Aiyanna
The ring that looked so beautiful around my finger felt heavier now that I was sitting on the couch of the living room of my house, waiting for my parents to come back from the Clearwater's place.
My left hand was holding Edward's tighter every second that brought us closer to disclosing the news to my parents.
Our engagement.
Even more than that, our wedding.
I have been hiding the ring from my parent's sight for two days, timeline during which, Carlisle advised me to still remain careful and rest in addition to the three days of rest I've had since the battle.
"Are you nervous ?" Edward broke the silence while rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb.
Bringing my attention back to him, I exhaled, realizing that I indeed was more nervous than I thought I would be. There was no more beautiful news than what we were about to announce my parents, and yet, it also symbolized making a big step that was getting closer each day.
"Excited at the same time." I confessed.
Edward smiled and brought his hand to the side of my face to lean my head towards him and kissed my temple.
His happiness about our engagement has never worn off since...well, since we first talked about getting married. Who could blame him ? Once my parents would know about it and would bless our union as Edward wanted them to, I would also be overflowing with joy.
"Do you need a distraction ?"
Curious, I wriggled my eyebrows. "What do you suggest ?"
"A life together means that everything of mine is also yours, right ?" Edward answered cautiously, taking in all of my expressions. I nodded, suspicious. "I originally thought of forcing you to accept a new car as a gift but you barely use your own."
"It is useless. I have four legs to substitute. You don't have to give me anything Edward. Your life itself is enough."
As if he was disregarding what I just said, Edward continued. "Too late. I have an appointment tomorrow to put your name on a common bank account with everything I have."
"No !"
One of his eyebrows rose. "No ?"
"No."
I didn't know how much there was on that bank account but knowing how long he has lived, and judging by his lifestyle, it was probably way too much for me to accept.
"You don't have to give me anything Edward. I don't even think I have anything to give you back. I can't accept this."
"For you to think that I would expect you to give anything back to me, more than you've given me already, is offending." Edward answered, not far from rolling his eyes at me. "I love you Aiyanna and I want to share every part of my life with you. My financial ressources included. Isn't that what married couples do ?"
I should have seen it coming sooner. Materialistically speaking, Edward had way too much for me to accept and on top of that, loved offering gifts. And I guessed it was a family trait, because how could I explain the episode where Alice suddenly barged into my room yesterday, unloading the boxes of clothes she bought, some more expensive than others, to fill the wardrobe that looked a little too empty to her ?
Or on a more surprising note, the yellow Porsche that would arrive in the Cullen's garage in a week, as a gift from Edward to Alice. A gift that was actually intended for Jasper who was the one who took my pain away while Carlisle redirected my bones on my parents' couch. Jasper wasn't a fan of cars in the first place, but Edward knew that Alice was and making Alice happy was the best gift that could be given to Jasper.
We're not married yet though...
Edward smirked, listening to my thoughts. "Does it mean that you would have been more inclined to accept once married ?"
I glared at him. "Maybe. Maybe not."
"What will make you say yes ?"
His face leaned forward and dived into the crook of my neck where he pressed his lips on.
My breath got erratic with just the bare minimum. I became weak every time the word distance didn't make any sense in situations like these, and he knew it.
"Say yes." Edward breathed out, looking up.
I didn't know what he saw in my eyes when he did so, but his lips quickly imprisoned mine, not giving me the chance to answer. Soon enough, my back came in contact with the cushions of the couch we were on and his hand pressed me to his chest.
I didn't try to free myself from the torture he probably thought he was putting me into, and instead, moved my lips in sync with his and wrapped my arms around his neck.
I was almost ashamed to say that I wasn't strong enough to stop him. I was even tempted to keep resisting his demand for him to stop resisting mine. Abstinence was a lot more harder now with the wedding only weeks apart.
"So ?" Edward asked in one of the short moments our lips were apart.
"Huh ?"
What were we even arguing about ? I was so lost in the moment, that I couldn't focus in anything he was saying to me.
