Dear Readers,

So sorry for the delay. Life.

Enjoy.

Spotlight Dance

I swallowed a lump that suddenly enveloped my throat. My eyes were closed and felt heavy with the thick makeup that adorned my eyelids and the thick lashes that mascara added ten pounds to it. The lights were burning through my closed eyelids, I could see the yellow, reds, and light blue lights as though my eyes were open. The lump that was in my throat must have been causing some problems with my breathing because suddenly I felt a wave of panic as the air escaped my lungs. I wasn't aware that I was holding my breath.

I felt Edward's strong hand take mine as words were being said on the sound system that I didn't quite hear. I knew that it must have been our introduction because I felt the hand that wasn't on mine on the small of my back. I opened my eyes to see a small dining room, no bigger than ours, filled with vast age range of people. All sipping their water or wine, waiting for a show. I sighed, looking up at Edward, unable to paste a real smile on my face.

I felt like if I smiled everyone would see through my terrible charade. I bit my lip in hopes to make my look at Edward more sultry than scared. As soon as my eyes found Edward, and his sure hand pivoted my body to face his, I knew that I could do this. I knew I may not be good but I would be presentable in Edward capable arms.

All of the sudden the beat began and my feet started moving on their own. Not one toe fell onto Edward's feet. My heels pivoted, my feet pointed, my arms stayed in the iron cage, and my heart was about to burst out of my chest. I felt the blood fill my face and my chest as I felt Edward's sure hands on my hips, now lifting me a foot off the ground for our next turn together.

Mistake.

I stepped forward instead of back.

Edward's foot moved quickly out of the way. I had messed this part up often enough he had almost expected it. He moved me back and my hips swayed in a way that made my skirt float around my thighs. He twisted me into a graceful spin, and spun me out from his arms, across the stage. I spun on the balls of my heels until he joined me like he was meant to. His hands around my waist, he traveled my spin back into his arms, and we began to dance once more.

Dancing with him in front of a lot of people was a piece of cake, but then I made the mistake of looking out at those people and I fumbled on my feet and sacrificed his good grace and tramped on his feet twice.

Was this dance over yet!?

I knew the answer. Yes. It was almost over, and I was coming up close to the lift that we had attempted to practice but we had somehow gotten lost in the hot passionate throws of love making. I gulped as I was once again, twisted and pivoted out to the opposite side of the stage, Edward swayed with the music, waiting for me to advance him with momentum. I took a deep breath and charged forward, jumping up for his hands, but his hands were too low, or maybe I was too high. A premature applause erupted through the crowed, but didn't quiet down like I thought it may have when I knew I wasn't going to stay up in the air for long.

Strategically he put his leg up, my foot rested on his thigh, his hands rested on one ankle and the other on my upper thigh as he slowly brought me down from the shameful attempt at the lift. Our bodies mashed together as he brought me down slowly, as though it was supposed to be an added sensual touch rather than I wasn't exactly sure how to get down, so he was doing all of the work here.

I was stupid to throw all of my body weight into the lift. A lift is about trust, not about the brute strength of a male. A lift was just as much physical work for me as it was for him. I sighed internally as we finished with one last turn on the floor before he elegantly spun me up into his arms in a close embrace, my back to him, and my face to the awed crowed. A louder, more robust applause erupted through the crowd and settled into a deep rumble as the lights began to dim, and the song ended. Edward bowed first, and then held his hand up for me to bow as well.

I flitted off the stage behind him; my body was sweating profusely, though it had little to do with the heat from summer or the heat from the bright lights. I felt my heart soaring from the adrenalin that I felt.

I turned to look at Edward, whose face was wet with sweat and eyes were electric with excitement, and I threw my arms around his neck, crushing my lips against his almost painfully.

"I love you," I breathed as soon as my lungs would allow the words to come out. I felt smile against my lips.

"And I you," Edward murmured before he closed the distance between us.

