This is a short one, but I've got a good run of this story so far in my head, so I'm going to try and get it out as fast as I can! Thank you for the reviews - they're very encouraging and welcomed with open arms :)
Chapter 3
The Cullens all sat in the living room, unable to make themselves check on Jasper. Every now and then, one of them would throw a worried glance to Edward, who would listen in to reassure them that he was still in the house. Besides that, he tried his best to give Jasper his privacy. Edward and Bella sat on the piano bench, but he didn't play. Every so often he would try to make himself, just to pass time, but he could never squeeze out more than two or three disjointed notes held for mere milliseconds before he would drop them altogether and grab Bella's hand once again.
None of them needed to hunt – they had been preparing to stay alert for the impending battle with Jacques by excessively satisfying their thirst. They simply sat in their empty house on the few pieces of furniture they had left behind, at a loss for any activity to pass the time.
Just then, there were the faintest sounds of graceful footsteps on the staircase. Every head turned towards the entry way into the living room. Jasper stopped at the archway of the room and leaned against the wall. He held himself upright and poised, as always, and he looked straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with each and every one of them.
Edward opened his mind to Jasper's thoughts, anxious to know what the right thing to say might be. As it was, there was nothing Jasper was looking to hear from any of them.
Edward – I know you are listening. I don't want to discuss it right now, not to anyone. Not even to Carlisle. Let him know I will come to him in due time. I want to return to Vancouver, now, please.
Edward nodded, and Jasper nodded in receipt of his response. He then left the room and went to gather belongings to bring back to their new-temporary home in Vancouver, British Columbia.
"Let's go back home." Nobody said a word in complaint, and they simply followed Jasper's example. Carlisle stopped and waited for everyone to filter out of the room, and looked at Edward.
"What did he say to you?"
"He told me to relay to you that he'll talk to you when he's ready." Carlisle nodded and patted Edward's shoulder. The Cullens left Forks once again.
"Yes, Jake, I'm serious. We've already left to go back to Vancouver. Edward and I will come to pick her up in another few weeks." She paused as Jacob continued to shower her with gratitude over the phone. "Yes. You, too. Goodbye."
"I'll bet he was happy about that." Bella smiled and kissed Edward's cheek. Her smile quickly faded, which did not go unnoticed. "Bella, love? What's wrong?"
She sighed and looked out the window. "I feel… guilty. Being happy right now, it makes me feel guilty."
He wrapped her hand up in his as he drove. "We all have a few grieving stages to face in the near future. We need to take solace in the things we are still blessed to have."
"What does Jasper have now? A family surrounding him that's full of happy couples, one with a healthy child?"
Edward couldn't think of a good way to respond to his wife, and he simply kissed her hand and traced her skin with his finger for the rest of the drive.
