Interlude
~ A Breath of Fresh Air~
No one can know.
"Bella, can you get the door? It's probably Edward." Renee shouted out from the kitchen while she served up desert.
Jasper wasn't sure how to react to this unknown visitor. He looked up and met Charlie's piercing gaze.
"Could I have a few words with you Jasper?" He said standing from the table just as Aunt Renee appeared from the kitchen with the dessert tray.
"Where are you two going?" she said, slightly harassed. The dining room was about to empty with our departure.
"We'll be right back." Jasper followed his uncle to the small study off of the family room. As they walked Jasper caught a flash of bronze hair crowning a tallish figure standing with Bella. He avoided looking fully in their direction intent on following Uncle Charlie.
They sat across from each other Charlie taking his place behind a utilitarian desk. He twined his fingers placing them on the desktop.
"I haven't told anyone any details Jasper, nothing more than you had a falling out with your parents and wanted to move here."
"It's your call what you want to tell folks." Jasper watched Uncle Charlie's dark mustache twitch but he caught the compassion in his eyes.
"Thanks Uncle, I'd rather no one knows."
"That's fine by me son. Let's go get that dessert." Charlie was a man of few words but each one he uttered was imbued with deep meaning. Jasper finally felt he could trust someone.
His uncle left him in the study alone giving him a few minutes to gather himself.
No one can know. Too much grief had come from his honesty. With that, Jasper returned to the dining room once again full but with one new person.
Edward, Bella's friend.
Bella was giggling and the two of them seemed lost in their own world. Jasper took a seat at the opposite end of the table hoping to quietly get through dessert unobserved.
He glanced over at this Edward. He was clearly entranced by Bella laughing at her every word or so he thought only to find that Edward was focused entirely on him.
Jasper flushed and glanced at Bella who was looking at him with a furrowed brow.
Feeling very uncomfortable Jasper decided he did not want dessert and the atmosphere in the room was cloying.
"Goodnight all." Jasper called and took his plates to the kitchen to rinse them.
So what do you think?