Chapter 31: Of Forever

These next two chapter are somewhat of a happy accident. They were not really planned and are unbeta'd and meant as a giant thank-you to Kristina, who as been the most incredibly awesome beta throughout this journey. I asked her to do it as a favor way back in the beginning and made a really awesome friend somewhere along the way.

And these next two chapters are for you guys too, because I never would have finished this story if not for you. So thank you. Everyone :')

x.x.x

Bella.

It was later that night, much later, and I lay between the silky sheets of the bed in the guesthouse. Edward lay by my side with his head ducked, my nipple in his mouth and his hand between my legs. It was silent save for the soft panting breaths escaping me as he slowly played my body like it was an instrument he'd been practicing his entire life. He unwound me slowly, fingers strumming softly and his mouth humming gently until the song reached the peak, and the tempo increased and his body played faster and faster, harder and harder. And I danced along, panting and gasping until I could feel the music spring from the deepest parts of my body, until I was writhing and could feel the music wash over my body, crashing like waves upon a thirsty shore. I was lifted up, up, up and into his awaiting arms. And the music slowed but it would never stop.

I would always feel this song because in truth, my heart – it sung for him. And his for mine.

"I want you, Bella," his voice crooned softly into my ear.

"I'm yours," I whispered back.

I felt him leave, gone but just a moment but the loss of him drew nearly all the heat from my body. His hand slipped under the pillow beneath my head and the bed moved and he was back on top of me. We were two different bodies and two different souls molding into one.

His kissed me so hard he never really gave the tingling a chance to subside. I felt him everywhere. His fingers ran through my hair and then down to my shoulders, across my chest and lower, lower to where I pressed myself up against him.

"I want you forever, Bella," he said, tearing his lips from mine and his voice sounding tortured that he had to do so to speak.

"Edward, I told you –" I began, tired of his games. But I stopped when I felt something light and cool suddenly drop onto my stomach. He had slid down so his head was near my navel, his chin resting on his hand and his head tilted as he drew tiny circles on my stomach around the object he'd placed there.

I stared at him, mesmerized. I wondered if I was dreaming. I wondered if Emmett had spiked my cola. And I wondered if there was a more perfect man than the one currently between my legs.

"What is…?" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

He looked up and met my eyes, the moonlight coming from the long window beside us illuminating his features. He looked surreal – celestial. He lifted his mouth into a crooked grin and I think that's maybe when my heart started beating again.

"Marry me, Bella."

It was as if he was suggesting we have bacon for breakfast, or that we should paint the bedroom green when we get moved in together. Like he was just telling me we were out of orange juice and he'd pick some up on his way home from school or that the cable bill was due next week. Because my brain didn't compute his words, at least not right away. I didn't scream and jump for joy and I didn't cry and I didn't even know if he was serious.

He lifted the object he'd dropped on my chest. He held it between his thumb and his index finger and he slid up my naked body so we were face to face. He held the ring up between us and it twinkled in the pale moonlight.

"Maybe it's tacky to ask you this right after a wedding and I know you want to wait until I'm done school… but I don't want to wait for the next right moment after that. This is the right moment. The perfect moment. I love you and I've missed you and I want you, Bella. I want you to be my wife. Make me the happiest man in the world right now. Say yes. And I swear I'll make you the happiest woman on this planet for the rest of your life."

He smiled and he leaned his weight on one elbow as he held the ring up towards me. "Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

I guess I was wrong – I cried. He wiped away my tears when they got to be too much to see. And yeah, maybe this was all wrong. Was it all wrong? Wasn't there supposed to be a romantic dinner and strangers around to witness and cries of joy? Was it wrong that we were naked in a bed that wasn't even ours? Was it wrong that he hadn't even gotten down on one knee, that instead he'd undressed me, unwound me, and then asked me to be his wife? Was there a right way to do all this? Did it even matter?

I decided very quickly that it didn't. I didn't want a romantic dinner and strangers around to see. I didn't want the anticipation, the waiting, the attention. I wanted this. This was perfect. And god, I wanted him.

Besides, when did we ever do anything 'the right way,' anyway?

All I knew was that I wanted to tie myself to him in every way possible. And I knew this couldn't be some spur-of-the-moment we're in love and I've missed you decision… he had a ring. He already had the ring. I closed my eyes for just a moment – a lone tear rolling down the skin of my cheek. This was it. It was the happily ever after they talked about in books and films – the real-life fairy tale I never really believed in. I closed my eyes and I nodded. A sniffling, sobbing mess… I nodded.

"Yes, Edward. Yes, I'll marry you. God, I'll marry you right now if that's what you want."

His laughter shook as he grasped my hand, his fingers trembling against mine. "I'm sure we're not too late to track down the justice of peace who was here tonight."

I wiped more tears with my free hand and watched him, laughing and crying as he slipped the diamond onto my ring finger with shaking hands. "Maybe we should wait until the newly weds get back from the honeymoon, at least."

"Maybe you're right," he smiled down at me and smoothed my hair back, tucking it behind my ears. Never before had I ever, ever seen a sweeter and happier smile on his face.

"I love you so much," I told him. A promise. A vow. No moment would rival this. Nothing in my world would ever mean more to me than he did.

"I love you too," he said, eyes shining in the moonlight as he smiled. "And I swear I will love you every single day for the rest of our lives, Bella."

I smiled so big it was hurting. But it was a very, very good pain. "We're getting married," I said out loud, testing it out.

His smile grew. "Yes we are, Mrs. Cullen," he said, his voice becoming husky as he finished.

I reached up and kissed him, winding my fingers through his hair and pulling him down to me. His hands trailed up my side, over my tattoos, and began kneading my breasts. I felt him grow beneath me and moaned. His lips moved to nip at my neck and he let out a tiny gasp.

"I can't wait any longer Bella…" he groaned, sounding almost pained as I arched my back to press against him. All the air left my lungs at the feeling he created when he thrust back down on me. He pulled back for a moment and then I felt his tip at my entrance, taunting me.

"Oh god…" I moaned, my head falling back and my chest heaving. And there was so much good all at once. A new ring on my finger and another new beginning. And Edward, Edward with me and touching me and loving me and looking at me like he never had before. And our eyes locked when he entered me, gentle and desperate all at the same time, I realized that I'd never made a single wrong turn, not in my entire life. And maybe no one ever does. Because everywhere, everything, it all brought me to this moment and I knew there was nowhere else I was supposed to be. Looking into his eyes, it was the first time I realized I was complete. I was fully whole. Two souls had collided hard for the last time and created something beautiful and epic and beyond words.

And I knew life had so much more to offer me, but right now I had this, a feeling in my soul I might never get back.

"Edward," I whispered near his ear, my voice thick with want and need. "You have me." I took his earlobe between my teeth before breathing, "Now take me."

x.x.x