A/N: I haven't got any words to explain the delay here.
All I shall say is I lost my inspiration for a long time, and somehow drifted apart from my best friend in the Twi-world, who meant the world to me. Problem with different time zones and life, I guess
Enough moaning from me – if anybody is still reading, let me know so I can try and work on getting the next chapter out, even if it's just a review saying "Still reading, you bitch". That's enough for me. Just let me know, okay?
Enjoy! xx
I'd lie for you, and that's the truth.
Do anything you ask me to; I'd even sell my soul for you.
I'd Lie For You – Meat Loaf
"… Police have yet to confirm whether the recent waves of homicides throughout Seattle are the work of a serial killer, though there is evidence to suggest that these murders are not being carried out by just one, but two killers who are working together. The most recent killings, that of Mr. John Lattiss and his wife, Kathy, have been the most brutal by far, with both victims being tortured for several hours before being left to bleed to death in their own homes just days after the murders of the Whitehall family only a few miles away. Although no official statement has been made as to whether or not the police believe these murders to be connected, it was revealed today that each of the nineteen victims so far have all had the same criss-cross pattern of wounds on their backs, which could, in fact, be the signature of the-"
Emmett switched off the TV and ran his hands over his face as he settled back against the couch. "Fuck me."
"They're trying to draw us out," I muttered.
"You're sure it's them?"
I nodded. "They broke out three weeks ago, and the killings started a week later. Besides, you heard them, Em. Criss-cross wounds on their backs?" I glanced upwards, to where Bella was hopefully sound asleep in bed. "Same MO."
"Does she know?"
I shook my head and sighed heavily.
"Are you kidding me?!" Emmett hissed. "Edward, she has a right to know."
"I know that!" I snapped, turning to face him. "But she's still struggling to speak some days, and what do you expect me to say to her? 'Hey, honey. By the way, we think Alec and Jane are coming after you. Oh, and James is still on the loose too, but don't worry, we've got it under control'?"
"Fuck," Emmett breathed.
"Yeah," I agreed, shoving my hand through my hair in agitation.
We'd been camped out in Bella's old house for three weeks now, only venturing out when absolutely necessary. We'd bought several changes of clothes, enough food to feed the four of us for weeks, God knows how many medical supplies, but we all knew we couldn't stay here forever. Staying in one place was far too risky, but we still hadn't come up with a plan B.
We didn't have many weapons; Emmett's gun was almost out of ammo, and although Bella had uncovered her father's gun collection, we still wouldn't be able to defend ourselves if The Volturi managed to track us. They'd bring it down hot and heavy on us, and even if we were able to run, chances are they'd track us down almost immediately. By setting Alec and Jane loose in Seattle, they were letting us know they were close, trying to smoke us out, scare us into running. We were sitting ducks here, but at least we were hidden for now. Out there, we'd be easy targets.
We were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
And I was lying straight to Bella's face about it.
Don't worry, sweetheart, if anything happens, we've got somewhere we can go.
Emmett and I are sorting it.
No, no, I'm not keeping watch; I was just thirsty and needed a drink.
Everything's fine, baby, you just relax, okay?
I fucking hated myself for lying to her like that; I knew that if I actually let her in and spoke to her about it, chances were she'd come up with a plan, but I also knew that if I opened up this can of worms labeled Truth, I'd have to tell her about Alec and Jane, and the worry would put not only her, but our baby at risk as well.
Most days, she was able to talk fluently and without panicking; being back in her old home, even though none of her old belongings were still here, seemed to bring out a sense of calm. But some days, she woke up screaming from her nightmares and would struggle to speak the rest of that day. How could I risk triggering that pain on an even higher level when she barely made it through those days?
She would slip away from me, and this time there would be no rationalizing anything, because these threats were real. Alec and Jane were really out there, and somebody could over hear us speaking or see us in security footage, and then we were all screwed. She wouldn't talk again.
Me? I could take the pain of lying to her. That burden was mine to bear. But being honest and causing her to relapse? That would destroy us both.
So I lied, and I twisted the truth, and I faked it. And when I couldn't face the dishonesty, I distracted her with kisses and murmurs to our baby, trying to stop the cracks from showing.
The TV only ever came on at night, when Bella was already asleep. We'd been tracking the Seattle murders ever since we'd first heard about them, but tried to keep it from Rosalie too. She had family there, and we both knew they could become targets if we didn't pop our heads out soon.
