Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer. I do not own Twilight.
Chapter Seven
Bella's POV
I wasn't sure what exactly to say to Jasper as he stood by my bed, watching me. I mean, really. What could I say? He had just admitted to me that he was a vampire; that the legends Jake had told me were true. Not to mention, he'd just saved my life less than an hour before. I felt like my brain was on overload.
"Do you want me to leave?" Jasper asked, his voice quiet.
Did I want him to leave? I had to take a moment and think about that.
It wasn't as if my feelings towards him had changed at all. I still liked him. I wasn't suddenly terrified of being alone in the room with him. I knew I'd have questions that only he could answer. And, if I was completely honest, I liked his hand holding mine. It gave me a sense of stability.
"No," I finally decided.
Jasper breathed a sigh of relief so deep it had me smiling. He returned my smile with one of his own. My hand was raised to his cheek and he nuzzled into my palm.
"I suppose you have some questions for me," Jasper sighed.
"Yes, but I'm not sure what they are right now. I think I've gone into shock," I admitted, giggling a little hysterically.
He frowned down at me, his brows drawing together in concern.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Jasper asked.
"I'm sorry. Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little… overwhelmed, I guess. Um, do you think you could give me tonight and tomorrow to just… think?" I asked, suddenly unsure of what to do.
A hurt look flashed across Jasper's face for the briefest second before he schooled his features into a calm mask. I bit my lip, worried I'd done the wrong thing.
"Of course. Take all the time you need. Would you prefer me not to come to school tomorrow?" Jasper offered.
"No!" I shouted.
He gave me a startled look. I knew my constant change in responses was confusing him, but I couldn't help it.
"I mean, I don't want you to be disadvantaged because of me. Besides, I doubt Charlie will let me out of the house tomorrow," I huffed, giving him a small smile.
If I was hoping for a smile in return, I was sorely disappointed. Jasper just frowned more, skimming his hand across my hair.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," Jasper murmured.
"Jasper! We already went over this. You saved my life. If you hadn't been there, I would've been sandwiched between two trucks," I whined.
He actually winced, as if the image caused him physical pain. I squeezed his hand, telling him everything I couldn't put into words.
"Alright, Isabella. I will give you tonight and tomorrow. However, if you make your decision sooner than that, please feel free to call me. I can assure you, day or night, you will not put me at a disadvantage," Jasper smiled softly.
I bit my lip and nodded my understanding. He raised my hand to his lips, brushing them against my knuckles. I felt tears fill my eyes at the incredibly sweet gesture.
Charlie and Carlisle chose that moment to walk into my room, both smiling widely.
"Good news, Bells. Dr. Cullen says you're good to go home," Charlie informed me.
"However, I do suggest you take it easy for the next day or so. If you start feeling dizzy or are having trouble seeing, call me immediately," Carlisle instructed.
"Sure thing. Thanks, Carlisle," I nodded.
"Alright, then, Bells. Let's get you home. No cooking tonight. I'll order pizza or something. And no school tomorrow. Take the day to relax," Charlie ordered.
I gave Jasper a wry look as Charlie helped me from the hospital bed. He smiled tightly in response, his hands behind his back as he nervously shifted. I'd never seen him look nervous before and was wondering what was going through his head, but Charlie didn't pause as he dragged me out of the room.
Jasper's POV
Carlisle and I watched as Charlie pulled Bella from the room. As soon as the door closed behind them, Carlisle turned to me. I sighed, sinking onto the bed.
"She figured it out," I mumbled, running my hand over my face.
"I heard," Carlisle admitted.
"She wants me to leave her alone until tomorrow night," I continued, staring at the wall.
"I know."
"What am I going to do, Carlisle? What if she doesn't accept me? What if she doesn't want to be with me anymore? I can't live without her. I need her more than I need blood," I groaned, my head falling into my hands.
"The only thing you can do is give her space. Be patient. I highly doubt that girl is going to turn on you, Jasper. She lied to everyone to protect you," Carlisle pointed out.
I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to take in his words. I knew that Bella loved me, despite the fact that she hadn't told me yet. I also knew that, until recently, she thought I was human. Hopefully, the knowledge of what I really was wouldn't take her away from me.
"Come on, son. Esme is waiting for us at home. She's very worried about you," Carlisle smiled, clapping my shoulder.
I nodded, standing up and following him out of the room.
"Do you think it would be wrong to stay outside her window tonight? Technically, I wouldn't be with her and I'm not sure I can go a whole day without at least seeing her," I explained desperately.
Carlisle stopped in the middle of the hallway to look me over, his face solemn.
"I understand that Edward is doing better with his thirst," Carlisle questioned.