"What do you say ?" Edward insisted, parting his lips from mine to stare at me, a smile of victory on his face.
As if the bubble Edward had put me in with his overwhelming presence exploded, I was finally becoming aware of my surroundings. I could hear a car parking in front of the house, and quickly deducted that it was my parent's one.
In the blink of an eye, my nervosity took over my arousal, reminding me of the reason why we were waiting for them in the first place.
"I say, that my parents just came back and if you want to share your everything with me, you better not be found in this position." I answered, pressing my hands against his chest to push him back so I could sit up.
Edward smirked, straightened his shirt and ran his fingers through his hair before grabbing my left hand again. "We have plenty of time to talk about it. And don't panic. You're not confessing murder."
"Easy for you to say."
The key rattled on the front door one of my parents was opening and my heartbeat accelerated.
It is good news. It is.
I heard the sounds of my parents taking off their shoes at the doorstep to put on their slippers, the sound of the door getting closed and the keys being hung on the wall.
My mother froze at the sight of Edward and I, sitting together, waiting to announce something she anticipated with fear judging by the way she tried not to make a face while she spied the situation.
As if realization hit her, her facial expressions changed for a painful one and her eyebrows started to join together. "You better not be pregnant !"
My father joined her, with a surprised expression on his face as he stared at Edward and I on the couch.
"She better not be." my father insisted, glaring at Edward and I.
"What happened to hello, how was your day ?" I asked, not surprised by the fact that they jumped to conclusions like that.
I couldn't blame them. Very few people got married at eighteen which wasn't the case for teen pregnancy.
"Hello, how was your day at the Clearwaters' ?" Edward intervened, entirely relaxed despite the accusations.
Over the past few days, my parents, well my father essentially, tried his best to get used to the fact that the Cullens were vampires and that Edward who was one of them, would be around a lot now that we were officially together. Of course, I also had to make him understand that if I forgave Edward, then he had no choice but to forgive him to. And honestly, there wasn't anything for him to forgive. He wasn't the one who got heartbroken in the first place.
So when my father's eyes glared at Edward instead of answering him, I glared back at him, hoping that my eyes conveyed the right message : Be nice.
"It was great, as usual." My mother answered, feinting friendliness to hide her suspicions towards us. She followed my father as he walked around the couch and found a seat on the armchair while she sat on the armrest. "Now, what got you two sitting there ?"
"We'd like to talk to you. We have some good news." Edward answered, serene.
"Good news ?" my father repeated and Edward nodded. "Well, go on."
"Aiyanna and I are getting married."
As if to prove it, Edward moved my hand slightly so the ring could be visible on my finger.
The silence that fell upon us was heavy. My parents stared at the ring, contemplating all the information given to them at the same time.
My mother suddenly let out a chuckle that my father mirrored before they looked at each other and laughed. It wasn't funny. In fact, I was sure they didn't find this funny either. It was a nervous reaction from them.
Edward and I waited for them to calm down for a few seconds, before they brought their attention back to us.
"Come on, you can't be serious." my father said, pointing at us.
"Asking for Aiyanna's hand is the most serious decision I have taken in a century of lifetime." Edward answered. As if his back wasn't straight enough, Edward squared his shoulders and spoke. "Traditionally, I should have asked you first, but as there is no secret about the feelings, the history and the link that ties me to Aiyanna, I couldn't wait another second to have her yes. I love her more than my own life and by some miracle, she happens to love me that way too. So instead of her hand, I want to ask for your blessing."
The words left his lips with such confidence, sincerity and calm. And unsurprisingly, it was also what I was feeling as I looked back at my parents whose eyes were travelling from my engagement ring to our faces.
My mother looked up at me, and sighed. "I know that you imprinted on him. I see why you two are so sure of each other. But, why the rush ? If you are sure of yourselves now, won't you be as sure as you are, a few years later ? You guys are barely legal adults."
"We're going away to Syracuse together in the fall." I reminded them.
