Edward and Bella #1

[heartscreams]

i'd also like to note for eclipse, that I SO WOULD lose ten toes than have a space heater anyday.. Bella shouldn't have done that in front of Edward no matter the circumstances... it hurt him so much more than he let on.

hmm.. but do you ever think that what Jacob did actually helped strengthened Edward's love for Bella? and in Breaking Dawn, if you actually noticed, Edward would do anything to make Bella changed her mind about the 'demon' baby, and that includes allowing Jacob to be involved. even if Bella stubbornly refused to let Jacob in the sleeping bag with her in Eclipse, do you ever think that somehow Edward would ask Jacob to come in, if Jacob didn't come in that fast?

yea, Bella did things that we thought were stupid and just hurting Edward. and if she doesn't love him, she could just left him and just stay with Jacob in Eclipse. BUT which, she didn't. she wouldn't have gone through so much near-death experience if she doesn't love Edward.

in other words, i think much thanks to Jacob, Edward and Bella's relationship kept growing stronger and still is. FYI, i'm not attacking you. LOL! i'm just sharing my thoughts

[onebreath]

well...
i did wonder why in breaking dawn she really felt the need to hold hands with jacob still even if you are close friends or the closest you don't do that especially when it doesn't just mean friendship and you know it and so does your fiance whose standing right next to you. I hated in breaking dawn how they never seemed to kiss or touch really during her pregnancy it really bothered me especially because she was so hypnotized by their contact in twilight, new moon and eclipse... i'd also like to note for eclipse, that I SO WOULD lose ten toes than have a space heater anyday.. Bella shouldn't have done that in front of Edward no matter the circumstances... it hurt him so much more than he let on.

I know what you mean. I felt the same way when Edward was forced to watch Bella with Jacob. Not only could he NOT be there for her himself but he had to be exposed to the raw pain of knowing that Jacob was a) in love with her b) a very real possibility for Edward to lose the reason he lived his life and c) probably the "better" choice for her - in his own mind at least. I wanted to give him a hug. Or rather... I wanted Bella to give him a hug.
But to me that is another instance that shows how much Edward was willing to do for her. He loved her so much that he would take on any amount of pain if it kept her from hurting. I do wish, though, that Bella had been able to see that he was only holding a brave face for her benefit. He was much too self-sacrificing to ever let her think it but if she could have only realized it sooner. (If I recall, she does try in BD when she keeps her mouth shut about the amount of pain she was in during her the fire of her transformation to immortality. She knew it would kill him to know that she had suffered so I was thankful to her in that situation)

[mlola619]

i'd also like to note for eclipse, that I SO WOULD lose ten toes than have a space heater anyday.. Bella shouldn't have done that in front of Edward no matter the circumstances... it hurt him so much more than he let on.

hmm.. but do you ever think that what Jacob did actually helped strengthened Edward's love for Bella? and in Breaking Dawn, if you actually noticed, Edward would do anything to make Bella changed her mind about the 'demon' baby, and that includes allowing Jacob to be involved. even if Bella stubbornly refused to let Jacob in the sleeping bag with her in Eclipse, do you ever think that somehow Edward would ask Jacob to come in, if Jacob didn't come in that fast?

yea, Bella did things that we thought were stupid and just hurting Edward. and if she doesn't love him, she could just left him and just stay with Jacob in Eclipse. BUT which, she didn't. she wouldn't have gone through so much near-death experience if she doesn't love Edward.

in other words, i think much thanks to Jacob, Edward and Bella's relationship kept growing stronger and still is. FYI, i'm not attacking you. LOL! i'm just sharing my thoughts

THANK. YOU. sorry ladies, but i agree 100%. You can't grow stronger if your relationship doesn't hit any bumps or goes through any turmoil of sorts. If everything was lovey dovey perfectly perfect we would never find our true loves- it would be too easy. It's the ones that come out from the flames that are the true gold- the real relationships, because through these trials and hardships somewhere in there you realize how much you need your other half- making that love so much deeper because you know what it's like to be without them, thus treasuring it that much more.

