Chapter Twenty Five

Edward

It was difficult to get rid of Lauren but I managed it eventually and left the dance, well that had blown up in my face! I never expected Bella to arrive with Whitlock. Ironic really, if only she knew, still it wouldn't be my problem and Forks wouldn't be my home much longer. We had waited a long time to be together but now it was close, so close I could taste freedom. My little masquerade with Lauren hadn't gone down well but I managed to calm things down eventually, it was so hard with people around all the time, there was never any peace, never any privacy in the house. I longed for the intimacy of a private place, somewhere no one else could come, no visitors, no family, just me and my mate alone. We had the place picked out now and had made our plans to leave, it was just the timing, both of us felt we couldn't stomach yet another false happy festive season where everyone tried extra hard to be nice to one another when all we wanted to do was to say what the hell and walk out.

It had been a wonderful dream, the Cullen family, but it had turned into a nightmare, it was too big, too mixed to ever work properly. We had all worked so hard to keep the dream alive but to no avail, it was crumbling beneath our very feet and if Whitlock killed Bella it would mean we were all dead. I for one had no intention of dying because he couldn't keep it in his pants, let him go to hell alone, it's where he belonged after all.

Jasper

It was a wonderful evening for me, acting like a normal young man with a girl on his arm, something I had never experienced before Maria came along and ruined any chance of a human life for me. I knew my hands were stained with the blood of many hundreds of humans but that was in the past. If I could stay here with the Cullens and prove to them and myself that I could live this way then perhaps there was a chance for me, with a mate, a life of happiness and warmth to blot out the cruelty and death that had been my life for so long. Bella seemed comfortable enough in my presence, she held my hand, danced with me and when I drove her home she even kissed me, or did I kiss her? Either way it was accepted and returned.

"Could I visit you tomorrow Bella?"

She smiled and bit her lip playfully,

"I'd be upset if you didn't."

I kissed her again and stepped back before turning to walk down the steps straight into the waiting arms of Charlotte. I pulled away and Bella came down the steps looking concerned.

It was then I noticed that Charlotte was distraught and her clothes, strange attire for her, were crumpled and smelled of smoke.

Bella

I didn't know who the woman was who grasped Jaspers arms but she was definitely upset so I asked him to bring her inside the house and poured her a brandy from Charlie's stock hoping it might help her but she turned her head away,

"No thank you. Major I need your help."

He tried to hush her, lead her back to the door, but she pulled away.

"She's taken Peter and if you don't go back she's going to kill him. It's all my fault, we had a dreadful row and he left, well I left first and I burned the house down but that's not important, she wants you back for the war she knows is coming. You have to help me Major please."

He looked at me and I saw such sorrow in his eyes,

"I'm sorry Bella. You should never have heard that. Let me take Charlotte back to my place perhaps I can sort things out there."

I shook my head and grabbed his arm,

"Please don't go like this. She's obviously upset, maybe I should call my dad."

He shook his head urgently,

"No Bella please don't do that. It will only make matters much worse. We can't use the law, they can't help us."

"Why? Who is Maria and why does she need you back? Back where?"

"He has to return to Mexico or she'll kill Peter."

My blood froze in my veins, Mexico? Jasper had been in Mexico? He told me he was from Texas, that he didn't know much about Mexico. Why had he lied?

Jasper

With a single word Charlotte had killed any possibility of Bella and I being anything, even friends and I closed my eyes as I saw her face. She knew I'd lied to her about Mexico and she'd never believe anything I said now. I took Charlotte's arm and guided her to the door,

"I'm sorry Bella but don't worry, I won't bother you again."

She shook her head looking close to tears,

"You lied to me about Mexico. Why?"

"Because I knew it would only lead to questions I couldn't answer. Question's about your mother and the accident."

Charlotte's head whipped up,

"Accident? What accident? Are you telling me this girls mother was involved in Nathan's screw up?"

"Nathan? Who's Nathan?"

I tried to quieten Charlotte but she was too upset to think straight and I could hardly use force on her in here,

"Was your mother on the bus that crashed in Mexico a few months ago?"

"Yes, I was on it too."

Charlotte laughed at Bella's statement,

"Then Nathan is more incompetent than we suspected. No wonder Maria wants you back Major. She'll never win the war with his help."

Bella

Things were slowly coming together although there were huge gaps I couldn't begin to fill.

"You were in Mexico and you knew about the accident?"

"No, I wasn't in Mexico when the attack happened. I'd left some time before."

"Left? You finally came to your senses and escaped you mean. You know the Volturi had you for that attack until Carlisle stepped in. I found out about that from Rose although she wasn't happy to talk to me."

"Escaped? Attack? Jasper I want to know what you know about my mother's death."

"How did you escape Bella?"

I looked at this woman who had shattered all my dreams of romance and showed my escort to be nothing more than a killer.

"I was warned by a young man who left before the attack."

"That must have been Garrett."

Jasper looked at Charlotte puzzled

"Garrett? What was he doing there?"

"He was trying to save your hide but you'd already escaped. He said Nathan was responsible, hence the God awful mess he left behind. If it had been you there wouldn't have been any bodies, they'd have been drained and disposed of."

I felt physically sick, these two were here at my house talking about murder and disposing of corpses.

"One of those murdered was my mother so I'd be very careful what you say."

"I don't have time to be polite or think about upsetting your feelings girl. My husband, my mate, will die if he doesn't go back to Mexico and lead Maria's army of newborns against her enemies."

I sat down before my legs gave way, army? Newborns? What was she talking about?

"You've said too much already Charlotte. Bella I'm sorry but I don't have time to explain it all now."

"Who or what killed my mother?"

He shook his head but I asked again as tears fell

"Who or what killed my mother Jasper?"

"Vampires Bella."