Author's Note: The day of the wedding! Dum-dum-duh-duh! I have no idea how a wedding is supposed to go, so forgive me if something is missing or wrong. Enjoy this happy moment, as the happiness will not last long in this story. You know me. Always looking to tear down our awesome characters of Twilight before I award them with eternal peace. ;) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Chapter 16
"Alice, I feel like throwing up."
Alice straightened up. She had ducked underneath my dress to yank out the train properly.
"Well, don't," she said. "You'll ruin the dress." She stepped back and examined her makeup work. She looked satisfied. "You know, I think I'm so good at this. I mean, look at you. You're so beautiful. Your makeup is perfect and your hair is perfect. Of course, the raw material is beautiful which is why such a perfect result came out, but still…" She smiled at me fondly. "You look beautiful, Bella. Even more than usual."
I concentrated on breathing evenly. "This was a really bad idea."
"No, it wasn't," Alice disagreed. "It's just the nerves. You'll feel better once all this is over and you're on your way to Paris for your honeymoon. Just a couple minutes, and it'll be all over. Just try not to trip while you're walking down the aisle. Today's not the day for a concussion."
I moaned. "Alice… I should have waited until I was legal or something. I mean, it's only a couple more months until September… Maybe it's because I'm too young. Do you think if we delay this until I'm eighteen, I'll feel more relaxed?"
Alice laughed. "Good one."
"I'm not joking!" I protested. "Go out and tell them that I want to delay this. Go, Alice."
Alice shook her head exasperatedly. "You must be extremely nervous. You don't know what you're talking about."
There was a knock on the door. "One minute, Miss Swan!"
"We're done!" Alice called back. "Okay. It's time."
I began to hyperventilate.
"Easy, Bella," Alice said soothingly. "Just think about Edward. He's out there, waiting for you. Once all this is over, he's yours. Just focus on that. He's all you ever wanted, and he'll be yours in a few minutes."
I nodded slowly, gaining control over myself again. I took a deep breath.
"Come on," Alice said, grabbing my bouquet and handing it to me. "Let's go. Charlie will be waiting outside."
Sure enough, Charlie was waiting outside the huge double doors, fidgeting with his bow tie nervously. Still, he whistled when he saw me.
"You look beautiful, Bells," he said gruffly. "Great job, Alice."
Alice grinned. "I know. Remember, count to five and follow me down the aisle." She was my maid of honor, while Emmett and Jasper were Edward's groomsmen. Emmett was best man.
"Don't let me fall, Dad," I whispered as the double doors opened slowly. The music started playing, and the flower girls walked inside, throwing petals on the aisle.
"Don't worry," Charlie whispered back as Alice danced out.
And then, we were walking too. I saw the large amount of guests all standing and smiling at me. Several men wolf-whistled, causing silent giggles to break out here and there.
But he was all I could see. Edward was right there in front of me, standing in front of the minister, smiling widely as Charlie and I approached. I saw Emmett and Jasper standing right behind him, and Alice had already arrived at her destination on Edward's other side.
He looked so handsome with his smart, pure black tuxedo and bow tie. His beautiful green eyes stood out, and I could hear my friends' murmuring about them as I passed their seat.
The aisle was mercifully short. And soon, we were right in front of him.
Charlie placed my hand on top of Edward's, entrusting me to him. And just like that, I was home. I was where I belonged. With Edward.
Edward led me back to the minister. He began his speech, droning on and on in his boring, nasal tone.
I tuned him out, choosing to think about my future life with Edward instead. Would it always be filled with happiness? Would we have a perfect marriage that only existed in fiction novels and movies?
I heard Alice crying to my right, and Renee and Esme imitating her from my back. And I realized that I was crying too. I was taking a big step in life. I was all grown up.
Finally, the minister came to the end of his speech, and it was time for me to say the bonding words.
"I do," I choked out. Renee and Esme seemed to sob harder at that.
Edward's voice was loud and clear. The words rang through the huge hall. "I do."
"I now declare you husband and wife," the minister said. "You may kiss the bride." And he closed the book, clearly satisfied with his day's work.
I turned to him, my eyes shining with tears. He smiled in amusement as he wiped my tears away. He leaned down to kiss me.
I didn't know how much time had passed. All I knew was that he was mine forever. The world was lost all around me like it usually was when Edward kissed me. Nothing else mattered.
Finally, Edward withdrew, smirking. And we turned to face the crowd, who'd erupted into loud applause.
