-So y'all probably hate me. I am seriously sorry it's took my so long to write. I hope you accept my apologies and that y'all still want to read my story. Well this chapter is part one of prom. I don't know how many parts there are going to be. But I can promise that part two will be up within the next few days.

Chapter 9

~Love is blind and so am I apparently~

Prom…

It's every girl's dream, right? Well, my mom didn't think too highly of it but it was important to me. I wanted to look like a princess and ride in a nice car, then show up with a hot date. Prom was supposed to be the night of my dreams. Everything I could ever want and I got to share it with someone extremely important to me. I wanted it to be something I could remember for the rest of my life. And that was what led to me taking someone who meant more to me than just some prom date.

And that was where I fucked up. I had been so blind the last two weeks not to realize. Not to have noticed the little changes. But I didn't. So I never realize how truly in love I really was.

And that was my biggest mistake.

A week…

It had been a week. A week since Jake and I had confessed our feelings to each other on the beach. A week since we had made love to each other. A week since the most passionate, romantic, perfect day of my life.

And it had also been a week since he had just so happened to not ask me out…

What in the hell was he thinking? You can't just have sex with a girl and tell her you love her, and then throw her out in the cold! Okay, maybe I was being a little bit overdramatic. He still texted me constantly, told me he loved every night and we saw each other every day. He even came to my house this week.

My parents had stood by and watched with total disapproval clear in their eyes when he walked in the door. (Alice, however, had run down the stairs smirking knowingly and took off looking for food to feed us all.) And of course, happy go lucky Jake wasn't faced. He just smirked happily while following me around the mansion.

Facing my parents, who might snap and kill him for the pain he caused their daughter? No biggie. He had no problem coming over.

He just didn't want to be with me.

And then I got fed up with it, of course. The fact that he was pretending we were together made it even worse. He knew exactly what he was doing and I couldn't help but get pissed off that he wouldn't even man up to ask me out. We went through the motions as a couple. Why couldn't we just make it official? A part of me was hurt and a little scared that maybe he was just playing me, that he didn't really want me. The other, more confident part was pissed. Why couldn't he grow some balls? I took the first step last week. He needed to take this one. But I couldn't forget about it and as impatient as I am, I had to ask about it.

I stood up walking out the door of his house quickly. I couldn't take this anymore. I didn't want to sit here and have everyone treat us as a couple. I couldn't take anymore of Jake's hand holding and the moments that were supposed to be shared together. We weren't together. We couldn't have those moments.

"Nessie, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he followed me out the door to my car.

I grabbed my keys completely ignoring him. If I didn't leave now, I would just blow up at him. And as pissed as I was, I still wasn't ready for this to be over. I couldn't push him out of my life now. I just got him back.

Before I could get in the car, however, he stopped me.

"Please, just talk to me. I can't fix it if you won't tell me what I did," he said softly trying to console me into talking.

And that was when I snapped. "It's not what you did, you moron. It's what you didn't do," I screamed at him snatching back.

His eyes widened in confusion and then finally a knowing look crossed his face. "Nessie, just wait a bit. We already act like we're together. Give it time," he said with a guarded expression that hinted the conversation was over.

Well, too fucking bad. I was never any good at taking hints. "I gave it time," I said as coldly as I could manage. "I gave it three fucking years. And if you needed any more time than that, then you should have mentioned it before you fucked me."

He flinched and the expression of hurt that I hated to see on his sunny face found its way through. "I just need you to trust me. You said you would. I understand how you feel and if you regret it, then I wish I could take it back just for you. I know I've hurt you in the past and I've done things that have caused you to doubt me, but just wait a little bit more. Trust me."

My resolve faltered as I heard the sincerity behind his every word. I wanted to trust him and it wasn't like I didn't. It was just that I couldn't help but be terrified that I wouldn't be enough to hold him here and then he would be gone.

Suddenly, a tear rolled down my cheek. "This isn't because you don't want me right. You're not going to leave again, are you?" I asked with my voice shaking giving away how very y scared I really was of losing him.

His eyes grew big again as he pulled me closer. "Nessie," he exclaimed. "When are you going to understand that you are all I will ever want? I left once, but I realized my mistake. I will never leave you again."

I looked up at my own personal dream. He would always be what I wanted. "You promise?"

"Of course," he said bringing his lips to meet mine.

"Then, will you please explain because I'm drawing a blank here. Why can't we be together?"

He looked away trying to hide his embarrassment. "You'll think it's stupid but it's important to me."

"Well, then I won't think it's stupid," I answered simply.

"I can't say…" he said turning away.

"You can't say anything, why you lied or why you left. You better tell me the damn truth this time or I'm gone. I can't take everything being a fucking secret."

