Chapter Ten
Jasper
When I saw Bella I felt happy but nervous, would I get the same reception Jake got or was I still seen as a friend? I felt her joy at seeing us, or at least at seeing Garrett again but then he was so easy to like, he fit in very easily, it was party of his make up, almost a gift you could say.
"Why would you want to go to the hospital with me?"
"Why not? We can talk in private then if you like"
She nodded,
"Promise me you'll be there and not just disappear again."
"I wont. I promise Bella. It was against my advice we left you before. I was outvoted."
"Edward and Rose?"
"I'm sorry to say everyone except Emmett. He still hurts from that decision."
"I miss him too, I used to miss all of you but not any more, I've had time to think about things, work out why I was feeling so bad. Why aren't you with Alice and the others?"
"I left, I couldn't stay any longer, things weren't right."
"You mean you and Alice broke up? But you were mates"
"It would seem not Bella. I haven't seen Alice or Esme and Carlisle for a while now."
"But you've seen the others?"
"Yes. I tried to put right what I'd done by getting Edward and the others together again."
"What you'd done?"
How could she sound puzzled, she'd experienced what I'd done"
"My attack on you. It effectively split the family apart, we're scattered all over the place now."
"The Cullens aren't together any longer"
I shook my head as Renee came over and tucked her arm through Bella's.
"I like your friend Garrett. He's a scream."
Bella
I really wished Renee hadn't come over just then, I wanted to hear what Jasper had to say about the family being split up, had they suffered from what happened like I did? I'd never thought about the trouble for the family other than Jasper but it seemed I'd been wrong in my supposition. But I would have to wait to hear more because we were home and then I saw Jasper stiffen and Jake sauntered round the corner, his hands in his pockets but murder in his eyes,
"Bella I came to see how your hand was."
He took my hand in his and I pulled away groaning at the pain as I moved my fingers,
"You should get that looked at. I'll take you to the ER."
"Its OK Jake, Jasper has already offered, you've done enough."
I saw Jake look at my wrist and see the bracelet,
"Mine not good enough for you?"
"I'm not sure a friendship bracelet was appropriate Jake."
"I guess not. Well you made your choice, I just hope you can live with the consequences."
Renee looked from Jake to me, totally lost by what she was hearing.
"Its OK mum, Jake was just leaving."
He looked at me then Jasper and Garrett and turned, walking stiffly away, his hands clenched and shaking.
Back at the house we sat around while Renee got me another ice pack, I refused to go to the ER today. The cold helped but when it melted Jasper took my hand in his, the cold touch doing far more good than the ice had. The action wasn't missed by Renee who smiled over at me.
"So Jasper are you alone?"
"Yes ma'am. Just Garrett and I seeing a little of the country."
"Where are you from?"
"Texas originally but I spent a lot of my life travelling from place to place"
"Really, your parents enjoy travelling do they?"
"I've no idea, my sister and I were orphaned at an early age and then we were fostered."
"Really, how terrible. Where's your sister now?"
"She's living with her boyfriend, they plan on getting married soon"
"That's nice but she's a little young for that isn't she?"
"Rose is very mature for her age"
"Like Bella. She's my teenage forty something but I guess you know that by now."
Jasper looked at me very seriously,
"I think Bella is very mature in her outlook."
I blushed and Renee scolded me,
"There's no need to blush when you are paid a compliment, I told you before how mature you were. Are you at college Jasper?"
"No Ma'am, not at present but I have a place for next year at Harvard."
"Really? I take it your parents left you money?"
"Mum"
Renee gestured away my complaint,
"It's always a good idea to know all you can about friends."
I clenched my teeth until I looked at Garrett who was beaming.
"Jasper's being modest Renee. He won a scholarship, he's very intelligent."
"Oh really. What course are you taking?"
"Medicine"
Garrett's answer was so fast I wondered if he'd already planned this out.
"Oh that's a very lucrative career or so I hear"
"His foster father is in medicine, something of a celebrity, he does a lot of charity work in Seattle."
"Seattle? Of course you met Bella in Forks, do I know your father or mother? I've only been to Forks once in the last few years so probably not"
"I think you do, but you met them in Phoenix. Dr Carlisle Cullen and my brother Edward Cullen"
Renee's face was a picture of shock and horror and she looked at me,
"Bella, you should have said, I'm so sorry darling, it must be very awkward for you"
"No I'm fine thanks. I don't have a problem with Jasper being here in fact I'm glad I've seen him."
He looked at me then and I could see various thoughts flicker behind his eyes, he wasn't sure what I meant. His eyes, they were a beautiful shade of gold, like caramel butter and very hypnotic, his face was so perfect, the skin not quite as pale as the other Cullens, he had been tanned when changed and his skin still held a hint of it, his jaw was perfect and his lips just right for kissing. I remembered the kiss under the mistletoe then Garrett coughed bringing me back to the present and I saw the hint of a smile on Jaspers face, he had read my emotions, there was no hiding from his gift in the way I had hidden from Edwards. I had thought Edward the most beautiful creature on the planet but I'd been wrong, Jasper outstripped him by a country mile. I focused on a faint scar, no, more than one, on his neck running into his shirt. They looked like the bite mark on my own arm, the one made by James and I wondered who had bitten Jasper like they left Jasper arranged to meet me the next morning and take me for an X-ray on my hand that was throbbing like crazy now and I was glad to get to bed with a new ice pack, wishing he was here with me holding my injured hand in his cold one.