"Okay, I'm going to go meet up with Alice backstage! I'll come find you when the show ends!" Angela says with a wave, splitting off from the group with her DSLR camera in hand.

"Later!" Bella calls after her.

"Yeah, see you!" Jessica says to Angela's retreating form before turning to Bella and continuing their previous conversation. "So then I saw the cute guy from my bio class yesterday at the gym, but he was with some sorority girl with huge boobs. He nodded his head at me, but that was it. Do you think that means they're dating?

Bella shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe ask him?"

"Ew, no, I'm not going to be weird and desperate about it. I'm making a fake Instagram account to friend him. Then I'll see if she's tagged in any of his posts," she says dismissively.

They weave their way through the crowded theater hall until they find a pair of empty seats. Students clad in trendy outfits pose for pictures and snap selfies while they wait for the fashion show to begin.

"Did you hear they're opening a new brunch place down in Pike's Place? We should go next weekend. I heard there's a three-hour wait time, but it's supposed to be amazing," Jessica prattles.

Bella feels her phone buzz in her pocket and she checks her messages. There are two unread texts from Edward:

Bella, Love, I'll pick you up from your apartment on Christmas Day at seven. Does that work? We can arrive in Forks by ten, then.

We've only been separated for a few hours, but it feels like weeks. I miss you. Take care of my heart, for I've left it wholly with you.

Her cheeks get hot as she reads the words lit up on her screen.

There are still a few days until the holiday, and they'd agreed to not exchange gifts, so that takes a lot of the pressure off her to find something good enough for his tastes. She still has to shop for Charlie, though.

"Are you even listening to me? Bella?" Jessica notices the other girl's embarrassment and shoves her way over to read the phone screen. "Oh my god, does he always send you texts like that?"

"Pretty much," Bella says with a sigh. "It's a lot, right?"

"Yeah, intense. Who knew Edward Cullen was such a romantic, mushy sap?" She laughs. "Like chill, we're not in the 19th century anymore."

The auditorium continues to fill with people, loud chatter and droning pop music competing against one another throughout the room.

Bella sets her phone down in her lap and sees a tall, blond girl walk through the theater in dark-wash jeans and a cropped, red bomber jacket. Anyone that knows her would recognize Rosalie's golden hair and perfect hourglass figure from a mile away. Her hair's twisted into a low messy bun, giving her a laid-back, cool look that screams model-off-duty.

Rosalie, unlike herself, fits in with Edward's group of friends. She's just as pretty, accomplished, and gleamy as the rest of them—if not more. She's a nurse and has her own apartment. She's lived in New York. She belongs.

Bella watches her exit through the side door and feels herself wither in comparison. She wonders what life would be like if she woke up looking like that.

A few moments later, she sees Emmett and Jasper come in through the main entrance. She slumps down in her seat, hoping they don't see her.

"What's up with you?" Jessica asks.

"Edward's best friend and Alice's boyfriend are over there," she says with a vague nod in their direction.

"Oh, I recognize them from the Halloween party! Should we go say hi?"

"No! I don't know them that well."

"Um, they're hot and good at party games," Jessica says excitedly. "Although, you probably don't remember that because you were too busy making out with Edward the entire time."

"They both have girlfriends," Bella reminds her, giving her friend a sideways glance.

"Yeah, okay, whatever. Most college relationships end after a few months anyway. By spring quarter that could be a totally different story. I'm just being realistic."

Jessica isn't wrong. Relationships of those around her are in a constant state of change. First dates, breakups, and makeups happen every day. As much as Bella hates to admit it, even her own relationship could end in the blink of an eye.

She picks up her phone and texts Edward back. Sounds great! I love you.

...

Backstage is a whirlwind of chaos as Alice tries to help Tanya's sister Kate into her dress. Designers make last-minute alterations, models scramble to get their hair and makeup done, and copious amounts of dry shampoo and hairspray cloy the air.

