Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: As promised, here is part two of the last chapter.

Chapter 17: The Harvest Ball

Bella's POV

"Wow," I finally said.

Edward held me closely, his parted mouth but a whisper from mine, and I felt as if I were floating. His Spanish serenade had left me breathless, and I was starting to forget everything except his name.

"That's an understatement." His eyes ran over me before resting on mine. "You are well beyond 'wow' this evening."

I wanted to be coy, but my surging urges were making that impossible. "I'm—I'm glad that you're pleased."

"Another understatement," he breathed into my neck. "I am entranced, enraptured, and rather inclined to imprison you here."

He kissed his meaning across my skin. "Here?" I croaked.

"With me," he emphasized. "All night."

His hands were sliding down my back toward my waist, and if his preferred path was any indication, they would be turning at my hips before heading toward the top of my dress in the next few seconds. The idea of spending the rest of the night rolling around upstairs with Edward was nearly too tempting to resist. The Cullens would be away until after midnight, and with our combined intellect and sexual intoxication, Edward and I could invent more than enough ways to pass the time.

Starting with stepping out of these fancy clothes.

He was on my neck again, murmuring his appreciation into the throbbing skin. Desire coursed through me like a violent river, and I desperately wanted to drown us both. He opened his eyes before kissing me again, his butterscotch irises darkening with need. Our mouths met again in an endless moment, the heat and chill creating a heady steam. His tongue curled itself around mine and tortured me with his tasty flavor. He dragged his lips to my chin, across my jawline, then slowly south toward the bare flesh above my glittering neckline. His kisses were cold and fervent against my simmering skin, and had it been any other night, we would have raced upstairs to get lost in each other for the next three hours.

But Carlisle was waiting at the hotel, along with a lot of other people who were expecting me. If I didn't show up, my absence would be noted, and at least one of the nosy townsfolk would snitch on me. And as proud as I was to be with Edward, I didn't want the Police Chief to hear that I'd skipped the Ball to canoodle with my boyfriend.

So with all the strength I could muster, I untangled my hands from behind Edward's neck. "We should go."

His mouth stopped moving, but he nodded into my neck. "It is the wiser thing to do."

We straightened our clothes, fixed our faces, and walked toward the door like two convicts headed to the gallows.

As Forks was too small a town to need a proper convention center, the Ball was being held at a Best Western in Mount Vernon, Washington. The long drive gave us plenty of time to reset our emotions, and we pulled into the hotel parking lot in high spirits.

Edward opened the passenger door and kissed my hand with a twinkle in his eye. "You are a revelation," he said softly.

Words failed me as his compliment ravished my body, but I smiled in greedy response. I could get used to all this admiration.

According to the sign near the reception desk, The Harvest Ball was in the Cascade Ballroom. Carlisle had said that all two hundred and fifty tickets had been sold, and judging from the number of people in the room, we might have been the last ones to arrive.

The ballroom was outfitted in navy and white with tasteful candlelight on the round, eight-person tables. Informational banners detailing the hospital's recent achievements lined the walls of the room, and the invited musicians were playing a lively version of "Satin Doll." As I took in the sights and sounds of the evening, I was glad we had decided to come.

We reached our table where Alice's tinkling laughter greeted us. Esme sat us between herself and Rosalie, and Jasper grimaced as he glanced at Edward. Apparently our earlier emotions hadn't completely dissipated.

Because Carlisle was the most recognizable member of the hospital staff, arriving after dinner had not been an option for the Cullens. So they had been forced to endure their second human meal in six weeks. Edward and I had missed the first course—a delicious butternut squash soup, from what I heard—but were just in time for the rosemary grilled chicken and roasted sweet potatoes. As my romantic life was safe from scrutiny, I ate without indigestion, enjoyed Emmett's attempts to remember to chew his food, and relished a double portion of dessert, courtesy of Edward's unwanted caramel apple cheesecake.

As the servers cleared our tables, the Chairperson of the Hospital Board called our attention to the executive table at the front of the room. She expressed her gratitude for the sell-out turnout and, more importantly, the generous donations. Forks wasn't a rich town, but its citizens were loyal, compassionate, and always willing to rally around each other. The desired goal was more than met, thanks in large part to an anonymous donation from an immortal donor, and the bubbly chairwoman was all too excited to enumerate the ways the money would help the hospital.

