The Bonds Between Us • E.Cullen x Fem oc x B. Swan

Chapter 87

"Why isn't she here, I mean, you-" "It's a long story." Bella sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, Edward pulling her close once again as he basked in the fact that at least one of his mates was with him. He would be with Cori when he got back, make amends, and everything would go back to how it was...

Bella looked over his stone form, his chest, his ice cold skin she had wanted to feel again for months, she admired him. He still took her breath away, but this time it was slightly different. It still hurt. There was still pain. There was still Cordelia's voice in the back of her head screaming at her that he left, that he didn't want them any more.

Clearing her voice slightly she spoke. "I needed to make you see me once. You had to know I was alive. To know that Lia was okay. You didn't have to feel guilty about- anything." Bella said, pausing on the word anything as she thought of the pain Cori went through, of the pain she, herself, went through. "I can let you go now." Bella told him sincerely.

Edward's face was now the one who contorted in pain as he thought of being without his two mates ever again. "I never acted out of guilt." He told her, his hand brushing the side of her face gently as she leaned into him. "I just couldn't live in a world where you both don't exist." He told Bella and her eyes grew misty.

"But you said- Lia said-" "I lied." Edward admitted. "I had to lie. But you believed me so easily. Cori, I knew she never would. What I said, I know I can never take back. I can never undo the damage I've caused." Edward said as he looked down at the ground.

"It doesn't make sense for you to love us, me. I'm human. Lia was human. We're nothing, I'm nothing." Bella told him and Edward flinched, his own words coming back to haunt him. "Bella, you and Cori. You're everything to me. You're everything." He told her, wishing he could be telling Cordelia the same thing. He was remembering her face, how dead her eyes looked, and her last words to him.

What brought him back was Bella's hand on his chest. Her eyes were looking into his golden ones, and he saw understanding. "I've been thinking about her too. Wishing she was here. I wish she could have heard these words from you." Bella said softly as she stepped closer as their lips met.

Their kiss turned heated quickly before Edward pulled away, remembering that Bella had to breathe, something which the brunette was struggling to do at the moment. Wether it was from the realization of what just happened or that she had Edward back in her life, she was on cloud nine, that was until she thought back to the piece of her that has been missing the whole time.

Looking down to the ground, Edward quickly caught onto the shift in atmosphere. "Bella?"

"She hates you." Bella said softly and Edward blinked harshly, his heart breaking even further as Bella uttered the words, but he deserved it. "I figured as much." "She hates me too." Bella said with tears in her eyes as Edward looked up at her in surprise. "What I-" "No. We worked through that." Bella said with a dry chuckle. "We can talk about it later." She said just as a clank was heard and two men walked out from a side hall, one nearly the size of Emmett, the other shorter, yet looking just as intimidating.

"I won't be needing your services after all, gentlemen." Edward said to the two, as they got closer, Bella saw the red hues of their eyes. "Aro wants to speak with you again." The larger one, Felix, spoke. "No rules were broken." Edward told them and they didn't seem bothered if rules were broken or not, only that he speak with Aro. "Nonetheless, we should take this conversation to a more appropriate venue." The shorter one, Demetri, suggested.

"Fine. Bella, why don't you go and enjoy the rest of the festival?" Edward said tightly, eying the closest exit. "The girl comes with us." "No, you can go to hell." Edward told Felix, taking a stand in front of Bella.