"Alice, you're on in five!" calls out Heather the show director, waving her clipboard at the design student urgently. "Your models need to be in the wings A.S.A.P."

"Perfect! We'll be there in thirty seconds!" she sings back.

She zips up Kate into the bejeweled, gold mermaid gown and looks over to Rosalie, who's reapplying another layer of red gloss to her lips.

Bella's roommate Angela stands nearby, snapping photos of the girls in their dresses, silently documenting the beautiful disarray.

"Okay, Kate, go stand on your marker! You're out first!" Alice directs.

Tanya fluffs her hair in the mirror behind Rosalie, adjusting a crystal hair pin tucked into her strawberry curls.

"Alice! Three!" Heather calls out in warning.

"Ten seconds!" Alice chimes back, dusting Tanya with more shimmery highlighter and adjusting the tulle skirt of her black and gold dress.

The music from the previous designer's set begins to come to a close, the beginning notes of "Moi" by Lolo Zouai drifting over the speakers.

"Gorgeous! Okay, Tanya, go!" she says, pushing her out towards the stage wings to wait on her marker for her sister to finish her walk.

Alice looks at Rosalie, and the blond gives her an apprehensive glance that reminds her all too well of how Jasper looks when he's stressed.

"You look amazing!" she says, zhuzhing her hair so that the golden curls lay just right against the garnet material of her bodice. "As soon as you get off stage, hurry back and we'll get you changed into the second outfit."

She can hear clapping and cheering from out front. It fills her heart with an overabundance of joy.

The shutter of Angela's camera snaps. Alice looks over with a laugh.

"Sorry, you looked so excited."

"You're totally fine! I'm having a moment!"

"How long have you been working on the collection?"

"All quarter basically. I spent a little over a week per dress." Alice begins to help Kate into a shimmery black ensemble to do her second walk in.

Once dressed, Kate poses dramatically with her arms raised above her head. Angela snaps another photo before she returns to the stage wing.

"What inspired you?" Angela asks, snapping a photo of Alice straightening out Tanya's crystal-studded tights.

Alice looks up from her spot crouched on the floor, smiling cheesily for another photo. "I love things that are sparkly and a bit ethereal. My designs are usually a balance of classic silhouettes with a tiny splash of avant-garde gaudiness. I kept everything in shades of red, black, and gold so it looks cohesive."

"The collection is beautiful."

"Thank you!"

"Did you design the outfit you're wearing too?" Angela asks, looking at her short, black, off-the-shoulder cocktail dress.

Alice stands and dusts Tanya with some setting powder before ushering her back out to the catwalk. "Yeah, it's not nearly as exciting as the other dresses, but I wanted something of my own to wear."

"No, it's cute! I like the sheer kind of floaty look it has!"

"Oh, thank you." Alice giggles at the compliment.

There's only one last look to prepare. Rosalie returns and begins to change into the slinky, black side-slit gown waiting for her.

"How is it out there?" Alice asks.

"There are so many people," Rosalie replies. "I didn't realize how packed it was going to be."

"Do you love it?"

"Of course I do."

Alice slides a ruby-encrusted comb into her hair, pinning back one side of her blond waves with a grin.

The two of them go to stand at the edge of the backstage area with Kate. Tanya finishes walking, then Rosalie.

Alice leads the girls down for a final walk, bowing at the end of the stage and posing with her models for the photographers sitting up front.

Hearing the applause and seeing the stunning results of her hard work come to fruition is pure bliss.

...

"I told Emmett we would go to dinner together, so I'm just going to get changed and head out," Rosalie tells Alice as soon as they get backstage again.

Alice shakes her head. "You don't have to return the dress right away. Wear it to your date!"

"Are you sure?" Rosalie looks down at the dark satin meticulously draped over her body. It's absolutely stunning, so she isn't opposed to the idea.

"Yep! You can return it the next time we see each other. No rush," Alice insists, picking up her phone and tapping away at the screen. Her coffin-shaped nails are done up black with gold leaf flakes to match her designs. "Tell Em to take you someplace nice."