This wasn't fixing the current problem at hand. This wasn't bringing me closer to Edward every day like I had wanted, but this one moment was perfect. I had danced with this handsome, irresistible man that couldn't possibly be meant for me, and I had done this in front of over a dozen people, and they enjoyed watching me and my clumsy feet.

If my heart was any more fully I would be terrified that it would burst. Edward broke away from our kiss, and he gazed into my eyes lovingly.

"Let's go back to my cabin before you're too late," Edward said quietly.

I wasn't sure where his limbs started and mine ended, but I knew that I was wrapped up tightly in the knots that were our limbs. His legs lay laced with mine, his arms and fingers wound in my hair and around my body. I heard his heart slowly under my ear, and his breathing returning to him. I knew passion from him. I knew love from him.

This making love was sweet, and passionate, and patient.

Edward's hands traced my sides thoughtfully as we kissed, slowly, sweet like. I heard the waltzing music behind me, and I hadn't given it much thought until I realized we were moving in synchronized movements. Clothing fell away at our fingers.

Dresses hit the floor.

Shoes fell away.

Pants and shirts went through the air in any direction they may.

Nothing mattered but our synchronized movements toward the large bed in the west side of his cabin. All the while our kissing rarely slowing, all the while our hands rarely leaving one another's bodies.

My hands were hungry to explore each plane of his body, each ridged muscle that shook with anticipation as my lips kissed them on the way down to his pelvis. His breathing hitched, and his hands found my hair as my lips found his length and drew him deep inside of my mouth. His taste was amazing, deep and sensual with a salty taste from our sweating, adrenaline filled dancing.

His hands wretched me up, holding my nakedness close to his and kissed me deeply, pulling me down onto the bed on top of him. He lifted my hips and placed my legs on either side of his hips and lowered me down on his length.

I sighed feeling complete with him now inside of me. His length touching me deeply, making me squeeze around him in pure pleasure. I wasn't used to allowing myself to lose control over my needs or wants- but I had never had these needs before meeting Edward. I began a slow, sensual tempo. Up. Down. Up. Down. Slam, Slam, Slam. Soon the tempo picked up and my breathing faltered to the point of panting.

I my breath was frantic as I felt the quickening and the heat curling deep within me, ready to explode around him. I moaned loudly as I felt myself convulse around him, his hand gripping my hips, slamming his body into me as he road out my orgasm and brought on his own. He rocked his hips slowly as his orgasm faded and mine still thudded through my veins. I laid my head on his chest to peer up at him through my lashes.

"I love you, I will never love anyone," I vowed quietly.

"I will never love anyone ever again- I will be devoted to you forever," Edward kissed my forehead.

I knew that it was time for me to unlock my legs from him. I knew it was time for me to continue the lie that he wasn't a part of my life now due to my father's pigheaded opinion. I knew it was late and that I was pushing it. I sighed and unhinged my legs and pried myself away from him- struggling to do so from my own freewill.

"I have to go," I whispered quietly, gathering up my clothes.

"Do you? You could stay," Edward pleaded.

"We both know I can't," I sighed, tears in my eyes threatened to come out. I knew better than to think that this was 'goodbye' but every time I had to leave Edward was like I was banishing him from my life.

Damn my father and his pigheadedness. Edward was everything that was good in my world. I wasn't going to find someone else I'd ever want to be with that wasn't him. He was going to be my prince. He was going to be my Romeo, and damn it, my dad was pulling us apart. I couldn't stand to leave him and not know the next time I'd be seeing him. It was criminal to keep us apart.

"I'll see you soon," Edward whispered against my lips as I pushed his door open.

"Dream of me," I sighed as his lips covered mine.

"I always do," Edward whispered back.

Our kiss was sad, but loving. I knew the kiss was something that was meant as a goodnight kiss but it felt like a goodbye kiss. Edward and I would never be apart after I exposed Mike. Edward and I would be together every waking moment- even after the summer was over- I was sure of it.

"I love you," I pulled away and walked out of the door.

