CHAPTER 16: ONE NIGHT

Alice POV

Tonight was going to be great. I had arranged for us to see a play that was showing at a local theater and then take Bella to dinner at this great place that also had dancing. I had dressed her up in this wonderful ice blue one shoulder dress that I knew Edward would love. I had had to shorten it a little but it was going to be worth it.

I thought about what I had up my sleeve for after the play as we rode in the car to the theater. This wouldn't change Edward's mind completely but it would make his decision harder for him. It would also hurt him which was the part that I wasn't happy about.

We still weren't getting along and I was sick about it. I had never fought with him this long over anything; hell I had never fought with him at all. Not really. Yes, we had our sibling moments and those times when Edward's temper would flare for no reason but that he was mad at the world but nothing like this. I hated what this was doing to him but I couldn't just stand by and act like it was okay. He had to see reason.

I knew that it was a lot to give up. Even if I didn't remember my human life I knew that I must have had a family or someone somewhere. I could see how much Bella loved her parents and I had seen how much Chief Swan cared for her. But things were so different now than they had been that first day. We all knew her and Edward loved her and most importantly she wanted this. She had weighed the good and the bad and made her decision. How could he not honor that?

He would hate me if I went behind his back and had Carlisle do it as I had shown him. I knew that he would eventually forgive me but there would always be a distance between us that had never been there before and I couldn't abide by that unless I absolutely had to. Edward had always been my favorite. From the first moment that I had seen them even before we met I had known that we would be close. I loved Emmett but Edward made me feel less of a freak.

He understood what it was like to have to see things and hear things you didn't want to. He didn't judge me when it became too much watch the family all the time for slip ups and dangers and guest that were just stopping by. He listened to Jasper even when I knew that it made it harder for him just so that I didn't have to worry that I would miss something and Jasper would take a life. He was a good brother; the best and he deserved to be as happy as he had been with Bella before everything got shot to hell.

Why couldn't I make him see that? Why couldn't he understand that we all wanted to protect her and we all loved her but we just saw the bigger picture? We saw what his decision would do to them both and we didn't want to watch the pain. And I knew that I would. I wouldn't be able to stop it from repeating over and over in my head. Every day as she got worse and worse. That was what we were trying to avoid. Why didn't he get that?

"Is this it Alice?" Jasper asked as he turned onto the street that we needed.

"Yes, right over there." I pointed to the small little space that was showing the perfect musical. At least I hoped it would be perfect.

We walked in and I pulled Jasper to the side to make sure that he was going to be able to handle being in such a closed in space with all the people that would no doubt be there. He assured me that he would be fine and that if it became too much he would step out and wait in the car. I nodded, hating the idea of him missing this, and walked in to find our seat.

Emmett had gone in first and then Edward and Bella would be next to me. We were going to let Jasper have the aisle seat just in case. I squeezed Bella's hand and the lights went down as the curtain came up.

It was a touching play called "Dreamgirls" about three women that dreamed of being stars and the road that they took to get there. The music was amazing but there was one song that touched us the most. It was right before intermission and I saw Bella crying silently as the girl on stage begged her boyfriend not to leave her. It was as if Bella had written the words herself.

And I am telling you
I'm not going
You're the best man I'll ever know
There's no way I can ever, ever go
No, no, no, no way
No, no, no, no way I'm living without you
Oh, I'm not living without you, not living without you
I don't wanna be free
I'm staying, I'm staying
And you, and you, and you
You're gonna love me

I saw Edward pull something out and I could only guess that it was a tissue of some sort and hand it to her. His arm went around her and she leaned on his shoulder and I thought that he had finally gotten it. But as soon as the lights came back up then he set her aside and walked outside to get some air. I was so past frustrated with his attitude but I didn't let that deter me. The best part of the night was still to come.

We went to the restaurant after despite Bella's protest. She had a point about us eating but we had faked it before and we would again so I didn't see why it was a big deal. We sat down and Emmett of course began talking as soon as the waitress had taken our order.

"I didn't get it." He started in. "She went through all that crap to be famous and then walked away at the end."

"She didn't walk away Em" I explained. "She just decided to do it without the guy that had ruled her life. She wanted to be free to make her own decisions." I looked over at Edward but he wouldn't look at me.

