Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.
Halcyon
A/N: This story was originally written by Jalen Writes it All but has been adopted and revised by me, Xo BellaItaliana oX.
I will be making some changes and adding some touches to make it my own, while keeping true to the plot that Jalen has already written. I hope you guys like it and that I do it justice. Review and let me know what you think of my version of her awesome story!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter! We hope that you enjoy the story and look forward to reading your reviews.
Reminder: If you go to my Wattpad page – where I have also posted most of my stories, including this one – you will see that I have posted PICTURES of a scene from each chapter inside the story with the chapter! So, take a look and tell me what you think! There are even Jasper Romance pics! The user name (penname) is the same as this one so it won't be hard to find. Or you can click on the link on my profile! - Bella'Xo
Lily's thoughts will be in italics, while any and all sign language will be in bold italics. This will always be the case unless told otherwise. Enjoy the chapter!
PART I
Chapter 10
(Liliana's POV)
I snap my eyes open, confused.
Who was that beautiful little girl?
Her brown hair, heart-shaped face, chocolate-brown eyes...
She looks so much like Bella and I...
These dreams are getting stranger and stranger.
I wiped the sleep from my eyes and looked over at the clock and saw that it's nine-thirty. Edward hadn't given us a specific time regarding when he was coming over to pick us up, so I figured that I'd start getting ready now.
I stumbled groggily into the bathroom for a quick shower and brushed my teeth before moseying back to my room and brushing my bangs out of my face. I wanted to look nice for today, so I pulled on a white, scoop neck t-shirt and a pair of light-washed jeans with a forest green cardigan. I pulled on my brown, shin-high boots and took a look in the mirror, studying my eyes to apply some mascara and charcoal black eye-liner.
There.
That was the extent to my daily makeup application - unlike Rosalie, who always looks done up to perfection.
I put on my long gold anchor necklace that Bella had gotten me for my fourteenth birthday, which hung low around my neck to complete the look. I peeked at myself in the mirror and sighed to myself, hoping and praying that everything goes well today.
When I walked down the stairs, I saw that Bella was already in the kitchen eating a bowl of cornflakes. I glanced out the window, and noted that the cruiser was already gone. Taking this in, I remembered that Charlie had told us that he's going to be helping the search team scan the woods, looking for more clues regarding the recent string murderers that had been filed under the guise of 'animal attacks' now that they'd found evidence of foul play.
Upon hearing my entrance, Bella looked up from her cereal and gave me a small smile in greeting. I could see it in her face that she was as nervous as I was about today's plans.
"Morning." she greets me as I make my way across the kitchen.
"M-Morning, Bells," I say, trying to hide my anxiety as I stand on my tip toes to grab a bowl for my cereal for breakfast. I don't really have an appetite this morning, but I know that I should eat something. After all, vampires don't eat human food and I shouldn't assume that they'd go out of their way to accommodate two strange human girls.
Bella and I eat breakfast in silence, both of us a little apprehensive about today. Finished, I stand up to wash out my bowl and decide to clean up the house a bit to distract myself and the constant humming of thoughts swirling around inside of my head.
I start by dusting the living room and turn to see that Bella had begun helping me.
"So…erm…what do you think Mrs. Cullen is like?" she asked me and I shrug.
"I d-don't know. Dr. C-Cullen is nice, s-so I assume she is t-too." I give her my honest opinion and she nods.
I'm not sure why it is so important to me that they like us, but I want them to know that no matter what happens between us and their 'sons' we would never put them in danger by exposing them. Just thinking about it, I'd rather cut out my tongue than endanger Jasper like that.
We both continue to straighten up around the house until eleven-thirty… still no Edward.
Bella and I slip into the kitchen to make some lunch, not wanting to risk being hungry later. I finish my turkey sandwich quickly and washed my dish out in the sink before heading back upstairs to brush my teeth.
Taking one last look in the mirror, I run a brush through my thick, long locks which is somewhere in between curly and wavy today, falling down my back in long ringlets. I tame it down a bit before sighing and exiting the bathroom.
As I'm walking down the stairs, I spot Edward through the glass standing at the front door and I feel anxiety punch me in the gut. I peek to my left and see Bella walking towards me.
"Can you let him in? I have to brush my teeth." she asked and I nod as she hurries up the stairs.
I walk down the remaining stairs to the entryway and open the door, giving Edward a small smile while talking to him through my mind.
