Bella

Edward burst into my room drunk and slurring that I was impossible.

When I accused him of being drunk he cracked a joke and I almost laughed. God, I hated that I loved him so much.

Then he had to open his big mouth and threaten to pull the funding for Jamie. I couldn't have that.

Furious, I grabbed the checkbook I had for his father's trust and wrote out a check for the full amount.

If I was ever going to spend the money, this would be the reason.

I shoved the check into his pants and told him I never wanted to see him again.

We both knew that was a lie.

It hurt just to say the words.

Next thing I knew I was in his iron grasp and he was shoving me down on the bed, growling that I was his.

I hated the bastard for being right.

He was rough and even spanked me for being a bad girl a few times. Drunken Edward was still just as talented in the bedroom as sober Edward, though.

After coming repeatedly, we both finally collapsed and fell asleep.

I wondered what this morning would bring. I knew even though he was no longer drunk, he still was angry with me, that much was clear.

I tried to scoot away to use the restroom but he gripped me painfully tight and growled in his sleep, not giving me up.

It felt good to be wanted even though I was pretty sure I would be covered in bruises this morning from our rough go last night. I couldn't find it in me to care, though.

I was finally able to wake him and he still did not let me out of his grasp as he dragged me to the bathroom with him.

He locked the door, turned on the shower and then shoved me into the tub. He came in moments later, lathering me up and nipping at my body as he worked.

He shoved me against the wall and pushed inside of me, making me gasp.

"You're mine and no one else's," he growled as he plunged in again. "Say it!"

"I'm yours," I panted because I didn't want him to stop.

He bit down on my shoulder and his hands played my body, making me come almost on contact. Angry, rough Edward was still present. He swatted my backside. "I didn't say you could come, Bella. When are you going to learn to do as I say?" he said slamming into me roughly, releasing his climax.

Once we were cleaned up he pulled me out of the bathroom and dried me off. "You're going to accompany me to the house and you're going to like it and thank me for buying the damn thing so close to that bastard that tried to kill me."

I flinched at his words.

They were true; I should thank him for humoring me so I nodded in response.

He called his mother, letting her know that we would be going ahead to the house on our own.

We drove for a long time and I realized we were getting extremely close to the hospital Jamie was in even though it was in the middle of nowhere.

We turned down a road with white double board fencing and I smiled, thinking this was a beautifully scenic drive.

I was surprised when we pulled up in front of a huge house about five minutes later.

"It's a long driveway but beautiful all the same," Edward said sounding calmer.

I smiled at him and looked back the way they came. "Is all that…?"

He cut me off. "Ours? Yes," he said and wrapped his arm tightly around me pulling me into the house.

I gasped and started to cry when the first room off the entry was lined with bookshelves. It was a library.

He smiled down at me and kissed my cheek as he pulled me forward and pointed out the different rooms.

When he came to the kitchen he opened the door with a flourish and I couldn't help but laugh at the size of it.

"Apparently, we have an orchard so a large kitchen is required for canning the goods."

"It's perfect, Edward."

He smiled and seemed to be hesitating a little.

"What is it?" I finally asked.

"I didn't know if you'd still want…well, um, there's a…if you want..."

"What, Edward?"

"There's a large walk out basement if you'd like to do photography again but…" He stopped and shook his head. "You're not her anymore so I don't even know why I bothered. I'm sorry, Bella, I keep trying to pressure you into being the woman I met so many years ago which is just ridiculous because I'm not that man anymore, either. You're an amazing, kind, compassionate woman now and I do love you, I love this you more than you can even realize and I'm sorry."

Edward

I was rough with Bella; I could see the bruises starting to form as I washed her in the shower.

I hated myself for being so angry with her and worried that she was not alright because she didn't seem to have the fight in her that she used to.

She didn't seem to realize that she was the one that taught me to fuck her like this.

She was not my young, innocent Bella fresh from college. No, she was a different woman now.

The long silent drive gave me time to list the differences between the woman I fell in love with years ago and the woman that sat next to me now.

Bella was still as beautiful as ever but her difficult life had left her timid and shy.

She was smart and amazing. She was resilient and still compassionate to a fault. She wanted so desperately to appear strong but I had seen her fall to pieces too many times.

I knew that truly, she had a tender heart and I loved her for it. I wanted her to love me. I wanted her to remember what it was like for us to be so in love with each other.

I realized I had continued to make the same mistakes over and over, asking her to be someone else I remembered when I was about to tell her about the studio in the basement. I shook my head and apologized for it.

She was my Bella and she was perfect just as she was.

To my surprise, she wasn't angry or annoyed with me. She pulled me down into a kiss.

One that was deep and passionate. I clung to her like a life raft because that was what she was for me.

She might not be the same person she was eight years ago but she was still everything I needed.

I took her out the back door to show her the huge covered porch that faced the hospital in the distance.

She gasped when she saw it and hugged me tightly. I knew I had to be firm with her on this subject because it had overwhelmed her before. "You're not to go running off over there day and night, Bella, do you understand? Your children are your priority, they come before James."

She looked at me sternly. "Edward, they always have been."

"No, you left us to be with him."

"I didn't have a choice!" she snapped. "He'll find me wherever I go, Edward. Not being near him put the children at risk! You saw what happened when I ignored him. You and Elizabeth were both hurt! Do you want that to happen again?"

"He would have been locked up..." I started to defend but she cut me off.

"He can escape, Edward; he's been doing it his whole life! He escaped from jail and God knows how many other places but that's what he does on instinct if he feels he's not safe. He escapes and he does whatever it takes to find me!"

"Why? Why you?"

"Because he knows I'll help him and if I don't, he'll demand the help by threatening my family! I thought you would understand that since you experienced it firsthand! He's not a bad person, Edward, just a scared child, and like all children, he demands attention when he needs something, only it's much more dangerous when he demands it! The children were always my priority, Edward, don't ever doubt that!" she snapped at me.

"I still don't want you over there constantly."

"I have to visit him regularly so he knows he's safe, Edward. If you want him to stay out of our lives, that's the best way to do it."

"You will not become obsessed with his care over our children, you will only visit when Dr. Katz says you can, do you understand!" I demanded.

She just glared at me and stormed off.

"I mean it, Bella, we come first now! I've given up everything for you! I've followed you across the bloody world; I've taken care of our children while you handled this James of yours. We deserve more, Bella! Enough of this fighting and pushing me away. I've had it! You will get your priorities straight and marry me so we're a proper family the way we should be!"

Her eyes were blazing in anger as she stormed up to me. "FINE!" she yelled and spun around storming off into the house.

I stood stunned for a moment; I think I'd just proposed.

And…did she finally just agree to marry me?