Just the Way You Are

"Oh my God, Eve!" Dylan whispered. "I'm so nervous! My heart's beating so fast! It feels like it's just gonna pop out of my chest at any second!"

Eve smiled and put her hands onto her sister's shoulders to comfort her. "Don't worry, Dyl, it'll go away when you get out there, trust me."

Dylan nodded her head and smiled. "Thanks, Eve. I just... I can't believe that I'm opening the show." She squealed quietly.

"Places, ladies, places!" A stagehand announced.

Eve hugged her sister and gave her a reassuring look. "You'll do great, Dylan."

"Jared! Bring the damn popcorn!" Paul hollered from the living room.

Jared rolled his eyes and then threw the inflated bag of popcorn at Paul's head, laughing as it hit dead on. Paul cursed his friend's existence and then opened the bag, reaching in and soon stuffing his face with the fluffy bits of food.

"Guys, shush!" Emily scolded, scooting closer to Sam and getting comfortable as she did so. "The Fashion Show's starting!"

"Sorry," they mumbled.

Everyone's eyes became glued to the television screen to watch for their friends.

Jacob sat down in his seat at the venue next to Embry, Evan and Joanne. Dylan and Eve had secured four seats for them to occupy so they could watch the show live. As Jacob got comfortable, Evan got his attention.

"Jacob, are you sure about tonight?"

"Absolutely."

Evan smiled and gave a lighthearted chuckle. "All right, because we're set. Aren't we, Joanne?"

"Oh yes, I made sure everything was ready." She agreed.

"Great, I can't thank you both enough."

"There's no need to, Jacob." They both convinced him.

Their conversation was cut short as ballerinas took the stage and danced gracefully atop it. The sweet and slow song they swayed to then came to a halt and was replaced by a guitar and all the dancers took a knee and stared at the beginning of the runway where Dylan stood in her outfit. The song "You Make Me Wanna Die" by The Pretty Reckless was played as she made her way down the catwalk, eyes forward with a small smile playing her lips.

As she walked by the group of four, they all cheered and caused her small smile to form a grin instead along with a laugh that made Embry shudder in delight. As Dylan made her way off the catwalk, and other models came along, they all simmered down until Eve took the stage in her own costume. The group did the same thing as they had done with Dylan and the reaction from the girl was the same.

As the last model left, the stage was immediately being transformed as they went to commercial. A curtain went down and as the came back from the commercials, a new song immediately began to play. The curtain lifted up and Kanye West began to perform his hit "Stronger" as models came out and walked the runway.

The third segment began moments later, and Rihanna's "California King Bed" began to play. Dylan was the second model to walk and just as they had before, the group cheered for the blonde. Dylan played with her ensemble's train for a few seconds before unleashing a smile that made Embry's knees quiver and ultimately made him fall into his seat.

The next segment came on a few minutes later, the band Maroon 5 getting set up on stage with their equipment during the commercial break. The band then began to play their new single "Moves Like Jagger" as the models did their job.

The next part was started by OneRepublic and the song "Secrets" that came out from the speakers. Dylan came out in a beautiful costume that seemed to make her glow as she swayed her hips down the runway. After she sent a smile towards the camera, the blond was heading back down the catwalk and out of sight.

Nicki Minaj came out in costume along with dancers and soon began to sing "Super Bass" as they got back from commercials. Eve was one of the last few out as she made her way down the runway with her fun and flirty outfit on for all to see. She blew a kiss at the cameras before retreating back, waving at the group as she passed.

The show ended as all the models came out onto the runway, celebrating another fashion show that was successfully executed with streamers, balloons, and Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way". Eve and Dylan looked over at the group of four to find that it was now a group of three, Jacob was missing.

Where could he have gone...? Eve thought.

Eve shrugged it off and then made her way off the runway along with the other models, heading backstage where they would all undress and unwind from the show before heading off to the after party. Eve picked up her backpack from her make up station and turned to face Lily.

"Hey Eve, you going to come to the after party?"

"Yeah, after I change and get ready."

"Cool, well, how about you and your boyfriend come with Caleb and I?"

"Sure, that sounds good."

"Great, well, we'll both be waiting at the exit so just find us when you're ready."

"Alright, thanks Lily."