I'm never going to get used to this, but I have to admit that I like the feeling of communicating to someone in a somewhat normal manner – not that speaking through my mind is normal, but it beats sign language or stuttering through my words as I try to force them out.
Uh, hi, Edward. Come on in.
He gives me a small smile in greeting, "Hello, Lily. Thank you."
I step aside and let him into the house, closing the glass door behind him.
Bella will be right down.
Edward nodded as he looked around the house curiously before turning back to me.
"Is Bella as nervous as you seem to be?" he asked, his face amused.
I playfully glared at him and answer, Yep.
I watched him chuckle, imagining what he would sound like if I could hear him, but before I could let my imagination dwell, he turned towards the staircase just as Bella appeared walking down the last several steps, stumbling slightly over the last one.
I reached out to grab her, as per my normal reaction, but Edward beat me to it, catching her mid-trip. Bella's face flushed pink with embarrassment, but Edward just smiled at her. I couldn't help but to internally cringe with a little bit of embarrassment for my sister, but quickly realized that it wasn't necessary as Edward seemed charmed by her fragile demeanor.
"Hey," Bella greeted him looking down at herself, her embarrassment not swayed by Edward's charmed countenance.
"Hello," he nodded, still grinning at her.
I watch them wistfully as they look at each other with a wide range of adoration, feeling like an intruder during such a tender moment. I shake my head and smile, walking outside to the car, leaving them in the privacy of their romantic bubble.
I just make it out to the silver Volvo and turn around to face the house as Edward and Bella open the front door and turn around to lock up before making their way to where I'm standing.
Edward opened the doors for both Bella and I as I slide into the backseat behind her. Edward was in the driver seat in a flash, zipping around the car at an incomprehensible speed.
Nope, never gonna get used to that, either.
He throws an amused glance to me and I shake my head as he pulls out of the driveway, my anxiety spiking higher and higher the further we drive away from our house and closer to our mysterious destination.
I grip the edge of my seat as we fly down the roads on the outskirts of down. Edward has a tension to drive impossibly fast, which only adds to my unease.
We finally turn off the paved highway onto a long dirt road that I would have missed, had I not been in the car as Edward slowed to make the turn. I frowned and glanced out of my window, taking note that it's completely surrounded by the dense forest and totally secluded.
He drove down the road for about two miles until the trees open up to the expansive property and a house comes into view, if you can even call it that.
A beautiful glass mansion sat on the bank of a riverbed, a wraparound porch made out of dark wood skirts around what I assumed was the main floor. The odd rays of sun shimmer through the tree tops onto the glass, making it almost sparkle. Exquisite flowers decorate the landscaping, as well as bushes, shrubs and the odd tree.
My jaw drops as I continue to gaze up at the mansion, taking in the finer details. It's definitely a modern structure, but it's without a doubt, gorgeous.
A matching detached garage appears as we drive around to the side of the house, easily three times the size of our house.
Edward pulled up in front of it and shut off the engine. But before I could reach for the handle, he was on our side, opening up both of our doors at once. He reached out to take Bella's hand, leading both of us up to the house in a Victorian fashion.
Edward opened the door, causing my eyes to widen when I finally take in the inside of the house, which was even more beautiful than the outside, if that was possible.
"It's so…nice in here, not what I pictured," Bella observed, causing Edward to chuckle.
"What? You expected turrets, dungeons and moats?" He joked.
"No... Not the moats." Bella admitted as we turned the corner, slowly beginning to climb a floating staircase, and I smile. However, I don't even know what I expected it to be like. I knew that since Carlisle was a doctor, that he's obviously wealthy, but I didn't expect them to live in a house this magnificent. I didn't imagine a house this beautiful to exist anywhere outside of Beverly Hills or something.
Looking around, I took in various pieces of art on the walls, as well as historical objects placed throughout the house. The one thing I did take notice of, though, is that everything was very open and bright. I guess one thing that I assumed about their home was that the house would be closed up and dark; not this sunny and gaping house.
"It's so light and open." She agreed, mimicking my inner thoughts as she continue looking around.
Edward smiled at this. "It's the one place that we never have to hide," he revealed.
Looking ahead of us, Edward shook his head disapprovingly.
"I told them not to do this," he seemed to wince a bit and then continued to lead us ahead, up the remaining stairs.
