Chapter 37 - Prom

Edward held me tight against him as we posed for the photo. When we were around others I mentally prepared myself to consider him Edward again…though I rather liked calling him by his real name. Though I knew he did the same for me, he couldn't call me Beth around my friends without causing questions.

"What do you think?" He asked.

"This is so cheesy," I laughed, taking my crutches back from Mike who had graciously offered to hold them so they weren't in the photo. "Thanks."

"My pleasure," he replied, smiling at me, and giving Edward a brief glare.

"He still has a crush on me?" I turned to Edward who was frowning.

"Yeah. He's lucky I already ate."

"You wouldn't want him." I assured him. "I bet he tastes bad."

Edward laughed, he was mostly carrying me with one arm, making my crutches a prop instead of a necessity. Though I was apparently dangerous with them, I nearly tripped three people on our way to a table to sit.

"Would you like me to get you some spiked punch?" he asked with a grin.

"I was just joking…"

"I'm not. It seems Tyler decided to start the party early."

I laughed, "If there is anything untainted, I'd love some." The urge to drink hadn't been a thought of mine for weeks.

Edward frowned, looking around the gym. "I'm not sure I should leave."

"Why?"

He looked at me, "Someone is here to see you. About me."

I looked around, too, and my jaw dropped when I saw Jacob leaning against the wall. Then I remembered the only important thing that happened at prom…Jacob's warning. I tried to hide my recognition…but it was too late.

"Dammit, Bella," he hissed.

I grabbed his hand, "Ignore him. He won't come over here if you are here. I'm sorry, I forgot!"

"What does this lead to, then? Well?"

"Nothing," I said angrily. "Are you going to sit here and accuse me, or are you going to get me some damn punch?"

He scowled, and then turned away.

I watched him sadly…I didn't want him to go. "Edward!" I called after him, but he didn't turn.

"Bella!" Jacob said a moment later. "Hey, I was hoping to see you tonight."

"Hey, Jake," I said, looking up at him. "What brings you here?"

He shrugged, and looked over to where Edward was, he was talking quietly to Emmett around the punch bowl. "You two get in a fight?"

Jake looked upset by that, and I shrugged. "I guess so."

"You look…real pretty."

"Thanks, Jake." I laughed, blushing and looking at the ground.

"Well, if you had asked me to the prom, I know I wouldn't be hanging out with someone else. I'd be out there dancing with you."

I stuck my cast out a bit, "I'm crippled."

He shrugged, "I have two left feet. Want to give it a try?"

He held his hand out, and I took it without realizing it. He pulled me up, let me lean against him as I hopped to the dance floor. Then I gently set my cast down on the gym floor, and put my hands on his shoulders, his hands were warm against my waist…in a safe and friendly way.

"So, why are you really here, Jake?" I asked.

He sighed, "Well, my dad paid me twenty bucks to come see you." He smirked then, "If I had known I'd get to do this, I would have come for free."

"I'm sort of taken, you know?"

He shrugged, "I know. That's why this is…awkward, to say. Um… my dad told me to…ask you to break up with your boyfriend."

I nodded, "Yeah, I know he doesn't like the Cullen's, Jake. And you know how ridiculous he is for thinking so, too."

"I know," he muttered. "But he wanted me to tell you that he'd be watching. He's just worried about you. Charlie is his best friend, and you are Charlie's little girl. That's what it boils down to."

I nodded, "I know. Let Billy know that I can take care of myself, though."

"Well, you handled that fight a minute ago pretty well," Jake smirked. His smile faded, "Does he have a temper?"

I rolled my eyes, "No. Believe me, Edward is amazing. He's…more than I ever thought to want for. More than I deserve." I sighed. "It'd kill me to be without him."

I glanced over Jake's shoulder, or I tried to, it was impossibly high, though. So I glanced around his arm, and saw Edward slowly and gracefully walking through dancers towards us. His face was calm and smooth, gentle once again. He met my eyes, and I felt butterflies in my stomach.

Yeah…it would kill me to be without him.

"Jake, mind if I cut in?" Edward said gently.

Jake didn't answer before my arms reached out to Edward. "I'll talk to you later, Jake. We can hang out sometime this summer." I said, smiling as I planned ahead. Yeah, we would hang out this summer. I don't think I could avoid it, maybe I'd go on one of Charlie's fishing trips a weekend Robbie went hunting. Prove to them all was well.

"I'll see you, Bella," Jake muttered, letting his hands linger just a bit at my waist before sulking away.

I let my face rest on Robbie's chest as we swayed to the music, his face was buried in my hair. "How can someone so adorable be so incredibly evil at the same time?" he muttered.

"Evil? Me?" I nearly laughed.

"Yes, evil. You lie to me, tell me you want to be here for yourself. Then you dance with another boy who loves you, too. And cruelly crush his hopes by devoting your love to me."

I sighed, "Really, I forgot he was supposed to come here. I'm surprised he did. It wasn't that important, really."

We danced towards the door, well, he danced and carried me, and then we were outside. He gathered me up in his arms and carried me from here.

"My crutches," I muttered.

"Alice will get them," he promised, taking a seat on a picnic bench in the empty school yard.

I smiled happily, "You have it all planned out. Perfect, I can just sit here and enjoy the view," I looked into his eyes.

He brushed the hair from my face, tucking a few stray strands behind my ear, "Have you decided, then?"

My eyes widened, "About…the change?"

His face was serious, unreadable besides that, "Yes."

I took a long breath, "Yeah, I have."

"And?"

I shrugged, "Honestly, there isn't much to decide, Robbie. If you demanded an answer right now, I'd say go for it. Right here, I don't care. But…I want to wait a while…"

He groaned, "If it's that stupid…"

"No," I said quickly. "And yes, I don't know. In the book Bella has to wait until after she graduates…for the sake of keeping everything quiet. And, that doesn't sound like a bad thing to me. Graduate, use college as a cover story…and just disappear. Forgotten by most of these people."

"I don't want to wait," he said quietly. "I feel…anxious, tonight. I don't think I can let you go, if I release you from my arms you may never return…"

My heart beat harder, not faster, just harder. "I'm afraid this is our last night," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding myself tightly there. "Maybe I'm stupid. Maybe I shouldn't have made you take me here."

"It's been building up," he muttered. "Alice hasn't been able to see past tonight. Those few days that I refused to take you to the prom…I really wasn't going to come here with you. I would have locked you away for tonight if I thought it would make a difference."

I swallowed hard, "No…it…it can't be over."

He moved my face so he could kiss me. "I'm just not going to let you go. I've decided that much. If I have to carry you like this for eternity to make sure this never falls away, I will."

I looked up at him, my vision blurry as if tears were forming, but I didn't feel their sting yet. "Robbie…"

"Beth…" he whispered, leaning in to kiss me again.

I held onto him even tighter, my hands grabbing fistfuls of his tuxedo jacket. My head felt like it was swimming, the world was spinning, as if I was drunk. Like I had three shots too many. His hands were still there, but I could barely feel them. "My…purse…" I breathed, my lips brushing his as I talked.

"No…Beth…don't go…"