"Sure, the Lodge, cool," I said.
Charlie smiled wider, and then sighed. He turned his head halfway toward Edward, without really looking at him.
"You coming, too, Edward?"
I stared at him, my eyes beseeching. Edward pulled his expression together just before Charlie turned to see why he hadn't gotten an answer.
"No, thank you," Edward said stiffly, his face hard and cold.
"Do you have plans with your parents?" Charlie asked, a frown in his voice. Edward was always more polite than Charlie deserved; the sudden hostility surprised him.
"Yes. If you'll excuse me. . . ." Edward turned abruptly and stalked away through the dwindling crowd. He moved just a little bit too fast, too upset to keep up his usually perfect charade.
"What did I say?" Charlie asked with a guilty expression.
"Don't worry about it, Dad," I reassured him. "I don't think it's you."
"Are you two fighting again?"
"Nobody's fighting. Mind your own business."
"You are my business."
I rolled my eyes. "Let's go eat."
The Lodge was crowded. The place was, in my opinion, overpriced and tacky, but it was the only thing close to a formal restaurant in town, so it was always popular for events. I stared morosely at a depressed-looking stuffed elk head while Charlie ate prime rib and talked over the back of the seat to Tyler Crowley's parents. It was noisy -- everyone there had just come from graduation, and most were chatting across the aisles and over the booth-tops like Charlie.
I had my back to the front windows, and I resisted the urge to turn around and search for the eyes I could feel on me now. I knew I wouldn't be able to see anything. Just as I knew there was no chance that he would leave me unguarded, even for a second. Not after this.
Dinner dragged. Charlie, busy socializing, ate too slowly. I picked at my burger, stuffing pieces of it into my napkin when I was sure his attention was somewhere else. It all seemed to take a very long time, but when I looked at the clock -- which I did more often than necessary -- the hands hadn't moved much.
Finally Charlie got his change back and put a tip on the table. I stood up.
"In a hurry?" he asked me.
"I want to help Alice set things up," I claimed.
"Okay." He turned away from me to say goodnight to everyone. I went out to wait by the cruiser.
I leaned against the passenger door, waiting for Charlie to drag himself away from the impromptu party. It was almost dark in the parking lot, the clouds so thick that there was no telling if the sun had set or not. The air felt heavy, like it was about to rain.
Something moved in the shadows.
My gasp turned into a sigh of relief as Edward appeared out of the gloom.
Without a word, he pulled me tightly against his chest. One cool hand found my chin, and pulled my face up so that he could press his hard lips to mine. I could feel the tension in his jaw.
"How are you?" I asked as soon as he let me breathe.
"Not so great," he murmured. "But I've got a handle on myself. I'm sorry that I lost it back there."
"My fault. I should have waited to tell you."
"No," he disagreed. "This is something I needed to know. I can't believe I didn't see it!"
"You've got a lot on your mind."
"And you don't?"
He suddenly kissed me again, not letting me answer. He pulled away after just a second. "Charlie's on his way."
"I'll have him drop me at your house."
"I'll follow you there."
"That's not really necessary," I tried to say, but he was already gone.
"Bella?" Charlie called from the doorway of the restaurant, squinting into the darkness.
"I'm out here."
Charlie sauntered out to the car, muttering about impatience.
"So, how do you feel?" he asked me as we drove north along the highway. "It's been a big day."
"I feel fine," I lied.
He laughed, seeing through me easily. "Worried about the party?" he guessed.
"Yeah," I lied again.
This time he didn't notice. "You were never one for the parties."
"Wonder where I got that from," I murmured.
Charlie chuckled. "Well, you look really nice. I wish I'd thought to get you something. Sorry."
"Don't be silly, Dad."
"It's not silly. I feel like I don't always do everything for you that I should."
"That's ridiculous. You do a fantastic job. World's best dad. And . . ." It wasn't easy to talk about feelings with Charlie, but I persevered after clearing my throat. "And I'm really glad I came to live with you, Dad. It was the best idea I ever had. So don't worry -- you're just experiencing post-graduation pessimism."
He snorted. "Maybe. But I'm sure I slipped up in a few places. I mean, look at your hand!"
I stared down blankly at my hands. My left hand rested lightly on the dark brace I rarely thought about. My broken knuckle didn't hurt much anymore.
"I never thought I needed to teach you how to throw a punch. Guess I was wrong about that."
