Fighting Temptation

Chapter 23: The Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are property of me, Dobber17. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This chapter has been edited by CherryBerry12.

Edward Cullen

She was exquisite. I strode over, unable to contain my smile as she shrugged out of her bulky winter coat. It had covered most of the dress, but seeing her with no obstacle in the way … a low whistle sounded behind me.

Jared was by Jaclyn's side in an instant, dipping his chin toward Bella on the way. Jaclyn swatted his arm as he paced around her, another low whistle escaping. He was remarkable calm compared to minutes before. As soon as we got the texts letting us know they were on their way, Jared's hands had been in constant motion - most of their time spent fiddling with his already immaculate tie. We were under strict instruction to make sure Jared was on time and waiting. He opted to get ready at the hotel where their team was staying, though he arrived early, before I even texted him letting him know we were back at the gym.

I stayed with Emmett as everyone filed out at the end of the day, helping him set up round tables and chairs. Reid helped out too, though only briefly as Lori snapped at him to drive her home so she could get herself ready. Jasper was back to help far sooner than we expected, and he confirmed my earlier suspicions - Tyler's wrist was broken. We made quick work of the set-up, leaving the room essentially bare as we left to get ourselves ready at Emmett and Rose's house nearby. Admittedly, I was a little crestfallen when Lucas wasn't home. Emmett's mom usually watched him during the day, but with the dance tonight she had already packed him up for a sleepover at her house.

Though they were given a budget for decorations, Jasper made Alice promise she wouldn't go crazy. As soon as the words were out of Jasper's mouth, we all knew that would be a lie. Indeed, Jasper admitted she hired a decorator, and when we finally returned to the gym, the space was nearly unrecognizable. I expected tablecloths and plastic cups to be the extent of things, but in the short time they had to set up, they transformed the gym into a winter wonderland, more lights and swaths of glittering silver and blue fabric than one could imagine.

I pressed a kiss to the hollow beneath Bella's ear as I slid her coat from her grasp, drawing her attention from the room. "You look absolutely stunning."

She winked, linking her fingers with my free hand. "You clean up pretty good yourself."

I grinned, guiding her to a table off to the side that Rose and Alice already claimed. Jaclyn and Jared followed a few paces behind up, whispering in tones too low to hear.

Alice's eyes danced as people filed in, some of them stopping short when they beheld the gym. It was amazing what she arranged in such a short period of time. I didn't dare think how far over budget she went.

We didn't move from the table as the last few people made their way in from the cold, including Lori and an exasperated Reid. The DJ waved Reid to the front, exchanging a few brief words before passing him a microphone. Still in his jacket, Reid lifted the microphone to his lips.

"Let's have some fun tonight!"

A few loud cheers and hollers rang through the gym, quickly drowned out by an opening beat of loud, pulsing music. Emmett wasted no time, his hips obnoxiously swaying from side to side as he stood from his chair. There was a tangled mess of hands as people dragged each other to the dancefloor. My hand found Bella's, but I remained sitting as I clasped it. I wouldn't force her to dance, knowing well enough how uncomfortable she already was here. Her coordination issues and nerves mixed together usually made a recipe for disaster. Honestly, I was happy enough just to be near her, content to just to watch her head bob to the music and mouth the words. I threaded my fingers through hers as the first song ended, angling my chair so we both faced the dance floor.

Apparently, Emmett did not agree with that. He made his way back to our table, doing what I assumed was a horrible rendition of the moonwalk. He barely stopped, pausing long enough to grab our clasped hands in his before we were being hauled to the dance floor. It was packed. Limbs flying and voices blended as everyone sang and danced. Alice and Rose stepped aside, widening the circle so we could join. Emmett finally released us as we took our positions. I squeezed Bella's hand before releasing it.

"Good?" I asked.

She nodded, slowly letting her hips move. A few heartbeats later her arms were going too. Her eyes were bright as they met mine. She was happy. She was comfortable. It was all the confirmation I needed, letting my muscles loosen and start moving.

Our group was a beautiful disaster. Bella was, by far, nowhere close to being the least coordinated. Jared had two left feet, though his confidence and enthusiasm hid it well enough. Emmett was worse. It was a mystery how I never noticed his lack of rhythm before - he favored staying a beat behind the music. Rose hid her face as he pulled out all the moves - full confidence with no hesitation as he tried to lead the group doing the sprinkler and lawnmower.

Only when the music changed did we move our positions. Jasper grabbed Alice close as the slow beat thrummed. Rose wrapped her arms around Emmett, both smiling as Rose claimed she was doing the world a favor by suffering through a slow dance with the disaster on the dancefloor. Jaclyn, frozen and unsure, let Bella grab her wrist and cart her off the dance floor. I glanced at Jared as we trailed a few steps behind them. His face, though sweaty, was calm and relaxed.

We met up with the girls at the refreshment table, Bella filling four cups with punch. I drank mine greedily - instantly regretting it. I had limited exposure with alcohol, but knew enough as I winced against the unexpected burn in my throat. Someone definitely went overboard trying to spike the punch.

"There's a little punch in the vodka," Jared finally said, grimacing as we made our way back to our table. We sat, content to chat for a while. Jaclyn and Jared's chairs were pulled close to each other, their arms pressed together more often than not. I wondered how long it would be before one of them finally made a move - the air was thick with the growing tension around them. Definitely tonight, I thought. Whether it would be soon on the dance floor or when the dance was officially over, I didn't know. Only when Jared dragged Jaclyn back to the dance floor did I coax Bella from her chair.

"Slow dancing is much easier," I teased, letting my arms wrap around her waist.

She let her arms relax on my shoulders. "I'll remind you of that when I start stepping on your toes." We danced together, our arms wrapped tightly around each other. That is, until Alice unceremoniously cut it, sweeping her hand into mine.

