Bars and Wars

Chapter 9

The semester started and my schedule at the bar increased. I worked 4 nights a week and was taking 20 credit hours. My days were insane, my nights were worse. I wrote to Jasper every chance I got and at best it was four, maybe five letters a week.

I hit the library hard the nights I was not working. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I studied in the same tiny cubicle from dinner until closing. Right behind me, every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, the same blond haired god sat; studying. After two weeks we started nodding hello to each other every night. By the third week we were saying goodnight as we were the last ones to leave, and he held the door for me.

It was a month later when Blondie smuggled in a coffee for me. After that we started bringing each other snacks of some kind every night. I still didn't know his name, and in a way, he reminded me of Jasper. I laughed one night as he held the door for me, thinking of Jasper and that first day of school in Forks.

We began to talk and study together, quizzing each other, challenging one another. We would place bets, and design rewards; if we could both finish a chapter by a certain time, we could have a break and a snack. It really helped kill the monotony.

Life had settled into a pretty fair routine; classes, library, stalking the mailbox, work, and rejecting Edward. Jasper and I managed to video chat once a week for awhile. By thanksgiving, we missed a couple weeks in a row, he was out of reach and I went to the Cullen's for Thanksgiving.

Finals came around and I was studying like a maniac. I was studying longer, harder, spending more and more time with library dude. Friday night I was working behind the bar, pouring shots for Edward and a couple of his friends. Alice was drinking wine, laughing at Edward for starting shots after being hung over. I heard a familiar voice and looked up into a mess of blond curls.

"Hey, library rat, this is where you work?" He took the stool next to Alice, who had turned her back to berate Edward.

"Hey two creams and three sugars, what can I get ya?" I laughed wiping down the bar and flipped a cardboard coaster in front of him.

"Give me a beer and a shot of Jack."

I sat a bottle of MGD on the coaster and poured the shot of Jack.

"Ohhh, Jack, I'll have a shot of…." Alice spun around in her stool just as library dude did and she stopped speaking.

I watched blondie's mouth fall open as he met Alice's eyes.

"Peter. Peter Grant." His hand shot out to take Alice's.

"Alice. Alice Cullen." Her tiny hand slipped inside his.

"It's very nice to meet you Alice, Alice Cullen."

"Oh dear God. Alice, my roommate, this is Peter, apparently, better known as library dude." I rolled my eyes at the pair of them and poured another round of Jack.

Edward looked over at his sister, then to me and burst out laughing. "Well fuck, aint that some shit, I've been hitting on you for a year and half, not one lousy look, this guy walks in and my sister goes down like a buck in hunting season."

"Edward, shut up," Alice and I said at the same time.

Alice and Peter talked all night. They never seemed to run out of things to say and tuned everyone around them completely out. Peter escorted us home after I closed the bar, and I was fighting sleep in my bed waiting for Alice to come up to the room. I had to hand it to her; she actually kept him downstairs in the common area and didn't bring him to the room.

Peter started walking me home from the library every night and hanging out with Alice for awhile. I think it was just an excuse to see her more often.

Finals ended, I aced my classes. Jasper and I caught up on video conference right after my last exam. Peter joined us at the Cullen's for Christmas Eve. I was even lonelier than ever before watching Alice with Peter and Edward with his high school girlfriend. She didn't even bother trying to intimidate me anymore. Now she just looked at me with pity in her eyes.

I drove home Christmas morning and spent the day with Charlie and my in-laws. Jasper called during dinner and everyone got a chance to talk to him. I stayed on the phone with him for over an hour making dinner late.

"Bella, I miss you so much babe. How was the semester, did you get the rest of your grades? I bet you did great babe." The line was full of static and we had to keep repeating ourselves.

"Yeah, I did babe, I pulled a 4.0 again this semester. Hell, all I do is study and work," I laughed.

"How's work, still making great tips?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, the money is really good babe, we barely need to go into your paycheck anymore, we have quite a bit in savings now. How is work for you babe?"

