You & I Collide

Rachel

Life is an amazing thing. Even if you destroy the happiness of others just for the sake of your own, somehow it still gives you the impossible: a new kind of happiness you will never take for granted.

Paul and I were getting married. It was amazing and wonderful to think about. And Amun was gone from Forks—dead, killed, murdered, and slaughtered. Of course, Rosalie was still with the Volturi, but that was something I didn’t want to think about. Not now, not when I was so happy.

Paul and I sat on the beach, our hands entwined almost as tightly as our hearts. I leaned my head back against his bare shoulder as we stared out at the reflection of the sun on the water. The distant cry of seagulls drifted through the air, along with the salty, briny smell of the ocean.

“So,” Paul said, planting a soft kiss into my hair. “We should talk about the wedding.”

I grinned privately; just thinking about the wedding was enough to make me overjoyed.

“Yes,” I agreed, “we should.” I thought I knew what he meant.

“I’ll need a best man…and you’ll need a maid of honor,” Paul continued.

I nodded against his shoulder. “Mmm-hmmm…,” I murmured. “Do you have anyone in mind?” My immediate guess was Sam—after all, Sam had helped Paul through so much in the past, and had been a great leader. When Paul had first transformed into a werewolf, Sam had guided Paul with his knowledge and wisdom.

But Paul didn’t tell me that he wanted Sam for his best man. No, instead, Paul turned his head to look into my eyes and surprised me—but delighted me—with what he said.

“I’m going to ask Jacob,” Paul said.

A warm smile spread across my face. “Oh, Paul. That’ll mean so much to Jake; he’ll really appreciate it, and I’m sure he’ll say yes. And…that means a lot to me, too—to have him up there.”

“I thought it would,” Paul said, and kissed my cheek. “What about your maid of honor?”

“Alice,” I said immediately, and in my heart I knew it was the perfect choice. “And then Bella and maybe even Nessie can be bridesmaids.”

“That sounds great,” Paul said. “Where should we have it?”

I hesitated, not quite sure of the answer to this question; after all, it was all so sudden. Paul mistook my indecisiveness for worry.

“If you’re overwhelmed, we don’t have to talk about this now,” he said quickly. “I mean, I know it’s all very fast for you…for me, too. We can talk about this later.”

“How about…right here?” I asked in a voice just above a whisper. “Right on this beautiful beach…right at the place where you proposed to me…right at the place where I said yes. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

I looked up to see Paul smile. “That would be great,” he said, nodding.

I sighed and squeezed Paul’s hand. “I just can’t believe it…we’re getting married. It’s just so…perfect, you know? It feels like everything is falling right into place, like everything is as it should be for the rest of our lives.”

“That’s what ‘forever’ means,” he told me, “and that’s how I feel about you. That’s why I asked you to marry me.”

“That’s why I said yes. It’s why I love you—because I know that I’ll be happy if I can spend my forever with you by my side.”

Paul leaned down and kissed me softly on the cheek, his lips warm against my skin. “I’ll be there,” he whispered.

I turned my head so that I could press my lips against his and enclose in that kiss all the love that I felt for him. I loved Paul more than anything, and he meant the world to me. The fact that we were getting married made me want to kiss him endlessly, to always have his arms around me. I moved my mouth along with his slowly, as he gently laid me down on the silky sand of the beach.

Leaning over me, Paul smiled, breaking the kiss. He trailed his index finger across the length of my cheek, then back again, still smiling.

“What?” I asked, feeling self-conscious.

He kissed me again. “I love you,” he whispered across my lips. “I love you, Rachel.”

“I love you, too,” I answered quietly, instinctively, because it had become an instinct.

After a moment or two, I sat up and leaned against Paul’s arm as we gazed out over the shimmering waters. The taste of his lips was still on my own. It was sweet and warm, and the mere memory of it made me want to kiss him more. But I didn’t; instead, I sat with him and enjoyed our surroundings.

I didn’t know what the future would hold for us, other than happiness. And I didn’t care about imprinting. If we were married, together forever, then nothing would ever tear us apart. Not even anything supernatural like ancient werewolf legends or unbreakable bonds. Because love was stronger than that, especially the love that connected Paul and I. The fact that we loved each other so much was a different kind of magic than the one that caused imprinting—it was much more powerful, able to withstand all obstacles thrown in its path. I knew that as long as that held true, that nothing would separate Paul and I, that we would live our life together happily, and that nothing would ever shatter the strength of the love that would carry us through our forever.