Happy September!

Thank you all for sticking with me!

Never, not even for a moment, or even in a distant thought, did Isabella think she would come to the city of Port Angeles and find herself a husband.

In her mind, it had never been an option, or even a blip on her radar, compared to everything she had planned on accomplishing upon arriving.

But being Edward Cullen's wife?

How could she ever say no?

More importantly, why would she even consider denying herself something that could bring her so much joy?

Should she put aside her own happiness forever simply because her brother had lost his?

James was not able to be saved, but Edward had saved Isabella in more ways than one. It had come at a time in her life when she was so lost, so focused on finding peace for herself and for James, that she never realized her own life was passing her by.

Bella slowly but surely began to meld into the busyness of Port Angeles and became more self-assured about choosing to make a life here. She came to the realization that she liked city life and many of the things that came with it.

Including all the new people it had brought into her life.

But the only one who matters is the man sitting across from her in the bathtub. The same man who is patiently waiting for her to say something.

What will they say when they find I've asked you to be my wife?

She knows she'll never forget those words for the rest of her life.

Isabella tilts her head slightly, her eyes never leaving his as they melt into the water around them. Despite the peacefulness she feels whenever she is near him, they both have had a stressful last few days, and the bath has done wonders for her nerves. Briefly, all thoughts of the danger lurking around them had been forgotten, but now, she clears her throat as a thought dawns on her.

"Do you actually want to marry me, or is marrying me part of the plan?"

With a furrowed brow, Edward is still for a moment, thinking of his response before answering. "I've learned something about myself when it comes to you, Isabella."

Amused, she crosses her arms over her chest and eagerly awaits for him to continue. "Oh, have you?"

Edward nods, his eyes skimming down her body as she sits in front of him. She's so beautiful, and he is momentarily distracted. "I've learned that any scheme I come up with involving you never actually works to plan."

A grin pulls at her lips, and she doesn't bother to hide it. "And what plans have you made about me?"

She watches his arm lift, droplets of water landing on her shoulders as he grazes her skin with his fingertips. "Ah, well, the first was the day you walked into my pub. I should have had you leave the city immediately. I had no intention of hiring you, yet you insisted I give you a chance. That was my first mistake," Edward murmurs, a low chuckle emanating from deep within his chest. "Because you turned out to be one of the best barmaids I've ever had."

Isabella drops her forehead to his, and her eyes close at his warmth surrounding her. "And your second?"

Edward sighs, his breath feathering her cheek, his voice suddenly tender. "The second was when I tried to convince myself to stay away from you."

She remembers.

There was a time when Isabella could look into Edward's eyes and see the resistance—feel it infiltrate the air around them as he fought against his growing affection for her.

But it was futile.

All of it.

He had been at her complete mercy the moment they met.

"You tried," Isabella replies.

He nods slowly. "I lasted a lot longer than I thought I would."

She remembers the moment he let himself feel, and she shudders now in his arms. "Your third?"

Edward doesn't answer her right away. He contemplates his choice of words, though he knows Isabella will understand. Eventually, he lifts his head away from hers so he can look in her eyes again. It's important to him that she comprehends what he is about to say. "Marrying you would be helpful in this situation with Marcus," he admits, his arms tightening around her waist, "but like all the other plans I've made involving you, I'd be lying to myself if that was the real reason I've asked you to be my wife."

"And what's the real reason?" She asks as his fingers intertwine with hers. The trickle of water between them and the loud beating of her heart are the only sounds she hears.

"It's because I love you," Edward says, his eyes meeting hers as a hint of a smile tugs on his lips. "And because I want you by my side for everything."

Bella is well aware the two most important women in his life, his mother and his sister, have caused him enough grief to last a lifetime. For him to be here with her now, risking the chance of another woman being given the opportunity to wreak more havoc in his life, tells Isabella all her doubts are for nothing.

Edward lets her see his vulnerability because he trusts her to keep him safe.

And because of him, Isabella knows just how important it is to find that safety in another person.

"I love you," she whispers back, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck.

It's the first time someone has said those words to him. It crosses his mind that perhaps it has taken this long for him to hear them is because they were meant to be said by her.

He closes his eyes as his lips flutter across her temple, her love for him awakening him once more. "Marry me, Isabella."

She can think of only one thing to say.

"Yes."

