CHAPTER THIRTEEN:
WEDDING JITTERS
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A MONTH PASSED IN the blink of an eye. During that time, two of their own had gotten engaged. Edward wanted to be married to his mate before she was turned into a vampire, seeing the act of marriage as a declaration of love. Bella was a little more hesitant, but after some persistence on the former's end, she said yes. It made him happy, and that was all that mattered to her. Alice had predicted their engagement before it even happened, and immediately began to get things in order. By the time the two of them told their family the news, she had a folder overflowing with information to show them. Edward passed his sister onto his fiance, much to the human girl's displeasure, and ever since then, they'd been working to make the day one to remember. Bella had insisted on keeping it small, friends and family only, but whether or not Alice stuck to that order was entirely up to fate.
Verona had spent most of that time with the rest of her family. She and her mate hadn't spoken since their interaction before the newborn battle, despite the countless amount of letters he'd sent to her. Whenever she saw one of the infamous envelopes with the rest of their mail, she'd throw it in her desk drawer and push it out of her mind. She would open them when she was ready. No one, not even the love of her life, could rush that.
Soon enough, the wedding was arriving, giving her a distraction from the thoughts always running through her head. Alice had sensed her best friend's dilemma, and she'd given her as many jobs as she could without seeming suspicious to everyone else, who'd probably believe she was punishing her for something. Verona accepted the work without complaint, and in just one month, they managed to bring everything together without any real issues.
On the day before the wedding, everyone was out in the yard, setting up for the big day. Bella was given the task of watching them work, unable to do anything with her clumsy, fragile human body always getting in the way. Alice chatted to her about their routine for the next morning, her eyes glimmering with excitement. Meanwhile, the others were forced to get everything else together, their sister sometimes barking orders at them when she noticed they were doing something wrong. Verona was hauling a heavy wooden log across the yard during one of those times.
"Where do you want them, boss?" Emmett asked, another log slung over his shoulder.
"On either side of the aisle," she chirped.
"What aisle?" Rosalie frowned as she followed her mate into the yard.
"Does no one have vision?" Alice cried.
Verona chuckled as Alice stormed across the yard, letting out a groan of frustration as she began to explain to their siblings where they were going wrong, the two simply staring back at her in annoyance, though allowing her to show them where to put things all the same. Alice was in charge, whether they liked it or not. It was just how things worked in their family. Bella smiled at Verona as she stepped up beside her, leaning against the railing that ran around the porch.
"Alice panicking about something?" she mused in faux fascination. "What a shocker."
"Anyone would think she's the one getting married tomorrow," Bella hummed.
"She's always been like that," Verona grinned. "You better get used to it, girl."
"I'll try," she joked, her laughter fading into a sigh. "Alice's great, though."
"Yeah, she is." Verona smiled, eyes darting to the girl in question, who was still shouting orders at their siblings. Bella observed the fondness in Verona's eyes with a warm smile, hoping that one day, she'd have a best friend that meant that much to her. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"
"I'm nervous," she admitted with a frown. "Is that bad?"
"No, it's normal to feel that way," Verona assured, allowing a smirk to form on her face. "Just as long as you're not getting cold feet on my brother."
"Of course not." Bella's eyes lingered on a nearby window, which overlooked the preparations unfolding below. Edward was standing there, taking in the chaos with uncertainty. Verona let out a sigh and vowed to speak with him later.
"He really loves you, y'know? He can't imagine a world without you in it," she murmured. Bella looked at her, confused. Verona sighed, reaching out to grip the human's hand in her own. "I'm sorry for not giving you a chance sooner."
"You're nice enough to me now," Bella's smirked, earning her a disbelieving eye-roll and a grumble in response. Bella laughed, throwing her head back, dark hair billowing around her shoulders. When her giggles faded, she continued. "That's what matters in the end."
"I hate to break up the bonding moment, but you need to keep setting up." Verona rolled her eyes Alice appeared at her side, her expression only somewhat stern as she shot a tiny glare at her best friend. "Go on, get back to work."
"Yes, ma'am." Verona gave a mocking salute, earning a slap on the arm in response. Bella giggled at them, earning a grin and an unamused scoff from the bickering sisters. "I'll see you later, sister."
