*by Stephenie Meyer*



TWILIGHT - epilogue - AN OCCASION


We were at the school now; Rosalie's পরিবর্তনযোগ্য was conspicuous in the parking lot. The clouds were thin today, a few streaks of sunlight escaping through far away in the west.
He got out and walked around the car to open my door. He held out his hand.
I sat stubbornly in my seat, arms folded, feeling a secret twinge of smugness. The lot was crowded with people in formal dressed: witnesses. He couldn't remove me forcibly from the car as he might have if we'd been alone.
He sighed. "When someone wants to kill you, you're ব্রেভ as a lion - and then when someone mentions dancing..." He shook his head.
I gulped. Dancing.
"Bella, I won't let anything hurt আপনি - not even yourself. I won't let go of আপনি once, I promise."
I thought about that and suddenly felt much better. He could see that in my face.
"There, now," he ব্যক্ত gently, "it won't be so bad." He leaned down and wrapped one arm around my waist. I took his other hand and let him lift me from the car.
He kept his arm tightly around me, supporting me as I limped toward the school.
In Phoenix, they held proms in hotel ballrooms. This dance was in the gym, of course. It was probably the only room in town big enough for a dance. When we got inside, I giggled. There were actual balloon arches and twisted garlands of pastel crepe paper festooning the walls.
"This looks like a horror movie waiting to happen," I snickered.
"Well," he muttered as we slowly approached the ticket টেবিল - he was carrying most of my weight, but I still had to shuffle and wobble my feet forward. - "there are more than enough ভ্যাম্পায়ার present."
I looked at the dance floor; a wide gap had formed in the center of the floor, where two couples whirled gracefully. The other dancers pressed to the sides of the room to give them মহাকাশ - no one wanted to stand in contrast with such radiance. Emmett and Jasper were intimidating and flawless in classic tuxedos. Alice was striking in a black satin dress with geometric cutouts that bared large triangles of her snowy white skin. And Rosalie was well... well, Rosalie. She was beyond belief. Her vivid scarlet dress was backless, tight to her calves where it flared into a wide ruffled train, with a neckline that plunged to her waist. I pitied every girl in the room, myself included.
"Do আপনি want me to bolt the doors so আপনি can massacre teh unsuspecting towsfilk?" I whispered conspiratorially.
"And where do আপনি fit into that scheme?" He glared.
"Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course."
He smiled reluctantly. "Anything to get out of dancing."
"Anything."
He bought our tickets, then turned me toward the dance floor. I cringed against his arm and dragged my feet.
"I've got all night," he warned.
Eventually he towed me out to where his family was twirling elegantly - if in a style totally unsuitable to the present time and music. I watched in horror.
"Edward." My throat was so dry I could only manage a whisper. "I honestly can't dance!" I could feel the panic bubbling up inside my chest.
"Don't worry, silly," he whispered back. "I can." He put my arms around his neck and lifted me to slide his feet under mine.
And then we were whirling, too.
"I feel like I'm five years old," I laughed after a few মিনিট of effortless waltzing.
"You don't look five," he murmured, pulling me closer for a second, so that my feet were briefly a foot from the ground.
Alice caught my eye on a turn and smiled in encouragement - I smiled back. I was surprised to realize that I was actually enjoying myself... a little.
"Okay, this isn't half bad," I admitted.
But Edward was staring toward the doors, and his face was angry.
"What is it?" I wondered aloud. I followed his gaze, disoriented দ্বারা the spinning, but finally I could see what was bothering him. Jacob Black, not in a tux, but in a long-sleeved white শার্ট and tie, his hair smoothed back into his usual ponytail, was crossing the floor toward us.
After the first shock of recognition, I couldn't help but feel bad for Jacob. He was clearly uncomfortable - excruciatingly so. His face was apologetic as his eyes met mine.
Edward snarled very quietly.
"Behave!" I hissed.
Edward's voice was scathing. "He wants to chat with you."
Jacob reached us then, the embarrassment and apology even আরো evident on his face.
"Hey, Bella, I was hoping আপনি would be here." Jacob sounded like he'd been hoping the exact opposite. But his smile was just as warm as ever.
"Hi, Jacob." I smiled back. "What's up?"
