Max knocked on my door lightly, even though it was already open. He whistled softly.
"You look beautiful, my little music note."
"Thank you. Are you sure you don't want to attend the actual wedding and not the reception?"
"I'm positive. Weddings freak me out."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course they do."
I brushed past him to grab the earrings I left on the table and placed them in my ears. With perfect timing, Seth knocked lightly on the door. He was just barely fifteen, so even though he asked me to be his date, I would be the one driving.
"Hi, Mels." He said once I opened the door.
I smiled at him. "Hey, you look very handsome."
He smiled back at me. "I'd say you look beautiful, but you look beautiful every day."
I blushed and smiled at him. "Let's get this show on the road."
"Let's." Seth offered me his arm, which I took. He led me to the car and opened my door for me before rushing to his own side.
Seth fiddled with the radio until he he got put out. He began asking me how my life in South Carolina was. I told him that I hated being with my mom, and that I missed living in La Push.
"Why does she make you live with her if you hate it so much?"
"My mom is a guilty person. She knows what she did was wrong, but she isn't trying to fix it. She wants to feel better about herself and convince herself that she won't go to hell for being a thoughtless skank."
"Do you really feel that way about your mom?"
"I disliked my mom before she left my father a mess. She was always pushing me to be someone else."
"Well, Victoria snuck up on my dad one day and gave him a heart attack, Melody. Losing him freaking sucked. Do you want to feel the way Leah and I do if your mom were to die?"
"I'm sorry, Seth. But my relationship with my mother is different from the one you had with your dad."
Seth looked as though he wanted to argue, but he realized that I was right. His father had been someone to look up to, someone who had been encouraging rather than someone who was always forcing his kids to do something else.
"I guess so." His shoulders sagged slightly in defeat.
I swallowed my guilt as if it were a rock. "I really am sorry, Seth."
"I'm sorry, Melody. You've been through so much, I shouldn't have lectured you."
"It's okay."
Seth kept me entertained throughout the ceremony. Bella had made an absolutely beautiful bride. The wedding had been overall beautiful. My vision focused from seeing Bella and Edward saying their vows, to me and Jacob saying them. It was a rude awakening when I would jolt back to life and realize I couldn't be with Jacob. It would take so much to fix that broken road.
"Well if it isn't my favorite person from off the Rez." A deep voice caught my attention from admiring the cake next to Alice. I turned around to see Sue Clearwater pushing Billy towards me. My face brightened with a smile as I bent over to give Billy a hug.
"Billy, I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you hanging around my kitchen." He said, teasingly. "Not even Sue can make pancakes the way you do, Melody. You look beautiful, by the way."
"I've been getting that a lot lately." I laughed lightly.
"I imagine." He smiled at me. "We're going to see the bride and groom. You should join us."
I hesitated, but pushed through my discomfort. "Why not?"
"Hey, man!" Seth said, skipping up to Bella and Edward. I quietly followed behind him.
"Nice to see you!"
"I hope you'll be happy, Bella."
"Thank you, Billy." Bella leaned forward a little bit. "Have you heard from him?"
Billy glanced at me. "I'm sure Jake wishes you the best."
There was an awkward silence before Bella's father announced, "Well I plan on getting drunk."
Everyone laughed before walking off. I stepped in front of Bella and Edward. I cleared my throat. "You make a beautiful bride, Bella."
She looked surprise. "Thank you, Melody."
I gave an awkward nod before glancing at Edward. He let go of Bella's hand and wrapped his arms around me. He didn't say anything as he held me in a cold embrace.
"I'm so sorry, Melody. For everything."
"It wasn't your fault, Edward." I said, a lump forming in my throat and tears clouded my vision. I tried blinking away the tears before they had the chance to ruin my makeup.
"I should have stopped them. I thought by letting him kiss her he would realize that he only wants you."
"It doesn't matter."
We pulled apart, and I stepped away. "Enjoy y'alls night."
I walked back to Seth, and we went to find our seats as everyone began giving their speeches to Bella. When they were over, Seth pulled me to the dance floor. He spun me around just like yesterday. Halfway through the song Edward pulled me away from Seth.
"I have a surprise for you."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Come this way."
He led me past the dark house to where a couple was dancing. As we got closer, I could see that it was Bella and Jacob. They were talking with their hands and I could feel their anger until Jacob sensed my presence and looked up at me.
"This is cruel, Edward." I whispered, tightly.
Jacob's face crumbled. "Melody. You'e here!"
I flinched away from him as he tried to come closer. He stopped with his hand held out to me. "Mel..."
