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"BELLA?"

Edward’s soft voice cahtly up the porch steps, his hair windblown fro He pulledlot, and kissed htened e to the way his lips crushed mine - like he was afraid we only had so much time left to us

I couldn’t letto have to act human for the next several hours I pulled away froet this stupid party over with," Ihis eyes

He put his hands on either side ofuntil I looked up

"I won’t let anything happen to you"

I touched his lips with the fingers of ood hand "I’m not worried about myself so much"

"Why am I not surprised by that?" he muttered to hihtly "Ready to celebrate?" he asked

I groaned

He held the door forhis arm securely around my waist I stood frozen there for a minute, then I slowly shook ed "Alice will be Alice"

The interior of the Cullens’ hohtclub - the kind that didn’t often exist in real life, only on TV

"Edward!" Alice called froestured toward a towering stack of CDs "Should we give theestured to a different pile - "educate their taste in ," Edward recommended "You can only lead the horse to water"

Alice nodded seriously, and started throwing the educational CDs into a box I noticed that she had changed into a sequined tank top and red leather pants Her bare skin reacted oddly to the pulsing red and purple lights

"I think I’reed

"You’ll do," Alice ahed "Do you really think people will come?" Anyone could hear the hope in my voice Alice made a face at me

"Everyone will co to see the inside of the reclusive Cullens’ mystery house"

"Fabulous," II could do to help I doubted that - even after I didn’t need sleep and et things done the way Alice did

Edward refused to letwith him as he hunted up Jasper and then Carlisle to tell them of my epiphany I listened with quiet horror as they discussed their attack on the army in Seattle I could tell that Jasper was not pleased with the way the numbers stood, but they’d been unable to contact anyone besides Tanya’s unwilling family Jasper didn’t try to hide his desperation the way Edould have It was easy to see that he didn’t like gah

I couldn’t stay behind, waiting and hoping for theowas surreally norenuine and warm, replaced the stress on Carlisle’s face Alice turned the voluet the door

It was a Suburban-load of my friends, either too nervous or too intimidated to arrive on their own Jessica was the first one in the door, with Mike right behind her Tyler, Conner, Austin, Lee, Sa in last, her critical eyes alight with curiosity They all were curious, and then overwhele room decked out like a chic rave The room wasn’t empty; all the Cullens had taken their places, ready to put on their usual perfect hu every bit asthe edge inht kind of exciteain I let Angela and Ben in, leaving the door wide, because Eric and Katie were just reaching the steps

I didn’t get another chance to panic I had to talk to everyone, concentrate on being upbeat, a hostess Though the party had been billed as a joint event for Alice, Edward, and et for congratulations and thanks Maybe because the Cullens looked just slightly wrong under Alice’s party lights Maybe because those lights left the rooe hu next to sorin at Mike over the food table, the red lights glea off his teeth, and watched Mike take an automatic step back

Probably Alice had done this on purpose, to force ht I should enjoyto ht humans should be

The party was a clear success, despite the instinctive edginess cause by the Cullens’ presence - or maybe that simply added a thrill to the athts almost hypnotic Froood, too The rooh never claustrophobic The entire senior class see with most of the juniors Bodies swayed to the beat that rumbled under the soles of their feet, the party constantly on the edge of breaking into a dance

It wasn’t as hard as I’d thought it would be I followed Alice’s lead,for a h to please I was sure this party was far cooler than anything the town of Forks had experienced before Alice was alht

I’d circled the room once, and was back to Jessica She babbled excitedly, and it was not necessary to pay strict attention, because the odds were she wouldn’t need a response fro to let go ofhts I probably didn’t want to hear

So I was ied away froht back"

He passed gracefully through the croithout seeone too quickly forI stared after hierly, hanging on to my elbow, oblivious to my distraction

I watched him as he reached the dark shadow beside the kitchen doorhere the lights only shone inter over someone, but I couldn’t see past all the heads between us

I stretched up on ht flashed across his back and glinted off the red sequins of Alice’s shirt The light only touched her face for half a second, but it was enough

"Excusemy arm away I didn’t pause for her reaction, even to see if I’d hurt her feelings withshoved around a bit A few people were dancing now I hurried to the kitchen door

Edas gone, but Alice was still there in the dark, her face blank - the kind of expressionless look you see on the face of someone who has just witnessed a horrible accident One of her hands gripped the door frame, like she needed the support