I was crying again when Renee came running towards me. She hugged me tightly, practically wailing now, while Esme embraced Edward. Charlie was suddenly there as well, hugging me with Renee sandwiched in the middle. Carlisle, too, was embracing his son, smiling proudly as he did so.
Charlie had to pull Renee away from me forcibly. He led her away from the crowd around us, consoling her in a soothing voice. Esme looked like she was in control of herself, but tears still streamed down her face as she embraced me lovingly.
"Be happy," she whispered.
"Thank you, Esme," I said, sniffling. "Thank you."
"Bella!"
I grunted as Alice collided with me. She was sobbing.
"Congratulations, man," I heard Emmett say to his brother. "I'm happy for you guys."
"Thank you, Em," Edward said, hugging his brother.
"Alice," Jasper urged. "Let her go. Give me a chance to hug her, eh?"
Alice pulled away, turning to Edward instead. Edward grunted as she nearly knocked him to the ground.
Jasper smiled at me proudly. "Beautiful, Bella. Really."
And looking at my brother, I couldn't stop the fresh new tears that broke out. I fell into his open arms, and he hugged me tightly.
"Congratulations," he whispered. "I love you, Bella. Always have, always will."
"I love you, too, Jazz."
Finally, we were passed around through the crowd. Edward and I had to even greet people we didn't even know. They were guests on account of business. Charlie and Carlisle knew who they were, and that's all that mattered. We merely had to be polite.
The party began right away. Everyone filed outside into the huge gardens of the wedding hall, and the music began to play. The smell of food and flowers filled the air, and there was talking and laughter in every corner.
Edward and I had changed into less formal clothes. He was in a collared shirt now, with a gray vest over it. I was in a blue, silky dress that matched my heels and hairstyle. We were going around, greeting guests properly and thanking them for coming.
It took nearly two hours to get the greetings done. And by this time, I was lightheaded with hunger. I pulled Edward gently to the refreshment table.
He chuckled as I piled a bunch of fruit and salad onto my plate. "Hungry?"
I nodded. "Aren't you?" I speared a melon and held it out. He ate it slowly, looking thoughtful as his gaze never left me.
"What?" I asked, popping a baby tomato in my mouth.
"You were so beautiful tonight," Edward said, smiling. "It was hard to keep my eyes off of you, even for a little while."
I rolled my eyes. "You're a little biased, you know."
"I don't think so," Edward disagreed. "Just look around at your friends. Even that Newton is looking at you in a way that I don't approve of. I should go beat him up…"
I laughed as I fed him a strawberry. "Yeah, right."
"I'm serious."
"Sure, sure," I chortled. "When are we leaving?"
"Impatient, are we?" Edward asked in a sly voice.
I shrugged. "It's been so chaotic all day. I want to be alone with you now."
"I do too," Edward said, smiling as he accepted a watermelon from me. "Our flight isn't for another four hours. Be patient. We'll soon be on our way to the airport."
I stroked his face. "I love you, Edward."
"I love you," he answered without hesitation. He leaned down to kiss me gently.
"Hey, hey, cut that out."
"Go away," Edward muttered, ignoring his brother.
"I'm serious," Emmett grumbled. "I feel like we're in Noah's Ark. Everybody's paired up. It's ridiculous. I'm the only single here."
"Congratulations, guys," Alice said, bounding up. Her makeup was flawless again. No one would've guessed that she'd been crying not two hours ago.
"Thanks, Alice," I said, leaning away from Edward and smiling at my new sister-in-law. "And thank you for helping us plan the wedding. It's so beautiful."
Alice smiled brightly. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like it."
Jasper, who had appeared with the other two, sighed, looking up at the darkening sky. "I feel so depressed now."
I laughed. "Get married then."
He made a face.
"Why don't you introduce me to your friends, Bella?" Edward suggested.
I looked at him. "I did."
"You missed some of them."
I shrugged. "They looked busy earlier."
"Why don't we go now?"
"He just wants to brag to that Newton guy," Alice said wisely. "He wants to rub it in his face. This beautiful girl is all mine, so if you so much as a make a move on her, I'll kill you. That's what he wants to say."
"Of course," Edward said in a dangerously soft, velvet voice. "That's the whole purpose."
"Oh, Edward," I said, shaking my head. But I spotted Angela Weber, one of my closest friends. We hadn't gotten to her before. "Look, there's Angela! Let's go." I pulled him towards her.
"Angela!"