We enter a large marble kitchen where Dr. Cullen, Emmett, Rosalie, and a gorgeous caramel-haired woman, who I assumed to be Mrs. Cullen, were cooking.
Vampires were cooking for us…
Mrs. Cullen looks up to see Bella and I approaching and stops, smiling warmly at us. She walks forward and, up close, I can see how beautiful she really is. She had the same pale skin as the rest of the Cullen's with honey blonde streaks in her caramel hair, a heart-shaped face, and a warm smile.
Behind her, I could see Emmett cutting up some vegetable with a large kitchen knife, which he waved at us with, causing Rosalie to turn and glare at him.
"Bella, Lily, we're making Italiano for you." Mrs. Cullen says warmly and I smiled politely as Edward turns to us so that I could see his lips.
"This is Esme, my mother for all intents and purposes," he introduced us and we nod.
"Bon giorno," Bella greeted uneasily, causing Esme to beam.
"Molto bene!" she answered, walking back around the island in the center of the kitchen.
Dr. Cullen smiles up at us from the sink as he shook off the remaining water from the lettuce. "You've given us an excuse to use the kitchen for the first time," he winked and I smiled brightly at him.
Okay, everything is going a lot better than expected. I really liked Esme, who seemed so motherly and warm to us already.
"I hope you're hungry," She says and even though I'd just eaten, I would most definitely eat whatever they prepared, as it was so considerate of them to think of us and our human necessities at all.
Bella and I share a glance and nod, making this silent agreement.
"Oh yes, absolutely -" Bella answered for the both of us, but Edward cut her off with a look towards his family.
"They already ate," he contradicted.
Silence enveloped the room, and I could see the anger on Rosalie's beautiful face just before she crushed the bowl she'd been holding with her bare hands. Glass scattered across the floor, mixed in with the leaves of lettuce and tomatoes already tossed inside.
Gracefully, she steps through it in her high heels to glare at the two of us. My eyes widen of their own accord and I would do anything if only the ground would swallow me whole right now.
"Perfect," she sneered, keeping her cold amber eyes trained on us both.
Bella and I shared a bit of an uneasy glance before she goes on to interpret our motive for having already ate.
"It's just… we assumed... because, well, we know that you all don't necessarily eat… so… you know…" Bella tried to explain, however Esme raises her hand, smiling at the both of us.
"Of course. That was very considerate of you girls," she reassures us as Edward turns to us, allowing me to see his lips once again.
"Just ignore Rosalie, I do," he imformed us, waving his blonde sister off.
Rosalie rolls her eyes. "Yes, let's just keep on pretending that this isn't dangerous for all of us!" She quipped sarcastically as Emmett stepped up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to calm her.
"We would never, ever tell anyone." Bella attempted to reassure them.
"She knows that," Dr. Cullen clarified, placing an arm around his wife's shoulders.
"You see, the problem is… you've all gone public now, so..." he trails off.
Esme turned towards him with a stern chastising look of warning, "Emmett -"
"No," Rosalie interrupted, "they should know," she pressed and then turned fully towards us, "The entire family will be implicated if this ends badly."
I turned to look at my sister and see her frowning in confusion. I, however, have an idea what Rosalie meant.
"...badly?" Bella asked the room, but no one answered, all of them looking away awkwardly.
I tapped my sister on her shoulder.
She means if one of them kill us by accident.
I notice the Cullen's watching me curiously as I sign to her.
Bella's eyes widened and she nods her understanding. "Oh…. badly… as in where we become the meal." She bluntly simplified.
Emmett choked back his laughter as Edward grinned his crooked grin that my sister seemed to love so much. Esme and Carlisle even chuckle awkwardly at this as Rosalie looks like she's trying to hold back a laugh herself.
Noticing movement from the corner of my eye, I turn my head to see Jasper and Alice enter the room through the wall-length window as the walk casually across the limb of a large tree just outside.
"Bella! Lily!" Alice glowed, running straight up to us and pulling each of us into crushing hugs before pulling back. "It's so good to see you again!"
I smiled and then looked behind her at Jasper, who's hanging back a bit, because Bella was standing right next to me. I could see the conflict in his eyes, wanting to touch me, but afraid to with Bella so close. However, he gives me a heart melting smile, which I have to return, feeling my cheeks blush and my chest constrict with happiness.
