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EVERYTHING WAS READY

I was packed forwaited for iven the concert tickets to Angela, Ben, and Mike Mike was going to take Jessica, which was exactly as I’d hoped Billy had borrowed Old Quil Ateara’s boat and invited Charlie down for soaest olves, were staying behind to protect La Push - though they were just children, both of them only thirteen Still, Charlie would be safer than anyone left in Forks

I had done all that I could do I tried to accept that, and put the things that were outside of ht at least One way or another, this would all be over in forty-eight hours The thought was al

Edward had requested that I relax, and I was going to do et everything besides just you andthe full force of his eyes on h time like that I need to be with you Just you"

That was not a hard request to agree to, though I knew that forgetting my fears would be much easier said than done Other ht to be alone, and that would help

There were soed

For instance, I was ready

I was ready to join his fauish I was feeling now had taught me that much I’d had a chance to concentrate on this - as I’d gazed at the ainst a olf - and I kneould not panic again The next ti came at us, I would be ready An asset, not a liability He would never have to ain We would be partners, like Alice and Jasper Next time, I would do my part

I would wait for the sword to be removed from over my head, so that Edould be satisfied But it wasn’t necessary I was ready

There was only one s that had not changed, and that included the desperate way I loved hih the raure out the things I illing to lose with ive up I knehich hu to insist on before I becaht After everything I’d seen in the past two years, I didn’t believe in the word i to take more than that to stopto beto try

As decided as I was, I wasn’t surprised that I still felt nervous as I drove down the long path to his house - I didn’t kno to do what I was trying to do, and that guaranteed hting a smile at my slow pace I was surprised that he hadn’t insisted on taking the wheel, but tonight he seeo at my speed

It was after dark e reached the house In spite of that, thefroine he was atit forout of the truck bed and over his shoulder with the other His lips found mine as I heard hi the kiss, he swung me up so that I was cradled in his arms and carried me into the house

Was the front door already open? I didn’t know We were inside, though, and I was dizzy I had to rehten me It wasn’t like before when I could feel the fear and panic leaking through his control His lips were not anxious, but enthusiastic now - he seeht to concentrate on being together He continued to kissthere in the entry; he seeent onwhat I wanted would not be as difficult as I’d expected it to be

No, of course it was going to be just exactly that difficult

With a low chuckle, he pulled th

"Welcome home," he said, his eyes liquid and warently onto allow any space between us

"I have so for you," he said, his tone conversational

"Oh?"

"Your hand-me-down, reht I guess I did say that"

He chuckled at et it?"

His bedrooers through his "Let’s go"

He ive h for hiain and nearly flew up the stairs to his room He set me down at the door, and darted into his closet

He was back before I’d taken a step, but I ignored hie and then sliding to the center I curled up in a ball, rumbled Now that I here I wanted to be, I could afford a little reluctance "Let hed

He climbed onto the bed to sit next to me, and my heart thumped unevenly Hopefully he would write that off as so me presents

"A hand-me-down," he re, and touched the silver bracelet for just a ave me my arm back

I examined it cautiously On the opposite side of the chain fro a brilliant heart- shaped crystal It was cut in afroasp

"It was ly "I inherited quite a few baubles like this I’ve given so deal in any way"

I sood representation," he continued "It’s hard and cold" He laughed "And it throws rainbows in the sunlight"

"You forgot the most important similarity," I murmured "It’s beautiful"

"My heart is just as silent," he mused "And it, too, is yours"

I twisted limmer "Thank you For both"

"No, thank you It’s a relief to have you accept a gift so easily Good practice for you, too" He grinned, flashing his teeth

I leaned into hi into his side It probably felt sielo’s David, except that this perfect marble creature wrapped his arood place to start

"Can we discuss so open-ive it reed, cautious now

"I’ any rules here," I promised "This is strictly about you and me" I cleared my throat "SoI was iht I was thinking I would like to apply the same principle to a different situation" I wondered why I was being so forotiate?" he asked, a s to find exactly the right words to open with

"Listen to your heart fly," he s Are you all right?"

"I’uess, first, I wanted to talk to you about that whole ridiculous "

"It’s only ridiculous to you What about it?"

"I onderingis that open to negotiation?"

Edward frowned, serious now "I’ve already reed to take your life away against ht to entitle me to a few co on keeping my face co ht noant to hammer out some other details"

He looked at me suspiciously "Which details do you mean exactly?"

I hesitated "Let’s clarify your prerequisites first"

"You knohat I want"

"Matrimony" I made it sound like a dirty word

"Yes" He smiled a wide smile "To start with"

The shock spoiled my carefully composed expression "There’s"If you’re my wife, then what’s mine is yourslike tuition money So there would be no proble else? While you’re already being absurd?"

"I wouldn’t ht there"

He sighed longingly "Just a year or two?"

I shookto the next one"

"That’s it Unless you’d like to talk cars"

He grinned widely when I griers

"I didn’t realize there was anything else you wanted besides being transformed into a monster yourself I’ht edge would have been hard to detect if I hadn’t known it so well

I paused, staring at his hand on in I felt his eyes watching an to burn in ers brushed ?" he asked in surprise I kept my eyes down

"Please, Bella, the suspense is painful"

I bit my lip

"Bella" His tone reproached me now, rehts to myself

"Well, I’m a little worriedabout after," I ad at hientle and velvet "What has you worried?"