"Yes. Much better," I agreed, wondering where Carlisle was going with this.
"Jasper, I think that even without Bella knowing you are there, your presence wouldn't go unnoticed. You two are so connected, her subconscious would know you were there, even if she doesn't realize it," Carlisle said.
I sighed, knowing Carlisle was right. Bella had asked me for space. I would respect her decision and leave her alone until tomorrow night. However, as soon as the sun set, I would be knocking on her door.
I had been away from Bella for nearly twenty seven hours. I hadn't been able to pay attention in school all day. My thoughts kept drifting to what Bella was doing and if she was thinking about me. My eyes kept searching her out, my mind forgetting that she wasn't there. I was secretly hoping that she would come running into my classroom, telling me it didn't matter as long as I loved her. Of course, life didn't work out that way.
By eight o'clock that night, I was preparing to walk out the front door to go see Bella, possibly for the last time. Esme came over, wrapping her arms around me in reassurance.
"I'm sure everything will be fine, Jasper," Esme whispered, placing a kiss on my cheek.
I nodded tersely, not wanting to show how unsure of myself I was.
"Are you sure you don't want Edward or Alice to go with you?" Carlisle asked.
"No. I don't want to scare or overwhelm her," I declined.
"We're here if you need us, Jasper. No matter what happens tonight, your family will always be behind you," Carlisle reminded me.
I nodded again, feeling venom pool in my eyes.
Turning, I grabbed the door knob and moved to walk outside.
"Oh!"
I stopped, looking down at the beauty before me. She had her hand raised, as if to knock on the door. I hesitantly sought out her emotions, but they didn't tell me anything except that she was nervous.
"Bella," I croaked.
"Hi. Umm… can I come in?" Bella asked, unsure.
"Of course," I mumbled, opening the door wider and moving to allow her entrance.
I looked behind me and noticed Esme and Carlisle had made themselves scarce. I was grateful that Bella wouldn't have to be in a room with more than one of us while she gave me my sentence.
"Would you like anything?" I offered tentatively.
She turned to face me as she walked further into the room.
"No thanks. Maybe later," Bella shrugged.
I allowed myself to feel a little bit of hope. If there was a later, surely that didn't mean she was going to tell me she never wanted to see me again. Plus, she had come here. She hadn't waited for me to come to her. That had to be a good sign.
"How's your head?" I asked.
"Fine. I woke up this morning with a slight headache, but it was gone by the time I got out of the shower," Bella answered easily.
"Would you like to sit down?" I asked, motioning to the couch.
"No. I feel better standing," Bella smiled guiltily.
I nodded, moving to lean against the wall furthest away from her. The last thing I wanted was for her to feel pressured.
I watched as she moved around the room, picking up a few of Esme's pictures and collectables. My nerves were starting to kick in again. Why was she taking so long? Her emotions had calmed down since I'd opened the door. Was she preparing herself to tell me to go to hell? No, Bella would never do that. Would she? I doubt she'd ever been in this situation before. There was no telling what she might do.
"Why do your eyes change color?" Bella asked suddenly, staring at a picture of Rosalie and Emmett in London.
"My eyes are black when I'm thirsty. After I've hunted, they go back to gold," I told her, pleased that we were getting somewhere.
"Do you hunt humans?" Bella asked, moving to a picture of Alice shopping in Paris.
"No. We hunt animals. If we hunted humans, our eyes would be red. Carlisle believes that by hunting humans, we lose our humanity. Hunting animals allows us to hold onto some of it. We're not bad people. We just have a different diet than humans," I smirked.
That got a smile and a slight laugh. My hope built a little more.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty," I grinned.
Bella turned to me, giving me an annoyed smile.
"I was born in 1843," I chuckled.
Her eyes widened and my smirk widened when I felt her shock.
"Wow. That's… a long time ago," Bella murmured.
"Not so long ago," I shrugged.
"Considering my grandparents weren't even alive, it was a long time ago," Bella argued, shaking her head.
"Only to humans," I replied.
She didn't answer, just gave me a curious look, her head tilted to the side slightly.
"How did you become a vampire?" Bella asked.
I closed my eyes, pieces of my past flashing behind my eyelids. I felt my hands ball into fists as I heard her voice, taunting me. My lips were pulled back over my teeth as I felt all the marks inflicted on me during that time.
My eyes snapped open when I felt a warm hand placed against my chest. I growled, my mind still trapped in the past.
"It's okay, Jasper. You don't have to tell me. It's okay."