"It sucks, don't worry about it though, things are bound to get easier soon. So how is Alice? Did you guys have a nice Christmas Eve?"

"Yeah, Alice is great, she met someone. They are inseparable," I laughed telling Jasper all about Alice and Peter.

I could hear Jasper's spirit sink in his voice.

"I bet that is hard on you Bella, seeing Alice happy and with her boyfriend all the time. I'm sorry baby, I'm sorry you have to be alone all the time."

"Don't you do that Jasper Whitlock. You know we have a plan, you know I don't care about any of that."

"I know babe, I'm sorry. I just miss you so much. Another one of the guys got a Dear John letter last week, I don't know, I just, I feel bad that your alone again this Christmas."

"Well, don't. Everything is fine Jasper and I am not alone, I am with our family. Hey I have a Christmas present for you, can you turn on video later tonight?"

"Yeah, Bella, I think I should be able to, they are pretty lenient for the holiday today."

We had dinner, exchanged gifts, and Charlie and I went home. I told Charlie I was going to sleep, went up to my room, changed into the Christmas lingerie I bought and fired up my lap top and waited for Jasper to get on.

I lounged across the bed, nervous and fidgeting until the screen started coming into view. I saw those green eyes staring at me from the laptop on my desk. I saw his mouth drop before I heard the words. "Bella, holy shit!"

"Well hi there you naughty boy, I hear you might need a little punishment for all those lascivious thoughts you have had this year." I felt a little awkward, but really wanted to do this for Jasper, for me too, just to feel close to him. It had been so long since we had been together.

My fingertips began trailing down my breasts, circling over my nipples, while Jasper stared a moment in disbelief. "Fuck, Bella, hang on."

I watched as Jasper slipped ear buds in his ears and pulled the cover down over his bunk. I smirked and leaned forward, my legs spread wide, my upper body well over my lap, my arms squeezing my breasts together, showing off the bra enhanced cleavage. I shook my hair out over my shoulders, while my tongue traced my lower lip.

I let my fingers trail down my stomach, watching Jasper's eyes follow my fingers; his hand disappeared down the front of his suddenly opened fatigues. That sight alone nearly made me come undone, I was dripping wet already and secretly glad I had laid out a bath towel before I started.

"Now tell me my naughty soldier boy, where would these hands be if they were yours?" I winked at him and bit my bottom lip, crooking my head, looking up through my lashes into those green eyes.

"Oh shit baby, roll your nipples for me, do it through the bra first." Jasper voice was gruff and low, going straight to my core.

"Like this soldier?" I teased, circling both nipples, above the lace, then pushing it down, letting the hardened nipples peek over the top, the cup of the bra pushing both tits up higher, the nipples taunting Jasper as I sucked my fingers and then returned them to rolling the peaks.

"Oh fuck, Bella, please, baby, please I want to see your naked body, please." His arm was moving faster, the head of his cock, peeking out for me as he stroked his shaft.

I quickly stripped for him, trying to dance and sway my hips without leaving the camera angle. "Better baby?" I asked when I was finally naked.

"Baby, will you, I mean, would you mind, I really want to watch you cum, will you finger yourself for me?" Jasper looked at me with such lust in his eyes, I felt myself growing wetter.

"I have a better idea Jasper." I pulled the dildo from under the pillow and held it up in front of the camera, stroking it; running my fingers over the tip, in a circle. "How about if I pretend this is you and I plunge it in and out of my pussy for you?"

I could hear him groaning, trying hard to keep it down, and I could see his hand jerking. I felt so powerful, like I still owned his thoughts and heart. I had all the confidence in the world as I lay back against the headboard, so that I could see the screen and Jasper could still see me and I spread my legs wide. I slid my hand down and began gathering the wet slippery substance, raising it to my mouth, licking it from my fingers, eyes glued to Jasper's.

