JPOV

"Don't you trust us?" I asked her. She seemed so hesitant, yet her feelings said otherwise. The entire time we were speaking she felt guilt, confusion, and indecision. But no fear.

"I think I do." She said after a second.

"Bella, we won't hurt you." I don't think I could live with myself if anyone hurt Bella, and I hadn't been there to stop them.

"I know."

"And we won't treat you any differently if we know."

"I know." She answered again.

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's just not that simple. I can't expect you to understand, but I hope you can understand that I just need a little time. I'll think about it tonight, okay?"

I felt so guilty for trying to push her into something too soon. I just met her two weeks ago, yet I felt the need to know more about her. I was just so… intoxicated by her. I just wanted to be near her, and I couldn't do that if she kept pulling away from us.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pressure you, but…" I let my voice trail off when my common sense started to kick back in. I couldn't just tell her that I wanted to be with her all the time. I couldn't tell her how I felt. Not yet, at least.

"But?" She prompted. I could feel confusion and a little hope rolling off her.

"But…" I searched for words to make the awkwardness go away. I found none. "Save me, Edward!" I thought. He didn't come though. "Damn you!"

"Just tell her, Jasper!" Alice's voice came from upstairs. If I could blush, my face would be in flames. Bella tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow looking completely amused by my obvious discomfort.

"Will you go for a walk with me?" She nodded. I grabbed her warmer, smaller hand into mine and took off running.

"I thought you said a walk?" She laughed as we ran through the woods. She kept up with me. Her breathing and heart rate were steady the entire time. Her strides hardly faltered until I abruptly stopped in the middle of a clearing, my clearing. It was right in the middle of the woods that stretched for about fifteen miles behind out house. It was really a breathtaking place. The grass was greener than the surrounding area since sunlight actually reached the ground instead of behind stopped by the trees' canopies. A clear stream lined ran right down the middle. Blue and purple wildflowers poked through the grass all over the place.

Judging by the content, serene feeling I was getting from Bella, I think she liked it too. She looked around for a few moments before meeting my eyes again. A small smile played her lips. "What's wrong, Jasper?"

I found myself smiling back. "Nothing." It was the complete honest truth. I didn't feel anxious or worried or anything but her tranquility.

"Then why'd we run out of the house?"

"I don't like my family listening in on conversations. They can't hear us here." Ha! Teaches them to interfere. Edward can't even hear my thoughts out here.

"What did you want to talk about?" She asked. I didn't drop her hand in fear I wouldn't find an excuse to pick it up again. I led her over to a big bolder that had been sitting on the clearing's edge for longer than I've been coming here. I sat down and leaned back against the rock. She followed in suit without removing her questioning eyes from me.

"I don't know." Maybe she forgot about the earlier discussion.

"Well we can pick up where we left off. But what?" She smiled triumphantly when I shifted around uncomfortably. My eyes moved to her amazing chocolate ones. I felt myself getting lost in them.

"I don't want to lose you." I blurted out before I could really stop myself or make a coherent thought. I felt shock radiating off of her. "And like you said, I don't know how I got so invested in this so quickly. I've only known you for two weeks, and here I am afraid as hell that I won't see you tomorrow. The last two weeks of having to avoid you were bad enough, and I could still see you every day. The thought of you leaving or pushing me away is unfathomably hard to comprehend…"

Her finger rested on top of my lips to stop me from talking. I looked at her with wary eyes afraid I had said something I shouldn't have. I could feel her emotions radiating off of her: sadness, regret, fear, and I think admiration. Oh shit, what have I done? She doesn't want to be around me. This is bad.

"Jasper." She said so quietly that had I not been a vampire I wouldn't have heard it. "You shouldn't want to be around me."

"But I do." Her finger still lingered over my lips for a second. She moved it from my lips to run the back of her hand across my cheek. I nearly shivered at the trail of warmth she left behind. She opened her hand a little and cupped my cheek into the palm of her hand running her thumb along my cheekbone. I found myself leaning into it slightly.

"You shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"Haven't you been listening? I don't even know what I'll be capable of in less than a year. I don't want to hurt you." She whispered. "I could be a monster, Jazz, and you don't deserve to be with someone like that."

"You can't be any worse than me. I'm a vampire, Bella. What could be worse?" She sucked in a deep breath and leaned her head resting her forehead against mine. Our lips only centimeters apart. I desperately wanted to close the gap.

She shut her eyes, and I felt hesitance come over her. When she finally opened her eyes, I searched them for some sort of answer to why. "I don't want to lose you either." She said after a few moments. Relief washed over me. Her hand stayed against my cheek. I could feel a trail of warmth left behind every time her thumb stroke my cheek. "But promise me something?" I nodded slightly. "Don't be so trusting around me, okay? And leave me if it gets dangerous."

"Bella…"

"Please, Jazz, just promise me."

"Okay. I promise."

"Thank you." She shut her eyes again without removing her forehead from mine. Our fingers were still intertwined sitting on my leg. I could get used to this.

--

BPOV

I kept my eyes close leaning against him for a few moments savoring the moment before sighing. "We should get back?"

He sighed as well. "Yeah, I guess."

I stared at him for one more second before standing up. He stood up at the same time as me without dropping my hand. I really did love holding his hand. We walked at human speed for awhile before picking up speed. Once we got to the front of the house, I stopped and looked at him. "I better go. Some of us have to sleep." He smiled at the comment and leaned forward placing a kiss on my forehead. I felt my heart flutter, and a smile appear on my face.

"See you tomorrow, then." He smiled that amazing crooked smile. I found it hard to look away .

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow." I glanced up at the house just in time to see the curtain move a little and giggled shaking my head. "Bye guys!" Suddenly, four smiling, beautiful people appeared in the windows of one of the second floor rooms. They waved and were grinning like crazy. I laughed. "No privacy, huh?"

"Not in this house. Especially with a mind reader and a fortune teller." He chuckled.

"See you later, Jazz." I laughed before turning and heading to my car.