Disclaimer: I disclaim.

A/N: This is it- the "finished product".

Nothing on Earth

Edward's Point of View

I leaned against a tree, trying to appear nonchalant. There were no humans in close proximity, which made blocking their thoughts out very simple. I would need all my concentration for what I was about to do.

Bella stood in front of me and I could not help staring at her impossibly beautiful face, her soulful eyes- they would forever be imprinted into my memory, but I had never been able to resist looking at them. Her scent was all around me; I distinctly noticed that the scorching thirst which so regularly burned my throat when I was around her- so very dangerous for her, and yet not the most dangerous thing I had exposed her to- was reduced to a minimum. It was barely noticeable, drowned out by the immeasurably greater pain that even the thought of leaving Bella caused me. I desperately struggled to keep my facial expression neutral.

"Okay, let's talk," she said, the effort she made to mask the anxiesty in her voice noticeable to me - it seemed to pierce my cold, lifeless heart, making it ache in the way only Bella could. She was anxious about talking to me; she never should have had to be... Of course my remote behaviour couldn't have escaped her notice. I wondered if she had also perceived how difficult it had been fo me to act that way towards her, how much I had longed to touch her, kiss her, how much I had struggled with myself.

I took a deep breath- an entirely unnecessary human gesture, a reminder of how much my behaviour had been changed because of Bella- as if I needed one... I steeled myself to say the inevitable words, tell the most outrageous of the numerous lies of my existence... I had mentally prepared myself for this for days now. I was an expert liar, and I had never needed this despicable skill more.

"Bella, we're leaving." The words were relatively easy to say because they were true. I was still watching Bella's face; she was remarkably composed. She probably didn't understand the implications of my words- how could she?

It was her turn to take a deep breath; I saw her chest heave.

"Why now? Another year-" I despised myself for the rudeness with which I interrupted her.

"Bella, it's time. How much longer could we stay in Forks, after all? Carlisle can barely pass for thirty, and he's claiming thirty-three now. We'd had to start over soon regardless."

It was true, it was all true. And it wouldn't have mattered in the slightest if our presence wouldn't put Bella in danger.

Bella was confused; I knew her well enough to be able to tell that she was slowly figuring out the meaning behind my words. She was staring at my face, and I wanted her to understand what it was that I was telling her while at the same time, selfish creature that I was, I desperately hoped she wouldn't. Using all my skill, all the expertise gained in 105 years as a monster, I tried to not let my inner torment show on my face or in my eyes.

Bella's facial expression changed to a look of understanding, horrible understanding.

"When you say we-," she whispered, and once again I determined how the sentence ended.

"I mean my family and myself." I focused on pronouncing each of the words separately; it was easier, not having to say them in their entirety.

She stood in front of me, so small, so breakable, so innocent, and she shook her head back and forth, sending a fresh wave of her delicious, tempting smell, the smell that was our curse and that would forever embedded in my memory.

I waited for Bella to speak. I was anxious to hear what she would say, wondering which direction her thoughts had taken, as I had countless times before...

"Okay," she said, the strength and certainty of her voice surprising me. "I'll come with you."

If you knew how much I want you to….

"You can't, Bella. Where we're going... It's not the right place for you." No place where I was was right for her.

"Where you are is the right place for me." And so she contradicted me. If only she could be right.

"I'm no good for you, Bella." The words, so correct, so right, so painfully, agonizingly right...

"Don't be ridiculous," she said. "You're the very best part of my life." If only I could agree, if only it could be the truth. I didn't deserve to be part of her life, and she didn't deserve being forced to become part of my world.

"My world is not for you," I told her, my voice grim.

"What happened with Jasper- that was nothing, Edward! Nothing!"

"You're right," I agreed. "It was exactly what was to be expected." I had been too blind to see, too unwanting to realize that it had been only a matter of time until being around me put Bella's life in acute danger once again.

"You promised! In Phoenix, you promised that you would stay-" Ah. The promise. The promise...

"As long as it was best for you," I corrected her. And me being around her had never been what was best for her, as much as I had tried to delude myself into thinking otherwise.

