Haha wow, I didn't know so many people hated Lauren. Well, I'm glad no one objected to my decision to humiliate her.
To Bae319, Can you recommend any good B/J fics for me to read? All the ones I find are crappy and follow the same plot. That's why I started writing Sail Away. Have you found any good ones?
To dawnismyenemy, second to SM? You flatter me. All Mighty Otaku, eh? I could get used to that…lol. Well, thanks. This chappie is dedicated to you.
Okay, I'm REALLY excited. I've been looking forward to this chapter FOREVER. Some of you are going to HATE me for this one…
BTW, I made cover for this story and OFY. Links are on my profile page.
Disclaimer: You know I don't own Twilight. Or Almost Lover.
"Wait, you said it was Christmas time, right?" Melody asked, picking up a snow globe from a box. She shook it vigorously, watching as the snow fell back down.
"Yes. We were on Winter Break from college," I answered, admiring her childish fascination with simple things. I always forgot she was just a little girl.
"Well, when are you gonna get to Christmas? It's the best holiday of the year." I smiled, intrigued by my little Melody.
"I'm just about to get to that, Sweetheart. So, after the incident in Port Angeles…"
Before we knew it, Christmas Eve had arrived. Bella and I had gone back to do our shopping a few days later, without the distraction of Mike and Lauren. We had found perfect gifts for all of our friends, except for one…
"Jazz! Pass the cookies, will ya?" Rose nudged me with her toe, looking absolutely ravenous from her perch on the couch.
I chuckled and said, "You're going to have to wait, sis. Our guests will be here soon." She scowled and rubbed her stomach, groaning with hunger. The air was filled with the scent of gingerbread men and hot chocolate, cheery music playing in the background. Snow was swirling outside the window, frosting the window in delicate patterns of frost.
"Jasper! Rosalie! The Swans are here!" Mom called from the kitchen, where she was whipping up a last-minute batch of cookies. Rose and I jumped up, grateful for a distraction. Her red skirt flowing behind her, she jumped into the outstretched arms of Emmett, producing an embarrassed chuckle from Charlie. Bella hugged me gently, and subtly took my hand.
People slowly started arriving, coming with merry greetings and cheery laughter. The mood of the room was warm and inviting, and the grins on everyone's faces were contagious. I couldn't help pulling Bella to the center of the room with me, twirling her around to the beat of the music.
Giggling, she asked, "Is Santa coming this year?"
Laughing at horrific memories, I replied, "Not this year. Dad ripped a hole in the suit and Mom didn't have enough time to patch it up. Maybe next Christmas." Every year, my father insisted on dressing up as Santa Claus at our Christmas Party. It was always embarrassing, especially after some of the adults had a bit too much to drink.
She laughed and rolled her eyes, turning her head when the door opened, a flurry of cold wind and snow blowing in. Bella froze.
The Cullen family walked in, shaking the snow off their boots and coats. Of course they had been invited. Esme and my mother were inseparable, and Carlisle and my dad got along very well. And Alice was an angel, loved by everyone.
I looked back at Bella, who was quickly trying to regain her composure. I mouthed, Are you gonna be alright?
She nodded, and continued dancing with me, as if her baby's father and ex-boyfriend had not just walked in. I spun her around, edging away from the newcomers. Rose caught my eye, raising her eyebrows. I shrugged, not really sure how Bella was going to handle this.
A flash of bronze caught my attention, and I saw Edward moving towards us. Dark circles underlined his eyes, and his voice was dull and depressed when he called, "Bella!"
My hands were suddenly empty and a space had appeared where Bella had stood. I saw her run down the hall and into the bathroom, hands at her eyes. I moved to go see her, but a pair of small hands grabbed mine.
"Let her be for a moment. She needs to collect herself," Alice said, eyeing her brother pityingly. He skulked away, running a hand through his hair.
A catchy song started playing, causing me to start dancing. Alice joined in, swinging our arms back and forth. I spun her around, producing high-pitched giggles from the tiny girl.
