WARNING: This chapter is the reason this story is an 'M' rating. But since you're all reading it, you are obviously allowed to, so I'm not going to add a warning at the beginning of the 'M' part. Besides, if you skip it it'll ruin the storyline.
Well! I'm back :-D I've been in the city with my (older) sisters for the past week because my parents went on some four-day holiday thing. I had a good time - one of my friends came and stayed with me for a few days - but it feels good to be able to post another chapter for you all!! And aww... I had soo many reviews, I mean; the names of the reviewers below are just the people that review chap 24. There were a ton more from other chapters and stuff. You guys are champs!
I also got a resounding response on the sequal issue - I think I'll probably do one. There wasn't a lot of enthusiasm for the prequal so if I do get around to it, it probably wont be very long.
PLEASE READ: I don't think I'll do a lemon... it just doesn't fit in the story.
Reviewers: (These are just from chap 24 - I'm too tired to try and write every single reviewer's name and the number of reviews they left, but I love you all just the same!)
laibballfan, LookAfterMyHeart, bedwardforever, FrEvrNvrLasts, AlwaysBettingOnAlice, Intoxicated By His Presence, MelissaTheTwilightFan, jennifier potter, In The Life Of Sara's, Rhiannon Summer, Bleaktwilight, booknerd14, HarvestEclipse31, Thats-So-Alice, Shining Eclipse, LivforLove, Bethany Knight, edwardsfavouriteflavour, ivmar2990, jacob is the new black, jake.n.ash.n.edward, Princess-Tinkerbelle, Screams-At-Midnight, CullenLove, dark-star.mystery, margaritama, x-aly-x, Gtimes3, BellaAtHeart, 143twilighter, Vampires-Rock4eva, books and bojangles, Erika Baby, smile for the paparazzi, Sbieleski, Music ADD, MandeeJx3, ForeverWasteAway, IrisOfTheRainbow, Eshizz, BlackBells, xx Phyre xx, StarryNightT, neatospeedo, gkc, tw-i-see-light, musicormisery4105, Fanpire, Ghosts in the Snow.
Special Mentions: (again, just from chap 24)
bedwardforever: There'll just be Bella's POV in this story... no Alice's unfortunately. But it's good to have a little mystery, isn't it?
Rhiannon Summer: What? Why are you killing me..?
HarvestEclipse31: Yeah, Bella is a lot different in her letters than she is in real life - but with letters she can take as long as she wants to think of a response to something, where as face-to-face makes her nervous. Especially with Edward. But hey, who wouldn't be tongue tied around Edward? Lol.
edwardsfavouriteflavour: Edward wanted to break it gently to Bella that she'd been around his father for the last few years of her life without realising it, so by suggesting it or pretending not to know a lot about it he was trying to let her figure it out for herself. Which she did :-)
xx Phyre xx: Sorry... but I am confused about your question, could you let me know what you meant about the Esme thing? Thanks :-D
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Again, this was a short 'Special Mentions' section, but I'm so tired it's not funny! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Five: Masquerade
Saturday night. The 'big night'. The Masquerade Ball. The Big Saturday Night Masquerade Ball.
No matter how I thought of it, my stomach still twisted into knots. Currently I was in Alice's bedroom, wearing my beautiful purple dress and beautiful black shoes with my beautiful black satin mask was hanging limply from my hand. Alice was strutting around in her fabulously flattering dress. I couldn't believe that she'd managed to look even better than normal, but hey, it was Alice.
The dress was strapless, and like mine, came to the floor. The main body of it was white, but there were elegantly messy strips of black lace hanging from the band around her torso. There were gold ribbons strewn through the mess of material, and though it looked like she was some kind of gothic bride who'd just sprinted backwards through a rose bush, Alice made the dress beautiful by wearing it. She raised her golden mask with one hand and held the side of her dress with the other as she swayed her hips on the spot. I'd been given the honour of doing her hair tonight – she'd grown it out a bit and it was now long enough to be gently curled. So that's what I did. And I thought it looked great.
The mask was a satiny kind of gold, and had black trimming around the edges; both around the outside edge and around her eyes. She could seduce a gay man by just looking at him. I was envious beyond comprehension.
"What do you think?" she said, turning to look at herself in the full-length mirror. She looked her reflection up and down, scrutinising every part of what she was wearing. I realised that I'd forgotten that I'd been asked a question, and Alice looked back at me, expectant.
"Oh, yeah, you look drop dead gorgeous, Alice," I said, the phrase 'understatement of the century' drifting through my head.
Alice giggled and looked back at the mirror. "Thanks, Bella." There was a small pause, then she looked back at me. "Come here," she instructed, stepping to the side.
I walked over to her, and looked at her, waiting for an explanation. "What?"
She didn't say anything, she just looked back at the mirror. There, staring back at me was someone I barely recognised, but would be happy to pretend to be for the night.
The dress looked good, the shoes looked good, the jewellery looked good, the makeup and hair looked good. The mask looked good, even though it was just hanging from my hand. And I looked good wearing them all. I smiled.
Alice insisted on taking her Porsche, and I had no problem with that. It was much flashier than my truck, and Alice always liked to make an entrance. There was no point in denying her the simple pleasure.
"You do know where Jasper's house is, right?" I could only just see her from the faint lights on the dashboard.
"Yeah, Emmett knows." She kept her eyes on the road, but she knew I was about to ask 'why' so she continued speaking. "I think he was going to egg his house last year or something, but the idea got out and some other people got to it before him."
