Love and kisses and bewb gropes to my amazing beta/pre-reader team: LaMomo, Willow, Manda, and Heidi. They keep me on track and make sure I make sense. Any errors are mine, cause I don't know when to leave well enough alone.

Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just took them to beach and college.

Please do not reproduce, translate, caress, or fondle (or lick, nibble, or kiss for the girls from the fan group, for whom I have to be specific since they're abusing poor Jasper!) my story inappropriately in any way or Emmett will destroy your avi.

CHAPTER 14

I'll Shoot the Moon

With a silent prayer for strength to a God I wasn't even sure existed, I trekked back to the house. Clambering up the steps to the deck, I brushed the sand off my legs and feet before going inside. Alice was already gone and Edward was setting up the coffee pot for the morning.

"How's Bella?"

I heaved a deep sigh out of my chest, scrubbing my hands through my hair before answering. "Bella's fine, but I'm not so good. You were right, E. I gotta talk to someone and I need to do it soon. Bella had to swerve off the road on her way home, almost getting in an accident, and I damn near flipped my shit while we were on the phone when she told me. I can't live like this anymore. I've got to resolve the shit that happened or I've got to let Bella go, and that's not an option. Where do I need to go to talk to somebody?"

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When my alarm went off at 6:00 the next morning, I wasn't in a big rush to drag myself out of bed. With everything I'd been through the day before – the time spent with Bella, the talk with Edward and Alice, the phone call, and all the emotions it brought back, I'd thought for sure that sleep, if it came, would be spotty, at best. I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, I dreamed of a beautiful brown-eyed girl, with laughter in her eyes and a smile on her lips. In my dreams, I saw Bella lounging out in my t-shirt that she'd borrowed and the sweats I'd given her.

I wondered if Bella was that kind of girl. You know, the kind that actually saves trinkets and things to preserve memories that were important. I didn't know, but I wanted to find out. I wanted to know everything about her. The only drawback was that, in return, she'd want to know everything about me, too, and, that was why I'd be dragging my ass to the Student Counseling Center when I got a break, either between classes, or at the end of the day. Edward had offered to go with me and I told him I'd text him when I got a better idea of when I'd be able to go.

Groaning, I gingerly shoved my aching body off the bed. I tossed some fresh clothes on the bed I'd hastily straightened, before walking into the bathroom. I kicked on the shower, turning the heat up as high as I could stand it, knowing it would help the aching muscles in my neck and shoulders. While the steam filled the bathroom, I loosened and removed the wrap Carlisle had put on me. I could see the dark purple bruises reflected back at me in the mirror that was quickly misting over. I unwrapped the tape from my fingers, too, since once it got wet it'd be a fucking mess to get off.

Stepping into the steaming, pulsing water, I let it just run across my shoulders and neck, beating into the stiff muscles. As the knots started to unwind, I lazily washed my hair, careful to not bang my finger. I scrubbed my body and groaned at how sore I still was. I'd be damn glad when I healed up, not surfing or exercising in any way was killing me. Short of playing Anabelle, which was hindered by my finger anyway, working out was how I dealt with stress and I knew I was in for a shit ton of it this week.

Toweling myself off, I taped my finger back up before I walked back in my room naked and grabbed my boxer briefs off the bed. As I pulled them on, I heard my phone chirp an alert for a missed message. I dragged my jeans on before walking to the nightstand to see who it was. My heart sped up when I read the screen. Bella. Wondering what she wanted this early and hoping we were still on for coffee, I popped open the message.

I have a break at 10 and will be in the quad. See you there? ~ B

Looking at the schedule I'd downloaded into my phone, I quickly texted her back.

Definitely. I have 30 min before my lab. My treat ~ J

I finished dressing, the host of a smile on my lips.. I pushed my wallet and phone into my jeans and grabbed my keys and laptop bag. I checked to make sure I had some pens and a notebook before heading downstairs for some coffee. I had enough time to sit with a cup before I had to hit the road. I wasn't sure how long the drive to downtown was going to take and I needed to hit the bookstore, too.