"I thought you were on Jacob's side?"
"No matter what side I'm on, if someone kisses you without your permission, you should be able to make your feelings clear without hurting yourself. You didn't keep your thumb inside your fist, did you?"
"No, Dad. That's kind of sweet in a weird way, but I don't think lessons would have helped. Jacob's head is really hard."
Charlie laughed. "Hit him in the gut next time."
"Next time?" I asked incredulously.
"Aw, don't be too hard on the kid. He's young."
"He's obnoxious."
"He's still your friend."
"I know." I sighed. "I don't really know what the right thing to do here is, Dad."
Charlie nodded slowly. "Yeah. The right thing isn't always real obvious. Sometimes the right thing for one person is the wrong thing for someone else. So . . . good luck figuring that out."
"Thanks," I muttered dryly.
Charlie laughed again, and then frowned. "If this party gets too wild . . . ," he began.
"Don't worry about it, Dad. Carlisle and Esme are going to be there. I'm sure you can come, too, if you want."
Charlie grimaced as he squinted through the windshield into the night. Charlie enjoyed a good party just about as much as I did.
"Where's the turnoff, again?" he asked. "They ought to clear out their drive -- it's impossible to find in the dark."
"Just around the next bend, I think." I pursed my lips. "You know, you're right -- it is impossible to find. Alice said she put a map in the invitation, but even so, maybe everyone will get lost." I cheered up slightly at the idea.
"Maybe," Charlie said as the road curved to the east. "Or maybe not."
The black velvet darkness was interrupted ahead, just where the Cullens' drive should be. Someone had wrapped the trees on either side in thousands of twinkle lights, impossible to miss.
"Alice," I said sourly.
"Wow," Charlie said as we turned onto the drive. The two trees at the entry weren't the only ones lit. Every twenty feet or so, another shining beacon guided us toward the big white house. All the way -- all three miles of the way.
"She doesn't do things halfway, does she?" Charlie mumbled in awe.
"Sure you don't want to come in?"
"Extremely sure. Have fun, kid."
"Thanks so much, Dad."
He was laughing to himself as I got out and shut the door. I watched him drive away, still grinning. With a sigh, I marched up the stairs to endure my party.
17. ALLIANCE
"BELLA?"
Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, just like he had in the parking lot, and kissed me again.
This kiss frightened me. There was too much tension, too strong an edge to the way his lips crushed mine -- like he
was afraid we only had so much time left to us.
I couldn't let myself think about that. Not if I was going to have to act human for the next several hours. I pulled away from him.
"Let's get this stupid party over with," I mumbled, not meeting his eyes.
He put his hands on either side of my face, waiting until I looked up.
"I won't let anything happen to you."
I touched his lips with the fingers of my good hand. "I'm not worried about myself so much."
"Why am I not surprised by that?" he muttered to himself. He took a deep breath, and then he smiled slightly. "Ready to celebrate?" he asked.
I groaned.
He held the door for me, keeping his arm securely around my waist. I stood frozen there for a minute, then I slowly shook my head.
"Unbelievable."
Edward shrugged. "Alice will be Alice."
The interior of the Cullens' home had been transformed into a nightclub -- the kind that didn't often exist in real life, only on TV.
"Edward!" Alice called from beside a gigantic speaker. "I need your advice." She gestured toward a towering stack of CDs. "Should we give them familiar and comforting? Or" -- she gestured to a different pile -- "educate their taste in music?"
"Keep it comforting," 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'm underdressed."
"You're perfect," Edward disagreed.
"You'll do," Alice amended.
"Thanks." I sighed. "Do you really think people will come?" Anyone could hear the hope in my voice. Alice made a face at me.
"Everyone will come," Edward answered. "They're all dying to see the inside of the reclusive Cullens' mystery house."
"Fabulous," I moaned.
There wasn't anything I could do to help. I doubted that -- even after I didn't need sleep and moved at a much faster speed -- I would ever be able to get things done the way Alice did.
Edward refused to let me go for a second, dragging me along with 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 Edward would have. It was easy to see that he didn't like gambling with stakes this high.
I couldn't stay behind, waiting and hoping for them to come home. I wouldn't. I would go mad.
The doorbell rang.