Her brother's girlfriend is certainly generous. Rosalie had friends like her back in New York—girls with huge investment accounts, heavily-funded start-up businesses, and Black Cards that could buy them more designer clothes than they could ever wear—but they wouldn't be caught dead going to public universities. She isn't sure if she trusts it.

"I will, thanks," she says as she shrugs on her bomber jacket. It doesn't exactly match, but it's what she brought. She picks up her Saint Laurent crossbody from its spot on the metal desk they turned into a makeshift makeup and hair station. "Have a good night."

"You too!"

Rosalie leaves out the back and starts to type out a text to Emmett. There's no need to wait, though, because he's already standing outside the stage door exit.

"Oh!" she exclaims.

"Alice texted me," he says at her surprised gasp, his hand coming to her shoulder to steady her. "You look amazing, as always. I see she had you keep the dress."

"Thanks. It's just for tonight."

"It starts with one dress and then turns into a full wardrobe overhaul." Emmett laughs. "She likes telling people what to wear."

"At least she has good taste."

"Anything would look good with you in it," he says, kissing her cheek and putting his arm around her as they walk.

They go down to the parking garage where her BMW is parked. She clicks her key fob and the doors unlock with a beep.

"Is there anything good around here? What do you want to eat?" she asks, starting the car.

"You," he says flirtatiously, leaning over the center console to kiss her on the lips.

"You're going to mess up my lipstick," she chides, taking care not to smudge the crimson shade onto the rest of her face as she pulls away. She wipes the faint color stamped onto his mouth, a hint of a grin playing on her mouth. "Restaurants, I mean. Where should we go?"

He still seems very distracted. "Um...U-Village has a few good places. It's like five minutes from here."

Following his directions, they drive across campus and down the steep hill to the outdoor shopping center.

A few minutes later, they're seated at a softly lit table in a trendy American restaurant that she would consider elevated casual at most.

They munch on truffle tries, sliders, and wings while Emmett talks about the little league team he's coaching and Rosalie vents about the other nurses she works with. Rosalie sips on a rum and coke while Emmett holds her hand playfully across the table.

Every time he smiles, his dimples make her stomach do a flip. She feels incredibly stupid for letting something so small affect her so much. She actually really likes spending time with him.

"Can I come over tonight?" he asks, pausing their easy banter.

Rosalie answers without hesitation. "I have to be up early for work."

She looks down at their plates and sees that they're empty. She didn't notice the time passing during their conversation, nor had she paid much attention to the actual meal, though she knows the food was good.

"Oh, yeah. Got it. Okay," he says, clearly disappointed in her answer. "You have time off for Christmas and New Year's Eve, anyway, right? We can see each other more then."

Her stomach is in knots. "Yeah, that's right."

She looks down at her dress and up into the reflection of herself in the window behind Emmett. She's heavily made-up and undeniably beautiful. Alice did a great job on her hair. It's even more bouncy and voluminous than usual.

Frustration bubbles in her chest.

She's out at dinner in a drool-worthy gown with her boyfriend, enjoying herself and having a generally great time, and yet the idea of going home together still makes her feel uneasy. He's been nothing but nice to her, and she does want to be with him again, but she can't seem to come to terms with the idea of being that vulnerable.

Rosalie doesn't want to tell him that, though, so she leans into her busy work schedule and makes herself as unavailable as possible.

She wonders how long she can string him along for before he gives up on trying.

The check comes and they split the bill. She grabs her jacket draped off the back of her chair and slips it back over her shoulders. "Let's get going then."

...

Though the show's been over for some time now, there are still small lingering groups of design students, fashion affectionatos, and models around the theater, chatting and networking.

It's a little past nine when Alice decides it's time to start packing up her things to go home. She anticipated being busy for the majority of the night, so she's not surprised to see the backstage area deserted by the time she's finished talking with everyone. Except for some empty tables and chairs, the only things left are hers.