"No! This is about my soul, isn't it?", Bella shouted, furious. Straight to the point, as always, my Bella.

"Carlisle told me about that, and I don't care, Edward! I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you- it's yours already!" She was so eager to give up her most precious possession. I was torn between a brief, but intense feeling of happiness- despicable, undeserved happiness- at hearing that she would so readily surrender her soul to me, and the desperate knowledge that I could never, would never take her soul from her- it would be the worst of the many crimes I had committed and I would never be able to forgive myself for it.

I took a deep breath and stared, unseeingly, at the ground. My mouth twisted as I realized that she wouldn't let go and I fought against the part in me that didn't want her to. I would have to take a different approach- one I had desperately hoped would be avoidable, unnecessary, because it was incomparably harder, but I had no other choice.

I knew I had to tell the most atrocious, abominable lie of all. For her, so it would be easier for her to move on. For her- for Bella- I had to be strong enough to do this.

I mentally detached myself from the words I was going to say to her. Banning every emotion from my eyes, feeling them just that much stronger inside me, I braced myself for doing the impossible. It was time; I looked up.

"Bella, I don't want you to come with me." I spoke the words slowly, clearly, every single one painful. I knew I would not be able to say them again.

I stared at Bella's face, trying to read her expression, fathom her thoughts...

"You... don't... want me?", she finally asked, and each word was piercing me. I knew what I had to answer... the worst of all lies, the very blackest kind of blasphemy...

"No."

Bella stared into my eyes. She did not seem to understand my words. How could she? There was no truth in them. She knew better. I knew I had to be prepared to lie for hours to even plant the seed of doubt into her mind.

I returned Bella's stare, not allowing myself to really see her; and it was only with more than 80 years of training that I managed to not let my eyes give my feelings away. For Bella, I chanted in my head. For Bella...

"Well, that changes things." Bella's voice sounded calm and reasonable, accepting, resigned... It hit me by surprise, unpleasant, painful surprise. Surely there was no possibility- not the slightest possibility that she had believed my lie, not this quickly, she knew better... Or did she? Did I not show her how much I love her, did she have no concept at all of how much I needed her? I forced myself to abandon that train of thought; it was good that she believed me so quickly, it would make things infinitely easier for me. It was inevitable to continue; I had to destroy every ounce of conviction of my love she might have left.

I turned my head in the direction of the trees; speaking would be easier without looking at Bella's face, but even with my eyes fixated on the trees, all I saw was her.

"Of course, I'll always love you... in a way." In every way, my mind screamed at me, I will love you in every single way a person can love another, with every fibre of my despicable being, every single day of forever...

I forced myself to continue. "But what happened the other night-" I flinched internally at the memory, I had almost, almost been too late... "-made me realize that it's time for a change. Because I'm... tired of pretending something I'm not, Bella." As if I wouldn't pretend to be anything, everything for her. "I'm not human." However much I wished I was... so I could be with her.

I turned my head back to look at her once I had ascertained that my face was smooth, expressionless, merciless, a mask. The face of a vampire.

"I've let this go on much too long, and I'm sorry for that." And I truly was. I should have never gotten involved with her, I had no right to want her, I should never have returned after smelling her blood for the first time. Yet I had not been able to- with everything I was, I was drawn to her, dependent on her, and I loathed myself all the more for the impact that had had on her life.

"Don't," she whispered, and it pained me to hear her voice, her beautiful voice, one of the most significant sounds in my world, succeeded only by her heartbeat and her breathing, that incomparable voice, hopeless and pleading. She should never have to plead for anything. "Don't do this."

I just stared at her, the fight against my emotions raging inside, me while I convinced myself that the decision I had made was unalterable, as unchanging as it was inexcusable, as every part of me ached with longing for Bella.

"You're no good for me, Bella," I said. It was the only way.

Keeping my face carefully blank, I scrutinized hers. Every part of my mind, all my senses were concentrated on her, nothing but her. She opened her mouth and I waited anxiously for the words she would say, but she hesitated. When the words finally came, they were different from what I had expected. But then, with Bella, they always were.