—--TLK—--

Dear Mama,

I apologize for not responding to your letter as quickly as I would have liked. I have been rather busy here in the city these last few weeks, and this is the first time I've had a moment to dedicate to my correspondence.

How is everyone at home? I hope things are better than the last time I heard from you. My time here in Port Angeles has taught me that grief can show itself differently in everyone. I can only hope you and Father have turned to each other during the days when sorrow consumes you both.

I understand that now that I'm well acquainted with the place that took James from us. There isn't a street I walk down or a store I walk into where I don't wonder if I'm walking upon his steps. His ghost is everywhere, and some days, all I want to do is have him next to me. Luckily, those days are fewer than they have been. That's not to say that I haven't been thinking of him. The truth is he is always on my mind and in my heart, but I'm learning how to remember the wonderful way he lived and not the dreadful way he died.

In a few weeks' time, I would like to come home for a visit. I have a few things I would like to tell you, and I feel the need to say them in your presence instead of on paper. When I do come home, I will not be alone. I will be bringing my husband with me.

We will be married by the time I come home. His name is Edward, and he is everything you and Daddy should want for me in a husband. If there is anyone in the city who has my best interests at heart, it is undoubtedly him.

I will inform you in my next letter as to when we will be able to visit. As much as I love it here in Port Angeles, there is something special about coming home, even if only for a short while.

Sending my love to both you and Daddy.

Love,

Isabella

After folding the letter and sealing the envelope, Isabella sits back in her chair, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. There is a tone in her letter that upsets her. Perhaps she is still holding onto the frustration she had when she read the last letter her mother had sent her, but the taste it leaves in her mouth is unfavorable and downright disgusting.

So much has happened in the weeks she had heard from her mother, and she had hoped it would help when she felt ready to respond to her letter. Her mother had expressed her disappointment in Isabella for remaining in the city despite being unable to uncover any information regarding James' death. She had told her how she and her father spent their days in quiet despair, making Isabella feel incredibly guilty.

Time, apparently, does not heal all wounds because the guilt is still there, unavoidable as it sits on her tongue.

While her parents have still been lost in their mourning, Isabella has never felt happier in her whole life. Her days are spent at the pub with people she now calls friends. Her evenings are spent in the arms of the man she will soon call her husband. For the first time in her life, she feels like she has a purpose outside of life on the farm.

But everything about it is bittersweet.

She wouldn't be here living this life if James were still alive. That truth is not lost on her.

So she makes an effort to be grateful for each day and to live the life James would have wanted for both of them, including spending time with the woman he loved.

Between Victoria's friendship and Edward's love, Isabella can think of no better way to honor her brother.

Twisting the new ring on her finger, Isabella realizes there is one more thing she can do for James, and she wants to do it the right way.

She wants to go home to Forks to tell them the truth about James.

"You told them I'd be going with you?" Edward asks later that evening in his bed. His arms wrap around her before he leans to place a kiss on her shoulder. His lips glide across the smoothest skin he has ever touched.

She sighs deeply, perfectly content with staying in this moment and in his arms forever. She takes hold of his hand. "I told them my husband would be going with me."

Edward whistles sharply with an amused shake of his head. "Lucky bastard, that husband."

Once she stops giggling, Isabella turns her head so she can see him over her shoulder. "You don't mind?"

"I'll go anywhere with you, Isabella." He clears his throat. "Maybe we can extend the trip afterward. Find a place for a honeymoon out there."

The thought of spending time alone with Edward without the pressure of the city and the pub sends a rush of excitement through her body. The fact that they would be on their honeymoon puts her on the moon.

"I'm sure we'll receive tons of suggestions tomorrow," Isabella laughs, settling into her pillow and closing her eyes. She sleeps soundly here at Edward's, and it's not just because of the distance she has put between herself and Marcus from no longer living at Rosalie's. The safety she finds here within Edward's arms is unmatched.

"Of course. I expect the pub to be busy once they all read the papers."

"Do you think they'll be surprised?"

Edward mulls over his response, a slight smirk tugging on his lips. "They won't be surprised to see you in the paper, no. They'll be more surprised to see me next to you in the engagement section."

"Not the marrying type, hmm?"

"I wasn't much of anything before you came along."

——-TLK——-

It's late when the stranger finally pays Victoria a visit.

She had been waiting for him.