"Oh." I sat back in my seat and watched the streetlamps whiz past.
Around ten minutes later the car started to decelerate. Up on a hill at the end of a long driveway was a huge house. Even from down here, which would have to have been at least a kilometre away, we could see graceful couples dancing on a huge balcony with the yellowish lights of the house twinkling behind them. Alice squealed with excitement beside me, and I laughed.
We both stared at the house as it got closer. There was a guy with glow-in the dark traffic control rods in his hands directing the cars to a large meadow at the back of the Whitlock's house. Alice parked there along with at least another hundred cars, and threw her keys into her hidden dress pocket as we walked to the house.
"Wow," was all I could say. We rounded the corner from a five car-garage building and the whole scene was laid out before us.
There were wide white steps with candles lining them leading down to a huge paved area. People were standing around chatting, wine glasses in their hands. Every guy was wearing a tuxedo and every girl was wearing a beautiful Victorian style dress with a mask on their face. Jasper had done well. I didn't see many people I recognised, but I could hear Tanya's nasal laugh and Victoria's screechy voice carrying over the crowd. Olden-style music was quietly playing through a stack of amplifiers both taller and wider than Alice's car.
"Masks on," Alice said, holding hers up to her face. Her cheeks were lifted in an unmistakable grin.
"Masks on," I agreed, and carefully strapped mine to my face. It was comfortable, fortunately, and I didn't feel the need to itch my nose or readjust the placement of the eye-holes.
"Let's go." Alice led the way down the steps, holding her dress elegantly as she went so she wouldn't go flying. I copied her and was pleased to have conquered the stairs in heels.
We passed four burly men in tuxedos who were standing guard at the end of the path. Security guards. Jasper certainly hadn't skimped on the details.
Alice linked her arm in mine and we stepped forward together. A few people closest to us immediately stopped talking and stared at us both. Then the people behind them looked; and those behind them; until the only thing heard were the quavering lyrics of an unknown singer.
I leaned down and whispered to Alice. "What's going on?"
She took a moment to answer, but looked up at me after a few seconds. "They're looking at you."
I blushed and hoped like anything that my underwear line wasn't showing, or that my breasts were sufficiently covered, or that there wasn't a hideous stain on my lovely purple dress.
"Why?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "Because, you look fabulous."
"I do?"
"Yes."
"Oh." I looked up and relaxed a bit when I saw that most people had turned away, though some kept looking at me like they didn't know who I was. "I'm going to get a drink," I said, untangling my arm from Alice's.
"Okay. Catch up soon."
Then I turned and headed over to the long white table with delicate looking foods on it. I was just wondering whether a particular dish would be spicy or not when a voice made me jump.
"Good evening, Miss Swan," he said, and I turned to see Jacob strolling over.
I smiled and straightened up. "Hey Jake, you look great!" And he did look great. He was wearing a tux and had done his hair for once. It was in a carefully smoothed back 'do, but looked classy on him. He looked every part the gentleman. "This is amazing; did you and Jasper do it all on your own?"
"Kind of," he leaned on the table and looked out at the now waltzing crowd. "Japer's sister helped out a fair bit. She's good with this stuff."
I was surprised, and curious. "Jasper has a sister?"
"Sure," Jake raised an eyebrow at me. "Isn't Alice's brother dating her or something?"
Rosalie?! Rosalie Whitlock?!
"I, you, Emmett's- What?"
"Rosalie. That's Jasper's sister. Why do you think she's the only one who can control him?"
That would explain a lot.
"What? For how long?" I instantly wanted to grab the words back once they'd been spoken. What an undeniably stupid thing to say.
Jake laughed, but it wasn't nasty. "Since birth, Bella. They're twins."
Twins. Wow.
"Geez." I pondered this for a moment. "Where is Jasper? And Rosalie? And everyone else, for that matter?"
Jake shrugged. "Still coming, I guess. Rose is here somewhere, Jasper's busy chatting up some chick – and as for your friends – I have no idea."
Another dance tune struck up, and I felt the urge to get on the dance floor. I was sure that it wouldn't be good for my health, but for some reason the song was making me ignore that. I looked at Jake, and smiled.
"Wanna dance?" I said, holding out a hand.
He didn't hesitate. "Sure."
His hand covered mine and he led me elegantly out onto the dance floor, getting us a little room between the other dancers just by being so big. He then turned to me and put one palm on my waist and the other linked with my fingers. I put my free hand on his shoulder and swayed to the music with him. He taught me the easy steps, and soon we were laughing as I continually got his toes.
"I have an idea," he mused after the sixth crush of his right foot.
"Yeah?"
"Stand on my feet."
"Okay." So I did. I stood on his feet like I did when I was little and Charlie would dance with me in the lounge of our home, Renee playing the piano. I pushed the memory aside and concentrated on the here and now.
"You look really good," Jacob said kindly, knowing me well enough to see that I was still feeling a little self-conscious. Some people were still giving me queer looks.
"Thanks," I said sincerely, smiling at him. This was the Jake I liked. This was the Jake that I spent almost all my waking time with when I was small. This was the Jake that made me laugh when I was sad, smile when I was angry, and handed me a bandaid whenever I fell. Too bad it never stays like this, I thought unhappily to myself.
"What's wrong?" he asked me, and I realised too late that whatever I would think about would always show on my face.
"Nothing," I said quickly. Too quickly.
"Come on, I won't tell. Promise," he said, giving me the grin that I'd usually only ever see in pictures from sandpit castle days.