"What, Alice, what? What did you see?" My hands were clutched in front ofaway I followed her gaze and watched as she caught Edward’s eye across the room His face was empty as a stone He turned and disappeared into the shadows under the stair

The doorbell rang just then, hours after the last time, and Alice looked up with a puzzled expression that quickly turned into one of disgust

"Who invited the olf?" she griped at ht I’d rescinded that invitation - not that I’d ever dreao take care of it, then I have to talk to Carlisle"

"No, Alice, wait!" I tried to reach for her arone and rumbled

I knew this was it Alice had seen what she’d been waiting for, and I honestly didn’t feel I could stand the suspense long enough to answer the door The doorbell peeled again, too long, so down the button I turned my back toward the door resolutely, and scanned the darkened roo for the stairs

"Hey, Bella!"

Jacob’s deep voice caught a lull in the music, and I looked up in spite of myself at the sound of my name

I made a face

It wasn’t just one olf, it was three Jacob had let himself in, flanked on either side by Quil and Embry The two of the around the room like they’d just walked into a haunted crypt E hand still held the door, his body half-turned to run for it

Jacob aving at h his nose rinkled in disgust I waved back - waved goodbye - and turned to look for Alice I squeezed through a space between Conner’s and Lauren’s backs

He ca rip, but he grabbed ood wrist and yanked me from the crowd

"Friendly reception," he noted

I pulledhere?"

"You invited ht hook was too subtle for you, let you"

"Don’t be a poor sport I brought you a graduation present and everything"

I folded htwith Jacob right noanted to knohat Alice had seen and what Edward and Carlisle were saying about it I cranedfor theot to do so et it fro tiain, but I couldn’t see any of the Cullens Where had they gone? My eyes scanned the darkened room

"Oh, c’mon, Bell Don’t pretend like I’m not here!"

"I’m not" I couldn’t see theht now"

He put his hand under my chin and pulled my face up "Could I please have just a few seconds of your undivided attention, Miss Swan?"

I jerked away from his touch "Keep your hands to yourself, Jacob," I hissed

"Sorry!" he said at once, holding his hands up in surrender "I really am sorry About the other day, I mean, too I shouldn’t have kissed you like that It rong I guesswell, I guess I deludedyou wanted me to"

"Deluded - what a perfect description!"

"Be nice You could accept y accepted Now, if you’ll just excuse me for a moment"

"Okay," he mumbled, and his voice was so different fro for Alice and scrutinized his face He was staring at the floor, hiding his eyes His lower lip jutted out just a little bit

"I guess you’d rather be with your real friends," he said in the saroaned "Aw, Jake, you know that’s not fair"

"Do I?"

"You should" I leaned forward, peering up, trying to look into his eyes He looked up then, over aze

"Jake?"

He refused to look at ht?" I asked "Was that just talk? Where’s my present?" My attempt to fake enthusiasri ht," he grumbled sarcastically But he also reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a s of a loose-woven, s He set it on hed "The present is inside, Bella"

"Oh"

I had soain and took it froht cord I heldupside down and shook soainst each other

"I didn’t make the bracelet," he admitted "Just the charm"

Fastened to one of the links of the silver bracelet was a tiny wooden carving I held it betweenthe aurine - the miniature as utterly realistic It was even carved out of some red-broood that matched the color of his skin

"It’s beautiful," I whispered "You ht me He’s better at it than I a the tiny wolf around and around in ers

"Do you really like it?"

"Yes! It’s unbelievable, Jake"

He smiled, happily at first, but then the expression soured "Well, I figured that maybe it would make you reht, out of nored the attitude "Here, help ht was stuck in the brace He fastened the catch easily, though it looked too delicate for his big fingers to e

"You’ll wear it?" he asked

"Of course I will"

He grinned at me - it was the happy smile that I loved to see him wear

I returned it for a ain, anxiously scanning the crowd for son of Edward or Alice

"Why’re you so distracted?" Jacob wondered

"It’s nothing," I lied, trying to concentrate "Thanks for the present, really I love it"

"Bella?" His brows pulled together, throwing his eyes deep into their shadow "So on, isn’t it?"

"Jake, Ino, there’s nothing"

"Don’t lie toon We want to know these things,"

he said, slipping into the plural at the end