A Scarlet red bus pulls into the stop, people crowding to get on battling ferociously with those trying to escape the over filled tin can. Teenagers, all clad in matching school uniforms, race towards the deep green grass of the park squabbling over who gets to sit in the shade and expressing with vulgar language their opinions of their fellow pupils and teachers. Dogs race along the grass, chasing each other and theirown tails. A pair of old women edge there way slowly along the path to the bus stop, Whispering and giving strange looks to the woman sitting on the bench, me.

Both of them are waiting for me, in the same location, thinking I'm on my way to them,one not knowing how I feel about them. Jasper begging me not to do it, Edward assuming that I'm "just nervous" that's why I haven't called him.

I hate to come between them; they'd been friends since their teens. Jasper knew we had problems; it wasn't his fault that me and Edward argued nonstop, if anything he helps.

If I'm honest with myself, I'd say it was my own fault. If I hadn't gone to Jasper's when we'd had that huge argument then none of this would have happened.

He was always so nice to me, so sweet and utterly gorgeous to boot.

His soft Texan accent always made me feel so safe.

And if I was totally honest with myself, I went to him because I knew how he felt.

The park was so peaceful, as it was a warm day there where many family here, enjoying the one sunny day out of months of rain. The teenagers who where lolling onthe grass began to screech with laughter watching a chubby toddler with toffee brown curls waddling away from his equally pudgy farther.

Edward would have made a great farther, as would Jasper.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

As I knocked the door of his flat, butterflies seemed to be doing some sort of jig inside my stomach.

He answered the door in three seconds flat, Jasper was always punctual that was another bonus, unlike Edward who you
could regularly depend on being "fashionably late". Jasper looked slightly taken aback at my appearance at his flat at 11 at night, but not wholly surprised. Me and Edward's relationship had been strained since we got engaged, what with me
planning the wedding and him wondering how to get both of his parents to the wedding without either of them having to see each other, we just seemed to grow apart, not spending as much time together as we would have previously and whenever we did, ending up snapping at each other nonstop.

Jasper looked me in the eye, with those amazingly clear deep blue and I burst into tears. As he ushered me into his flat I
noticed the notice board next to the door.

"Suit fitting Monday, REMIND EDWARD!!"

"Give Edward flower options"

"Remind Edward to pay second half of deposit on photographer."

Jasper must have noticed the shocked look on my face and hurriedly removed it from the wall, a millisecond too late.

"What the hell Jasper? Why are you doing all that stuff?"

And then I realised that all the notes on the notice board were reminding him to do things I'd entrusted Edward to do.
Jasper looked at me sheepishly, knowing how furious I was.

"That lazy sun of a bitch! , He couldn't even be bothered to help plan for his own wedding! And not only that he's making you do it for him! Oh he's really taking a liberty this time!"

"To be fair I offered to help" Jasper blurted trying to back his corner and defend Edward "It's not like he forced it all on me, plus I wanted to help, you know I'd do anything to help you."

I was taken aback by Jasper's sudden admission, I'd always known how he felt, but he'd never said it out loud.

"I know you offered to help, but Jasper, he's taking a liberty of you here, I mean for goodness sake how long would it have taken him to pick out a few flowers? Or write down the time of a suit fitting?" I looked at him exasperated.

"Alice that isn't important right now" he ushered me into the living room "So what happened this time?"

"It is important, because it's totally relevant to what's just happened. I told him that I wish he'd do more to help me prepare for the wedding and he just started yelling about how busy he was sorting things out, and how about I took my head out of one of my "Stupid bride magazines" and Cleaned up the flat and got organised. He knows I do clean I just didn't hover yet this week because I've been getting stuff ready and I've had work. He was just being so unfair."I turned to Jasper expecting to see him looking in another direction bored out of his mind, but he was staring intently at me with a kind yet worried expression on his face, I looked down at my feet. "Some times I wish he could be like you."

