Chapter Sixteen: Anything You Want

The time had finally come when I wished for any sort of physical pain, just to take away all of the emotional agony. Not even my husband betraying me, or his death, had me hurting this much. I went home last night after my fight on the sidewalk with Edward, and cried myself to sleep. Rosalie wasn't home, but I preferred it that way. I wasn't ashamed to admit that I had fought with myself for hours over whether or not I should have gone back to him. I wanted to fall at his feet, but I also wanted him to do the same.

In the end I decided that I needed to wallow for just one night, and then pick myself back up. I was shattered, and the glue that I normally used to piece myself back together wasn't working anymore. I was so angry with myself for letting things go so badly with Edward. Wasn't I in control of my life, or at least, my own emotions?

I wasn't sure why I ignored him after Jacob's death, but I had been in a bad place mentally. I didn't want to put Edward through that, when he too was trying to overcome a loss. I wasn't sure where to go from here, but I guess I would go back to where I was before I saw him again.

My editor would be getting back to me soon, I would find my own place, and I would begin a new life. I felt like I had been punished enough through all of this. I told Edward that I was sorry for ignoring him, but I never apologized for not communicating with him properly, and that was why we were here, in this awful mess.

The weekend had come and after some lengthy days of wedding planning with my best friend, I was exhausted. I wasn't cut out for planning events, but luckily I had Rosalie's mother helping. Everything was set, ordered, and in place, for today's wedding at twilight.

It was easy to smile today because Rose was getting married. I didn't have to fake any happiness like I had been the few days prior. Edward hadn't called, but I hadn't gone after him either. I was at a loss as to what I should even say. He had to want to be apart our child's life, right? Sadness filled me when I envisioned dropping my little pea pod off with its dad, and me leaving for the weekend since it would be Edward's turn.

I shuddered and pushed the thought away, going back to curling my hair. Rose was sleeping in for another hour or so as I got ready. We were up well into the early hours of morning as we talked about our futures, which would be more separate now as she moved on with her husband. I wasn't jealous, because Rosalie deserved the world; and Emmett was giving it to her.

I had not told her what happened with Edward a few nights back. She was dying to know, but she was already so busy planning her wedding, that I didn't want to add more of my bullshit to her already full plate. Plus, all of the wedding plans were so time consuming.

I finished with my hair, and put it up high on my head to protect the curls. Then I made coffee and brought two full mugs back upstairs. Rosalie was still sleeping peacefully in her large bed. I rubbed her back and she sat up abruptly.

"Are we late?" she croaked. I laughed, and rubbed her shoulder.

"No, we're not late." Rosalie swiped her eyes and yawned.

"I had an awful dream that we were late and looked like shit," she said worriedly. I giggled.

"That won't happen. I mean, if we are late, it's because we were so busy getting so fabulous looking." Rose giggled and took her offered cup of coffee. We sat in a comfortable silence as we drank down gulps of the steaming liquid.

"Will you tell me now?" she asked softly. I sighed lightly and went to open the bedroom window. The smell of salt water filled the room as the crisp fall air blew in. I breathed in heavily. "I can take it, you know," she furthered. I rolled my eyes.

"I honestly don't know what happened. We fought for nothing." I turned back around to see Rosalie frowning.

"Did you tell him you were sorry?"

"Yes. He didn't think the baby was his." Rosalie's face shifted to anger. I held my hand to prevent her from yelling. "I think he thought that way out of sheer shock. He was taken aback. A lot of what he said was true, though. I did push him away."

"I didn't expect you to fall into his arms immediately after your husband died, Bella." I shrugged. "I just want you two to be honest."

"Sometimes I wonder if we even had a chance at all."

"You still do, babe," she cooed. I smiled lightly and drank more coffee.

"I almost went back to him, but I didn't see the point. Not after a fight like that." I shuddered when I pictured Edward's face dripping in champagne.

"Good thing he's coming to my wedding," she said, leaning in closer to me. My eyes flew open so wide that it hurt. "I found him. Well, more like he found me by calling Emmett. Apparently Em had given him some legal advice at Tanya's funeral."

"Wait, so I'm going to see him again? Tonight?" Rose nodded enthusiastically as excitement began to overwhelm me. "But only if you two make it right, once and for all. Deal?" I fell into Rosalie's arms with tears streaming down my cheeks.

"Deal! Thank you," I gushed. Rose patted my neck and chuckled.