He looked at me as I snatched away from him and I had barely turned around when he blurted out, "You're going to prom with him. It would be different if you were just going with some guy but I've seen the way he looks at you. And I know that you use to love him. Those feelings don't just go away because I came back. I don't want to be together until after prom. I need you to be sure that I'm what you want."

"He only pretended to flirt with me so I could get you back. And we're over. We were over before you came back. I want you," I said trying to get him to see the truth.

"He wasn't pretending. You're all he sees."

"That's…" I started to protest but he cut me off.

"Please, just give me until after prom. I know Wesley is important to you and I can't bear to watch my girlfriend with him. I can't take that. Please?" he begged.

"I'll wait until after prom," I agreed, "but it won't change anything," I finished.

That had been only a few days ago and still nothing had happened so here I was standing in a prom dress, boyfriend-less, waiting on my best friend to get here.

I stared at myself in the full length mirror Alice had provided. She had only left a few minutes ago once she was finally done with her masterpiece, and had only been distracted because for some reason she had to decorate the stairs I was going to be making my grand appearance on.

My hair was beautiful. The curls were pulled back with elegant little pins and the rest of my bronze ringlets were left to fall beautifully down my back. As with the dress, the color was perfect. The Mediterranean color looked beautiful against my pale skin. And of course, Wesley would look great in the matching vest Alice had got him. The dress itself was strapless and fit tightly against my form, showing off my cleavage and all my curves. And then it flowed out with a beautiful train that would make any princess jealous. I only wore a simple choker of diamonds and matching earrings but I was a little worried they probably cost more than the dress. The locket, my parents had given me when I was only two, was tucked away safely in my jewelry box for the first and probably last time in my life.

Downstairs I heard the doorbell ring, and I suddenly found myself feeling extremely nervous. I knew it was only my best friend at the door but for some reason it mattered to me that I looked perfect for him. I stared at my reflection hoping that maybe he would mistake me for the beautiful princess in the mirror but terrified that he wouldn't even notice.

I heard Alice call my name loudly. I was supposed to count to thirty after the doorbell rang but I had been too lost in my worrying. Finally I sighed and drawing all my courage made my way down to the main staircase.

As soon as I saw him, all thoughts of Jake and my family, left my mind. I knew somewhere in me that it was wrong, that this was my best friend, not the love of my life. But for some reason my mind and my heart were definitely not cooperating. He was wearing a traditional black tux but the blue vest and silver tie set it off perfectly, including his own gorgeous red hair. He looked like a Greek God standing there waiting for me. As I met his perfect brown eyes, I found myself blushing. He was staring at me in a way I couldn't place. A way I was sure I had seen before. I heard the sound of my mom snapping photos and since all the family had came down for lead-out, all the murmurs of approval coming from them but the only thing I could focus on was the way that look was making me feel.

As I reached the final step and took his hand, I couldn't help but feel content and totally mesmerized. I stared up at him and he smiled down at me.

"You have no idea how beautiful you look," he said sincerely. I heard Emmett chuckle, a few awes from the girls, and my dad's quiet murmur of approval at his choice of words.

"You look nice too," I said shyly knowing I was blushing full force. Emmett laughed harder and then cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. I turned but I noticed that Wesley was still looking attentively at me. I also noticed that I wasn't the only one who noticed. Alice was staring at the look on his face and our intertwined hands with a look of complete terror as if she had just been told her entire wardrobe was to be set on fire.

I pushed the worry aside as Emmett opened his mouth to make one of his comments. "So, Wesley…I guess you'll really be a part of the family after tonight."

For once, I had no idea where he was going with this and apparently Wesley didn't either. My father however, growled angrily as if he knew exactly what was going on in Emmett's mind.

Wesley took the bait. "What do you mean, Emmett?" he asked finally tearing his eyes away from me.

"Well its prom night and we all know what teenagers do after these things. And after you get her pregnant, Edward's going to expect you to marry her right away," he said cheerfully.

My father's face turned a nasty shade of red and even I was angry. As Jasper grabbed a hold of my dad to hold him back, I turned to Emmett. "If you get me grounded with all that ridiculous talk, I swear I will make your existence as miserable as possible."

"Oh, really?" he mocked. "How's that?"

"Aunt Rosie?" I called loudly.

Emmett's eyes widened in terror. "You wouldn't."

I smirked evilly and my dad smiled with me. "Oh, I promise you I would."

Emmett turned away mumbling something that sounded like "spoil sport."

I laughed and then said, "Well, we are leaving."

"Hold on," my dad said as I groaned. "Wesley, what will you two be doing tonight?"

"Well Mr. Cullen," Wesley began in a perfectly respectful tone, "We are going to go out to eat, then head to lead-out. Then it will be time for prom and afterwards is up to her. But I can promise you it will be nothing that will be hurt her."