I knew he wouldn't let it drop, and I knew I was a terrible liar. So I went for the truth and hoped he wouldn't laugh at me.
I pushed back my mask so I could see him better; and so he could see me better too. It rested on the top of my head. "I was thinking that you always change when you're around Jasper. One minute, you're sweet and kind – the Jake that I was best friends with when I was little. Then, you're throwing things at people in the cafeteria and laughing when someone hurts themselves. I don't get it. It's very confusing. And I also don't understand why you're friends with Jasper. He's horrid to everyone."
I said all that with a calm expression, and instead of Jake laughing, he looked thoughtful. Is he actually listening to me?
"Everyone is different around different people, Bella." I opened my mouth to contradict him, but he silenced me with a look. I pursed my lips and kept dancing with him. "Now, I know I'm very different around you and Jasper, but so is Jasper. He's a much better person when he's not around certain people."
"What do you mean 'certain people'?"
He looked uncomfortable, and I could see his mind calculating by his facial expression. "I mean, well," he looked around to make sure we weren't being eavesdropped on. "Can you keep a secret?"
I nodded.
"Okay. Jasper only acts like a dick-weed around Alice."
I stared at him, uncomprehending. I knew the answer was blatantly obvious, but it was eluding me for some reason.
"What?"
"Bella," he said, frustrated that I was making him say it. "Jasper is pretty much in love with Alice."
I was silent for a moment, and used almost all my self control to not yell. So I spoke through clenched teeth.
"So, he likes her, yet he makes it his mission to ruin her life?"
Jacob sighed and let go of my hand for a moment while he ran it through his hair. I put my other arm on his shoulder so I wouldn't fall from the platform of his feet. He sighed a frustrated sigh and put his arms on my lower back to help hold me up.
"I don't know. He doesn't really know. He just wants an excuse to talk to her, I think. Or maybe he's hoping she'll confront him about it one day and they'll end up in each others arms by the end of the fight…? I really have no idea. He's weird like that."
I didn't say anything for a moment, but simply stared at the buttons on Jake's shirt while we danced. I didn't even notice that a new song was playing now.
Maybe its time for a subject change.
"Why isn't it wet in here?" I said, looking at the starless sky, knowing that clouds would be biding their time for an attack of rain.
"There's a plastic cover over everything. Like a tent. It's awesome during the night because you can't see it." He looked up too. "Shame that we can't see the stars."
Great. Comments on the weather. This conversation is pretty much dead. Abandon ship!
I stepped off of Jacob's feet and looked up at him, then dropped my hands to my sides. He dropped his hands as well. I was pleased to notice that he didn't try anything during the whole dance/conversation.
"I think I'll go get that drink now. I'll speak to you a bit later, Jake. And thanks for telling me that, um, secret."
"No problem. See you," he waved, then disappeared into the crowd.
I headed back to the drinks table and poured one for myself. I leaned against the table, one arm folded, as I thought about what Jake had just told me.
Jasper likes Alice. A lot. But he's horrible to her! What kind of a person does that to someone they have feelings for? It's stupid. Senseless. Why wouldn't he just tell her? I looked around the crowd and saw Jasper's head bouncing along the border as he walked. Usually I would have cringed and turned away, but I didn't. I observed him like he was a specimen under a microscope.
His expression was a bit bored, but attentive. He was watching everyone carefully for any sign of conflict. Though he normally made people feel passionately angry, he was also good at being a calming influence. I'd seen him talk drunks out of fights who had been about to rip apart each other's throats at parties – but then he'd go and steal their car keys for the night. Hang on, the little voice in my head interrupted. How many accidents has there been since he started doing that? None. He was just worried about them.
Oh my God. Jasper Whitlock is nice.
"Bella."
I almost screamed at the interruption to my epiphany.
"Mike! What are you doing here?" I held my hand over my heart and tried to breathe normally. I was being frightened way too much lately.
"I was invited." He'd skipped the 'v' in 'invited'; slurring his words. Mike was drunk.
I looked him over, taking in his wrinkled shirt, shoes on the wrong feet, tie loosened and vest done up on the wrong buttons. I felt a surge of pity for him, despite my mind reminding me of how horrid he was.
But he's still a person, I answered back.
I looked at the well-dressed people around me and wondered how many had seen him like this. No one was paying us any attention, so I made my decision.
"Come on, Mike," I said, taking his hand and leading him into the house.
We weaved through the small groups of people gathered around the inside heaters and headed for the stairs. I assumed that in a house this size there was going to be a guest room with an en suite bathroom, and I was right. Down the end of the hall to the right was a barely-decorated room with unisexual coloured curtains and bedspread. I set Mike down on the bed and went to the bathroom, flipping on the light. I gathered some tissues, a small glass of water and discovered some aftershave in the medicine cabinet.
I went back to the bedroom and set the things down on the dresser. Mike's head had drooped down and he appeared to be sleeping while sitting up. I shook him lightly and his head snapped up. He looked a little dazed.
"Bella?" he asked sleepily.
"I'm here," I said gently. "Lift your head a bit."
He did as he was told, so I reached over and dampened a tissue. Then I brought it back to his face and cleaned him up a bit. When that was done, I dabbed on a little aftershave. I remembered that I'd seen a comb in the bathroom, so I went and got it, then combed Mike's hair. The next thing I fixed was his vest. I undid it, straightened his shirt and then did the buttons up in the right holes. Mike was starting to come around a little more as I fiddled with his tie. It was damn near impossible to get right.
