Renewal [Emmett Cullen] (1)

[37- Change]

When we got back, I spent a couple hours touching up the final details of my gaming app. It was finally ready to be released on the App Store. I clicked upload and it was live. The feeling of excitement washed over me, it would definitely not be as profitable as Jasper's online businesses or Alice's stock trading but I was keen to help repay my family in what ever way I physically could.

I went downstairs to our room, Emmett was sitting on the couch, pulling a black t shirt over his head. For the brief moment where he was shirtless, the sunlight that filtered in through the light charcoal curtains accentuated his bare, muscular chest, tiny diamonds bouncing off of him. Emmett patted the empty space next to him, beckoning me over. He put his arm around me and I scooted closer, my head resting on his chest. Emmett picked up the TV remote and flipped to the football game that was playing without seeming to think about it. We watched together until the sun started disappearing from the sky.

"I want to show you something," he said, getting up from the couch, still holding my hand.

"What? Where are we going?" I questioned as he lightly tugged my hand, leading me outside. He pulled out his smirk he knew I couldn't resist. I followed him as we ran through the forest, continuing up higher than the field we played baseball in the previous day. He stopped at the very top of the mountain, the rolling valley beneath our feet. Scarlet, then amethyst, emblazoned the enormous sky, then it darkened to obsidian.

He seemed anxious, I could hear the hasty, rhythmic movement of lungs filling with air, then his gentle exhale through his nose as he tried to calm himself down.

"Why are we here?" I asked, breaking the minute silence, still confused by his peculiar behaviour.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"And we couldn't do that at home?" I questioned playfully.

He grinned, "It wasn't quite the mood I was going for," I could hear some strong emotion burning under the casual tone of his voice, and I stared up at his face. It was there in his eyes, too, visible despite the careful nonchalance of his expression. He took a deep breath in.

"Oh, no," I gasped as he slid down onto one knee.

"Be nice," he muttered.

"Eleanor?" He looked up at me through his impossibly long lashes, his golden eyes soft but, somehow, still scorching. "I promise to love you forever — every single day of forever. Will you marry me?"

"Me? Why now?" I replied with disbelief, I still felt like there was so much left to learn about him.

"I've finally met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don't want to live another day questioning why I didn't marry you sooner."

There were many things I wanted to say back, some of them not nice at all, and others more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably dreamed I was capable of. Rather than embarrass myself with either, I whispered, "Yes, I'll marry you."

"Thank you," he said simply. I didn't even notice the ring box clutched in Emmett's hand. Nestled into black satin, the ring sparkled in the dim light. The face was a long oval, set with slanting rows of glittering round stones. The band was gold — delicate and narrow. The gold made a fragile web around the diamonds. I'd never seen anything like it.

He took my left hand and slid the ring that was now mine on my 4th finger before our lips met.

"I supposed the ring is a little outdated." His tone was playfully apologetic. "Old, just like me. I can get you something more modern if you want?"

"I like old-fashioned things. It's beautiful, Emmett. I love it!" He smiled radiantly.

"It was my mother's, Lillian McCarty," I could hear the slight tinge of sadness as he said her name, "The ring was passed down to my sister, Ruth but she died in a car accident in the 1980s. Alice somehow found the ring. I still don't know how she did it, maybe she had a vision or something but I'm eternally grateful. I've kept in my pocket since the day I met you." I couldn't stop touching the ring, it's unfamiliar presence was both comforting and unnerving. It was the first piece of jewellery I owned that costed more than $10. I had never been much of a jewellery kind of girl, occasionally I would throw on a necklace but that was it. Hopefully I won't lose it.

I couldn't believe that I was engaged. Gah. Potentially married within the year! I shuddered.

Emmett interrupted my fretting. "It doesn't have to be a big production. I don't need any fanfare. We'll go to Vegas — you can wear old jeans and we'll go to the chapel with the drive-through window. I just want it to be official — that we belong together." I smiled, that sounded good. It wasn't like we could have a big wedding anyway. Everyone I knew except for my new family thought I was dead. Same for Emmett.

We spent the entire night perched on the mountain top, our backs against a large boulder, shielding us from the forceful wind. The bright stars were twinkling down on us.

"I suppose we should tell everyone," Emmett said when the sun reemerged from its slumber.

"If Alice hasn't told everyone already!" He took it as a joke but I was dead serious.