A few more hospital representatives took their turn at the microphone, during which Edward and I played my favorite vampire game. I'd scan the crowd for viable candidates and ask him what they were thinking. Edward had disapproved the first time I had asked him to play during our junior class trip to Seattle Waterfront. But after the first few contestants proved surprisingly interesting, he'd gotten into it, changing his voice to fit their appearance and using sound effects when necessary. The game was the most fun when Alice joined in. Sometimes their futures were so wild that I thought she was making them up. Carlisle didn't particularly like our game, but he wasn't above chuckling to himself now and then. Emmett's merriment was harder to contain, however, so Rosalie periodically flashed him some thigh to keep him quiet.

Just when Alice had been ready to tell us what scandalous hobby the newest member of the Radiology department had decided to try, the remarks came to an end, and the band started playing "Let's Groove Tonight." Alice jumped up just after the first note and pulled Jasper toward the open floor. Even without her superhuman abilities, I suspected that Alice could dance all night long if she had to. Rosalie's attempt to distract Emmett had worked a little too well, and she found herself on defense.

"You will have plenty of time to disrobe me later," she scolded. "I want to dance now."

Her wish being his command, Emmett whisked her out on the floor beside Alice and Jasper who had already drawn an admiring crowd.

Carlisle smiled at them and offered his arm to Esme. "Are you ready to schmooze, my dear?"

"With pleasure," she fluttered.

As they walked toward the executive table, I noticed that Edward's eyes were on me. Their intensity nearly leveled me, but I was determined to remember my purpose.

"May I help you, Mr. Cullen?"

The corners of his mouth lifted, but he remained serious. "I believe that I am beyond help, Ms. Swan."

I smoothed my dress. "What seems to be the problem?"

He groaned as my hands grazed my bare left leg. "There is a woman. A glorious, fascinating creature who has left a trail of brokenhearted mortals from here to Arizona."

I rose from my chair without looking at him. "Go on."

"She has bewitched me." His hand slid up my lower back while his breath curled around my ear. "Body and soul."

"Well." I licked my lips in anticipation. "I would suggest that you see someone about that."

"I am seeing someone about that," he murmured. "And I am begging her to ease my suffering."

I turned in his arms as his grip tightened, and once again, the world narrowed to the two of us. His eyes were on my mouth, and I could feel my heart hammering against his chest as our heads drew closer.

But before I closed my eyes, I saw Barbara Thompson, the administrative assistant at the police station, walking toward us. Whatever her skills in record keeping might be, gossip was certainly her chief talent, and she would be all too happy to demonstrate it all over my life. Edward must have heard similar plans in her mind because he demurely kissed my cheek before taking my hand.

"Isabella!" she bellowed. "Look at you, all gorgeous and grown-up! Why, I still remember the first time I met you. You threw up all over your father when you were still in diapers. We all laughed and laughed, but he had been forced to change his pants in the back office. They were brown corduroys that fit him really well in the buttocks."

"This is Edward," I said loudly, hoping to crash her train of thought.

"Merciful heavens," she crowed as she surveyed Edward from top to bottom. "I'd heard that Dr. Cullen's youngest son was a sight to behold. Do you have an older brother or an uncle somewhere, sugar?"

"My natural family is dead," Edward said flatly.

"Too bad," she said without sympathy. "I'm sure they were fine people."

Edward's sigh told me that it was time to go. "It was nice seeing you again, Ms. Thompson," I said as we lost ourselves in the crowd.

As we moved, we saw and greeted Mr. and Mrs. Newton, the latter of which had finally given up hope that I would fall in love with her son. Edward had been most pleased to hear that thought.

Then we saw Ms. Cope in a pretty periwinkle dress. She was gushing about how lovely everyone looked, glancing too often at Edward for my taste, and confided that she'd had three pieces of cheesecake. "I can never resist Madeleine's confections!" she giggled. We laughed politely and were about to turn away when Mr. Varner appeared on her left. He kissed her, and I had never felt so awkward in all my life. Mr. Varner blushed when he noticed our presence, worsening the moment, and Edward had the good sense to excuse us before anything worse happened.