Eve headed off into the changing rooms where she switched out her costume for her regular clothes and slipped on her boots, lacing them up quickly before exiting and returning to her make up station. She packed up her things and felt a tap on her shoulder. Eve looked over her shoulder and saw Dylan standing behind her.

"He Dyl, what's up?"

"Nothing. Jacob wants to talk to you. He says that it's really important." She answered, her face a blank expression. "He's over by the stage so you better hurry."

"Um, alright, thanks for letting me know, Dylan." Eve said before beginning to head off to find her boyfriend."That wasn't weird at all..." She mumbled under her breath.

Eve walked onto the dark stage and her eyes were brought to the end of the runway where there was a single light shinning down, a silhouette standing beneath it, and Eve knew right away it belonged to Jacob. Still, her body moved slowly down the runway towards him. It was just that she had a strange feeling in her stomach...

As she reached him, she softly whispered his name. "Jacob...?"

He turned around slowly, smiling at her when he took every part of her in. As he smiled, her eyes lit up and carried a gleam in them which they both knew only Jacob could restore in them.

"Eve..." He sighed out her name dreamily, causing goosebumps to erupt on her skin. Eve began to grow nervous as the feeling in her stomach grew stronger.

"Yes...?"

"Do you think that we're right for each other...?" He questioned.

That had certainly caught her off guard, however, it didn't take her long to give him a serious answer. "Yes. I think we're right for each other."

"Well, Eve... that's the thing. I don't." He replied and a lump began to make itself present in Eve's throat as he did. "I don't think we're right for each other."

Eve held the tears back for as long as she could, but one had made it past her defenses and it slipped down her cheek rapidly. "Jake," She croaked. "Are you... are you breaking up with me...?" She whispered softly, almost inaudibly.

Jacob's hand reached up and used his fingers to keep her chin up as his thumb wiped away the tear streak he had created. He frowned at the thought that he had been the one to create it.

"Eve... I don't think we're right for each other." He repeated. "I think we're perfect for each other, and Eve, I would never break up with you. I would rather die than have to break your heart. I love you."

Eve smiled in relief and cupped Jacob's hand that was now resting upon her cheek. "I love you, too, Jake."

"Eve... you have to understand. I love you more than anything in the world. You're what makes every day worth getting up for. You're what makes me happy to be alive. You're my light at the end of the darkest tunnel. You're my life and my world. You were the one thing I never knew I needed until I saw you that day in high school, and until I had set my eyes on you, I never knew that someone could outshine the sun."

A few more tears had escaped Eve's honey orbs and slipped down her cheeks throughout Jacob's heartfelt speech and her heart had never felt so filled or so warm in her life. "Oh Jake, I love you so much." She softly cried, a small smile planted upon her lips. "You're all of that and more to me. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. You've saved me so many times, in every way a person can be saved. Without you in my life... I'd have nothing to live for."

Jacob smiled and wiped away a few more tears before pulling back his hand and reaching inside his tuxedo's pocket, pulling out a velvet case. In all honesty, Eve hadn't noticed the small black box, her eyes remained on Jacob's and they didn't want to look away for anything else in the world.

"Eve..." Jacob began, getting onto one knee and lifting up the black case into sight. "I can't live without you in my life either. It would be impossible and I wouldn't want to either way. I almost lost you. I don't want to go through that again. That's why I want to ask you to never leave my side. That why I want to ask you to grant me the greatest honor that any man could ever have... Evangeline Blair, will you marry me and make me the happiest man in the world?"

He lifted up the top of the black case and revealed it's contents, a sparkling diamond ring staring right back at Eve. Her heart pounded in her chest and she looked at Jacob and couldn't hold back her grin or the other tears that followed.

"Yes! Yes! I will, Jacob!" She cried.

Jacob grinned from ear to ear and shot up, picking her up and spinning her around a few times before letting her back down onto solid ground. They both laughed as they fumbled getting the ring out from the box and onto her finger and when it finally had, they both stared at it for a few seconds, letting it sink in.

"So..." Jacob began. "How does it feel knowing you're going to become Mrs. Jacob Black in the future?"

"I think it feels like it was meant to be."

"Well, I would have to agree."

Eve led Jacob through the back and grabbed her things, heading for the exits. Lily stood there along with her husband Caleb, Dylan, Embry and Eve's parents. Eve walked up to Lily, still grinning and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but I'm not going to make the after party. I'm going to be spending the rest of the night with my fiancé."