Oh, I know that the music's fine
Like sparklin' wine, go and have your fun
Laugh and sing, but while we're apart
Don't give your heart to anyone

And don't forget who's takin' you home
And in whose arms you're gonna be
So darling, save the last dance for me

Save The Last Dance For Me - The Drifters

She froze, eyes wide. Maybe surprising her in her bedroom wasn't the best idea he'd ever had, but then again, she didn't leave him with a lot of options. She was going to talk, and he wasn't going to wait around all night to hear it.

Let's be honest: he absolutely would have waited around all night for her had he not seen them, even though the anticipation was wearing on him like an ant bite. It was hard to think about anything but her anymore; her big brown doe eyes, the way she kissed him, the way she smiled when he came into view. Something -someone- to look forward to, someone waiting for him that was only here for him. It felt like nobody had been happy to see him purely for him, not for money or chores or to fix something, since his mother passed. Why couldn't every day be like that? He saw himself slipping more every day, a magnetic pull growing stronger and stronger until he couldn't imagine spending another single day without her. He didn't fully understand it until now. His father was a man of few words and just as private, but in those rare moments that he recalled his late wife, there was no doubt that his love for her had not wavered for even a moment. So this is what it felt like.

"Jake?" she stammered. "I'm sorry I…Something came up all of a sudden and I lost track of the time."

"Don't bullshit me, Bella. You know better than that."

"I'm not bullshitting you," she said irritably.

"Tell me, is that really him?"

'Who?" He rolled his eyes.

"Don't play dumb. The Ricky Nelson wannabe you were out with." She paused, then nodded. Was she seriously considering whether or not to tell him the truth?

"Yes, that's Edward."

"Good," he replied gruffly. "For a minute there, I thought I was having a stroke. Now for my next question: Why the hell were you out with him?"

"I wasn't 'out' with him. I didn't want to see him in the first place. I wanted him gone."

"So much that you're getting dinner with him?"

"I know it sounds insane, but yes." He rose from the windowsill.

"You're right. It is insane."

Admittedly, there was no concrete plan. She'd call the shop or just appear. For lack of a call, he elected to come to her, and he instantly regretted it. They were chatting with the waitress, sitting by the window in front of the entire town. No fuss. Just some handsome jackass and his girl hanging out like normal people. He continued onward, not sure if he wanted to slip by unnoticed or if he wanted to sock the guy in the mouth. It was a tough choice. Once they came back, it was much less so. He couldn't make out most of what the guy was saying, only a handful of words, but with the view from the window, he didn't need to hear it all.

"I love you, Bella."

"Jake, why are you being like this?" Brows furrowed, she watched him pace back and forth in front of the window. "It was nothing. We talked and he turned around and went back to Seattle. That's it."

"What, he doesn't have a phone?"

"No, he-"

"No pay phones?"

"Jake-"

"How about a singing telegram?"

"Goddammit Jake, stop!" She stomped her foot down onto the scuffed wooden floorboards, knocking down a book that was leaning against the side of her shelf. She was pink and pissed off, but not in the endearing way to which he was accustomed.

"I told you; I don't want him here! He just showed up unannounced when I was at work, and I did what I needed to do to get rid of him." She sighed. "He's a dummy, but he's not a bad person. He just looked so sad, and I felt like I owed him an explanation."

"Was I part of your 'explanation'?" He waited for an answer, but she said nothing, silenced by a glint of shame in her eyes. He already knew the answer.

"Yep," he scoffed.

"What?" He shook his head, his lips pressed together into a sardonic smile. "What, Jake?" she demanded. "What is this about?"

"I love you, Bella."

He could already feel that anger surging upwards again. It was loosening his lips, but that pretty boy's stupid mug, and his stupid creased pants, and a car so new and shiny that you could see your reflection in the paint job, made him want to punch a wall. Here to steal her back, and he absolutely had the power to do it.

