Chapter 11

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Chapter 11

Edward shifted uncomfortably in his chair while he looked at Rose. She was staring at him intently, not giving any indication whatsoever that she was going to back down from her question.

He felt Isabella squeeze his hand. He'd yet to let go of it since they'd sat down to eat. He hung onto it, as if she was his lifeline, which in a way, she was. He looked at her, and as he knew she would, she looked at him with nothing but love and support in her eyes. He knew she believed him when he said he was going to try to change even though he was sure she knew there were things he hadn't told her since that damnable flight. He also knew she loved him and had faith in him.

It was all that really mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Over the course of the last few days Edward had spent a good deal of time, mostly when Isabella was sleeping peacefully in his arms or when the angel was blessedly leaving him be, thinking about recent events and past few years, before the life-changing event. He had been a miserable son of a bitch, no question about it. He was lonely, angry, and confused and he didn't know how to change any of those things. Well, he knew of course, he wasn't a complete idiot, but knowing and having the strength and the courage to take the necessary steps were two completely different things.

There were few things Edward was certain of in his life, outside of the business that is. In that regard, Edward was confident and sure of the decisions he made. It really would have helped if he'd been able to use some of that confidence in his personal life, that was for damn sure, but alas, that was not the way Edward rolled so to speak.

The things he was certain of were first and foremost, the love he had for his wife. He'd been completely captivated, completely consumed, completely gone, the moment she had walked into his office all those years ago. She was more than beautiful, though she'd surely been and was even more so now, but it was more than that, so much more. It was as if her heart and soul called to him, had searched and waited only for him. He felt it the instant their eyes met across his desk and the feeling hadn't subsided in the least in all the years they'd been together. There was a pull, a connection that tied him to Isabella, he was sure of it. No matter how many times he ran away from her, no matter how many times he treated her abominably, no matter how many times he told himself he was only imagining things, it was always there, pulling him back to her. It could be stretched and twisted and bent, but it couldn't be broken.

He could admit that now.

Did it make leaving her when he died easier to deal with? Hell no it didn't, but he'd come to the realization over the past few days that while it was wholly unfair that his time with her would be cut short, he could do everything within his power to make her happy so that once he was gone, she would be left with good memories, ones that she would remember with a smile, instead of struggling with the recriminations that would surely have plagued her if things had stayed as they had been. He didn't want to die, but he wanted to leave her happy and confident in his love for her even more.

The other thing he was certain of was that he wished to repair the damage he'd done to his family. He wasn't confident things could be repaired with Carlisle, but he was more certain that Emmett and Esme, Jasper, too, because he was as close to him as family, would forgive him if he asked for it. All he needed to do was find the courage to take the first step. The attempt he made with Emmett and Jasper the other day at the office barely counted, at least as far as he was concerned. With how closed off and distant he'd been to them both, it was little more than a ripple in the ocean.

It wasn't as if he'd spent the last twenty odd years completely ignoring his family, because he didn't. They occasionally ate dinner together. They went to church on Sundays. There were functions they were expected to attend as a family and he went with them. As he got older and graduated from high school and went to college, his time with them became less frequent, but he still spoke with Carlisle and Esme, hung out with Emmett some on the weekends.

He didn't have impromptu wrestling matches with Emmett when they were teenagers as boys that age are apt to do. They didn't hang out, talking about girls or sports. Edward went his way, Emmett went his. He didn't have many friends, didn't socialize hardly at all. He kept to himself, again too afraid to open himself up to others because it was just too hard.

He was just…there.

He felt, rather than saw, his spiritual guide behind him. When Seth laid his hands on Edward's shoulders in a show of support and strength, Edward took a deep breath, ready to admit things he'd not even told Isabella yet.

"It's time, Edward," Seth said. "Tell them what you wish, but know that the people in this room love you and won't disregard that love. They aren't your birth parents, Edward Anthony. Trust them; trust yourself," Seth urged.

