Chapter Seven

Bella

The afternoon was long and boring and although I kept an eye out for Jasper he was conspicuous by his absence. During English, Angie wanted to know what I'd been doing sitting outside in the rain with him but even when I explained she didn't seem comfortable.

"Bella, I know it's really none of my business but please be careful, you had enough trouble with Edward and Jasper Hale already has a girlfriend Alice, who just happens to be your friend too."

I nodded,

"I know Angie and I promise you we are just friends, there is nothing going on between us."

"OK, I've said my piece, I won't bring it up again."

And she didn't but I knew that didn't mean she wasn't still concerned about me.

I went straight home and tidied up before putting Charlie's dinner on to cook, he would be home about five and I really hoped he might go to see Harry or Billy this evening before Jasper arrived because I didn't need concerned looks from him too. Besides, there really wasn't anything going on between us even if I wished in my heart that perhaps there might be. Angie was right, I owed it to Alice to stay away from her boyfriend or partner, I never did quite work out exactly what they were to each other, Edward wasn't interested in talking about them, I knew Esme and Carlisle were married and Emmett and Rosalie too but he never said anything about Alice and Jasper mainly because he didn't seem to like Jasper much although again he never said why.

The more I thought about it the more I realized that apart from the great reveal that they were all vampires and that he had been 17 for a very long time he didn't talk about the family much and we didn't spend much time at his place. In fact, if I gave it any thought at all he had spent more time telling me about the Quileutes and why he didn't think it was appropriate or safe for me to visit the reservation or continue my friendship with Jake. It was ironic really because Jake had been furious with Edward for giving away his secret but he had been more than happy to tell me Edward's and had been really annoyed when he found out I already knew that the Cullens were vampires.

Anyway, luck was shining on me tonight because dad came in, ate his dinner, got changed and said goodbye as he headed off to the res for the evening leaving me all alone in the house. After clearing up the dinner things and getting my stuff ready for the morning I found myself watching the clock frustrated by how slow its hands seemed to be moving.

When I finally heard the sound of a car door shut I was almost climbing the walls and I had to stop myself from running to open the door and there stood Jasper dressed in a leather jacket, dark sweater, and jeans but he looked like he'd just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine and with a stab of jealousy I wondered if Alice had bought his clothes for him. It was raining again and drops fell from his hair and ran down his neck as I watched then realized I had been staring and with an embarrassed smile I invited him in.

"Sorry if I'm early but I didn't have anything I needed to do and I hoped you wouldn't mind."

"No, it's fine, I'm on my own anyway, Charlie's gone to the reservation."

He smiled and I felt my stomach flip again,

"Are you sure I should be in here then?"

I was about to answer when I saw the gleam in his eye, he was teasing me!

"I'll trust you to be on your best behavior, Mr. Hale. Now, did you bring the book?"

"You sound eager to read it, I warned you it was boring."

I took it from his outstretched hand a tingle shooting up my arm when I touched his fingers.

He stared at me for a moment then closed his eyes,

"Well, errand run I guess I should be going."

"Do you have to? I'd offer you coffee but I guess that isn't really….."

My voice faded away as I realized just how desperate I had sounded but to my relief he shook his head, one drop of rain running down his throat.

"No, I don't have to, I just thought you'd probably have things to do."

"Then stay and talk to me, tell me about the book."

He shrugged off his jacket and I put it in the mudroom to dry then took him through into the lounge and sitting beside him on the couch, only so he could tell me about the book, of course, I opened the cover to look at the dedication,

"In memory of Major Jasper Whitlock."

Looking up I saw he was watching me,

"Is that you?"

He nodded but there was no smile on his face now,

"Yes, Major Jasper Whitlock of the Confederate Army, posted missing 1863, presumed dead."

He sighed,

"If you look me up don't believe everything you read, I was no more a hero than any other poor boy at the time fighting for his home."

"It must have been terrible."

At this, he smiled,

"Actually, I loved it and I guess I was pretty good at it, either that or the powers that be were so desperate they'd promote anyone."

I started to question him about the war and why he'd joined up and became so wrapped up in hearing about the war first hand that the next thing I remembered was the front door opening and my dad's voice,

"I'm home Bella, whose car is that parked outside?"

I jumped but Jasper had heard him and was ready, he stood up,

"That would be mine, sir. I brought a book over for Bella to borrow and I'm afraid we got talking about the civil war and lost track of time."

My dad looked at him incredulously,

"Bella was talking about the Civil war? I didn't know she was interested in it."

"Well, this book is about an ancestor of mine who fought with the Confederacy at Galveston."

Dad nodded his face expressionless,

"Right. I guess I should have known from that accent, my family fought for the Union."

Jasper smiled as he replied to that,

"Then I guess it's just as well the war's over."

Charlie laughed,

"It sure is. Well Jasper I guess you'll be going soon?"

It was a heavy-handed hint that annoyed me but Jasper just nodded then turned to me,

"I'll see you at school Bella, It was good talking to you, but I should go, it's getting late."

As soon as he was gone my dad turned to me,

"What's going on Bella? Isn't he Alice's boyfriend?"

I was getting a little tired of that question but I just nodded,

"Yes, dad he is but as he explained he just brought the book over for me to borrow, now I'm tired so I'm going up to bed."

