Chapter Twenty One

Esme

We really hoped that Bella and Charlie would accept our invitation, it would be so good to have an opportunity to mend fences. I had asked Jasper who was spending nearly all his time with Bella to bring her over on several occasions but he refused, she would have to be the one to decide when she wanted to see us, he wouldn't put any pressure on her.

Peter had become more of a fixture, which is how we discovered what had really happened after we left, how devastated and hurt Bella had been. That explained her coldness towards us, thoughtlessly accepting Edward's decision that we should just vanish had done more damage than we could ever have imagined.

Yet despite that, when she heard that Jasper was in terrible danger she had insisted on accompanying Peter on a rescue mission that could easily have resulted in her own death. Her connection with us still not severed completely. It made me think that Edward had made the biggest mistake of his immortal life walking away from her and now Jasper had stepped in and the connection between the two of them was stronger than anything he could have hoped for.

Peter had shown his undying loyalty to his friend and obviously, Bella had seen the goodness in him before we did. He had always been Jasper's boorish friend who we had tolerated for his sake. Another mistake on our part, it seemed Bella was adept at uncovering every one of them. Still, he showed no signs of leaving so maybe we had time to make things right with him too.

At first, I had thought he just liked hanging around because he knew it made us uneasy, Peter had never really approved of our family and made no effort to hide the fact, but that was uncharitable. He had changed since Charlotte left him and he and Bella became friends. Jasper was the only family he had left now and if he wanted to feel he had somewhere, a home, even perhaps a family then I would do my best to make that happen.

It took time but I slowly began to realize that there was more to it than just his wish to stay close to his friend. I began to notice that when he wasn't with Jasper, Bella, and her friends he spent a lot of time with Alice. If I needed one I would often find the other. The two who had more or less been strangers or passing acquaintances were now becoming firm friends.

Alice had always been soft-hearted, she felt everyone's pain and tried to alleviate it and it wasn't difficult to imagine that Peter was still in pain despite his attempts to put on a brave face.

It was Rose who first put my thoughts into words, she came to me in the garden one day grinning broadly.

"I think we might be hearing wedding bells in the not too distant future, Esme."

I got to my feet sweeping my hair back with one grubby hand, excited at the thought.

"Why? Have you seen Bella? Or did Jasper tell you?"

She rolled her eyes,

"Not Jazz and Bella, I was talking about Alice and Peter."

I tried not to look too eager,

"Alice and Peter? Don't be silly, he's busy chasing those two friends of Bella's, Jessica and Angela."

"For fun yeah maybe, but Alice has her sights set on him and who would choose mousy Angela or brash Jessica over her? They are together an awful lot and she's putty in his hands. Don't tell me you hadn't noticed? That's not like you Esme."

"No it's not, I guess I'm still busy worrying about Bella, I hate it that she won't come over and talk to us, allow us to apologize properly but I guess I can't blame her."

As Rose went back to the house with the knowing look still on her face I thought about what she had said. Peter Whitlock and Alice? Well, I guessed Alice would sort Peter out, smooth off his rougher edges but even so, those two together? The mind boggled. They did tend to gravitate to each other and wherever he went she made sure Peter always took her, the little sports car she loved so much never left the garage any longer, she would bounce in and out of his huge truck with a smile on her face and when he was absent she talked about him constantly.

Peter

I found I had created a slight problem quite unknowingly. I liked Alice Cullen best of all the family, she was full of energy, always ready for some fun and I had been giving her a lot of attention but I hadn't meant for her to misunderstand my feelings towards her. I hadn't even realized she had such feelings for me until I saw her expression when she asked me to go to Seattle with her to a rock concert and I had to say I couldn't, I had other plans that day. The crazy thing was that the concert was exactly where I was going, just not with her.

I'd found myself strangely drawn to Bella's friend Angela, the quieter of her two best friends. She reminded me of Bella herself somewhat although I thought she was softer, gentler and not the kind of girl who would be interested in a guy like me. I enjoyed her company and found to my delight that whenever I met up with The Major, who I had to remember to call Jasper in front of other humans, and Bella, Angela was always there. Jessica the other best friend had slowly disappeared as if she sensed she was the odd one out. Or was that just wishful thinking on my part?

When The Major told Bella he had four tickets for the concert and asked if she wanted to make a foursome with me and maybe one of her friends I held my breath, I had no idea what kind of music Angela liked but I was praying and my prayers were answered.

"Angie and I wanted to go but we couldn't get tickets, they were sold out, so great."

Angela looked at me a little shyly,

"I'd love to go, as long as Peter doesn't mind that is."

Mind? I was looping the loop internally!

The concert was a great success although I hardly heard the bands, I was focused in on Angela, the way she looked at me with her head bent a little, her dazzling smile, her wonderful perfume. I had to admit it, I was caught, hook, line and sinker but would she be interested in a date, just the two of us?

As we left at the end of the concert she took my arm so we wouldn't get separated in the crowd and never let go. In fact, on the way back to Forks in the car we sat together in the back and for the first time in my life, I was speechless. None of my usual retorts were suitable and I didn't know what else to say so we listened in silence to the other two for a while before Bella suggested we make a foursome again the following afternoon.

"Angie and I are going ice skating after her parents get home, why don't you and Jazz join us?"

Ice skating? An excuse for me to show myself up by falling hard, repeatedly, on my ass? Hell, why not, if it meant more time with Angela?

What I hadn't expected was to run into Alice and Rose there. After all, how was I to know they enjoyed Ice Skating? I got several dirty looks from Alice who soon worked out that Angela and I were on a kind of date. Then she came over smiling at Angela, a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Hi Angie, I'd have thought you would be home babysitting your little brother and sister or doing your homework."

I was about to leap to her defence when she smiled at Alice and replied.

"Oh, I did the first this morning and the last on Friday night. I knew I wouldn't have much time with the concert yesterday and skating today. You should have gone, it was great. Peter and I really enjoyed it."

As she said that she put her arm through mine, staking a claim, an action that got its message across loud and clear.

Alice's eyes narrowed,

"Has your dad met Peter yet?"

For that read, he's not going to approve when he does.

"No, not yet but he will when we go home."

She turned to me a little abashed,

"If you'd like to that is Peter."

"Great, I'll be on my best behaviour, promise."

Alice sighed looking at the smile that blossomed on Angela's face at that. She got the message she had lost and with a final regretful look at me skated back to where Rose waited patiently for her.