Disclaimer: Don't own any characters, but if I did it I would be in a Jasper and Emmett sandwich right now.
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Bella
The summer was one of the best I ever had. I went on an amazing trip, spent time with my friends, and was never far from Jasper's side. I laughed and I cried. I did more of the latter one especially when I left.
I didn't go that far, just back to Forks, but it was enough. Enough to let us know that that happy little bubble we'd created when we came back from Atlanta those few short months ago could pop at anytime.
It started when I got the phone call from my dad at the beginning of August, telling me there was an opening for an English teacher at Forks High. I didn't say anything right away because I was still waiting to hear from the last two high schools in Seattle I had applied for. One of them being where Jasper would be teaching. A week later though I was calling the school and went there for an interview.
Needless to say I got the job and as much as it thrilled me to be able to teach the subject I loved it also scared me to death. Not because I was barely older then the students I would be teaching or working along side people who I learned so much from, but because Jasper and I would be apart.
In the beginning we made it work though. Every weekend either I went there or he came to Forks. I liked it better when I went to Seattle because by the time I left Alice and Emmett were living together. Rose and Edward were living together and Jasper had moved into another apartment so we could just stay in bed or lounge around and not be bothered if we didn't want to be. Granted I did always make time to see the others, they were all enjoying their jobs or school in Edward's case and I loved hearing them talk about it.
When it wasn't the weekend Jasper and I talked on the phone every night. We sent text messages throughout the day. When my birthday came around and ended up being on a Tuesday he sent flowers and balloons and told me over and over again how much he hated that he couldn't be there. I cried of course wishing he was there.
October came and things started to change. It was little stuff at first. The text messages started to go down in number. They would be received and not answered. And it wasn't just him or just me. We both did it being busy with our students.
Then the phone calls at night would be too late or too early, and we wouldn't get them, or they wouldn't come at all. We'd both apologize profusely when that was the case of course, but it still happened.
That caused the fighting to start. I could lie and say Jasper was to blame, but he wasn't. No I'd come to resent the fact that when he didn't call it was because he was hanging out with our friends. If I didn't call it was something to do with school, PTA or conferences, so I felt left out. They were all still in Seattle and I was stuck in the middle of nowhere by myself.
We started spending our weekends together snapping at each other instead of laughing like we used too. It got to the point that by the time Sunday came I was just ready to be away from him and all the shit that was threatening to bury us.
When Thanksgiving came I thought things would get better. Everyone came to Forks and I laughed like I never had before. Dad and I had a house full. Emmett and Alice, Edward and Rose, Billy, Embry, Quil and his new girlfriend Clair, Sam and Emily, Jacob and Leah, who'd started dating. Seth was there since he was on leave until the New Year, Paul and Rachel, his new girl and Jacob's sister. And last but by no means least in my eyes Jasper.
We didn't fight once. We did spend most of our time trying to keep dad and Billy from burning the house down while they deep fried a couple of turkeys though.
It was a good day and a great weekend. Everybody from Seattle stayed and Jacob threw a bonfire. Lauren tried to hit on Emmett and Alice punched her. Mike hit on Rose and she, Jacob, and Edward punched him. Did I mention it was a great weekend?
Then Sunday came and I hated it. The last few days were just like they were when I lived in Seattle and I wanted to keep Jasper with me. I wanted to patch those little leaks that had started in October and have us go back to normal.
But he left and things went from bad to worse. The first weekend after Thanksgiving I ended up having to work Saturday detention and couldn't make it down. The next one he had a new roommate moving in and couldn't make it up.
The one after that we fought the entire time. On the drive home and the week following I was miserable. I went to work and I came home. I cried myself to sleep each night. We talked but things were strained, you could here it in our voices and the way we said I love you at the end of the phone calls.
I didn't want to break up, but it seemed like it was inevitable. I was miserable and took it out on everybody. I barely talked to Alice and Rose when they called.
Then Jasper told me he was going to Texas for Christmas, leaving the 22nd and wouldn't be back until the 27th. He didn't ask me to go and that hurt. I couldn't help but think that this was it. When he came home it would be over and we would no long be together, so I resigned myself to that fact, shutting myself down and waited for the shoe to drop.
My dad though wasn't having it. Coming home from school on the last day before Christmas break, which also happened to be the day before Jasper's birthday, he was waiting along with Jacob, Seth, and Billy.
Walking in the front door they were all standing there. My bag was sitting on the floor at there feet.
"What's going on?"
"You're going to Seattle." My dad said matter-of-factly. "Jasper's birthday is tomorrow and you need to be there. You need to fix whatever is going on between you two."
"But he leaves for Texas the next day."
"And you are going with him." Jacob stated.
"No. He didn't ask me to go. He doesn't want me there."
"Look Bells I'll be the first one to tell you that I don't know shit about relationships. I haven't been in one since Renee left, but that doesn't mean that I can't see how you two are with each other. When you first came home after your trip and you and he were together. You were so happy. Same way with graduation. You love him and he loves you. It is written on each one of your faces for the world to see. I still see it even now when I know you're unhappy with the way things are. You need to go. Take the time together to talk and get back to the way it used to be."