Edward again shifted in his seat and tried to find the words that he needed to say. He looked from Rose to Emmett and then to the precious gift next to him. Smiling softly at her, he picked up her hand and brushed a soft kiss across the skin, savoring for the moment the warmth and the calm she exuded.

Rose watched Edward while he was focused on Isabella and if she hadn't seen what she just saw with her own eyes she never would have believed it; not in a million years would she have ever thought she'd see Edward act as he just had. She could tell from the moment he greeted them that he was different...lighter, less guarded...almost free. She had spoken with Alice Whitlock almost nonstop since Monday when Jasper had rushed home to fill her in on what had happened at the office with him and Edward.

None of them could figure out what was going on or what had caused such a drastic change, but you'd have to be blind not to tell that something was definitely different. Jasper and Emmett were both content to let Edward come to terms with whatever was going on with him, but Rosalie Cullen was not known for her patience, or her ability to put up with bullshit.

If Edward was playing some game, he'd best know and understand right fucking up front that she wouldn't standby and just watch him hurt her husband, or her friend and sister-in-law anymore than he already had. He was saying and doing all the right things, but until she was sure of his intentions, she was reserving judgment.

"Rose, I'm..." Edward haltingly said.

"Babe," Emmett began quickly when he saw how uncomfortable his brother was but was waved off by her. He huffed and sat back, resigned to let things play out for the time being. He was as curious as Rose was, hell they'd talked about little else since Monday, but he also didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the changes he'd seen thus far.

Emmett was shocked when Edward looked at him and said, "Em, it's okay. I owe all of you a lot more than a cursory 'I'm sorry' and some vague explanation of a scary plane ride." Edward then turned to look at Isabella and said, "I owe one of you more than I'll ever be able to explain, but I hope that with time, you'll believe me when I say I'm sorry."

"Edward," Isabella breathed out and her eyes immediately stung with tears as she heard the true sincerity in his voice.

He smiled at her tenderly and leaned forward to kiss her forehead and whispered, "Later, Beautiful," before he turned back to Rose.

"I know my past actions haven't given you any reason to believe me, Rose," Edward began, "but I am trying to make some changes... changes that are way past time to make. As cliché as it might sound, I had an eye-opening experience on my flight home from New York the other day and most of what I saw, I didn't like very much."

"Eye-opening experience? You mean like your life flashed before your eyes kind of thing?" Rose mockingly asked with a smirk, but when she realized Edward was serious, her smile faded immediately.

"Yes, exactly like that. It was a...uh...rather rough and bumpy ride and at times pretty damn scary. It's not...pleasant to look at your life and not like much of what you see. There are a lot of things I've done I'm not proud of, Rose, most of all, hurting the people in this room, and I am hoping that you all will give me a second chance." Edward straightened up in his chair and looked intently at her. "Rose, I know I've fucked things up with Emmett and you. I know that my actions haven't exactly let you know that I care about both of you…a lot. If I could go back and fix things, I would, but I can't. All I can do is ask you for another chance. I probably don't deserve it, but I'm asking anyway," Edward said quietly.

"You really mean that?" Rose asked. She was quite taken aback by Edward's candor and sincerity. In fact, in all the time she and Emmett had been married she couldn't ever recall Edward acting in such a way. It must have been a hell of a flight, she thought.

Edward shifted again in his chair, uncomfortable with having to admit to so many failings. He turned to look at Seth, who had been abnormally quiet thus far during the exchange with Rose.

"It would serve my ass right if she told me to go take a flying leap," he said with a huff and ran his fingers through his hair.

"It would, but she won't. Your family has always loved you, Edward. Even when you gave them every reason not to, they did," Seth told him. "You might have worked exceptionally hard at keeping your distance, but each and every one of them have been waiting for you to give any sort of indication that you wanted to be a part of the family, and not from the sidelines."

