Disclaimer: I own the plot. S. Meyers owns the character names. The US Government owns the locations. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter One

"What Do YOU want?"

EPOV

I love my family. I really do. I just wish that sometimes….oh well. It doesn't pay to daydream about a life I will never have. At least, that is what my parents always tell me. I need to live in the real world and focus on my responsibilities. You don't always get to do what you want you want, you have to do what you have to do and most of all make your mother happy and your father proud of you. So, here I am sitting in a hotel bar alone at 2AM the night before my wedding.

My father and brothers had fallen asleep awhile ago so I came down to get a drink and clear my head. I don't love her. I know that. She doesn't love me. I know that too. But my mom loves her and thinks she would be a good wife for me and my future as a surgeon. I have tried to reason with my mother about the fact that I don't love her, but she just gets tears in her eyes and goes on and on about how she promised Tanya's mother on her deathbed that she would take care of her daughter. That is why I am marrying her tomorrow. I never even told my mother about Tanya habit of cheating on me. I have caught her twice, my brother and sister, Emmett and Alice, have each caught her once. They know I don't want to do this tomorrow, but I have made them promise to keep their mouths shut. It's my problem, not theirs.

I sigh and look over to the end of the bar. There is a girl there that looks like she about my age, which is 3 years too young to be in a bar at all, especially at this time of night. She looks over at me, me and winks. And I blush. She is beautiful, with long brown hair. I can't see her eyes as she is too far away. She is talking to someone on the phone and laughing. She has an amazing laugh. I hate when Tanya laughs. She sounds like a sick hyena.

I sighed again and ran my fingers through my hair closing my eyes. I feel her presence before I even open my eyes and there she is sitting next to me.

"Hey there, I'm Bella."

"I'm Edward."

"I'm a good listener if you want to talk. It's just that you looked awfully sad over here and you're alone in a hotel bar at 2AM on, I guess it's a Saturday morning now."

"You're here alone too." I reminded her and she just rolled her eyes at me.

"Yes, but I don't have a despondent, borderline suicidal look on my face."

"Don't worry about me, I'll live. I just have to face my responsibilities head on tomorrow."

"What responsibilities are those?"

"I have to get married tomorrow."

"You have to? Not you want to? Is she pregnant?"

"No, she's not. I just have to marry her." Then I launched into the whole sordid story of how I basically live to please my parents and how happy they are with me marrying Tanya and going off to Dartmouth in the fall to become a surgeon like my father."

"Wow." She said when I was done. "You must really love your parents to go to such lengths to please them."

"Yes, I do. So why are you here alone tonight?"

"I am pleasing my parents myself actually. They were killed by a drunk driver a year ago so I am taking time before I go to college to do the only two things they ever asked of me."

"And what is that?"

"To follow my heart and see the world."

"How far around the world are you planning to go?"
"All the way, baby. I am starting with the US obviously. I bought a Ducati and am going to road trip to the most touristy and weird locations in the US. Like seeing the world's largest frying pan or rubber band ball, you know, things like that. Then I am going to board a plane head to Europe, Asia everywhere."

"That's going to be expensive."
"Eh, I can afford it. So, where are taking Tanya for your honeymoon?"

"Paris and Milan so that she can shop."

"Edward, may I ask you a personal question?"

"Yes."

"Obviously your head is telling to marry the girl and go off to Dartmouth. But what does your heart tell you to do? What does Edward dream of doing?"

"I don't even know anymore. There are so many things that I would love to do, that I used dream of doing. I have always been somewhat of a dreamer. That is why my parents insist on me doing these things. To help me stay grounded in reality."

"Ok. It's late and I need to go to bed. I am leaving early in the morning. But let me leave you with this parting thought. Life is short. My parents found that out the hard way. They were 37 when they died. That is why I am honoring their wishes and taking this trip. I am following my heart. Now, the real question is, Edward, are you willing to follow your heart instead of your head? Are you willing to follow dreams and let yourself be happy? Good night, Edward."

"Good night Bella."

After I watched her get up and leave the bar I looked down at my watch and realized that it was 3AM. I looked at the napkin that Bella had been doodling on while we were talking and noticed that she wrote down her hotel room. I got up and left the bar and started walking. I barely noticed that I was leaving the hotel itself and started walking around Beverly Hills. I was really thinking about everything that Bella had said to me. I had gotten maybe four blocks from the hotel when I turned around and started heading back. I knew what I had to do. I knew what I needed to do. I got onto the elevator with my resolve in place.

She had a smug look on her face when she answered the door.

"I want to follow my heart. So where are we going to first?"

Bella leaped at me and I swear I couldn't help myself when I leaned down and kissed her. It was more passionate and amazing than anytime that I had kissed Tanya. Part of my brain was already saying Tanya? Tanya who?

"Your mother is going to be angry with you."

"Yes, she will and so will my dad. They will just have to get over it. You're right. Life is short and I want to make the most out of my life and be happy."

"Edward, I want you to come with me, but I also have no family left to worry about and to worry about me. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am sure I want to come with you." I said with a smirk and being bold enough to grab her ass.

"Edward", she chided. "That wasn't the cuming that I was referring to, but something I do think we should explore quite thoroughly."

"I know my family is going to think that I have lost my mind and worry about me. But I am going to leave them a note and promise to contact them from time to time. So, you never said, where are we going first?"

"First, we go to bed. Then at 7 we are getting up and driving to San Diego."

"And what is in San Diego that you want to see?"
"The zoo,' she said with an innocent look on her face and I couldn't help but laugh as I kissed her again and led her to the bed. I had never had dated anyone but Tanya let alone had sex with anyone else. But, I wanted to be with Bella. I think I knew that the moment I first saw her at the bar. We stayed in bed together for the next couple hours "thoroughly exploring" each other. It was the most incredible, amazing experience of my life. Soon it was time to get up and get dressed.

I sat down to write the letter to my family while Bella showered. They were going to be pissed and I am sure that they weren't going to be pleased with Bella for leading me astray as it was, but I was hoping that with time they would forgive me and realize that my happiness was just as important as theirs was.

This was not an easy letter to write. I knew that I was breaking my mother's heart by running away. I started it several times unsure who to actually address it. I finally settled on "Dear Beloved Family:"

After Bella was dressed she looked at me, "Oh shit! What are you going to do about clothes?"

"I thought we'd go shopping when we get to San Diego. We better go. If I am going to completely be an irresponsible teenager and runaway in the middle of the night I need to tape this to their door and be gone before they wake up."

"Let's go, then." And while I went to leave the note she went to get the valet to bring around the getaway vehicle. She was waiting for me on the most amazing bike that I had ever seen. It was sporty and fun looking, not like Emmett and Rose's Harleys.

"Sorry, I only have one helmet. Looks like we are going to have to stop and pick one up before we hit the road. Are you ready?"

I mounted the bike behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, "Yes, I am."

The bike roared to life as we took off into a new life together.

A/N

I was going to add getting to San Diego in this chapter, but changed my mind. This story is going to be in many POV's. Most sex scenes will be a fade to black thing. I have never written one before and I am nervous about doing it. There is one that I definitely want to write out though. I also believe that adding detailed sex scenes too much takes away from the plot. I am listing this as mature because I have a foul mouth and it will end up working its way into this, I am sure of it. This is going to be a fluffy story with little to no angst. I wanted something to counteract all the heart fail going around in my favorite stories. I do not have a beta and if anyone wanted to volunteer I would appreciate it. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy it.