AN: Jasper is angry that Alice refuses to accept that he wants to break up, Maria is needs to get away and Bella is distraught.


Chapter three: Before Her


Jasper

My mother was been a pain in my ass right now and I didn't need another issue. I had already had plans for today, and nothing would interfere with them.

Today would be the day I ended things with Alice and moved on with my life. There was no point to it anymore. She would never change, and I needed more than someone who 'loved' me for what I had.

Alice only wanted me for what I could give her. She didn't want me for the man I was. The man who loved her, and that wasn't and would never be enough for me.

I wanted a woman that could love me, the way I loved her.

"Baby, where are you?" Where her voice used to make me feel things, very nice things, now it left me feeling bothered, annoyed and disturbed. All I wanted now was for her to shut up.

That wasn't good.

"Oh, there you are," Alice said, coming to sit on the edge of my desk as I hung up my failed call to my mama to apologize for shouting at her. "I have been looking all over for you." She ran her hand through my hair and I wanted to crawl into myself.

"Yes, I'm here," I replied, looking up at her. "But we need to talk."

She rolled her eyes. "Not this again." Alice has been trying to avoid me and the issue of us ending our relationship since I brought it up over a week ago. It had been long time since we've been together and we are heading nowhere.

"Yes, this again. We need to talk."

She jumped off my desk, stalked around it, and headed for the door. I followed behind her, out of my office as I said, "Alice, this isn't working anymore."

"Jasper, would you quit this?" she sighed exasperatedly, turning to me. "I'm not in the mood."

What the hell? "What do you mean?" I stressed. "This is over!"

"Jasper, you're being ridiculous!" She laughed.

"Alice, you cheated on me repeatedly, and still, you expected me to just let it go lightly?" I was furious. How did she think I would take this? I wasn't an idiot.

"No, but…" she tries.

"But what?" I asked. I'd love to hear the answer she came with.

"I'm sorry, and I love you." I wanted to believe that sentiment but it didn't reach her eyes.

"No, you don't." I chuckled, walking away.

"Jasper!" she yelled, following me out the house.

We had a family gathering going on in the main house and everyone deserved to be here. So I grabbed my cell from my pocket while Alice went on about loving me and I called my mom once again only to be hit with her voicemail.

Where the hell was she?

Maria

Jasper's number lit up the screen again and I ignored the call. I wasn't in the mood to deal with my son. I wanted some time to myself. While swearing to myself that we had gotten into our last argument over Alice, I turned into a gas station. I couldn't believe I had driven this far out of town. I had some groceries to pick up at my favorite grocery store, and I could have had someone do it for me, but I'd do it myself when I got back to town. The more time I spent away from the ranch right now, the better.

Locking up my car, I headed to the minimart. There were two beady eyed idiots eyeing a Sliver car but totally ignoring me, and for a minute, I was sorry I stopped here, but I went ahead in the minimart.

I passed a frail girl on the way in, and I had to try my best not to stare at her. She reminded me so much of myself when I had first ran away from my abusive boyfriend. She had the same scared kind of look in her eyes that she was trying to cover by putting on a brave face.

I knew that look so well. This girl was running.

I watched as she left the store after speaking to the clerk and he told her to pull her car up to the pump to get her gas. A look outside of the store while he instructed her, and saw a car driving off.

But it wasn't until the girl went out and just about collapsed in front of the door of the minimart, did I realize that it was her car. I knew those boys looked suspicious.

Bella

I couldn't breathe, I felt like I was going to faint. This couldn't be happening to me. Not now. No, I had to go. James was definitely looking now. It had been three days.

No…No…No… How could this possibly happen? I just stepped in the store for one minute…and…now, my car was gone.

What was I going to do?

I fell to the ground, not caring if anyone saw, dropped my head in my hands and started to cry.

Her voice startled me as she placed a hand on my shoulder and asked, "Are you alright, darlin', what happened?"

"My car," I managed to mumble out as she reached for my hand and helped me to my feet.

"What about your car?" she questioned, looking around.

"It…it…it's gone," I sobbed. "It was right there and now it's gone, and I've…I've gotta go…I've gotta go, he's going to find me…he's going to kill me." My sobs were growing more loudly as I started to panic, and the woman looked so worried before she pulled me into her arms, hugging me.

I shook in her arms, while babbling in hysterics into her shoulder. Other people have now come on the scene including the clerk. Everyone that has gathered around me along with this strange woman is commenting on my situation. However, while I was grateful, none of it mattered, because my only escape was gone.