I turn away from his golden gaze to Alice as I feel from the vibrations in the air that she has begun to speak, "- alright, Bella, Lily, and I are going to be the best of friends."
I raised my eyebrows and nod, not one to bet against her.
Alice turned slightly to look back at Jasper, and we all follow her gaze.
"It's nice to see you again." He nods at Bella and I notice that he looks really uncomfortable again, and is probably holding his breath to keep himself under control.
"You won't hurt her, Jasper." Alice reassured him and Jasper nodded at the little pixie, but still remained apprehensive.
"Uh," Edward rubbed the back of his neck apprehensively, "Bella, I'll give you a tour of the house." He suggested, clearly wanting to usher her away from his family while shooting Alice a look over his shoulder.
"I'll see you soon!" Alice called out to their retreating forms as Edward pulled Bella along.
I watched them go awkwardly as Rosalie and Emmett start cleaning up the glass off the floor and turned back to see Jasper striding towards me with purpose, a smile growing on his face. Alice sees this and smiles, walking back outside as Dr. Cullen and Esme watch on with expressions of intrigue and glee.
"Hello, Darlin'. It's definitely a pleasure to see your beautiful face again," he greeted me, taking my hand in his and brought it up to his perfect pink lips to kiss the back of it.
I smiled and blushed scarlet.
Jasper Hale, such a charmer.
I noticed that, behind him, Esme and Carlisle were still watching our exchange with an affectionate smile. Finally, they walked out to leave us in private as Jasper smiled down at me.
"Come on, I want to show you the house."
I grinned up at him as he reached out to take my hand before he began to lead me through the living room and up another flight of floating stairs.
Looking over at the wall beside me, I spotted a very large frame covered with rows upon rows of many different colored graduation caps.
I turned and raised my eyebrows at him questioningly.
He noticed my silent inquiry, smiling, "It's a bit of a private joke between all of us," he explained.
I turned back to look up at it.
Repeating high school that many times must be a nightmare!
I peered back up at him and smiled, nodding ahead of me as a silent way of telling him that I was ready to move on, allowing him to lead me up the remaining stairs and to the left.
We passed two doors and then stopped at the third one where Jasper reached forward, opening it for me.
I walked into the room, he gesturing me to go in ahead of him, and began to take in my surroundings. I already liked it immensely.
The room was was open and light like the rest of the house due to the far wall consisting of floor to ceiling glass windows that were able to slide open and closed. The walls were mahogany colored, suiting the overall style perfectly. There was a small brown suede couch near the wall to wall window with a flat screen TV on the opposite wall.
Jasper stood back, watching me take in his space. It was simple, but absolutely perfect.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot two sets of double-doors leading to somewhere else. I assumed that one must be a closet, but I didn't know where the other one led to.
Sensing my curiosity, he came forward and grabbed my hand, making a show of opening the set of doors. I walked in ahead of him and immediately saw that it was a large study – at least by my standards.
It had the same color pattern as the one he used in his room with a large L-shaped desk as the centerpiece. There were papers and books resting on one half with a computer and printer/scanner/copier on the larger portion of the L.
One thing I noticed and fell in love with was that the walls had several bookcases equipped with many, many books. I stepped towards one of them to take a closer look, spotting lots of older editions of both familiar and unheard of – by me - famous novels. I couldn't help the smile that forms when I read the titles of countless Civil War books on the shelves.
I turned towards Jasper and made a writing motion in the air. He looks toward the desk, grabbing a small pad and pen.
I smiled in thanks and began to write:
Your house is absolutely beautiful, Jasper, and I really like your room a lot.
A wide grin forms on his face. "Why thank you, Darlin'," he says and I smiled in return.
An open book on the desk catches my eye and I walked towards it, my jaw dropping when I see the drawings of hand signals. A couple of other books surrounded it, each book about or referring to Learning American Sign Language.
Oh my…
Touched and admittedly shocked, I turned around to look at him and saw that he looked a little bashful.
"I wanted to surprise you. I've been reading just about every night, but I wanted to make sure that I'm fluent before I told you about it." He confessed shyly.
I smiled widely and walked up to him until we were no more than a couple of inches apart. I rose up so that I was standing on the tips of my toes and wrapped my arms around his neck. He seemed a little surprised at my forwardness before he finally wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer so that I was pressed up against him.