The student paper offered to do a feature on her designs in the upcoming issue, so she sat down to talk with them for a short while. Her studio professor wanted to have a chat. Esme came by to drop flowers off before heading back home with Carlisle. Angela, joined by Bella and Jessica, wanted to take more photos together. Then some of her classmates came up to congratulate her.

Alice is over the moon that the show was such a success.

She's zipping up the last gown into its garment bag when she hears footsteps walking in behind her followed by Jasper's slow, smooth voice. "There you are."

"You're still here!" She spins around to face him.

"Charlotte insisted on coming, so I was just talking with her and Peter out front," he explains. "You've been very busy tonight."

"And yet not a single editor from Vogue approached me for an exclusive interview!"

He sucks his teeth in mock discontent. "They were probably just too intimidated."

"Is the all-black outfit too spooky? Do you think it's making me unapproachable?" She giggles.

"I was thinking pretty. You're going to have to try a lot harder if you're wanting to pull off scary."

Alice feels herself blush a little. "Well, I think you're pretty too, Jazz."

"Thank you. I don't think anyone's ever told me that, but I do appreciate it," he says with a laugh.

He's dressed in a plain black sweater and a leather jacket. A pair of dark leather boots peek out from under his dark-wash jeans.

His light brown eyes are rimmed with faint dark circles, but she thinks he looks the healthiest he has since they've met. In-person, at least. Her visions are another matter entirely.

"You have an eyelash on your cheek," she says, motioning him closer. "Here, let me get it."

He holds still while she carefully picks up the fallen blond lash from under his eye.

"Make a wish," she says, grabbing his hand and sticking the eyelash between their two thumbs. It's a childish superstition, but she enjoys it all the same.

She closes her eyes for a moment and wishes for a fantastic trip to Paris and that Jasper will be okay. She doesn't want him to have to deal with any more trouble.

Warm lips brush against hers.

She opens her eyes and Jasper is looking at her with a mixture of uncertainty and hopefulness.

"What was that for?" Her lips turn up in a grin. She's surprised but not at all disappointed.

"No reason. Just seemed like the thing to do."

She laughs. "How was it?"

"Quite frankly, I'd like another," he says cheekily.

She motions him closer again, kissing him back this time.

Kissing in real-time is a lot different than watching it in a vision, she realizes. Her body feels like it's filled with little carbonated bubbles from head-to-toe. Elated. Buoyant.

She thought her night peaked with the show, but it's evidently still on an upward swing.

"This is nice," she muses.

"Very," he agrees, holding her for a moment before letting her continue gathering her things. "Can I help you out to the car?"

"Please do!"

"You don't seem all that tired. I was expecting to have to peel you off the floor."

She hands him a stack of garment bags then grabs her mini sewing machine and makeup kit. "I'm running on green juice and caffeine right now. Wait another hour and I'll be there."

They leave out the exit nearest the garage, and she leads the way to Esme's borrowed Tesla.

"What time am I coming over for Christmas again?" he asks.

"Tanya, Kate, and Irina are planning on sometime around ten, but you can come whenever you're up," she replies, popping the car hatch so Jasper can set the dresses in the back. She puts the sewing machine and makeup in the back seat where they'll have less room to jostle around.

"Do you need a ride?" she asks. If he came with Rosalie, she already left with Emmett a couple of hours ago. Peter and Charlotte don't seem to be around either.

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"I'll drop you off."

They get into the car, and Alice starts the engine.

Her big day is barely ending and she's already excited for the Christmas brunch she and Esme planned for all of their friends—sans Edward because he'll be in Forks with Bella visiting her dad.

She's still not sure what Jasper got her for the occasion, but there is something. She saw a wrapped present in a vision last week.

As for the gift she'd picked out for him, she found it last weekend while she was out shopping for shoes. She was about to get herself a new pair of block-heeled suede boots when she spotted the exact same grey, cashmere sweater that she'd seen Jasper wearing in a dream months ago.

Everything's falling into place.