***Bpov***
From the corner of my eye, I saw Peter and Charlotte blur off into the house. However, my attention was on the my would've-been-brother standing in front of me and the implications left hanging in the air. He seemed to be as… stunned… as I was at least.
"Bella, I-"
I put up my hands and cut him off, "No, no, no, no, no… Just stop for a sec, okay?" I rubbed my temples and shut my eyes. Charlotte thinks Jasper's my MATE? I mean, sure I'm attracted to him and I'd hurt myself… even sacrifice myself… but MATE? What about Alice and… could I? Does he? FUCK!
I sat down on the coffee table and held my head in my hands with my elbows on my knees and asked, "Why did you attack me on my birthday and not in the ballet studio?"
***Jpov***
I watched as the girl of my brother's non-dreams freaked the fuck out. Then she asked me about yet another million dollar dilemma an all I could say was, "Well, I was so caught up in killin' James an settin' the fire…"
Her brows creased an she said, "So you were so caught up in protecting me that all that blood was over-looked? Then just a drop from a paper cut… but you were reacting to the bloodlust of six other vampires, one of which was unnaturally attracted to the scent of my blood already…" She looked at me an cocked a brow along with her head an asked, "Were you going to eat me Jasper? You said you tried but couldn't stop… if you'd bitten me… would you have killed me, do you think, or do you think you'd have stopped when you realized that if you didn't, I'd die?"
I crouched in front of her and gave her the only answer I had, "I can't tell you for sure, Darlin' but what I can say is, if I were the end of your existence, even then, I would have never been the same. Just the memory of what I did that night… it has haunted me, Bella. It has never left my mind."
I took her hands in mine an looked her square in the eye an said, "I won't lie, I am attracted to you. Since that first day you came to the Forks house, I felt protective of you… Drawn to you even. But I was with Alice an you…" I'd always just chucked it up to her emotional climate that made me happier…
I ran my hands through my hair an she laughed. "Calm down Jasper. You only do that when you're neck deep in dirt!"
I cocked my head to the side an asked, "Pardon?"
Her eyes got wide an then she said, "Umm, you only run your hands through your hair that way, when you're embarrassed… or at least flustered."
If she were still human she'd be bright red. I'd caught her. Hell, I'd probably be bright red too, seein' as she'd caught me as well! Instead, I sent her a look of half-confused accusation an she continued, "I noticed it a few times. You have a 'tell'. A 'human thing' you do, when you're flustered. Yours hair." She pointed at my mop an went on, "Um, you run your hands through it when you're flustered and you blow it out of your eyes when your frustrated. Otherwise you never pay any attention to it at all."
The truth was, we all had 'Tells'. Edward pinched the bridge of his nose when he was stressed an pulled his hair when he was at his wits end. Esme drummed her fingers and wrung her hands. Carlisle rubbed his forehead an scratched under his jaw. Emmett's knee bounced almost constantly. Rose picked at her nails an would even grind her teeth if she was angry enough an Alice sighed all the time.
It was like our diet truly made us more human, because for most of our kind, utter stillness was natural. We, though, had practiced moves to seem more human but also had gone so far as to instinctively use behaviors that Carlisle an I believed were 'nervous habits' we'd had while we were human.
"When did you figure that one out Darlin'?"
She bit her lip an said, "The first time I caught you on babysitting detail. I thought it was Emmett when I came out, but then you stepped out of the woods…"
I recalled the night she spoke of. It was wet an dark an she'd come outside in a guilt-ridden cloud. She'd said, 'You should either go home or come in but lurking in the woods, in this weather, is just making me feel bad.' I came out to tell her that I was just doin' Edward a favor but didn't think comin' inside was wise… Had I subtly an unconsciously flirted with her? Well shit…
***Bpov***
Remembering that night made me glad of two things; first, I was glad I used to get embarrassed over every little thing because, I was now positive he never realized that it was the sight of him dripping wet that had embarrassed me into a blush, and not just the fact that it was him and not Em or Alice. Then second, I was glad he couldn't feel how relieved I am now, or it would defeat the whole purpose of being relieved in the first place.
Of course, at the time, I'd told myself then that he'd declined the invitation to come up and hang out in my room as him not wanting to eat me. Now, though… was he flirting with me that night? I blinked a few times and then did something I never ever thought I'd do. I reached up and ran all ten fingers through his honeyed locks savoring the silky feel as I said, "I've always loved your hair," and then… his lips were on mine.
Never before had I been kissed like this. There was heat and passion and when I opened my mouth, he slid his tongue between my lips instead of pulling away. In that moment, something inside me broke and I would have shed tears if I had them to cry. My heart felt like it was beating again and I felt him pull me close and groan into my mouth.
Time was lost. We just kissed. And kissed. And kissed some more. Hands roamed over faces and necks and backs and hips but nowhere considered to risqué. It was… sweet and hot and pure. It was without fear or pain or even thought. It just was. And it was right. It was right and good and…
I pulled back and stared at the man holding me to him. He looked fearfull of what I was about to do or say but I said it anyway, "Oh god… Jasper, Char was right…"