Edward was already in the kitchen, a cup of coffee on the counter next to where he stood and a bowl of cereal in his hands. Nodding at me, he swallowed and said good morning. I returned the greeting, pourin my own cup. Esme had baked muffins before she left the day before and I grabbed one.

"So, what time is your first class?" I asked, easin up onto the barstool.

"Still sore, huh?" I nodded, and he continued, "My first class is at nine today. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I have a seven am class." He laughed at my groan. "Yeah, but I only have three classes and am off campus by two, even after office hours, so that's pretty good. How about you?"

"I'll be on campus all day, Monday through Friday. It's the only way I'm gonna be able to finish up this year. It's gonna mean a shit ton of studying, but I don't have a lot to distract me, so it's all good."

"What about Bella? Are you guys going to be able to spend any time together during the week?"

"Probably not a lot. She's only got classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but she has to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and every other Saturday. It'll be okay, dude. I'm just letting that work itself out, you know? Which reminds me, uhm, do you mind going to the counseling center with me this afternoon? I'll work around whatever you got going on. I just, I don't know, could really use some moral support."

He smiled, with a hint of sympathy in his eyes. "Yeah, Jas, I get it. Sure, I'll go with you. When were you thinking about going?"

We compared our schedules and decided that the end of the day would be best. Edward's last class ended at 4 and he didn't have office hours on Monday. I said I'd meet him at the counseling center and he was cool with that. Checking my phone, I knew I needed to get on the road. Telling him I'd see him later, I headed out to the truck. I looked longingly at my bike, but knew that with my cracked ribs it would be a bitch to ride right now. As I climbed in the truck, I wondered how Bella felt about motorcycles and made a mental note to ask her when I saw her later on that morning.

Getting to the campus was better than I expected and I had plenty of time to run to the bookstore before class. I bought the book I needed and then headed to my Marine Biology 4 class. I was fortunate that my grades had been really good before I quit and ODU had full reciprocity with Texas A & M. I hadn't lost any of my credits with the transfer. I grabbed a seat halfway through the lecture hall. I hated that this class had a separate lab. I'd have much rather have had a class that included it, but I took what I could get.

The professor was a grizzled, retired Naval officer. He seemed nice enough, if a little gruff, and his military background was obvious when he spoke. He made sure everyone had received the copy of the syllabus. He also let us know that while he would accept online submissions for papers, they had to be received by 11:59pm on the due date in his inbox or they'd be late. He did an overview on the syllabus, gave us our reading assignments, checked to make sure everyone was signed up for one of his labs, and then started discussing the final project.

It was huge and we'd be divided into teams. He informed us that he'd be determining the groups and would email them to us as well as posting them outside his office. Checking to see if there were any questions and seeing none, he dismissed the class for the day, telling us to be prepared to jump into the text for the next class, when he would do a full lecture. My classmates began chattering amongst themselves wile we all gathered up our stuff.

I still had more than an hour before I was supposed to meet Bella. The temperature was warm, pushing the mid-eighties already, so I decided to enjoy the sun. Snagging a spot near the fountain in the quad, I pulled out my book and started reading. With the way class had gone, I was fairly certain the lab would follow suit, but hell, it didn't hurt to get a jump start on the reading, since there were fifty pages of it already.

Delving into environmental impacts on marine life, I lost track of time. When Bella touched my shoulder an hour later, I almost jumped out of my skin. Looking up at her, her brown eyes covered by a large pair of shades and a delighted smile on her lips, I couldn't hide my excitement at seeing her again. I stood up and gave her a light kiss, then lifted her shades.

"Good morning, pretty lady. How'd you sleep?"

Settling her bag at her feet and joining me at the small table, she replied, "Not as well as I did the night before. It was cold in the apartment. Luckily, this nice surfer gave me a pair of sweatpants, so I wore them to keep warm."

"Hmm, sounds like a helluva guy," leaning over and gave her another kiss, "so, still want that coffee?"

"God yes! The pot Rachel made this morning was vile! I am pretty sure my spoon started to melt, the stuff was so strong."

