Got new beta and she worked on all the first seven chapters yeah, thank my girl Rena!!

Disclaimer: Twilight and all it characters are not mine, I mean no copyright infringement.

Chapter 5 – Iris

A soft knock on her window caused Bella to awaken from the light sleep she had fallen into.

She lifted her head, slightly disoriented, until she remembered why she had fallen asleep still wearing her working dress. Her heart was racing - she could not figure what to do first. A war was waging in her head, it was only one time, one meeting, and she promised it would be fleeting. No one would ever know he was here, right? There was a mirror near her vanity, maybe she should at least make sure she was presentable. One look into the mirror and her once perfectly pinned up hair looked like an eagle had attempted to nest there.

After pulling all the pins out, her hair cascaded down in her soft natural curls. Having loosened her hair she quickly took her comb and ran it through her hair until it was silky and smooth. Satisfied with her appearance, she ran as quietly and quickly as she could, managing to trip but catching herself on her last leg to the window, she opened it.

The first thing that graced her eyes was the solemn look on Jasper's ruggedly handsome face. Her heart faltered, she didn't like seeing that look on his face, almost like he had given up all hope in life. There was a part of her brain, or was it her heart that felt that if he gave up hope, there would be nothing left for them. That hurt more to think about than anything she had ever experienced.

~*~

After securing Leroy to the fence around the property, Jasper was hopeful when he first arrived at the two-story house. It was small compared to the living space that he was used to. He rounded the house in his attempt to figure where her room was. This was becoming harder than he thought; there was no open window. Maybe he said unlocked and not open in the letter.

His hope was dwindling until he saw the slight glow of a candle on a first floor window. Creeping as quietly as he could, he neared the window and saw the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen lying on the bed fast asleep.

A battle was waging in his head at that very moment. She looked so peaceful, he didn't want to disturb her. On the other hand, if she had waited up for him, would she be disappointed if he just walked away? He pushed slightly at the window to see if it would open, but to his utter disappointment it was locked.

Now what? Did this mean she had rejected his request to see him? Then why was she in a dress on top of the bed?

Two taps, he thought, if she doesn't wake up and open the window you walk away and let her be.

And that is what he did. Two taps was all it took for Isabella Swan to awaken, albeit a little ungracefully; but to Jasper she was like sleeping beauty. How he longed to kiss her and be the prince that awoke her. He saw her head to the vanity and loosen her hair. He had imagined how beautiful that it would be without its pinned prison. Never in his life would he have thought it was so long and lustrous, he longed to run his fingers through it.

She turned around, unlocked and opened the window. It took a few seconds for Jasper to register she had opened the door and was speaking to him. "…fallen asleep."

"Sorry, darlin' what?"

"I said I'm sorry for not unlocking or leaving the window open. I was waiting to see if you'd really come, and I didn't want to look like a fool waiting, looking out my window. I must have fallen asleep. Don't think I did not want to see you Jasper, I…missed you." Bella was rambling, they both knew, yet Jasper found it adorable.

Bella, unable to stop herself, turned a deep shade of crimson from embarrassment.

"You would never look like a fool Bella, and I missed you also. Things have gotten out of hand but we don't have to let that control us, right?"

Jasper's heart broke when he saw the war flashing in her deep brown eyes. He did not like being the cause of that distress. She quickly masked the emotions running rampant in her eyes but Jasper knew. He could feel that she was still conflicted but at what?

"Jasper, step out of the cold night and come in. I feel strange speaking to you through an open window."

He laughed, a real lighthearted laugh and said, "Yes, I bet it feels like being in Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene."

Bella smiled at the comparison, but could help to thinking that, that couple didn't end up well from sneaking around.

Jasper climbed into the room through the window while Bella watched slightly jealous at his gracefulness. Once he was standing in the room he looked around examining her room as if to get insight on the girl that had plagued his mind for so long. The room was simple. What appeared to be a four-post wrought-iron bed was towards the center of the wall on his left. A vanity sat opposite to the bed, in the corner near the window was a rather large seat. It appeared at first glance to be a sofa but it was too small for that, yet it was too big for a single chair. Next to that was a rather small bookcase. When Bella noticed him looking she followed his line of vision.

"Those are my favorites, I have more in the library. I just like having those near me for when I'm unable to sleep."

Jasper could see the love for knowledge and books she felt. He made a promise at that moment to take her to the large library at his house. Positive she would fall over herself with so many books around for her to explore.

Unable to stand for idle chitchat, Jasper dove into what needed to be said, "Why were you ignoring me Bella? Every time I would see you, you'd run out of site with your mom."

"You ignored me too Jasper!" she whisper-screamed, just fearing she would shout if she tried a normal tone of voice.

"Bella, every time I tried to walk towards you to just say "Hello", you'd run. I know you didn't want your eyes to betray you; you longed to see me, to talk to me. Why didn't you, what held you back?" in the end his tone turned to pleading with her to open up her heart to him; to tell him the truth once and for all.

"My mother-"

"No! No Isabella don't use your mother as en excuse. I saw you plenty of times without her on the streets and you still turned away from me. Why?" He cut her off.

"I don't know" tears started to stream down her face.

It broke Jasper's heart to see her let go of all the emotions she'd reined in since her move. Two steps was all it took for Jasper to have her wrapped in his strong, comforting arms.

She clutched his now tear stained shirt while he gently rub up and down her back whispering soothing words in her ear.