"If... that's what you want." Quiet, apathetic, impossibly accepting...

My head felt heavy, my neck stiff; it took all the force of my mind to will my body to nod in response. I hoped the physical gesture would be certain, decisive, convincing, a subsitute for the voice I knew would fail me if I tried to use it.

Bella stood still, frozen to the spot and as motionless as I'd ever seen in a human.

It was time to ask the question, ask her a favor even though I had not the slightest right to, because it was of essential importance, because I would not be able to leave without knowing she was safe or at least trying to be, as safe as Bella could ever be even without me endangering her.

"I would like to ask one favor, though, if that's not too much," I finally said. Her face, the pain in her eyes, the willingness to oblige me after all I had done, it was all visible to me. I couldn't suppress the flash of emotion that flickered over my face before I carefully rearranged my features back into that mask behind which I could hide. I berated myself for my weakness, the lack of control I was only subject to whenever Bella was around.

"Anything," Bella vowed, her voice painfully helpless, but undeniably sincere... And here I was, ...

I was not able to keep up my facade and stay detached then. I laid all my power of persuasion, all my force, my pleading, into the words I spoke next.

"Don't do anything reckless or stupid," I ordered firmly. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

She nodded, and the relief which flooded me helped me regain my distance. "I'm thinking of Charlie, of course. He needs you. Take care of yourself- for him." And for me.

Bella nodded again. "I will," she confirmed.

My stiff posture relaxed just a little, knowing that I had gotten this vastly important point across. Living without her would be that miniscule, but essential bit easier for me. It was time for my promise in return to make her life easier.

"And I'll make you a promise in return," I said. "I promise that this will be the last time you'll see me. I won't come back. I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any more interference from me. It will be as if I'd never existed." As it should be.

Bella started to tremble and I was afraid she would fall. I would have to catch her then, and I was not sure if I'd be able to let go... I carefully observed her. She was still shaking slightly, but seemed in no danger of losing her footing. It hurt so much, standing before her, unable to touch her...

Forced the corners of my mouth to lift, forced my lips to form into a smile... a gentle smile, because I was looking at her. I had to give her what little reassurance I could offer.

"Don't worry. You're human- your memory is no more than a sieve. Time heals all wounds for your kind." A part of my mind envied her because I knew I would never forget, never heal, while a bigger part of my mind never wanted to forget because even painful memories of Bella were better than no Bella at all, and the biggest, most selfish part of all of them all wanted to remain with her at least in her memories, if in no other way.

"And your memories?" Bella asked, choking.

My memories... "Well-" I started and then hesitated, knowing that she knew I could never forget even if I wanted to. "I won't forget. But my kind-", I carefully stressed the word that marked our difference, "we're very easily distracted." And able to think of several things at once, so at least one part of my mind would always think of her. To support my lie, I commanded my lips to form a tranquil smile; I felt the movement in the lower half of my face, but no emotion.

There was nothing more to say. I had to leave, and soon, as long as my resolve was still relatively strong. I could not afford to linger.

"That's everything, I suppose," I said. It would be over soon... "We won't bother you again."

Something in my words caught Bella's attention; I saw the surprise on her face.

"Alice isn't coming back," she realized. My mind supplied me with brief flashes of memories of my lenghty arguments with Alice as I shook my head slowly, my eyes never straying from her face, seeing the pain, the desperation that was reflected inside me. I was cursing myself for causing her this pain... Not only was I leaving her, but I was taking Alice away from her, too. She would get over it; it had to get worse before it gets better...

"No. They're all gone. I stayed behind to tell you goodbye," I confirmed.

"She wanted to say goodbye, but I convinced her that a clean break would be better for you."

Bella's breathing was flat and labored, her heartbeat irregular. Her eyes were unfocused, but she seemed composed enough that I could leave her. The time had come.

"Goodbye, Bella."

"Wait!" she suddenly choked out, and it seemed like she was making an effort to move. Her arms reached out for me.

