Midnight Sun (The Twilight Saga #5) - Stephenie Meyer Page 0,303

in check. Rather than let either of them hear it in my voice, I just set Bella gently on her feet and stepped away.

“Thanks,” Jacob said in the cheery tone that seemed to be his default.

I nodded, inspected Bella’s face once to make sure she was comfortable with this, and then walked away.

Huh, Jacob was thinking. That is an awful perfume Bella’s wearing.

Strange. Bella wore no scent besides the flowers in her hair. But perhaps another couple had strayed closer, now that I had moved away.

“Wow, Jake, how tall are you now?” I heard her say.

“Six-two.” This was a point of pride.

She looks totally fine aside from the cast. Billy’s blowing things out of proportion, as usual.

When I reached the north wall of the cafeteria, I turned around and leaned back against it. Lauren Mallory and her date were circling stiffly just behind Jacob’s back. I wondered if she was the one who smelled bad.

Jacob and Bella weren’t exactly dancing. He had his hands at her waist, and her hands were resting lightly on his shoulders. She swayed a little to the music, but seemed nervous to try to move her feet at all. Jacob shuffled in place.

“So, how did you end up here tonight?” There was no real curiosity in her voice. She’d already figured out what this intrusion meant.

Jacob was eager to place the blame where it belonged. “Can you believe my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?”

“Yes, I can,” she said, her voice still kind, though it must have been annoying to have a near stranger trying to supervise her life.

She’s being so nice about this. She’s the nicest girl I know.

“Well, I hope you’re enjoying yourself, at least,” Bella continued. “Seen anything you like?” She nodded playfully to a line of girls standing along the wall to my left.

“Yeah,” Jacob said, “but she’s taken.”

This information was not a surprise to me—I’d been witness multiple times to his crush on Bella. His blunt honesty, however, was unexpected. Bella didn’t know how to respond. After one glance at his face to see if he was joking—he wasn’t—she looked down at her unmoving feet.

Probably shouldn’t have said that, but what the hell. Nothing to lose.

“You look really pretty, by the way,” he added.

Bella frowned. “Um, thanks.” She changed the subject, bringing it around to the one he most wanted to avoid, the one that would send him on his way. “So why did Billy pay you to come here?”

Jacob shifted his weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable. “He said it was a ‘safe’ place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind.”

She’s going to think I’m crazy, too.

Bella laughed with him, but the sound was forced.

“Anyway,” Jacob continued, grinning to ease the tension. “He said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need.”

Bella smiled in earnest now. “Tell me, then. I want you to get your car finished.”

Jacob sighed, moved by her smile. I wish he was a vampire. That might make some room for me.

“Don’t get mad, okay?” She’s already been nicer than I had any reason to expect.

“There’s no way I’ll be mad at you, Jacob,” Bella promised. “I won’t even be mad at Billy. Just say what you have to.”

“Well—this is so stupid, I’m sorry, Bella.” He took a deep breath. “He wants you to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell you ‘please.’”

Jacob shook his head, hoping to distance himself from the obnoxious message.

Bella’s smile was full of compassion. “He’s still superstitious, eh?”

“Yeah. He was… kind of over the top when you got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn’t believe…” That they didn’t do it. He thought they sucked your blood or something crazy like that.

Her voice went flat for the first time. “I fell.”

“I know that,” Jacob said quickly.

“He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt?” Sharp now.

They were both perfectly still, as if there were no music.

Jacob looked away from her glare.

Now I’ve pissed her off for real. Should have told Billy to mind his business or leave me out of it.

Bella’s mien softened, reacting to his upset. “Look, Jacob,” she said, kind again. Jacob responded to the change, meeting her gaze. “I know Billy probably won’t believe this, but just so you know… Edward really did save my life. If it weren’t for Edward and his father, I’d be dead.” Her sincerity was impossible to doubt.

“I know,” Jacob agreed quickly.