Of course he was in Seattle. They churn out nothing but entitled little panty waist shits like him everyday. Oh, I bet her old man loooooves him. I bet he made more sitting at a desk for two months than I did all year. Sure, he probably doesn't know any of her favorite books, or her mom's old nickname for her, or all the places she wants to see. He probably doesn't care. He doesn't have to. He's perfect. Just fucking perfect.

"Nothing. Just thought you would have had the decency to break up with him before you put your tongue down my throat. Or stay broken up, at least."

Her mouth popped open. He watched her face twist from shock to indignation. He'd finally said it, but it didn't feel like steam escaping as much as an explosion.

"Is that really what you think of me? Jesus Christ, Jake. I broke up with him before we did any of...that."

"Looks like you forgot to tell him that. Thanks for dropping our plans to tie that one up, by the way."

"I didn't drop anything!"

"You forgot, then. I'm flattered."

"Ugh! Stop it! Why are you being like this, so-"

"-Honest? Because it looks like I need to be."

She turned away from him and sat down hard on the edge of her bed. Her face, once pink from anger, was now becoming red as her soft brown eyes began to swell with tears. She sucked in a harsh breath, and covered her face with her hands. Instant regret crashed over him like salt surf in a storm.

Are you happy? You made her cry, you piece of shit. That's what you are: a piece of shit.

Her tiny body trembled as tears pooled in her eyes, angry but somehow restraining herself. He stepped towards her, reaching out, wanting nothing more than to comfort her, to make it all stop, but she refused.

"Go."

You fucked up, kid. You fucked up real bad.

Unwanted, he slowly slipped out the window without another word, taking one more look at her before grabbing onto the branch and ambling down. He mounted his bike and kicked off hard. The engine whined as he pushed it to its limits, mindlessly making his way back towards that miserable place in the woods he called home.

She deserves better.

Days. A week. Two weeks. More? She didn't know for sure. She told herself she wasn't waiting for him, but it was a lie. She told herself that she wasn't hoping he'd suddenly appear in her window again. That was also a lie. Though he was surely itching to find out how her meeting with Edward went, Charlie had the good sense to censor himself after she emerged unresponsive that following morning.

With the summer fading and another year of school looming on the horizon, the sensible thing to do with her time was peruse the class list for the fall. The upcoming semester offered more interesting classes than she could take in two: Social Psychology, European Literature, East Asian Religions, Medieval History; the list went on and on. On further thought, it would be possible to take five classes rather than just three or four. While she always remained studious, she could not deny that she had slipped a notch since Edward entered the picture. What girl wants to spend her nights in the library when she could be having dinner or seeing a movie with a guy like him? It was silly. She'd been silly. Her goal from day one was to get ahead, graduate early, and finally do all the things she'd dreamed about since childhood. But it wasn't too late.

"It's for you, kiddo!"

She roused herself from the sofa and padded into the kitchen. When she took the receiver from Charlie, his face registered nothing but his typical post-dinner grogginess, which was an encouraging sign.

"Hello?" she asked hesitantly.

"Bella!" squeaked an ecstatic voice from the other end.

"Alice? I didn't think you were coming back for another week. The 6th, right?"

"Bella, it's the 7th." She glanced over at the calendar, where she had marked her birthday and the start of classes several months ago.

"Shit, I guess it is," she muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. Sorry, I guess I just haven't been paying attention. How was Hawaii?"

"Amaaaazing," she drawled dreamily. "The ocean was crystal-clear and better than bathwater, and palm trees everywhere. It's true about the surfers too," she cheekily added. "They're all very cute. If I didn't have Jasper, I would have stuffed one in my suitcase! Oh, it's magical, Bella. I want to move there. I'll never be able to go back to Washington beaches again after that."

"What the hell?! Jacob! Put me down!"

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to wring the image out of her mind like water from a rag.

"Soundslike you all had fun."

"But what about you, hmm? I'm dying to hear about your summer. What did you do? Did you go to Seattle? Did you see your mom? How is Edward?"

"Oh, it was fine," she replied, hoping to skirt a full-on interrogation with her father in the next room. "Just work and-" A booming voice echoed unintelligibly from the background on the other end.