Forcefully suppressing my violent yearning to put my arms around her and feel hers around me in return, I grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her sides. Even this touch was too much for me; the warmth shot up my arms, the familiar tingling feeling spreading in my body. I was unable to resist. I had to touch her face with my lips, kiss her for one last time.

I leaned down and pressed my lips against her smooth, warm forehead, keeping the touch light and moving away quickly.

"Take care of yourself," I whispered.

I felt a twinge of sadness that Bella's eyes were closed and I could not see into them at this crucial moment. The perfect moment.

Do it now. Turn around. Leave, leave Bella and let her live the life she deserves...

But I did not leave. I did not leave. I stood, frozen to the spot, as my mind screamed at me to follow through with the most crucial part of my plan, as my heart pleaded with me to stay, as my body refused to move away from Bella, the reason I had been changed so thoroughly.

I forced my hands to loosen their grips on Bella's wrists, immediately missing her warmth.

Move now, just turn around... But the moment had passed.

"No! Don't do this!" Bella's voice. She was desperate. She was hurt. She was in pain. She wanted me to stay. She wanted me to stay... I couldn't.

"Bella-" I started, preparing myself for another round of persuading. And lying.

I stared at Bella's face, fascinated and captivated as always as I watched her facial expression change to one I rarely ever saw. She was angry.

She interrupted me, shouting with surprising volume. "So all of it was a lie? Every word, every look, every touch, every kiss? You now decide that you don't want me- that I'm not good enough-" her voice broke, and so did I. I could see her eyes were starting to get glassy and I quickly closed mine so I wouldn't have to see the tears that I had caused.

Bella continued to speak. "What did I do, Edward? What did I do wrong?" Nothing; nothing, except loving a creature that should not be loved. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier? Why did you lead me on for so long? I would have understood- I've always known I'm not good enough- that I wouldn't be able to hold you." Anger surged in me, anger directed at myself for not making her see and understand that she was too good for me, that she held me in every way possible- but then how could she believe it if I'd just negated it all? What have I gotten myself into?

I could hear Bella sob, every tear which rolled down her beautiful cheeks a remainder of my failure.

I was pain, pure, raw pain; agony, the worst I'd ever felt. Jane's formidable gift was nothing, nothing compared to hearing Bella say these words which held not an ounce of truth in them, seeing the glistening teardrops cascade down her face, caused by me when I had promised myself to never make Bella hurt, make her cry. Instead, that was exactly what I did with everything I did.

I had arrived at a crossroads. My carefully thought-out, foolproof plan was useless; nothing was foolproof enough for a fool like me. I'd thought I'd be able to follow through with it, and here I was, weak, undecided.

I was no longer able to keep up my well-practised, carefully constructed facade and I hated myself for everything I was, everything I could not be for her. I couldn't even redeem myself by letting her go, giving her back the life she should have had.

I opened my eyes to look at Bella's face again.

"Bella-", I said, and nothing of my perfect act remained. I wanted nothing more than touch her soft, warm cheek and wipe away the tears she shouldn't cry for me, but I had no right to.

"Don't cry," I pleaded instead.

"Don't cry?", she said, the acerbic, sarcastic tone of her voice stinging me.

"You say that you don't love me and you expect me to show no emotion?"

The pain had reached a new level. It was like every part of me, every limb, every joint, every empty vein, every cell hurt, screamed in protest; everything in me urged me to correct the words that were so, so wrong.

I had never said I didn't love her, I was too weak- and still it was what I had intended to make her believe. But now I heard her say the words, I couldn't bear it.

"I never said I didn't love you," I corrected her. I could not let her believe something that was so wrong that the world "lie" was too weak a word to describe it.

Bella laughed, a joyless laugh. "Why else would you leave me?"

Did she honestly not understand? Did she not see?

"Bella, please don't blame this on yourself. It is my fault, mine alone, but I have made my decision." At least I thought I had.

Bella was trembling and I waited impatiently and anxiously for her reaction. When she spoke again, she sounded close to hysterics.

"Not blame this on myself? How could I not? I'm the human here, the plain, boring human girl who is a walking- no, stumbling and falling danger magnet."