"…didn't mean to say it," he said. Most of his sentences were disjointed and varied in volume, so I just learned to agree with them.
"Uh huh," I said mindlessly.
His head suddenly snapped up, making me start. "Keep still," I said. "I'm not done yet."
"You do?"
I rolled my eyes, getting sick of his ramblings. "Yes, Mike. Hold still."
"Really?"
"Mmhmm." I finally fixed the tie. "Done!" I said, leaning back on my knees to stand up.
But Mike, apparently, didn't want me to get up. He put his hands on my shoulders and my knees buckled under me, making me fall back on the ground. I looked up at him with a mixture of shock and irritation on my face.
"Mike, settle down. You owe me one for this." I tried to get up again, but fell back as Mike slid onto his knees from the bed and held my shoulders in place.
"Bella," he said, slurring the simplest of words. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to. You were just, and I was just, I mean… I love you! Don't you love me?"
I was starting to feel scared. He had a crazed look on his face, and my heart was beating frantically for all the wrong reasons.
"We broke up, Mike. It's over," I said, trying to be subtle as I slid backwards.
Mike slid further toward me to make up for the distance. I gathered a handful of my dress and tried to untangle my feet so I could make a break for it.
"But I love you," he said, becoming more insistent.
I tried to find some kind of medium. "Yes, I know Mike. But that time has passed. We're not right for each other. It's time to move on."
"I don't want to move on!" he very nearly shouted, and I hoped like anything that someone heard it downstairs. "I want you!"
He was unreasonably close now; I could smell the reeking alcohol on his breath. I was too scared to make any sudden movements. He may have been drunk, but he was still stronger than me.
"No, you-" I started to say, but was forcefully cut off.
Mike trapped my head in his hands and kissed me roughly. I tried to shake my head to get him off but his grip on me tightened and I winced at the pain. The roots of my hair were being torn out and it was horrible. I kept my lips firmly closed, and though he was trying to make me open them, I wouldn't. He smelled like an ashtray that'd drowned in stale alcohol weeks before. A frightened tear slipped down my cheek, and I prayed as hard as I could, please let someone come in.
But they didn't.
He stood up and pulled me with him, not loosening his vice-like grip on my head. One of Mike's hands stayed in my hair, tearing it more. The other dropped down and started trying to try and find the zipper along the side of my dress. I stepped back, trying to get my body as far from his wandering hands as possible. I was immeasurably glad that the zipper was on the other side. I started smacking his chest with my fists, but I was so scared that the punches were pathetically weak. Mike noticed where I was moving and mistook my fear for me wanting him to get across the room. He stepped forward a few times and I suddenly felt a gush of air leave my lungs as he shoved me angrily against the wall.
This made things worse for several reasons.
First, my hands were now trapped between his body and mine where I'd been trying to push him away. Second, he'd planted his feet either side of mine to prevent any prospect defensive-kneeing action. Thirdly, when I'd gasped, my mouth had opened for a millisecond, but that was all it took.
Mike's tongue was in, and I was so close to vomiting that my stomach actually felt like a washing machine in motion. I wondered if he would get off me if I threw up on him. More tears were slipping down my cheeks. Suddenly, I got inspired – for want of a better word – and did something both disgusting and hopefully painful.
Unfortunately, Mike was still trying to get an oral response from me. Fortunately, I was smart enough to know that biting your tongue – or having your tongue bitten – was especially excruciating. So that was what I did.
"OW!" he yelled, staggering backward and one hand flying to his mouth. When he'd released me I'd all but fallen to the ground again. He brought his fingers away from his lips and I saw that he was bleeding. He looked at me angrily, and I knew that if I didn't run now, I wasn't going to escape at all.
I turned for the door, but forgot to hitch up my long dress. I went flying to the ground immediately, and moaned as my jaw smashed against the carpet. Nothing was broken, as far as I could tell, but that was the least of my problems.
"I love you, Bella," he said angrily, insistently, rolling me over.
He sat down on my thighs, and I couldn't move my legs. He grabbed one of my flailing arms and held it above my head, then snatched the other and did the same. I cried openly now.
"Get off!" I cried, trying to sound angry but just sounding pathetic, even to my own ears. I tried to wriggle out from under him, but there was no escape. Nothing, and no one, not even Alice or Hercules, would be able to escape this scenario with the contrast of strength so great.
But then, I realised something I was very good at.
"HEEEEELLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!" I shrieked; loud enough for China to hear. Mike immediately 'shhhhhh!'d at me and clamped his hand over my mouth, but it was too late. For him, anyway.
"BELLA?!" Alice's panicked voice came from down the hall. I tried to yell back but Mike's hand was in the way. He didn't look even half as scared as I felt. A normally useless memory came to mind, but it was quite useful right now.
In primary school, when someone would try and hush you with their hand, if you licked their palm they'd automatically remove it because it felt weird. But I thought this situation called for more dramatic circumstances. So I opened my mouth, and Mike's firmly pressed hand immediately fell between my open teeth. I bit down, hard, and didn't let go when he yelled out in pain and tried to pull his hand away.
But then I did let go, and he yanked his hand back. I screamed bloody murder.
"ALICE! HELP ME! AAAAAAAAAALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!" Then I screamed at the top of my lungs like I was being murdered, which wasn't too far from the fact.
"EMMETT! SAM! GET UP HERE NOW!" Alice's glorious voice came from the hallway, and it was getting louder with every step she took.