"Don't be afraid to love again. You can't prevent getting hurt, Bella. You'll miss out on the good stuff." I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Hey," I whispered, as I pulled away and smirked. "You're getting married today!" Rosalie screamed and jumped to her feet, bouncing up and down on her bed. I laughed, and it didn't hurt.

Every nerve that my body possessed was tingling with anticipation. The wedding ceremony was short and sweet under the pavilion on the beach. It was almost twilight, and Emmett had just kissed his bride. I cried tears of joy and watched my best friend walk back down the aisle with her new husband.

I dried my face and cheered along with the rest of the guests. The wedding was low key, which I never thought Rosalie would be fine with; but, Emmett was almost her polar opposite, and asked for something smaller. She gave it to him without a blink. I collected my bouquet and followed them down the aisle, still searching for Edward as discreetly as I could.

Would he even come? My heart churned. I needed to find him. He needed to know how wrong I had been and how much I wanted him.

A couple of hours later, I was surrounded by loud drunk people dancing beneath hundreds of white Christmas lights. I laughed as Rosalie tripped and Emmett caught her a dozen times over as they tried to danced. I kicked my sandals off and shoved them beneath the table. My long deep purple chiffon dress blew slightly from the ocean breeze.

Edward wasn't here, and I couldn't leave to find him yet. He must have changed his mind about us: about the three of us. I absently placed a hand over my stomach and drank some punch. I let my mind wander back to all of the times I saw Edward smile.

Suddenly, an old familiar song began to play. I saw Rosalie's parents begin to dance and a small tear left my eye unnoticed as I watched them dance next to Rose and Emmett. I would have that one day. I could hope for it again, but I never truly had it at all, and I was ready to accept that now.

My heart sped up at the sight of copper hair, but then I lost it in the crowd almost as soon as I saw it. I stood up and searched frantically. Then, I saw him walking towards me. He was smiling, but it was faint. My heart swelled up, and I nodded my head to him. I turned and walked towards the sand.

"Bella," he said. I smiled, and let my mouth fall a little before I turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry," we both said. I giggled and Edward ran a hand through his hair. His khaki, linen pants were rolled up to the ankles and he wasn't wearing shoes. I mentally began to thank Rose for the 'No Shoes' rule.

"No, I'm sorry," I said before he could speak again. "I acted so terribly, and I'm sorry for pushing you away, and for hurting you," I cracked. He smiled warmly.

"I'm sorry for the way I treated you the other night. I was such a prick." I waved a hand in the air dismissing him.

"I deserved it."

"No woman deserves to be talked down to. And," he cut off, looking down to my swollen belly. He stepped closer tentatively. "May I?" he asked. I nodded. Edward placed one of his long hands over my pregnant stomach. I sighed a breath of relief at his touch.

"A miracle," I whispered. His green eyes snapped up to look at me. They were hazy with moisture. After a moment, he sighed and removed his hand.

"I would like to propose something," he began, clearing his throat. I frowned. "Would you have dinner with me tomorrow?" I hesitated briefly, then nodded profusely. "We should talk, and get to know each other."

"Yes," I agreed. "I'm really glad you called Emmett." Edward smiled warmly at me.

"So am I."

Suddenly, the time came to catch Rosalie's bouquet, but no one had to. It was such a small wedding, so she gave it to me after she changed clothes. I was hugging her neck, and never wanting to let go.

"Well?" she whispered.

"It's okay. It's all good," I joked. Rosalie squeaked and hugged me tighter. "We're getting to know each other. He asked me out on a date!" I giggled.

"I'm so happy for you, babe."

"I wouldn't have been able to do it without you," I choked. Rosalie swiped my tears away and smiled proudly.

"I'll be back in two weeks," she promised.

"I can't wait." Rosalie winked at me. I laughed, and hugged her once more. Over her shoulder I could see Emmett and Edward shaking hands firmly while laughing, too.

We sent the newlyweds off on their honeymoon, but no one else left. Everyone kept dancing and drinking. As I came out of the bathroom, I saw Edward in the middle of the dance floor waiting with an extended hand. I blushed, but didn't hesitate to skip over to him. He took my hand, and placed his other on the small of my back as he pulled me closer to him. We laughed and looked down to my stomach.

"I'll have to get used to this," he teased. I smacked his shoulder playfully. When a new song began to play, my heart lifted.