I had to appreciate his honestly. He hadn't said we wouldn't do the bad things. He had just promised and seemed to mean it, that he wouldn't let anything hurt me. I smiled at the protectiveness I heard behind those words.

My dad also smiled softly knowing exactly what I had just realized.

My mom spoke up, "Take care of her, and please call us Bella and Edward. We do look at you as family." She shot a glare at Uncle Emmett.

He didn't take the hint though and chose that moment to speak up, "Tomorrow you can just start calling them mom and dad," he said in between chuckles.

I sighed loudly and turned leaving them all standing bickering. Emmett would be Emmett. Wesley led me down the stairs still staring at me and we made it to the driveway. I stopped short as soon as I saw the car that was waiting for us.

"The car…so pretty..How?" I managed out.

He smiled at my lack of words and then looked back at the black bugatti that was sitting in my yard. "Your parents thought it would be a nice car for you to ride in to prom."

"I bet they let you keep it." I told him truthfully as he opened the door for me. My whole family had more than enough cars for all of us and I knew how my parents felt about Wesley. They saw him as a part of the family and they had no problem spending money on him.

"I wish I could saw that I would refuse because it's just too much but I can't help but want this car," he said as he stepped in the car with me.

"In this family, you just have to understand money is just a part of it. They don't mind spending it."

He sighed. "You grew up way different than me."

"I know," I said simply but I knew there was a trace of longing behind my simple words. I wished I had grown up like him, sometimes. Money always complicated things and it was always hard to find people who didn't want to use you for it. I had everything but I didn't want it. I wanted to be loved for me, not what I own.

Wesley looked over at me as we made our way up the drive carefully. "You really do look gorgeous tonight and you don't need money for that. I still would have stared at you if you would have walked down in a bath towel," he said softly.

His words sent a pounding through my heart and made me long to reach out and hold his hand, but this time for a different meaning. I tried to joke to hide my desire, "Well, of course you would have stared but I don't think my dad would be happy about me being half naked."

He smiled acknowledging my refusal to listen to his compliment.

"So where are we going?" I finally asked. "I'm sure my parents put a full tank of gas in the car so where will it be? New York? Mexico?" I joked.

He turned and looked at me nervously. "I actually had something a little more close to home in mind and a little more personal."

I looked over at him in confusion but nodded anyways. "I'll be happy wherever we are." I blushed at how much that was true. I had thrown Wesley to the side when Jake had came back into my life but that didn't make the feelings I had for him go away like I thought it had. Wesley was still important to me.

After a few minutes of driving, we pulled up at the football field. Wesley didn't say anything, but the nervousness made me want to put him at ease, so when he opened my door, I grabbed his hand.

He smiled down at me and pulled down the stairs towards the field. When we reached the bottom, I stopped and gasped audibly. Sitting on the fifty yard line was a table with roses and candlelight.

I turned back to him with tears in my eyes, a response to the emotion that was rushing through me. He blushed and said quietly, "If you would rather go out somewhere fancy, we can get back in the car. I just wanted this to mean something to you and I thought here where I…That maybe that would be important to you than some place you can't pronounce the menu."

I knew what he meant. This had been where he had first told me he loved me. This place meant just as much to me as La Push. This was where Wesley and I had run with our problems. This was our place.

"It's perfect," I said, my voice cracking with emotion. I wrapped my arms around him and sighed in content.

"Thank you. I can't believe I have such a good friend," I said trying to put back up the boundaries. Wesley didn't love me. We were just friends. He had stopped loving me when I had screwed it up. I hadn't been able to give him anything back. He would never want me. And that shouldn't matter because I love Jake more than anything.

He stared down at me looking at me the same way he had been since I walked down the stairs, and I suddenly wondered if maybe he still felt something for me.

As I followed him holding his hand as he led his way to the table, I realized I was going to have to start convincing my heart that I didn't love Wesley because he was definitely pulling at the strings. All loving Wesley would do would get me hurt, ruin our friendship, and make me lose Jake. It wasn't worth it. It was not worth it. It shouldn't be worth it. And that would mean Jake was right, that just because I loved him, doesn't mean I don't still love Wesley.

I had said prom would change nothing and I had been crazy…because Wesley, the one person who never left my side and who had claimed not to love me anymore, apparently still had my heart. He flashed me another perfect smile and I started repeating it to myself again.

"Not worth it, not worth it."

I hope you like it. R & R. And when you do please let me know if you would like some of the next chapter in Wesley's point of view. I probably will because I really want to write from his opinion and give everyone his side of the story. But I also would love your opinion. I love you guys.

Love, Tif.