Mike was too scared to move, and I was too scared to draw attention to myself anymore. We both stared at the door for a long second before it burst open, Alice standing in front of two of the best-dressed and more murderous looking giants I've ever seen.
Alice's voice was venomous. "Get him."
Sam and Emmett leapt forward and yanked Mike off of me like he was a rag doll. I spluttered with happiness, but couldn't control myself enough to get up. Alice's voice was a murmur in the background, but then she was by my side, patting my hair from my face and mumbling comforting words.
"It's alright; he's gone now, he's not coming back. You're safe, you're with me. Bella, look at me. Look at me! It's me, Alice. No Mike, just Alice."
She kept mumbling words and stroking my hair from my face while I spluttered on the floor. I managed to pull myself up so I was sitting, leaning against Alice's side. Soon after, I ran out of tears and was hiccoughing dryly. Alice helped me up and led me to the bed where I could sit down.
"Did he hurt you?" she asked me. I knew that she knew he'd hurt me, but I also knew what kind of 'hurt' she meant.
"No."
"No?"
"No. The zipper, he couldn't find it." I took a great breath in, and let it out. It was a little easier to think then.
"Are you okay?" She reached over and grabbed a tissue from the box, then started to clear up my face.
"I'm okay," I confirmed. I supposed I was in some kind of shock, but if it was shock, I was constantly in shock. "Sam's here?" I asked, remembering Alice's murderous screams in the hall.
"Yes. They all are." She kept dabbing at my face. I was silent while she cleaned me up. "Do you want to go back out?"
I hesitated. "Will Mike be out there?"
Alice scoffed. "I highly doubt he'll be conscious for long."
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
I took a great breath and closed my eyes as Alice dabbed at the mascara. "If there's no Mike, then I'll be out there. But clean me up, please?" I shifted on the bed and started nervously flattening my dress. It was ridiculous that all I could think about after almost being seriously sexually assaulted was the fact that Edward was here.
"Wait here," she said. She turned to go, but I clutched to her arm.
"Don't leave me on my own!" I cried almost hysterically.
"Right, sorry. Come for a walk, Bella." She helped me up, and put her arm around my waist as we headed back toward the stairs.
"Where are we going?" I looked around at the bright lights, and suddenly everything was very sharp in focus. Adrenaline pumped in my ears, but I was sure it was just the side effects, and that there was nothing to be scared of now.
Alice stopped in front of one of the doors which looked exactly the same as the others to me, but apparently she was sure it was the right one, because she pushed it open without hesitation.
Inside, it was definitely a girl's room. The doona was a snowy white colour, and there were tasteful posters on the walls. The carpet was mint green, and many of the decorations – lamps, pillow cases, the computer monitor – were blood red. I liked it, and I guessed that it must be Rosalie's room.
"What are we doing?" I asked as Alice sat me down at a desk with a mirror in front of it.
"Just sit still. I'm fixing you up."
She dug around in a few drawers and produced a few magical items of makeup. She was done in five minutes, and I saw myself in the mirror. I looked like I had when we'd arrived, just with slightly more blood-shot eyes.
"Are you still alright to get back out there?" she looked genuinely concerned for me, and I loved her for it. I stood up and gave her a big hug.
"Thanks, Alice."
She knew I meant 'thanks' for more than just the makeup.
"Any time." She hugged me back tightly. "Ready to rock?"
"Yep. Let's go."
So we left Rose's room after Alice replaced the cosmetics, and went back downstairs. Nothing had really changed, other than the fact that there were a few extra people there, all of them with coppery-Indian skin. Except for one.
"Edward!" I called from the stairs, and thought I'd have thought he wouldn't have heard me over the noise; he turned straight to where I was like it was staged. He waved, then started to push through the crowd. I darted down the stairs and Alice laughed from behind me.
"I've never known someone to recover so quickly, Bella," she called sarcastically over my shoulder. "Must be one hell of a healing remedy, eh?"
I ignored her and jumped the last step into Edward's hug. I felt stupidly elated to know he was waiting to catch me.
"Hey," he said happily in my ear to avoid shouting. A shiver ran down my spine at the smooth sound.
"Hey," I returned, looking up at him.
Edward, like every other guy here tonight, was wearing a tuxedo. It wasn't much different to everyone else's but Edward made it look absolutely perfect. I was slightly envious as his constantly flawless appearance, and a little saddened when I thought how plain I must look beside him all the time.
"How are you?" he asked me. It was innocent enough, but something in me was set off.
I ignored the question and looked at him, then asked something which was possibly very stupid. "Can I talk to you, alone?"
He looked puzzled for a moment, but covered it almost immediately. "Okay." He looked around. "This way," he said, leading me through the crowd to a garden.
Something pulled at the edges of my memories, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Garden, garden…
We pushed through some undergrowth, then found ourselves at the edge of a dark fishpond. There were a few lights shining into the murky depths, illuminating the occasional orange fish that crossed its path.
"What's up?" Edward said, prompting me. I realised I was the one that had initiated this little private moment.
I looked at him across the small space between us, his lovely face almost glowing in the moonlight. I felt ugly and meek just looking at him. I looked down and tried to gather my thoughts. Unconsciously, I shivered.
"Are you cold?" Edward said, but it didn't matter what my answer was. He shrugged out of his jacket and draped it around my shoulders, then leaned closer to me and wrapped his arms around me as well. I felt much warmer, straight away.
"Thanks."