She is accustomed to seeing all hours on the clock, so she isn't tired. No, in fact, she is actually quite the opposite. Adrenaline runs through her veins as she stands on the steps in front of Rosalie's place.

The last thing she wants to do is sleep.

Her eyes dance back and forth in the darkness; the dim streetlight a few yards down allows her to see everything while she waits.

Even if she does end up waiting longer than she had anticipated, she knows it will be worth it.

Victoria has long forgotten how it feels to get her hopes up. Besides her all-too-brief time with James and her complicated relationship with her brother, she has had to rely on no one but herself. She prefers it that way, which is why she cannot shake off her nerves tonight.

She had no choice but to place her faith and trust in a man she hardly knew on a whim that maybe, just maybe, he could give her what she needed.

She should have done this ages ago.

She sees him right when she is about to write him off for the night.

Stumbling upon the cobblestone streets like a child learning to walk, the man makes his way to where Victoria stands, waiting on the steps. His eyes droop heavily, and she can smell his foulness despite the distance she has tried to put between them.

But she shakes it off.

He has something she wants.

Needs.

Something invaluable.

"It's in the —"

Victoria holds up a hand and cuts him off. "Inside."

The streets may be empty, but she can't risk anything.

Not when she - they - were so close to getting what they wanted.

He nods and says nothing further, following her into the house. She leads them to one of the spare rooms on the bottom floor. She can tell he won't take long tonight.

Victoria closes the door behind them, the sound of the lock echoing in the silence between them. The man fumbles his way to the dilapidated bed, reaching into his jacket pocket just as he flops ungracefully onto the mattress.

He tosses an unmarked and unimpressive envelope onto the bed next to him.

"Like you wanted."

Victoria stares at the envelope for a moment without saying a word. It remains untouched next to the man as he unbuckles his belt and unbuttons his pants, and she wordlessly falls to her knees in front of him.

She doesn't take her eyes off it while she services the man.

A free fuck is nothing compared to what he has given her in the sealed package.

She takes his cock in her mouth, her gaze unwavering from the the yellowing paper.

It doesn't mock her.

It empowers her.

She isn't sure what the man has risked by getting it, but she knows it's worth far more than he will ever know.

"I'm not payin' next time either," he tells her after she has swallowed his seed. He rises off the bed once he has zipped himself fully. He is still unsteady on his feet as he unlocks the door and leaves her behind in the shadows.

With the sound of the slamming door echoing in her ears, she remains still with her knees on the floor. Victoria rests her head on the edge of the mattress, her eyes landing on the package once more. Now that she finally has it in her possession, it is up to her to decide the rest.

She knows how she will kill Marcus.

It now comes down to when.

… When she will spill the odorless and undetectable poison into his drink.

… When she will watch him take his last breath, the same way he watched James take his.

… When she can disappear and put this life behind her, behind all of them, for good.

Carefully, Victoria reaches for the powdered arsenic and slips the envelope inside her dress. She takes it upstairs and hides it beneath her mattress, knowing it won't be there for long.

It takes every ounce of what little self-control she has left not to slip it into his drink tonight when he comes to Rosalie's to collect his money.

——-TLK——-

Later that night, as Victoria looks at Marcus, she sees nothing but greed and evil disguised by a strong jaw and an equally strong family name. He stops by each room with a curt nod and an open palm, and when he stands in front of her, she knows what she needs to do.

She pulls the wad of cash out of her brassiere, a coy smile on her face as she drops it in his hand.

He knows that look, and every now and then, Marcus will choose her to be the lucky one of the evening. And tonight, with her flushed cheeks and her round breasts, Victoria may get her wish.

Not that she would have much of a choice if she wanted him or not.

When he is buried deep inside her, her face muffled by her mattress as he pins her from behind, she doesn't sound like she objects to his hard thrusts and rough hands.

He loves the whine that escapes her lips when he slams into her. Loves the way she claws at the blankets when he retreats.

He loves it so much he doesn't notice when she swipes his pocket watch from his vacated pile of clothes.

Victoria couldn't have planned this better.

There is always that brief moment when Marcus' own insatiability distracts him, and Victoria uses that moment to her benefit.

Swiping the watch was easy.

Having an excuse to return it to him at his pub tomorrow evening will be even easier.

Except when she hands it back to him, his watch won't be the only item he'll receive from her.

I missed these guys -- and you! Thanks to my team for the encouragement!