Well, what do we have here? I believe it's an update!
Thanks to my team: TexasBella, Nic, Cutestkidsmom, Theonlykyla, and Grnidgirl. French translations courtesy of Miss Jude and MasterAskim
See you below for an important announcement.
SM owns all
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Chapter Thirty-Eight
Jasper
Waking up alone in my hotel room was not how I expected things to turn out this weekend, not even close.
Stepping into the shower, the events from last night invade my mind; when it all started to feel wrong.
It had been around ten p.m. when I noticed Isabella was missing.
After dancing a few songs with Ali and Mrs. Masen; followed by a quick drink at the bar with Emm, I go back to the table and send my girl a text asking her to meet me. When she doesn't respond I assume she might be attending to Rose, but after looking around I see Rose chatting with her parents, and Isabella isn't with her.
"Collin, have you seen Isabella recently?" He is the only one at the table at the moment but he may know where she is.
"No, Jazz, not in a while, but I've been pretty focused on my lovely date tonight."
"Where is Ali anyway?"
"She is decorating the bridal suite, you know, with rose petals and all that. I imagine Bella met her up there to help?"
"Maybe." That's a distinct possibility, except for the fact that I don't see any sign of Edward either. In an instant a stab of jealousy passes through me. I send off another quick text to Isabella and roughly close my phone, eager to get a response.
Minutes pass, and nothing.
I'm getting more and more pissed knowing she may be with him.
If he lays a hand on her...
If she lets him...
Opening my phone again, I press the keys in anger. Are you with HIM? J. This is getting ridiculous, where in the hell is she?
~LTAE~
As the reception is ending Ali has returned to Colin but I'm still sitting without my date; my girlfriend. I pick up my phone and dial Isabella in one last ditch effort to reach her, but it rings and eventually goes to voicemail. Of course I leave a message.
"Isabella, I'm guessing you're in your room. I'm just hoping that a certain someone isn't with you. Please, don't do this."
Hanging up and saving the best for last, I dial Edward. Of course I get his voicemail, too.
"Masen," I spew his name like poison."If you are with Isabella so help me God I will destroy you. I can only assume you are treating her like some common whore. Fuck her and leave her right? If you hurt her in any way you are going to answer to me."
Once my shower is done I hurry to get dressed since everyone is meeting the newly married couple for breakfast. I've calmed down alot since last night and decide to swing by Isabella's room which Ali graciously told me was on the third floor, one floor above mine.
Stepping out into the hall I head toward the elevators and push the button for the third floor. The sound of a door opening and closing comes from my left, and turning my head I'm hit with the sight of Isabella in her maid of honor dress looking completely disheveled. Masen is standing right behind her; half dressed.
"Son of a bitch."
I must have said it loud enough because Isabella's immediate gasp and his eloquent "fuck" are all that can be heard.
Edward
"We have plenty of time Bella, please?"
"No, Edward. If I get in the shower with you we will never make it to breakfast. Rosalie would never forgive me."
"Fine." I pout as I pull her into my arms for a hug. Mmm, she smells heavenly, the perfect combination of strawberry, champagne and sex. "But you are getting escorted to the elevator. I'm nothing if not a gentleman."
"You weren't a gentleman last night, baby," she teases with a giggle. "Personally, though, I think manners are completely overrated."
"Mmm, I'd have to agree, love," I mumble into her neck as my lips press a gentle kiss in my favorite spot behind her ear.
"I'm a little nervous about stepping outside our perfect bubble."
And there it is, there is doubt in her words.
"Don't misunderstand me, Edward. I meant everything I've said to you, and again, I have no regrets. It's just ... Jasper. He's going to get hurt and he's your best friend, and then there's Kate. Oh God, Edward; your wife. I work with her every day. I'm the other woman."
The panic is rising within her and I hug Bella tight in reassurance. "Shh, baby, I'm promising you right now, this will all work out. We will face everything together, everything." I place my finger under her chin, tilting her beautiful face toward mine. A stray tear rolls down her cheek, and I kiss it away, tasting the saltiness on my tongue. "I love you, Bella, remember that. Trust me, I'll protect you no matter what."