I asked her what she wanted and then told her to sit tight while I grabbed it from the small coffee stand on the other side of the Quad. I also grabbed a sandwich and a couple pastries. I was starving and I didn't know if Bella might want something, too. Handing her the cup of coffee, I noticed the textbook she had in front of her.

"Child Psychology?"

"Thanks. Yeah, I took it during my first year at UW, but this is a graduate level class," she answered, with a wry smile. "Honestly, most of it looks the same, but, I don't want to sit and read when we only have a little time to see each other. How was your class this morning?"

I placed the food between us and we sat talking for the next few minutes while we ate. Bella talked a bit about her Ed classes, but seemed more interested in the different science classes I'd be taking. I told her about my first professor and she also mentioned that several of hers listed military credentials in the bios she had received with her syllabuses.

Before we knew it, our time was gone and we both had to rush off to class. Shoving all the trash in the bag, I stood and grabbed my laptop bag off the ground. Our classes were in the same hall and as we walked, I entwined my fingers with hers. Bella looked down at our clasped hands and bumped into my shoulder with the sweetest smile I'd ever seen. When we reached the main entrance, I pulled Bella closer and gave her a light kiss, telling her I'd call later. She whispered okay and gave me another kiss before rushing up the stairs. I watched her walk away, knowing another one of my imaginary boundaries had been broken. I didn't care.

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The rest of my classes passed in a blur of activity, barely giving me a moment to think. Unlike Professor Hunter's class this morning, most of the other professors hit the ground running. Even in Professor Hunter's lab, we got right down to work, doing a study on the effects of oil spills on marine life and water salinity. Despite all the work, my apprehension about going to the counseling center grew and coiled in the pit of my stomach.

I methodically packed up my laptop and other gear at the end of my last class, my nerves finally getting the better of me. As I lingered near my desk, waiting for the others to file out in front of me, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning, I saw a tall brunette standing behind me, a welcoming smile on her face.

"Hi, I'm Lauren. I had to ask, did you surf ECSC this weekend? You look just like one of the surfers who competed."

Discomfort flooded me at being recognized. "Uh, yeah," I cleared my throat before continuing. "Yeah, I did. Jasper Whitlock. Nice to meet you." I extended my hand and she clasped it in hers.

"I thought so! I even texted my friend telling her I thought you were in my class. You were amazing! I didn't know you were a local, though. I mean, I don't remember ever seeing you before now and you certainly don't sound like you're from around here."

"No, ma'am, I'm not local. I'm originally from Texas but I decided to stay here and finish my degree. I take it you like surfing?" I asked, thankful for the delay, even though I knew Edward would be waiting for me.

"Oh, my friends and I love surfing!" she gushed. "We hang out at the beach all the time to watch. Texas, huh? Do you like country music? There's a great bar over in Norfolk. Maybe we could get together and go one night."

I knew she was angling for an invitation, so I figured I'd better nip that idea right damn quick. "That's real sweet of you, but no thanks. I've got a girlfriend."

"Back home in Texas?" she asked, her hand resting too familiarly on my arm. "Well, if you change your mind, you can call me."

"No, she's right here in Virginia. Matter of fact, she's a graduate student here at ODU," I replied, removing her hand and setting it on the desk. "And I doubt I'll be changing my mind soon, but thanks again, all the same. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late meeting a friend."

I walked away, not giving her a chance to answer. I also vowed to have a long talk with my sisters the next time I called home. They needed to know that throwing yourself at a guy wasn't the way to go. Lauren's overt behavior just came off as slutty, not attractive. I was sure I'd offended her, but really, what'd she expect? I kind of felt sorry for her. Someday, the wrong guy was going to take her up on her offer and she was going to regret it.

I all but ran over to the Student Counseling Center that I'd found on the map earlier in the day. I was frustrated about running late. That, combined with the nerves I'd been battling all day started to get the better of me. As I rushed up to Edward, I was on edge, out of breath, and in pain from the strain on my ribs. My patience was all used up.

