Chapter Two

I've been having a hard time adjusting
I had the shiniest wheels, now they're rusting
I didn't know if you'd care if I came back
I have a lot of regrets about that

Bella POV

I got out of the shower and walked to my room, hunting for clothes. Probably my second least favourite thing to do each day, behind avoiding meals. I pulled a few things from my suitcase, knowing I was going to a family get together and yoga pants were probably too casual. I pulled out a pair of thick tights and an xxs knit sweater dress. I tossed on a bralette and underwear, and put the outfit on, looking in my mirror. It wasn't terrible...I was clearly too skinny, but it didn't hang off me like my jeans did. I went back into the bathroom and tossed on simple makeup and blow-dried my hair, letting it sit in waves over my shoulders and down my back. I ran my hand through it and sighed. I looked a bit better than earlier, but I still looked sick. I was terrified of what Kerri and Jasper would say.

Pushing down the wave of anxiety pouring over me at that thought, I made my way back downstairs to see my dad sitting on the couch, TV off. I walked over and sat on his recliner.

"...hey." I said hesitantly. He looked up to me, scanning me over again.

"Hey." He told me with a nod. I drummed my hands on my thighs and sighed.

"You...wanted to talk to me." I started, afraid of his answer. He was silent, seemingly lost in thought. Finally after a few moments he cleared his throat.

"Well...I guess lets just...start with the obvious." He told me, finally looking up to meet my eyes. "What happened to you?" he asked and I looked down nervously.

"Um...well..." I paused, not sure how to even say it. I felt tears pricking at my eyes and was thankful I opted for waterproof mascara. "I...I'm sick, dad." I finally told him and I saw his resolve falter for a split second before locking himself down again.

"Sick how?" He asked, as if he already knew the answer. I nodded.

"Um...I...I'm having a hard time with...this." I told him, motioning to my body. He waited for me to continue, but I wasn't sure what to say.

"I...I guess I should start at the beginning." I told him and he nodded, leaning forward so his elbows were on his knees. I took a deep breath, knowing he'd eventually find out everything anyway. I may as well be honest.

"I started dating Aaron about...a year and a half ago. He um..." I took a deep breath to attempt calming my nerves, not able to look at him. "He was amazing...at first. But then he started getting...possessive and mean. He...he had a problem with my weight." I told him, chancing a look up. My dad looked to me surprised. I could tell that wasn't what he was expecting.

"What?" he asked and I nodded, taking another calming breath.

"Yea...he uh...he wanted me to lose weight. At first it was just...eat healthier. But...before I knew it he was convincing me that I was fat and that I should...stop eating." I told him nervously.

"Your boyfriend did this to you?" he reiterated and I nodded, watching him. Pain flashed across his face, then realization.

"That bruise on your cheek." He started and I immediately touched my cheek. I'd forgotten to cover it this morning. I sighed, hanging my head.

"That's from him." I told him, tears in my eyes. I heard him shift and saw him kneel down in front of me.

"How long has this been going on?" He asked, and I sniffled.

"About ten months now." I confessed and he hung his head.

"What did your mom have to say about this?" he asked and I sniffled again, shrugging.

"Mom's uh...mom has been a bit preoccupied. We've grown apart since the wedding." I told him and he shook his head. He stood up and started pacing the room, his hands rubbing his face.

"So this guy kept you from eating?" he asked and I sighed.

"That's how it started, yea. But...now I just..." I shook my head as tears fell down my cheeks.

"I don't know if I can stop, dad." I cried and he came back down to my level and held my hands.

"Bella. I promise you, we will get through this. I'm going to help you and you willget better." He told me, his eyes burning holes into my identical ones. I nodded.

"First things first, you and he are done. You are never to see or speak to that piece of shit again. Do you understand me?" he insisted urgently. I nodded.

"I broke up with him last night. I just needed to wait til the last minute." I told him and he paused at my words.

"Bella...just...just how abusive are we talking here?" he asked and I knew his police training was coming out. He'd seen battered women before; he knew what to look for in domestic violence cases.

"Uh..." I started and he patted my hand.