The moment I started to hear the words, "police" and "report" I immediately dried my tears. I couldn't afford that; I had to get away. I couldn't make a statement about this. James was looking.

"No," I whispered.

"What?" she questioned, apparently disturbed by my refusal to make a report.

"I…can't…I…can't do…I can't do that." I fumbled over my words, falling over myself to explain to this woman– whoever she was –that she couldn't help me. I couldn't go to the police. I needed her to understand that and to back off. The clerk stepped away from us, and the other people started to follow his lead.

"I'll…I'll find my way," I told her. "I'll be okay." I tried to smile reassuringly, but her piercing gaze was beginning to unnerve me.

She broke it, and said, "Well then, at least let me give you a ride to town," she offered. "And from there, you can figure out what you wanna do." Before I could reply, she walked over to a black Mercedes, chirped the alarm and stood by the door, waiting for me.

My mind told me to refuse her offer, but my heart said to go with her, at least I'd be in town and I was sure I could work something out from there. So, with a deep sigh, I walked toward her without any further hesitation. She told me to get it and went back into the store.

I sobbed some more after she was gone at my loss. Phil had gotten me that car to make my escape, and now, it was gone.

When the lady got back, she got some gas, and then, got in the car and we were off.

Through most of the drive, she remained silent, and so did I. The only sound in the car was the music coming from the radio which she was humming along with while she kept her focus on the road.

During this time, I took the chance to look at her. She was Hispanic and looked to be in her thirties, maybe forties, but I wasn't sure. Her clothes were expensive and the diamonds in her ears were definitely real.

This was someone important.

"So, what do you surmise?" Her voice made me jump, but I cleared my throat and answered her question without another beat.

"You're Spanish and you look like you're in your forties," I said before slapping my hand over my mouth, instantly regretting how intrusive that statement sounded.

Noticing her frown, I immediately tried to rectify it. "I…I…I mean, I mean your late thirties?" It came out more like a question than an answer, and it made her laugh.

"I'm fifty years old, girl," she said with a smile.

"I'm twenty-six years old," I told her before we fell back in silence as the scenery began to change when the town came into view.

"Welcome to Henderson," she said, smiling as we slowed our drive into town.

I was instantly in love. I couldn't stop looking at everything she drove past, and for a split second, I considered staying again, maybe even finding a job and starting a life here. James wouldn't come looking here, would he?

Maybe he'd already thought that I was dead in a ditch somewhere. There was no way I could survive on my own. Right?

However, once I noticed where she was heading, I began to panic. My palms got sweaty and my breaths I was panting in fear as she parked in front of the police station.

I felt faint, but I tried to put on a brave face while she sat back, patiently waiting on me to make my next move. This stranger has kept her promise. She brought me to town.

"Well, thank…thank you," I said, meeting her inquisitive eyes.

She offered me her hand to shake, and I take it as she said, "You're welcome. By the way, I'm Maria Cortez-Whitlock, and you are?"

"I'm Bella," I whispered. "Bella Swan."

"Now for the hard part, Bella," she sighed. "Who are you running from?"

I could have lied, but for some strange reason, I didn't want to.

"My husband. And if I walk into that station, I know he'll find me. And when he does, I'm dead." Her expression remained unchanged so I went on, "He's very rich and is probably already looking for me to punish me. I have places I could've gone, places that I've recently learnt of." I smiled when I thought of Charlie. "But because of him, I can never go there."

She said nothing to me for a long time and when she finally does speak, it was only to say, "Excuse me," before she got out of the car and walked away. I watched her every move, noticing that she didn't go into the station.

She didn't go into the station.

I was shocked. Why didn't she?

When she got back to the car, I nearly hugged her to how happy I was that she didn't set foot in the police station.

But I remained still, letting her start her car and then drove off. We stayed in our awkward silence for a little while as she cruised through the town until she broke it, "I had some groceries to pick up," she said nonchalantly.

I didn't answer because I didn't know what to say.

But when I noticed that she wasn't letting me off anywhere and we were now driving out of town, I decided to voice my concern. "Excuse me, Mrs. Whitlock, where are we going?"