I closed my eyes and buried my head into his neck. That had to be the absolute sweetest thing; him wanting to learn sign language for me. It's not all that easy to learn and it took Bella and me a couple of years to perfect it, while it took mom and dad a lot longer than that. But the fact that he wants to learn it, just so that he can communicate better with me, is incredibly touching.
I pulled back and picked up the pen again.
I'm excited for when I don't need this pen and paper to talk to you.
Jasper looks at it and smiles at me "Me too, Lily."
So, how much have you learned? I asked him keenly. I knew that when he was changed into a vampire, his brain also went through changes, allowing him to use a lot more of his brain than the average human. He could probably pick up things loads faster than a human.
He shrugged, "I think I've got most of it, but I am still perfecting it." He answered. "It is crazy how the littlest mistake or gesture not done precisely can make it seem like you are saying something completely different than what you intended to say."
I grinned and nodded, writing down one last piece of encouragement.
Don't worry, you'll get it. I have every bit of faith in you.
Looking over my shoulder, he wrapped his arms around my waist so that his front was against my back. Giving me a squeeze, he pressed an affectionate kiss to my temple.
Jasper and I walked down the stairs and saw that Carlisle and Esme were relaxing together in the living room.
Noticing us, Esme looked up and smiled, placing the book that was in her hand onto the glass coffee table in front of her as we both moved forward to take a seat on the loveseat across from them.
"What are the two of you up to?" she asked, leaning back into Carlisle's embrace.
Jasper smiled at his adoptive mother.
"Lily wanted to come and see you." Jasper answered and I took out the pad that we brought from his study out of my pocket to quickly write down what I had wanted to say and handed it over to her.
You have a beautiful home. Thank you so much for inviting Bella and I over and for cooking for us. It was a very kind and thoughtful thought.
Esme read it quietly with Carlisle reading it over her shoulder. A warm smile graced her beautiful face as she looked up at me.
"Thank you, Lily. I'm so happy to have you here. Jasper hasn't stopped talking about you since the two of you met! All I hear from him is 'Lily this' and 'Lily that." She admitted, shooting Jasper a playful smirk.
I turned my head to look over at him and grinned at the slight embarrassment that showed on his face as he shot his mother a chastising glance. I smiled and squeezed his hand, bringing his attention back down to me. He gave me a shy, sheepish smile, completely out of his normal confidence that he carried around. I found it very sweet knowing that he talks about me as often as he does, because I haven't been able to stop thinking about him.
Carlisle leaned over, his elbows on his knees. "How does your elbow feel, Lily?" he asked, obviously noting that I no longer wore the sling.
I gave a thumbs up before signing Thank you.
There are times when I hate being deaf, and this is one of them. I would really like to just being able to talk and listen. I would love to be able to hear the different tones of each voice and from what Bella has said, each of the Cullen's seem to have a voice that sounds almost musical when they talk.
What I wouldn't give to be able to hear Jasper's voice…to look into his eyes when he speaks to me so that I could relish the emotion behind each syllable…
Not to mention, at times like this, it would make communicating so much easier instead of having a pen and paper always available and I just...I can't talk.
With an internal sigh, I grab the paper and pen and write something down, attempting to change the subject from my internal monologue, before handing it to Carlisle.
Do you have any idea why my blood doesn't affect Jasper and helps him the way it does?
He and Esme both read it once again, and I see him shake his head. "No, but I have been doing a lot of research. It's very perplexing, because I don't think anyone has seen anything like this before. We know that vampires have singers, which is someone whose blood is overly appealing to a particular vampire to the point of obsessiveness. Sure, your blood is appealing to Jasper, producing the same possessive need, but it doesn't have the same effect. I have some theories, but nothing concrete." He and Jasper exchange a secretive glance, almost as if they are hiding something, but before I can question it, Carlisle continues. "Your blood attracts him, sure, but he doesn't want to actually drink it."
Jasper tapped my shoulder and I turn to look at his face. "Your blood doesn't have that appetizing appeal to me."
I tilt my head inquisitively and sign, knowing that with what he's learned from the sign language books, he should be able to understand:
Appetizing?
He pursed his lips before continuing. "When I say 'appetizing', I mean…picture it like when you are really hungry and you enter your house to someone cooking. You smell the food and your stomach growls, your mouth begins to salivate, and you really want to eat what it is that you are smelling, even if you don't know what it is yet, you know what it smells like."
I nodded and signed, Continue.
