Dorothea Caddel, is born into a wealthy family that can easily give her a plane or a planet to her wishes but what if something deep is hidden in the mask of a perfect family, a devil that she fears but soon learns to accept as love. That story chan...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"When I say 'persist with whatever you want,' Eddy, I didn't imply that you should go around stalking her in the middle of the night, young man!" Dorothea's voice was a mix of exasperation and disbelief, but Edward's smirk only seemed to widen at her reprimand.
"Be more specific next time, then," he shot back with his usual nonchalance, clearly unfazed.
Dorothea was ready to blow her top at his cheeky response, but before she could speak, Jasper's hand slid possessively around her waist, pulling her close. His low chuckle vibrated against her back as he noticed her cheeks puffing up in annoyance.
"Easy, love," he murmured softly in her ear, his lips brushing against her skin, sending a wave of warmth through her. She could never stay mad when he was like this—gentle, but protective. He was always the calming presence she needed when her temper flared. Jasper's touch was grounding, the subtle strength in his hand on her waist reassuring her.
"I'm actually glad you're not dead," Edward piped up from behind them, his tone unexpectedly serious. "That would suck. Plus, I wanted to ask you something, even though it's a month away."
Dorothea glanced up at Jasper, the faintest smile tugging at her lips at how Edward was trying to be all casual. But before she could answer, her eyes caught the subtle way Edward was leaning in toward Bella and Mike, eavesdropping on their conversation. Normally, she'd scold him for being so obvious, but she knew better. Edward and all vampires had an uncanny ability to hear everything.
"You want to go? To prom. With me?" Mike finally asked, his voice laced with uncertainty, though his words came out clear. He glanced at Dorothea with an eyebrow quirked. "Prom? As in... dance?" Bella stammered, a nervous laugh escaping her as she avoided eye contact. "I, uh, have to go... somewhere. To Jacksonville. Yeah."
Mike, clearly perplexed, raised his eyebrows. "You can't go another weekend?"
"I've already got a non-refundable ticket." Bella's voice faltered slightly, but she regained her composure. "Maybe you should ask Jessica."
Dorothea couldn't help but cringe at the awkwardness radiating off of Bella. It was painfully obvious how uncomfortable she was with the entire situation. Bella's clumsy attempt at a lie only made the scene more laughable. Dorothea glanced sideways at Edward, raising an eyebrow. "Wipe that absurd smirk off your face, Eddy. You also aren't allowed to go to prom with her until the whole family agrees to it."
Edward groaned inwardly, recalling the tension that still lingered within his family over the topic of Bella. It wasn't just about Bella; it was everything that came with her. And seeing Jasper's frown deepen as he glanced over at Bella only made things more complicated. Dorothea could sense the unease in the air.
It was clear: Edward had underestimated how much harder this was going to be than he thought.
"That's for later," Jasper spoke up, his voice light but commanding as he moved closer to Dorothea. "We should get on the bus before Mr. Molina comes looking for us. You should be glad it's us and Alice coming with you, not Rosalie or Emmett. Dean might just embarrass you even more."