Edward snorted at that, thinking there was definitely someone who probably wished he'd stay as far away as possible. "Even Carlisle, Edward. You know if you ever gave him a chance, you might find things are not exactly as you think," the all-knowing angel stated.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Edward questioned harshly. "The man has done everything in his power to show me just how much he wished I'd never come here. I don't know why he ever brought me to live with them if he didn't want me."

"Edward Anthony," the angel huffed with an exasperated breath. "I swear you are without a doubt the most stubborn, obstinate human I've ever come across. Look, there are things you need to be made aware of as far as your adoptive parents are concerned, but you need to finish your discussion with Rose and Emmett and then you owe your wife an explanation as well. Things are changing for you, my boy, and you are in for some rough seas ahead. I hope you're prepared for that."

Edward sighed, feeling that familiar falling apart sensation that he'd come to recognize over the past few days whenever thoughts of his pending demise came to the forefront of his mind. "I'm not ready, but I'm ready to move past it all and enjoy whatever time I have left."

"We'll be talking again soon, Edward, you can count on that," Seth assured him and then was gone.

"Damn angel," Edward muttered and then turned to the others at the table. He looked at Rose and answered her question. "Yes, Rose, I do mean it. Look, I don't blame you for questioning me or for not believing me. I can only tell you that I am going to try to change and I am going to try to make up for the hurt I've caused you, and you, Emmett," he said as he looked at his brother. "I hope it's not too late to start over?"

"Ed, we're brothers and I love you. I'd love to spend more time with you if you're willing. What's happened before, ah, water under the bridge as far as I'm concerned," Emmett said and had to wipe his eyes to stop the few tears that threatened to fall. Emmett was in shock at the words his brother had spoken. If Edward wanted a second chance, Emmett was willing to give him one, no questions asked. It was all he'd ever wanted, to have a real relationship with his brother, and he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Rose watched the scene in front of her with a sense of cautious optimism. It seemed as if that was a common theme amongst Edward's family and friends, but it was the most accurate description. There wasn't any of them, so far at least, that wasn't willing to give him a second chance; a fact of which Edward had a hard time believing. Oh, he was extremely grateful, but he knew he was being afforded an opportunity he most likely didn't deserve.

Rose picked up her glass of wine and took a drink, and chuckled out loud when she had a thought. "Scroogeward," she said, when everyone turned to look at her.

"Come again?" Edward said with a smirk.

She returned his smirk and leaned forward in her chair. "Well, you're kind of like Scrooge. He was this mean, nasty S.O.B. until those ghosts paid him a visit. Then he changed, once he saw what he'd been missing, into a loveable nice guy. So, you're Scroogeward," she finished with a flourish.

"Rose," Isabella said with a shake of her head, and turned to watch her husband. Not that it wasn't an apt description, mind you.

"Babe," Emmett said with a wry grin. Leave it to his wife to tell it like it was. She was never one to hold anything back, that was for damn sure.

"What?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders. "You haven't been visited by ghosts or anything have you, Edward?"

"Ghosts? No, not hardly, Rose," Edward said and internally laughed when he imagined what the unseen, but ever-present angel thought about being compared to a measly ghost.

Rose watched Edward and when she saw the corners of his mouth lift in a smile, she knew that he'd changed. The Edward Cullen she was used to never would have laughed at a joke told at his expense. Not in a million years.

"Scroogeward, huh, Rose? Good one," he told her with a genuine smile while he tipped his glass in thanks to her.

After that, the mood seemed to lighten considerably and the four spent an enjoyable evening laughing and talking. Isabella spent the time in a sort of surreal, alternate universe. She was in her house, with her in-laws, having dinner like it was an everyday occurrence. Even more surreal than that, her husband was honestly enjoying himself. His eyes were bright, his shoulders were relaxed and most telling of all, he smiled. Like an honest to God real smile. One that lit up the room and melted her heart. The kind of smile that she hadn't ever seen before and the kind that she vowed she would see more of.