"Coming, Daddy! Sorry, Bella. I have to go. You can tell me all about it tomorrow night."

"What's tomorrow night, again?"

"Rosalie's graduation party, remember?" she sighed. "Honestly, you need a secretary. Wear that dress I got you for the homecoming formal!" With a click, the line when dead.

It was a toss up as to whether she had actually forgotten, or if she was hoping it would magically disappear if she pretended it didn't exist. It wasn't her idea of a good time back when the summer started, and now it was looking distinctly less so. Three hours trapped one of the Gabor sister's summer homes with the entire Cullen clan, Edward included. She would have rather gone swimming in the piranha tank at the zoo, but etiquette stated that, barring an earthquake or a piano falling on her head, she needed to honor her RSVP. Curiously, she also felt a certain sense of obligation to Rose in particular for the crew meet. The ice queen was beginning to thaw, it seemed.

She cursed under her breath as one high heel wedged itself into the seam of the brick pavers that lined the walkway to the Cullen house, completing her step but leaving the shoe behind in the process. The evening was already off to a great start. Late, but not too late, the party was in full swing when she arrived, and everyone had already found their clique. Dr. Cullen had assembled his hospital friends in the corner for shop talk, and Mrs. Cullen and her friends had taken over most of the living room furniture, occasionally shrieking with laughter and dropping ashes all over themselves and the table. Emmett was likewise occupied with much of the wrestling team, but the Cullen children were nowhere to be seen.

Breathing a quick sigh of relief, she took some mystery cocktail from a passing tray and began the search for Alice. A flash of flaming red caught her eye; there was that girl again, and Rosalie was right beside her, conversing in low, hushed voices. Bella must have caught her eye as well. She gave a quick flash of a smile before whispering something in her companion's ear. It was nice to be in her good graces, or whatever Rose's version of that was. The hard part was deciding if she should tell Rose what she saw, or leave it be. It wasn't her business, after all, and she cringed at the possibility of waking her ire once again. She wasn't given much time to ponder the subject, as Alice had found her first.

"Bella!" she chirped, pulling her in for an unexpected hug. "Oh, I missed you! How are you?" She squeezed back once she realized what had happened.

"Good, good. I missed you, too." Alice withdrew, craning her neck to look behind her friend.

"Where's Eddie?"

"No idea."

Oops.

"I thought he would be with you. I haven't seen him all night. Did something happen with you two?" Bella took an uneasy sip.

"We can talk about that later. Are the others here? I want to hear about everyone's summer."

She knew Alice couldn't resist an opportunity to gush about the luau in front of an audience. Allowing herself to be dragged away for a recitation of everyone's far superior summers beat the hell out of the alternative. The majority of her school friends had assembled, all eager to discuss family vacations and camping trips. She nodded indulgently, all the while scanning the room for some sign of Edward. She wasn't sure how to behave around him, or if he was actively avoiding her. It sounded selfish, but she had to admit that she still missed having him around.

Like the finale of a Houdini act, he suddenly appeared by the kitchen, cutting through the crowd to interrupt his father, who had not left that spot since she arrived. He whispered something in the doctor's ear, who replied and tipped his head to his bride on the sofa. Carlisle excused himself while Edward collected her, waving down the maid, who scurried into the kitchen and returned with a tray of filled champagne flutes. As if they had communicated through some sort of sibling telepathy, Rosalie joined them all in the living room, patting Emmett on the shoulder for his attention, and he followed. A hush fell over the party as Carlisle began to tap a spoon against the glass.

"Everyone, if I could please have your attention for a moment," he began. "We have all gathered here tonight for a celebration, and we have quite a lot to celebrate. First and foremost, I want to congratulate my daughter, who has graduated Summa Cum Laude from one of the most prestigious universities in Washington."

He was interrupted by applause, which was met with a brief, modest smile from Rosalie. He continued:

"And she only grows lovelier every day. Her mother and I are immensely proud of the young woman she has become, and the woman she will be. So, please join me in a toast: To Rosalie, her accomplishments, and a bright future ahead."

