I drive home, a happy smile glued to my mouth. The afternoon with Jacob had been perfect. His warm, caring nature soothed the jagged edges of my soul like a healing balm. It reminded me why I liked being around him - he's the sun peeking out on a cloudy day, and in Forks, the sun is hard to find.

I cruise my truck into the driveway, wondering if Jasper's back yet. I missed him while I was with Jacob. I didn't ache for him, or feel like I was suffocating without him - it was more subtle and softer than that. I missed his laugh and his smile, and his bright eyes. I can't wait to see him again.

I hop down onto the soggy grass, losing my footing slightly against the slick mud. Shaking my head at my clumsiness, I lock the door.

Without warning, two arms cage me in, one arm on either side of my body. I open my mouth to scream, but I stop when I get an addictive whiff of my mysterious assailant.

"Jasper?" I try to turn around, but the arms won't let me.

"You're okay," he says, relieved.

Confused, I twist my head, wanting to see his face. "I told you I would be."

"You wasn't here when I got back," he whispers, his breath cooling the skin underneath my jaw.

Beginning to understand the problem, I cringe at what must have been going through his head. He told me he was worried something would happen, and I disappear without a word. I even neglected to leave a note. "I'm an idiot," I say, sighing heavily. "I was visiting a friend."

I feel him press against me, my back to his front. His arms snake around my waist, and his head falls to my shoulder. "I was going crazy thinking something had happened to you," he says softly.

Butterflies are swarming like bees in my stomach. I feel lightheaded at his nearness, and I have to fight the urge to press even closer to him. His embrace warms me despite his cold exterior, and while I'm trying to regain control of my thoughts, and my body, a sickening realization comes over me.

The past few days race through my mind - the seemingly innocent touches, the nights he stayed over, the desire to be with him...

No, no, no.

Alice. Alice is his mate. What is wrong with me? I can't have feelings for Jasper. He's taken, and he's my friend. He's only ever going to be my friend.

I lower my hands to where Jasper's clasping my waist. He lets me pry them apart. "I'm sorry I worried you," I say, my voice shaky.

I don't look at him as I turn to the house. Confused, I stumble towards the door, desperate to get to my room so I can be alone.

"Bella? What's wrong?" He flashes in front of me, blocking my way. His eyes are drilling holes into my face.

I manage to look at him long enough to say, "I'm tired." I hope the sad explanation will be enough for him. "Jacob wore me out," I add, wanting to lighten the mood.

Head cocked, he seems to be searching to see if my emotions match my words. Panicked that he might feel my sudden attraction for him, I shut down. I shove my feelings away, hiding them the best I can.

Seemingly taken aback, Jasper staggers backwards, a stunned look on his face. "I can't feel you anymore."

Relief courses through my body. He didn't find anything. "I'm sorry, Jasper, but I really am exhausted, and I need to get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow," I tell him, effectively shutting down any chance of him staying with me tonight.

I shut the door in his face, and I pretend I didn't see the hurt in his confused, topaz eyes.

Charlie's asleep on the couch, so I make it to my room in record time, not even bothering with the lights as I sink to the floor. Tears flow down my face. I wipe them away, but they keep coming, relentless in their descent.

I'm an idiot. Edward's not even been gone two weeks and I'm already falling for someone else? Falling for someone I can't even have! Alice is my best friend. She's my wonderful, bubbly, happy friend, and to even think about Jasper as anything other than a friend is wrong. It's so wrong, and I hate myself for being so stupid.

In a sudden burst of energy, I jump to my feet. I run for the phone on my desk. I can fix this. I'm going to fix this.

Dialing, I wait anxiously for the person to pick up. "Jacob?"

"Hey, did you forget something?" he asks.

I wipe away the last of my tears, swallowing nervously in preparation for what I'm about to do. "No, I'm calling to see if you'd like to go out with me tomorrow night."

I hear a harsh exhale, and then, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

My fingers clench the phone so tightly, it creaks under the pressure. "Yes."

He laughs breathlessly. "Wow. Uh, yeah, I'd love to hang out tomorrow."

"Good," I say, my voice falsely energetic. "I was thinking we could go see the new thriller that just came out?"

"Awesome! I'll pick you up at 6."

I hear the smile in his voice. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too, Bella," he replies earnestly.

"Goodnight," I say, ending the call.

It's going to be okay. I'm not going to hurt Alice, or lose Jasper. I fixed it. He'll never know. No one will ever know.

I get to my truck the next day, thinking I made it without having to confront Jasper, but as soon as I get on the road, I hear a loud noise, and in my rearview mirror, I see him standing in the bed of my truck.

The next thing I know, he's climbing in through the passenger's side window. "I'm sorry about last night. Please forgive me," is the first thing he says to me.

I don't want to talk about last night. In my opinion, it was worse than Edward shutting me out of his life, and leaving town. "There's nothing to forgive," I reply quietly, hoping we can end this conversation fast.

"I upset you," he goes on, determination lighting his eyes on fire. "You're allowed to do what you want, go where you want, without having to talk to me about it. I overreacted, and I'm sorry."

He thinks I'm acting this way because he was a tad overprotective? Not knowing if I should laugh or cry, I stick with a half smile. "It's okay, Jasper. We're okay."

He gives me a hesitant grin. "You would tell me if we weren't?"

"Of course," I scoff playfully. "If you can't be honest with a friend, then who can you be honest with? That's why..." I pause to take a deep breath. "I wanted you to be the first to know I have a date tonight. With Jacob."

I glance over at him after a long bout of silence. He's watching me, but he doesn't look like he's seeing me. Or seeing anything really. "Jasper?"

"You have a date," he murmurs quietly, otherwise staying very still.

"With Jacob," I say again.

I suppose it is a shock considering how little time Edward's been gone, but it can't be helped. I've got to get Jasper out of my system before he catches on to my feelings for him. It wasn't supposed to turn out this way, but then again, Edward and I were supposed to be together forever, so I guess that's life.

His face is an emotionless, blank slab. "This is very sudden," he says slowly.

I nod in agreement. "He's a special guy though. It feels right."

It's the truth. Jacob has always been a bright spot in my life, and I know he will be good for me. I also know I can be happy with him. I might not feel nearly as strong for him as I do for Jasper, but I have to give it time.

"I see," he says, studying the passing scenery with dead eyes. I've never seen him so...desolate. Even when I hardly knew anything about him, he showed some sign of being alive. Now though...now it's as if someone has sucked all the emotion right out of him.

I park the truck in the school parking lot. Worried, I wait for him to say or do something. "I thought you would be happy for me," I whisper after several long moments of quiet.

He gets out, not saying a word. I watch him walk around the front of the truck, coming to a stop when he reaches my door. He pulls it open, and waits for me to get down. He's still not looking at me when he says, "I am thrilled for you."

"You don't sound thrilled," I point out, baffled my his attitude.

His smile is acidic. "I am," he insists. "In fact, I would very much like to meet this young man of yours."

This small sign of interest makes me feel better. When he sees Jacob, I know he'll approve, and more importantly he will never suspect that I've come to care for him as more than a friend.

"I think that's a great idea," I say, somehow finding a smile.

"Fantastic," he replies, a dark smirk turning his naturally angelic feature into something dangerous.