"I need another drink," Emmett mumbled, cringing as he pushed himself off the couch. His chest wound had healed surprisingly well, but still hurt on occasion. "You want one, man?"
"Nah, I'm good," I replied, holding up my still partially full glass. Emmett nodded.
"You headed up to B?"
"In a sec," I assured him. He smiled weakly, then headed into the kitchen, leaving me to down the rest of my drink before forcing myself up the stairs to our bedroom.
It used to be her bedroom when she was younger, and barely managed to fit the double bed it contained, unlike Emmett and Rosalie's room, which had plenty of room to spare. When the other two had pointed that out, Bella had insisted that the two of them take it; it wasn't until later that first night that she'd told me the reason why. That room used to belong to her parents.
I'd found her standing at the doorway to the room a few times, just staring blankly inside at the old wallpaper, usually on the tough days after a nightmare. The house had obviously been done up a little since she'd lived here, but the memories still remained, and I knew it was difficult for her to cope with at times.
I was doing the right thing by keeping this from her. I had to believe that, or else I'd just give in and spill everything, consequences be damned.
After quickly checking to make sure Bella was sound asleep, I headed into the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash some water on my face, as if I could wash away the heavy weight of what I knew down the sink along with it. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, bracing my hands against the edges of the sink as I took in the dark bags under my eyes and the look of pure exhaustion on my face. I hadn't been sleeping well. Not that I ever had truly been able to, but being in yet another unfamiliar place, even though it had once been Bella's home, made things worse. Every sound… Every shadow… They kept me awake on high alert. My paranoia that something was going to happen was worsening by the day, but I tried to keep it buried; I didn't want to worry Bella.
I dried my face with a towel, then headed back towards our bedroom, pulling my t-shirt over my head as I went. For the first week after we'd arrived here, I'd slept fully clothed and insisted Bella do the same, just in case we needed to make a quick run for it, but now things had settled down a little, I'd taken to sleeping in just my boxers while Bella slept in one of my t-shirts and her panties. We kept our 'go' bag packed and ready by the door in case we needed a quick getaway, though. There was such a thing as getting too comfortable, after all.
After stripping down, I carefully climbed into bed behind Bella, smiling to myself as she rolled over in her sleep, instinctually seeking me out. Her t-shirt rode up slightly, revealing the curve of her not-so-little bump, and I couldn't help but reach out and gently slip my fingers beneath the fabric to touch it.
"It's still there," Bella murmured sleepily, shifting so that her head rested on my chest. I laughed softly and pressed my lips to her hair.
"Sorry," I breathed as I wrapped my free arm round her. "It's just…"
"I've popped," she sighed. I felt her smile against my chest. "I can't help feeling it either."
Her hand covered mine over her bump, and I felt her smile again. "You're gonna be mommy's strong little boy, aren't you?"
"Oh, so Little B's a boy now?" I teased. The gender of the baby had been quite a source of entertainment recently; some days Bella felt 'girl' vibes, others she felt 'boy' vibes. It fluctuated with her moods. Rosalie agreed with my prediction that Little B was definitely going to be a Little B, but Emmett had bet against us, convinced we should be referring to the baby as Little E instead.
"I had a dream about it," Bella explained. "We were standing in our house, in the baby's nursery. It was painted blue, with EJ on the wall above the crib."
"EJ?"
"Yeah." She lifted her head and looked up at me, smiling softly. "Edward Jasper, though I think we call him EJ most the time."
The look of pure excitement and happiness in her eyes as she spoke about her dream made it impossible not to kiss her. She let out a soft moan as our lips met, then slipped her hands into my hair, pulling me closer.
"You're adorable," I murmured against her lips. She smiled and slowly rolled on top of me, her hair falling like a curtain around our faces, blocking out the outside world.
"Not adorable, just pregnant," she countered as I slid my hands to her hips.
"Maybe I should just keep you pregnant then," I teased. Bella laughed softly, pressing her lips gently to mine.
"I wouldn't be entirely opposed to that."
With a low groan, I pulled her on top of me, then inhaled sharply as her hips ground against mine, separated by the thin barrier of our underwear. Bella moaned softly, then shifted her hips again, pressing her lips hard against my own as my hands clenched into fists against her skin.