She could not be more wrong about the first part of her statement. I could not deny the second one, though. She'd attracted me, after all.

I was still staring at her face, unsure how to proceed, what to tell her. I would try the truth.

"Bella, I'm leaving you so you can live the life you deserve- it's me who is constantly putting you in danger when you should have a happy human life. You will go to college, you will work, you will find a- husband," Bella marrying someone who was not me... ouch. "You will have children. You will find someone who will give you everything I couldn't give you. Everything I will never be able to give you..." No matter how much I want to...

Bella opened her mouth to speak and I interrupted her because I had to make her understand first.

"Don't you see, Bella?" I said urgently. "Don't you see that I'm doing this for you?"

She stared at me, and it was clear that she did not understand what I meant. I could not decide if that was a good or a bad thing. There was a determined glint in her eyes that sparked something in me. I listened intently to her words, to every nuance in her voice.

"How could you ever think you leaving me would do me any good? I don't want an ordinary, human life. I wouldn't marry and I wouldn't have children because I would never find someone I would love the way I love you. I don't want anything I can't have with you."

She was so certain, so sure... It was so evident that she believed in everything she was saying, that she was telling the truth. Her words soothed me, easing my pain, but it was a treacherous feeling. Just because Bella was sure now didn't mean she'd always be. Unlike mine, her feelings could change. I told her exactly that.

"Bella, you can't know that. Your feelings might change."

"My feelings won't change, Edward. I'm yours, whether you want me or not." So convinced, so certain. It was incredible.

"You shouldn't want me, Bella. Everything about me- my very existence- is putting you in danger, please grasp that!"

She scoffed. "Edward, you're not the one putting me in danger, you're the one saving me from it. If it weren't for you, I'd have been flat as a pancake the day the van almost hit me!"

My mind instantly presented me with the memory of that fateful day. If I hadn't saved her...

"Don't joke about that," I told her.

"I'm not joking, I'm dead serious." And because of me, she might also be dead one day...

There was a sudden change in Bella. Her posture straightened, she took a deep breath. And she looked more afraid then I'd ever seen her. I anxiously waited for her to speak.

"Edward... tell me what you want. Be honest with me. Tell me why you want to leave. If you- don't love me anymore- if you really don't want me- if the danger thing is only an excuse- I promise I'll let you go. I won't argue anymore. I'll let you go."

She didn't look at me. I wanted nothing more than to touch her face, wipe away the tears that were once again falling; to tilt up her face with my hands so I could look into her wonderful, expressive eyes and try to read them. She was willing to let me go.

She was making it easy for me... Just a few words and I could be gone.

I had to see her face, her eyes.

"Bella," I said. "Bella, look at me."

She lifted her eyes and they met mine. And as I looked into her eyes, those eyes I knew so well and loved so much, I knew I would not leave her. I cursed myself for my selfishness, still feebly arguing with myself, but knew that it was all in vain. Because my love for her was stronger than everything else, stronger than my conscience, and staying with her was the only acceptable option.

Then Bella spoke again.

"Edward... if you don't want me, tell me now." She stopped breathing and stood, rigid, her heart beating faster than it should, waiting for my answer. And no longer did I hesitate to give it.

"I want you, I'll always want you," I breathed, overwhelmed by the rightness, the immeasurable relief finally speaking the truth again brought.

"So does this mean you'll stay?", Bella asked, still anxious and tense.

The decision was made. I'd stay- if she still wanted me to after the emotional turmoil I'd put her through.

"Do you want me to?" I asked.

Her answer was immediate.

"Yes," she breathed, "Yes. Edward, there's nothing I want more. Stay with me. Forever."

Forever... there it was again. That word, a promise as much as it was a curse. And then suddenly, Bella spoke again.

"Edward- as I said, you don't have to stay with me if you really want to leave. If you don't-"

I cursed myself for not reacting immediately and reassuring her. And I surprised myself by laughing lightly. I could not help it, it was so wonderful, so endearing how she was being so Bella, so effortlessly selfless in a way I could not be even if I tried.