"To Rosalie!"

Bella, never caring much for champagne, raised her tumbler with the crowd. A muscle twitched in Rose's cheek. She'd seen that face before, trying to maintain a smile when your face hurts from keeping it going for too long. Emmett shifted in place, looking to Rose for reassurance. She looked to him, mouth still frozen in place, and took his hand. The air was buzzing with electricity, but just one look from the couple made her uneasy.

"And speaking of the future, we have one more announcement to make," said Esme, cutting in. Her husband, who gave her a stern look that was apparent to everyone but her, allowed her to continue. "I am so happy to share with you an even greater joy: the engagement of my Rosie to a fine young man, a dear friend to her and to our family since they were in diapers, Emmett McCarty." She sniffed, somehow already misty-eyed. "And while I'm sad to let her go, I am overjoyed to finally be able to officially welcome him into our family."

"To Emmett and Rosalie!" said Carlise, seemingly cutting her off. The partygoers parroted a second time before swarming the family with well-wishes and congratulatory handshakes. Rose yielded to their good intentions for only a few moments before snatching up a second glass of champagne and excusing herself, attempting to conceal a grimace and she downed nearly half of it, with the redhead in pursuit once the crowd's attention had turned.

Edward was certainly turning up the charm. She didn't know how he did it. Perhaps it just came naturally to someone like him. He was dressed like a miniature version of his father, only making her feel even more underdressed. He and Emmett exchanged looks, and once he noticed that Rose had left, he left them all in the hands of his father and particularly animated mother to join his future brother-in-law. He hadn't seen Bella yet, it appeared, and she hoped it would stay that way for the time being.

Rose's demeanor that night was strange, and her departure even stranger. The red-headed girl had been lurking in the shadows for the toast, watching Rose keenly, stone-faced and grave. The resident gossip would know.

"Alice, who was that girl next to Rosalie?"

"That's Victoria," she replied in a harsh whisper. "Rose's friend from boarding school. I don't know how she's here, though. Jasper told me she wasn't invited."

"Why not?"

"Her parents. Nobody's really sure what happened. All I know is there was some kind of falling out with the family a while ago, and now they won't have anything to do with her. It's all very hush-hush. I never told you this, by the way," she added quickly.

"Sure sure."

A forbidden friend, huh? That sounds awfully familiar.

She paused, struck by the implications of her thoughts, but shook her head. The hubbub, the gossip, the Cullens; it was more than she'd bargained for tonight, and after barely an hour, she was ready to hit the bricks.

"You wanna get out of here?"

She slipped out through the front door, praying earnestly that she would be allowed a few moments alone with her drink before Alice sent out a search party. Acting normal was more tiring than she remembered, and even more so when packed inside like sardines with Cullens and dozens of assorted guests, all still buzzing from the excitement of the announcement. Edward's absence kept the attention off of her, at least. Daintily, she inched carefully down the front steps and took a seat, finally tugging off her heels in annoyance after they tried to kill her for the third time that night. Turning her glass in hand, she took a long sip, the ice almost crashing against her nose as she tried to finish the last drops. The moon was in a similar mood: present, but only barely so, hiding behind passing wisps of cloud.

Maybe she'd been foolish. All this time, thinking there really was a place for her, that all it would take was a little fortitude, and everything would work itself out from there. Maybe she had been selfish for trying, and for hurting two people in the process. The fault was not entirely hers, of course. Still sore from both their misdeeds, she struggled not to fold like a roadmap when the crushing loneliness made it harder to breathe. She was loathe to admit it, for the latter more than the former, but she still missed Jacob and Edward terribly. Renee would have told her to go out and find Jake instead of sitting there hoping he would come back, waiting for him to apologize so she could absolve herself of the lingering anger and fall back into his arms. More silly wishes from a silly girl.

Time to grow up.