"Any time." We sat in silence for a moment. I watched the fish, and Edward was staring at something too because from the corner of my eye I could see that his face wasn't moving. "So…" he prompted me again, and I nearly hit myself in the head for not answering his question, again.
"Sorry, forgot," I said, smiling at him. He smiled back and I almost lost my train of thought. "Something kind of bad happened to me before."
"What?"
He's so caring…
So I told him what happened between me and Mike, but skipped the details. Nevertheless, Edward was furious.
"Where is he?" he said threateningly. "I'll turn his face into a potato mash. What a sick bastard!"
"No, Edward," I said, catching his hand as he stood. His fists were clenching and unclenching by his sides, the moonlit veins standing out. "He's not worth it."
Edward turned back to me and looked furious. "He is worth it, Bella, because anyone that hurts you deserves to have their face rearranged. And I would love to be the one to do it."
I pulled him down beside me, afraid that he was going to leave me here, alone again.
"I don't even know where he is. And I don't want you to get mixed up in this. This is my problem, Edward."
He sat down beside me and huffed, resigning to my cause. "But you know I would take him down, the moment you ask me to, right?"
I smiled, and the expression was natural. I never have to force anything around Edward… "I know."
He looked at my face and reached out to touch my temple. I flinched slightly, sure that there was a bruise coming up. His eyes were instantly ablaze with concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I assured him. He put his other hand to my face, holding gently just under my jaw line. I'm always fine when you're around, I thought; knowing just how true that really was. "Just don't leave me," I said quietly, and Edward's touch gently pressed onto my skin.
My heart kicked up a marching band-on-ecstasy tune, but I remained silent. There was feeling in the air that I couldn't explain, yet it was so obvious that there was no way Edward could misread it.
"Was there anything else?" he breathed. I realised that what was hanging in the air was the question I was desperate to ask, but wasn't game enough to.
I hesitated, something I should have learnt not to do around Edward or Alice because they could read me like a book.
"Just say it," Edward whispered kindly. "It can't be that bad."
Yes, it can, I thought to myself.
"Well, I, um, I don't know how to say this." I looked at my hands and started twisting them together. He sensed something in my hesitance and slowly moved his hands away from my face. The movement was so slow that my lungs were screaming for air by the time his steady palms came to rest on his knees.
I sniffed, my mind scrambling for the perfect words. My hands started to wind so quickly around each other that I was afraid I was going to literally tie them in knots before I could regain my voice.
Edward looked down too, and stopped my fidgeting by clasping both of my hands in his big warm ones. I looked up at him, and was completely frozen by his gaze. He didn't look away either. I don't quite understand how it happened, but one second we were just looking at each other, Edward's hand covering my own, and then our faces were less than an inch apart.
I swallowed, knowing that this moment was pivotal. Turn away, and it will never be more than friends. Don't turn away, and you put your heart on that very breakable line.
"Bella," he whispered, his eyes darting from my eyes to my mouth and back again.
I licked my lips nervously. "Yes?"
That seemed to be his snapping point. He leaned down and touched his lips to mine so lightly that if it weren't for the spark that I felt when his skin just grazed mine, I'd not have noticed it. But it was impossible to not notice anything about Edward. I leaned very slightly closer to him, and the pressure between our mouths was greater.
Whatever part of me that controlled the more outgoing side of my mind took over again. My hands slipped out from under Edward's jacket and slid up the front of his torso, resting on his shoulders for a second. I pulled him toward me, and he responded accordingly. His lips moved with mine so perfectly that this may have well been our millionth kiss. My heart was pushing against my ribs, trying to get to Edward on its own. Edward's hands snaked under the jacket still clinging to my shoulders and wrapped around my lower back, pulling me closer to him.
Then, he lifted me up to stand on my own two feet as he did the same. He didn't break the kiss, and I wasn't in the mindset to question his motives, so I just went with it. His hands slid around to my back and pulled my completely against him, and I understood why he'd moved me.
My hands shifted to his head, ruffling through his ungelled-but-perfect hair. My elbows were resting on his shoulders, and every possible part of my torso was being held firmly against him by his strong arms.
By now, I was running out of air. If only I didn't need to breathe. That would be brilliant. But then, the survival instinct kicked in, and I had to pull back slightly. I was panting and my heart was panting too.
"You look lovely, by the way," he said, setting me back down. I hadn't realised that my feet were dangling just above the ground.
I blushed and looked at my feet. "You too."
"Thanks." He was smiling at me, I knew it. I could hear it in his voice.
I cleared my throat, feeling self-conscious again, and hoped that Edward wasn't about to announce that he had to go, 'you know, I have an early morning tomorrow'…
But he didn't. And the silence was comfortable, but I still felt the need to break it. My doubts were starting to creep in and I was being too accommodating to them. Then, suddenly, I remembered why a garden during a party had seemed so familiar.
"Rose and Emmett got together like this, you know."
Edward looked incredibly puzzled. "Huh?"
"Emmett and Rosalie. They kissed at party, in the garden, then they started going out a few days later." I looked down and started playing with my hands. One of my feet was tapping on the ground from nervousness. I tried to mentally stop it but the message wouldn't go through.
Edward didn't say anything, so I looked at him. He was looking away from me, hiding his face. I raised my hand and touched his shoulder. He half twisted his head back to me, and I could see from just his profile that there was torture behind his eyes.
"What?" I whispered, feeling oddly afraid. "What's wrong?"
He closed his eyes, and I knew he was seeing more than just the darkness behind his eyelids. He was silent for ten painful seconds before he spoke.
