Darkest Light

Home Sweet Island

That night once all the guests have gone, Edward and I stand at the door to the Cullen home, packed bags at our feet. I have changed out of my wedding dress and into some black slacks and a dark blue blouse. Edward is still wearing his tux pants but he has abandoned his jacket and tie and is wearing his white button up shirt unbuttoned at the top. I am currently clutching Sylus to my chest while Edward holds us both. Our plane leaves in less than an hour but I have never been separated from Sylus and I don't know if I will be able to handle it. But then Edward leans down to whisper in my ear. 

"As soon as the baby is here and you have been changed and we are settled, we will bring Sylus and the baby with us on a family vacation to the same place. And he will be fine here, they will take good care of him." 

"I know they will. Alright, let's go," I say and hand him to Esme. She cradles him while he cries and reaches out to me. Swallowing back tears, I turn and head out the door. Jasper drives us to the Port Angelus Airport in Carlisle's car. Edward hasn't told me much about where we are going, only that we will be alone. The PA plane takes us to LA where we catch a connecting flight toNew York. From there we catch another flight that takes us across the Atlantic into the UK. At the English Coast, we rent a dangerous looking speed boat and I take a seat while Edward loads our bags and then stands behind the steering wheel. I can't take my eyes off of him as he drives the boat through the black waters. The full moon is shining down, making his pale skin glisten. His shirt has come unbuttoned and flaps open in the wind, exposing his chiseled, perfect chest. I doze on and off and by the time the boat slows and pulls to a stop next to a wooden dock, the first rays of sunlight are burning away the darkness. 

Edward ties the boat securely to the dock and then helps me out. He tells me to wait on the dock and then he disappears carrying all of our bags. He is back a moment later, his feet bare and his shirt gone. He takes my hand in his and leads me forward. 

"Time for the tour," he says pulling me along the beach. The water lapping at the sandy shore looks like it contains a hundred different shades of blue. The sun peeking over the waves is red, pink and yellow, spreading the colors to the surrounding sky. The sand beneath our feet is bone white and so fine it feels like silk between my toes. Palm trees, tall and short, dot the beach. It is the perfect paradise. We stop next to two palm trees that grow close together. The trunks are about five or six feet apart but the trees lean together until they eventually meet half way up and begin growing together as a single tree. Hanging between these trees is a mesh hammock, swinging lightly in the slight breeze. 

"Edward, this place is amazing," I say with awe. 

"I am glad you like it," he says. 

"Where are we?" I ask. 

"This is one of the British Virgin Islands, one of the smallest ones. It would take us less than an hour to walk all the way around. But it is certainly beautiful and it is extremely private. And it belongs to you," says Edward, squeezing my hand lightly. 

"What?!" I exclaim, sure I must have heard him wrong. 

"It is my wedding gift to you. I wanted us to have a place we could go to get away. Somewhere we wouldn't have to hide, especially once you are turned. I don't have to worry about being in the sun here because no one will see me," he shrugs as if buying an island is no big deal. 

"Edward, this is amazing but it is too much. How am I ever supposed to compete with this?" I ask, my hands resting on his bare waist. 

"Mel, you have given me everything I could ever ask for and now you are risking everything to give me another child. Compared to that, this is nothing. You never have to compete with me because you would win every time," he says and then he leans in and touches his lips lightly against mine. When he pulls back my body is humming and my heart is pounding. Edward is staring at my face as if it is the only thing he has ever seen. 

"Well Mr Cullen, that water looks awfully inviting," I hint and slip out of his arms. 

Backing away, I pull my shirt over my head. Edwards eyes darken a shade as he watches and I can see his chest rising and falling rapidly. I step out of my pants and leave them lying in the sand. Next I unhook my bra and fling it at him. He catches it and clenches it in his fist. By the time I slip out of my panties warm water is lapping at my ankles. I turn and dive in, disappearing under water. When I resurface and gaze toward the shore, Edward has disappeared. His clothes are lying in a pile next to the palm trees with my bra laying on top. I spin, looking for him and see something pale and glistening under the water heading right for me. 

Then his cool hands are on my thighs, sliding upward over my hips, my waist, my ribs and then his arms are around me and he emerges from the sea. The sunlight glints off his skin like it is made of ground diamonds and it casts rainbows onto the blue water. Edward lifts me slightly and wraps my legs around his bare waist. My hands tangle in his hair as our tongues tangle together and his cool, intoxicating breath mingles with mine. I can feel his hard body pressing against mine, causing fire to flood my veins. My hands drop to his shoulders as he presses into me. My fingers dig into his stone skin and my head falls back, my eyes closed as he moves against me. His lips are at my neck, sucking lightly, his tongue snakes out and runs along my pulse point. I can barely get air into my lungs. My breath is coming in short, dizzying pants. Then Edward's head drops back and he too is panting and his jaw clenches. His cold fingers press into the skin of my hips as the combined motion of our entwined bodies and the waves around us send us shattering into oblivion. 

A few hours later, Edward and I are curled up in that hammock, watching the lights from his skin dance around us and the waves crashing on the white sand. Edward's long fingers are running gently through my now dry hair. Edward is wearing only his black boxer briefs and I have on his white button down shirt. If I could choose a moment in life to have go on forever, it would be this moment. I have never felt so happy. 

"Mel," says Edward quietly. 

"Hmmm." 

"I want to do something and it may sound corny and childish, but it is something I have always wanted to do," says Edward, sounding slightly embarrassed. 

"Anything Edward," I tell him. 

"I want to carve our names in this tree. I want it to be a permanent symbol of how much we love each other," he says. 

"Get somethign sharp," I tell him. 

20 minutes later there is a heart in the trunk of one of the intertwined palm trees with Edward + Mel carved inside. After that we head back to the house which I have yet to see. It is so light and open. One side of the house is made completely of glass, letting sunlight pour in. It is only one floor with three bedrooms. The first is painted blue and has a small bed in one corner. The rest of the room is taken up by the coolest toys I have ever seen. Sylus will love it. The second room is painted a light yellow with a beautiful dark mahogany crib on one wall, a changing table along another and a rocking chair in the corner. It is beautiful. 

"I was thinking ahead," shrugs Edward. 

"It is perfect. I can't wait to bring our kids here," I tell him. He smiles and then pulls me through the rest of the house. Our room is painted a light green and there is a huge bed dominating the space. Off of our room is a large bathroom with a huge jetted tub and a glass shower in the corner. The living room is large and spacious. There is a long couch and two shorter love seats along with several varying chairs. A large flat screen TV hangs on one wall next to a mountain of DVDs and Blu-rays. The kitchen is open and equipped with everything I could ever need. 

"This place is amazing Edward," I tell him, wrapping myself around him. 

"Only the best for my wife," says Edward with a smile before pulling me back to our room and starting where we left off.