Unknown Beginnings
Chapter 2: New Beginnings
I placed the picture back on the shelf as the tingling in my stomach faded. I turned around to say something to Jasper, but he was gone. Confused, I walked down the hallway to the last door. I knocked softly before opening it. Jasper was laying back on the bed staring out the big window in from of him.
"Nice room." I said softly.
"Thank you. Not much different from the last house." He smiled over at me.
"You ok?" I asked walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed beside him.
"Yeah. You just seemed to be having a moment and I wanted to give you your space."
"A moment?" I asked him.
"Reminiscing on you and Edward." There was a new emotion in his voice that I couldn't place.
"I was actually holding our picture there when you left."
Silence. That was all I got. I looked up at him and he was back to staring at the wall. I waited a few moments, but he didn't say anything. Finally, I stood up and turned to leave. A hand grabbed onto my wrist. I turned and looked and he was looking back at me. He gave me a little tug and I walked back over to the bed. He scooted his body over so there was room for me next to him so I crawled on the bed and curled up along his side. This was not abnormal. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to my forehead. We watched the sky grow darker and darker before I felt my eyes get heavy and I succumbed to the darkness.
Everyone had settled in nicely to the new house and things were getting back to normal. Jasper had been hunting a lot and running errands so I had been spending a lot of time in my room or hanging out with Rosalie. The memories hurt more because I had more time to think about them with all the time I had been spending alone. One afternoon I wandered downstairs into the living room trying to find something to entertain my mind. The house was silent. Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett were out hunting. Jasper had apparently run into town to pick up some stuff. Esme had told me that as she was leaving. He seemed to be avoiding me. I sat down on the couch and flipped through the channels looking for something interesting to watch. Nothing good was on so I flipped the TV off. I stood up and walked over to the mantle. There were pictures lining it. I picked up one of Edward sitting at the piano playing. I felt the all too familiar pain in my chest and the tears gather at my eyes. I sat the picture back where it belonged and slid down to the floor pulling my knees to my chest. I buried my head in my hands on my knees and let the sobs escape. I rocked my body back and forth trying to sooth the pain.
I just want it to get better. I just want Jasper back. I wanted him to comfort me. The pain went away when I was with him. I wanted to know what I had done for him to feel the need to avoid me. A fresh wave of sobs broke through and I let them come out as loud as they wanted. I don't know how long I sat there before I heard someone enter the room.
"Bella?" The voice was familiar.
I turned my head and let it rest on my knees as I looked up at Jasper standing there. He looked concerned.
"What did I do?" I asked and broke down all over again.
He bent down and picked me up pulling me back to the couch to sit with him and pulled me into his lap. I buried my head in his shoulder and cried until I didn't feel like I could cry any more. My eyes were puffy and my breathing was irregular. Jasper simply sat quietly and rubbed small circles on my back knowing that I just had to get it out. When I settled down a little he cleared his throat to speak.
"What do you mean what did you do?" his voice was soft and soothing.
"What did I do to make you want to ignore me?"
"Oh, Bella. I am sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I just thought that you maybe wanted space."
"Why would I want that?" I pulled away and looked at him.
He simply looked at me for a long moment.
"I just thought that maybe… I don't know. I just wanted to give you time. I'm sorry. I don't want you to think I don't want to spend time with you because I do. I miss you too." He reached up and wiped a tear away from my eye.
"Can we then? Hang out? It hurts when you aren't around." I said motioning to my chest.
"Of course. We will have plenty of time anyway because this weekend we are all going to Denali to visit Tanya and her family. They are having a… vampire soiree type of thing. A party of sorts."
"Is that safe?" I asked knowing that there were not many people who were part of the vegetarian diet.
"Yes. Nobody is going to touch you. I promise."
I studied him a moment.
"You're really not mad at me?"
He pulled my face down to his and kissed me gently on the cheek before pulling away. Those familiar tingles fluttered in my stomach.
"I could never be mad at you. You've helped me so much more than I could ever explain."
"The feeling is mutual."
"So, why don't you go pack? I will be there to help as soon as I am done packing mine."
"Pack? When are we leaving?"
He stood up pulling me with him and then letting me go once I was steady.
