“My turn,” Jake announced. The whole room froze. Jake slid out from under Bella and walked across the room to his jacket before crossing back and dropping down to one knee.

No!

Bella stared open mouthed, eyes wide with panic, as Jake opened up a sapphire blue ring box. “Bells.”

She was shaking her head back and forth. Apparently she’d broken free of Jasper’s power or he’d been so intent on the drama unfolding before him that he’d lost focus, because she was behaving in a very Bella way. “Please don’t.” It was the barest of whispers, but everyone, including the dog, could hear her.

Jacob, however, was undaunted by her negative response. “It’s always been you, Bells. You’re it for me.” He slid the ring out of the box – a nice single carat princess cut stone – and offered it up to her. “Marry me?”

Bella moved in a blur, not far, just behind the couch looking as frightened as a cornered animal. Her gaze fell on my piano and her face was stricken.

Carlisle’s phone rang and nearly everyone jumped slightly which was unusual for vampires.

His one-sided conversation offered very little insight and he’d turned his back so I couldn’t examine his facial expressions. When he flipped his phone closed he let out a long sigh and turned to face the family.

“It seems our holiday plans are going to include the Volturi.”

“What?” Esme gasped.

“Come,” the ghost commanded.

“No, I need-”

“Uh, uh, uh. You are no longer a part of this family. This does not concern you. When you left Bella in Volterra nine months ago you washed your hands of this mess.”

She jerked me hard and I landed on an icy sidewalk nowhere near the house I’d just been in.

On the door step of the Victorian house was a teal blue wrapped box. A man had just opened the door and smiled when he caught sight of it. “Angie,” he muttered under his breath shooting a look around into the night fully expecting to see Angie hiding amongst the shadows. He pulled the ribbon loose and flipped the lid off.

The box flew through the air as a strangled cry filled the night. Neighbors all around flicked lights on and pushed drapes aside to see what all the commotion was. The commotion just happened to be lying at my feet. The head of a thirty-something blonde woman stared lifelessly up at me.