"But he doesn't want me there."
"Did you ever think that the reason he didn't ask is because he might think that with all the fighting you two have been doing you didn't want to go? And instead of asking and getting a negative response he chose the lesser of two evils by not even asking." Seth said.
I stared at him in shock. For someone who was so young and never been in a relationship he knew the one thing to say to get me moving.
Walking forward I wrapped my arms around his waist. "Thanks Seth" I whispered.
"Your welcome. Now get your ass in the car and go."
Smiling I pulled back. Taking my bag from dad's hands and my plane ticket to Texas from Jacob. Giving them each a kiss on the cheek and a hug I turned toward the door.
"Be careful," My dad called out as I hopped down the front steps. Glancing back once I took in each of their smiling faces and I smiled in return.
The drive to Seattle was long. I tried to call Jasper constantly, but it always went straight to voicemail. As did Alice, Rose, Emmett, and Edward when I tried to call them. Only realizing when I hung up from calling Edward that they were all on a plane. Alice and Emmett headed to Louisiana to visit her parents and Rose and Edward were headed to Chicago to visit Rose's parents. As I thought about them being gone I realized that might just be the case with Jasper. Maybe he decided to leave early, that fact alone caused me to press my foot a little harder on the gas pedal. I continued to try and call him every few minutes all with the same results.
Please don't let him have left early, I begged to whoever was listening as I crossed into the city limits.
Pulling into the parking lot of his apartment building I breathed a sigh of relief at seeing his car. On the ride up in the elevator I thought about what I was going to say. I needed to apologize first and foremost for the way things had been since October and the way I'd acted. I needed to tell him I loved him and was not letting go.
Walking down the hallway to his apartment I sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Hopefully he would be happy to see me and I hoped with everything I had that Seth was right.
Stepping in front of the door I raised my hand and knocked lightly. The smile I had on my face drained away as the door opened.
Jasper was not standing on the other side, neither was his roommate. Hell it wasn't even a guy. I also knew that it wasn't his roommate's girlfriend. I'd met her once and the blond woman standing there wasn't her.
"Is Jasper here?" I asked.
"Yeah. He's in the shower."
"Is Benjamin here then?" I asked hoping I was wrong on the whole girlfriend thing.
"No I think Jasper said something about staying at his girlfriend's place tonight."
"Oh." I said biting my lip to keep the tears at bay. "How do you know them?"
"I work with Jasper."
I nodded. "Ummm. Thanks."I turned and started back down the hallway.
Before I could get to the elevator she called, "Who can I tell them stopped by?"
"Nobody." I answered quietly.
As I pressed the down button I heard the door shut back. When the lift arrived I rushed in jabbing at the L button. Sinking onto the floor I let the tears come.
Who was she? Did he like her? Had our friends met her and just not told me? I knew Jasper hadn't mentioned any co-workers he'd gotten close to. Fuck maybe I should have stayed and waited for him to come out, no this I didn't want to know about, I was sure.
"Miss…are you okay?"
Glancing up I saw a man holding the elevator door open. Looking behind him I saw that I was in the lobby.
"Yeah." I said standing up and whipped my face, however pointless it was, off.
"You sure?"
"I'm fine. Thank you."
Walking around him I started for the parking lot. Getting in my car I grabbed my cell phone and tried to call our friends. All four still went straight to voicemail. I then tried to call Jasper again with the same response as all the other times this afternoon.
"DAMN IT!" I screamed flinging the phone across the seat. Resting my head against the steering wheel I let a new round of tears fall. I don't know how long I sat there before I realized that when they come out of the building, if they came out I didn't want to be here.
Starting the car quickly I pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to Forks. I made it out of the city before I had to pull over. Hunching over in the seat I once again tried to call everybody. There was a difference this time. Jasper's phone rang a few times, but he still didn't answer.
As soon as I hung up my phone rang. Checking the caller ID I answered.
"Hey dad," I sniffled.
"Bells honey what's wrong?"
"I'll explain when I get home."
"What? What happened? Was Jasper not there?"
"He was, but I don't want to talk about it right now. I'll tell you when I get back. I'll be there in a few hours."
"Okay. Are you okay to drive?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll see you soon."
"Okay Bells. Be careful."
"I will dad. Love you."
"Love you too."
Hanging up I set the phone down and started the car again. Checking traffic I pulled out and headed home.
I was about halfway between Forks and Port Angeles when my phone chimed. Picking it up I saw Seth had sent me a text message.
Your dad called said you were upset. Jacob and I will be at your house when you get there.
As I set it down beside me another text came through from him. Looking down I hit the button and saw… be careful.
Smiling softly I turned my eyes back to the road and the white glare of headlights in my lane. Closing my eyes I waited for the impact that I would have no hope of avoiding.
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A/N: One more chapter and the epilogue left.
I'm hiding now.
A/N: Please, please, please review. A hug from your choice of Cullen man will be your reward or a sandwich of your choice of two or any other yummy goodness you can think of.
Also if you want something in the story let me know and I'll try to add it in somewhere and you'll get a special shout out for it.