"I love this song," we both said. Edward laughed at my heated cheeks.

Every time I look into your lovely eyes,
I see a love that money just can't buy.
One look from you, I drift away.
I pray that you are here to stay.

Every time I hold you I begin to understand,
Everything about you tells me I'm your man.
I live my life to be with you.
No one can do the things you do.

It somehow all made sense, because I was ready to give myself to someone else again. This time, it would be someone who deserved it, and someone who returned the grand gesture. Edward laughed happily as he spun me around the dance floor singing the lyrics that spoke to my heart. I joined in with him.

Anything you want, you got it.
Anything you need, you got it.
Anything at all, you got it.

I laughed joyously and saw the look in my eyes mirrored back at me in Edward's. He pulled me tightly to his chest, our baby between us, and kissed my neck. I was ready for a new start, and couldn't wait to see where we could go.

I was well into my twenties, but felt like a teenager again on her first date. It took me over an hour to get ready since Rosalie wasn't here to dress me. I eventually decided on jeans, a navy maternity sweater, and curled my long hair. Afterall, we were only going to The Shack, which I was grateful for. Edward showed at the doorstep of the boutique with a bouquet of yellow roses. I smiled shyly and took them.

"Yellow?" I noted out loud.

"They signify friendship, and before we did or became more, I considered you my friend. A true friend," he added hastily. My face heated, and I leaned up to kiss his cheek. Edward turned his head, and his lips met mine. It was brief, but a shock zapped through me like lightening.

"Sorry," he stumbled. I giggled.

"I'm not," I admitted quietly. Edward smiled, and after I placed my roses on the desk, he offered me his arm. I slipped mine through his, and we left for The Shack.

My favorite restaurant wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be, but I wasn't complaining. It was kind of quiet, and the deck was closed due to the coming winter. We were seated at a table overlooking the ocean, and ordered drinks. Edward folded his hands on top of the table nervously.

"So, when do you find out the sex?"

"At the end of the week," I replied with a smile.

"Do you have a preference?"

"Boy or girl, I'll be happy. But I would like a boy."

"I don't know..." Edward said with a smirk. "I hope it's a girl." He sipped his Dr. Pepper. "Can I come? To the appointment?" I smiled and nodded briskly.

"Did you stop smoking?" I asked, remembering that I hadn't seen him smoke yet. Edward's cheeks heated. He lifted up his left shirt sleeve. I smiled at the nicotine patch.

"Good for you!" I cheered. An awkward silence slowly spread between us. I sipped my water and decided to start at the beginning like we had planned.

"I want to apologize again for the way I treated you," I said quietly. "I wish I hadn't ignored you." Edward shook his head at me.

"I should have left you alone. Everyone grieves differently."

"But it must have been important..." I furthered. Edward shrugged and bowed his head.

"I was afraid of losing you, too. I didn't do very well being alone, but these past few months really helped me."

"I'm glad. I think I ignored you to prevent even the chance of me losing you." Edward smiled softly.

"You won't lose me," he assured.

"And you won't lose me," I promised. Edward reached his hand across the table. I took it, and grasped it firmly.

"So, do you like Virginia?" I asked. Edward nodded.

"I do. It's beautiful, and I didn't realize how much I had missed the mountains. It's helped a lot with my painting."

"That's great. I'm glad you're painting. I'm waiting to hear back from a publisher."

"I knew you could do it." Edward smiled proudly, and I blushed. Our food came, and I finished my salad in record time. Edward picked at his chicken, but stayed quiet.

"I hope I'm not being too blunt with this, and I know this isn't exactly how we planned on being together, if together at all, but I want you. I want us. And I know that we would be great together."

"I want that, too," I whispered immediately. I took a deep breath. "And I want to come to Virginia. We can start over, get to know each other, and be a family."

"But, your life is here," he said.

"My life is anywhere I make it. I can write there, and I want to be near you...and your family." Edward smiled showing his brilliant teeth, and gripped my hand tighter.

Four months later...

"Is that the last box?" I ask lazily as I peek up at Edward from the couch. He nods and walks to the kitchen.

"I'm going to have to teach you how to cook," he said with a smirk. I sat up slowly.

"I can cook!" I defended. He snorted.

"You mean, Bethany could cook. Oh, and I can cook." I shrugged.

"Okay, so it's not my forte, but I can decorate! And clean..." I trailed off. "Hmm, you're getting the shitty end of the stick aren't you?" I giggled. Edward walked over to me.