He twirled me around a rhythmless couple, delighted that I was confident in my heels, and landed us right in front of Señora Morena. She greeted us warmly in Spanish, her smile as dazzling as the jeweled flower she wore in her hair. "Buenas noches." She kissed us on each cheek as her husband returned to her side. "Me encanta que tienen un amor especial." We bowed at her blessing before Edward spun me away, goofy grins on both our faces.

By then, we had reached the rest of the Cullens who were surrounded by a growing throng of admirers near the executive table. Cameras flashed, the light nearly blinding me, and I wondered if Jeanette had dispatched one of her shop girls to get some candids. Someone insisted on a family photo, but Alice had already whisked Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett away. The Cullens didn't mind pictures, Edward had once told me, but they never allowed themselves to be photographed together.

Carlisle and Esme were beaming under all the attention, however, and seemed eager for us to join in. Dr. Cullen introduced us to thirty people in less than three minutes, all of whom were "so excited to see Chief Swan's daughter again." Thankfully the childhood remembrances were kept to a minimum, and if Edward read an embarrassing tale in someone's mind, he would distract them with an appropriate question.

Loving a mind-reader certainly had its advantages.

I had never shaken so many hands or laughed at so many unfunny jokes in my life, yet I had never felt more a part of the Cullen clan. Carlisle and Esme smiled equally at Edward and me, and their warm attention melted my heart. I truly felt like I belonged.

Finally the glad-handing came to an end when the band played "Wonderful Tonight." Charlie liked Eric Clapton, and Renee had played this song to death after TV's Monica and Chandler danced to it by candlelight the night they got engaged.

Edward led me to the other side of the floor, put his arm around my waist, and kissed my forehead as we began to sway. I could hear Alice's giggle and Emmett's low growl, and their nearness made my night complete.

"Carlisle is certainly Mr. Popularity," I remarked.

"The Board wants him to become the new chief of staff," Edward said. "But they're going to be sorely disappointed."

"Hmmm." The music swirled around us, languid and loose, giving our dance a dream-like quality.

"Why did everyone keep saying that it was nice to finally meet you?" I asked a minute later.

"Because they'd never seen me before."

I leaned back to look at him, and his voice changed. "I have never come to one of these functions before. Not in this town or any other."

"Why not?"

"It was bad enough being the seventh wheel at home," he said quietly. "But in front of a bunch of strangers, sitting there like gossip fodder for people like Ms. Thompson or a potential mate for every lonely female between fifteen and fifty? No, thank you."

"You could have asked Tanya to accompany you," I smirked. "I'm sure she would have pounced at the chance."

He smiled ruefully. "I'm really sorry they told you about her."

"I'm not," I grinned. "I love teasing you."

"Yes, you do," he said, and his voice deepened with feeling. "You tease me, challenge me, and breathe life into me with every moment I spend in your presence. You give reason to nonsense, pleasure where there had only been pain, and I am an outcast no longer because of you, Isabella."

The sensual sound of my full name played with my insides as he pulled me closer, his cool breath baptizing my face. "I was nothing before you. Now I am everything with you. And I would do anything for you." His golden eyes flashed like lightning in a storm. "You are my life."

We were in the middle of a huge crowd, teachers, family, and friends surrounding us. But as his love washed over me, I wanted to strip away every wall between us, tear them down brick-by-brick, and commit myself to him in that timeless, intimate manner. And as I looked into his loving eyes, I saw a perfect mirror of my decision.

Our moment had come.

I wanted to say something poetic to convey all that I was feeling, but I could only manage a breathy "Edward…"

He growled and bent his head to my ear. "Do you want to get out of here?"

A pressure began to build as his heated question spoke my needs, and I hoped that my sheer thong could handle it. I closed my eyes, willing that spot to calm itself, and then cursed under my breath as I realized that it wasn't only that kind of pressure.

I looked up at Edward and winced. "Yes, but I have to pee."

His cool, sweet laughter wafted over me. "Go and be human, Love." He kissed me again. "I'll meet you at our table."

I sighed, grateful for his understanding, and made my way toward the exit door behind him. I could not believe that my bladder had ruined that perfect moment, but I knew that the sooner I took care of this issue, the sooner Edward and I would be on our way toward our first night together as lovers.

