Immortal Bella

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Big Day

I returned to the house at five thirty to find Charlie sitting at the table, eating cereal. Sitting across from him, I anxiously tapped on the table.

"Excited?" Charlie asked as he examined my hands.
"Anxious." I answered, looking back at him.

"You're picking up Mr. Weber at three o'clock." I reminded him - Mr. Weber was Angela's father, and the pastor for our wedding. Alice had taken it upon herself to invite Angela and her boyfriend, Ben, as well as Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton. Not really caring about them, I decided to not veto their invites, remembering that I've only seen them once, barely even meeting them.

"I don't have that much to do today besides bringing the minister, Bella. I won't forget my only job." He promised and I smiled.
"That's not your only job, you also have to look presentable." I told him and listened as he grumbled out a complaint about the "monkey suit".

There was a brisk tapping on the door, and I stood up a little too fast.
"You think you have it bad, you won't be sitting in a chair all day while your face is being covered in makeup and your hair is being violated." I laughed before leaning down to leave a quick kiss on the top of his head, then exiting the room to answer the door to Alice.

Dragging me out of the house with a simple "Hello" to Charlie, I entered her Porsche with her close behind.

"So what have you been doing all night?" Alice asked, smiling over at me as I rolled my eyes. I knew she had seen me, and how excruciatingly bored I was. We pulled up to the Cullen's secret drive, and I was in awe.

"Woah." I breathed out, covering all of the trees were white sparkling lights, with a large white satin bow tied around each trunk. Alice looked over and smiled at me before reaching over and opening her glove box, pulling out a silk scarf. "Unfortunately that's all I'm allowing you to see for now, so tie this over your eyes!"

Following her instructions, I covered my eyes and shook my head, waiting for her to park her car. Escorting me up the stairs, Alice led me through the doors and I breathed in a breathtaking scent.

"What is that?" I gasped, breathing in again.
"Is it a too much? I wanted to get it right." Smelling the scent again I could immediately tell it was rows of flowers.
"It smells wonderful!" I assured her. "Orange blossoms . . lilacs . . roses . . and freesia?" I asked her.
"Very good, Bella!" She praised me, still holding my hand as we climbed the stairs to find her bedroom.

Opening the door, she sat me down on a soft chair and uncovered my eyes, I was looking at my reflection in the mirror of her vanity table - I realized I had forgotten to put my contacts back in.

"Tell me, how did you get away not showing Charlie your eyes?" Alice asked curiously as she began prepping my skin for the makeup she was going to use. Shrugging my shoulders to avoid any more conversation on the matter, she let it go.

I watched her delicate fingers as they moved around my face, trying to think of something else as time began passing, and my nerves started sky-rocketing.

It was after lunchtime when Rosalie glided past the open bedroom door in a purple gown with her golden hair pulled into an elegant side bun. Stopping at the door, she peered in.
"They're back." She said simply, and just then I heard him. He was laughing downstairs with Emmett, and I smiled widely.

"Keep him out of here!" Alice said, and I really just wanted to see him.
"He won't cross you today," Rosalie smiled, "He values his life too much. Esme is getting them to finish things up out back. Do you want some help? I can do her hair." Alice agreed happily and began messing around my brunette locks, describing what she wanted, then her hands were replaced by Rose's.

Once Rosalie received Alice's commendation on my hair, she was sent off to retrieve my dress. I could hear the doors opening and closing downstairs, and the voices that followed. There were voices I recognized, and voices I didn't. Alice made me stand so she could ease the dress over my hair and makeup easily.

She fastened the pearl buttons up my back and I stopped breathing altogether, knowing it was almost time.

"I need to go get dressed now," Alice began as she stood back up and looked me in the eyes, "Can you hold yourself together for two minutes, or do I need to get Jasper?" Shaking my head, Alice smiled before going over to her large closet and closed the doors behind her to get dressed. Looking at my reflection, I was in awe.

Alice did good on her word, saying she'd make me look like a goddess - I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.

Opening the doors again, Alice stepped out in a dress that looked to be from the roaring twenties, the color matching Rose's dress.
"Alice, wow." I finally breathed.
"It's nothing, no one will be paying attention to me today, not with you in the room." The smile on my face grew bigger, but my nerves remained the same. There was a loud, gruff throat-clearing at the door and I turned to see Charlie waiting there.

"Bella, you look beautiful honey." He complimented me, walking further into the bedroom to pull me into a hug. Alice had placed the contacts in my eyes after my makeup was done, so I didn't have to worry about that.
"Your mother would be so happy." He whispered softly, making a lump form in my throat. Letting go, I smiled up at him as he pulled a box out of his pocket. "Something blue, and something old." He said, lifting the cover to show off a beautiful antique hair comb. "It was grandma swans, I replaced the stones with sapphires." He announced, and I handed the accessory to Alice so she could place it in my hair.

"I love it dad, thank you." I said, reaching up to feel it under my fingers.

Just then the music began downstairs, signaling that it was time. My breathing stopped again, and I became nervous. I knew if I was still human I'd probably be sweating and breathing much more heavily than now, but since I was no longer mortal, my breathing was calm - any evidence of my fear and nerves only shown on my face.

"Are you ready?" Charlie asked, holding out his arm for me to take. Nodding my head, I grasped his arm and he led me down the stairs to the back door, where we would walk out in just a short moment.

Alice walked out before me, and I listened as the ballad changed - this was our cue.
Squeezing Charlie's arm slightly, he looked down at me.

"Just don't let me fall, dad." I whispered.
"Never."

One step at a time I reminded myself as we opened the doors and stepped off the patio, walking over to the aisle. I looked up from the ground, my eyes searching for Edward but I couldn't see his face with the people standing from their seat, all eyes were on me. I noticed tears in some eyes, and everyone wore a smiling face.

We finally reached the end of the aisle, and my eyes met Edward's burning gold ones, and that's all I saw in that moment. Among the crowd of people, it was only Edward that mattered. It was a good thing Charlie was holding me back, because if he wasn't I wouldn't be able to hold myself from sprinting down the aisle to stand before him. Luckily, it was shorter than expected, and in a gesture that was ancient, Charlie took my hand and placed it in Edward's.

Pulling me up to stand in front of him, his dazzling smile appeared on his face and I couldn't help but return it, barely listening to the minister. By the time we were supposed to say our vows, I felt like crying.

Not being able to speak the word louder than a whisper, I choked out an "I do".

"I do." He vowed.

Mr. Weber declared us husband and wife, and then Edward's hands reached up to cradle my face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above our heads.

He kissed me tenderly, adoringly; I forgot the crowd, the time, the place, the reason . . . only remembering that he loved me, and that the wanted me, and I was his.

He began the kiss, and he had to end it; I clung to him, ignoring the titters and the throat-clearing in the audience. The crowd erupted into applause, and he turned our bodies to face our family and friends - but I didn't look at them, not being able to take my eyes off of my perfect new husband.

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