LOVE AND DEATH, edward cullen

forty three

━━ love and death. (2024)
edward cullen x fem!oc
chapter forty three

I flicked my wrist with every stroke across the white canvas as I created a pink and blue cotton candy sky for my painting. The idea I had for the portrait would be of the meadow after it storms and the twilight sky appears after sundown.

I've found more motivation to paint lately and now my room has become a museum with all the finished and unfinished work I had scattered around.

Edward begged to keep at least one but I wanted to make sure the one I made for him was perfect — special for us both; so I decided on our secret spot.

He surprised me with a comfy blanket, lemonade and snacks waiting for us after he told me to bring my supplies. We agreed on some music that seemed fitting for our time together. We only had a few minutes left before I would have to go back to Charlie — now that I was on curfew and grounded.

Edwards fingers caressed my spine – up and down with soft strokes then would occasionally kiss my shoulder. I ignored him each time. Although the temptation was quite concerning, I didn't give in to that helpless romantic side of him. He was still in time out for the Italy situation — I needed him to wait until I was ready.

His kisses move to my neck and I purposely roll my head around to look at him. Eyebrows raised and my paint brush hovering over the canvas — if I mess up I'll hurt him.

He grinned and reached up to rub my cheekbone with his thumb. "Marry me."

Not a question but a demand. This wasn't the first time that he's asked — or the tenth.

I turned my head away and focused on my painting again. "No." I tried to hide the smile threatening to form across my face and he leaned down to kiss my shoulder again. "Marry me."

"No." I looked up at him with a warning glare.

He purposely tried to see pained by my rejection but all he could do was laugh instead. "Why not?"

"You know why." I shrugged. "You're in the dog house, and I'm only eighteen, I'm not ready for that kind of commitment." I placed my paintbrush inside the cup of water and carefully set my canvas down on a secured surface that wasn't in arms reach of getting damaged.

Edward watched me curiously as I pulled my knees to my chest. "Besides, what if we don't work out and have to file for divorce in four months?"

He chuckled at that. "Believe it or not — I'm a man of my word, commitment is important to me, and I wouldn't just ask anybody." His hand lowered from my face then tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "I've waited hundreds of years for you. You're all that I want, Aspen."

"Fine." I tilted my chin up. "Then change me."

He lowered his head with another chuckle. "Okay, I will if you marry me. We'll call it a compromise."

I raised my eyebrow at him. "That's just coercion and that's not fair. I have an actual reason to be changed — marriage is just a piece of paper."

Look at my parents for instance? It was clear they weren't ready when Beau was born, they were young, then they tried to have me to salvage their marriage and it ended up getting worse. I've seen what it does to people — there's no promise it'll be better for us.

"Where I am from, it's the way one says 'I love you.'" He teased me.

I shook my head with a giggle. "Okay well, where I come from at my age, people will think it's because I got knocked up."