Someone had turned the music up. The crowd had no doubt moved on from polite conversation to tipsy dancing, bouncy love songs and the jazzy sort of numbers beloved by everyone's parents. With their speech becoming even less audible over the noise, she hoped no one would hear her and steal her hiding spot.

The low purr of an engine was suddenly approaching, and a set of headlights nearly blinded her as the culprit turned the corner and headed straight for the house. She groaned miserably. A late guest, here to crash her pity party and remind them all that she existed. The rumbling ceased, and her eyes had not yet adjusted when a husky voice called her name.

"Hey, Bells."

The flash of teeth was unmistakable, even behind a chastened smile, and her heart gave a pathetic thump. He was somehow more beautiful than before. Perhaps it was the moon's fault, dousing them both in silver light that made his russet skin glow. There was something off about him though, and she didn't realize what it was until she saw that his usual ensemble had been replaced with clean pants and a buttoned shirt, though he'd still rolled the sleeves up to just below his bulging biceps. It took every ounce of willpower she had not to leap up and grab him around the waist.

He came back.

She didn't even care if he was sorry.

Yes, you do. He was still an ass. Neither of you are off the hook until he apologizes. I swear to God, Bella…

She bit her lip and averted her eyes, swirling the shrinking ice around in circles.

"Are you going to give me the silent treatment?" She took a sip of the melted remains of her drink, and he sighed heavily, strolling towards her before landing at her feet.

"Come on, Bells. I want to talk to you. There's something I need to tell you."

Pained, almost bittersweet.

"Is it 'Sorry'?"

"Maybe," he replied, a tiny smirk trying to work its way to the surface."But you're going to have to talk to me to find out." A paper-thin veneer of humor masking the unfailing sincerity that always awoke butterflies in her stomach.

"Alight, then. You leave me no choice," he said. "I'm calling in my last favor."

"And what's that?" mumbled Bella. He held out his hand.

"You have to dance with me." She stared blankly back at him. "Oh come on, Bells. You owe me your life, remember? It's not a bad song, either," he added.

Just say it already so I don't have to hold back anymore.

His eyes. He was being cute again, maddeningly so, and she was inclined to tell him to stuff it, but there was something dark about his eyes that made her concede and slowly take his hand. He helped her to her feet and lead her further away from prying eyes before pulling her in close by the small of her back.

"I guess I'll start with the part you've been waiting for, then: I'm sorry. I know you didn't do anything wrong. I was an asshole. I promised myself I would never make you cry, and I screwed it up. Can you forgive me?" Slowly, shyly, she raised her eyes to meet his, but she still couldn't keep her lips from cracking into a smile.

"Maybe." He grinned, and began to sway along with the song that was just barely carrying over the wind. Finally allowing her body to relax, she draped her arms around his neck.

"Glad to hear it."

"I have to ask about the getup," she said, nodding towards his collar.

"It's a party, isn't it? Thought I'd dress for the occasion."

For a quiet moment, she savored basking in his unnatural warmth again, his heartbeat like a metronome. Safe again. Whole again.

"Why didn't you come back?" she murmured. He paused, gazing out into the distance.

"I needed to think for a little while."

"About what?"

"About why I'm such an asshole," he said with a chuckle. "And about you. Mostly you, actually." He exhaled sharply. "And how I was going to do this."

She searched his face for some clue, but the intensity of his gaze offered no answers and only made her heart flutter even more.

"I'm leaving Forks."

Something cold and heavy dropped into the pit of her stomach.

"What do you mean, you're leaving?" His grip around her tightened.

"I enlisted."

No. No no no no no.

"Wha- Jake, no," she replied, reeling from only five words. "That's crazy! You can't just leave like that. It's-"

"-It's a done deal. I leave for basic tomorrow." Each word came out carefully and deliberately.

He'll come back in a box. They all come back in a box. If they find them at all.

"Jake, you can't go!" A lump began to form in her throat as the full weight of his words settled over her. "You've lost your mind. Do you know what happens when guys go to 'Nam? They don't come back." Her voice was cracking with every word. "You won't come back."