"You tell me the truth, Bella." He insisted and I took a deep breath, more tears falling.

"It's bad, dad. He...h-he hits me at least once a day. He calls me names...he made me stop seeing my friends. He wouldn't let me visit you anymore..." I trailed off, head down. I hated hurting my dad like this but I knew honesty was the price to pay to be here in Forks.

"Has he ever...hurt you?" he asked, giving me a look. My resolve faltered, telling him all he needed to know. He hissed and stood up quickly, pacing again. We didn't need to say it out loud, he understood. Aaron was sexually abusing me as well.

"How could she not see this? I mean...look at you!" he started to get angry and I knew this part would come. How this all got past my mom I honestly didn't know. I shrugged and allowed him to process everything we had discussed. Finally after a few minutes he spoke.

"Here's the deal, Bells. I will agree to keep you home to heal but you have to work hard. You're going into therapy, that's non-negotiable. I want you to get checked out by a doctor, I want you to get out and actually see people. Jasper and his friends will be good for you. And we are going to work together on our meals through the week. I know it's going to be a slow start but...I won't allow you to stay here and starve, Bells. You want to be under my roof, you need to eat. Understood?" I took a deep breath, a fresh wave of tears falling down my cheeks. I nodded.

"O-okay. That's fair." I agreed and he nodded, coming back to sit with me.

"Tell me honestly, Bella. Do you think you can do this with my help? Will it be enough?" he asked and I played with my hands for a moment before looking up and nodding.

"Yea. I mean...I'm scared. I'm...I'm terrified. But –"

"Why are you scared?" he asked and I shrugged.

"I'm so afraid to eat." I whispered and he pulled me into a hug.

"Baby..." I heard him sniffle quietly, having a hard time staying in control of his emotions. "I know its going to be tough. It's going to be a long process and some days...well some days it's going to suck. And some days you're going to hate me." He pulled away and put his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes. "But I promise you I will help you. I wont let you down."

I threw myself back into his arms and cried. I was terrified...but I finally felt safe.

Jasper POV

I watched my mom hang up the phone, her face now tears stained. I waited nervously for her to speak.

"Mom...what's going on?" I asked again and she exhaled loudly.

"Um...sit down Jasper. I want to talk to you." She told me and I nervously went to the table to sit with her. She took a few moments to compose herself before she spoke.

"That was uncle Charlie. He uh...he wanted to let us know that...that Bella is...well...she's sick, baby." She told me and I felt my eyes narrow.

"What do you mean, sick. I just spoke to her yesterday." I told her and she nodded, putting her hand on mine.

"I know...but...I don't know that Bella would have just brought this up." She told me and I felt myself growing impatient.

"Would you please just tell me what's going on?" I huffed and she nodded, squeezing my hand.

"Uncle Charlie said...that Bella has lost a lot of weight. He...he thinks she might be struggling with an eating disorder." She told me and I felt my face fall.

"...what?" I asked weakly. She nodded and I could feel the pain of her words settling into my chest.

"Now, the important thing to remember is that we are going to be here for her. She asked Charlie to come here, she asked for help. We just have to be there for her and welcome her back with love. We are going to be counting on you to keep an eye on her at school but also to just...give her someone she can trust. She's going to be nervous to start Monday...especially if she's as tiny as Charlie explained. She's going to look very different and might be self-conscious about it. Just be there for her. I'm sure it won't be hard for you two to fall back into step." I nodded and tried to clear the tears from my eyes. My mom leaned in and gave me a tight hug, kissing my temple.

"She's going to be ok, baby. Your uncle and I will make sure of it."

I sat on the couch, nervously watching the clock. Uncle Charlie and Bella should be here any minute. I glanced to my mom who was speaking to Caleb about Bella.

"Yes, baby. I'm sure Bella will play with you. But be patient, ok?" she told him and he nodded, excitedly. He had been asking her a million questions about Bella, right down to all the games they could play together. He climbed up onto the couch beside me, grinning from ear to ear.

"Jazz. Bella is coming." He told me and I couldn't help but smile. I nodded to him.