"All of you just see to be interested in, afterward, is slaughtering everyone in town," I confessed, while he winced at my choice of words "And I’m afraid I’ll be so preoccupied with the mayhem that I won’t be me anymoreand that I won’tI won’t want you the same way I do now"

"Bella, that part doesn’t last forever," he assuredthe point

"Edward," I said, nervous, staring at a freckle onthat I want to do before I’m not human anymore"

He waited for me to continue I didn’t My face was all hot

"Whatever you want," he encouraged, anxious and coto work, but unable to resist

"Yes," he said I looked up to see that his eyes were earnest and confused "Tell me what you want, and you can have it"

I couldn’t believe hoard and idiotic I felt I was too innocent - which was, of course, central to the discussion I didn’t have the faintest idea how to be seductive I would just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious

"You," I mumbled almost incoherently

"I’aze as I looked away again

I took a deep breath and shifted forward so that I was kneeling on the bed Then I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed hi His lips were gentle against ure out as on htly shaky as I unlocked ers slid down his neck to the collar of his shirt The tre didn’t help as I tried to hurry to undo the buttons before he stopped me His lips froze, and I could alether my words and my actions

He pushed

"Be reasonable, Bella"

"You promised - whatever I wanted," I re this discussion" He glared at ed to open

My teeth clarowled I moved rabbed my wrists and pinned thelowered at each other

"You wanted to know," I pointed out

"I thought it would be so faintly realistic"

"So you can ask for any stupid, ridiculous thing you want - like getting married - but I’, he pulled ether to restrain them in just one of his, and put his other hand over my mouth

"No" His face was hard

I took a deep breath to steadyelse

It took ain, the blush returning - why my stomach felt uneasy, why there was too much moisture in my eyes, why I suddenly wanted to run froh

I kneas irrational He’d been very clear on other occasions that my safety was the only factor Yet I’d never olden comforter that matched his eyes and tried to banish the reflex reaction that told hed The hand over my mouth moved under my chin, and he pulled my face up until I had to look at hi," Iaze His brow furrowed, and his expression becas?" he asked, shocked

"No," I lied

So quickly that I wasn’t even sure how it happened, I was in his arms, my face cradled between his shoulder and his hand, while his thuainst my cheek

"You knohy I have to say no," he murmured "You know that I want you, too"

"Do you?" I whispered, my voice full of doubt

"Of course I do, you silly, beautiful, oversensitive girl" He laughed once, and then his voice was bleak "Doesn’t everyone? I feel like there’s a line behind h ood"

"Who’s being silly now?" I doubted if aard, self-conscious, and inept added up to desirable in anyone’s book

"Do I have to send a petition around to get you to believe? Shall I tell you whose names would be on the top of the list? You know a few of theainst his chest, griet back to the subject"

He sighed

"Tell " I tried to sound detached "Your dee" - I couldn’t say the ithoutmy tuition, more time, and you wouldn’t mind if myvehicle went a little faster" I raised ? That’s a hefty list"

"Only the first is a deht face "The others are merely requests"

"And my lone, solitary little deain

"Yes, de et so in return"

He leaned down to whisper in my ear "No," he murmured silkily "It’s not possible now Later, when you’re less breakable Be patient, Bella"

I tried to keep my voice firm and reasonable "But that’s the problem It won’t be the same when I’m less breakable I won’t be the same! I don’t knoho I’ll be then"

"You’ll still be Bella," he proone that I’d want to kill Charlie - that I’d drink Jacob’s blood or Angela’s if I got the chance - how can that be true?"

"It will pass And I doubt you’ll want to drink the dog’s blood" He pretended to shudder at the thought "Even as a newborn, you’ll have better taste than that"

I ignored his attempt to sidetrack me "But that will always be what I want ed "Blood, blood, and more blood!"

"The fact that you are still alive is proof that that is not true," he pointed out

"Over eighty years later," I reh Intellectually, I know I’ll be able to be myselfafter a while But just purely physically - I will always be thirsty,else"

He didn’t answer

"So I will be different," I concluded unopposed "Because right now, physically, there’s nothing I want en Intellectually, I have htly more sensible order But physically"

I twisted my head to kiss the palm of his hand

He took a deep breath I was surprised that it sounded a little unsteady

"Bella, I could kill you," he whispered

"I don’t think you could"

Edward’s eyes tightened He lifted his hand fro I couldn’t see There was asound, and the bed quivered beneath us

So dark was in his hand; he held it up for my curious examination It was a ht iron posts and canopy of his bed fraers contracting gently, and then it opened again

Without a word, he offered me the crushed, uneven lump of black metal It was a cast of the inside of his hand, like a piece of play dough squeezed in a child’s fist A half-second passed, and the shape crulared "That’s not what Iyou are You didn’t have to break the furniture"

"What did youthe handful of iron sand to the corner of the room; it hit the ith a sound like rain

His eyes were intent on led to explain