"To my home," she replied like it was the most obvious thing. "And before you ask anything else, I'm gonna tell you something and I want you to remain quiet while I speak, Alright?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

She sighed and then began, "When I was sixteen years old, I left my parents' home to be with my boyfriend because I was in love," she chuckled. "I was on top of the world and nothing could go wrong. But that was until he started beating me. You don't see the signs or at least you're not paying attention to them at first. You don't see how possessive he is and how he claims that it's because he loves you, but you feel the blows he deals out and then when that apology comes, which will wither away over time, you accept it, but why?"

Hearing her say these things drew out my confessions about James and the abuse. "He never apologized. He always called them 'lessons' and made it seem like it was my fault and I caused the beating on myself."

She chuckled darkly. "There are different kinds of bastards out there, Bella. I got one and you got another."

"Yes," I whispered, realizing how true that statement.

She smiled wide as we turned down another road, and I glanced out the window, watching strong, beautiful horses run around in the fields. "I ran, Bella. And if I didn't run, I never would have met the man who loved me unconditionally until his dying day."

"That's possible?" There was no love out there for me. Only escape mattered.

"Yes, it's very possible." She advised as I stare out at the vast land with the grass was the greenest I'd ever seen. The horses were majestic and I became enthralled with watching them run around.

"Now, Bella," she said, making me turn and sit back, giving her my full attention. "I think you'll be safer staying still for a while."

"But?"

"I know," she said quickly. But you have no car and I hate that you can't even report it. I don't know you, and I'm so sorry for what you've been through."

Her gratitude baffled me. I'd given up on people long ago, because I thought it was pointless to drag anyone else into my hell. But now, like Phil, here was another person willing to help me.

She pulled to a stop and turned to me. "Now, Bella, there is a party going on inside. So when we get in there, you're to stick with me. No matter what you hear from here on out, I'm your boss. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am." What was she about to do for me?

"Maria, please, Bella," she corrected before moving to get out. "Call me Maria."

"Okay, Maria," I smiled, following her lead, grabbing my backpack and getting out of the car.

While we headed for the front door to the biggest mansion I have ever seen, she asked, "Now, quickly, what can you do?"

I couldn't think so I said the first thing that popped up. "Cook," I told her. "I can cook. Before…everything, I wanted to be a chef."

"Cooking," she said, pondering something. "Alright then, that can work. Come on, let's go."

"Yes, Maria," I threw my backpack over my shoulder and followed inside.

"Welcome to Whitlock Ranch, darlin'," she said as we walked into the foyer. I froze at the doorway.

The entryway alone to this place was a dream. It had such elegance to it; it was a sight to behold. The grand staircase seemed to go on for miles.

"You about done?" she asked with a chuckle.

"No, not even close," I said offhandedly while dreamily staring up at the ceiling.

Maria laughed. "Come on, Bella. You'll have plenty of time for that later on. Here…" She handed me two of the grocery bags she had and told me to follow her.

I did, while still looking around in awe at the magnificent décor. Maria explained that it was a family home, built a while back but was recently renovated by her brother-in-law. It was still a little shocking how nice she was being. Even going as far as to tell me about her family. Maria said he was an architect and he had worked on the renovations for the main house while designing the house on the ranch.

There was more than one house?

We went through the house and headed for the kitchen. In there, I met who Maria said I would be working with, Sue Clearwater. She was very nice and welcoming. Sue and Maria both looked to be of Hispanic descent, with shoulder length hair and deep brown eyes like mine. Maria said to think of Sue as family, and I nodded, just happy to be safe for now.

We dropped off the grocery bags in the kitchen and Maria told me to follow her to her office where we could talk before I began.

I could hear the sound of voices and music coming from somewhere as we walked back out into the foyer when a blond model type approached us. She was about to say something to Maria when I saw him stalking over to us. I couldn't help it. Fear shot up my spine and I felt like I wanted to scream. He glared at me before looking as harshly at Maria but she seemed unfazed by his glare.

All I could think of was uncanny his resemblance to James was. And all of a sudden, I couldn't breathe. I wanted to run. I was backing up and he was looking at me strangely. I could hear Maria's voice calling to me as the guy and a blond haired girl looked at me, but the only person I could see was him. His icy blue eyes and fiery stare were enough to stop my breath.

And then I was falling and I was powerless to stop it.

Maria looked horrified, but before everything could go black, I felt his arms around me. The stark blue of his eyes frightening, but in the midst of my fear and their terror as he asked my name... "Her name is Bella," Maria told him frantically. His voice was oddly comforting as he breathed, "Breathe, Bella, Breathe."