"What does this make us, now?" he asked me, boring into my brown eyes with his calculating green ones.
I understood what he meant, and why he had whispered. He doesn't want me like I want him. The words echoed in my head. No one will ever want me.
I don't know why I got up. I don't know why I held up my dress and ran when I felt the tears falling down my cheeks. I'd have thought that my emotions of unhappiness would have been all dried up, but no, there was always a fresh supply for me. I heard Edward call my name from behind me as I shoved my way into a slightly overgrown path. I realised that I was going a way different to the one we had arrived, but I didn't care. Besides, turning back now to get to the party meant seeing people – let alone having to face Edward again. I could hear him pushing through the bushes behind me, still calling my name, but it just made me run faster. Despite this, his voice was getting closer and closer.
The memory of him running at Athletics Day came to mind, and I realised I had about five seconds to choose an action before he was sure to catch me.
First, I could stop and face him. I would have to try and think of a reasonable excuse as to why I had run – and since I didn't have one, I'd just make even more of a fool of myself. He would probably think I was an unstable weirdo and leave me standing in the middle of prickly bushes, taking his warm jacket with him. I realised suddenly that I was still wearing it, and threw it off my shoulders angrily, sobbing with the effort. More tears patterned down my cheeks and splashed onto my shoulders.
Second, I could try and outrun him, but that would end up bring a more embarrassing scenario than option one.
Thirdly I could act like a complete child and try and hide from him. By some kind fall of fate, maybe he wouldn't find me. I'd be able to shiver and cry in silence until I was sure everyone else had left, then reappear beside Alice's car with one hell of a cold added to my list of bad things. But at least I wouldn't have to face Edward again. But if I were caught? Hello to a hermit lifestyle for the rest of my life.
I took a quick glance over my shoulder, and could see Edward's head bobbing behind me. I took a sharp turn to the right, then another, and jumped behind a big oleander plant. The smell was lovely, but I knew that if I touched a flower and then my mouth, I was going to die a fairly painful death. That could be Plan Z – last resort.
I tried to control my ragged breathing as I waited for Edward's searching form to appear. He was there in two seconds, stopping dead when he realised I was gone. I looked up, terrified that he was going to find me, and watched as his face turned from side to side.
"Bella, come back," he said gently, like he knew I wasn't far away.
I squeezed my eyes closed and slowly raised my hand to hold it over my mouth. All my self control was put into not screaming with the twisting pain that my heart was causing me.
There was a shuffle of feet on the other side of the bush, then Edward was gone. His painful absence screamed its presence in my head. There was a ringing in my ears, and I was frozen to the spot for a good five minutes, waiting for him to come back and discover my now shivering, crying, and cold form. I curled up tighter on the ground.
But soon the ringing faded and my heart regained a usual pace. I slowly stood up, trying not to make any noise. I felt like a fugitive rising from behind a pile of wheat bags, hands raised in defeat, hoping that the enemy were kind enough to allow me to fully stand before shooting me back to the ground.
But no one shot me, and there were no wheat bags. Just an oleander bush, its white petals fluttering in the typical Forks breeze. I looked up and wondered how far this clear plastic tent extended across Jasper's property.
I stepped carefully around the poisonous plant and steadied myself. I looked around, then retraced my steps until I was on the more visible path. I knew that if I turned to the left, I would find myself back at the pond. Edward might have gone back there, and I didn't fancy seeing him again tonight, so I turned to the right.
I'd expected the path to become more difficult to navigate the farther I went in, but instead it became clearer. Some lights ahead became brighter, and I was soon close enough to push through the remaining plants and be bathed in the yellowish glow. Ahead of me I could see one part of the huge house, great glass doors reflecting the twinkling lights that Rosalie or Jasper had set up. There were candles on the low-rise wall surrounding the garden, making it all look extremely romantic. I'd have thought it was an accident of decoration until some white and red roses caught my eye. They were sitting in a tall vase in the middle of a table with two chairs, with more candles surrounding the bouquet. Just as my hands were raised to separate the last of the greenery, I heard voices. I froze on the spot, my eyes searching for the sources of the noise.
Some figures emerged from the shadows on the other side of the pavement. I dropped my hands and crouched down, luckily making no noise. The two people continued on as though their moment was completely private.
It was a guy and a girl. The guy, obviously, was wearing a tuxedo. The girl was wearing a long white dress with tatters of gold and black swishing as she walked. Alice?!
Once I'd recognised them, their voices were easier to understand.
Alice was walking three paces in front of Jasper, holding her dress up angrily.
"What do you want, Jasper?"
She turned to him and watched with narrowed eyes as he passed her and sat down on a bench. He waved a hand beside him, inviting her to sit. She ignored him.
Jasper sighed. "I wanted to talk to you."
"You don't usually seem to have a problem with talking to me when other people are around."
"Other people usually aren't trying to get under your skirt."
"He was not! Besides, who would care if he did want to get under my skirt? No one! You've got no right sticking your nose into other people's business. Now, what do you want?" She took a step toward him, but didn't relax her defensive position. Her advance was more of a threat than an interested gesture.
"I wanted to talk to you."
"Yes, I'd gathered that."
"Alone."
"What for?!"
Jasper looked down at his hands, folding them loosely between his knees. I could tell he was nervous, and I had a pretty good guess as to why.
He sighed, and looked up at Alice, who was still glaring at him.