"Hey, Jas, I was just going to call you. I was beginning to think you bailed on me and I was standing here for my health." I was so keyed up I missed the joking tone in his voice and I snapped.

"Look, Edward, if you didn't want to come along, you could have just said so. You don't need to ride my ass. I said I'd be here, didn't I? Fuck! I got held up, alright?"

Edward stepped back as if I'd slapped him. "Hey, it's cool, Jas. I said I'd be here and I am. I was really just going to call to make sure you knew where the center was."

Immediately contrite, and knowing I'd overreacted to a harmless jest, I tried to apologize.

"Damn, E, I'm sorry," I shoved my hands through my hair and blew out a hard breath, "you didn't deserve that. I'm just nervous about this and then some chick hit on me and I was running late and I…"

"We're cool, dude. Calm down. I'll grill you later about the girl who hit on you. Let's go get this done so you can dump something off your plate."

"I wish it was that easy," I muttered, walking through the door, and took the first step toward facing my past.

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An hour later, I'd filled out a pile of paperwork, met with an intake counselor, and set up an appointment for Thursday afternoon. I was certain I'd probably looked manic to the young Psych student that had done my paperwork. I'd fidgeted my way through the process – tapping my hands on my legs, knees bouncing, my fingers dragging through my hair. I'd give the girl this; she never let it faze her.

Edward never once showed any signs of impatience either; although I was sure my behavior must have been unnerving. I once again thanked whatever quirk of fate that had hooked me up with Emmett and brought his family and friends into my life. I couldn't have asked for a better support system. I knew, too, that I needed to talk to Emmett soon. I only hoped he didn't feel like I was deliberately hiding shit from him when we did talk.

Leaving the center, Edward told me he'd see me at home. I nodded and headed off toward the student parking. Tossing my gear in the passenger's seat, I turned the ignition and just sat as the truck idled. I'd found a local station I liked when Emmett won my CD in our bet. Wade Hayes' voice swirled around me, asking about starting over. I snorted to myself. It really sucked when the radio threw your life back at you.

I'd been running away from my past for too long, though. If talking all that shit out was going to allow me to live, like Alice said, then the center was where I'd start. In the meantime, maybe, just maybe, if I was damn lucky and the Fates decided I'd paid enough, I could start replacing all the bad with something better.

Turning down the music, I pulled out my phone and dialed without thinking about it. I just wanted, no, needed, to hear her voice.

"Hey Jas."

"Hey, babe. You weren't busy, were you? I can call later."

"No, I was just going over some of my assignments and working on a lesson plan for next week. I needed a break. Were you studying?"

"Nah, I haven't even started yet. I had something I had to take care of after my last class. I'm just heading home now." Looking up from where my eyes had been fixated on my dash, I saw that the parking lot was almost empty. "You were on my mind and I just wanted to call and say 'Hi'."

"Well, 'Hi' yourself.

I settled back in the seat and closed my eyes. Without too much effort, visions of her filled my mind, her smile, her laugh. "I was wondering, uhm, if you had a few minutes to take a break and hang out for a while. The twins' birthday is next week, and I wanted to send something down to them but I have no idea what to buy for a couple of teenage girls."

"Yeah, sure. When did you want to go? I have to work until five tomorrow and Thursday and all day Saturday."

"Would now be inconvenient? I mean, I understand if you're busy and need to study."

"Now is perfect. Do you want me to meet you somewhere or… ?"

"No, I can come get you. Just let me get your address and put it in the GPS."

I got the information and when the GPS registered, I told her I'd see her in a few minutes and hung up. Navigating my way out of the parking lot and following the directions that were chirped at me, I arrived at Bella's apartment in less than fifteen minutes. I found a parking place and walked up to the building. Knocking on her door, I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, nervous as a kid on his first date. Bella opened the door almost immediately and invited me in while she grabbed her bag.