[onebreath]

THANK. YOU. sorry ladies, but i agree 100%. You can't grow stronger if your relationship doesn't hit any bumps or goes through any turmoil of sorts. If everything was lovey dovey perfectly perfect we would never find our true loves- it would be too easy. It's the ones that come out from the flames that are the true gold- the real relationships, because through these trials and hardships somewhere in there you realize how much you need your other half- making that love so much deeper because you know what it's like to be without them, thus treasuring it that much more.

I do see what you're saying but more from Bella's point of view rather than Edward. The fact that she went through the gut-wrenching admission that she did love Jacob too but STILL chooses Edward does prove that her love for Edward deepened. ie. She knew her options then and realized that it still didn't matter; Edward was who she wanted to be with. (I also think that by Edward's leaving Bella, helped to prove that to her)
And I do suppose in one way you can say that Edward realized just how much he was willing to do for her and how much he was willing to lose through Jacob's involvement but honestly, in Eclipse on that mountainside in the tent, I do not think that Edward's love needed deepening. He was already acutely aware of the depth of his feelings for her and how much he would take on himself to make her happy (setting aside the fact that her blood was like a narcotic to him and essentially a way of "imprinting" for vampires). He had been through many bouts with Jacob where he was forced to accept that Bella needed him prior to that scene. If I recall, he'd also let her go before. To Jacob. Someone he knew had feelings for her and was vying for her affections. Knowing that Bella needed him (even if he didn't know why), deciding to trust him because it meant so much to her. So I suppose my thoughts for that scene come down to it being a more important crux of the story for Bella ...and Jacob...rather than for Edward.

But I do know what you mean. And though I do agree to an extent, I would hardly say that Edward and Bella's love story was 'perfectly perfect' even minus Jacob's entire presence.

[heartscreams]

I do see what you're saying but more from Bella's point of view rather than Edward. The fact that she went through the gut-wrenching admission that she did love Jacob too but STILL chooses Edward does prove that her love for Edward deepened. ie. She knew her options then and realized that it still didn't matter; Edward was who she wanted to be with. (I also think that by Edward's leaving Bella, helped to prove that to her)
And I do suppose in one way you can say that Edward realized just how much he was willing to do for her and how much he was willing to lose through Jacob's involvement but honestly, in Eclipse on that mountainside in the tent, I do not think that Edward's love needed deepening. He was already acutely aware of the depth of his feelings for her and how much he would take on himself to make her happy (setting aside the fact that her blood was like a narcotic to him and essentially a way of "imprinting" for vampires). He had been through many bouts with Jacob where he was forced to accept that Bella needed him prior to that scene. If I recall, he'd also let her go before. To Jacob. Someone he knew had feelings for her and was vying for her affections. Knowing that Bella needed him (even if he didn't know why), deciding to trust him because it meant so much to her. So I suppose my thoughts for that scene come down to it being a more important crux of the story for Bella ...and Jacob...rather than for Edward.

But I do know what you mean. And though I do agree to an extent, I would hardly say that Edward and Bella's love story was 'perfectly perfect' even minus Jacob's entire presence.

wow wee! this is interesting. hehe. all i can say is, and again, it's not Bella's fault that Jacob came in the tent and i'm saying this in Edward's perspective, not Bella. in fact, i'm saying this in MY OWN perspective. if she didn't let Jacob hug her for the heat, she COULD freeze to death which leads to Edward being furious and start blaming himself, and no one else. and if Edward objected Jacob's move, fighting could happen, and Bella did freeze to death then, where would the story goes? and if we were to read that Bella hug Edward, just so she could comfort him, have you ever think of what would become of that situation? see, this is not from Bella's perspective, is it?

but then again, this is a fictional story! hahahah! loosen up. why all the disliking of characters' movements and decisions?

[onebreath]

wow wee! this is interesting. hehe. all i can say is, and again, it's not Bella's fault that Jacob came in the tent and i'm saying this in Edward's perspective, not Bella. in fact, i'm saying this in MY OWN perspective. if she didn't let Jacob hug her for the heat, she COULD freeze to death which leads to Edward being furious and start blaming himself, and no one else. and if Edward objected Jacob's move, fighting could happen, and Bella did freeze to death then, where would the story goes? and if we were to read that Bella hug Edward, just so she could comfort him, have you ever think of what would become of that situation? see, this is not from Bella's perspective, is it?

