I rolled my eyes. "Very mature, Edward."

"But, other than that detail, yes, you've got it right."

"I think you have an ulterior motive."

His eyes widened innocently. "Another one?"

"You know this will speed things up," I accused.

He tried not to smile. "There is only one thing I want to speed up, and the rest can wait forever…but for that, it's true, your impatient human hormones are my most powerful ally at this point."

"You know, you should have some of those hormones, I mean, you are permanently seventeen like the rest of us," Emmett said.

"I can't believe I'm going along with this. When I think of Charlie…and Renée! Can you imagine what Angela will think? Or Jessica? Ugh. I can hear the gossip now."

He raised one eyebrow at me, and I knew why. What did it matter what they said about me when I leaving soon and not coming back? Was I really so oversensitive that I couldn't bear a few weeks of sidelong glances and leading questions?

Maybe it wouldn't bug me so much if I didn't know that I would probably be gossiping just as condescendingly as the rest of them if it was someone else getting married this summer.

Gah. Married this summer! I shuddered.

And then, maybe it wouldn't bug me so much if I hadn't been raised to shudder at the thought of marriage.

Edward frowned at this. "I was hoping she was going to be at least a little happy when she agreed to marry me."

"She is," Alice said confidently.

Edward interrupted my fretting. "It doesn't have to be a big production. I don't need any fanfare. You won't have to tell anyone or make any changes. We'll go to Vegas -

"NO!" Alice screamed and glared at Edward. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You can't marry her in Vegas," Esme chimed in. She really didn't want to think of Edward's wedding being there.

"If Bella..." Edward started.

"You have to marry her the right way," Alice said. "She deserves better than that!"

"It's what she wants," Edward snapped back.

"She wants a real wedding... she just doesn't know it yet," Alice said confidently again, effectively ending the discussion.

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 you belong to me and no one else. "

"It couldn't be any more official than it already is," I grumbled. But his description didn't sound that bad. Only Alice would be disappointed.

"That's not true," both Esme and Rosalie said.

"You think you're book self would want that too, babe?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah... if nothing else, it's an opportunity to dress up," Rosalie smiled, but everyone could see that she liked the idea of Edward getting married as much as anyone.

"We'll see about that." He smiled complacently. "I suppose you don't want your ring now?"

I had to swallow before I could speak. "You suppose correctly."

He laughed at my expression. "That's fine. I'll get it on your finger soon enough."

I glared at him. "You talk like you already have one."

"I do," he said, unashamed. "Ready to force upon you at the first sign of weakness."

"Dork," Alice said.

"You're unbelievable."

"Do you want to see it?" he asked. His liquid topaz eyes were suddenly shining with excitement.

"No!" I almost shouted, a reflex reaction. I regretted it at once. His face fell ever so slightly.

"Poor Eddy," Emmett said.

"Now you know how it feels to be rejected," Rosalie smirked at him, though it was clear she couldn't understand Bella's aversion to receiving jewelry.

"Unless you really want to show it to me," I amended. I gritted my teeth together to keep my illogical terror from showing.

"That's all right," he shrugged. "It can wait."

I sighed. "Show me the damn ring, Edward."

He shook his head. "No."

I studied his expression for a long minute.

"Please?" I asked quietly, experimenting with my newly discovered weapon. I touched his face lightly with the tips of my fingers. "Please can I see it?"

"Ah, it seems like she's learned her first lesson in seduction already," Emmett laughed.

His eyes narrowed. "You are the most dangerous creature I've ever met," he muttered. But he got up and moved with unconscious grace to kneel next to the small bedside table. He was back on the bed with me in an instant, sitting beside me with one arm around my shoulder. In his other hand was a little black box. He balanced it on my left knee.

"Go ahead and look, then," he said brusquely.

It was harder than it should have been to pick up the inoffensive little box, but I didn't want to hurt him again, so I tried to keep my hand from shaking. The surface was smooth with black satin. I brushed my fingers over it, hesitating.

"You didn't spend a lot of money, did you? Lie to me, if you did."

"What's the point of asking that question then?" Emmett asked.

"I didn't spend anything," he assured me. "It's just another hand-me-down. This is the ring my father gave to my mother."

Edward smiled broadly. He knew that was the ring he would give her. Esme was starting to really smile - it was clear that the engagement wasn't exactly what she expected, but she was starting to really look excited about this.

"Oh." Surprise colored my voice. I pinched the lid between my thumb and forefinger, but didn't open it.

"I supposed it's a little outdated." His tone was playfully apologetic. "Old-fashioned, just like me. I can get you something more modern. Something from Tiffany's?"

"Yeah right, Bella definitely wouldn't want that," Alice laughed, but Edward didn't seem to be listening - he was focusing fully on the book, like he was dying to hear Bella's reaction.

"I like old-fashioned things," I mumbled as I hesitantly lifted the lid.

Nestled into the black satin, Elizabeth Masen's 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.

Unthinkingly, I stroked the shimmering gems.

"It's so pretty," I murmured to myself, surprised.

Edward smiled broadly, his face elated, "She likes it."

Esme's smile matched his own. "That's wonderful," she said and got up to hug her son. "Edward, I'm so happy for you."

"Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful." I shrugged, feigning a lack of interest. "What's not to like?"

He chuckled. "See if it fits."

My left hand clenched into a fist.

"Bella," he sighed. "I'm not going to solder it to your finger. Just try it on so I can see if it needs to be sized. Then you can take it right off."

"Fine," I grumbled.

I reached for the ring, but his long fingers beat me there. He took my left hand in his, and slid the ring into place on my third finger. He held my hand out, and we both examined the oval sparkling against my skin. It wasn't quite as awful as I'd feared, having it there.

"A perfect fit," he said indifferently. "That's nice - saves me a trip to the jeweler's."

"Argh... do you honestly think that's going to fool her?" Alice rolled her eyes, but she was grinning almost as broadly as Edward and Esme.

"I don't care," Edward said, his look of pride was predominating now.

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.

"You like that, don't you?" I asked suspiciously, fluttering my fingers and thinking that it was really too bad that I had not broken my left hand.

Emmett laughed at that.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Sure," he said, still casual. "It looks very nice on you."

I stared into his eyes, trying to decipher the emotion that smoldered just under the surface.

He gazed back, and the casual pretense suddenly slipped away. He was glowing - his angel's face brilliant with joy and victory. He was so glorious that it knocked me breathless.

Before I could catch that breath, he was kissing me, his lips exultant. I was lightheaded when he moved his mouth to whisper in my ear - but his breathing was just as ragged as mine.

"Yes, I like it. You have no idea."

I laughed, gasping a little. "I believe you."

"Do you mind if I do something?" he murmured, his arms tightening around me.

"Anything you want."

But he let me go and slid away.

"Anything but that," I complained.

Emmett laughed again.

He ignored me, taking my hand and pulling me off the bed, too. He stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders, face serious.

"Now, I want to do this right. Please, please, keep in mind that you've already agreed to this, and don't ruin it for me."

"Oh... so now you're going to propose the proper way," Esme looked sharply at him, but she was in too good of a mood to hold that up.

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

"Be nice," he muttered.