Falling Forward Chapter 3

(JPOV)
The song ended and Alice and I walked back to our table. As we made our way off the dance floor, I noticed Bella and Edward standing by one of the doors having a conversation. I knew they had some things they needed to work through, just like Bella and I had when we first started living together during freshman year, so I decided to let them be and take the opportunity to catch up with Alice.
"So, besides getting engaged, what has my sunshine been up to recently?" I asked, smiling as Alice shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts.
"Well, I got a marketing job finally. I was starting to think the degree was worthless," she said with a laugh, but it didn't feel sincere.
I followed her gaze to see what was bothering her and felt a new emotion bubble up inside me. Edward and Bella were still standing where they were when we came to sit down, but Edward's posture had changed. He was now relaxed and had his arm wrapped around Bella's shoulders. Alice and I moved at the same time, as if she knew what was happening. We got as close as the second table behind them and caught the one question that could ruin us.
Edward looked down at Bella while she stared at the sky with a child-like awe. At the moment when Edward opened his mouth to ask the question, there was a lull in the music while the DJ found something else to play in his collection. Alice and I heard the question loud and clear, "Do you ever wonder if you would be just as happy if things turned out differently?"
Alice turned on her heel and walked out to the student offices, and I saw red. It was okay if he wanted to play with my feelings for his own amusement, but Alice was too nice to have this done to her. I stayed for a few minutes out of my own need to know the answer, even if it hurt beyond recognition. I stared at the pair as Bella put some distance between them, but not enough to alleviate my fear. Bella continued to stare at the stars but something was different about her posture - she was uncomfortable, and I couldn't do anything to fix that. Bella took a deep breath as she put her answer into the most polite form.
"Sometimes, but then I remember that even if I'd picked a different school ,Jasper would have come with me so my life wouldn't be extremely different. Why, do you think you could be happier in another life?" I stopped listening, not caring what Edward's answer was.
I was the constant in her world. I almost did a happy dance at this piece of information, but stopped myself when I realized that just because I was a constant didn't mean that I was a welcome constant. I decided the only way to know which type of constant I was would be to ask her. Quietly, I turned around and walked out to where Alice was waiting, determined to ask Bella when she ended up coming to find either Alice or me.
I walked out to the hallway and found Alice crying against the wall with her phone, shoes and engagement ring lying on the floor between her and the opposite wall.
"Sunshine, what is wrong?" I asked, sliding down to the floor next to her.
She looked up at me with tears building at the edge of her mascara covered lashes and said, "I was never the one for him, and now I know I will always be second to Miss Isabella Swan."
There was an air of bitterness in her last statement and I began to wonder if this was some of the reason the two loves of my life seemed to have it out for each other during school.