"Bella...," I smiled. It was easy. It felt good. I would stay. "Oh, Bella. I want you, I meant it." Of course I did.

She looked relieved. There was more I had to say, though, something that was important, that I had to tell her so I could make sure she knew.

"And Bella... as I said, I never wanted to because I didn't love you. It was quite the opposite, actually. I never could have even tried to leave you if I didn't love you the way I do. Bella, I love you." It felt so good to be able to say it again, so, so good.

And then Bella started to move towards me and I opened my arms, and then she was there, laying her head against my chest, breathing in deeply. And I felt her, her warmth, smelled her scent and suppressed my body's all too familiar reaction, heard her heartbeat, the most significant sound in my world; and as I held her as close to me as I dared, I knew without a doubt that I had made the right decision. This was how it should be. The complete, absolute happiness that only Bella had ever made me feel had consumed my body again and I wholeheartedly welcomed it back.

I carefully rested my head on hers, feeling her soft hair against my cheek.

I could not resist saying her name, whispering it again and again, marvelling at the fact that she was in my arms. I'd never been prepared to say goodbye forever. What a fool I had been.

We stood, our arms around each other, for an immeasurable amount of time... and then Bella started to speak.

"You really wanted to do it, didn't you? You had made your decision. You really wanted to leave me." It was a statement. And she was correct. That had been the plan.

Bella lifted her head off my chest and looked at me. I was torn between the guilt I felt for attempting to leave and the guilt I felt for staying. But I would not lie to Bella anymore. I couldn't have even if I wanted to.

"Yes, I wanted to leave you. After what happened on your birthday... I thought it would be best... I couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt because of me... Because I, selfish, egoistic creature that I am, wasn't able to stay away from you."

"Edward," she whispered. I watched as she lifted her hand, and then she touched my cheek. Her amazing warmth seeped into my skin and my skin tigled as she slowly carressed my face. I closed my eyes in pure enjoyment. How could I ever live as much as a day without her touch?

"I don't know how I could ever have thought I would be able to leave you and live without you," I breathed. "That I'd be able to lie to you."

"So you lied, didn't you?" Of course I did! How could she ask that?

"Yes, I did," frowning the thought of her believing even a single one of those atrocious lies I had told.

"I would never have told a single one of those lies if I hadn't been convinced I was doing what was best for you... only for you... And I should have been stronger... I'm a very good liar. I have to be. I was prepared to lie to you for hours. But you... your words... you are far too perceptive, you know me far too well... I can't lie to you the way I lie to other humans. And the way you looked at me-" I swallowed.

Bella spoke.

"You are a very good liar. You were very convincing. Absolutely emotionless. I believed everything when you said you didn't want me."

The honesty in her words cut me deeply. Her words only echoed my own perception, though.

"I saw that. In the beginning, you believed every word. You didn't contradict me, you accepted my outrageous lies. Why, Bella? Why did you believe even one of my ridiculous, absurd words?"

This was crucial for me to know. I impatiently waited for her answer, even though I knew I would not like it. And I didn't.

"Because you were so very right... I'm not good enough for you, I never will be." Her voice was as unsteady as her heartbeat.

"I still wonder how I could have made you stay." No, no, no! So wrong, so, so wrong...

She shivered in my arms, but I instinctively knew that my actions, not my body at caused it.

I had to make things right again. I had to convince her, she had to know what she meant to me, that she was worth everything and more. I swore to myself I'd spend all the time left to me in this world to make her believe the truth about herself and the truth about the unbreakable, eternal hold she had on me.

"Bella...," I sighed.

"There is no way I could live without you. Even trying to leave you hurt more than I can stand... You can't imagine how difficult it was for me, lying to you. No one has ever made me react the way I do when I'm around you. I thought I was prepared to see you cry and remain distant- I really am a fool, the biggest fool. I know now that I won't be able to leave you as long as you don't say you want me to."

"I will never want you to," she said. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to continue saving me from danger."

There was nothing I'd rather do.

