Disclaimer: I leave Twilight in the hands of Stephenie Meyer.

Edward was beautiful.

That delicately sparkling skin, those iridescent eyelids, that rock-hard skin and glowing, topaz eyes and those toned muscles.

Oh, Edward.

Beautiful.

“Beautiful,” he murmured to me quietly.

“Oh, no.” Next to him, or to his sisters—beautiful Alice!—what was I? I Bella Swan, from Phoenix, Arizona, beautiful. Nothing, compared to this paragon! “You’re wrong,” I protested vehemently. “I’m so ugly.”

“No,” he objected firmly. “You are beautiful. To me. Because you’re you. And I love you, Bella.”

He smiled at me, revealing beautiful, perfect teeth, and I leaned up to kiss his perfect red lips. His angelic face brushed against my own face, and I felt unworthy—as I always did. His wonderful ice-cold touch left me feeling warm and all soft inside, and I wrapped my arms around him.

Then the cell phone rang irreverently and startled us out of our reverie.

“Oh, Edward,” I sighed unhappily. “I should have turned your phone off; I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t have to,” he assured me reassuringly. “I can take care of it, besides, we have all of the time in forever.”

Edward opened his tiny, silver cell phone and put it to his ear and listened. “Hello? Alice? Oh. Maybe. I’m at Bella’s house. Well, I suppose so. Yes. Goodbye.” He hung up and closed the cell phone and put it back into his pocket.

“What was that?” I asked curiously.

“It was Alice,” Edward answered ambiguously. “She called me to ask me if I wanted to go t the beach.”

“The beach?” I repeated confusedly. “But it’s so sunny outside! They’ll see you!”

“Ah, but this is a special beach,” he explained mysteriously. “One that Carlisle discovered, many years long ago. Would you like to come?”

How can one refuse a god. “Of course I would love to come,” I replied honestly. “truly, I would. I have a bathing suit in my room, just let me go and change into it.”

I turned away from him and walked up the stairs into my room and closed the door. I opened up my closet and took out my bathing suit. It was a light pink bikini that I had bought last year. It still fit.

I put on jeans and a blouse and went downstairs to meet Edward.

“We’ll drive to my house first, though—I didn’t bring my bathing suit along.”

“Okay,” I decided amiably.

We got into Edward’s Volvo and drove to the Cullen’s big house near the woods. We went inside and I followed Edward upstairs. “You’ll have to leave while I change,” he reminded me laughingly as we entered his room and closed the door behind us. “Or at least shut your eyes.”

I laughed and closed my eyes and even turned around for good measure. I wondered, though, what was going on behind me, and immediately felt ashamed of myself. What a way to think!

“You can open your eyes now,” Edward told me normally, and I turned around.

Edward stood before me, in a Speedo.

It was one of the little streamlined racing suits, in a beautiful shade of black that contrasted perfectly with his marble skin. The bathing suit clung to his beautiful body like a second skin. I felt myself blush as I saw how beautifully it accented the perfect masculinity it covered. His pure muscles rippled under the smooth translucency of the flesh. Nothing was left to imagine. His angelic face bore a small smile, and I was thankful that he could not read my thoughts.

“Shall we go?” he inquired excitedly, and I agreed.

“It will be faster if we run,” he informed me explanatively. So he put me on his back and began to run, a blur through the green of the woods. Within minutes we had emerged into a wooded glade, and I caught my breath in awe.

“Oh, Edward!” I exclaimed delightedly. “This is beautiful!” We stood in a beautiful clearing. The trees and the grass were green, and the sky was blue. The sun shone down, turning things gold, and small animals scampered. Best of all, the grass faded to a beach of pure white powdery sand, which in turn led down to sparkling, pristine blue-green water that lapped softly in the sun. “It’s like something out of a movie.”

“Carlisle discovered it many years ago,” he retold nostalgicly. “It is secluded, and we may use it as we desire.”

As he finished, the other Cullens emerged from the woods, into view. Barely clad in their own swimsuits, they sparkled in their full glory.

“Bella!” Alice squealed happily, and ran to crush me lightly in her iron hard embrace. Her soft voice whispered in my ear, “I’ve missed you.”

She stood back and I saw that her bathing suite, although not as revealing as Rosalie’s, was still gorgeous, as was she, and suddenly I felt dumpy and naked and ugly.

“Oh, Bella,” Alice sighed remorsefully. She could read my thoughts, of course. “You don’t have to think that way; you’re only human. And you’re beautiful to me.” She laughed at her own joke, a sound like tinkling. “Come, let’s go into the water!” She and the others ran into the water.

Emmett taunted Edward and challenged him to a race. Edward accepted, and all the others joined in. I had never seen vampires swim before, and I was amazed. They raced through the water, kicking up waves and jets, creating a giant wake as they slashed through the waves. I could almost imagine fish scampering out of the way as these paragons beat them at their own sport.

It looked to be a dead finish, until, with a burst of even more blinding speed, Edward emerged, victorious! I had been cheering all along, but now I cheered even louder.

Edward turned and saw me. “Bella!” he called surprisedly. “Why are you still on land?”

I told him why shamefacedly.

“Oh, Bella,” he retorted disbelievingly. “What ever could make you think such a thing? I want you to enjoy this day!” He darted to shore and grabbed my arm and pulled me into the water.

“I’m clumsy,” I protested weakly. “How can I swim?”

“Bella, you are perfect,” he proclaimed softly. “And when did I mention swimming. So long as we are here together, we can dance.”

And, in our sheltered cove, away from prying eyes, Edward began to lead me in a slow waltz. I felt his warm topaz eyes smiling down upon me, as he hummed our song. To my surprise, I found that I could dance, in the water’s embrace. It was lovely.

With Edward, my beautiful, perfect angel, I could do anything.

The End