"Edward," she whispered, bringing her hands down to cover my own and forcing them to relax. I lifted my head and kissed her again, then slowly ran my hands down her thighs, trying my best to avoid the dressing which covered her injury.
Bella hummed contentedly, sliding her arms underneath me so she could thread her fingers into my hair, then pulled my lips to hers. As my hands began to slide back up her legs, she pressed her upper body into mine and let out an impatient whine as my hands kept moving further up, gliding over her hips and higher.
Unable to resist, I slipped my hands underneath her t-shirt as they reached the hem, thumbs brushing her bump as my fingertips splayed out against her skin. Bella pressed her forehead to mine, her hand curling into a loose fist in my hair as her lips curved up in a smile.
"Baby's still not going anywhere," she teased. I smiled against her lips and moved to sit up, bringing us closer together. My hands automatically slid further round her to support her, but my fingertips barely had time to fully register the intricate pattern of raised lines across her back before Bella inhaled sharply and pushed me flat onto my back.
"Bel-"
Eyes wide, she shook her head violently, then clambered off the bed and hobbled over to the door, her movements unsteady and staggered.
"Bella?"
She disappeared through the doorway, and I found myself frozen to the spot, struggling to process what had just happened.
Oh, fuck.
I kicked the sheets away from my legs and scrambled off the bed, hurrying after her.
"Bella?"
I all but ran into the hallway, glancing round in panic to when I couldn't see her straight away. But then I saw that the bathroom light was on, the door ever so slightly ajar, and realized where she'd gone.
"Sweetheart?" I knocked lightly on the door, unsure if my presence would help or hinder her, but when the only answer I received was a quiet sob, I couldn't stop myself from pushing it open anyway.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight which greeted me.
Lines. Raised, faded pink lines, criss-crossed and intertwined across the entire expanse of Bella's back. Some deeper and thicker than others. Part of me registered that that was because they had switched weapons; knife, whip, chain. Her agony was carved into her skin.
"Oh, Bella…" The words were barely a whisper, but she heard them anyway. Her tear-filled eyes met mine through the mirror, and her expression… God, her expression.
Words failed me.
She opened her mouth as if to speak, then clamped her hand over it and closed her eyes as another sob escaped her lips, deep and pained. Her other hand, which had been clutching at the sink like a life preserver moved to her bare stomach, and her entire body seemed to cave in on itself as sob after agonized sob was ripped from her chest.
My feet moved towards her on autopilot, and I forced myself to blink back my own tears as I moved to stand behind her. My brain seemed to shut down, leaving me feeling empty, with nothing other than the desire to help her driving me forwards. No rage, no fear, no sadness. That would come later. At that moment, she was all that mattered.
"Bella…" I breathed. She shuddered at the sound of my voice, then let out a pained moan as my hand reached out and gently traced over the scars at the top of her spine. My chest tightened almost painfully as I felt the raised, thickened skin, but I forced my hand to keep moving down, touching each and every mark as gently as possible.
She had been through so much. Every scar on her back was put there out of hatred, torturing her even now.
I moved closer, pressing my bare chest against her back as I slipped my arms around her waist. Bella whimpered, her legs almost giving out from underneath her, but I held her upright, supporting her body with my own.
"I got you," I whispered.
Bella nodded, clenching her eyes shut even tighter as one of her hands braced against the sink again, the fingers of the other lacing with mine over her stomach. I held her like that until her trembles eased, face buried against her neck, breathing her in.
When her body finally stopped shaking, I pressed a kiss to the base of her neck, then carefully turned her round to face me. Her eyes were still tightly shut, but her expression was no longer as pained, and as I leaned forwards to press my forehead to hers, I heard her whimper softly.
"Bella," I whispered. "Look at me."
She swallowed hard, letting a few more tears fall down her cheeks, then slowly opened her eyes again before finally meeting my gaze. The fear in her eyes… the agony… How had she even made it this far?
"I love you," I told her. "I…" Tears filled my eyes, and I fought to keep my emotions locked in. "I love you, Bella. And I am…"
"It… It w-w-wasn't your… faul-ltt." Bella was forcing the words out, but I could tell her throat was threatening to close up. "I lo… love y… you."
