Bella was laughing. He admired the color it brought to her cheeks. He watched as she chatted with Mike, Jessica and Ben.

She shrank back when Mike gestured toward the dance floor. When the boy persisted in trying to lure her there, she glanced over at him. At his smile, she reluctantly allowed Mike to pull her unto the floor.

At least Newton had accepted defeat graciously. There was no trace of his previous infatuation as he danced with Bella. He kept it friendly as they moved to the music.

Jacob Black had not been so gracious. His sudden disappearance before the wedding had hurt Bella, which had in turn made him want to hurt the werewolf. Wherever Jacob was now, he fervently wished he would stay there.

“Hey, Edward, you shouldn’t be frowning on your wedding day,” Emmett said. He stood beside his brother and watched the dance floor. “Is it because that Newton kid is dancing with your wife?”

Wife. He let the word flow through him. For better or for worse, Bella was bound to him forever.

“I trust Bella,” he replied. “Besides Mike’s interest lies elsewhere these days.”

“Lucky for him.”

Edward chuckled, silently agreeing with Emmett. He politely accepted the congratulations from various people. But his attention never ventured far from the dance floor.

When Bella had stepped on Mike’s toes for the second time, he excused himself from the current well-wishers and made his way to the dance floor. “May I cut in?”

Mike immediately released Bella. “Congrats, Bella, Edward.”

“Thank you,” Bella said, but the boy was already forgotten as she moved into his arms. Her smile was radiant as he began to lead her into a dance. He gently urged her closer.

“I love you,” he said.

“Love you more.”

He grinned. “No way.”

He swung her out into a spin and quickly brought her back to him. He tried to take it all in as he looked down at her because the sparkle of her dark eyes, the blush in her cheeks, and the warmth of her body would all soon be gone. And he would be the one to take all that away.

Because she had asked him to. Because he had run out of excuses. Because he refused to live without her.

Because he was selfish.