Daybreak

Wedding

That morning, I followed Alice out to the car. "Bree, just do one thing. You have to get in your dress. I'm headed to Sappho to pick up her something blue," she winked at me,"And I'm dropping it with Renee before I pick up Bella. So just double check the decorations and get in your dress."

She hopped into the car and sped off as I headed back into the house. I did a few rounds around the bottom floor. All the decorations seemed to be in place, so I went up to my room and slipped into my dress. It looked beutiful, bright green and glowing in the mirror. I smiled as I went to set up for Alice in the bathroom.

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I hid myself in the back of the bathroom, not wanting to move, and waited. Alice uncovered Bella's eyes when they finnaly walked into her oversized bathroom. I stared at the long counter, covered in all the paraphernalia of a beauty salon, and began to feel sorry for Bella, who was going to have to endure hours of perfectly planned torture devised by Alice. I mean, I love the girl, but she goes a bit too far.

"Is this really necessary? I'm going to look plain next to him no matter what." Bella said.

She pushed her down into a low pink chair. "No one will dare to call you plain when I'm through with you."

"Only because they're afraid you'll suck their blood," Bella muttered. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. I was hoping it would be over soon as Alice masked, buffed, and polished every surface of the bride's body.

It was after lunchtime when Rosalie glided past the bathroom door in a shimmery silver gown with her golden hair piled up in a soft crown on top of her head.

She was so beautiful it made me want to cry. What was even the point of dressing up with Rosalie around? I felt bad for Bella. I wondered what she must be thinking.

"They're back," Rosalie said.

Edward was home.

"Keep him out of here!"

"He won't cross you today," Rosalie reassured her. "He values his life too much. Esme's got them finishing things up out back. Do you want some help? I could do her hair."

My jaw fell open. I floundered around in my head, trying to remember how to

close it.

As far as I had seen, Bella had never been Rosalie's favorite person in the world. Then, making things even more strained between them, Rosalie was personally offended by the choice she was making now. Though she had her impossible beauty, her loving family, and her soul mate in Emmett, she would have traded it all to be human. And here Bella was, callously throwing away everything she wanted in life like it was garbage. It didn't exactly warm her to Bells.

"Sure," Alice said easily. "You can start braiding. I want it intricate. The veil goes here, underneath." Her hands started combing through Bells's hair, hefting it, twisting it, illustrating in detail what she wanted. When she was done, Rosalie's hands replaced hers, shaping her hair with a feather-light touch. Alice moved back to poor Bella's face.

Once Rosalie received Alice's commendation on the hair, she was sent off to retrieve the dress and then to locate Jasper, who had been dispatched to pick up Bella's mother and her husband, Phil, from their hotel. Downstairs, I could faintly hear the door opening and closing over and over. Voices began to float up to us.

Alice made Bella stand so that she could ease the dress over the hair and makeup.

Her knees shook so badly as she fastened the long line of pearl buttons up her back that the satin quivered in little wavelets down to the floor.