I chuckled. "I will. I won't let anyone harm you." A fierce promise. I would keep it.

And then, suddenly, in the quiet hum of thoughts in my head I'd managed to drown out when I had concentrated solely on Bella, I heard a very distinct voice that insisted on being heard.

"Edward, EDWARD!" it shouted. Very quietly for Alice's standards, though. She must still be at quite a distance from here; I could hear her from miles and miles away, her thoughts were the ones I was best attuned to, because I was so used to reading them, sharing her visions. And because she was so loud.

I laughed as she bombarded me with thoughts in rapid succession, so quickly that I could barely read them all. The fragments "I told you so! I knew you'd stay, even though I couldn't see it! Great, Edward, now we have to move all our stuff back to Forks... the things we do for you, little brother... But at least you made a right decision for once... Oooh, I can't wait to see Bella again..."

"What is it?" Bella asked curiously, wanting to know why I was laughing.

"Alice. I can hear her thoughts from miles away. She's overjoyed. They'll all be back before tonight," I explained.

"I'll see Alice again!", Bella exclaimed happily, painfully reminding me of what I had wanted to take away from her. Never again.

"Yes, you will. She's looking forward to seeing you. All of them are. None of them approved of my decision. They didn't want to see what I'd be like without you. I was bad enough in the last days, trying to make up my mind."

I'd have to apologize to all of them for making them go through this. They'd all been right.

Bella smiled, the corners of her face lifting slightly, and the urge to touch her face was irresistible.

My hands left her back and carefully rested on both sides of her face. Her soft, warm skin felt incredible and I very slowly, very carefully stroked her cheeks with my thumbs.

She reacted exactly the way I had hoped. The blood surged to her cheeks and tainted them a singularly lovely shade of pink. And to think I'd been willing to leave that behind...

"I'm sorry... so very sorry... No words of apology will ever be enough for what I did." The words forced their way out of me as the familiar self-loathing burned hot in my veins.

"Don't be sad," Bella pleaded. "Don't be angry with yourself. I understand what you wanted to do. It's okay."

Once again, she was the one consoling me when it should be the other way around.

"No, it's not, and it never will be." I sighed. "All I know is that I have to be where you are."

She smiled, a happy, unrestrained smile that was bright like the sun.

"That is a very good thing," Bella said. "Because I love you."

After today, after the last weeks, after all... she still loved me. And I couldn't feel guilty about it when her words made me want to sing and jump and tell everyone that the most wonderful woman in the world loved me.

"I love you too," I replied and listened to the quickening of her heartbeat in response. Wonderful, indeed. I would tell her I loved her again and again, until nothing and no one, including me, could ever make her doubt it again.

For now, there was only one thing left to do. It still surprised me just how much I craved for it every single time.

Her face still between my hands, I very slowly lowered my head until my lips were inches from hers. I felt her warm, tantalizing breath on my face and watched as she closed her eyes in anticipation.

My eyes closed, too, and then my lips were touching hers and I was lost in the incomparable, unsurpassable sensation that was kissing Bella. Her lips moved against mine, perfectly in tune, and I felt light as air.

I knew I had to stop when the scorching thurst made itself known. And when I realized Bella wasn't breating. I regretfully ended the kiss, but didn't move my face away from hers.

"Breathe, Bella," I whispered, and she took a deep breath. I was content watching her face, taking in her flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes and red lips.

"Edward... You won't ever do something like this again, will you? Promise me."

"I will stay by your side as long as you want me to. I promise," I vowed.

I pulled her close to me again, needing to feel her against me, one of my hands on her back while the other one was on the back of her head, gently pressing it against my chest. My own, personal heaven and the only one I would ever need.

And I knew that there were problems left to solve, that we would continue to argue about Bella's mortality, that with our luck, there would be lots of obstacles to overcome that we didn't know about yet... But for once, I didn't worry.

We were here, Bella and I, and we were together, as we belonged. We loved each other; and that was the only thing that mattered. Nothing on earth could change that.

A/N: So that's it- I hope it didn't disappoint you. Thank you for reading this until the end!