Spring 2005

Bella lingered in the driver's seat of a ridiculously luxurious car. The sun hung in the air, heavy and hazy. Its rays made the wet pavement sparkle like the ocean.

The previous night, Bella had startled awake. She expected to be met with the glorious golden eyes of a vampire declaring his unshakable lust for her. Instead, she was alone in her dark bedroom.

It had been nothing but a dream.

Bella shoved her face into her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

It wasn't until the next morning, when she awoke with a headache and laden heart, did she realize her hair was tied back in a French braid. She jolted upright in her bed so fast, that her head spun. She was still wearing his gray t-down. She pressed the sleeve to her nose. Scents of butterscotch lingered on the fabric. Then, she spotted her sweatshirt, draped over the back of her desk chair.

He was shirtless in my room, was her first thought.

Cognitive thoughts followed. Most importantly, the truth about Edward.

The beautiful boy she loved was a vampire. His cruelty and lies were for her own protection, to keep her away from the monster battling its desire for her blood. Bella fanned her face, quickly becoming as heated as she became in the restaurant.

A note sat on her bedside table, propped up with a glass of water. She snatched it and devoured the contents. The message was wordy and repetitive. Written in a flawless hand of an earlier century, it restated how sorry Edward was for what he did and how selfishly he acted. The note ended with a humble request for her safety. The postscript beneath his flamboyant signature hoped that freedom would make up for what he did.

Then, she saw the subtle glint of a set of keys.

The psychopath had given her a car.

It was that car in which Bella sat, mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do. Despite the truth, her feelings for Edward had not changed. They never had, even at their lowest lows. She loved him unconditionally to her detriment. Now, she hoped she could love him unconditionally to her benefit.

The bookshop felt more magical than ever. The eclectic collection of a vampire. The first editions behind glass on the top shelf were purchased by his hand and read the year they were published. The histories were his memoirs. The fantasies were his reality. Edward had an intimate connection with every book there. Bella's heart fluttered.

No music played on the speaker as she crept through the aisles. He must have known she was there. Vampires had good hearing. A fact Bella recalled from Dracula. Wherever he was, he let her wander, take in the shop with awakened eyes. She turned the corner of the Encyclopedias, wondering what Edward gleaned from their contents back before the internet, and saw a sign sitting at the desk instead of her vampire. She hastened towards it.

Honor System: $1 per book.

The jar next to the sign held a few dollars.

"Edward?" she called out, struggling not to panic, "Edward!"

She barreled through the shop, wrenching open doors and crying out his name. He wouldn't abandon his family. He wouldn't leave his shop completely unattended. It would be irresponsible and stupid. Two things he very much was, and very much wasn't. "Edward!"

"I'm here." His voice came from behind her.

She whirled, "Oh, Edward, I was so worried! I—," The words halted with a gasp.

Bright yellow light filled the back door to the shop, blocked by a tall figure. Small beams of light reflected off the figure, as if he were encrusted with diamonds. It was the most beautiful thing Bella had ever seen in her life. She took a step forward on impulse, reaching for him. Out of love or lust or lunacy, she did not know.

Edward stepped into the shadows of the shop. The shimmer dulled and died, but he looked no less radiant. "Bella, why are you here?"

He obviously couldn't read her mind, otherwise he would hear the love she held for him wrapped in every one of her thoughts. Unfortunately, her thoughts of love did not tumble from her reverent, gaping lips. "What was that?"

"Me," he struggled to get the word out. "It was me in the sunlight."

Bella should have considered that. Of course. Sitka and Forks were the rainiest, dreariest places she'd ever been. Sunlight didn't destroy him, at least. He didn't need to be invited into her house, either. He'd left her there the night before, after she fainted. His aversion to garlic was also debunked when he ordered her a basket of garlic bread at the restaurant. What other differences did this vegetarian, mind-reading vampire have against Dracula? She hoped he didn't turn into a wolf.

He correctly read the worry on her open face. "Bella, is everything alright?"

"No," she said first, fretting over future Transatlantic travel, for she hoped to go to Paris with him. Then, she remembered she was there, and she loved him, and switched answers. "Wait, yes."

He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Perhaps you should give yourself more time to think it through."

"I don't need more time."

"I gave you a lot of information last night. It's alright if you need a few days. Make a list. Make several lists."

"No. I know exactly what I want: you." Bella pulled the books from her bag one at a time and placed them in a stack on the counter. Tuck Everlasting, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and Dracula. "I know everything about you…" Then, she pushed those three books to the side, and began second stack, starting with Little Women. "You're far too old for me."

That broke his mask. He laughed, unencumbered. The space between them softened into something warm and familiar, like the sweater that fit just right.

"You stay true to your morals, just like Mr. Bhaer."

She followed the same order from his confession, adding Princess Bride to the pile. "You will always come for me, will always be there for me. I feel so safe in your presence, Edward."

