Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.
Realidades Torcidas
A/N: This story is written as a collaboration by both Xo Bella Italiana oX and XxJasper'sAngelxX, but was adopted from PuzzlingApprentice. If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note! We hope that you enjoy the story and look forward to hearing your thoughts. - B
Chapter 1: Distracted
(Bella's POV)
"Don't worry, Love, I will be home in no time at all," Edward said while he pulled me in to a hug.
A hug? Yeah, a hug. Very romantic, because obviously if we kiss, it would seem like we meant something to each other. Like we have a supposed 'relationship'.
Oh wait, silly me. We do.
"We will be back in a week, and Jasper will be here for you if you need anything. Alice already cleared it with your father that you will be spending the week with 'her' and she packed you some clothes so you won't need anything from your house."
And with that, he said his 'I love you' and his 'See you soon' before he brushed his lips across my forehead and fled across his living room out the door to go on their trip to see the Denali Coven. My only response was a simple nod, and then, once he was out of sight, and what I assumed to be hearing range, a loud sigh escaped my lips.
I turned around and made my way over to the plush, white leather couch and collapsed on it, closing my eyes in contentment. I didn't feel the same anxiety that I used to when he left me. I didn't feel abandoned like I used to. And the reason behind that was not me forgiving him. No, it was because a new emotion was now front and center whenever he left.
Relief.
I know that sounds terrible and it probably is. I should not have felt relieved whenever my boyfriend… my fiancé leaves me alone for a few days, but I couldn't help it. Honestly. His controlling ways were getting under my skin more than ever; him constantly feeling the need to hover nearby, and I know he was doing it mainly so that I didn't go over to Jake's and do something stupid.
You know… like have fun.
We rarely kiss anymore. When we used to, I would try to take it further and he would get upset and lecture me about how 'dangerous' that is and how 'dangerous' he is.
Compared to the other vampires I have come in contact with in my short life, I knew that he is at the bottom of the food chain, the worm on the ground with a sky full of hungry birds fluttering overhead. So, now I refuse to start the kiss, and when it does happen, I just sit still like a 'good little human' and wait 'til he is done.
But, while I refuse to start the kiss, I find I have no reluctance to end it when necessary. He is happier this way; the new lack of stress I can feel from him is palpable.
While I was floating through my emotional high and contemplating my current relationship, I could suddenly sense someone watching me. I have been able to feel when someone was watching me specifically ever since they left. And this time, I knew for certain who it was.
"You know, most people find it impolite to stare." I muttered quietly, knowing that he could hear me from where ever he was standing.
Jasper chuckled from across the room and I opened my eyes to find him leaning against the far wall doing just what I had suspected. Staring.
Now there was one vampire who is not at the bottom of the food chain. His presence practically took over the room.
"Yeah, well, since when do vampires count as 'most people'?" He asked sarcastically.
"Touché," was my only response as I slid on to my feet and made my way over to the kitchen. My balance had significantly improved over the months that I spent alone. It may have had something to do with knowing with absolution that there was nobody who would catch me before I hit the ground. That is probably one of the only good things that came from being abandoned.
It truly is amazing that, even now, as I think about those awful months, I don't feel my emotional buzz waning. Usually I would suspect Jasper of messing with me, but I know that this time he's not. I could just feel how true these emotions were.
When I got to the kitchen I started to rifle through the refrigerator until I found some leftover chicken breast from the night before. After pairing it with some salad and ranch dressing, I made my way over to the table and sat down.
"My hunting is not nearly as impressive as yours," I said to Jasper, who was standing in the kitchen door way, "And besides, I thought human food is completely disgusting to vampires."
"It is. Meat just isn't as repulsive as the rest of that… stuff." His face was slightly scrunched with disgust as he waved his hand, gesturing towards the bowl filled with lettuce and other vegetables making up my salad.
I laughed, I just couldn't help it. "Well, I can't say that blood sounds very appetizing to me."
Jasper chuckled lightly, and I couldn't help but to recognize it as a beautiful sound. Not the tinkling bells that the female vampires sound like when they laugh, nor the deep booming chuckle of Emmett, and the musical master piece that is Carlisle and Edward's laugh. Jasper's laugh was one of a kind; deep and throaty. But at the same time, far more appealing than all of their laughs put together. It may have had something to do with him being an empath, but the sound seemed to make the room so much lighter.