All at once, everything was surreally normal. A perfect smile, genuine and warm, replaced the stress on Carlisle's face. Alice turned the volume of the music up, and then danced to get 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, Samantha . . . even Lauren trailing in last, her critical eyes alight with curiosity. They all were curious, and then overwhelmed as they took in the huge 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 human charade. Tonight I felt like I was acting every bit as much as they were.
I went to greet Jess and Mike, hoping the edge in my voice sounded like the right kind of excitement. Before I could get to anyone else, the bell rang again. 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 me, there was no denying that I was the most popular target for congratulations and thanks. Maybe because the Cullens looked just slightly wrong under Alice's party lights. Maybe because those lights left the room dim and mysterious. Not an atmosphere to make your average human feel relaxed when standing next to someone like Emmett. I saw Emmett grin at Mike over the food table, the red lights gleaming off his teeth, and watched Mike take an automatic step back.
Probably Alice had done this on purpose, to force me into the center of attention -- a place she thought I should enjoy more. She was forever trying to make me be human the way she thought 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 atmosphere. The music was infectious, the lights almost hypnotic. From the way the food disappeared, that must have been good, too. The room was soon crowded, though never claustrophobic. The entire senior class seemed to be there, along 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, mingling and chatting for a minute with everyone. They seemed easy enough to please. I was sure this party was far cooler than anything the town of Forks had experienced before. Alice was almost purring -- no one here would forget this night.
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 from me anytime soon. Edward was at my side -- still refusing to let go of me. He kept one hand securely at my waist, pulling me closer now and then in response to thoughts I probably didn't want to hear.
So I was immediately suspicious when he dropped his arm and edged away from me.
"Stay here," he murmured in my ear. "I'll be right back."
He passed gracefully through the crowd without seeming to touch any of the close-packed bodies, gone too quickly for me to ask why he was leaving. I stared after him with narrowed eyes while Jessica shouted over the music eagerly, hanging on to my elbow, oblivious to my distraction.
I watched him as he reached the dark shadow beside the kitchen doorway, where the lights only shone intermittently. He was leaning over someone, but I couldn't see past all the heads between us.
I stretched up on my toes, craning my neck. Right then, a red light 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.
"Excuse me for a minute, Jess," I mumbled, pulling my arm away. I didn't pause for her reaction, even to see if I'd hurt her feelings with my abruptness.
I ducked my way through the bodies, getting shoved around a bit. A few people were dancing now. I hurried to the kitchen door.
Edward was 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 of me -- begging.
She didn't look at me, she was staring away. 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 werewolf?" she griped at me.
I scowled. "Guilty."
I'd thought I'd rescinded that invitation -- not that I'd ever dreamed Jacob would come here, regardless.
"Well, you go take care of it, then. I have to talk to Carlisle."
"No, Alice, wait!" I tried to reach for her arm, but she was gone and my hand clutched the empty air.
"Damn it!" I grumbled.
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 answe
r the door. The doorbell peeled again, too long, someone holding down the button. I turned my back toward the door resolutely, and scanned the darkened room for Alice.
I couldn't see anything. I started pushing 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 werewolf, it was three. Jacob had let himself in, flanked on either side by Quil and Embry. The two of them looked terribly tense, their eyes flickering around the room like they'd just walked into a haunted crypt. Embry's trembling hand still held the door, his body half-turned to run for it.
Jacob was waving at me, calmer than the others, though his nose was wrinkled 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 came out of nowhere, his hand on my shoulder pulling me back toward the shadow by the kitchen. I ducked under his grip, but he grabbed my good wrist and yanked me from the crowd.
"Friendly reception," he noted.
I pulled my hand free and scowled at him. "What are you doing here?"
"You invited me, remember?"
"In case my right hook was too subtle for you, let me translate: that was me uninviting you."
"Don't be a poor sport. I brought you a graduation present and everything."
I folded my arms across my chest. I didn't want to fight with Jacob right now. I wanted to know what Alice had seen and what Edward and Carlisle were saying about it. I craned my head around Jacob, searching for them.
"Take it back to the store, Jake. I've got to do something. . . ."
He stepped into my line of sight, demanding my attention.
"I can't take it back. I didn't get it from the store -- I made it myself. Took a really long time, too."
I leaned around him again, 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 them anywhere. "Look, Jake, I've got a lot on my mind right 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 was wrong. I guess . . . well, I guess I deluded myself into thinking you wanted me to."