6 Months Later

Announcements

The smell of Bella's lasagna fills our small, cramped apartment we've recently moved into. It's strong, the spicy smell of tomatoes and oregano filling my nose as I roll out of bed lazily and throw on a pair of trousers before tiptoeing out of our bedroom.

Our bedroom, the thought makes me smile as I head towards the kitchenette, my lovely Bella singing to herself as she cooks for our housewarming party later on tonight.

"In a good mood, are we?" I inquire, twining my arms around her small, fragile waist, kissing her collarbone tenderly as she laughs merrily.

"Alice said I'd better be in a good mood," She confides, turning around so she's facing me. "Or else."

As I gaze into her deep brown eyes, the unnamed emotion swirling inside of me all those months ago when I first met Bella returns, as strong and as passionate as ever. But, this time, I was able to name it.

Love.

My nose skimms across her jaw, "Hmmm, that does sound a bit like Alice," I murmur, inhaling the smell of oregano and Bella's sweet, floral scent that surrounds our house, that lies thick on her pillow I sleep with whenever she and I are apart (which is very rare), the smell that reminds me of home.

"Edward," Bella breathes, her voice raising up a few octaves. I smile against the base of her throat as her breathing becomes shallow and unstable. "Edward," She sighs again, one of her hands tangling itself in my hair. "Edward, we have guests coming. Soon. Lasagna isn't made..." 

"That can wait." I say simply, dragging my hands down from her shoulders ever so slowly. "We have time."

She protests softly before shoving me away, and I pout and head back towards our room as Bella's singing resumes. My defeat leaves fleetingly as I remember my sock drawer.

And what was inside it.

Carefully, I close the door and make sure Bella is preoccupied before I wrench open the drawer, throwing aside some socks, a pair of underwear, Bella's long lost hairclip I stole three weeks ago (not on purpose, obviously!), one of Bella's numerous pairs of... underwear? And, finally, my little black box.

My heart flutters nervously as I gaze at the small, intimidating thing. Really, it was probably some cheap velvet and what, cardboard? So why was I so scared of it?

Maybe because of what's inside...

I look over my shoulder and hold my breath to make sure Bella is still singing, in the kitchen, and she still is, so I creep into our adjoining bathroom before slamming and locking the door shut.

I crack the box open after wedging myself deep, deep down into our walk in closet. There, nestled between a silk ribbon and soft pillow, is the ring I plan to present to Bella tonight.

Tonight.

It's simple, a white-gold band with a single diamond nestled into its depths, surrounded by smaller sapphires and more, tiny diamonds. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was Bella's. Engraved in the band were three words.

Forever and Always.

The same words I whispered to Bella as soon as she left my house, all those weeks ago, when she had announced our relationship to our entire family.

And I was going to say them again if she accepted my hand in marriage.

"Edward?" I hear Bella call, and her soft footsteps as she pads towards our room. "Edward, are you there? Babe?"

"Back here!" I shout, frantically stuffing the box into my pocket before grabbing a random shirt and throwing it on as Bella stands before me, hands crossed, eyeing me suspiciously. "What?"

"That's my shirt."

I look down and, sure enough, I'm wearing Bella's blouse. 

Oops.

I frantically pull it off as I can hear Bella laughing at me, handing me a shirt as she tries to control her giggles. "This one isn't yours, is it?" I ask, holding out in front of me for inspection.

She bursts into laughter again, shaking her head. I pull on the shirt and stalk away from her, keeping the black box tucked snuggly into my pocket - away from Bella's prying eyes and safely with me.

Rolling my eyes, I head to the door as someone knocking comes to my attention. But before I can open it, someone wrenches it open and I'm engulfed in Alice's tiny arms, her excited squeals echoing around my apartment.

"And what am I, chopped liver?" THe voice of my beloved calls as she appears by the door. Alice lets out a strangled cry before wrapping Bella up in her arms, both of them laughing and chattering a mile a minute.

"Hey man," Jasper says, clapping my back in the standard "man hug". "Nice place you got." He says, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on the antique coat hanger Bella begged for.

"Thanks," I say as Alice tows Bella into the kitchen, both still chattering up a storm. "How's the married life?"

Jasper lets out a laugh and claps me on the shoulder. "Awesome." Is all he says.

Esme and Carlisle arrive next, Rosalie and Emmett coming late after little Vera fell asleep after her nap time instructed. But nonetheless, when everyone came, Bella announced that she was taking them on a tour. She showed them the amazing view we had of Seattle, the beautiful skylight and stained glass windows that popped up here and there, and, of course, the closet, for Alice's sake.

"It's almost as big as mine!" She crows, extubalant. She turns to me and smiles a secretive smile, "Good way to treat your woman right," She tells me simply as Bella whisks everyone away for dinner, noticing my signal for a few private moments with Alice.

She, truly, was a Godsend.

"Alice?"

ALice turns to me and arches an eyebrow. "This is serious." 

I nod.

Suddenly, her hand flashes out and snatches up the box.

"No!"

"Oh hush," She titters. "I just wanted a look."

Her eyes grow as big as saucers as she lifts the lid and examines the ring. I wait nervously, knowing that Bella would be getting suspicious if we didn't hurry.

"It's perfect."

"Really?!"

"Yes!" Alice squeals. "Oh Edward, she's such a lucky girl."

I smile ruefully and rake a hand through my hair. "Nah, I'm the lucky one."

Alice nods and we head back towards the kitchenette, where playful banter between Bella and Emmett is in full swing as she cuddles with little Vera. Seeing her in Bella's arms, a pang shoots straight for my heart. I didn't want Bella holding Vera - I wanted her holding a child of her own. Made together, by the both of us, born and carried by her own body...

One step at a time, I chant to myself. One step at a time.

Dinner swirls by in a blur, Rosalie and I chatting happily with Esme and Alice, Carlisle and Jasper talking seriously about studies of their own as Bella and Emmett continue cracking crude jokes and messing with one another as they fuss over Vera, who seemed very pleased with all the attention she was receiving that evening.

Soon we relocated to our spacious living room, Jasper and Emmett with beers and Bella and ALice donning glasses of wine, Rosalie sipping delicately on her bourbon.

A ball of nerves blossomed in my stomach, sweat beading at my hairline as I held Bella casually at my side, the small black box seeming to burn a hole in my jeans as I stayed there, minute after minute.

Alice kept shooting me discreet, but meaningful glances, but I was awash in my nerves to pay too much attention to her.

"Edward?"

I looked down to see Bella staring at me expectantly. "Hm?"

"Are you alright?"

I nodded tersely, inhaling sharply. 

Might as well...

Carefully, I took Bella's hands in my own and, ignoring her questions, I sank down to one knee and the entire room fell into a tense hush.

"Isabella Swan," I began grabbing the black box and cracking it open as Bella's jaw dropped, tears swimming in her eyes. She let out a loud sniffle as I continued. "I promise to love you every moment of forever, will you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

Alice gasps and clutches Jasper as Bella sobs loudly, wiping he tears away before she softly says, "Yes, Edward. I'll marry you."

And cut! That's the end, my friends! Let me know, this ending is so much better than the first, is it not? Your comments make me smile so much, as do your votes, so make sure to keep that up :)

Until next time, the next fanfiction, my friends!

Creativestoryteller