I had a feeling that he knew what I had been trying to say with that play but he wasn't going to concede the point.

"Well, I still think she should have stayed with the group." Emmett was still going on. "Look at all the bad stuff that happened to the girl that got left behind. She barely had any money and she was all depressed. It wasn't right. They were supposed to be her friends and they just left her."

I wanted to reach over and kiss Emmett. He had pointed out everything that I had wanted Edward to get from the play and I didn't have to say a word.

"But it worked out in the end" Edward glared over at me. Of course he would see that. "She rebuilt her life and it was better than before."

"Yeah but with her friends help." Emmett laughed. "Think about it. They sang that song together and everything." I stuck my tongue out at Edward. It wasn't very mature but I wasn't feeling very mature at that moment anyway.

Bella's food came along with ours and we all pushed it around the plate but didn't eat anything. "I'm curious" Bella used her fork to motion to the whole table. "If you had to eat real food could you?"

We all laughed. It was such a human question. "Yes we can." I answered.

"But we would have to throw it up later." Jasper went on.

"And it's really gross" Emmett finished up.

"I see" Bella stuffed another fork full of manicotti into her mouth. "Taste good to me." She said when her mouth wasn't full.

This time we almost turned heads with how hard and loud we were laughing. How could Edward not see how well she fit in with us? She was perfect and we needed her so much.

"Pardon me" A tall and quite handsome man walked up behind Bella's chair. "Would you like to dance?"

She didn't say anything and we were all looking at her. Granted we all had different looks on our face. Jasper was looking almost sick as Bella flushed burnt red and Emmett looked shocked that someone would walk over to our table but Edward's express was the best. He looked ready to rip the guy's arms off and take Bella and leave.

"I don't dance" She was shaking her head and I rolled my eyes. This was never going to work if she didn't cooperate.

I kicked her under the table and she yelped in pain. "Bella, I'm sure this nice gentleman could help you." I said through my teeth.

She looked over at me and I winked quickly before the others could see. Unfortunately, not fast enough. I heard Edward's growl right before Jasper leaned in and whisper, "Did you do this?"

"Um, I would hate to step on your feet." Bella was starting to rise.

"Relax" He smiled at her. "It's all in the leading."

Edward stood too putting a restraining hand on her arm. "Bella you can't dance with him."

"Why not?" She asked innocently. "I thought this was what you wanted for me." She stared into his eyes and then turned abruptly and let the other guy lead her away.

Edward spun on me before she was two steps away. "What are you doing?"

"She's fine Edward" I let my joy show. This was going to be easy. "It's not like she's going off to Mexico with the guy. Their just dancing and we can see them from here."

"Alice" I heard the warning in his voice but I didn't stop.

"You wanted her to move on" I said. "Did you not think that one day she would meet someone else? That she would dance with someone else. That someone else would get to hold her and kiss her and be with her."

"But I don't need to see it." He almost screamed.

"Edward calm down." Jasper had a hand on him. People were staring at us.

"Jasper's right man" Emmett was pushing him back into his seat. "Just relax."

They all turned to watch as Bella danced with this new guy. She smiled as she did step on his toe and I heard them all laugh quietly. Emmett followed it up with a "that a girl" but they didn't move until he leaned in to say something in her ear. Then they all stood.

"Will you all sit back down?" I hissed. It was bad enough that my argument with Edward had drawn attention the last thing we needed was the three of them going over there and threatening him.

They listened to me but they didn't relax. Their eyes stayed glued to Bella as she moved around the floor. They watched every hand move and facial expression. When the song ended they watched as Bella started dancing with him again.

"Their dancing to another song?" Edward stood again ready to go over there.

"Maybe she likes him." I shrugged.

"Maybe you set this up" He was glaring at me. "Isn't it bad enough without all this? The play and the songs and the guy that has his hands all over her. Don't you think its bad enough without your interference?"

"Yes I do" I shocked him by agreeing. "But that doesn't change the fact that it's not about you Edward. This is about both of you; you and Bella, and the sooner you realize that the faster you can spare all of us the pain that will come with your decision."

"Exactly" He growled. "My decision; not yours!"

"And apparently not Bella's either" I whispered. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of yelling as I wanted too.