"Oh…" I pulled her into my arms, holding her as tightly as I could. Bella buried her face in my neck and slipped her arms around me for support, her entire body trembling violently as she struggled to keep her breathing steady.
"Bella…"
She shook her head. "Be-... droom."
I lifted her without hesitation, holding her close as I carried her back into our room and pushed the door closed behind us. Unsure of what she wanted, I sat down on the edge of the bed with her in my lap and willed myself to keep it together.
"I'm… so t-ti… red, Edwa-rd," she whispered between panted breaths. "It won't… s-stop… It starts to get bet-ter, and then…"
"It's alright," I murmured. "We're gonna be alright."
"They're lo-oking f-for me," she breathed, tensing in my arms. "James, he… He wants me. J-J-J-…" She shuddered. "Jane and… They want me."
"They won't have you," I swore, running my hands up and down her legs to try and soothe her, unsure if touching her still naked back right now would do more harm than good. "They can't track us. If they could, they'd have found us already."
"You don't kn-know that," Bella countered. "Edward… What if I did this?"
I shook my head. "Bella, this wasn't your fault."
"No. No, you do-n't get i-tt. I spoke." She swallowed audibly, her eyes glazing over with panic. "I sp-spoke to you in the m-m-medical centre, and then Ja-… Edward, he knew where I w-as."
"No." I cupped her cheeks and looked directly into her eyes, willing her to believe me. "Bella, you talking to me didn't cause this. Somebody else did this to us. Not you."
She shook her head, dropping one hand to her stomach. "I d-di-id this…"
"Don't," I pleaded. "Don't think like that, baby. You speaking didn't do this. They don't have the entire world under surveillance; we've proven that much already just by making it here."
"The fact w-w-we even have to be he-re shows how dangerous they are, E-Edward. They got a m-ole within The Agency unde-detected; they could have th-them anywhere. With Jam-mes and… them free, it's only a matter of time."
She was right. Jane and Alec's killing spree in Seattle was proof of that, even though she wasn't aware of it.
"Edward, they'll ki-kill us if they find u-s." She shuddered, pressing her hand over my heart. "They'll kill you."
"That's not gonna happen."
"But-"
"Please, don't…" I breathed. "Bella, I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Little B, okay?"
"I know that you'll try, but... We can't do this a-alone. We need help." She bit her bottom lip, hard enough to raise blood to the surface. "We need Jasp-per."
"Bella…"
She shook her head. "I know it's ri-risky, but Jane and A-Alec don't know we're in Washington, not for s-sure, and if we could just talk to him, maybe he could help."
My heart sank.
"What?" Bella frowned. "What's that lo-ok?"
"What look?"
"E-Edward." Damn it. "What aren't you t-telling me?"
"Nothing," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just… Thinking."
"You don't think we should do it," Bella sighed, hands dropping to her lap.
"No, no, it's not that," I protested. It's Alec and Jane. "I just don't know how we can pull that off without someone finding out. I mean, do you even know Jasper's number?"
Bella smiled weakly. "Who said anything about needing a number?"
"This is such a bad idea."
"I know."
"Are you sure she knows what she's doing?"
"Nope."
"Fucking hell."
"Yeah."
After much persuasion from Bella, we'd driven half an hour to a random mailbox so she could mail a letter that may or may not reach Jasper and Alice. With no return address, Emmett and I weren't entirely sure how Jasper would be getting in contact if and when he did receive the letter, but Bella was certain it would work, not realizing the full extent of the danger this tiny outing was putting us all in.
"Will you two stop?" Rosalie snapped.
Emmett and I turned round to look at her, confused.
"She knows what she's doing," she continued. "If she didn't, she would never have let us leave the house."
"Rose…" Emmett murmured. Rosalie put a hand up to silence him.
"I'm just saying." Her voice softened suddenly. "I know you're worried about Alec and Jane, but maybe it's time we try and trust someone. If Bella says Jasper might help us… It's worth a shot."
"We never said it wasn't," Emmett protested. "It's just a risky plan."
"We're hiding from some of the most dangerous people on the planet, Emmett. Even breathing is risky," Rose half-joked, but I understood what she meant. That didn't make my paranoia ease any, though.
The three of us turned to look at Bella as she approached the car again, seemingly satisfied with what she'd done. She kept her head down as she got closer, eyes darting to check nobody was watching, then calmly climbed into the back of the car beside Rosalie before pulling off her baseball cap and releasing her hair from its bun.