Edward found himself on the brink of drowning from all the overwhelming emotions he was feeling, but one look at Isabella was all it took to keep him afloat. He was in awe of how it felt to let go, to open himself up to Emmett and Rose and to not have that backfire on him. Sure it was only one night, but he was confident that things had changed course for him and Emmett, and with Rosalie as well.

He knew he needed to talk with Jasper and the elephant in the room otherwise known as Carlisle and Esme needed to be dealt with as well, but not before he gave Isabella what she deserved. He found he was more than ready to tell her what she needed to know. It could wait no longer.

As enjoyable as the night turned out to be, he really couldn't wait to be alone with his wife. From the way she kept a hold of his hand and continually looked at him, he was sure to check that he was okay, he knew Isabella was anxious to be alone as well. Finally, Emmett and Rose had to leave to go home and relieve the babysitter so it was time to say goodbye.

"Edward," Emmett said gruffly as he wrapped his arms around his brother in a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you for...well, for everything. It's been a hell of a night," he said with a chuckle. He slapped Edward on the back one more time before he took a step backward.

"Well, we'll just have to see about making this a regular thing, what do you say? And next time, bring Jack and Emma," Edward said.

"Sounds great, brother. The kids miss their Uncle Edward," Emmett said and immediately felt bad when he saw the smile fade from his brother's face. "Ed, man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." he tried to say but was stopped when Edward reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing for you to be sorry for, Em. It's my own damn fault I don't spend enough time with them. I'll just have to fix that, won't I?" he asked and then looked at Rose. "I hope you'll bring them the next time you come, Rose. I really would like the chance to spend more time with them."

Again Rose found herself speechless, but recovered quickly. Edward really didn't do anything half-assed did he? she thought to herself with a quiet chuckle.

Well, she thought, if he was game then so was she. "They would love it, Edward. How about you guys come watch Jack play baseball on Saturday and then you two can come back to the house for dinner?"

Edward quickly looked at Isabella, who of course agreed immediately. "We'd love to," Edward answered.

Emmett stepped forward to give Isabella a hug which left Edward and Rose to say goodbye. "Thanks for having us over, Edward," she told him as she gave him a hug. "I'm willing to give you a chance, Scroogeward, but if you fuck it up, if you hurt Em, I'll make you regret it. I'm rather fond of Isabella and I'm sure she'd like to keep you around, but Em is my number one concern. Don't mess up this chance, Edward. It's the last one you'll get," she finished saying.

Edward couldn't even get mad at her harsh words because he knew she was only looking out for Emmett. He expected nothing less.

"I'm not going to mess it up, Rose, I give you my word. I've missed too much to risk losing everything. I'm done running away and I'm done hiding," he promised her.

She kissed his cheek and with much love she whispered, "Welcome back. We've missed you."

After one more round of hugs and kisses and reaffirming plans to see each other in only a few days time, Edward shut the door and turned to face his wife.

"Edward, I..." she began but he strode to her in three long strides and stopped in front of her.

"Wait, Beautiful, please just...wait. I need to tell you something and I can't wait another damn second," he said. He reached down and gripped her hands in his and held on, shaking with an intense need so all-encompassing it was all he could do to keep upright.

"You told me the other day that you didn't want my words unless I gave you my heart with them. I should have told you then, I should have told you a long time ago. I should have made you see, believed that my heart...it's always been yours. Since the very first moment you walked into my office all those years ago, my entire being has belonged only to you. I'm not a perfect man, Isabella, far from it, but you make me want to be better because you deserve better. You've deserved so much better than what I've put you through for the past five years and I'll never be able to make up for all the hurt and pain I've caused you, but you need to know something. Isabella," he said in a shaky voice.