Should we go back to the mansion or get a hotel room? I didn't pack a bag, so I would need to get clothes and things. Should I let him decide where to go or would we talk about it together?

The questions flooded my mind, but I forced them to the background. Wherever it happened, however it happened, I knew that Edward and I would make love tonight. And the excitement was almost too much to bear.

I was so lost in my head that I had managed to get lost in the hotel's hallways. I couldn't hear the sounds of the band anymore, but I saw a sign up ahead for the ladies room. The building wasn't all that large, so I knew that I could find my way back to the ballroom.

The spacious women's bathroom suite was empty, for which I was grateful. I wasn't squeamish, but I did prefer as much privacy as possible. There were two rows of stalls, so I headed around the corner and beelined for the last one. Thankfully, Esme had demonstrated how to use the bathroom in a ball gown, so I'd had no trouble keeping it out of my way.

I was adjusting my dress and preparing to exit the stall when the front door abruptly opened on the other side of the wall. I heard two voices, one of them in tears, and I stopped moving, not wanting them to know I was there.

"Here." Someone was running water into a cup. "Drink this."

"I'm sorry you had to leave your party," the crying one sniffled. "I just didn't want to talk about this in front of them. Nobody knows yet, and it's not my place to say anything."

"I completely understand."

The calm one fell silent, and I heard gulping.

"I just can't believe she's gone."

"I'm so sorry, honey." The water ran again, and the calm one spoke. "How did you find out?"

"My sister Eliza lives next door to them. She was making dinner for the boys when she heard sirens outside. She went to the window and saw a police car pulling in front of the neighbor's house. She didn't want my nephews to see, so she sent them into the den with a Disney movie and told them to stay put. She met Charlie outside and asked what was going on, and he said that…."

My heart hitched at the mention of my father's name, and the speaker began crying again.

"She was such a nice girl, you know? She would come in every other weekend for my red velvet muffins, and she always refilled the napkin tray if it was running low."

"Oh, Madeleine…"

"And she was brave too, always looking for adventure. Bungee jumping, rock climbing. She'd even done that crazy Polar Bear Swim in Vancouver last winter."

"I had no idea."

"And you know the saddest part?" Madeleine sniffed. "When Eliza was at their house, she put the mail on the table in the foyer. It had come late today, so it was still in the mailbox when Charlie arrived. In the pile was a large, thick envelope from Juilliard. Mrs. Young said that she found her daughter on the couch, probably waiting for the mail. The letter came while she was asleep, but she never woke up to read it. She would never know that her dream of studying piano at Juilliard came true."

Madeleine started sobbing, and I clamped a hand over my mouth as the devastating truth slowly dawned on me.

"Brittany had so much life ahead of her," Madeleine said eventually. "And now she's gone before it really began."

Madeleine's friend pulled some paper towels from the dispenser. "Let's get you to your sister's house."

"I can't leave your birthday party, Ruthie," Madeleine said sadly.

"A young lady you were very fond of died tonight," Ruthie said. "Go hug your sister and nephews. That will help you much more than a slice of your fabulous 'Cheery Cherry Chocolate Cake.'"

"Thanks." Madeleine's voice was muffled, so I assumed they were hugging. "I'll go get my things."

Their footsteps retreated, and the door closed ominously behind them, leaving me quite alone with my thoughts.

I stepped out of the stall in a daze, disbelieving what I'd just heard.

They must have been talking about a different girl, another Brittany Young who had wanted to go to Juilliard.

They couldn't have been talking about my classmate, my lab partner during Physics, my newest friend.

They couldn't have been talking about her.

They couldn't have been talking about her because she was young and lovely and bright and courageous and more full of life than anyone I had ever met.

They couldn't have been talking about her.

But as the chunks of grief began to rise in my throat, and my head began to pound, I realized that denial was useless because Madeleine's words were impossibly true.

Brittany Young was dead.

I closed my eyes to steady my breathing and waited until I felt strong enough to move. I ran toward the door, praying I could find my way back to Edward before I saw anyone else. As I stepped out of the bathroom, I was caught by his arms the minute the door closed behind me. Edward carried me to a bench tucked in a corner and sat me on his lap. I fell into his chest and wrapped my arms around his neck as the unfathomable truth spilled out of my mouth.

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