"Well, when a normal vampire smells blood that is what they mean when they say that a person's blood smells 'appetizing'. Now, you know when a person smells a bouquet of flowers, or their favorite smelling perfume? It smells good, but not in a way that makes your want to taste it."
My eyebrows shot up and I pointed to myself.
Jasper nodded, "Yes, that is almost the way that your blood appeals to me. You smell good…amazing…but rather than like a flower, you have the food smell. It's so appealing, that it's like a human smelling their absolute favorite food when they haven't eaten for days. But there is something incredibly strong within me that makes it impossible for me to even want to taste you. I can't thoroughly explain it in a way that you could understand, but even the thought of it…" He trailed off and shook his head. "I could never do that…even before I got to know you."
I slowly bobbed my head in a thoughtful manner, understanding what he was saying but unable to relate.
I looked to Carlisle to see what he had to say about it.
"It's amazing." He said, "I am still looking, though. As I've said, I've come up with a few theories, but don't have any positive answers. I will tell you two if I have any confirmation or find anything concrete."
I nod, satisfied with that. Maybe, eventually we'll find out, but now, it's a nice mystery.
Carlisle and Esme both exited the room, I assumed that it was to give us some privacy as I thought quietly about everything that I had just learned.
A couple of moments later, Edward and Bella walked into the room, the latter looking a little wind-blown. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she just gives me an embarrassed smile.
Edward walked the two of them over to their grand piano and sat down, allowing Bella to take a seat next to him. I could see that he started playing the instrument and that Bella was really enjoying whatever it was that she was hearing.
I couldn't help but to feel a little bittersweet that I wasn't able to hear it. Sensing this, Jasper gently reached down and squeezed my hand. I looked up at him and saw that he wore a slightly concerned expression, mixed with pity.
Oh, no you don't.
One thing that I absolutely hated was when people began feeling sorry for me. I will not allow Jasper to have those outlooks about my disability.
Forcing a smile, I stand up, pulling him along by the hand that he was still holding. I lead him over to the side of the piano causing Bella to look up and give us a smile, knowing exactly what I was doing.
Edward continues to play, having heard in my thoughts what I was planning and playing his part in the demonstration.
I obviously can't hear the music, but that doesn't mean that I can't feel it, especially with my remaining senses. There are some who don't comprehend that when a person loses one or more of their senses, the remaining senses become enhanced. It is the body's way of adapting and making up for its loss of that sense.
I make a show of placing my hand against the side of the instrument, feeling the hammers inside of the piano as Edward hits the keys. Jasper watches me intrigued as I smile, feeling the music as its being played. Each hammer has its own frequency and causes a different level of vibration. When combined with others, a beautiful silent rhythm is born.
I bring his cold hand that I am holding and release it, placing it onto the piano, keeping mine own hand over it. He keeps his hand there and closes his eyes, feeling the music as it's played. After several moments, he finally opens his eyes and we both look at up each other, smiling.
How is a creature this beautiful looking at me like that? It's beyond me, but I'm thankful for him being in my life in any way possible.
A couple of hours later, Edward is getting ready to drive us home.
Bella and I thank Carlisle and Esme for allowing us to visit and they tell us to come back anytime.
Alice says her goodbyes to us with the promise that we will definitely be seeing her soon. I smile widely at her before finally turning to Jasper. He glances towards Carlisle, Esme, and Alice who takes this as their cue to leave. They all smile knowingly as they each fade out of the room while Bella and Edward head out of the front door to wait for me outside.
Taking both of my hands in his, Jasper smiled. "Thank you for coming today, Lily." He said and I nod, grinning.
I lean up on the balls of my feet and plant a chaste kiss on his cool cheek at the same time as he brought his arms around to my back, pulling me into a tight hug.
I closed my eyes and wrap my arms around his neck, relishing in the feel of his body against my own as I take in his amazing scent that seems to send my body into an intense state of both comfort and completeness.
It ends all too quickly for us both, but I knew that Edward and Bella were waiting for me in the car.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Darlin'." he promises as I make my way to the front door and smile. I give him a reassuring nod as I exit the beautiful house and walk over to the car.
As I open the back door, I turn once more to look at Jasper and find him standing in the doorway. I give him a wave before sliding inside.
Edward starts maneuvering down the long driveway the second that my door closes. I find my spirit high as we continue to drive home.
