a muscular and well built guy and looked as if he could tear me to shreds if he wanted. His arms were around the girl called Rosalie and I noticed a wedding ring on their fingers. Jasper was a tall blonde man who was sitting next to Alice. I vaguely recognized Alice, she had been in Forks when I had been there on holiday. I hadn't seen much of her seeing as I spent all my time with Bella.
Alice was glaring at me now, but I tried to avoid looking at her, instead focusing on Bella. She was smiling at me and I took her hand in mine as I led her to our seats.
If you asked me what the show was about, I couldn't answer you. The whole time, I was focused on Bella, watching her, mesmerized by her smile and her laugh.
The show finished to a huge round of applause and Bella turned to me with a huge smile on her face.
"Did you enjoy it?" she asked as we walked out of the hall.
"Immensely," I replied.
We walked out onto the balcony, hand in hand.
"What are you doing?" she asked when she finally caught me staring at her.
"Just enjoying the view," I said innocently.
She laughed, but then stopped when she noticed someone standing behind us.
"Edward, can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Alice asked.
"Alice," Bella warned.
"It's fine, Bella," I said.
She frowned but left us alone.
"Edward, you probably don't remember me-" she started.
"I do. You were Bella's best friend in Forks," I interrupted.
"Yeah, I was. Look, I'm going to get straight to the point. Bella's not going to admit it, but when you left she was a... complete mess. She was on the edge all the time and she hardly went out. When you didn't call her she just sat around her house, doing nothing. It took me a long time to get her back to her normal self and even then, she wasn't like how she was when she was around you."
I felt another pang of guilt.
"Now that you're back, in just a few hours, I can see the difference in her. She's so much happier now and I know that's because of you. But I want to warn you Edward. She's my best friend, my sister and all of us love her so much. I swear, if you hurt her in any way again, I know Emmett will not hesitate to tear you apart."
I gulped and nodded. "Alice, I already know that I hurt her terribly and I regret it so a great deal. I want to be with her and surprisingly, she does too. If she didn't want to be with me, I wouldn't protest but she does. I will guard her with my life and I just want another chance."
She nodded. "I can't ask for more than that. Edward, you seem like a good guy and I know you're also a celebrity. I know Bella doesn't want to be with you just for that but do you think that will have any effect on you and Bella?"
"I'm hoping that it won't. I just want to be with her but I can't change who I am."
Alice turned to go but paused at the door. "Edward, do you love Bella?" she asked
"I thought I was in love before, with another woman, but that was never love. I think what I have with Bella is," I said without hesitation.
"Bella's never been in love with anyone either. She's always had her heart on you," she replied before leaving.
I stayed outside for a moment more, listening to the sounds of the beach. I hardly heard the door open or noticed that someone was behind me until she ran her had along my cheek.
"Hey handsome," she whispered
"Hello beautiful," I replied, kissing her gently.
I needed to talk about where this left us, but I didn't want to spoil this perfect evening. It was complicated, what with me being internationally renowned. But I wouldn't think of that now.
"You're cold. You should go back to your room," I said, noticing that she was shivering.
"I'm not cold," she lied.
"Humour me," I said, leading back to her room.
We walked back, hand in hand in comfortable silence. I knew there was much on her mind but I didn't press her to tell me.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" she said hopefully at the entrance to her room.
"Of course," I said, gently caressing her face.
"Good night," she whispered.
"Good night Bella. Sweet dreams," I murmured as I kissed her again.
~:~:~
This is more than just romance
It's an endless summer
I can feel the butterflies, leading me through it
Take my heart, I'll take your hand
As we're falling under
This is an addiction girl
Let's give in to it
~:~:~
Oh oh oh oh oh
~:~:~
This is the dance for all the lovers
Takin' a chance for one another
Finally it's our time now
These are the times that we'll remember
Breaking the city's heart together
Finally it's our time now
It's our time now
(It's our time now)
It's our time now
(It's our time now)
Oh oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh oh
Finally it's our time now
AN: Song is 'Our Time Now' by the Plain White T's.
This is a couple days late and for that I'm really really sorry, but I went on a trip with my family and didn't have access to a computer so I couldn't upload this. I hope this chapter makes up for it, I really like it. We get to know more about what happened after Edward left Forks and get to see a confrontation between him and Alice. And I know Alice was a bit mean, but try and understand where she's coming from. Bella is her best friend and she's just looking out for her.
Please leave a review with any comments / song ideas.
Next chapter: The next day (yes, very vague but I still haven't quite figured what's happening next)