"I love you, love." Edward sighed and allowed the door to shut behind me.

Tears pricked at my eyes and began to run out of the rims of my face, making me feel doomed and empty. I saw that the moon was large in the sky, and the stars shined brightly. I sighed and looked at the stairs that lead me back to my cabin. I bit my lip and ran down them as fast as I could without breaking something.

"Bella," I heard from behind me. Alice was walking toward me on the landing. "Are you okay?" Alice saw the splotches on my face and sadness in my eyes.

"We need to expose him," I sighed. " I can't stand this anymore. Not knowing when we'll see them next."

"We will. I think I found a weak link," Alice nodded her head.

"Hey slow pokes," Rosalie climbed up the last flight of stairs. Her eyes were wide with excitement. "You said a weak link?" Rosalie asked.

Alice began to tell us about her evening walk with Jasper, making love in a bed of ferns and honeysuckles included, but also something that had happened after their romp in the ferns. Alice and Jasper happened upon Mike and Jessica arguing in the woods just a few yards from the staff cabins.

"You're not sticking this on me!" Mike shouted through clenched teeth.

"Sticking it on you? It was you!" Jessica shouted back. Her arms crossed against her chest, her knees were locked and her gaze was furious.

"Nobody will believe you," Mike shrugged.

"Like how you did to Tanya," Jessica's voice broke in anger and realization.

"Who?" Mike laughed bitterly. "She knew what she was getting into, her little body guard warned her." Mike shrugged.

"I'll tell everyone. I don't care if they believe me or not." Jessica's voice was thick with pain and tears.

"Nobody will, you'll just be a tramp who has flaunted her body all around." Mike walked away.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Rosalie almost sang.

"This is perfect," I muttered to myself.

"There's only one problem." Alice's eyes squinted as she began to tell us the problem. "She's actually sure nobody is going to believe her-"

"Didn't she see you?" I asked.

"I don't think she knows I was there- she made eye contact with Jasper and ran. She may be too scared to actually tell anybody anything." Alice sighed.

"What exactly is he trying to cover up with Jessica," Rosalie thought quietly.

"I think he took advantage of her one night and now…" Alice made a rounded figure around her torso.

"I'm going to be sick," I grabbed my stomach as acid churned.

He got Tanya pregnant not even a few weeks ago- and now Jessica was showing signs of an early pregnancy- he was disgusting. He dared to call each woman a liar in public but admit to his wrong doings in private when he was sure nobody was listening. But Jessica had to know that Tanya would believe her, and possibly even side with her, and we sided with Tanya. I shudder as I realized when this exactly could have taken place.

The night I was on my way to meet Edward. The first time we went to a party there. I had heard a spat between Mike and Jessica. She wasn't friendly to me, she sneered and denied any help from me, despite her drunken state. My stomach began to clench as it churned and threatened to empty its contents.

"Bella?" Alice looked at me concerned.

"I think I remember the night he may of taken advantage of her- I ran into them. I tried to help but she denied and she was rude to me, so I thought she deserved what came to her." I sighed and looked at them, ashamed.

"You couldn't have known," Rosalie's arms were around me, pulling me close to her chest. "We're going to get that bastard," Rosalie nodded confidently.

"We'll talk to her tomorrow," Alice vowed.

"Tomorrow," I agreed nodding my head against my big sisters chest.

How could all of this become so twisted and messed up? How is the world such a terrible place outside of Edward's arms? Why was the world a terrible place when I was outside of Edward's reach? I felt invincible whenever I was with Edward- like nothing could touch me- but without him I felt like everything stung as it touched me.

Our morning started much the same as any other morning, except for my mother coming over to our room, already made up for the day, while Rosalie was in the shower. She sat on the edge of my bed, quietly perched, for a while.

"How was The Sheldrake?" She asked quietly.

"Good, we had a good time." I smiled, hedging.

"And by we you mean yourself and Edward," my mother stated. It was not a question.

"I'm sorry?" I breathed.