"Fuck, you are so hot Bella." Jasper released into his hand, moaning, as I snickered, sliding the dildo between my legs.

"I'm ready for you, baby, are you ready to fuck me?" I teased Jasper, sliding the toy along the length of my slit.

"Do it Bella, fuck, I need to see you cum for me baby. I want to be the one making you cum."

"You are baby, trust me, it's all you, making me this wet and driving me so wild."

I slid the toy inside and imagined it was Jasper. I let go and just kept plunging faster and harder, thinking about his body on top of mine, the weight of him as he moved, the slow build of sweat that covered our bodies as the rocked together and glided effortlessly against one another.

"Oh God, Bella, oh my God, I have never seen anything so hot in all my life. Please baby, don't stop; twist your wrist. Yes, just like that, yes, yes." The lust in Jasper's voice, the hooded look of his eyes, kept me going, even though I felt the sensation in my belly, the orgasm building.

"Oh, Jasper, oh baby, my god, oh the way you look at me, fuck Jasper, baby I can't hold on much longer," I moaned out in panted breaths, my body shaking.

"Just a little longer Bella, please baby, please."

Jasper's pleas made me feel like every bit of the nervousness and anxiety about doing this for him was worth it. I had planned for weeks, shopped for the perfect lingerie. Actually going into one of those stores to buy the dildo was mortifying in itself. The performance anxiety was like none I had ever felt before. I tried practicing with the toy but felt so dirty and so weird about it, that I almost didn't do it at all.

I didn't really decide to go through with it until I talked to him at dinner. He was so down and feeling so bad about me being alone for Christmas that I just knew I had to go through with it, no matter how awkward I felt about it.

The dildo seemed to take on a mind of its own, as though Jasper really were here, and it was him, not a piece of silicone taking me, making me feel like I was going to explode at any second.

"Bella, use your other hand, rub your clit for me, please Bella, do it the way I always do, do it for me, please baby."

I lowered my other hand, I tried to make a show of its exploration down my body, pinching one nipple as it passed my breast. Fingertips glided over my stomach, walked over my mound and I felt my tongue slide over my lips as my middle finger found my little nub and started sliding back and forth around it.

"OH FUCK ME," Jasper cried out, his hand began moving again over his shaft. I saw it jerk then my eyes rolled back and began closing.

My finger rubbed hard against it, my legs shook, the dildo pumped fast and furious, hitting my g-spot, my walls, I clenched around Jasper's dick. It was Jasper fucking me then. It wasn't the toy anymore. With my eyes closed and his voice directing me and the sound of his hard fast breath, panting and groaning, it was him.

"Jasper, Jasper, oh god, oh god, oh Jasper, please baby, please let me cum baby, oh fuck I need you so bad baby, please, please let me cum for you."

"Cum Bella, cum for me baby, let me see you cum for me." Jasper was in the room with me, his voice, gruff and low, he commanded in my ear and my body responded.

"UHHHHH, fuuucckkk, ohhhh JASPER!"

I came undone, every inch of my body on fire. I screamed out, my legs clenched together tightly, my hips bucked off the mattress. My fingers slowed and I stopped pumping. I heard Jasper's voice and slowly opened my eyes, to look at him.

The tears rolling down his cheeks were the last thing I expected to see.

"Bella, thank you, thank you so much baby. Next to your heart, that is the single best gift I have ever received."

I looked at him, all embarrassment gone, I felt so proud at his words. I was so happy that he was so touched by what I had done. I knew then it would not be the last time we did that.

"You're welcome my husband, only for you, baby."

"Well I don't know how you will ever top this Christmas Bella, it may take you the next 70 years and I don't think you will ever be able to give me a gift that special." Jasper began teasing, as he sat up straighter in his bed.

I sat up, crawling over the bed to lay on my stomach, closer to the laptop, closer to Jasper.

"I am going to pretend I am curled up in your arms and fall asleep baby," I said with a smile.