"I wanted to tell you something, but I wasn't sure what to say. And I'm still not." He paused, trying to find the words. "Despite everything I do, Alice," I saw Alice tense infinitesimally, "I do care for you."
She then calmed slightly, but her guard was still in full function. "You care for me?! Is that why you think it's funny to call me names and take my things at every opportunity? Is that why you've always been the source of rumours and nasty stories about what I do after I've eaten my lunch? Because if that's how you care for someone, Jasper Whitlock, I'd hate to see what you do when you don't like someone."
She stared at him, hands clenched into fists at her sides. She looked like she wanted to take the two steps necessary to kick the living insult out of him, but her self control was currently maintained. Jasper looked shocked and speechless on the bench, but there was some other kind of expression contained in his face.
"I know I'm useless at this, Alice."
Alice's breathing slowly calmed down, and soon she relaxed her position from being an attacker to being an observer. She folded her arms and tapped her long fingernails on her elbow.
"Yeah, you are."
Jasper stood up and ran a hand through his hair. He looked away from Alice, then back to her. He was looking up at the sky when he started his sentence, but looked back at Alice by the time he'd finished it.
"Do you hate me?"
Alice looked shocked. Her fingers froze on her elbow and she withdrew ever so slightly.
"Yes." She was sure in her answer. But she looked like she regretted that fact.
Just tell her, just tell her, just tell her…
"Alice," Jasper said. She looked at him warily. He turned to her, but didn't move from his spot. "I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to hurt you. I'm sorry for calling you Anna. I'm sorry for starting rumours. I'm sorry for stealing your gym clothes last year. I'm sorry for taking your books and copying your work when you weren't looking. I'm sorry for laughing when you were embarrassed; for being the cause of your embarrassment." He took a great breath and looked down. "I'm sorry that I only knew how to insult you and not to just talk to you."
He looked up from his feet, but Alice remained unmoving. He shoved his hands in his pockets and started to walk away.
"Have a nice night," he said over his shoulder.
Alice was frozen for another second, then she swayed on the spot. I could see the indecision in her eyes. Go for it, I encouraged in my head.
She swayed again, and then took a step forward. "Wait," she called across the small space. Jasper stopped walking, but didn't turn back. Alice swallowed largely. "I…I forgive you."
There was dead silence in the air. I realised I wasn't breathing, but didn't dare ruin the moment. Jasper turned back to Alice, taking a millennium to be completely facing her. Alice swallowed again.
"You do?"
"Yes."
Jasper just blinked, then he had closed the space between him and Alice in three long strides. Alice watched him with a small smile on her lips as he came closer, then he swept her up like an ice-skater and spun her around. She leaned down and kissed him, and he kissed her back. I could tell that both of them had been waiting a long time to do that. Jasper was making it incredibly sweet by continuing to slowly turn Alice, his muscles showing no sign of stress. I almost squealed with happiness at the both of them.
Jasper finally set Alice down, but didn't remove his hands from her waist. I got the feeling that he wasn't going to let go of her for a long time; physically or emotionally. They stared at each other tenderly for a minute, then Jasper reached into his pants pocket. He pulled out a long, thin box. Alice looked curiously at it.
Suddenly, Jasper was down on one knee in front of her, his hand taking her tiny palms in his. I knew he wasn't going to propose to her, but my heart still pushed against my ribs to try and hear his next words.
"Alice Brandon, will you be my girlfriend?"
Alice squealed with delight and nodded furiously. She knelt down to kiss him, but he raised the box to her first. She looked at it, then to him, and he nodded his encouragement. She carefully reached for it, and stayed kneeling in front of him as she opened it.
I gasped from my hiding place as she pulled out a glittering silver chain. It was sparkling so much that I swore Jasper had kidnapped the absent stars of the night and had woven them into a piece of jewellery. Alice spluttered happily as she looked at it. Jasper took it from her and put it around her neck. Alice raised a hand and touched something hanging from the chain. I couldn't see what it was from here, but it was shining with at least one blood-red ruby.
"Thankyou," she said, breathless.
Jasper smiled and lifted her to her feet. "I've had that for ages. I'm sorry if I was a bit sudden just now, but I really have wanted you for such a long time."
Alice smiled and fiddled with her new necklace. "That's okay. I'm not really one for pretences, you know."
"Yeah. I know."
Alice giggled happily and put an arm around his neck, pulling his tall frame down to kiss her. It was only the second kiss of their lives, yet they looked like it was a perfectly choreographed scene from a romantic film. The broke apart then, and Jasper reached down to take Alice's hand in his. She smiled and danced along beside him as they walked back the way they came, both of them wearing beautiful, identical smiles.
Well... that was the masquerade ball... you'll find out what happens next in the following chapter. Please review and let me know what you thought!
--READ ME-- I know I'll be getting abusive reviews (even if they're joking) about Bella and Edward not getting together again... so here's what I have to offer in my defence:
1. When they do get together it's so much sweeter than that moment was;
2. Bella pulled away and ran because she's been rejected a fair bit by that boy - whether it was intentional or not - and for it to happen again really did hurt;
3. When Bella said "This was how Emmett and Rose got together", Edward was reminded of his last girlfriend. That's why he looked away. That's why he was apprehensive when she mentioned the 'boyfriend/girlfriend' scenario;
4. Edward was still undecided as to whether he was going to actually get together officially with Bella when they kissed - but he made his decision when she started to run. That's why he followed her.
I really hope you all liked the chapter, despite the bad-ness of Mike and the bad-ness of Edward.
Review?
-Shaps