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She went to sit on the hood of her Porsche； her face dejected。 I followed； and leaned against the bumper
beside her。
“Bella？” Alice asked in a sad voice； shifting over and curling up against my side。 Her voice sounded so
miserable that I wrapped my arms around her shoulders in comfort。
“What’s wrong； Alice？”
“Don’t you love me？” she asked in that same sad tone。
“Of course I do。 You know that。”
“Then why do I see you sneaking off to Vegas to get married without inviting me？”
“Oh；” I muttered； my cheeks turning pink。 I could see that I had seriously hurt her feelings； and I hurried to
defend myself。 “You know how I hate to make a big deal out of things。 It was Edward’s idea； anyway。”
“I don’t care whose idea it was。 How could you do this to me？ I expect that kind of thing from Edward；
but not from you。 I love you like you were my own sister。”
“To me； Alice； you are my sister。”
“Words！” she growled。
“Fine； you can come。 There won’t be much to see。”
She was still grimacing。
“What？” I demanded。
“How much do you love me； Bella？”
“Why？”
She stared at me with pleading eyes； her long black eyebrows slanting up in the middle and pulling
together； her lips trembling at the corners。 It was a heart…breaking expression。
“Please； please； please；” she whispered。 “Please； Bella； please — if you really love me 。 。 。 Please let me
do your wedding。”
“Aw； Alice！” I groaned； pulling away and standing up。 “No！ Don’t do this to me。”
“If you really； truly love me； Bella。”
I folded my arms across my chest。 “That is so unfair。 And Edward kind of already used that one on me。”
“I’ll bet Edward would like it better if you did this traditionally； though he’d never tell you that。 And Esme
— think what it would mean to her！”
I groaned。 “I’d rather face the newborns alone。”
“I’ll owe you for a decade。”
“You’d owe me for a century！”
Her eyes glowed。 “Is that a yes？”
“No！ I don’t want to do this！”
“You won’t have to do anything but walk a few yards and then repeat after the minister。”
“Ugh！ Ugh； ugh！”
“Please？” She started bouncing in place。 “Please； please； please； please； please？”
“I’ll never； never ever forgive you for this； Alice。”
“Yay！” she squealed； clapping her hands together。
“That’s not a yes！”
“But it will be；” she sang。
“Edward！” I yelled； stalking out of the garage。 “I know you’re listening。 Get over here。” Alice was right
behind me； still clapping。
“Thanks so much； Alice；” Edward said acidly； coming from behind me。 I turned to let him have it； but his
expression was so worried and upset that I couldn’t speak my complaints。 I threw my arms around him
instead； hiding my face； just in case the angry moisture in my eyes made it look like I was crying。
“Vegas；” Edward promised in my ear。
“Not a chance；” Alice gloated。 “Bella would never do that to me。 You know； Edward； as a brother； you
are sometimes a disappointment。”
“Don’t be mean；” I grumbled at her。 “He’s trying to make me happy； unlike you。”
“I’m trying to make you happy； too； Bella。 It’s just that I know better what will make you happy 。 。 。 in the
long run。 You’ll thank me for this。 Maybe not for fifty years； but definitely someday。”
“I never thought I’d see the day where I’d be willing to take a bet against you； Alice； but it has arrived。”
She laughed her silvery laugh。 “So； are you going to show me the ring？”
I grimaced in horror as she grabbed my left hand and then dropped it just as quickly。
“Huh。 I saw him put it on you。 。 。 。 Did I miss something？” she asked。 She concentrated for half a second；
furrowing her brow； before she answered her own questions。 “No。 Wedding’s still on。”
“Bella has issues with jewelry；” Edward explained。
“What’s one more diamond？ Well； I guess the ring has lots of diamonds； but my point is that he’s already
got one on —”
“Enough； Alice！” Edward cut her off suddenly。 The way he glared at her 。 。 。 he looked like a vampire
again。 “We’re in a hurry。”
“I don’t understand。 What’s that about diamonds？” I asked。
“We’ll talk about it later；” Alice said。 “Edward is right — you’d better get going。 You’ve got to set a trap
and make camp before the storm comes。” She frowned； and her expression was anxious； almost nervous。
“Don’t forget your coat； Bella。 It seems 。 。 。 unseasonably cold。”
“I’ve already got it；” Edward assured her。
“Have a nice night；” she told us in farewell。
It was twice as far to the clearing as usual； Edward took a long detour； making sure my scent would be
nowhere near the trail Jacob would hide later。 He carried me in his arms； the bulky backpack in my usual spot。
He stopped at the farthest end of the clearing and set me on my feet。
“All right。 Just walk north for a ways； touching as much as you can。 Alice gave me a clear picture of their
path； and it won’t take long for us to intersect it。”
“North？”
He smiled and pointed out the right direction。
I wandered into the woods； leaving the clear yellow light of the strangely sunny day in the clearing behind
me。 Maybe Alice’s blurred sight would be wrong about the snow。 I hoped so。 The sky was mostly clear；
though the wind whipped furiously through the open spaces。 In the trees it was calmer； but much too cold for
June — even in a long…sleeved shirt with a thick sweater over the top； there were goose bumps on my arms。 I
walked slowly； trailingmy fingers over anything close enough： the rough tree bark； the wet ferns； the moss…
covered rocks。
Edward stayed with me； walking a parallel line about twenty yards away。
“Am I doing this right？” I called。
“Perfectly。”
I had an idea。 “Will this help？” I asked as I ran my fingers through my hair and caught a few loose strands。
I draped them over the ferns。
“Yes； that does make the trail stronger。 But you don’t need to pull your hair out； Bella。 It will be fine。”
“I’ve got a few extras I can spare。”
It was gloomy under the trees； and I wished I could walk closer to Edward and hold his hand。
I wedged another hair into a broken branch that cut through my path。
“You don’t need to let Alice have her way； you know；” Edward said。
“Don’t worry about it； Edward。 I’m not going to leave you at the altar； regardless。” I had a sinking feeling
that Alice was going to get her way； mostly because she was totally unscrupulous when there was something
she wanted； and also because I was a sucker for guilt trips。
“That’s not what I’m worried about。 I want this to be what you want it to be。”
I repressed a sigh。 It would hurt his feelings if I told the truth — that it didn’t really matter； because it was
all just varying degrees of awful anyway。
“Well； even if she does get her way； we can keep it small。 Just us。 Emmet