"I love you. I've loved you all this time. My past...there are things...I don't know...I've been such a coward, so afraid of being hurt the way I was before. I thought it would be better to keep my distance from you, to not allow myself to be completely enthralled by you, to keep my walls up to keep you from being so close to me. None of it has mattered because you've always been here," he told her and lifted their joined hands to his chest and laid them above his heart. "No matter how far I tried to run or how hard I tried to hide, you've always been a part of me."

He lifted his other hand and cupped her cheek and looked into the brown eyes that he went to bed every night dreaming about. The ones that were looking at him with so much love they made the heart that belonged to her ache with grief for the pain he'd caused, but soar with the sense of joy he felt at finally letting her see how much he needed her.

"I love you," he told her in a fierce, passionate voice.

Isabella felt her eyes fill with tears and felt them fall down her cheeks. "Oh, Edward," she cried but he placed his finger on her lips so that he could say the one final thing he had left. He would still need to tell her about his parents and what he lived through, but this was even more important than that.

"Isabella, my wife, my love...I have so much to make up for, so much to repay. I'm asking, begging, you to forgive me. You shouldn't and I don't deserve it, but I'm asking anyway. Please tell me you forgive me and that you'll let me be the man that deserves you, that is worthy of you. Please," he beseeched, leaving his future completely in her tiny, but so very strong hands.

Mending his relationship with Emmett and Rose, getting to know his niece and nephew, somehow finding a way to repair some or all of the damage done to things between him and Esme and Carlisle meant nothing if Isabella didn't, or couldn't, forgive him.

Sure, the past few days had been nothing short of blissful, but she deserved to know how he felt about her, how he'd always felt. She deserved the chance to decide if she could take another chance on him...she deserved to be the one that decided on how his remaining days would be spent.

"Edward, my poor scared, broken husband," she said tenderly as her tears fell unchecked. She lifted her free hand and laid it along his cheek and continued. "You've already been forgiven. Each day when I prayed for you and asked for it to be the day you let me in, I forgave you. Each day I woke up still filled with hope that you'd somehow find your way to me, I forgave you. Each day I've loved you, I've forgiven you."

Her words were like a blanket, enveloping him in a warmth so deep it burned from the inside out. He crushed her body to his, twisted her hair in his fingers, and crashed his lips onto hers.

He allowed himself to let go of everything, all the guilt and fear and grief, and just let himself be in the moment with her. She had always been his everything, his reason, even though she didn't know it.

"Fuck, Isabella, I want you, need you so much," he hissed as he pulled her even closer to him. He lifted his lips from hers and slid them along to the side of her neck. "Let me take you to our bed, please? Let me make it ours again," he whispered as he sucked on the tender skin.

Isabella hung onto Edward, too many thoughts sifting through her mind to be able to form even the simplest word, so she nodded her head and wrapped her arms even tighter around his neck. She shook in his arms, not from being cold, but solely from being so overwhelmed by what he'd just told her. She had always felt, known, believed, that he loved and needed her the way she did him, but to hear him admit it, to acknowledge it, was something different altogether.

He loved her, needed her...wanted her the way she did him, she thought. He always had. It was a heady thing to know.

"Hang on to me, Beautiful, don't let go," he whispered tenderly before he swept her up into his arms. "Don't ever let me go."

"Never, Edward," Isabella told him and then curled against his chest as he walked effortlessly up the stairs and to their room.

Edward was frantic with his need to be inside of her, to claim her, to be as close as humanly possible to her, but he wanted to take his time, to savor their coming together as one, as husband and wife. He wanted her to never forget this moment.

He pushed the door open to their room and once he'd walked through the door he regretfully dropped her carefully to her feet. He took a step backward from her, taking a brief moment to admire the way she looked in the moonlight that streamed in through the window. He found he couldn't speak but he let his eyes tell her everything he wished he could say.

Isabella stood before her husband, mesmerized by the intense way his eyes devoured her, as if he was seeing her clearly for the first time. The green of his eyes was almost black they were so full of want, need, and love and he looked like he couldn't decide whether to keep looking at her or throw her down on the bed and make love to her. If she was honest, she didn't know which she wanted more either.