"If Aiyanna and I are to live together, I'd want to do it the right way. It's how I was raised." Edward continued.
I saw the faces of my parents contemplating our answer, unable to find something to argue on. Their hands were tied. With Edward wanting to stay traditional, at least they were sure that both of us were virgins in this moment and that our chances of expecting a child out of wedlock were low, if that was even possible for us.
"Let's forget about this imprinting thing for a minute." my father said before he sighed loudly and looked up at me, his eyes concerned. "Are you happy, Aiyanna ? Are you sure about this ?"
Of course, like I once did, my father had to question my feelings without taking imprinting into account. Although it could have seemed forced from their point of view, I now knew that it wasn't.
I was happy. Edward made me happy.
Although the whole idea of finally getting married and being the center of attention for one day seemed terrifying, I have grown to want it as much as Edward did.
"Yes, I'm happy and I couldn't be more sure about Edward." I assured.
My father sighed again and looked up at my mother who lightly shrugged her shoulders before he looked at Edward with resilience. He might not be a hundred percent okay with the idea, but he couldn't ignore the happiness that radiated off of our union.
I felt Edward relax beside me, before my father spoke again, probably after hearing him give in in his thoughts. "Well, congratulations kids."
I smiled brightly and jumped on my feet to hug them. I wrapped my arms around their necks and felt my mother's hand tapping my shoulder, signalling me to loosen up my hold around them. But then, as if reality hit her, I felt her freeze which made me lean back to stare at her.
"Wait, you said you wanted to get married before moving in together..." she remembered, making my father's body go stiff as well. "You're getting married this summer ?! When ?"
~~
AIYANNA BROWN AND EDWARD ANTHONY MASEN CULLEN
TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES REQUEST THE HONOR OF YOUR PRESENCE AT THE CELEBRATION OF THEIR MARRIAGE.
SATURDAY TWENTY-SECONDTH OF JULY TWO THOUSAND AND SIX AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE EVENING.
As if I got a glimpse of the emotions that Sam could only feel through his link with her, I felt overwhelmed by Emily's happiness as she embraced me.
I didn't know how Alice managed to do everything so quickly, but 24 hours after telling the Cullens about the date which was getting really closer, the invitations cards were already ready to be sent. Of course, I made sure to get one for every member of the pack as I wanted to announce it more intimately and before the whole town got to know about the news. Most of the pack was at Sam's place when I got there, except for Quil, Ricky, Brady and Leah, but they would know sooner than later.
"Oh, Aiyanna ! Congratulations ! I'm so happy for you." Emily squealed.
I laughed. "Thanks Em."
"That's crazy..." Jacob murmured.
"I told you ! Now give me my money." Embry told him, jubilating about the bet that he seemed to have won.
"How much did you bet ?" I asked Embry once being free from Emily's embrace.
"Fifty bucks. Paul and Jake thought Sam would be first."
"They've been together longer." Jacob mumbled.
"And she almost died a week ago. If you didn't see that as a turning point, you're dumb. Money."
I saw Jacob pulling the money from his pocket before my eyesight was obstructed by Sam's large chest. I flashed my teeth at him, unable to stay impassive now that I was sharing a part of my happiness with them.
Sam smiled back, and shook his head before he pulled me into his arms. " I'm proud of you. You made the right choice."
Sam had never been afraid to show me that he didn't like my idea of rejecting the imprint a long time ago.
I hugged him tightly, happy to see where the right choice was leading me. "Thank you, Sam."
"I'm telling you, there's should've have been my name written here. Not the bloodsucker's one." Paul joked which made me roll my eyes once stepping away from Sam. "And why does he have that many names ?"
"Shut up and come here." I told him, opening my arms to him.
"There's ten of us..." Jared sighed while eyeing the rest of the boys who probably got the same message since they all walked in my direction at the same time. "I say we do it more efficiently."
"Since when did you know such a fancy word ?" I asked him, suspicious.
"Careful." Sam warned them.