I waited inside the door and looked around. Her place was small but homey and comfortable. I saw bits of Bella reflected in the pictures that seemed to grace almost every surface. Walking over to the bookcase, I took a closer look at the pictures artfully arranged there. I saw a younger Bella with Alice, obviously from their graduation. They were beaming at the camera, their easy friendship obvious. They seemed closer than some families I had met. Next to it was a picture of a little Bella sitting with a man who I was sure was her father. They were both wearing Mariners ball caps and sitting at the stadium. He looked like a kind man, but then Alice had said he was.

Hearing Bella walk back in the room, I turned and gestured toward the shelf. "Your dad looks like a great guy."

"He is," she answered, coming to stand next to me. "You won't see too many pictures of my mom. She's the family photographer. She documents everything but we rarely catch her in front of the camera." Pointing to a picture on another shelf, "That's Mom there."

I saw a picture of an older version of Bella standing by the side of a lake, shading her eyes. The picture had obviously been taken without her knowledge and I noticed the same peace and contentment that had drawn me to her daughter when I first saw her at the park.

"You know, I'd seen you before the night Alice introduced us." Where the hell did that come from? I was so not ready to play true confessions.

"Really? Where?" The pictures were forgotten as Bella turned to look at me.

I swallowed hard and looked down. Fuck! This was going to sound stupid.

"Uh, yeah. It was the first day Emmett and I were in town. We'd gone out for lunch while we were waiting for the decision on the house and I saw you reading in a park across the street." Looking at her face to watch her reaction, I continued, "You looked so…content. Em encouraged me to go talk to you, but I didn't. Then, I saw you again the next day when I was grabbing us some subs. You were heading out to your truck and I watched you until you left. Then, the next night, Alice and Edward encouraged us to go out with them for a little while. I was shocked when I finally met you face to face at Smackwater's and you turned out to be Alice's best friend."

Bella's cheeks colored as a light blush crept up them. "And now?"

"And now…" I began, lifting her chin with my finger, "now I'm glad you still came to the beach, even after I spilled beer all over you and acted like a complete ass the first night you met me." And dipping my head, I placed my lips on hers, sliding my other hand under her hair.

Bella leaned into my kiss, her arms moving around my neck as she opened her mouth and her tongue ghosted over my bottom lip. Standing on her toes, her body pressed into mine. Our mouths played across each other, our tongues stroking, seeking more. I moved my hand from her chin, holding her against me as I let myself just live in the moment.

Breaking the kiss, we both drew deep breaths. Bella leaned her forehead against my chin. Her arms tightened around my neck and she leaned back to look at me.

"I'm glad I decided to go, too." she replied, before placing a light kiss on the pulse racing in my neck. Then she reluctantly pulled away. "But we aren't getting your shopping done. C'mon Cowboy! Let's hit the road." Her eyes sparkledwhile she teased me with the nickname she'd given me.

Sighing, I agreed and followed her out the front door. I held the door as she climbed up into my truck, then walked around to the driver's side. Settling myself in and starting the engine, I asked her for directions to the nearest mall. We headed over to Lynnhaven Mall and spent the next couple of hours drifting in and out of the many stores. We took a break about halfway through our expedition and grabbed a bite to eat in the food court.

By the time we'd covered half the mall, I was becoming discouraged, figuring I was going to have to just send them gift cards, even though I'd wanted to get them something each a little more personal. I protested at first when Bella dragged me into Build-a-Bear, thinking the twins were too old for it. Instead, I saw that the store contained as many teens as it did younger girls.

The walls were covered with animals of every sort, dressed in various little outfits. I had to admit, the shit was kind of cute. I decided to get both the girls Happy Birthday bears and all but laughed at how earnest Bella was when it came time to stuff their empty, fuzzy corpses. Hearts, sounds, brushing, fluffing - the whole thing was completely ridiculous and yet, I couldn't remember ever having had so much fun while shopping.

Once we had fat teddy bears, Bella asked what the girls were interested in so we could dress them accordingly. Shaking my head, I told her the little bit I knew about my sisters from phone conversations with them and my mom. Not having been home in over two years made it damn difficult to really know two teenage girls. Somehow we managed to sort it all out and thirty minutes later we left with two well-dressed bears and their very expensive new wardrobes.