I looked up at him, expecting him to be looking at me as if I was some kind of alien, but instead he crashed his lips into
mine. After one small second I closed my eyes. This was what I wanted, yes I loved Edward very much, but there was always Jasper there, in the background, taking care of me when I was down,being there when I needed him.

He broke away a short time later, too short a time.

"Alice, I think you've probably guessed this a while ago but I have to say it" Jasper trembled as he stumbled over his words.

"Alice, I love you. And i know your marrying my best friend in two months time but I had to tell you" he looked away dejectedly "Even though it'll kill me I'll understand if you want to leave and never see me again."

I looked at him dumbfounded.

"What are you, stupid? Jasper I know this may sound odd but I have to say this, I love you too." He looked up at me and
smiled and a sudden light turned on him my head, fireworks, heart pings the works.

"What now?" he whispered as if he was too afraid to ask.

I looked him in the eye and grinned.

"Jazzy," I whispered, moving closer to him and resting a hand on his cheek. "do you really need to ask?"

______________________________________________________________________________________________

We decided to carry on seeing each other in secret, while I stayed with Edward, Jasper felt as though it was the
right thing to do, even though he felt bad about it. It was so difficult on both of us, Jasper especially, he was betraying his best friend, in a way he knew Edward had been hurt before, by his ex-best friend. It was also hard to juggle the time, Jasper wanting to see me as much as humanly possible, Edward expecting me to do weddingish things and also be some sort of perfect house wife, while still rowing with me as much as humanly possible. The latest one had been a doosy, Edward had tried to tell me that, once we were married he wanted me to stay home and basically, be a slave for him. Or a "house wife" as he put it. He knew how much my work meant to me, but it didn't seem to matter. Jasper was appalled by Edward's declaration of me becoming his maid and promptly told me that he'd never do anything like that to me and held me tight as I cried on his shoulder.

Three days before the wedding, things seemed to change, Jasper and I were sitting on his couch watching some old soap
which meant nothing to us, what was more important was that we where together. When Jasper turned to me,

"So what are you doing in three days time?" A mischievous look on his face.

"Well I'm getting married and you're going to be the best man, why do you ask?"

"Well I was just wondering whether you where still going to" He said looking slightly dejected. "I mean, your fighting worse than ever now, isn't it best to call an end to it?"

I looked him square in the eyes, stunned.

"Jasper please don't make this any harder than it is." I whispered in an exasperated tone

"Well I just want the answer one question, what happens to us when you get married? Are we going to carry on or are you going to be a dutiful wife?"

I looked at the floor, tears forming in my eyes.

"Jasper I don't know"

"Alice" He turned his whole body to face me, with tears welling up in his eyes "I know you don't want to have to choose between us but I have a feeling that's the way it's going to be. The only thing I can say is please don't do it, I love you so much and I really don't want to have to be without you,your literally the air I breath." He hooked a finger under my chin, lifting my tear-stained face to look at his welling eyes.

"You may not realise it, but you are everything to me. I cant live without you, Every morning I wake up and think of you, your always on my mind, When I have a problem I always think 'What would Alice do?' and every single night before I go to sleep I always say 'I love you Alice' wishing, hoping, that some how you can hear me and your thinking the same about me, I'd give anything in the world to see you happy. But if you choose to stay with him I will be here for you no matter what, I'll understand Alice, But always remember" He closed his eyes tightly trying to subdue the tears and cleared his throat to steady his voice. He opened his eyes once more. With a a tight squeeze of my hand he whispered

"I'll always love you Alice Brandon."

A single tear dribbled down his cheek as he stood up and left the room.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

I gathered up my train, white wasn't a very honest colour, but it pleased my mother.

The number 611 pulled up to the stop, I rose from the bench, debating what to do. Not the thing most brides would do on
their wedding day. I walked shakily towards it, my dress dragging along the gravel, leavening the park behind. I stepped
on after yet another little old lady and her tartan shopping bag, the driver promptly shutting the door behind me, ripping my dress.

"Single to St. Martins please. I have some explaining to do."

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