Phantom of the Opera followed, "It's who you choose to be that matters to me, not what you did in the past. And who you are now inspires me to be my best self."

Simply to tease, she added Wuthering Heights to her pile.

"Don't," he warned, "Don't you dare compare me to Heathcliff."

Bella offered her sweetest, gentlest smile, "You're both orphans."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"I suppose Mr. Rochester is an orphan as well," she mused, adding Jane Eyre to her pile. "Your constant lies were told for my perceived benefit. But I understand your logic. You're going to accept my forgiveness because I am choosing you under no coercion or distress."

Finally, she added Pride & Prejudice. "You are my Mr. Darcy. You can be awkward and off-putting," she said, earning a tender smile. "You perform great deeds in my honor and expect nothing from them."

She patted her books. "You are the culmination of my heroes and more. Edward Masen or Cullen or whoever you are, I love you."

Blatant adoration shone in his brilliant golden eyes, but he kept the rest of his face carefully composed. "Bella…"

"No. Don't fight me on this. You said everything was my choice. I chose you in Sitka, I am choosing you now."

Edward pulled the first three books towards him and added them to the top of her stack. "Do not forget that I am also this." He stuck his hand in a ray of sunlight. Rainbows danced across the bookshelves as he rotated his wrist.

"I know." Bella laced her fingers through his, "And I love these parts, too."

There was a breeze and a shift, and suddenly Bella was sitting on the counter. Her legs straddled Edward's torso. His hands were in her hair, weaving through her long locks to cradle the back of her skull. She followed his lead. She pushed her fingers into his hair. The most human thing about him.

"Are you sure?"

She lowered her hands down to the smooth curve of his neck, relishing the texture. Cool and smooth like marble. Alien, terrifying… yet oddly soothing. She shifted closer. "Yes."

He stopped her, a breath away. "It's not…" he clenched his jaw, "This isn't going to be pleasant for you."

Bella brushed a finger along his lips, feeling their cool hardness.

"I am not a normal man," he reminded her.

"Good," she traced both thumbs along his lower lip in opposite directions. "I've never wanted a normal man.

Before he could protest again, Bella crushed her lips to his. It wasn't like any of the kisses she shared before—it was far better.

Edward kissed her so tenderly. Using just the pads of his fingertips to anchor her face to his, as if he were handling something infinitely precious. Another rush of air and Bella was on her back. Lounging against velvet, with a cool, marble body draped over her. He let her deepen the kiss as she wrapped both arms around his neck and pulled herself against him. Bella licked the top row of his teeth, hoping to find a protruding pair of fangs and being mildly disappointed when she found none.

She cried out when he broke the kiss.

He chuckled, lightly, stroking her cheeks gently with his thumbs. He pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "I must let you relax, my love. I fear your heart is going to burst from your chest."

Bella would be embarrassed about the pathetic whimper that escaped from the back of her throat later. She pressed into him, wedging her face in the crook of his neck that seemed to be made just for her. He continued to kiss any part of her he could reach. Mostly her hair and her hands.

She abruptly sat up and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "I can't believe you gave me your car. You're insane if you thought I would actually keep it."

Edward hummed, a happy sound, low in his throat. Almost like a purr. His pinky traced the rim of her ear as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple. "I'll give you more than just the car. Do you want this shop? It's yours. Or that Italian restaurant so you can have all the pink pasta you desire. I'll buy Newton's Sporting Goods Store, simply to shut it down."

Bella's hand lingered on his shoulder, her thumb slid up his neck. "You've lost your mind."

"And my heart." He kissed her top lip, then her bottom lip, as if they each deserved his special attention. "You have both."

"That's for the best," she sighed, "You weren't doing much with either of them."

Edward chuckled. A lighthearted sound that Bella could live off. He nuzzled his nose against hers and breathed, "I love you."

Bella let her eyes flutter shut, dreamily. "Say it again."

"I love you, most ardently."

"And again."

"As you wish."

"Again?"

"Every atom in your flesh is as dear to me as my own."

"One more," she teased, testing to see how many quotes he had ready.

He held her tightly against his chest. "Drive me mad."

She gasped, delighted. "See? I told you Wuthering Heights was the best love story ever told."

"I think we can beat it."

Notes:

That's our story!

I thought you guys would like me more if I posted these chapters together 3 You had enough waiting! I have a long, long epilogue for you as well. I'll be posting that in a few weeks.

I think this was my favorite story yet. Thank you all for your continuous support and love. I don't respond to every comment every week, but each one is dear to me. As always, I love constructive criticism. Tell me what you liked, and what you didn't like. I especially would love to know what books you would have included in either list—Bella's or Alice's books. I had a lot of fun choosing those, and I wonder if there were better options.

Next, will be a short New Moon AU.