"All done?" Emmett asked.
"Think so," she replied, shooting us a small smile. I smiled back at her, then frowned when her smile dimmed slightly in response.
"Bella?"
"Let's go home, shall we?" She did up her seatbelt and looked at me expectantly, her smile returning, though it seemed a little forced. I hesitated for a moment, then shook my head and started the car anyway, wondering if maybe it was just my paranoia getting to me.
Without the radio to fill the silence, the journey back to the house was almost awkward, despite the continuous meaningless small talk between the girls. As we pulled into the driveway, I glanced back at Bella in the rearview mirror, looking for any signs things weren't just in my head, but she seemed perfectly normal.
After I locked the handbrake, I quickly got out the car and moved to open Bella's door for her. She smiled gratefully and accepted my hand as she climbed out the car, but didn't linger, instead walking straight up to the front door and opening it before I could offer to help her. Her gait was unsteady, but if walking without support caused her pain, she didn't let it show.
"Coming?"
I startled at the sound of Rosalie's voice, then nodded and swiftly made my way inside, feeling nausea rise in my stomach.
"Is pasta okay for dinner?" Bella asked as I closed the door behind me.
Emmett and Rosalie nodded the affirmative, and Bella looked at me expectantly when I didn't respond.
"Yeah," I managed to croak around the sudden tightness in my throat. "Do you want some help?"
"No, thank you," she replied. The nausea worsened. "But I could always use some company?"
I let out a shaky breath.
"Sure, I'll be there in a sec."
Bella smiled more genuinely, then headed towards the kitchen to start prepping the meal.
"You alright, Edward?" Emmett asked as I eased my jacket off, trying not to strain my shoulder.
"I think so," I replied uncertainly. "Did she seem… off to you?"
Emmett shook his head. "Nope. Why? She seem off to you?"
"Maybe. I don't know."
"Maybe you're just reading into things too much," Rosalie offered. "I'm sure if something was up, she'd tell you."
"You're right," I muttered. "I'm just a bit thrown by everything, I guess."
"You could always speak to her about it?"
"Nah, it's fine." Lie. Twisted truth. Faked. "You guys gonna join us?"
Rosalie glanced at Emmett. "Actually, I, uh… I wanted to talk to Emmett about something, if that's okay?"
Emmett seemed confused, but shrugged anyway.
"Sure, talk to you guys later."
I made my way to the kitchen and stood in the doorway for a moment, watching Bella gather ingredients as she hummed quietly to herself.
"What kind of pasta are you treating us to today, then?"
Bella's movements didn't falter. "Just a simple tomato sauce and maybe linguini?"
"Sounds nice," I murmured as I hesitantly stepped forward, suddenly unsure of myself.
Bella set down the ingredients and turned to face me, her expression unreadable. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, then slowly moved closer until her hands could gently cup my cheeks.
"You love me," she said softly, slowly… a statement, not a question.
"Of course I do," I breathed.
"And you would never do anything to deliberately hurt me."
My brow furrowed. "Bella…"
"Would you?" Her voice was still soft, but her eyes were searching mine for something I couldn't understand.
"Never," I swore. "Bella, what…"
Her lips silenced mine with a gentle kiss.
"I know you wouldn't," she whispered, then smiled almost sadly. "I just… needed to hear it."
"Baby?" Something was wrong, had been since before she came back to the car.
"I love you," was all she said in response, but when her lips met mine again, gentleness was replaced by something more raw, and I automatically reached for her hips to steady myself.
As the kiss deepened, Bella closed the distance between us and threaded her fingers into my hair, almost as though she was trying to pull me even closer, and I let her, giving myself over to her completely. But I still couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right.
"Bella." I pulled my lips from hers and pushed gently on her hips to separate us slightly. "What's…"
"I'll explain later, I promise." She pressed her lips to mine one final time then moved back, her smile bright for the first time that day. I wanted to push for an answer, but if she said she'd explain later, I trusted she would, so let it drop for now.
"Sure you don't need any help prepping?" I offered instead, forcing myself to seem more upbeat. Lie. Twist truth. Fake.
Bella considered it for a moment, then nodded, gesturing towards the mix of onions, tomato and herbs on the counter.
"Take your pick."