"Tonight when the others get home from hunting."
Tanya's house was beautiful. It was set back in the woods a couple miles from town. It was wooden and fit in perfectly. There were many cars in the driveway when we got there meaning that the party was already starting. I stepped out of the car and was instantly nervous. The last time I had hung out with non vegetarian vampires one tried to kill me.
"You'll be ok Bella." Emmett said patting me on the shoulder as he walked by.
"Come on." Jasper walked up beside me placing his hand on my back and urging me forward.
"I don't think I can do this." I said digging my heels into the ground and bringing us both to a stop.
Jasper took a step in front of me putting both of his hands on my shoulders.
"Bella, do you trust me?" He asked looking intently at my face.
"Of course I trust you. It's them I don't trust."
"Would I ever in a million years let someone hurt you?"
"Well, no."
"Trust me Bella. You are going to be safe. I won't leave your side."
I faltered a moment.
"Bella, I won't let anything happen. I've lost enough. I won't lose you too."
Something flickered in his face and I couldn't help but get the butterflies in my stomach. I nodded lightly and allowed him to lead me forward. We entered the front door to find a houseful of vampires. You could tell just by looking at them. We weren't even two steps in the house when every eye in the room turned and looked at me. I felt Jasper bring his arm around me and pull me up against his side. A woman with long strawberry blonde hair came walking toward us slowly. I realized she was trying to be cautious so as not to scare me.
"You must be Bella. I've heard a lot about you over the last year." Her voice was like bells.
"And you are Tanya." I said nodding in acknowledgement.
Edward had told me about her many times. She was more beautiful than I had pictures. My chest ached a little.
"I am. It is nice to finally meet you. Edward told me a lot about you. I'm sorry for your lost." I flinched at the sound of his name and Jasper gently squeezed my side.
"Well, we have some rooms set up for you guys. Jasper informed me that you two would be sharing a room so we put you guys out at the guest house to make you more comfortable. Rosalie and Emmett will be in the other room out there."
I turned and looked at Jasper who shrugged. He picked up my bag and led me through the crowd of people who seemed to be watching me with curiosity and headed out the back door. Emmett and Rosalie were exiting the guest house and heading back to the main house.
"Hurry up Bella. It's time to party." She said as they ran by us.
I laughed a little and made my way into the house. It was cute. I checked the refrigerator and it was empty. I made a note to go to the store first thing in the morning for food to last the weekend. I turned and followed the hallway down to the rooms. I found Jasper hanging some clothes in the closet.
"Get settled." He motioned to my bag on the bed.
I sat down and watched him instead of unpacking. He had his back to me and was taking clothes out of his bag and putting them in the closet. He was wearing a pair of nice fitting jeans and a tight black shirt. I watched his muscles flex under his shirt and felt the butterflies in my stomach. What did they mean? I didn't think about what I was doing, but got up and walked over to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his back. He hung up the item in his hand and then placed his hands over mine. I stood there for a moment just feeling his cold skin through his shirt and breathing in his comforting scent. He slowly turned around and wrapped his arms around my shoulders pulling me up against him and resting his head on top of mine. I rested my forehead on his chest.
"What's this for?" He asked softly.
My heart fluttered again at his words.
"Being you." I whispered so lightly someone with normal hearing wouldn't have heard.
My heartbeat had picked up and it was a familiar feeling. It used to happen all the time when I was with Edward. He pulled away slightly and lifted my chin with his finger. He didn't say anything. He just stared at me. His finger moved and traced my jaw line sending chills down my spine. It was getting harder to breath as I stared up at him. I let my eyes wander to his lips and the perfect curves. Part of me was screaming to look away, but the biggest part of me wanted to pull him down to me and kiss those perfect lips. Seeming to read my thoughts he slowly started to lower his head toward me.
"Bella! Come on!" Rosalie's voice boomed through the house.
He dropped his arms and took a step away from me not breaking his gaze. I looked away first and flattened my shirt for something to do. Rosalie walked into the room a second later grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the door.
"You can unpack later." She said turning her back and dragging me behind her.
I turned sideways and looked at Jasper. He was running a hand over his face and sighed before making eye contact just as I was dragged out of the room.