Edward apparently came to some sort of silent decision and he slowly walked toward her. That indefinable, unseen force that always surrounded them was present, so much so the air around them nearly crackled and sizzled. The closer he came, the more Isabella's body reacted. Her skin tingled, her breathing increased, her panties became so damp she could feel the cool air from the fan overhead.

"Edward," she said on a breathless, raspy sigh. She couldn't even quantify exactly what she wanted. She wanted him, but she wanted him to take her, claim her, consume her. She wanted his hands, fingers, mouth, tongue...everywhere. She wanted to feel him buried deep inside of her. She reached down and gripped the hem of her shirt and lifted it over her head. She lowered her hands and undid the button on her jeans and let them slide down her legs until they pooled at her feet. She reached up behind her back, staring straight into the unblinking eyes of her husband and moved to undo her black satin bra when he stepped in front of her.

"Wait," he said roughly. "Fuck, just...let me, please?" he asked, need lacing his voice so it barely sounded like her Edward. He reached up with shaking fingers and quickly undid the clasp of her bra. Once the clasp was undone, he slid his hands under the fabric and watched with barely contained want as it fell from her arms, leaving her gloriously naked save for her sexy as hell tiny black panties. "So damn beautiful," he whispered in awe as the moonlight danced over her body as she stood before him.

"I love you, Isabella, with all that I am, I love you. I've been such a fool," he said as he reached for her hand. He laced their fingers together and gently led her to the bed. When they got to the edge he looked at her and lifted their joined hands to his lips where he kissed the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrist. "Let me show you how much. I need to make you see, make you believe me," he said somewhat frantically.

"Sweetheart, stop," she said and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She pressed her body firmly against his, trying to get as close as possible to him.

He bent his head down and buried his nose in her hair. He splayed his hands across her naked back and hung on for dear life. "So sorry. I'm so fucking sorry," he murmured over and over, each time his voice becoming more and more anguished.

Isabella was grateful for the sincere apologies, but enough was enough. She'd forgiven him long ago and she had no desire whatsoever to live in the past. Not when the future looked so incredibly promising. The Edward she'd fallen in love with, the Edward she'd saved herself for, was standing in front of her, vulnerable and needy and she wanted him, all of him.

Right fucking now, actually. Her body ached for his, desperately so.

"Make love to me, Edward. Show me how much you love me. Make me yours again," she whispered when she'd pulled his head down to hers so she could kiss him. Her tongue tangled with his in his mouth, languidly dipping and twirling until her entire body felt like it was on fire. Edward groaned into her mouth, and gently pushed her back onto the bed, immediately covering her body with his.

Edward settled himself between her thighs and stared down at her gorgeous face. Wordlessly he let his fingertips trace over skin, through her hair, over her body. He just needed to feel her, every inch of her. With each passing moment, with each dip and valley over her body, he could literally feel the walls he had built up around his heart, disintegrate into unrecognizable pieces and float away.

He was so done with trying to keep himself hidden away, always watching from the outside, always wishing things were different. He was done with lying to himself to keep from being hurt. He was done with not letting Isabella see that without her, he had nothing and was nothing.

He was done with her not knowing that she was his everything...his home.

Leaning down, his mouth claimed hers once more and he allowed every thought and feeling he had to be poured into that kiss. "Beautiful...fuck, I just...everything...so different, so much..." he murmured incoherently. He wasn't even sure what he was trying to say.

"I know, Edward," Isabella answered him. She did know, too. She knew it all. He might not have been able to open himself up to her, but intuitively she'd always known. There hadn't been a day that had gone by that she didn't hope for this moment right here and now. The moment when he finally admitted how much he loved and needed her, no matter the demons he still had left to fight.