"Not much faith in me, huh? I'm a little insulted." A weak chuckle vibrated in his chest, but soon faded. His voice grew low and soothing. "Don't worry, honey. It'll be fine. Jared's going, too. We'll watch each other's backs."

She didn't really know Kim, but she could only imagine what she was going through tonight. She and Jared had been together for such a long time, and he was about to abandon her, going to the other side of the world to dodge bullets, letting her sit here and pray he came back in one piece. What could possibly be going through their heads?

He was still keeping a brave face, a favor she was failing to return. He was practically the only thing holding her up, still moving them both to the slow beat radiating from the house.

"Why?" she breathed. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"I've thought about it for a while," he said thoughtfully. "My old man served, you know. My uncle, too. Sort of a family tradition, I guess. More than that though, it's my ticket out of the reservation."

"How could an exploding jungle possibly be better than your home?" she sniffed.

"G.I. Bill. It's the only way I'll ever get to go to college." Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Jake, there are other ways," she sputtered. "You could take out a loan or get a second job or...let me pay for it! I've got some money saved from my job-"

"-No, honey. It's something I've got to do." She buried her face in his chest, breathing in the warm, comforting scent of his skin, trying to memorize it. An errant tear slid off her nose, staining his shirt.

"Stay. Stay here with me," she murmured. "We can figure something else out, I swear, but please, don't leave."

"Bella, please…" he pleaded. "I can't."

"Why? I want a real reason, none of this 'I just can't' bullshit. Tell me right now: is this really what you want?"

"What I want is to stay right here with you," he said, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "More than anything. That's why I have to go."

"You don't make any sense."

He gently lifted her chin upward. His eyes were fixed on hers, intense and determined, and she was completely unable to look away.

"I'm in love with you, Bella. I've never felt this way about anyone. Hell, I knew from the night we met that you were special, but me? I've got ten bucks to my name and nothing to offer you. Maybe someday I'll be worth something, but even then I still couldn't give you the life you should have. I don't want you to give up your family or your dreams so that you can spend the rest of your life being stared at and spit on and followed by strangers. You deserve better than that."

She blinked, only barely comprehending it all. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks as she looked up at him, studying every inch of his face: his shaggy black hair that never met a comb, his dark eyes that burned like volcanic glass, his bright white smile. But the sad smile he wore for her was faltering more by the second.

"Jake…"

"Wait, before I forget." Regaining his composure for a moment, he reached deep into his pockets and pulled out a tiny drawstring bag made of cream colored muslin. "I made you something."

Inside was a piece of smooth, polished wood. A ray of moonlight revealed an intricately carved wolf baying at the moon, dangling from a tinier silver link. It was absolutely stunning.

"Jake, it's beautiful," she said in awe, admiring it in the palm of her hand. "You made this for me?"

"Something to remember me by."

That was what finally broke the dam. She clutched the back of his shirt, as if she could hold him there forever and never let him leave. Her entire body was shaking as he stroked her hair.

I should have stood Edward up. I should have found Jacob after we fought. I could have stopped this. I could have talked him out of it. The one person in the whole world knows me, who loves me exactly as I am, and now it's too late.

"Hey, " he said softly.

Taking her face in his hands, he guided her lips to his. Soft, but urgent, deepening and sending fire through her veins one last time. If only she could freeze time. They could stay like this forever, and they would never have to be apart again. She whimpered as he finally broke the kiss, pulling away in spite of their true desires.

"Goodbye," he whispered, kissing her on the forehead. "I love you, Bells."

There was nothing keeping her upright any longer. She sank to her knees and dissolved into open sobs, not caring who saw her or what they might think. Holding his gift tightly to her chest, she watched as his headlights grew smaller and smaller until he completely disappeared.

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. I'm sorry to end the chapter on such a sad note. This was the one chapter that I knew I was going to write from the very beginning, and even after puzzling it over for months, writing it still put me in a major funk.

But this is not the end for Jake and Bells.