It was only when some of the boys squatted to bring their arms behind my knees while others stood behind me, that I understood their intention. I hid my face with my hands, scared to have it hit the small house's ceiling as they proceeded to throw me in the air to celebrate.
When the boys' collective mind realized that it was enough, I was finally put down on my feet. I had to catch my breath, as if I was the one who did the physical work to carry someone. I had to admit, I wasn't a big fan of being in the air like that. It took me some time to get used to Edward literally flying through the woods with me, holding on for dear life, on his back.
"I need to sit down." I sighed, overwhelmed.
"Where is it going to be ?" Collin asked as he followed me to the couch.
"At the Cullen's place." I answered.
"Bloodsucker's territory ?"
I tapped his chest with the back of my hand. "The Cullen's territory. And you guys forget about territories on the wedding night, okay ? We're not in war."
"Do they need help with anything ?" Emily suggested, which made Sam unconsciously tighten his grip on her hip for less than a second at the thought of Emily, being on their side of town.
"Honestly, I don't know. Alice is going crazy with the preparations already, but I will ask. Thanks, Emily." I told her before I looked at the boys, amused. "You do know that the Cullens could invite other vampires ?"
They all stared at me, knowing the answer was obvious and unable to understand where I really wanted to go with this.
The boys had already gone to my High School and if one of them had imprinted on Jessica or Angela it would have been known of by now. So, there was one certainty that floated through my mind : none of them would imprint on my High School friends during the wedding.
However, the guest list was done already and I did stumbled upon names I never heard of, and yet, they seemed to be close friends to the Cullens. At least close enough to be put on the guest list. Of course, due to the presence of humans and our own presence as a pack, some names didn't make it on the list. The last thing we wanted was to have a bloodbath because someone that wouldn't share the Cullen's diet would be a bit too hungry or have a war happening between our clans and theirs if we crossed the other clan's boundary.
"All I'm saying is, none of you has imprinted yet and..." I trailed off, wringling my eyebrows.
"Hell no !" Paul bursted out
"I'm not imprinting on a bloodsucker !"
"The ancestors or whoever's choosing knows better than this ! They should know better than this !"
The boys kept protesting which made me laugh. They made fun of me way too many times about the fact that I imprinted on a vampire and that it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to imprint on one.
It would actually be funny to have someone else imprint on a bloodsucker as well, as they so liked to call them, and see them change their point of view about vampires drastically. At least, I wouldn't be the only one fighting against the rest of them to consider them as actual people and not what they didn't choose to be.
"What if we do imprint on one, though ?" Collin suggested, shivering at the thought.
"I'd rather never imprint on someone." Embry said.
"I might not even go to the wedding. I'm sure Sam will need some of us to patrol anyway, with so much vampires in town." Jared added.
"We'll take rounds, don't worry." Sam intervened, not helping them. "All of you will have time to be there."
If Sam, who was safe from this fate, found the situation amusing, panic started to be seen on the boys' faces.
As for me, even then, I was happy.
I was happy that the news of my sudden wedding was taken well on their side, even though it was predictable as Embry said. Their opinion was valuable to me, as part of the family that was choosen for me, along with the one I was born in and didn't choose as well and the one I chose to marry into.
I was happy, and nothing or no one could take me down from this bubble I was in...
AUTHOR'S NOTE : Well, hello ! First of all, I am soooo sorry for postponing this update. Things have been a bit all over the place since the beginning of the year for me so I didn't take the time to write anything.
This isn't the best chapter I admit, but trust me, it'll get better as we go deeper into the story (at least, I hope you'll like what I prepared for Breaking Dawn)
FYI, since we're talking about marriage, we'll also have to be talking about the honeymoon. I just want to warn you (and reassure others) that I will not write steamy stuff in this story. I will not go further than what I've written so far, because I am not comfortable with this subject much less writing about it so, I will have to leave it to your imagination.
Voilà ! That's it for me ! I hope you liked this chapter and will look forward to what's next.