"I need you," he breathed against her skin as he kissed across her collarbones. His tongue flicked and licked its way from left to right, savoring the taste of her. He placed his hands over her breasts and held them. His thumbs rubbed her hardened nipples. He ground his hardened length against her. He sucked on the tender, fragrant skin behind her ear. "Fuck, I need you, Isabella. I want to be inside of you, feeling you all around me. I want to feel you come for me," he rasped into her ear.

His fingers were demanding, his mouth even more so as he drove and drove her closer to the brink. He trailed his fingers down her body and slid them into her panties, finally touching where he'd needed to, where she needed him to. Her body came alive even more at his expert touch, exploding in pleasure as he teased and taunted. His fingers slid effortlessly through her wet heat, taking her closer and closer to that delicious precipice.

"That's it, Beautiful. Come for me," he instructed her. He bent his head down and curled his tongue around her hardened peak before biting down gently. Her body reacted instantly and she shattered beneath him, coming so hard she saw nothing but a blinding, white light.

Isabella felt like she was floating as she curled her fingers and gripped the sheets of the bed in her hand. Never had anything felt so exquisite, so right. Not the first time they'd made love as husband and wife in Italy all those years ago, not the other night when he'd returned from his trip, not even the other morning in this very bed had she experienced anything on this level. It was all she'd ever hoped for.

"Oh, Edward…yes, God yes…" she panted as he continued to touch her. He moved his fingers so they were inside of her and she could feel herself close to falling apart again. Wave after wave after delicious wave washed over as he kept on.

"Again, Isabella. Come…again…now," he breathed against the side of her neck. "You have no idea how fucking beautiful you look when you come," he told her as she came once more.

Her body was covered with a light sheen of sweat and her chest heaved with her heavy breathing as she fought to get her body into some semblance of control. Her hair was damp and stuck to her forehead and cheeks and when Edward picked his head up to look at her, her brown eyes were so full of unconcealed desire, he groaned loudly.

"Edward, please. I need to feel you inside of me…now, please," she begged and he covered her mouth quickly to stop her from begging again.

She never needed to beg him, whatever she wanted, he would gladly give. She deserved no less.

"Shh, my beautiful Isabella," he crooned softly and fumbled to undo his jeans. She grabbed frantically at his shirt and pulled it over his head. When he was blessedly as naked as she was, he covered her body with his. Their bodies each reacted instantly the moment skin met skin and each let out a sigh of contentment to finally feel so much.

Isabella looked up at her husband and ran her hands lovingly through his hair. "I love you so much, Edward. You have no idea how happy you've made me," she told him in a voice thick with so much pent up emotion.

How long she had waited for this moment, for him to finally let his guard down and trust her enough to let her see how much he needed and loved her. It was better, more than she ever could have imagined.

"I love you, too," he whispered back reverently as he brushed her hair back from her face. "For so long I've loved you without letting you see how much. I intend to show you every day from this day forward how much I've always, will always, love you," he promised her. He began to rock against her, his need to be inside of her driving him to the point of pain. Edward reached down and carefully slid her panties down her soft, silky legs and quickly removed his boxers as well.

He lifted his hips and entered her slowly, relishing each agonizing, aching moment. "Look at me, Isabella," he commanded as he continued to move. Her eyes found his and he held her stare until he was fully surrounded by her.

"Nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me as you do. You're my everything. Everything good that I have is because of you; every ounce of love and happiness I feel is because of you, only you, my love. You've been mine since the first moment I saw you, just as I've been yours," he told her as he began to move inside of her.

"Edward, ah…so good, feels so good," she breathed out and tipped her head back and started to close her eyes before he called to her again.

"No, look at me, please don't stop looking at me," he entreated, needing that connection of looking into her eyes to keep him from falling apart. He was sinking, totally weighed down by everything he felt at the moment and it was only by looking in her eyes would he be able to keep afloat, to keep from succumbing to it all.

"With me, Isabella," he told her, feeling himself edging closer to that cliff of ecstasy. "Come with me, together, please," he begged feeling himself grow even harder inside of her as he continued to move in slow, steady strokes.