Bella's soft voice broke through the nightmare and brought me back to the present. I looked down, realizing her hand was still on my chest. Before she could remove it, I grabbed hold of her wrist and brought her hand to my cheek. I turned my head, breathing in her sweet scent.
I felt her fear spike slightly as I nuzzled into her, but I also felt her determination. Sighing, I dropped her hand and faced her.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled.
"Don't be. I'm sorry I brought it up," Bella shook her head.
"I will tell you how vampires are made. My story will be saved for a later date," I offered.
Bella nodded, smiling softly.
"A vampire has to bite a human in order for the human to become a vampire. The venom from our fangs enters the bloodstream, slowly stopping the heart from beating. After three excruciating days of painful burning, the human is a vampire," I explained.
"Do you remember anything from your human life?" Bella asked after she absorbed that last statement.
"No. Most vampires forget their human lives. It's difficult to look back through our new eyes and mind. The only way to even attempt to remember is to think about your human life for the first year or so. Unfortunately, most newborns are too focused on the thirst to try to remember their human lives," I informed her.
She nodded, frowning down at the space between our shoes. I waited, giving her time to accept everything I'd just told her.
"What happened that first day?" Bella whispered, still looking down.
I wasn't quite sure which day she was talking about; the first day I saw her or the first day we met.
"Which first day would that be?" I asked.
"My first day at school. I walked into the cafeteria and looked over you and your family. When our eyes connected something… happened," Bella clarified.
Every muscle in my body tightened as I remembered the jolt of desire that had flared through me as soon as our eyes had connected. Knowing she had felt the same desire was awe-inspiring… incredible… unbelievable… all those things and so many more.
"Before I can answer your question, I need to explain a little bit about how vampires work. When we are changed into vampires, we're basically stuck in that same phase of life forever. It takes a lot to change us, a strong emotion. For the past one hundred forty years, I have been living in this world without a mate.
"Most vampires find their mate and the two instantly know. A connection is formed that bonds the two together. Nothing can break the bond except death. That first day, in the cafeteria, I found my mate in you. You're it for me, Isabella. From that day forward, I was hooked; a complete goner. There is nothing more important to me than you, not even blood," I told her.
Her brown eyes stared into my own golden eyes, glistening with tears. I cupped her cheek, wiping away a tear as it slid down. Her emotions were all over the place, from ecstatic to uncertainty to love. They all swirled around as she was unable to choose one.
"You don't have to love me back, darlin'. I don't want you to feel as though you have to love me the way I love you," I murmured, wiping away more tears.
I was surprised when she snorted and started laughing.
"Oh, Jasper, please tell me you aren't that dense," Bella gasped, still laughing.
I was confused and mildly insulted as she continued laughing at me. If it wasn't for the love that was coming off of her, I would've probably been extremely insulted and completely embarrassed.
"Jasper, from the first moment I saw you, all I wanted to do was be with you. I wanted to have your arms wrapped around me, your lips pressed against mine. I've never had a boyfriend before, but I wanted to be with you more than anything else in the world," Bella admitted.
I knew my eyes went black, but I didn't care as I pulled her into my arms, wrapping them around her waist. She was effectively trapped against me. A gasp escaped her lips as I pulled her flush against me.
"Y-your eyes are black," Bella stuttered.
"Because I want you. I want to finally feel those lips of your pressed against mine. I won't stop this time, Isabella," I warned.
Instead of answering, Bella reached up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and pulled herself up to my lips. The moment our lips touched, a stronger shock than anything I'd ever felt struck through me. By the way Bella tensed in my arms, I could only assume she felt it as well.
My eyes snapped open as images flashed through my mind. A voice sounded in my head, echoing slightly.
"Each a half of the other's Soul
Together through eternity sown.
The Soul shall meet, each time reborn,
Until never again shall the Soul be torn.
A kiss to awaken memories from the past
Shall ensure the Soul's true love will forever last."
As the words finished, an image of myself and Bella, standing in the middle of a meadow with an old woman played before my eyes. I watched as the old woman mouthed the words in my head, waving her hands across Bella and I. Bella was beaming up at me, her hands placed firmly in my own as I smiled down at her.
As the old woman finished, Bella and I leaned closer to one another until our lips connected, closing the old woman's spell. A strong wind danced around us, blowing both our hair around.
It was then that I noticed we were both wearing clothing from around the twelfth century. As the image faded, darkness came to replace it. Before I realized it, I was flat on my back, staring up at the ceiling, with the other half of my soul lying on top of me.
Yay! They finally kissed! Hahaha! I bet you're all extremely happy! Now, don't go thinking that just because they kissed that this story is over, cause it's not! I still have a few tricks up my sleeve for you all!
See you next time!