Bella stuttered out a goodbye, her heart soaring at the nickname she'd been given. Alice was immediately giving her orders, voice scarily stern for someone so tiny. Verona giggled as the human girl let out a huff of frustration, though nodded along in agreement with Alice, knowing that she had a better sense of what was needed for tomorrow than she did.
"You're not antagonizing your sister, are you?" Carlisle shot her a look of warning, sighing when she widened her eyes in faux innocence. "Verona, you should know not to do that by now. Alice can get very stressed under pressure."
"Of course not," she gasped as though his assumption had wounded her, one of her hands clutching her chest to add a whole other level of drama to her words. "I can't believe you'd think that of me, Carlisle."
He rolled his eyes, a faint grin tugging at his lips before he got back to work, sending a wary look towards his other daughter, who was stomping around the yard again, correcting any mistakes she noticed. Verona shook her head before doing the same thing, knowing it was best not to test Alice too much. There'd be more than enough time for that later; a whole eternity.
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EDWARD'S BRONZE HAIR WAS a sight for sore eyes. He and their brothers had returned from his 'bachelor party' just an hour ago, and Edward had immediately disappeared into his room without so much as a word to the rest of them. At first, they thought it was something the boys had done to him. It was no surprise that the three brothers often bickered when out hunting. Who was the fastest, who could catch more prey, who could catch the biggest prey. The list was endless.
But that wasn't the case, in the end. Emmett had said through his laughter that his brother's mood changed towards the end of their hunting session. Jasper had been blamed for the drop at first, but when he vowed that he hadn't used his power on the groom-to-be, everyone grew confused. Edward wasn't getting cold feet, was he? He was the one to push for them to get married so quickly, knowing the consequences of keeping his mate mortal for any longer. But something had changed, and no one knew what.
Verona had been hauled up in her room ever since his return, a book in her hands while she tried to stop her eyes from straying to the drawer with the letters in them. It would do her no good to read them now. It would only upset her, and then her brother's wedding wouldn't be enjoyable for her. She refused to let that happen. So with a sigh, she closed her book, exiting her room in search of something else to do. Maybe her siblings would want to go hunting or something.
That was when she saw him.
Edward was out on the balcony, his back to her and his shoulders tense. He was staring into the darkness, a frown on his face as his gaze traced the outline of the trees. Verona glanced downstairs to where she could hear her siblings' laughter in the living room, before scampering down the hall towards the balcony door. Something was wrong with her brother, and she couldn't leave him alone without knowing what. Edward glanced at her as she appeared by the doorway, but he didn't say anything as she closed the door behind her, stepping up beside him.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm getting married tomorrow," he breathed, the words sounding strange to him. "Married."
"I know," she smiled, but the grin soon wavered as he sighed. "That's a good thing, right?"
"I don't know."
Verona frowned. Edward's voice was uncertain, his eyes haunted as he turned to face her, rimmed by dark purple circles that would never fade. She reached out to grip his hand in hers, their alabaster skin cold at the touch. He accepted her offer with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, the grin soon fading into a grimace.
"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Verona asked, immediately fearing the worst.
"She could do better." Verona's heart plummeted further at the silent confirmation. "I'm no good for her."
"That's not true, and you know it." He shook his head again, prompting her to grab onto his jaw, forcing him to meet her eyes as she spoke. "Bella loves you, and you love her. You both deserve to be happy."
"But she could to do better."
"Maybe," Verona nodded, to which he frowned at her. "But she doesn't want better, she wants you."
Neither of them spoke for a moment. The air was still tense, but more comfortable than it had been before. Verona hated that her brother was doubting his worth. He meant so much to her, and he couldn't even see why. Edward had always been doubtful about his immortal life, and it was time that changed. He needed to see things like she did; how much she valued him as a brother, how much she loved spending time with him. All the fond memories they shared together; him trying to teach her how to play the piano when she first joined their coven. He'd seen how upset she was on her own, and he'd immediately offered her company when she began to withdraw from them. That was when their friendship first blossomed. He tried and failed to teach her to play the piano and the rest soon became history. A history where they always had each other's backs, and that time around was going to be no different. Bella was Edward's whole world. He shouldn't give her up based on something that wasn't true. Verona loved him, and she wasn't going to let him lose his happiness.
"I love you too," Edward murmured, hearing her thoughts loud and clear.
Verona looked at him, both with a knowing glint in their eyes. He sent her a smile as he squeezed her hand, and she knew he was going to be okay.