"Shh, darlin' it's ok, your fine, I'm here. OK, it's going to be ok." He repeated until her sobs calmed down to slight hiccups.

"Jasper, I am sorry, it scares me that I care so much for you." Jasper's heart swelled at her words while unknowingly a smile crept on his face. But just as soon as it came, it was gone when he saw the broken girl in his arms.

"I should not have run, but what am I to do? My mother is completely against anything to do with your family. I do not even know why. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to stay away from you." he moved them to sit in her large chair with her on his lap and her head on his shoulder. Each felt a sense of completion in the others arms, like two pieces of an unsolved puzzle coming together. With both of his hands on the sides of her face, he wiped her tear stained cheeks. "Bella it will be fine. I don't want to stay away either, but I do know what happened that afternoon between our mothers. At least part…" her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Your mother had ulterior motives regarding the tea. For her, it was more about us than recapturing her friendship. She came to… offer your hand. She wanted to arrange a marriage, Bella." She buried her face into her hands and groaned "Oh no! I swear I did not know that Jasper."

"I know Bella, my mother refused her. They exchanged some heated words and a friendship ended in a matter of hours." He was attempting to sound soothing, when she suddenly sprung out of his arms, he could see she was angry.

"Why did she refuse? Am I not good enough for you, does she believe we are so below her?" the words were out of her before she could think them. Jasper seeing where her mind had turned, was fast to put a stop to it. "No Bella! You have it all wrong, she refused because my momma doesn't believe in arranged marriages n' she thinks Renee's just treatin' you like an investment. Her assessment was that you would leave in the long run like Renee did to your father."

"So she believes I am some gold digging whore?!" she had forgotten their location and raised her voice louder than intended. Jasper panicked and flew out of the chair covering her mouth with his hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist to calm her. With his mouth near her ear he whispered sternly "Isabella". The way he said her name made her body tingle in the most delicious way. "Never call yourself a whore, for you are nothing of the sort. My mother merely stated that you would be unhappy being forced to marry a man because Renee said so. She didn't want me to have my heart broken or be stuck in an unhappy marriage. I wanted to find love, you know that special woman that made my heart race and my palms sweat. She has me on my knees with one glance my way."

Bella felt a pang when he described this perfect girl. She could not help but wonder who she was. What made her so special to have his heart so completely wrapped in her hands? She was probably beautiful compared to her plain features.

Jasper knew what he was doing to her, but he couldn't believe how easily she could discount herself. "Do you know who this girl is Bella?" Since his hand was still over her mouth, she could only shake her head 'no'. "It's only the most beautiful girl in the world, a Miss Isabella Marie Swan." Those words hit like a steam train filled with happiness.

He turned her around and whispered "Do you promise not to raise your voice if I let you go?" she nodded slowly to prove her point. "Alright" he slowly lowered his hand from her mouth but kept his other firmly planted on her waist. They looked into each others eyes, neither knowing what to say.

"Did you mean what you said, you… love me?" she barely whispered the last part of her question. Had the room not been permeated with a tension filled silence, he would never have been able to hear her.

She tilted her head downward, forming a curtain with her hair. Jasper took a deep breath and took her chin between his index and his thumb. He tilted her head so she would look straight into his eyes, "Yes, I love you." "But we barely know each other, how could you love me, how do you even know what love is?" he felt the pain of knowing she hadn't said it back, but he had to consider what she said. They barely knew each other.

"Does this mean you don't?" he had to ask, "No, I mean yes… I don't know. It's too soon, how can I love you? You make me feel things I have never felt before, but I don't know if that is love…"

"Bella do you know how I know my love for you is real?" she shook her head. "Because the mere thought of not being near you for more than a second makes my heart ache. I couldn't stay away from you; I took so damn long to come here because if you rejected me it would hurt too much. I may not know all that lies behind your beautiful brown orbs, but I do know with everything that I am that I love you." By now, tears were again streaming down her face, but instead of sadness, Jasper saw a faint smile grace her lips.

"I…I feel the same about you. I…think…" they drew closer still his free hand went to the back of her neck. Both of their breathing had become shallow, her brain turned to mush and she was unable to finish her own confession. Seeing no other way to say to him the words that failed to come out of her mouth, she opted to show him instead. Foreheads touching, their noses skimming on their tips, lips only millimeters from each other's; she broke the distance with one soft touch of her lips to his. Fireworks erupted behind their eyelids, slowly the kiss built up. Carrying the tension from the night, the longing they had both felt during the weeks of absence. The kiss became less tame when his tongue slipped from his mouth begging for entrance into hers. Bella's lips parted eagerly granting his tongue the pleasure of battling with hers.

A sudden noise from the floor above them broke them apart, both with panic stricken faces, fearing they may have been found out. "Bella…I…" he stuttered trying to communicate he had to leave. "GO! But come back tonight please, I will leave the window unlocked."

"Of course, I'll see you tonight!" as he went to climb out, they noticed the first rays of sunshine beginning to appear in the dark blue sky. With one last peck on her beautiful pouty lips he ran off to where she figured he had left a horse.

Neither managed to sleep for the rest of the morning. Jasper pretended to have been up very early working in the stalls to explain his being awake before his parents. Working without sleep or food until lunch, he managed to sleep 2 measly hours before dinner.

Bella on the other hand took advantage of her mother's absence in the house that day and slept the hours she had lost but never regretted the lack of sleep. A smile graced her lips as she dreamt of her own personal Romeo, Jasper Whitlock.

A/N: Beta'd