"Jacob...Please don't." The walls I had built over the last couple of months began to crumple as I stood in front of Jacob. The familiarity of the air around him wrapped around me.
"Just one dance."He begged as he held a hand out to me.
I sighed as I looked at the boy in front of me. He looked broken. He looked exactly like the boy I saw my first day here months ago. Only this time, he was broken because of what he did to me. What Bella was doing to him again. I sighed as I slid my fingers into his. I nearly cried at the feeling of his rough palms brushing against my fingers.
Edward and Bella made their way back toward the party. Jacob brought my body close to his and we began to sway.
"You look beautiful tonight, Melody." Jacob gazed down at me. "So beautiful."
"Thank you." I brought my hand to his chin and lightly touched it with the pad of my thumb. "So do you. Even if you need to shave."
He huffed a breathless laugh. "Being on the road doesn't exactly give me time to shave."
"I guess not."
"Are you back for only tonight or…?"
"I'm staying until school in South Carolina begins."
"When is that?"
"September seventeenth. My mother doesn't know about it of course." I grinned. "How long will you be in town?"
"A lot longer now."
I furrowed my eye brows. "Why?"
"I have something to take care of." He said, looking at me from underneath his eyelashes.
~Jacob~ Halfway through the dance, Bella looked where Edward stood from a distance. "Please bring her."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm fixing something I ruined." She murmured with a smile.
A few moments later, Edward returned with a girl in tow. She wore a pale pink dress that had a feather lace design on the skirt. Her dark curls bounced with every step she took. My heart stuttered when my eyes locked with hers. My goddess had returned to me. My eyes drank in every inch of her. It was like taking a gasp of air after a long swim.
Melody looked uncomfortable as she whispered, "This is cruel, Edward."
"Melody, you're here!" My voice cracked as I reached out to her. She flinched away from me as if I were going to strike her. "Mel..."
"Jacob...Please don't."
I swallowed roughly. "Just one dance."
Melody stared at me with a curious gaze. It was the gaze that saw right through me every time. I knew she saw that I was in pain just as much as she was. I deserved the pain though.
She sighed before sliding her hands into mine. Her soft, delicate fingers brushed against my callused palms. I pulled her small form into mine. Her soft body molded against mine as we began to sway together. I had one arm around her waist and the other holding her hand to my chest. Melody kept the hand I held flat against her chest, and the other one rested on my shoulder.
I kept my head down near hers and inhaled her coconut shampoo. Her natural mint scent always seeped past her lotions and soaps. It was delicious.
"You look beautiful tonight, Melody." She always looked beautiful. But now, after not seeing her for so long, it almost hurt to look at her.
"Thank you." She gently brushed her fingers over the scruff on my chin. "So do you. Even if you need to shave."
I laughed softly. "Being on the road doesn't exactly give me time to shave."
"I guess not." She said with a small smile.
"Are you going back tonight or…?"
"I'm staying until school in South Carolina begins."
"When is that?"
"September seventeenth. My mother doesn't know this of course." She smiled at me sarcastically. "How long will you be in town?"
"A lot longer now."
"Why?" Her eye brows drew together.
I gazed down at my imprint. "I have something to take care of."
"I'm sure Billy will be happy to see you."
I laughed. "I bet he was happier to see you."
She laughed softly. "Probably."
After a few minutes of silence, Melody pushed away from me. The cold, although it doesn't bother me, hit me hard. She backed away from me with a smile forced onto her face.
I frowned. "What? What's wrong?"
"It's late, and I should get back to Seth."
"Seth? Why Seth?"
She stopped and stared at me. "Yes, Seth. He's my date."
Jealousy shot through me. "Our relationship isn't even cold yet, but you're already dating other guys?"
"Our relationship isn't cold? Our relationship went cold the minute you kissed another girl and my best friend left me to die in the snow."
"Your best friend?" I shook my head. Melody had only made one friend at Forks High besides the Cullen siblings.
Melody's eyes widened. "Never mind, Jacob."
"What do you mean 'best friend'?" I gripped her wrist in hand when she tried to walk away.
"Jacob, please let go."
"No, tell me what you're talking about."
"Jacob, let go!"
"You can't walk away from me, Melody, I'm not letting you go!"
"Jacob!"
Seth tackled into me, causing Melody to stumble into Bella's arms. Edward steadied both of them then looked at me. Melody had tears in her eyes as she clung to Edward.
"Just go, Jacob." Edward said softly.
I shoved Seth away and ran deep into the trees. My clothes ripped apart as I shifted into my natural form. I was giving up tonight. But I was not giving up on getting information. I certainly wasn't giving up on getting Melody back.