"You know," Jasper started as he watched me take a bite out of my salad. "Edward wanted me to apologize again for trying to take a bite out of you on your 18th birthday."
I was slightly taken aback, and more than a little agitated that Edward couldn't just get over it when I already had.
"Well, don't." I said simply, not even looking up at him until after I spoke.
When Jasper looked at me questioningly, I felt the need to elaborate, "Look, you apologized once after it happened. It's not like it was even your fault. You felt everybody else's blood lust on top of your own. It's amazing that you don't try to drain me every time I'm around Edward since his blood lust is so strong with me being his singer and all. You probably have the most control out of any of the others. Well, other than Carlisle, of course. Besides, it's in your nature and, as much as everyone here tries to deny it, your nature is permanent."
He looked at me wide eyed for a second, before he seemed to collect his thoughts enough to answer. "I know," He said dismissively.
It was my turn for my eyes to grow big.
When he saw my expression he continued, "I already knew everything that you just said. I already explained to Edward why it happened, and that is the only reason I am allowed near you without the others around. Even if you cut yourself, if I only had to deal with my own blood lust, you have as much of a chance of surviving as you do with any of the others, perhaps more. And yes, I know that it is my nature. I spent much of my vampire life embracing it. And besides, you knew what could happen being in a house full of vampires." He paused and I couldn't help but to feel a little smug that I was so spot on. "Besides, I said that Edward wanted me to apologize again, not that I would."
With that, a smirk graced his features. It was then that I truly looked at him for the first time that day. He was wearing a white, long sleeved t-shirt, dark Levi jeans that slung low on his hips, and a pair of old boots. Usually cowboy boots would be strange to see on someone, but on Jasper they just fit, and I found it very sexy. The t-shirt gives a hint as to what's underneath it and let me tell you, it's all cut muscle. His arms were laced with ropes of muscle, and his chest looked hard but inviting.
However, he is lean and looks fast. His 6'3" body always stands tall and proud. His nose is straight, his lips are full, and his jaw is strong. His curly, tousled golden blond hair stopped at his jaw line. There were natural highlighted streaks in his curls, some darker and some lighter. They made its wavy texture even more pronounced.
I noticed that he didn't look as tired as the rest of his family. The circles under his eyes were much lighter than any other animal drinking vampires that I had ever seen. His eyes, I suddenly realized, are different than the rest of the Cullen's. They are more of a copper than gold; they have orange, gold, and red streaks in them, almost like sparkles. The red should have frightened me, but they looked too enticing to be threatening at this moment. They seemed to swirl under my gaze, and their depth was mesmerizing.
'He is probably one of the most – '
My thoughts were cut off as I saw his smirk widen; those beautiful pink, full lips pulling up at the corners. He quirked his right brow and with awareness hitting me, I forced myself to snap out of it as I had just realized that I was ogling my fiancé's brother who is an empath, and I'm sure more than a little lust was coming off of me.
I cut the lust off but continue to look at him. This time only his eyes while I took another bite of my dinner. I refused to blush, but I'm sure he could feel my embarrassment anyway. That is the other thing that was a good change and came from my abandonment; I gained control of my blush.
When my mouth was once again clear after swallowing the bite, I decide to ask him a question which had been on my mind since I saw him on the couch earlier.
"So," I started, but paused, trying to think how to word the question without sounding like an idiot. "Usually, when I'm here for a few days while Edward and the others are gone hunting, and you're the one left on Bella-sitting duty," - I can't help but to say that a bit bitterly, rolling my eyes - "You hide in your room or out in the woods the whole time… What changed now?"
I knew that he would feel my curiosity, so he wouldn't be offended or anything.
"Simple." He shrugged, his arms still crossed over his chest while leaning on the frame of the dining room archway. "Usually you feel so much anxiety and abandonment, which I assume is leftover from when we left, that I just can't stand to be around you. But this time, there's something much different. Care to explain the amount of relief I felt and still feel coming off of you since Eddie Boy left?"