"Can I cut in?" he asked tentatively, glancing at Edward for the first time. I was shocked to notice that Jacob didn't have to look up. He must have grown half a foot since the first time I'd seen him.
Edward's face was composed, his expression blank. His only answer was to set me carefully on my feet, and take a step back.
"Thanks," Jacob ব্যক্ত amiably.
Edward just nodded, looking at me intently before he turned to walk away.
Jacob put his hands on my waist, and I reached up to put my hands on his shoulders.
"Wow, Jacob, how tall are আপনি now?"
He was smug. "Six-two."
We weren't really dancing - my leg made that impossible. Instead we swayed awkwardly from side to side without moving our feet. It was just as well; the সাম্প্রতিক growth spurt had left him looking gangly and uncoordinated, he was probably no better a dancer than I was.
"So, how did আপনি end up here tonight?" I asked without true curiosity. Considering Edward's reaction, I could guess.
"Can আপনি believe that my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?" he admitted, slightly ashamed.
"Yes, I can," I muttered. "Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, at least. Seen anything আপনি like?" I teased, nodding toward a group of girls lined up against the দেওয়াল like pastel confections.
"Yeah," he sighed. "But she's taken."
He glanced down to meet my curious gaze for just a সেকেন্ড - then we both looked away, embarrassed.
"You look really pretty, দ্বারা the way," he added shyly.
"Um, thanks. So why did Billy ay আপনি to come here?" I asked quickly, though I knew the answer.
Jacob didn't seem grateful for the subject changer; he looked away, uncomfortable again. "He ব্যক্ত it was a 'safe' place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind."
I joined his laughter weakly.
"Anyway, he ব্যক্ত that if I told আপনি something, he would get me that master cylinder I need," he confessed with a sheepish grin.
"Tell me, then. I want আপনি to get your car finished." I grinned back. At least Jacob didn't believe any of this. It made the situation a bit easier. Against the wall, Edward was watching my face, his own face expressionless. I saw the sophomore in a পরাকাষ্ঠা dress eyeing him with timid speculation, but he didn't seem to be aware of her.
Jacob looked away again, ashamed. "Don't get mad, okay?"
"There's no way I'll get mad at you, Jacob," I assured him. "I won't even be mad at Billy. Just say what আপনি have to."
"Well - this is so stupid, I'm sorry, Bella - he wants আপনি to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell আপনি 'please.'" He shook hsi head in disgust.
"He's still superstitious, eh?"
"Yeah. He was... kind of over the শীর্ষ when আপনি got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn't believe..." Jacob trailed ogg self-consciously.
My eyes narrowed. "I fell."
"I know that," Jacob ব্যক্ত quickly.
"He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt." It wasn't a question, and despite my promise, I was angry.
Jacob wouldn't meet my eyes. We weren't ever bothering to sway to the music, though his hands were still on my waist, and mine around his neck.
"Look, Jacob, I know Billy probably won't believe this, but just to let আপনি know" - he looked at em now, responding to the new earnestness in my voice - "Edward really did save my life. If it weren't for Edward and his father, I'd be dead."
"I know," he claimed, but he sounded like my sincere words had affected him some. Maybe he'd been able to convince Billy of this much, at least.
"Hey, I'm sorry আপনি had to come do this, Jacob," I apologized. "At any rate, আপনি get yoru parts, right?"
"Yeah," he murmured. He was still looking awkward... upset.
"There's more?" I asked in disbelief.
"Forget it," he mumbled, "I'll get a job and save the money myself."
I glared at him until he met my gaze. "Just spit it out, Jacob."
"It's so bad."
"I don't care. Tell me," I insisted.
"Okay... but, geez, this sounds bad." He shook his head. "He ব্যক্ত to tell you, no, to warn you, that - and this is his plural, not mine" - he lifted one hand from mt waist and made little quotation marks in the air - "'We'll be watching.'" He watched warily for my reaction.
It sounded like something from a mafia movie. I laughed out loud.
"Sorry আপনি had to do this, Jake," I snickered.
"I don't mind that much." He grinned in relief. His eyes were appraising as they raked wuickly over my dress. "So, should I tell him আপনি ব্যক্ত to butt the hell out?" he asked hopefully.
"No," I sighed. "Tell him I ব্যক্ত thanks. I know he means well."
The song ended, and I dropped my arms.