"I can't believe we just spent over a $100 dressing teddy bears!" I laughed as we strolled back through the mall to the exit.

"Yeah, but I bet your sisters are going to love them," Bella laughed as well, "besides, admit it- they were fun to make."

I agreed and made a mental note of how much Bella had enjoyed the store. I might have to make a return visit soon for something special for her. As we passed a kiosk, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Stopping, I stepped over and scanned the rack. There it was. Hanging in the middle of the rack was a small brightly colored surfboard charm dangling from a black cord necklace. Snagging it off the nook before Bella saw what it was, I asked the attendant to ring it up. Noticing my furtive movements, the young girl figured it was a surprise and slipped it straight into a bag. I quickly signed the receipt and took the bag from her.

"What was it Jas? Did you see something else for your sisters?"

"Nope," I answered, and twined my fingers with hers again, tugging her away from the stand. "Just something that caught my eye."

We stored the bear boxes behind the truck's seat and I closed the door once Bella was settled. On the way back to her place, I asked Bella some more questions about her family. She told me a little bit, but seemed more interested in mine. Having been an only child, with Alice the closest thing she had to a sister, she was more interested in what it was like to grow up with siblings. I told her the truth - because the twins and I were pretty far apart in age, and they were girls, I didn't have much to do with them. Now that they were older, and I'd realized the importance of family, I was more interested in having a relationship with them. I wanted them to feel like they could talk to me, even when they couldn't talk to our parents.

All too soon we were back at the apartment. I walked Bella to the door, but declined her invitation to come in. I hadn't been home since I'd left for school and I still needed to get some studying done. As we stood at her open door, I nervously pushed my hand in my pocket and fiddled with the small paper bag I'd shoved in there at the mall.

"Thanks a lot for coming with me today. It made my shopping a lot easier, and it's nice to have some company for a change."

"It was a lot of fun, Jas. I'm sure the girls will love their new bears. They're so damn cute, and you picked out some great stuff to go with them. I bet they'll love the little beach outfits best, especially since they're coming from you," she teased me, "and you got the little surfboards to go with them."

"Yeah, well, I guess so." Pulling the bag out of my pocket, I clenched my hand around the folded edge. "So, I was wondering, I saw this at the mall, too, and thought you might like a little reminder of me every now and again."

She smiled at me, a curious look on her face. Holding my breath, I handed her the little bag. Opening it, she reached in and pulled out the necklace.

"Oh, Jas! I love it! It's almost the same colors as your board. Is this what you saw at the kiosk?" She was so excited that most of my nerves melted away. "Will you help me put it on?" she asked, and turned, lifting her hair out of the way.

My shaking fingers struggled to unhook the clasp, but I finally managed to get it open. Reaching around her, I put it around her neck. Her free hand came up to hold it while I clasped it shut. I placed a light kiss on her neck before stepping back.

"It does come with one string attached to it, though."

"What's that?" she asked, turning to face me again, while her downcast eyes studied the little trinket resting between her breasts. When I didn't answer her right away, she looked up and took my hand in hers. "Jas?"

I was drowning in her eyes, struggling to speak past the giant lump that had taken up residence in my throat. "Me."

Not letting go of my hand, she placed the other on my shoulder, "That's not a string, that's a bonus - one I'll gladly accept." And, as if she were sealing a deal, she tilted her head back and kissed me.

Thanks for your patience while I was so late updating. I spent a few days in the hospital and then had to scramble to finish a gift story and a contest entry that I was committed to. God willing and the creek don't rise, the next chapter will be up in two weeks.

Big, warm, squishy hugs to all the lovely ladies and the occasional gentleman I write with on Skype. They keep me motivated and they are each and everyone amazing writers themselves.

I will be writing a new one-shot for the Tsunami and Fandom Fealty Relief Efforts. If you can find it in your heart (and pocketbook) to donate, it will go to a worthy cause.

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FB group: http:/www(.)facebook(.)com/#!sk=group_145967552120329&ap=1

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