He was staring into my eyes just as intently as I had been looking in his. His eyes seemed to demand an answer and I could feel myself being dazzled, only this was so much more powerful than when Edward did it. And by the glint in his eyes, I could tell that he knew what he was doing to me.
I forced my eyes away, looking at my now empty plate. I stood up stiffly and walked over to the sink in the kitchen while contemplating how to answer that.
After the plate was clean and put away, I looked back at Jasper and gave the answer that I felt the most comfortable with. "No, I don't care to explain that."
(Jasper's POV)
With that, she walked out of the room and back toward the couch. She collapsed on it once again like she did before, closing her eyes and this time crossing her arms over them.
"Well, I never have been one for patience. I could just make you care enough to answer it." I said nonchalantly.
She didn't move her arms to look at me as she spoke, "But you wouldn't. Because then 'Eddie Boy'" she quoted me, "would be angry and chances are that Em would be, too."
"And since when do I care if either or both of those two are upset with me?" I asked, confidence nearly rolling off of me.
"But isn't Edward so much faster than you?" she asked while finally removing her arms from their position over her face so she could look at me. I could feel her curiosity.
My jaw clenched, and I had to force my answer out through gritted teeth, "Yes."
"And isn't Emmett so much stronger than you?" This time her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and I could feel her suspicion as it swirled through her emotions.
That annoyed me; she shouldn't think that I am faster or stronger than either of those two. I haven't given her any reason to.
I forced my jaw to relax so that I could answer in the most normal voice that I had, "Yes."
Bella stood up, even more suspicion coloring her emotions. 'This girl is gonna be the death of me,' I thought to myself as she looked me in the eye. She had so much more confidence now than she used to have.
"For some reason," She said as she took a step towards me with narrowed eyes, and then whispered, "I just don't believe you."
I stood there frozen for a few seconds, trying to understand how one little human could jump to such conclusions when my own 'family' couldn't.
"Well, ma'am, it is mighty kind of you to say that, but I believe you are mistaken," I said, laying my southern accent on thick.
Bella's lust increased tenfold and she looked at me curiously, the curiosity also coloring her tone, "Since when do you have an accent?"
"Since always. I just hide it because Alice doesn't like it, and honestly, the constant questions about it were gettin' on my nerves. This way, the whole 'Happy Adopted Family' facade makes more sense. I mean, what would people think if I had an accent and my twin didn't?" I let the accent flow freely now, and it felt so much more natural.
I couldn't help, but smirk when I felt her lust again.
"Well, I like it. And now the boots make sense." She smiled and then turned towards the stairs.
I couldn't help but be happy that I had successfully distracted her from the subject of my 'lack of skills' to my southern accent. That was not a conversation that I was going to allow to happen anytime soon. Especially with her.
'She likes my accent,' I thought to myself, and it was only another thing that made me feel happy at this moment, but I'm not sure why? She's just Eddie's human.
She understood why I tried to drain her so many months ago. She understood exactly. That was the most surprising. She had forgiven me automatically and even knew completely why it had happened, without me having to explain or break it down for her. Even the mind reader couldn't pull that off.
But what's with the lust? She had never felt lust for me before. Then again, we had never been completely alone together before.
Then there's her suspicion. No one in my 'family' has ever suspected a thing when I ran slower than Edward. No one has ever suspected anything when I let Emmett beat me at something that had to do with strength. So how can some little human girl, who has never even seen me doing something that requires speed or strength, suspect so much so easily?
Questions kept buzzing around my head and I heard a shower turn on upstairs. They came to a stop at a single question that I had already voiced.
Why was she feeling so relieved?
I realized that just as I had been successful in my distracting her away from the questions that I didn't want to answer, she did the same to me.
It annoyed me; that I was so easily taken off my own train of thought by a human. However, I can't blame her for it. She didn't want to answer something, so she found a way around it. In fact, I respect her, if only a little bit, for that.
A/N: And there you have it! Any ideas on what Jasper could be hiding regarding his strength and speed? Or what about Bella when it came to her emotions regarding Edward?! Any ideas on what will happen next?! Review!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!
To see more, go to either mine or my Co Author's FF page: Xo BellaItalia oX or XxJasper'sAngelxX
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will also accept other genres depending on the genre. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot.
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- Bella'Xo
Xo BellaItalia oX