"So, how's your break been? I haven't seen much of you lately," Alice asked as she ducked under my arm. I shrugged nonchalantly, and said, "Nothing, really. You?"
Her face fell a bit, and she said, "Trying to get Edward to open up. He's barely said a word since…well, you know. He wont talk, he wont smile, he doesn't even play his piano anymore. He's…nothing. And it scares me."
I grimaced, and said, "I know what you mean. Bella's been almost as bad. At least I've been able to make her smile a bit."
She squeezed my hand, and said, "Yeah, Bella's lucky to have someone like you to count on. You're a good friend, Jasper."
She stood on her tippy-toes, bringing her face close to mine. Her eyes sparkled with joy and her cheeks were flushed with warmth from the room. She was beautiful. A fairy goddess. I leaned in to close the space between us when Rose ran over to me.
"Bella's asking for you. She sounded really upset." She whispered in my ear, worry etched on her face. I nodded, then ran off, apologizing to Alice while I ran.
Bella was slumped in a corner of the hall, trying very hard not to cry. I sat down next to her, pulling her into my arms.
"EJ's never going to have a father, Jazz. How will I explain this to him? When he grows up he'll ask, and I'll have to tell him what I failure I am. Knocked-up at age nineteen. No boyfriend, no job. Oh, god. What'll Charlie say? And Emmett? Oh, Jazz…"She curled up against me, clinging tightly to my shirt.
I stroked her, soothingly. "EJ is going to be the most loved child in the world, Bells. For one, you're his mother, and nothing is better than that. Plus he'll have Emmett to play with, and Rosalie and Charlie to dote on him. And me. I'll be the best surrogate father a baby could have. You're not a failure, Bells. Never."
She smiled, then looked up, blushing. I followed her gaze, chuckling to see a clump of mistletoe hanging above us. She eyed me shyly, flushing even more. The color to her cheeks made her look alive again, like she wasn't in pain or slowly dying. Such a pretty color…
I leaned in and kissed her, relieving the tension between us. Her hand gripped my neck, pulling my in tighter. My arms wrapped around her waist, careful not to hit the little bump that was EJ.
Two gasps snapped us back to reality. Edward stood there, frozen, a look of horror on his face. His fists were bunched up and the veins on his arms were bulging.
I felt my heart break in two as I found the source of the second gasp. Alice, frozen in a motion of chasing after her brother, starred at me with such heartbreak and betrayal, that I wanted to cry.
In one swift motion, Alice and Edward were gone, out of our lives and hearts for, seemingly, forever. Bella got up and ran to the nearest room, locking herself in. I leaned back against the wall, fighting tears.
Alice knew. She knew how I felt about Bella. Edward knew, too, but that seemed trivial next to the fact that Alice knew. Why had I ever given in to Bella? I knew she would never love me the way I loved her. Shit, why did I ever fall in love with Bella? All it caused was heartache…
A low hum of music came from the locked room, undoubtedly from the bedside radio. The melody reached me, squeezing under the door, teasing me with it's lyrics.
Goodbye, my almost lover. Goodbye, my hopeless dream.
I sighed, starring at the door, willing it away. If anyone knew how I felt right now, it was the frail, little girl curled up on my bed, crying her eyes out.
I'm trying not to think about you. Can't you just let me be?
Alice's face kept surfacing to my mind, her expression of shock and hurt… Oh, God, what had I done?
So long, my luckless romance. My back is turned on you.
If I caused her this much torment, she didn't deserve someone as horrendous as me. No, she deserved better.
Should've known you'd bring me heartache.
I looked back at the door, thinking of every time Bella had broken my heart. Too many times to count. And yet, I still loved her, the way she obviously still loved Edward.
But, like with Edward, that love was one-sided. Bella didn't love me. She needed me. And I knew that. Never once did I think she wanted me as anything but a friend, and I was okay with that.
Almost lovers always do.
Alrighty. I'm sure all of you Canon-lovers hate me by now, if you're even still reading this story. Oh, well.
R&R pleez!
Anna