"Sibling dance," was her only explanation. Thankfully Emmett stepped up, whisking Bella away with a flourish before we even comprehended what was happening.

"You'll get her back in one song, Romeo," my sister teased me. I let my eyes stray from Bella, falling to Alice's dark hair.

"You're so short."

She jabbed my ribs, hard enough to make my body twist away. "You're so short," she mimicked in a high voice. "That's nothing new."

"I thought this was supposed to be a nice sibling dance," I grumbled, watching Jasper and Rose sweep gracefully around the floor.

Alice let out a long sigh. "I miss you."

I knew what she meant. "I miss you too, Ali. You know mom keeps your room spotless in case of any surprise visits. Life isn't the same without your constant torment."

She snorted, unabashed. "You'll see me in a few short weeks for Christmas. We'll see what you have to say after that." I grinned, even though she couldn't see my face. She continued, her voice soft and no longer teasing. "You're so happy. I'm so happy for you. My baby brother's all grown up and in love."

I couldn't stop myself from finding Bella on the dance floor. Her and Emmett were chatting and laughing, hardly dancing but moving just enough to make it look passable. She caught my eye, gracing me with a quick wink. She was comfortable. She was okay. Emmett saw the movement, turning his head to give me an exaggerated wink to match.

It was my turn to snort.

"It was Em's idea, ya'know? The sibling dance. He's claimed Bella as his unofficial sister, stating no one in the group is to feel left out."

I looked at Emmett again. He was a gigantic goof with an even bigger heart. He was an only child - so was Bella. We always included him, but there was still something about having a bond with your sibling. Something he missed out on. Something he and Bella were quickly forming in the short time they knew each other. It didn't surprise me one bit this form of sibling bonding was Emmett's idea, and I suspected the dance was as much for him as it was for her.

When the song blended into another one, still slow but a few beats faster than the last, Alice and I weaved our way back to the table. Jasper and Rose were already waiting for us, and Emmett led Bella back, her arm looped through his. Jared and Jaclyn were still holding each other close on the dancefloor. Bella didn't sit; instead she dropped Emmet's arm and reached for my hand. I didn't fight her as she pulled me from my chair, leading me to the dancefloor, only slowing when a figure halted in front of her.

Bella Swan

Reid stood in front of us, his hands stuffed in his pockets. One glance was enough for me to see he was more than a few drinks deep in the punch.

"Bella, can we talk. Alone," Reid clarified, glancing over my shoulder. I looked at Edward. Though his face was tight, his body barely moved. A slight shrug of his shoulder and a gently squeeze of my hand was all he gave. The choice was mine.

I looked again at Reid, curiosity getting the best of me as I couldn't read his face.

"Give us ten minutes?" I asked Edward.

Edward nodded, kissing my cheek. "I'll check in five," he countered, slowly releasing my hand. Reid didn't say a word, only nodded as he turned, leading me away. His gait was slightly off as we walked. He wasn't stumbling, but there was no evidence of his typically sure footedness. A blast of cold air greeted us as he pushed through a set of doors. The night was brisk and dark and I wrapped my bare arms across my chest as we stood outside.

"Please, hear me out. I – I might go all over the place a bit. Just hear me out until the end. Please."

His manners were enough for me to pause. I nodded, and it was all he needed to continue.

"I'm sorry," he admitted. "For everything. I was a complete ass to you, literally from day one. My behaviour was … far from excusable. It was a defense, I think, I tried to put in place … more for myself … but it made everything much worse."

His eyes finally locked on mine, and I swallowed hard. "I felt something the first time I saw you - a tug like the universe was screaming at me to look at you. I don't know why I acted the way I did, but when Jaclyn called me out, I knew I had to stop being an ass. I was trying too hard to fight the attraction that I was lashing out."

It wasn't what I expected. It wasn't what I expected at all. An apology, yes ... but that was the extent I thought this conversation would go. The more I thought of it, I realized how oblivious I was. He tried to kiss me at the water fountain and I still didn't realize he felt something toward me. I was too preoccupied, focused on Edward so much I didn't see the signs from Reid. He tried to kiss me and I didn't even try to process the encounter after it was over.

"Are you drunk?" I asked quietly.

"A little," he admitted, making me wonder if the flush on his cheeks was from his admission or the liquid courage flowing through him. He noticed the raised hairs on my crossed arms. "Are you cold?" He lifted a hand, stopping himself short before he could touch me.

"I'm fine," I lied, praying my teeth weren't chattering. How long were we already out here?

"I can't stop thing about you," he admitted. "I've tried not to. I keep trying not to …" he trailed off, his eyes falling to my lips. He raised his hands in front of him, slowly taking a step toward me. I took one back. He eyed my movements, his face falling. "I just," he dragged his hands through his hair. "I swear I'm not a bad person."

"I'm dating Edward," was all I could say. All I could manage past my frozen lips.

"You could date us both?" He said softly. "Just see us both and make up your mind from there? You guys have barely started dating yet."

I shook my head. He had no idea how complex our situation was. How skewed our timeline was. How long Edward and I had been in love with each other before admitting it.

"What are the chances of marrying your high school sweetheart?" he asked. The conversation took a giant leap, desperation clawing its way into his voice. "People change and grow. They can grow up and grow apart."

We knew that and already talked about it. We both had applied to a bunch of colleges, only some of them overlapping. Only time would tell where we would end up, but we were already on board to make it all work. Our families were still in Forks, and we both wanted to stay in Washington if we could. We were ready to fight through the battles and obstacles. We figured none would be as bad as our combined stubbornness that made us wait so long to get to this point.

Reid eased one step closer to me. "I am begging you for a kiss. One kiss. Just give me this one chance." His hand was warm as it closed on mine. "Please."

Oh snap ...