Well, yes, it is still, in my opinion anyhow, because I personally think Edward reached that point of "absolute love" for Bella before Bella made it there herself. It was only through Jacob, her discovery of her feelings for him and her consequent rejection of him that she truly realized that Edward mattered MORE. And it was only at that point that I believe she truly meant what she had been saying all along (that she loved Edward more than anything in the world). As Jacob says, she needed to make the decision with her eyes wide open. And that she did by admitting to herself that she did have feelings for Jacob - it was then that she discovers they were still not enough to compare to what she felt for Edward.
I think Edward's love for Bella on the other hand came much sooner and yes, perhaps did deepen through the relationship he witnessed between her and Jacob but well before the tent scene had happened. I even believe Edward would have already been able to offer the "werewolf baby" scenario to Jacob if the situation had presented itself sooner. He likely came to the conclusion when he left her in New Moon and realized his efforts to stay away were fruitless. The instant he thinks she is dead, he makes no hesitation in the decision to kill himself. And this was all before Jacob had really become an issue that Edward was aware of.

It's difficult to respond to the "what ifs" since we can't know what would have happened in the story but I still can't help but wish that Bella had have taken Edward's feelings a little more into consideration when it came to her 'connection' with Jacob. It likely hurt Edward more than she was aware whenever she brought him up - I can only imagine what he was going through while she cried in his arms that first night after truly letting Jacob go.

but then again, this is a fictional story! hahahah! loosen up. why all the disliking of characters' movements and decisions?

hehe. Trust me when I tell you, I know I analyze things TOO MUCH. lol. And I realize this is all a moot point since we know how things ended up. But I suppose this is all idle amusement for me while I try to hang on to the atmosphere that surrounded the whole Twilight universe. That scene in the tent (along with a few others) were ones that irked me when I was reading and I've just now made it here to discuss them. Needless to say, this is all very interesting to read different opinions on various scenes, I hope you feel the same way.

[Twilighter8]

You guys are great with the ideas! Gives me a lot to think about. Here's my thought regarding Edward's love for Bella....

I always believed, once they discovered their love for each other, that they were destined to be. Never waivered, never doubted, I just looked at the troubles in their relationship, maninly Jacob, as things they needed to go through to test their love and discover it's depth and strength. But, has anyone ever considered how instrumental her actual "blood" might have been? I noticed right away, the first, and only time, I read Twilight (so far!!), that once we got into Edward's "mind" that it was the smell of her (blood) that he seemed to react to originally. He pretty much said it was the most wonderful thing he'd ever smelled, and almost relapsed in his being a vegetarian to have her. I think her blood smelled so great to him because she was his soulmate, and they were destined to be halves of the same whole.

Any thoughts? Ruth

[Lunna-san]

I do see what you're saying but more from Bella's point of view rather than Edward. The fact that she went through the gut-wrenching admission that she did love Jacob too but STILL chooses Edward does prove that her love for Edward deepened. ie. She knew her options then and realized that it still didn't matter; Edward was who she wanted to be with. (I also think that by Edward's leaving Bella, helped to prove that to her)
And I do suppose in one way you can say that Edward realized just how much he was willing to do for her and how much he was willing to lose through Jacob's involvement but honestly, in Eclipse on that mountainside in the tent, I do not think that Edward's love needed deepening. He was already acutely aware of the depth of his feelings for her and how much he would take on himself to make her happy (setting aside the fact that her blood was like a narcotic to him and essentially a way of "imprinting" for vampires). He had been through many bouts with Jacob where he was forced to accept that Bella needed him prior to that scene. If I recall, he'd also let her go before. To Jacob. Someone he knew had feelings for her and was vying for her affections. Knowing that Bella needed him (even if he didn't know why), deciding to trust him because it meant so much to her. So I suppose my thoughts for that scene come down to it being a more important crux of the story for Bella ...and Jacob...rather than for Edward.