Before he could say anything else I escaped up the stairs to my room where I could lose myself in memories of Jasper and his part in the war, I could visualize him in uniform astride a stallion, sword held aloft as he led his men into battle.

The next morning I was eager to get to school knowing I had only a week left in which to see Jasper before the family left Forks for good while at the same time telling myself that what I was doing was both dangerous and unfair. Much as I felt drawn to Jasper, I even dreamed about him, he was not available and I should let go now before I found myself unable to. If only Alice would come back so I could see her standing with him, smiling at him and holding his hand. Right now all I saw when I closed my eyes was me doing just that…...and more!

We only saw each other in the cafeteria and although he smiled and held up a hand in greeting we didn't speak. I tried to ignore his presence but made a bad job of it because Angie kicked me under the table and hissed quietly,

"Don't be so obvious, Bella"

I blushed, looked down, and tried to concentrate on my meal but it was hard and in the end, I gave up and left before anyone else going into the restrooms to pull myself together away from temptation.

The door swung open a few seconds later and I looked into the mirror as I turned off the tap to see Rosalie Hale standing there glaring at me. I was intimidated but I tried not to let it show, I knew she hated me, she always had.

"Hello, Rosalie."

She leaned against the door so it couldn't be opened from the outside and looked me up and down before speaking,

"You need to stay away from my brother."

"Which brother would that be? Only I think Edward is staying away from me."

"Alice and I have been friends for a very long time and if you think I'm going to let a stupid ignorant little human girl try to get between her and her husband you are very much mistaken, I'd snap your neck first."

I was stunned, Alice and Jasper were married? My heart broke in two and I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach but I tried to rally,

"I have no idea what you are talking about, unlike you I have friends and if one just happens to be your brother then so be it."

She strode forward and grabbed me by the shoulder almost snapping my collarbone in the process.

"This is your only warning Bella Swan, stay away from Jasper unless you want to spend the rest of your miserable life in a wheelchair."

She shoved hard and I staggered back against the washbasins bruising my back on the hard porcelain then turned on her heel and stalked out letting the door slam shut behind her.

I locked myself in a cubicle as the tears gathered in my eyes, I guess I should have known they were married seeing as the others all were. I'd let myself fall for him when he all he had done was to step in for Emmett and then show me, a friend of his wife's, kindness. What a fool I was and now Rosalie thought I was hitting on him when I wasn't even though I would have liked to.

Unable to face afternoon classes I left and began driving home only to remember that Charlie would still be there, he wasn't on duty until four so instead I drove around aimlessly and pulled off the road between Port Angeles and Forks turning off the engine and sitting back with my eyes closed feeling wretched. I had been a complete fool although I had no doubt that Jasper had acted honorably every time we had been together.

Jasper

I looked for Bella but didn't see her and when we left school her truck was missing from its usual spot.

"Looking for someone, Jazz?"

Rose had turned in her seat to look at me and I could see the cold amusement in her eyes.

"No, should I have been?"

"No you shouldn't but that doesn't mean that you weren't."

Emmett turned the radio up to stop an argument from developing and drove home where Esme waited excitedly to tell us that Carmen and the girls were planning on joining us for our summer vacation, they would meet up with us in London if Eleazar's trip to Italy wasn't brought forward.

I really couldn't drum up any enthusiasm for the news, they had all tried their luck with me over the years and now knew better although I had been as polite as I could telling them I really wasn't interested. At the time I couldn't imagine wanting anyone other than Alice but recently I felt we had begun to drift apart and her prolonged absence with Edward only appeared to be underlining it. Deciding what I really needed was to speak to her I called and when it went to voicemail I asked her to call me not even sure if she would, not anymore, so when my phone rang an hour later I was surprised to hear her voice.

"Jazz? Is there something wrong? You sounded down."

"Just missing you, why aren't you coming home? Surely Edward has gotten over Bella by now."

"He has more or less but I have an appointment with a dress designer in New York on Monday and as you're all flying to London next weekend I thought he and I might as well fly direct and meet you there. That is OK, isn't it?"

"In London? I thought you and Edward were going to meet us in Seattle?"

"We were but it seems silly to fly all the way back there just to fly back again. Of course, if you insist I guess I could cut short my shopping trip but….."

Her voice trailed off and she waited for my reply but what could I say, it made sense but I was upset that she didn't seem to be missing me as much as I would have expected.

We spoke for a while longer but all she seemed to be interested in was hearing all about the dance, especially what everyone was wearing and who was dating who and she seemed exasperated that I hadn't noticed more.

I decided to try and pin her down,

"What do you want to do once we come back from London? Carlisle hasn't said what his plans are but I know Em and Rose are talking about taking a year off to travel. I thought we could do the same, maybe even join them, I'm not really ready to go back to school again, Alice."

There was a short pause as if she was trying to decide what to say, was it really so hard to comment on my idea?

"Let's wait until we meet up in London, shall we? I need to think about it Jazz."

She rang off soon after and I got the impression that someone had come into the room although whether it was Edward or someone else I had no idea. Why she should want to cut our conversation short if it had been Edward I couldn't imagine but it left me feeling even more unsettled and if not him…..then who had it been?