"I do trust you."
"That's my girl," I say after placing a lingering kiss on her forehead. "Now, lets get you to that elevator, we have one last best man and maid of honor function to attend."
"You are the best man, Edward."
My heart soars hearing her words. "Je suis l'homme le plus heureux grâce à toi, mon coeur est comblé."
She buries her head into my chest. "You don't have to translate, Edward, just the sound of your words make me feel cherished and protected." Bella takes a deep cleansing breath. "Okay, let's do this."
I take her hand in mine and slip the key card into the back pocket of my tuxedo pants. My dress shirt that Bella wore is lying on the bed.
We step out into the hall and as I'm pulling the door closed I hear an all too familiar voice.
"Son of a bitch."
And so it begins ... turning, there is Jasper standing at the elevator. "Fuck."
At Bella's gasp I automatically go into protective mode. I grip her hand tighter and situate her behind my back.
The look on Jasper's face is deadly, and the words from his voicemail hit me like a ton of bricks: Common whore, fuck her and leave her. I let go of Bella's hand and stalk toward him without thinking. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I shake him and get right in his face. "Don't you ever talk about her like that again, do you hear me?"
Bella starts to cry behind me.
"No, Edward. Don't, not this way."
I want to comfort her but fight down the urge. Right now I only see him and hear his degrading words.
Jasper shoves me hard, and Bella is now pulling roughly on my left arm.
"What's wrong, Masen, did I hit a nerve? What, your wife is fucking someone else now so you think you have the right to fuck someone else, too?"
My mouth begins to water in anger and I pull back my right hand which is already clenched into a tight fist. Just as I'm about to punch Jazz in his fucking face my arm is yanked back hard.
"Edward, what the hell man?"
The fog clears and Emmett has me in a death grip. Rose is comforting a sobbing Bella. I try to shake him off of me. "Let me fucking go, Emmett."
"No way, bro, not till you calm down, you almost punched your best friend."
Peering over at Jasper, I decide he looks pretty much how I feel. We're both breathing hard and the anger is radiating off us. Alice and Collin have now joined us, great it's a party, and Ali is trying to calm Jasper. I try one more time to shake off Emm declaring, "Bella needs me" while I growl at him.
He reluctantly lets go, and I walk right over to Rose earning an icy glare as I'm pulling a hysterical Bella into my arms. Holding her and rocking us back and forth I murmur, "Shh, baby, I'm so sorry." I try soothing her by running my fingers through her hair. Glancing over her shoulder I see Emmett is now looking between the three of us; he's clearly puzzled.
"Does anyone care to tell the rest of the class what the fuck is going on here?" Emmett shouts.
I sigh and hold Bella even tighter while whispering into her hair, "I love you."
It's time for the truth.
"I need to start at the –"
Jazz interrupts me before I can finish my sentence. "Oh no, Edward. Allow me to enlighten everyone. You see, our happy little couple here go way back. It seems Eddie here was sniffing around Isabella when he brought Kate home to meet his parents."
"Oh hell no." I'm immediately ready to pounce on him again, but Emmett is right there with his arm outstretched blocking me.
"Three years later they met again by chance and it was all sunshine and roses. Obviously neither one cared if Edward was married."
"Jasper, please don't do this," Bella chokes out, her eyes pleading with him.
"Bella, come on, darlin', I'm just getting started," he spits. "So, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, they just happen to reunite at a dinner party and Eddie boy here lays his claim on her. Of course this was before Bella and I got together, not that that would stop him. What Masen wants, Masen gets."
I'm fuming, and Jazz is just standing there spewing out my history with Bella like it's from the pages of a trashy novel instead of the beautiful thing that it is.
"Shut your fucking mouth, Whitlock. You know nothing about this."
He chuckles evilly. "Yeah, Masen, I know plenty. The question is, what have you told her?"
Emmett cuts him off before I can speak.
"Maybe we should get out of the hallway, Edward, and take this into your room."
