The Moment of Truth

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. Stephenie Meyer owns them.


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EDWARD

I stared at the road ahead of me, my left hand on the steering wheel, but my mind was somewhere else. She seemed to notice my preoccupation because she leaned closer and held my other hand in her small ones. "What's wrong, Edward?"

I looked at her curious brown eyes, and felt myself drowning in their warm depths.

Immediately, I remembered that day. I was visiting Emmett, my college roommate. Though we were so different, we hit it off instantly. He was like the brother I never had. He invited me to spend the summer at his home in Forks, a small rainy town on the west coast. I've never been there, and I was probably going to be bored to death all alone at home, so I agreed.

I had just parked my silver Volvo in front of his house when he came running out. I grinned as he pulled me into a bear hug. "Edward my man! Glad you're finally here. Hey Bella! Come out here! There's someone I want you to meet," he called out to the house. He turned back to me, his childlike enthusiasm making me laugh. "My sister's making some kind of casserole for dinner. Damn if I know what that is, but everything she cooks tastes awesome."

Pride and affection was evident in his tone when he talked about her. His sister was his only family left after their parents died barely a month apart the previous year. I was curious about this girl he had ranted about so many times and was excited to meet her.

While Emmett helped me unload the trunk, I heard the door open and tiny footsteps approaching us. "Oh, hello there. I'm Bella."

I turned to see a pretty dark haired young woman with a shy smile and the most fascinating brown eyes I have ever seen. I was instantly lost.

Two years later, she still had the same effect on me.

"Are you all right?" she asked, genuinely concerned now.

"What makes you say that?" I replied, looking back to the road.

"Well, you're awfully quiet. You haven't said a word to me since you picked me up." She leaned back in her seat. "And you're driving slower than usual. Normally, you drive like a maniac." That elicited a smirk from me. "And third, you're physically here, but your mind is obviously someplace else."

I sighed. I forgot how observant she could be. This certainly complicates things. "Well, I have a lot of things on my mind right now," I hedged.

"Where are you taking me, anyway?" she said and let out a sigh, slightly miffed at my evasion.

"Be patient, my love. All in good time." I gave her my most convincing smile and turned back on the road, concentrating on driving.

She was right. I was driving too slowly. I usually indulged myself in speeds just below the limit. Of course, whenever I was in a deserted road like the one we were on right now, I ignored the traffic laws completely. But today, I didn't seek the exhilaration that high velocity typically brought me.

I acknowledged the reasons behind it. The most obvious one was that I wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. She would be going back to the University, where she was a senior, in just a few weeks. That meant more months not being able to see her face, to touch her hand.

After I met and fell for her two years ago, I almost immediately moved to Forks. I had no more family in California, nothing to tie me down there. I realized that I would gladly follow her wherever she went. Her getting a scholarship in literature so far away from home was a temporary setback, but she would be graduating in a few months.

The other reason I was going slow was that I was afraid of reaching our destination too soon. 'How ironic.' I thought to myself. I've spent weeks preparing for what I have planned for today, but now that I'm finally getting there, I found myself prolonging the wait. I was anxious about what her reaction might be. 'Would I regret it? Or would I regret it more if I hadn't tried?'

As I neared the turn-off, I hardened my resolve. Whatever her response will be, I knew I had to get it over with. I loved her too much not to.

BELLA

I sat quietly, stewing inside. Why was he being like this? He knew I hate surprises. But as I glanced at him, I couldn't help but forgive him.

His usually messy reddish-brown hair was even more tousled as he had spent most of the drive running his fingers through it, revealing just how agitated he was. His bright green eyes were fixed on the road, hard with—determination? Something was bothering him, but unless he wanted to tell me, I couldn't really do anything about it. I sighed, looking away from his perfect profile.

We were entering a forest now, the tall trees obscuring the sun that had shone hopefully through the gray clouds. He slowed to a stop as the road narrowed to a trail. He got out of the car, jogging to my side, and opened the passenger door. He held out his hand, staring deeply into my eyes. "Trust me," he said softly.

I took his hand and followed him through the thick shrubs. It was dark around us. I could feel, rather than see, the tiny creatures that resided in this place, scurrying away at our approach. The silence fell heavily on us like a dark curtain.

"You've never taken me on a hiking trip before," I murmured to lighten the mood. All he did was give me that crooked smile that I loved so much.

It was starting to grow brighter as we walked on. Up ahead, I could see a pool of sunlight through the dark green leaves. When he pulled me through an opening, I gasped audibly.

We were in a small, round meadow, bathed in sunlight and covered in tiny blue and pink flowers. The wind swept over the grass, making them sway gracefully like dancers. "It's beautiful," I whispered in awe.

"I'm glad you like it," he answered, pulling me into the center of the field.

We spent a long time in silence, enjoying the wonderful view and the peaceful stillness. We lay on our sides, facing each other, our hands joined together. He leaned forward, planting a kiss on my forehead. "I love you," I heard him say.

"Me too," I sighed.

He sat up, pulling me up with him. He ran his fingers through my hair. I could see in his eyes that he was coming to a decision.

"When I first met you, I never knew how much you would mean to me," he began in his gentle, soothing voice. "You were just my friend's sister who loves to cook delicious food and take care of everyone around her." His voice gathered strength. "Now, we've come a long way, and you have become the most important person in my life. My best days were spent with you."

I looked into his eyes, wondering where this was going. I felt a sudden thrill course through me as he placed my hand on his chest.

"I can't remember my life before you. But I know that it was empty, devoid of meaning. I just can't imagine life without you now."

"Me neither," I whispered.

"I know you have your future lined up. You want to graduate in college, and then get a job as a teacher. I know you want to eventually move out of your old house, probably buy a quaint old cottage in the woods. You'd buy a new car, since that beat up truck you have may not hold out much longer. You have so much of it planned out, but can you make one more addition?" He paused and took a deep breath. "Me?" he reached into his pocket and took out a tiny box in blue velvet. He opened it, and tears blurred my vision. "Will you marry me?"

My hand shook as he gently slipped the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly.

"Yes," I managed to croak, the lump in my throat making it hard to speak, let alone breathe.

The pure joy on his face must have mirrored my own. And it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

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This is my first Twilight fanfic ever! So please be merciful on the comments.

The title is from the song by FM Static. I really love that song and thought it’s perfect for Edward-Bella’s love story. And no, the title has nothing to do with the tv show.

Thanks to my wonderful beta from twilighted, texbelle.

Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. S. Meyer owns them.