Today was amazing. The family was all very nice...or…well… most of them were, anyway. I still can't seem to get over the fact that Jasper is learning Sign Language for me. I couldn't help the smile that forms on my face every time that I think about it. I knew that learning it was not easy, though I did learn when I was younger, as did Bella. Not to mention that he is a vampire who is able to pick up on things a lot faster than a human child. Either way, I find it really touching that he wants to learn it at all.
Edward pulled up to the house and I slid out of the car, leaving my sister and him some privacy to say their goodbyes.
I couldn't keep the smile from my face as I walked through the front door and into the house. Looking at the driveway before closing the door, I took note that the cruiser was not here, so I assumed that Charlie would be working later than usual tonight.
I walked straight up the stairs and into my room, turning on my light. I looked up and gasped as I spotted Jasper sitting casually on my bed.
Reflexively, I clutched at my chest with my right hand as he stood up, walking over to me.
Oh my God, I'm going to have a heart attack unless he stops doing that.
"I'm sorry that I keep on scaring you," he says with a small, apologetic smile, taking me into his arms.
I shook my head, trying to calm my racing heart. I looked up to smile at him, letting him know that he was forgiven and that I was alright.
"I just wanted to make sure that you got home safely." He paused, looking down as he took one of my hands in his. "I also just wanted to see you." he admitted, causing my smile to widen.
I gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it to sign. After all, the best way to learn something was to practice.
That's very sweet. Thank you.
He smiled down at me, "You are welcome, Lily. I will see you tomorrow." he replied.
I smiled, taking a step closer to him as he pulled me in for another hug. I buried my head into his chest and he rested his chin on my head.
We stayed like this for several long minutes before he pulled back slightly to place a lingering kiss on the top of my head and retreated the rest of the way so that I could see his face.
"Goodnight, Darlin'." He both signed and spoke at the same time, bringing a wider smile to my lips.
He flitted over to my window and opened it, sparing me a last glance as I waved to him. He smiled with a wink and climbed out, disappearing into the night.
I walked over to the open window and looked out, seeing that he had completely vanished.
Shaking my head, I closed it tightly and shut the curtains before grabbing some pajamas out of my dresser drawer and changed into them. Then, I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face.
When I returned to my room, I pulled out my book bag and began to organize all of my books for tomorrow.
For once, I'm not dreading school tomorrow. Sure, it was only because I'm excited to see him again and not for the actual learning. I loved these feelings I've been getting when I'm around him. It's the only time that I actually feel complete.
Turning off my light, I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, anxious for tomorrow to come sooner rather than later.
(Jasper's POV)
I made my way around to the front of the house at vampire speed and find that Edward was still inside of the Volvo alone, waiting for me. He had obviously sensed me when he pulled up in front of the girls' house.
I grin and pulled the passenger side door open and slipped inside, pulling it closed behind me.
"Hey," I greeted him with a head nod.
"Hey," He mimicked me, reaching between us to shift the car into gear before pulling down the road and making a right towards town.
"Didn't you trust that I'd get the girls home safe?" He questioned me with a teasing smirk.
I rolled my eyes, "You know I can't help it."
He nodded, "I understand."
We rode in quiet for a couple of minutes aside from the sound of the engine and the wheels moving across the road as we skirted around the outside of town. I continued to stare out the window beside me, watching the trees fly by while deep in thought about Lilly, as always.
"Are you going to tell her?" Edward suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
I played dumb. "Tell her about what?"
He took his eyes off of the road to shoot me a look, telling me without words that he knew that I knew what he meant. He wanted to know if I was going to tell Lilly about us being mates and what that entails.
I shrugged, "Eventually…I mean, how can I not, right? I just haven't found the right time, the right way. What if she doesn't want anything to do with it? After all, it is a big commitment for a human to make and not as easy as just accepting it. There would be a lot of decisions for her to make, regardless of what I want to happen."
He didn't respond, regardless of it being a rhetorical question. I could feel the dilemma surging inside of him as he thought over his own predicament.
"I take it you haven't told Bella, then." It wasn't a question. I could tell by his emotions that he hadn't told her and was deliberating on whether he even wanted to tell her at all.
"My situation isn't as simple as yours," was all he said.
I snorted at this.
"You think my situation is simple?" Again, it was rhetorical. He obviously thought that just because I didn't crave her blood the way that he did with Bella that my relationship with Lilly was simple. "You're wrong. I just am willing to take the chances necessary to have her in my life in whatever way that she'll accept me."
