TOGETHER [P. LAHOTE]

[13]

"Make sure that you dress warmly." Paul stood beside his bedroom door, watching as Skylar scanned the room one last time. 

"Seriously, Paul. I think that three coats is enough." When he didn't respond, Skylar tilted her head up to look at him, noticing the stony expression on his face. "Hey. I'm going to be okay. I promise."

He shook his head. "What if something happens. Edward is going to be focused on Bella, not you."

"Hey, hey, hey. Even though I'm worried sick, I still know that you're going to be okay during the fight. Now, you need to trust me." Skylar walked towards him, cupping his face with her hand. 

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment before allowing them to refocus back on his imprint. "But how can you protect yourself."

"I don't know... I'll bring a baseball bat or something."

He rolled his eyes but let up on her. Wrapping his arms around her, he tightly encased her smaller frame. "I love you."

Since last night, Paul had told her those three words countless times. Still, it brought butterflies to her stomach. Butterflies that Skylar hoped would never go away. 

"I have to go with Jake now to meet Bella." Glancing up, she quickly pecked his lips. "I will see you again." She attempted to pull away, only to have the air rush around her as he yanked her back within his touch. "Paauuullll." He simply captured her lips with his own again. Before he could deepen it any more, Skylar pulled away again. "I really need to get going. Besides, you have to meet up with Sam before the fight."

He gave her a good, long stare and nodded. "I love you."

At least an hour later (Skylar lost the time hearing Jacob drone on about Bella), Skylar and Jake walked down the hill, only to see Edward and Bella already talking. Jacob's face fell as he heard them with his super hearing. "Whose head is unclear?"

Edward shook his head. "Alice says there's a storm coming." 

"Yeah, I can feel it... We should get going."

His answer made Edward shift uncomfortably, and he made his way towards Bella. "I'll see you in a couple of hours." He planted a kiss on her forehead, making both Jacob and Skylar turn away, before motioning for Skylar to follow him into the trees. Skylar gave a final wave to her twin, following Edward's footsteps.

They walked in silence for a good ten minutes before the vampire broke it. "I know that you don't like me very much. In fact, I would be surprised if you liked me at all by this time. But I do love Bella more than I thought was ever possible... and the fact that she loves me back is something I will never understand.

What I do understand is that the bond between the two of you will maybe never be as strong as it was, and the reason is me. I will never forgive myself for making her pick between the two of us, but I do feel as if you two are slowly building it up again. Which is why I wanted to ask for your understanding of why... Of why I asked Bella to marry me."

Skylar choked on air as Edward finished his monologue. She had to physically stop to try and regain her breath, pushing away his attempt to help. "You want to what?"

"I wanted your understanding-"

"Yeah, I heard that! You asked her to marry you?"

He nodded, suddenly looking sheepish. "I had actually asked early this year, but she rejected me. It came up again last night, but this time she accepted."

"But we just graduated high school." Skylar, still not fully compreheding his words. "Besides, she probably was just nervous."

"If Paul had asked you to marry him, would you have said yes?" The vampire asked.