But I do know what you mean. And though I do agree to an extent, I would hardly say that Edward and Bella's love story was 'perfectly perfect' even minus Jacob's entire presence.

wow wee! this is interesting. hehe. all i can say is, and again, it's not Bella's fault that Jacob came in the tent and i'm saying this in Edward's perspective, not Bella. in fact, i'm saying this in MY OWN perspective. if she didn't let Jacob hug her for the heat, she COULD freeze to death which leads to Edward being furious and start blaming himself, and no one else. and if Edward objected Jacob's move, fighting could happen, and Bella did freeze to death then, where would the story goes? and if we were to read that Bella hug Edward, just so she could comfort him, have you ever think of what would become of that situation? see, this is not from Bella's perspective, is it?

but then again, this is a fictional story! hahahah! loosen up. why all the disliking of characters' movements and decisions?

If Bella had just hugged Edward to comfort him in that tent in Eclipse, she also would have freezed to death. Edward would blame himself for the rest of his existence. I hate that scene, but as you girls pointed so well, there was no way back. Besides, if things went to easily for them, how could they know their love was so strong?

What do you girls think about this story that it was Nessie, not Bella who had this bond with Jacob?

[onebreath]

You guys are great with the ideas! Gives me a lot to think about. Here's my thought regarding Edward's love for Bella....

I always believed, once they discovered their love for each other, that they were destined to be. Never waivered, never doubted, I just looked at the troubles in their relationship, maninly Jacob, as things they needed to go through to test their love and discover it's depth and strength. But, has anyone ever considered how instrumental her actual "blood" might have been? I noticed right away, the first, and only time, I read Twilight (so far!!), that once we got into Edward's "mind" that it was the smell of her (blood) that he seemed to react to originally. He pretty much said it was the most wonderful thing he'd ever smelled, and almost relapsed in his being a vegetarian to have her. I think her blood smelled so great to him because she was his soulmate, and they were destined to be halves of the same whole.

Any thoughts? Ruth

Yes I've actually thought many times that the fact that Edward found her blood SO appealing was kind of a "love at first sight" type of realization. Sort of like the "imprinting" that werewolves go through. But I, like you, of course do not believe that was the only reason he was in love with Bella. Yes, her blood was incredibly alluring to him (and only him) but I never doubted that he loved Bella - the girl/ the woman - for Bella. I think you're right, the reason her blood did smell that way to only him was because she was his other half. They were supposed to be together and I think they always would have been meant to be even if Edward had been human. (Her blood would have smelled just as sweet only he wouldn't need to think about it)

I just wanted to add; I didn't mean for it to come across that I didn't believe that Jacob was necessary to strengthen their relationship ( or "test" their bond). He was an integral part of the story. But I simply think that he was more necessary for Bella to grow and realize things (and even Jacob as well) rather than for Edward. And especially, in my opinion, for the tent scene. But I absolutely agree that they, together as a couple, became stronger and their bond grew ten-fold because of Jacob.

[courtneycullen]

THANK. YOU. sorry ladies, but i agree 100%. You can't grow stronger if your relationship doesn't hit any bumps or goes through any turmoil of sorts.

egggh.... i completely disagree with this...
they did go through a lot and it wasn't all lovey dovey perfect cause they had the whole james situation in twilight, then edward left in new moon, wasn't that one of the biggest bumps of all? and also with victoria coming in twilight... just because these problems weren't another man or woman doesn't mean that it couldn't have made them stronger. I really didn't think that jacob was necessary to make their love stronger, i know stephanie meyer says that it didn't hinder bella's love for edward at all for her loving jacob as well, but it hurt him so much, when she went hysterical that night that she told jacob that she chooses edward, it absolutely killed him, he'd never seen her so unhappy, and it was because she couldn't be with jacob, because she hurt him too as she was hurting herself.. imagine you didn't know the ending of breaking dawn and everything now... would you truly desire her to be that passionate about jacob so openly to edward and in front of edward... NO! well i wish they weren't...