The rest of the evening went smoothly, any tension from earlier in the day melting away like nothing had happened, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized I had probably just overreacted. The feeling, that darkness, wouldn't go away, and as I followed Bella up to bed that night, it only seemed to grow, to the point where I was unable to sleep. That was probably the price I deserved to pay after all my lies lately. You couldn't expect to sell your soul to the devil and escape unscathed, after all.
Lie. Twist truth. Fake.
The mantra ran round and round in my head, haunting me, and I briefly wondered if I should give up and go downstairs to relieve Emmett from guard duty, but before I could so much as move, loud footsteps echoed up the stairs at an alarming pace, followed almost immediately by an urgent knocking on the door.
Bella jerked awake and turned to me with wide, fearful eyes, her body frozen in panic.
"Edward?!" Emmett opened the door without waiting for a response, his tone one of barely concealed urgency. The look on his face made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"What's wrong?" I sat up, grabbing my t-shirt from the floor and pulling it over my head.
"Grab your shit, we need to go."
"Emmett, they've pulled up outside!" Rose. What the fuck?
Emmett pushed the door further open and hurried inside, immediately moving over to the window and peeking through a gap in the curtains. "Fuck."
"Em-"
Pulling his gun from his waistband, he moved swiftly back over to the door. "I'll guard round back. Masen, you guard the front."
I nodded, getting my own gun from the nightstand and grabbing a pair of jeans from the drawer, slipping them on as fast as possible. As I put on my shoes, I felt the adrenaline hit as the reality of our situation sunk in. They'd found us.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I muttered, then turned to Bella, who was staring wide-eyed at the wall.
"Bells?" I felt Bella startle at the sound of her name, despite Emmett's soft tone. "Bells, we need to go, okay? Here, put these on, grab some shoes, and wait for Rose by the stairs."
"Baby?" I called when she didn't move. She looked up at me, then shook her head and climbed off the bed, trembling all over.
"Sorry, I'm… I'm okay now," she mumbled. Emmett nodded once, then hurried downstairs, shooting me an urgent look.
Knowing I couldn't waste any more time, I rushed forwards to press a kiss to Bella's forehead.
"I love you," I murmured, holding her terrified gaze for only a moment before running downstairs, which was now engulfed in darkness; a move which would hopefully make it harder for people to see in than for us to see out.
I crept down the hallway with ease, having memorized the layout within the first two days of arriving. I caught a glimpse of Emmett at the other end of the hallway, weapon drawn, eyes trained on the rear door. We'd prepared for this, had our escape route planned and most contingencies accounted for, but I that darkness only heightened my anxiety.
Once I'd made it into the main room, I heard Rose whisper my name from somewhere near the window, and hurried across to meet her.
"How many?" I breathed.
"Just the one so far," she replied, her voice shaking slightly. "Where's Bella?"
"Upstairs still." I slowly raised my head to peer through the gap in the curtains. A lone figure was standing near the front yard, his face obscured by shadows from a baseball cap. "Have they moved?"
Rose shook her head. "They're just… standing there. Like they're waiting for something."
"Right… You go get Bella, keep her calm, try and make her talk to you. When we give you the signal, run to the car, just like we planned, okay?"
"Yeah," she breathed, nodding. "Yeah, okay. Be careful, Edward."
I shot her a tense smile, then felt more than heard her retreat to the hallway, her movements almost silent. I hoped she'd be able to stop Bella from panicking too much, because right now, I couldn't afford to worry about that; my full attention needed to be on that lone figure outside.
It was unnerving, watching them stand there; Rose was right, it was exactly like they were waiting, but for what? Reinforcements? Confirmation?
I shifted slightly until I had a clearer view, searching for signs of any other activity. There was nothing, just that one person and their car.
Should I go out there? They were too tall to be Alec or Jane, shoulders too broad to be James'…
"Bella, wait!"
I spun round, panic unfurling in my stomach as footsteps sped down the stairs and a shadow passed across the doorway… Cursing under my breath, I ran forwards, still ducked low, and emerged into the hallway just in time to see Bella open the door and run out into the front yard.
The figure turned sharply.
"Jazz?!" Bella sped up, almost stumbling as her leg buckled, but then Jazz was there, holding her upright, and I immediately realized why that nickname was so familiar.
Jasper.