"No swearing in front of the baby," he scolded playfully. I rolled my eyes and looked down to my huge belly. Edward rubbed it softly and smiled.

"Little E is going to love it here," I said. Edward offered me his hands to help me off of the couch. I wobbled unsteadily. "So," I hedged further, "now can I see the baby room?" I begged. Edward smiled widely and nodded.

He walked us up the stairs of the large cabin and down the hall to the third door on the left. He hesitated by the door.

"If you don't like it, I can re-paint," he assured. I smacked his arm.

"I'm going to love it. Just show me!" He chuckled and slowly opened the wooden door. All of the air left my lungs in one big swoosh. I was taken aback as I stepped onto the beach. Hand painted along the walls was the Atlantic shore line; my ocean. The skies were light blue with seagulls and white, fluffy clouds.

"It's beautiful," I gasped. "Edward," I stopped, choking on tears. "I love it." I turned to face him and swiped my face.

"I thought we could decorate it together in these last couple of weeks before Little E comes." I nodded briskly and threw myself into his arms. I kissed his neck, and had never felt such gratitude for his painting skills.

He held me for a while, and finished showing me the room before suggesting dinner. We had picked up Chinese and decided to eat on the back porch around the built in fire pit. It was winter, but the cold didn't phase me since I was always so hot now. My pregnancy had been relatively easy, and my due date was fast approaching. Edward wanted us together in the same house when Little E came along, and I was glad.

I had enjoyed my little apartment downtown, but now I could be with him every day. We took things slowly over the past months, getting to know each other; and the more we learned, the more in love we fell. We should have done the right thing from the beginning, taken things slow, but I wouldn't change anything now. We were happy. Sex didn't happen often now that I was so pregnant, but it didn't bother either of us. Edward said that we had the rest of our lives for each other, and he was right.

We spoke of marriage, but neither of us viewed it as an objective. Being together and committed was enough for us. I looked out onto the property in the Appalachians once more and smiled deeply. Edward's home was perfect. He painted from home, and I wrote. My first novel had done extremely well, and I was working on my second. Billy helped immensely, and he promised to visit again in the spring.

Edward's parents welcomed me with open arms, and I couldn't have been luckier. Our child would grow up with grandparents, animals, art, and us teaching it all we knew about life.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked.

"Us," I replied wistfully. "I love it here, and I can't wait for the future." Edward smiled warmly and kissed my hand. "Can we stay here forever?"

"Anything you want," he assured. I giggled.

"No, really," I added. "It's all so perfect. I've never been so comfortable in my own skin before, nor felt as loved as I do now. Thank you."

"Thank you," he said.

"What for?"

"Your heart. When it pieced with mine, it wasn't shattered anymore." I smiled and tried to suppress more tears. He reached under the table and removed a small white box. "For us," he said, handing me the square parcel. I frowned curiously, then looked down to the white box and smiled giddily. After removing the lid, I gasped at the sight of a small glass baby shoe. Tears returned to my cheeks, and my heart pumped faster. I picked up the shoe, and read the engraving on the side aloud.

"First it was just us two, then we had you, now we have everything." I choked on my words as I leaned into Edward. His green eyes had never been so bright before. I held the shoe to my heart.

"I love you," I whispered.

"As I Iove you," he replied, placing a hand over my belly. "And our baby, Ella."

I placed my hand over his, and closed my eyes. I thanked God, Edward, then thanked myself for finally doing the right thing. How I had lived so long without him was beyond me, but we didn't have to live in the past any longer. It was the three of us against the world, and we would always be together. We let the happiness in our hearts overwhelm us.

Our shattered hearts, now in three pieces, mended together as one.

-The End

Song is, You Got It, by Roy Orbison :)

Finally, right?

I'm sorry for your wait! There have been a lot of real life challenges going on for everyone involved with posting, etc, but here it is!

I hope you enjoyed the ride, and thank you for all

of your love and support!

I can't say when my next story will be posted, but I sure hope you add me to your author follows. I recently found out that I am pregnant with my 2nd, and still agonizing over the all day sickness. -_-

I'll have another epic story in the future.

Thank you Beffers for your relentless support in ideas and encouragement! And Jules, you make me sound 10x better than anyone else ever could with your tweaks and sweet self. I love and appreciate you both so much!

Until the next one,

xx

Greye