Angela looked up from her glass of sparkling water. She brightened when she saw me. "Bella!"
We hugged tightly.
"Congratulations!" she said sincerely. "I'm happy for you."
"Thanks, Angela," I said. I noticed her glancing at Edward, looking curious. "Oh, Ang, this is Edward. Edward, my best friend, Angela Weber."
"Hello, Angela," Edward said politely. "It's nice to meet you."
"Pleasure," Angela said shyly. She looked pleasantly surprised. "Wow. I think I know exactly why you decided to get married so early, Bella! He really is just as handsome as you said he was-"
I blushed. "Uh, Ang…"
Edward grinned. "Thank you for coming, Angela. It was very nice of you to come support Bella."
"Of course," Angela said, smiling widely.
"I'll leave you two alone for a while," Edward whispered to me. "I'll be close by, don't worry." He kissed my forehead lightly before walking away.
I turned back to her. "Thanks for coming, Ang. I really appreciate it."
"Of course," Angela said. "Oh, Bella. He really is dreamy. I can understand now why you've had a crush on him for so long."
I bit my lip. "I know, right? I feel like I'm dreaming. How could he have liked me back?" I shook my head. "It's a mystery."
"You don't see yourself clearly," Angela chided. "You're beautiful and intelligent, Bella. Edward would be a fool not to have married you."
I grinned. "Thanks, Ang."
"You know," she mused. "I was really surprised to receive the invitation. I thought it was a mistake. But then I remembered you telling me about a Edward Cullen, and then, there was that news article about you two… Be happy, Bella. That's all I want to see."
I hugged her. "Thank you, Ang. I love you."
"Love you too."
"Bella!"
I saw Esme waving for me to come over at a distance.
"See you later, Angela." I walked to my mother-in-law to see what she wanted. And as I got closer, I saw that she wasn't alone. She was with Carlisle and a man that I'd never seen in my entire life. He was short and had a huge belly.
"This is Bella, our daughter-in-law," Esme said, proudly introducing me. "Bella, this is a colleague of Carlisle's from the hospital. Mr. John Henderson."
I shook his large hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
"The pleasure is all mine, of course," Mr. Henderson said. "She's just as beautiful as you described, Carlisle. Where'd your son ever find a girl like her? Do you think young Edward can give my son some advice?" He roared in laughter over his own joke.
Carlisle smiled. "I don't know. I guess you'll have to ask him."
After a while, I excused myself from their company. I was eager to go find Edward. I was craving to hear his musical voice again, and wanted to feel his warm touch.
As I walked around, looking for him, a familiar, nasal tone said, "You lose your husband or something?"
I turned to see Jessica Stanley in her flashy, bright pink dress walking up to me.
"Hello, Jessica," I said politely, nodding once. "Thank you for coming."
"Well, I couldn't exactly miss the biggest gossip in town, could I?" Jessica asked, flipping her hair. "Not when I got invited personally. I thought I might come check out your new husband. And boy, was I surprised." She turned her head to gesture at Edward who was now greeting some of his friends from college. "How did you ever manage to seduce such a hot boy like him? It must have taken some effort." She smirked.
I smiled, playing along. "No, it wasn't very hard at all. You see, I've known him for quite a long time. We've loved each other ever since we were young."
Her smile faded ever so slightly. "I see. Well, you finally got what you wanted, but I should warn you to be careful. A hot boy who is not yet twenty…" She sighed, mockingly concerned. "I heard he goes to Harvard? My, my… I'm sure there are plenty of cute girls there…" She sneered. "You should never trust men. They come with the wind, and they leave when the sun rises. I wouldn't be surprised if he cheats on you within six months."
I pursed my lips, angry now. "Jessica, I would appreciate it if you would not insult Edward. He's not the type to do that."
Jessica scoffed. "Right. Remember my words when he does leave you. And when he does, give me a call. I promise I'll take you out to a movie and try my best to console you. Anyhow, congratulations!" She grinned evilly before moving on.
I just stood there, stunned. I couldn't get her words out of my head.
They come with the wind, and they leave when the sun rises…
"Bella? What's wrong?" Edward approached me, looking concerned. There was no hint of a joke on his face.
And I was reassured by this fact. Of course, what had I been thinking? Jessica had only said those words because she was jealous…
I smiled as best as I could. "Nothing, Edward. Nothing."
AN: So what'd you think about Jessica's warning? Do you think it was just her jealousy acting up again? Or was it some foreshadowing? Eh? Reviews, please!