He stood there looking at me waiting for me to say something else or do something else but I didn't. Quietly, without another word or glance at Bella, he left the restaurant.

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Bella POV

I saw Edward leave and it broke my heart again. It seemed like all I was getting these days was one broken heart after another. Emmett came over a few seconds later to cut in on my dance with the guy who had explain that Alice had paid him to make Edward jealous. That both made me feel better and worse. Did she not think that I could attract someone on my own? Who was I kidding? Of course I couldn't.

We all left shortly after that and went back to the hotel. I didn't ask what happened with Edward and they didn't tell me. I didn't hope that it was anything good because I knew that if it was he wouldn't have left. I went to my room wishing everyone good night and went inside.

I took a shower, needing twenty extra minutes to get all the goop out of my hair, put on my pajamas and climbed into bed. I didn't think that I would be able to sleep but the next thing I knew I was waking up. I looked at the clock to see that it was only three in the morning and turned back over to sleep and that was when I saw him.

He was sitting so still he could have been a statue. He didn't blink or breath or anything just stared at me. "What do you want Edward?" I was tired and I didn't want to go through it all again.

"You" He said without any preamble. "I just want you."

"For how long?" My heart cried.

"Forever" He said and I was amazed that I could hear it. "But it wouldn't be right."

"I don't care about right or wrong or any of that."

"You say that now but you have no idea how fast it goes. Soon you will hate me for taking you away from everything, for stealing the life away from you that you could have had."

"I could never hate you."

He moved then coming closer and sitting on the edge of the bed. "You're so beautiful and loving and I don't deserve you but God help me I can't stay away from you either."

"Then don't" I sat up just as he leaned toward me.

We were kissing before he laid me back against the pillows. His hands so gentle against the sides of my body. I had missed this so much. My arms wrapped around his neck trying to pull him closer. I never wanted us to stop. His lips moved to my cheek and my neck and my ear. He was kissing me everywhere and I was drowning it the feel of him.

"Just let me hold you." He whispered right against my ear. "Just let me hold you one more night."

I wanted to scream yes but there was something in the way he said that that made me pause. "What do you mean?"

"Just give me tonight, please."

"And what about tomorrow?"

"I don't want to think about tomorrow. I just need you tonight." His lips were moving again and my mind was spiraling away from me but I stopped and pushed against him.

"What happened tomorrow Edward?"

"Tomorrow I take you home."

"To Florida or to Forks?"

"Bella" The anguish he put into my name tore at my heart. "I can't."

"You would stay with me tonight and then leave me tomorrow?" I realized as I said it that this might be all that I was ever going to get from him but it wouldn't be enough. It wouldn't be nearly enough. "How is that fair? How can you ask that of me?"

"Because it hurts too much to not touch you, to not hold you" He reached for me but I moved out of his grasp. "Bella I need you."

"For tonight."

"It's like the song said, 'one night only, one night only, that's all I have to give'." His eyes pleaded with me.

"But it isn't Edward." I was shaking my head. I could feel the tears in my eyes but I didn't look away. He needed to understand what he was doing to me.

"You have so many nights. You have every night that there is left in this world and your only willing to give me one? How can you make that make sense? How can you think that is okay when you love me? Maybe it's selfish of me but I don't want just one night. I want them all and I want them all with you."

"If I could" His voice caught and I had the feeling that if he could he would be crying too. "If I could be human for you Bella I would do it. Whatever the price I would pay it."

"Then why won't you let me pay the price to be with you? To be like you?" I hoped that he was hearing me.

"Because it's too high" He was shaking his head. "I'm not worth it."

"Then that's just one more thing we disagree on." I shrugged. "You should go."

"Bella…"

"Please."

He didn't say anything just got up and walked to the door. "I'm not worth you life Bella." He paused with the door open. "I'm not worth your soul." I didn't hear the door close but when I looked back he was gone.

I fell on the bed in tears. I could still smell the sweetness of him in the sheets and it only made me cry harder. I was going to lose him and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I could have Alice change me but he would resent me for the rest of eternity. This was it. Come tomorrow I would be all alone. There was nothing more I could do.

AN: This is going to be a quick note because I have a lot to share on the next one. So on with the show. PS. Don't forget to review :).