Chasing Lia [Edward Cullen]

Chapter - 29

"Are you unhappy with me, Lia?" 

Lia gaped at him in shock, but recovered from it fairly quickly. Why in hell would he think that she wasn't happy with him? Just the ridiculousness of the idea made her scowl in revulsion.  "Edward, what are y-" 

"Do you feel obligated to live with me, or forced in some way?"

"NO!" she practically shrieked. "I've never felt that way with you." 

"Do you think I manhandle you?" 

"Umm...sometimes," she answered truthfully.

Edward dropped his head, took a deep breath and hugged her, burying his head in her neck. He wanted her to need him, as much as he needed her. But not by forcing her. He wanted to love him. "I need you," he whispered against her throat. "I can't lose you." 

"You'll never lose me," she whispered as she twisted her neck to kiss his hair. 

"I'm sorry for not treating you the way, you should be treated. To be cherished as the most beautiful thing that has been created ever. I'm sorry for not being the kind of man you want." 

"You're everything I want, Edward," she said as she massaged the skin of the back of his neck tenderly. "Our relationship is going to be hard, I know. But, I'm willing to work for it. I don't expect our relationship to be perfect, but we'll have to work some things out. It'll take time, but we have all the time in the world, right?" 

"I agree. We gave up too quickly last time, didn't we?" 

"Do you think so?" Lia asked as she looked at him in confusion. 

"Hm..our ending was wrong last time," he muttered playfully.

"In the end, we were both wrong."

Edward gazed at her intently. "If it were your soul I was after, all the darkness in the hell, couldn't keep me from you." 

A shiver ran down Lia's spine. 

"I would do whatever it would take to save you." His expression and voice were grave. "Even if that meant I had to spend my eternity in hell."  He should have apologized sooner. He should've asked her to marry him. But in a way, he was thankful to God. He loved her more now, if it was possible. He believed he loved her more deeply now than before. 

He turned her around, and caressed her shoulders. He stood behind her, his lips near her ear. She could feel the warmth of his body through her clothes and against her back .

"I'm your faithful one, Lia. I'll protect you from everything. Nothing will ever change that."

They'd wounded each other, and deeply so. They both needed healing. Both were mending slowly. 

"My heart - it has always been yours. You've kept it with yourself since the day you sat next to me. And I became your willing captive the day you accepted me for who I am. And it shall be yours for the rest of my existence." 

Lia smiled as she heard his words but didn't said anything, knowing that Edward knew she loved him. He kissed her neck again. "Take my ring," commanded Edward as he slipped the ring from his left hand over her shoulder. Lia kissed his chin and slipped the promise ring onto her ring finger. Edward showed Lia his wrist on which he wore her pendant. "This is to signify that my heart lives for you, and would die for you, if need be." 

"Let me love you. The way you should be loved." 

Edward tried to control his breathing to no avail. Never had his control been so thoroughly shredded in his entire lifetime. How was it even remotely possible? Lia thought that her heart would leap out of her chest at any moment. Her heart raced like a runaway train, faster and faster. She felt his breath tickling her neck and his lips brushing against her ears.