Chapter Eleven
Bella
The discussion stopped when I realized I was getting way too personal, it was nothing to do with me what Jasper was doing or had done in the past although he seemed quite comfortable with me questioning him. It was the first time we had been alone for more than a few minutes and talked. He'd always been an enigma to me, not quite like the rest of the Cullens and removed from me. Maybe because of the attack at my party but he had more than made up for that when he taught everyone to fight in order to protect me from Victoria's newborn army. As I watched him schooling the others and the wolves I realized just how dangerous he really was but it didn't make me more afraid of him just the reverse. I thought he was the strongest of them all even though they hadn't seen it, they didn't recognize that everything was so much harder for him, he hadn't had their comfortable and secure start in their world, just the opposite in fact.
Yawning I realized we should stop, I needed a break and something to eat so I pulled in to a café car park.
"I need food and a few human minutes Jasper. I'm sorry, what will you do? Do you need to hunt?"
He got out and stretched just as every human did when they got out after a long drive then came round and opened my door for me, offering me a hand as I hopped out.
"If you don't mind I think I'll come in with you. We can still talk unless you'd rather not?"
I kept hold of his hand,
"I'd be delighted"
He smiled and bowed over my hand,
"Then let's eat Miss Bella."
I loved his deep South accent when he allowed it to show and we walked in to the café hand in hand. He ordered while I used the rest room and rang Charlie to tell him I had made it safely so far,it would stop him worrying for a while. I peeped round the corner as I came back from the cloakroom to see Jasper sitting relaxed at our table a coffee steaming in front of him, fitting in again. He may be fitting in but he was definitely not being ignored. Two young girls who were at a table where they could watch without being too obvious were eyeing him up and I had to agree he was worth looking at. I knew it was the lie, the lure of the vampire, but he was extremely good-looking and very sexy. What was I saying? Well it was true, but I would have to watch myself. He was only here for company and I didn't want him driving into the sunset on his bike because I was projecting my emotions onto him.
Jasper
I knew Bella was watching me and I felt her emotions, they made me smile. She, like every other woman, was drawn to me as a vampire yet her emotions were slightly different because she knew what the allure was all about. Edward had been crazy to ruin things with this amazingly complex human girl. To find a human who wasn't afraid and would put her own life on the line for such as we were should have meant something to him. I could understand that he wanted to keep her safe, especially with her penchant for finding danger but she needed her freedom. Like a horse, you couldn't kill the spirit without killing the beast. She needed careful handling and would repay the gentleness with her love and her heart. I wasn't sure why I was drawn to Bella so strongly but Alice's request gave me a good excuse to stay close. I just hoped Bella wouldn't get tired of my company because she made my existence much more bearable with her acceptance. When we got back to the truck she handed over the keys,
"Do you mind driving for a while? I feel sleepy"
"Not at all. You sleep I'll drive."
We hadn't been on the road long before her head started to nod so I suggested she might like to lean her head on my shoulder,
"It will be more comfortable for you."
She never even hesitated but thanked me and put her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. Within minutes she was fast asleep and I drove on content to be here with her. I felt a flicker of something, whether it was apprehension at having her so close, the scent of her blood wafting in the air, or something else I didn't know and to be honest as long as I didn't feel she was in any danger I didn't really care.
Bella
When I woke up I wasn't sure where I was for a second then realized I was leaning against Jasper who had an arm around me. When he knew I was awake he removed it and I wished instantly that he hadn't.
"Sorry Bella but I thought you were going to slip forward"
"Thank you. Have I been asleep long?"
"No only about an hour but driving is tiring or so I understand"
"Of course, you learned to drive as a vampire. Do you miss the days before cars and computer's, all that stuff?"
"I miss the horses yes but cars and planes are more convenient".
"It seems strange to me to think how many changes you've lived through. Do you ever feel old?"
"Yes sometimes. I think back to my world and it's just a distant memory. Everyone I knew is dead, the way I learned to behave seems archaic to the young people today. Remember in my day you would have had a chaperone with us and you certainly wouldn't be allowed this close. In my day women were treated as something special and I guess I miss that. There's not much feminine any longer, the boundaries between the sexes has been pulled down and I find it all a little overwhelming sometimes. Sorry I shouldn't be lecturing you, its boring."
"Jasper I find you many things, but boring isn't one of them."
"Why thank you Miss Bella."
Again that accent did things to me and my heart beat accelerated.
"Would you like to stop soon? We can get dinner and go for a walk around the next town we come to."
"That sounds nice, yes I'd like to."
We turned off the highway and found a parking spot close to a restaurant,
"Would you like to eat first or walk?"
"I think a walk would be good, stretch my muscles."
"Then we'll walk. Would you care to take my hand?"
There was a park close by and we strolled hand in hand enjoying the fresh air in companionable silence then I felt Jasper stiffen and push me behind him slightly. I looked around but I couldn't see anything,
"Jasper?"
I whispered but he shook his head and then I saw them, two guys in leather jackets approached looking as if they wanted trouble.
"Well now what do we have here? A pair of love birds. Hand over your wallet boy"
I cringed knowing this wouldn't be good for the two confronting us.
"Sorry?"
"Wallet moron."
Jasper dropped my hand and moved so fast he was a blur. I heard a very short and strangled scream and opening my eyes, which I'd closed when the men spoke, I saw Jasper brushing himself down, no sign of the two men.
"They gone?"
"I think they slipped down the bank here, sounded like they hit the bottom rather hard though. Shall we?"
I took his hand again and we walked back to the restaurant, I couldn't help a smile as we walked and he picked up on it.
"What?"
"Its like walking along with Superman."
"No Bella, but those two were a danger to you so they had to learn a hard lesson."
"You did it for me?"
"If I'd been alone I would probably have ignored them, I try not to get in altercations with humans, it tends to lead to blood being spilled and I try very hard to avoid that."
"So what would you have done?"
"Disappeared, they were so slow it would have been easy. I've done too much fighting Bella."
He sounded weary and I squeezed his hand,
"Thank you."