My heart was pounding. My mother was perceptive, but she wasn't that perceptive. She had to of known something… My mouth was dry and I couldn't find my voice. I was caught. And not by my father, but by my mother. My mother's fury was one to try and run away from, not go towards it. No lie could calm it, no lie could redirect the fury my mother held.

"Oh Bella." My mother's sigh sounded heavy.

"I can explain," I paused, "listen-"

"No, you listen Bella. I fell in love once, a long time ago. I fell in love and it tore me up inside because I knew it couldn't work." My mother stood and looked out of the window. "His name was Phil and my father was angry. Your grandfather would have no part in a careless dreamer such as Phil. My father forbade me to see him, and I didn't listen for a long time. But I came to my senses. I saw what it had begun to do to my family." My mother turned to me.

"I'm not trying to hurt anyone." I felt my heart sink, "I'm just trying to be happy."

"Then be happy. But don't go destroying lives on your way to happiness." My mother's voice rang with finality and she looked at the door as Rosalie walked in, her body dripping from her fresh shower.

"Mom," Rosalie smiled at her.

"I'll see you at breakfast," Renee walked out curtly.

I let out the shaky breath that I was holding ever since my mother told me she knew about my lies. My eyes stung as tears pricked their way out of my eyes and run down my face. I held my chest close as Rosalie's face began to understand what may of just occurred. Our mother was notorious for giving us a lot to think about by dropping some truth on us. Rosalie pulled me close to her moist, warm body and sighed.

"What did she say?" Rosalie asked quietly.

"She knows I was with Edward last night, she knows we were performing at The Sheldrake." I began to cry. "She called out the lies," I wanted to stop the crying- but I was so ashamed of myself.

I was Bella- I didn't lie. At least I didn't use to lie. I would tell the truth and be happy for it. I didn't do anything to promote any ill will toward people or promote any punishment upon myself, until now. Until now I was planning to ruin Mike Newton's life. Until now I was lying about pretty much every second of every day. Rosalie understood why this was hard for me; she knew that I wasn't use to lying or mom's harsh doses of truth. Rosalie said nothing until I was done with my uncontrollable sobbing and crying. She waited patiently, holding me until there was a puddle on the floor where her hair had dripped its excess water.

"Better?" Rosalie asked in a whisper.

Rosalie never really comforted me that much as children. She'd kick people's asses who had hurt me, sure, but she never really was a comforting, loving sister towards me until this summer. This summer had brought Rosalie closer and closer together. There were rarely any snide comments passed between the two of us, there was hardly any hostility in our looks to one another. We had changed. We were a team, we were actually best friends and sisters now.

"Thank you," I sighed. My voice was harsh and rough as I searched for something to make the splotches on my face disappear. I settled for powder foundation.

"Don't let her get to you- no matter how she put it. We aren't wrong." Rosalie looked through the closet. "We aren't wrong," she repeated quietly.

I tried to remember what Rosalie had said through breakfast, although I could barely nibble on triangles of toast that had orange marmalade on them. I sipped water, nibbled on the triangles of toast, but still my stomach churned. My mother did not eye me skeptically like Mrs. Brandon had; she just continued her morning as though she hadn't shaken me to my core. Alice was use to lying to her mother and had perfected the art of a pokerfaced much like Rose, but I had not.

After pleasantries and goodbyes Rosalie, Alice, and I had sat down at the tree nearest our cabin and plotted. We sat there waiting for Jessica, mainly, to finish her shift at the dining hall and go on a break- or whatever she did after that. We had seen her at a few places before, but not enough of a trend for it to be her actual schedule.

"What do we say?" I asked quietly as I picked at a few stray pieces of grass.

"We just ask her if we can talk…" Alice smiled.

"I mean after that," I grumbled irritably.

"We tell her we know what Mike has done to her and let he know she's not alone, and that we can help her." Rosalie provided.

"And if that doesn't work?" I asked quietly.

"Stop being so pessimistic, Bella," Alice glared at me through thick lashes.

