Chapter 33: You're all I need
~Our love would be forever
And if we die, we die together
And I, I said never
'Cause our love would be forever - Muse, Neutron collision~
Time ceased to exist as I anxiously waited for Edward's reply.
"Run away?" Edward sat up immediately. "What do you mean by 'run away'?"
The truth stuck in my throat. I knew Edward would never come with me if I told him about James. Therefore, I had no other choice but to lie. Oh please, Edward, believe me for once.
"I mean, let's run away. Take a few days off." I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant.
Edward's eyebrows shot up in shock and bewilderment. He reached forward and touched my cheek gently.
"But...we have school. You have school. It doesn't matter if I don't go to school but if you don't―" Edward frowned.
I cut in. "Edward, please. A few days doesn't matter. Let's go somewhere. If you're really going to leave by the end of this month, don't you want to see what the rest of the world has to offer?"
The early approaching demise of Edward was a rough subject for both of us. But I had to bring it into our argument, otherwise he would never agree.
"Bella," his eyebrows pulled in. "I don't think it's a good idea. Also, I feel like you're holding something back. Are you?"
I forced out a laugh. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"
I turned away from and started pulling on my jeans. I had only his T-shirt on and nothing else. When I turned back to him, he had already gotten into a pair of sweatpants.
"Listen, I don't want you to leave this place because of me," Edward brushed a strand of hair from my face. "Besides, this is my home. This is where I grew up. If I'm going to die, I want it to be here."
I opened my mouth to protest, almost on the verge of telling him about James, but he planted his lips on mine.
"You should go home. Your mom will be waiting for you. We don't want her to get any more suspicious, do we?" he asked, smirking.
I thought about mom. She was probably waiting for me, seated near the front door so she could catch me before I escaped to the haven my room offered.
I glanced down at the maroon T-shirt I was wearing and touched it. "Can I keep it?"
Edward grinned widely. "Sure, love. But won't your mother ask why you have my shirt on?"
He was shirtless, showing off his perfectly toned torso. I averted my eyes and met his amused gaze instead.
"I have my coat." I replied absent-mindedly.
I padded across the warm room and shrugged into my long purple trench coat. After I had made sure it was fully buttoned and there was no way mom could see the T-shirt, I glanced around suspiciously.
"Where's my top?" I asked, looking around the spotless room.
"Right here," he waggled his eyebrows and shook the gleaming yellow top teasingly in front of my face.
"Gimme that." I reached for it but he pressed it to his naked chest.
"You're taking my shirt, so it's only fair if you leave this with me." Edward said, smiling charmingly.
I stared at his stubborn handsome face and laughed. "'Kay, have it."
I was going to miss him. I was going to miss him so much.
Edward bit his lip hesitantly. "What did Alice tell you, Bella?"
My eyes widened and I stuttered out a lie. "Nothing important. She just...apologized."
"You do know that I have extra sense of hearing, right?" He rubbed his face tiredly.
"You didn't!" I said accusingly. "You did not do that, Edward!"
"I tried to block out what she was saying. But I couldn't help but hear a few words. And 'James' was one of them. Now, care to tell me the truth?" He peeked up at me.
I stared at him, formulating a believable lie but his eyes were vulnerable and trusting as they stared at me. Finally, I sighed and told him everything without taking a breath. A shocked expression came upon his face.
"So, that's why you wanted to leave?" he whispered. He looked hurt now.
"That's one of the reasons, Edward." I said hurriedly.
He stood up to reach me but suddenly, he froze. All the blood drained out of his face in one quick second and he sucked in a harsh breath.
"Edward?" I cried out. "Are you okay?"
"I...can't...oh God." Edward stumbled and fell back on the bed with a strangled groan.
I blanched. I didn't understand what was happening. I felt like my worst nightmare was coming true. I ran to him and touched his forehead urgently. It was ice cold.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt, Edward? Do you want me to call Carlisle?" It was useless. Carlisle and the others were in Seattle.
"My chest...it hurts." He gasped, clutching the region where his heart was situated.
I rummaged in the coat pocket and found the cell phone. As I shakily dialed 911, Edward's hand squeezed my arm.
"I'm fine, don't call anyone," he shook his head vehemently. "Don't, Bella."
I found a water bottle on the night table and helped him sip it gently. After a few painful minutes, his nerve wrecking moans stopped and he dropped his head on my lap.
"Edward," I managed to whisper. "What the hell just happened?"
He avoided my gaze as he struggled to sit up. Suddenly, something awful dawned on me. I felt incredibly stupid as I stared at him.
"This has happened before, hasn't it?" I demanded harshly. I wiped the tears from my eyes and glared at him.
Edward sighed wearily. "Yes."
"Why haven't you...? Why didn't you...?" I gaped at him shock.
"You already have enough to worry about." He looked ashamed. His face was regaining the usual color.
"You...you―" I took a shaky breath. "Tell me, Edward. Or...God, I don't know what I will do!"
"It's just a theory but..." Edward stared at me with a bitter smile. "My heart is losing its magic from the spell. It's...dying."
I stared at the blackboard with unseeing eyes. Ever since I left Edward's house, which was yesterday, I was in a numb state. I didn't laugh when my friends joked, I didn't cover myself when the cold rain drops splashed on my face, I didn't flinch when mom scolded me, I just...stopped.
Edward was dying. And I was dying along with him.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. I got up, feeling more like a robot, and walked to my locker. I had to take out a few books; otherwise, I would have went straight to my next class.
On my way back, low whispering voices stopped me, just in front of my Trig class. I glanced around, inched towards the voices, and found myself staring at two familiar students.