"Great idea, Emmett, let's go to where all the magic happened," Jasper blurts out as everyone turns and follows me back to my room. I unlock and open the door, and then watch everyone file in, obviously eager for more of the show.
"Edward," Ali whispers as she walks by me, "You may want to put a shirt on."
Catching a glimpse of my dress shirt on the bed I decide to appease Ali and slip it on. It still smells like Bella and sex, and I'm secretly hoping Jasper gets close enough to smell it.
"Damn, E, light a candle. It smells like –" Rose punches Emm in the gut to shut him up.
Emmett is met with a piercing glare from me while Bella just stands there looking embarrassed. Trying to make her feel at ease, I wink at her, earning a shy smile.
"Ow, that hurt, Rosie."
"Then keep your big mouth shut," Rose says through clenched teeth.
Some day this has been, and it's not even ten a.m. This has turned into some really bad play where none of the characters know their lines. I'm internally cringing at what may come out of Jasper's mouth next so I go to my bag and pull out my bottle of Jack, crack the seal, take a swig, and then offer it to Emm.
He gladly accepts it despite the look he gets from Rose.
The wait for Jasper to open his damn mouth again isn't long. "So, Edward, did you tell Bella about Kate's frivolous shopping sprees, her pregnancy scare, her preferred method of birth control, and let's not forget her fetish for outrageously expensive sports cars?
My temper is flaring again and I don't know if I'm grateful when Emmett puts his hand on my shoulder. "You need to stay in control, Edward," he orders me.
Jasper continues his rant. "The real question here, Edward, is how did you get into sweet, innocent Bella Swan's panties? You know what? I think I can answer that for you, my friend. You played the victim here. Poor Eddie thinks that Kate is fucking Royce King so he plays the sympathy card with Bella. Eddie here will do just about anything to get laid, won't ya, Eddie? I bet the nurses at the hospital would agree."
I feel Emmett's grip get tighter on me, and thank God for that because I want to kill Jasper with my bare hands.
"And Isabella; pardon me, Bella, I just have to say, darlin', that I'm shocked – you really had me fooled. I actually bought into the whole 'taking it slow' card. Very well played for a seasoned whore."
That's it, I've had enough. He can say all he wants about me, but not about my Bella.
Before anybody else can stop me the adrenaline kicks in and I'm out of Emm's grip. My right fist connects with the left side of Jasper's jaw. He swings back, but I duck out of the way and end up with a punch to the stomach. I cock my arm back again, and find my feet lifted from the ground as Emmett has me in a bear hold and Collin is holding Jasper back. Bella is softly crying while Rose and Ali are trying to comfort her.
"Fuck you, Edward. You've been my best friend since grade school, and all this for a piece of ass."
"Emmett, either get him the fuck out of my room or so help me God, I'll kill him." My vision is clouded by anger and Emm knows not to push me.
"Alright, E, I'm going to let go of you bro, but don't try anything stupid."
I nod my head. "Get him out now, Emm, or I can't be responsible for what happens next."
"Okay, the show's over. Jazz, let's go."
Emmett and Collin each take hold of one of Jasper's arms and head toward the door. Of course Jasper has to have the last word. "I hope you realize, Bella, that nothing good will come of this. You are nothing but the other woman now, just someone to keep his bed warm when his wife isn't around. And Edward? For the record, you are dead to me now. Both of you can go to hell."
Ali gets up and closes the door, effectively shutting Jasper out of my life for good.
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French translation: I am the happiest man thanks to you, my heart is complete.
Well, are you still with me? Thoughts? I know you have them.
Announcement: I'm in the process of opening a Wordpress account where LTAE will also be posted. I was hoping to get it up and running tonight but I didn't want to delay this chapter much longer. I'll post the link on the LTAE page on Facebook and I'll send it if you happen to review this chapter. If you have questions please message me.
See you next week. I'm not sure If I'm sticking to a Saturday schedule. I was hoping for Thursday, but I'll work that out this week. Thank you for your patience.
Judy
XO