"Even if it means changing her?" He pressed, shooting me a surprised, yet questioning glance over the center console.
I didn't have to think about the answer.
"Yes."
He didn't say anything, just watched to road ahead of us.
"So, I take it you aren't going to tell Bella, then?" I pushed on, curious about his answer.
He gritted his teeth, "No."
My brows shot up. "Then what the hell are you doing? She's in love with you, you know? What exactly do you think you are doing? What exactly do you plan on doing, Edward? This isn't fair…to either of you."
He snarled, "I don't know, alright?! I don't know!"
I sighed, tracing my brow with my fingers, resting my elbow on the door.
Bottom line, despite whatever Edward was doing or planning on doing with his mate, I wanted Lilly with me forever. In my perfect fantasy of the two of us, she would be a vampire and we would be happy and in love as we lived out our forever. She would wear my mark proudly, warning off any male that she was mine.
If only it was that simple…
"You'd take her soul? Change her into a monster?" Edward hissed, causing me to cringe and become immediately defensive.
"She would never be a monster!" I snapped before taking in a deep calming breath before I continued on. "You know that we don't have those same beliefs, Edward. And if it is what Lilly wants, I would gladly give it to her. Especially if it meant that I would get to keep her with me forever." I didn't care how selfish that made me sound.
But how could it be selfish if it was what she wanted?
Edward sighed with dismay, "Because if you cared about her, then you would also care that by having her forever, you would be taking a chance at Heaven away from her by transforming her into…this."
I growled at this, "Of course I care about her, but I'm not going to take away her choices! If she decides that being changed is something that she wants, I'm not going to deny both of us something that we both desperately want. I will make sure that she is well informed and allow her to make her own decisions, no matter what I, you, or anyone else wants for her! It's her life, so it's her decisions! I will be there for her in any way that she allows me. She is my mate! You can do whatever you want when it comes to Bella, but Liliana is mine!"
He didn't respond. He just continued to drive with both hands on the wheel, holding it so tightly that I was surprised that it didn't break apart in his hands. His jaw was tense and he gritted his teeth, but knew that he wouldn't get anywhere arguing with me about his delusions and conceptions of what we are.
I'll admit that I have my own problems coping with things that I have done in the past, and I do my best not to let it affect my life now, even if sometimes it is harder for me to do than others.
We rode the rest of the way back to the house in tense quiet, both of us thinking about our conversation and plans of action. I could only hope that he would really think on all of this and come to his decision sooner rather than later before anything done couldn't be reversed.
(Liliana's POV)
Upon opening my eyes, I find myself in an open field. It was huge and unfamiliar.
I darted my eyes around, looking for someone, anyone.
The sky was very dark and cloudy with fog surrounding the field. The world around me lights up and I jump when I see lightning strike nearby, feeling the rumble of the thunder all around me.
I look over and see Bella suddenly standing there where the lightening had hit. I yelled out to her, but she doesn't seem to notice me.
I run up to her, but she just continues to stare right through me.
When I reach out to touch her, my hand falls right through her shoulder.
It's like I'm a ghost…
I feel a chill travel down my spine and I turn around, my body freezing when I see three shadowy figures walking out of the forest through the fog.
It's them.
They run towards Bella and I with impossible speed, but fear roots me to the ground and I am unable to move. Bella watches them wide-eyed and I try to scream at her to run.
When they get close, all three of them begin to circle us like three lions sizing up their prey.
I can't move. I can't breathe.
The blonde man walks right up to Bella and grabs her neck.
I rush forward and try to push him off of her, but I pass right through his body.
I begin screaming at the top of my lungs, but no one pays me any mind.
Just then, he smiles and then sinks his teeth right into Bella's neck.
A/N: Hey guys! So, what did you think? I put in a little Jasper's POV in there for ya. I'm sorry it was on the shorter side, but there was only so much I could do just then. Anyway, any thoughts on the chapter? Idea's for the next? Would love to hear what you think!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter!
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To see more, go to my FF page or my Wattpad (my Wattpad stories have pictures posted with each chapter of a scene from that update, so check it out!) page under the same user name: Xo Bella Italiana oX
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot. I am also accepting other story topics as well! PM me for details!
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Xo Bella Italiana oX