100 Years Without Love 14

I had thought that if I ever went back to Edward I would have needed to rebuild our relationship a little bit. I mean, I had walked out on him. I had just left while he was hunting, leaving my ring on his pillow. I hadn’t expected that it would be just like what had happened with Jacob: I had come back and we had become best friends again just like that.

But it was, and even better. There was nothing we needed to rebuild, just aspects to strengthen. I had overreacted when I had left. My human emotions were too much for me to handle, but now that we were both vampires – and I wasn’t controlled by stupid, human emotions – our relationship was literally perfect.

We didn’t talk about why I left and what happened. I knew Edward didn’t quite believe my little story about what happened but as long as he didn’t bring it up I wasn’t going to. That didn’t mean that I thought we were going to avoid it forever. I knew sooner or later we were going to have to discuss what had really happened, but I was shooting for later.

We spent all day in our meadow, just the two of us lying together and shining in the sun. Then, because of local law, we were forced to go to what is basically considered hell by most teenagers in America: school. Of course, hell isn’t so bad if you have an angel next to you all day so it wasn’t the worst day of my life, not by far.

We sat at lunch, Edward trying to figure out a way he could play with my short hair and I talking to Alice, when Emmett and Rosalie sat down across from me.

“I don’t believe you can eat human food,” he told me tauntingly, like the older brother I never had.

“Shut up, Emmett,” Rosalie said.

“No, it’s fine,” I said, smiling. “If you want me to prove it, I can.”

“Okay,” Emmett leaned back in his chair and smiled. “Prove it.”

All the Cullens were watching me as I picked up a piece of pizza – I know, the irony – and slowly brought it up to my mouth, adding suspense. I bit down and chewed leisurely, not even feeling the impulse to gag or grimace. When I had swallowed and put the piece of pizza back onto the plate, I smiled.

“Wow, that must be one nifty talent,” Jasper whistled.

“Yeah, it comes in handy when big, macho vampires dare you to eat human food,” I laughed.

Edward was sitting next to me laughing silently at the look on Emmett’s face. Especially after Jasper said, “You owe me five hundred bucks.”

Then I got it. This was a bet. I didn’t know what it was with the Cullen guys and betting, but since their family was filthy rich the amounts were never under a hundred dollars. It became especially funny when Alice joined in and I don’t know who in their right minds would be against Alice. I mean, she can see the future for crying out loud!

The rest of the day passed slowly. When we got in the Volvo after the bell had rung, I brought up what I had been thinking of since lunch.

“I think I’m going to grow out my hair,” I said.

“Really?!” Edward looked ecstatic. “Wait…I didn’t think vampire’s hair could grow.”

“Most can’t, but strangely mine can,” I said. “I just keep it short for convenience.”

“Good, ‘cause I always loved it long,” Edward said. Then his face fell. He looked absolutely depressed by whatever thought had come to his mind. “It won’t grow out brown, will it?”

I laughed. “Are you really worried about that? No, it’s permanently blond.”

Edward smiled. “I like the blond.”

I laughed again and leaned across my seat to give him a kiss. I had been listening into all the boys’ thoughts at school that day and they were all outrageously jealous. They hated Edward, just because I was his new ‘chick’. Yes, those were their words for what I was. Edward’s chick. Of course, I resented that a little bit, but as long as I was Edward’s, I guess it was fine. But they all wanted to steal me and lynch Edward.

A couple weeks passed in total happiness. Everyone at school was a bit curious about the whole last name situation. Even the teachers were gossiping like teenage girls. Since I had come to the school with the last name Cullen before the actual Cullens arrived, they all thought Edward was my relative or something. Of course, we didn’t care about the gossip – it was actually quite hilarious – we immediately cleared up the air by saying I had been adopted, which was actually what Carlisle was planning on doing, by the Cullens and had come to check out the town a couple weeks before them.

Edward had been back in my life for all of three weeks when everything changed. We were sitting on the couch in the family room, the TV blaring in the background. We weren’t listening. We were having too much fun staring into each other’s eyes. Then, Edward unwrapped his arm from around my shoulders and stood up.

“Where are you going?” I whined.

“Just give me a minute,” Edward said, sliding my wedding ring off his finger. My heart would’ve started to beat faster if I had a heartbeat at all.

Edward got down on the floor in front of me, kneeling on one knee. I smiled, feeling my nose tickle with what would’ve been tears of happiness if I could’ve cried.

“Bella, love, the last three weeks have been the best weeks of my life,” Edward said. “I never want it to end because if over the last hundred years anything has happened to my love for you it has just become greater. I want to spend every minute of forever with you. I know we’re still married in reality, but I want to get married again. Isabella Swan Cullen, will you marry?”

I had already made a vow not to be inside Edward’s head so of course, I didn’t see this coming. I was at a loss for words, which didn’t happen often. Unable to say anything, I just nodded and Edward picked up my left hand, sliding the ring onto my fourth finger, where it would stay for eternity. I know I had said this before, but this time I really meant it. I was going to make sure that it did.

Edward stood up, pulling me to my feet with him, kissing me hard and long on the lips. We both pulled away, gasping for the air we didn’t need.

“There is one condition, though,” Edward said. “You have to tell me what really happened after you left.”

“What?” I said.

“Yeah, you have to tell me why, when I came home from my hunting trip with Alice, you were gone,” Edward said.

“Well-” I started, but something about his words struck me as odd. “Wait, you said were hunting with Alice when I left?”

“Yeah, we went while you were sleeping,” Edward said. “I left a note on your pillow. When we came back two days later, you were gone.”

“But…that’s impossible,” I said. “It can’t be. Alice was here when I stormed out.”