"I'm just trying to be realistic," I shrugged.

"No, you're being pessimistic," Alice countered as she pointed her head up a fraction of an inch and ignored me.

As though she was qued, Jessica began to walk quickly through the doors, as though she was trying to avoid someone, and sure enough, Mike was behind her with a smug smile. Jessica had her arms wrapped around her torso and she looked as though she may be sick at any given moment.

"Jessica," I called quickly. I didn't want Mike to have anymore satisfaction or any type of pleasure from bringing pain upon her.

"Huh?" She looked at me with confused almond shaped eyes. Her honey brown hair looked a little dirty and messy. Her face was puffy, as though she had been crying, and her lips were cracked from what I'd assume would be crying or biting her lip like I did when I was crying a lot.

"Hey, can we talk for a minute?" I smiled in a friendly manner as I pulled her closer to the tree where Rosalie and Alice were waiting.

"Sure?" Jessica sounded as though she was surprised more than anything. Once we were clear of Mike and Alice and Rosalie were by my side I turned toward Jessica who looked more suspicious than anything.

"We want to help you," Rosalie stated quietly.

"Help me with what?" Jessica looked at Alice and I, her eyes finally realizing what was going on.

"We know what Mike has done, and we know he's done it to more than just you. We're going to help you in any way- if you want help." Alice's blue eyes were wide, and full of concern and honesty.

"Help me how?" Jessica looked at us like we were crazy. "His parents own half this place- he's got money- he's got a future in law. He doesn't care who he bags and tags along the way- no matter what type of baggage they're left with." Jessica's eyes swelled with more tears than the sore, red rims could handle, and they fell down her apple cheeks.

"But we can help," Rosalie pulled Jessica's hands into hers. "We know how to get him exposed, we just need your help doing it."

"And how does that help me?" Jessica looked at her stomach. "I'm two days late, I'm never late. I could be the next Tanya of the resort," Jessica scoffed and a sob came from her lips.

"Then everyone would know who it was," Alice said a matter-of-fact like.

"And if I don't want people to know?" Jessica looked at us incredulously, pulling her hands out of Rosalie's reach.
"Think about it," I supplied. "You're going to want Mike exposed soon," I hoped I'd be right in that assumption. I hoped he'd expose himself sooner or later to Jessica as a dog who was too low for the flees to bite.

"And why is that?" Jessica asked.

"People like Mike rack up some miles- some enemies, too. They're coming together, and I'd think you'd want to be on their side." I shrugged and stepped back from her.

"I'll think on it," Jessica looked over her shoulder, relieved to see that Mike had passed long ago and didn't bother to stop and wait for her.

Jessica walked away, her hands wrapped around her torso like before, I looked over to my sister and Alice.

"Now what?" I sighed looking down.

"Now we wait," Alice shrugged as though it was obvious.

"I'm going insane waiting," I complained. Rosalie nodded.

"When I'm not with Emmett I feel like a piece of me isn't here…" Rosalie's voice cracked.

Rosalie had always been so strong, in almost every way. She was physically stronger than me- of course, but she was also stronger emotionally. She had undergone relationship after relationship, and after Royce I hadn't thought she'd ever be the same, but now Emmett was here, and she was a changed woman. She loved Emmett more than I had thought possible. Watching Rosalie's voice crack and her very sure facial expression break into a pained expression made me realize that I was not the only one that was suffering.

Alice had lost the urge to wear stylish clothes- she began wearing rather plain clothing for Alice. Pale and plain clothing that made her spiky black hair look a lot like an ink dot on paper. She shied away from bright colors lately, and shied away from flashy dresses.

Although our parent's ban on our new found loves was only a few days old, it had taken its toll and made us more pained than we had ever experienced before. We were all burning. We were all baring a cross that was becoming much too heavy for us.

"We will get through this," I said as I touched each of their shoulders, and for once I saw more than my pain reflected in their eyes, I saw their pain as well.