Edward was leaning back on the empty staircase, his face lit up in a smirk. Rosalie stood before him, her head tilted with a wistful smile. I watched unable to move as she placed a slender manicured hand on his shoulder playfully.
I remembered Edward telling me a while back that Rosalie once had deep feelings for him. Then he had happily stated that they were long gone and Rosalie merely thought of him as a close friend now.
But I saw it. It was so clear. Rosalie was still in love with him.
Suddenly, Edward looked down and his gaze fell on me. His green eyes widened and Rosalie whirled around to stare at me.
"Miss Swan, how long are you going to keep standing there?" My Trig teacher frowned at me.
I had no other choice but to turn and go inside the class.
As soon as the last bell rang, I put on my iPod and blocked out the rest of the world. There was a lot going on in my mind. I combed through my memories, as I waited for Edward to come out of his last class.
He was my ride home. I wondered what was taking him so long.
"Hey," Sasha flicked my headphone impatiently. "Listen!"
I pressed the pause button. "Mmmm?"
"Edward told me to give you a ride. Come on, let's go. And uh, don't ask why. I don't know." She shrugged but I could sense the smile in her voice.
"Huh." I followed her, feeling a bit lost. What happened to him now?
Rosalie entered my mind again and I imagined myself in her place. How would I feel if I was going to die in a week and see the boy I love in someone else's arm? I felt guilt and nausea tear at me.
From the beginning, I had thought of her as a rude bitch. But she was actually selfless. Where did Emmett fit in the picture anyway? Was it possible to love two persons at the same time?
Sasha cut the engine in front of my house, interrupting my painful thoughts. Instead of leaving, she tagged along with me and after saying a brief hello to my mom, she went straight to my closet.
"Don't look so scared," she giggled as she prowled through my clothes.
I dropped my school tote on the bed and stared at her. "What are you doing exactly?"
She ignored me and after a minute, she tossed a few clothes at me.
"Shower and put those on." She instructed.
I didn't bother asking why. She wouldn't give me an answer anyway. I took a quick shower and emerged into the room, wearing the outfit she had picked out.
It consisted of a grey sweater dress, black tights and black boots. She blow-dried my hair and played with it for some time. After she made sure my hair was gleaming and hung straight in my back, she dabbed a little makeup on my face.
"Sasha." I prompted. She applied nude lip-gloss on my lips.
"Bella." She smiled innocently and batted her eyelashes.
"Why are you prepping and primping me like this?" I sat up straighter.
"Because." She examined her work with a critical eye.
"That's not a reason."
"Come on."
I watched in awe as she skillfully lied to my mom about taking me out for a girls-only dinner and ushered me inside her car. She drove to the edge of town and stopped near the beginning of the Dark forest.
"Take the path there. I'm sure you'll find the cliff where we usually go." Sasha waved at me.
"No way." I scowled. "I'm not about to walk into a forest when the light is fading as we're talking."
I pulled the coat tight around me as I carefully stepped over a broken branch. Edward's face appeared before me, encouraging me to go further. The Dark forest loomed beside me, causing my heart to pound loudly.
Soon, I climbed over the gap between the two familiar trees and the clearing on the edge of the cliff came into view. I froze.
The green grass was covered with a huge lush red blanket. Candles danced around the corners. On top of the blanket, all types of desserts were set neatly. White petals on the blanket read 'I love you'.
"I hope you didn't have trouble finding the way, love." Edward turned to face me with a relaxed grin.
The wind gently ruffled his auburn hair and I could hear the exciting sound of the crashing waves below us.
A disbelieving laugh escaped me. "Seriously, Edward?"
He took my hand and I sat down next to him. He insisted on feeding me chocolate and I couldn't help but smile. His movements were nervous though. His deep green eyes were also nervous and excited.
"I've been thinking ―"
"I want to tell ―"
"Ladies first." Edward offered and smiled sweetly at me.
"I saw you and Rosalie earlier today at school and," I took a deep breath. "Edward, I think she is still in love with you."
He blinked, completely baffled. "What...No, that's not true. That cannot be..."
I stared at him in understanding. "Maybe you should talk about it to her. She is going to...die, Edward. I don't want her to die without telling you ―"
"Bella," he shook his head with a painful smile. "I can't. It's you I love. Not her. She knows, Bella. Why to open up old wounds?"
"She's been so selfless, Edward. All the time." Tears blurred my vision as I played with one of the petals.
Edward touched my cheek adoringly. "It's you who is selfless. Can't you see that? You are willing to give up our love just because she is hurting ―"
"Edward..." I sighed as his mouth descended on mine.
"Now, it's my turn," he said when I opened my mouth to protest. "I thought about what you said yesterday. And...listen to me, Bella. This is where I belong. I was born here and if someone is going to kill me, I would happily die here. I would happily die with my head on your lap."
"That's not romantic, you know." I sniffled, as he positioned his head on my lap.
"But if you really want to go, then..." Edward's smirk became more pronounced. "I have a condition."
"Condition?" I echoed. "What condition?"
"Look up." He breathed, tilting my chin up.
Up in the unusually clear blue sky, a biplane emerged through the clouds. The plane swooped around and started making long strokes, as if it was doing a well-rehearsed stunt.
"Is it...writing words?" I gasped in awe.
"Yes," he smiled nervously. "It is writing my condition."
The plane puffed out a trail of clouds, forming perfect letters. It jiggled around and started making loops. I froze in shock. I stared at the heart stopping words without breathing. The words stared back at me. They were just two words. But my whole world stopped.
Just two words, seven letters.
Marry me.
Hey guys,
Loved the chapter? Or just liked it? It's embarrassing but I have to admit it, I'm actually running out of ideas now! Tell me what you guys think should happen next.
-BEJL