Her muscles clenched him, pulling him in even deeper as she stared into his eyes. "So close, Edward. I'm so close," she told him, her body beginning to shake beneath him.

She felt herself let go, the orgasm powerfully washing over her, as she pulsed and fluttered around him. Finally, he exploded, releasing inside of her. She felt him shake above her, his arms barely holding himself up. When he could support himself no longer, he collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily against the side of her neck.

Never in his most vivid and wild imaginations would he have ever imagined anything would feel so fucking good. He was exhausted and spent, but he felt more free and happy than he thought possible. All because of the woman beneath him.

He picked his head up and stared into her sleepy, sated face. "That was," he chuckled softly and trailed off since he was unsurprisingly at a loss for words.

"Yes, it was," Isabella giggled and then smiled softly at him.

"Whoever knew it could be like that?" she asked as she ran her fingers up and down his arms.

Edward shook his head, and smiled at her. "Sure as hell not me. Amazing," he whispered.

They laid together, silent, except for their breathing as each basked in the aftermath of their lovemaking. Regretfully, he slid from her body, missing being inside of her the moment he did so, but he hoped to remedy that again, and soon. He had a feeling he would be hard-pressed to want to do much of anything except make love to her from now on.

After they cleaned up, Edward led her back to the bed, their bed from now on. He couldn't stop touching her, couldn't stop kissing her, and they made love again and again until the early morning light spilled into their room.

When Isabella fell into an exhausted but blissful sleep, Edward said a quick prayer to whomever it was that decided he deserved a second chance. He might only have weeks or months left with her, he might have longer, he might die tomorrow, but whatever his fate, he would meet his end knowing that Isabella knew how much she meant to him, how much he needed her, how very much he loved her. He didn't pray for himself, he didn't beg or barter for more time; he merely thanked whatever force was out there for the chance to make things right with her.

He fell asleep to the soothing sounds of her breathing as well as that ever-present warm feeling he got, the one that tricky angel person kept leaving him with. "Damn angel," he murmured before he followed his wife to the dark of sleep.

The next day was a first for Edward Anthony Cullen.

He was late for work.

He took an extended lunch.

He left work early, before anyone else.

He smiled all day.

He called, texted, and emailed his wife practically nonstop.

He was deliriously happy.

~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~

Isabella tapped her phone to pull up the text message Rosalie had sent her earlier while she and Edward were having a rather interesting breakfast. It was quite the experience to eat without utensils and one she wouldn't mind trying again soon.

"Jack's game starts in about thirty minutes," she told Edward as they pulled into the park where the baseball game was being played. "Look, there's Emmett's truck," she said as Edward parked his Mercedes SLR into the spot next to his.

When she reached for the handle of her door to get out, Edward grabbed her other hand. He tugged her across the console so he could get one more kiss in before they had to somewhat behave. Kids or no kids, it was going to be damn hard to keep his hands off her, so he hoped one last scorching kiss was enough to get him through the next few hours.

He highly doubted it, but hey, it was worth a shot.

The angel had been shockingly absent so far today, Edward thought in the back of his mind before he stepped from the car. He walked around to open Isabella's door, even though she rolled her eyes at the gesture. He might have been an asshole for the past few years, but he did have impeccable manners. Not only that, he thought with a wry grin when he opened the door and took her hand in his, helping her from the car just allowed him to pull her lithe body against his.

He wasn't a total fool.

They walked hand in hand toward the baseball field, laughing and talking softly and as they approached the bleachers and saw Rose and Emmett, Edward heard a voice, one that was sure to put a damper on what had thus far been a perfect Saturday.

"Hello, Edward, Isabella," Carlisle said as he walked up behind them.

Shit, no wonder the damn angel had disappeared, though Edward knew he was watching.

~~~~OOO~~~~OOO~~~~