"God I love you Bella Whitlock."

"I love you too Jasper."

"Goodnight baby."

"Goodnight husband."

I woke in the morning the computer still on, the program idle. No Jasper next to me, holding me in his arms. I was okay with that. I knew we had reconnected a bit that night and I knew we would get through it.

I drove back to school a couple days later and mailed a stack of letters on the way out of town.

I was back at work until classes resumed. It was fairly quiet though without all the students back in town. Alice came back early to spend time with Peter. I started trying to read ahead for some of my classes.

School started back and so did the routine. Work, school, library.

Jasper took leave for Spring break and we took a much needed vacation. We met in Florida and just relaxed. Jasper said the last thing he wanted to do was lay on a beach, so we did some tourist stuff, hit Disney and Universal, walking the parks hand in hand. We rode the rides and watched parades. We acted like kids and took pictures with the characters and laughed until I thought I would cry.

We made love more times than I could count. Each time more mind blowing that the time before it.

The week went much too fast. Jasper flew back to Seattle with me and went home for three days, while I returned to school. He caught a military flight back out so I didn't get to see him again before he left. I think we used 4,000 minutes of cell time during those three days alone.

The letters picked up in frequency for both of us for a couple months and the topics were always the same. I would tell Jasper every single excruciating detail of my days and he would ask question after question about school, work, Alice and Peter. He would tell me every thought he had about me and how much he loved me and every memory of the two of us together. He even started telling me what he imagined he was doing to my body every night when he went to sleep.

The one thing missing from every single letter was what he was doing. I had no idea where he was, what he did all day, whether he liked what he was doing, or whether he was good at it. I told him every class, quiz, grade and chapter topic and he told me nothing.

The year ended and I decided to stay for summer. I didn't want to jeopardize my job, and I could lighten my load for next year by taking a couple classes. Alice and Edward both stayed. I think Alice stayed because Peter stayed. Edward stayed to avoid his "girlfriend" and pick up the new crop of women that called Seattle home but left for school.

Work was a lot of fun and I started to make new friends with a couple of the girls. I hung out a lot with Corin and Rose. They were both so beautiful it was intimidating. Neither of them ever treated me as anything less than their equal though.

We worked side by side all summer; after awhile we started hanging out outside work. We shopped, which Alice loved, and went out for lunches and dinners. Corin's boyfriend, Santiago got along really well with Peter so we tended to go out as a big group quite often.

Fall semester was into full swing when we hired a new bouncer. The dude was huge, and looked and acted like your typical dumb jock. He was anything but. One look at Rose and the big lug went down like a ton of bricks. That in itself was hardly unusual; most guys fell at her feet. What made this hilarious to watch was that Rose fell nearly as hard. Rose and Emmett started dating almost immediately.

Our group outings were getting bigger, and I was the only single one. Edward always had a different date, or sometimes he would attempt to force the awkward, Bella and Edward as a date, since we were the only ones not with someone.

Once again I found myself insisting that I wasn't interested in being fixed up with anyone's "friend" and not to worry about me. I even had to endure several uncomfortable evenings of, some friend of someone's joining us for dinner or a night out.

Just like freshman year, it eventually died down and Alice and I got a good laugh. I kept Jasper up to date and his letters would ask about the latest savior for Bella.

The letters drifted fewer and farther between again. We still talked periodically and we did repeat the Skype call more frequently, but even that had begun to dwindle by the middle of junior year when we again met for Spring break.

Jasper looked older, and he looked tired. I wondered whether he had been faithful for the first time, but quickly dismissed the thoughts and focused on enjoying our time together. By the end of the week it again felt like we had never been apart.

Jasper still told me nothing of any significance about his work or how he spent his days. The tone of his letters slowly took on a darker side, angrier, more hostile. It was subtle, and I doubt anyone that didn't know him the way I did would even pick up on it.

I did. I knew Jasper was changing, and if I was honest with myself, so was I.