"She sure is, buddy. You excited?" I asked and he nodded aggressively. I chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Me too, little man." He huffed and shook his head.

"No, Jazz. That's what Emmett calls me." I grinned and held up my hands.

"Sorry, sorry. My mistake."

"When can I see Emmett?" he asked and I shrugged. Emmett was supposed to come over tonight to play videogames but I wasn't sure if I would still have him over. I wanted to wait til I saw Bella to decide if I was up for it. I was pulled from my thoughts by Caleb jumping off the couch and bee-lining to the front door.

"THEY'RE HERE!" he yelled and my mom scolded him, reminding him to use his "indoor voice". I nervously stood up and stuck my hands in my pockets as I went to the front door, waiting anxiously to see her. The door opened and Charlie came into view, his face pained but he smiled for Caleb.

"Caleb, my boy. How's it going." He asked and Caleb bounced around.

"Good!" he yelled and Charlie chuckled. It almost looked like...he'd been crying. But that couldn't be right because-

My thoughts came to a halt when Bella came through the door. I quickly scanned her over and felt like someone punched me in the stomach. Her trademark creamy skin was eerily pale, her eyes were dull, her cheekbones pushed violently against her skin. Her frail looking fingers unzipped her tan winter coat revealing half the girl I had been expecting.

When she moved, I could see her hip bones sticking out painfully, her legs were scarily thin. I wondered just how many of her ribs were visible. She looked nervous, doing a quick scan of the room and finding my eyes. I saw the desperation they held and immediately moved to her. I snatched her up in my arms and held her tight.

"Jasper." She sighed happily and I pulled her closer.

"Miss Marie." I whispered, using our little term of endearment. She put her hands around my neck tightly and was in no hurry to pull away.

"I missed you so much." She whispered and I forced myself to push down the lump in my throat.

"God, I missed you too." I whispered back. Finally after a few moments I reluctantly pulled away, knowing my mom was itching to get in there too. I turned to look at her and saw her eyes brimming with tears.

"Bella." She greeted with a watery smile and Bella lifted her arms for another hug. My aunt scooped her up and held onto her like I had.

"We are all here for you, sweetheart." I heard her whisper to Bella and watched as Bella's eyes fluttered shut, brow furrowed, holding back tears. I nodded to Charlie who wasn't himself. He motioned his head toward the kitchen and I followed.

"Hey." I told him and he nodded.

"Hey...um. I assume your mom spoke to you about Bella?" He asked and I nodded, scratching my neck.

"Yea..." he nodded.

"It's...um. It's a lot worse than I anticipated." I felt my body aching at his words. "I need you to take care of her at school. She levelled with me at home and..." he sighed. I was afraid for what he had to say.

"I need to know what she eats during the day, if anything. I need to know who she's hanging out with...if she hides her phone or mentions Aaron. I need to know if she is acting odd or confides in you. Ok?" he asked me and I nodded, trying to take mental note of what he needed.

"Of course. Um...can...can I know what we are dealing with here?" I asked and he sighed, leaning his hands against the island.

"Well...her now ex-boyfriend Aaron was abusing her and basically forced an eating disorder on her. She wants help but...she said it's hard to stop. I'll let her fill in the gaps when she's ready." I felt like he had ripped my heart out. Tears filled my eyes and my head slumped down. I didn't want to show my hurt knowing Charlie was also attempting to hide his own. I heard footsteps and looked up to see my mom, Bella, and Caleb coming into the kitchen.

"Jasper, why don't you and Bella take Caleb upstairs for a bit? He needs to burn off some energy." I nodded, watching Bella smile at Caleb, who was pretty much vibrating at this point. I nodded and motioned for Bella to follow me, forcing down the emotional conversation I'd just had with Charlie. Caleb led us to his playroom and grabbed his cars, dumping them on his play mat.

"So…how's it going?" she asked me and I forced myself to look at her. She looked nervous, ringing her hands together, standing in the doorway. I watched her for a few moments and saw her face falling at my silence. She looked down and I saw her take a shuddered breath.

"Uh, good. It's good. You?" I replied lamely and she nodded.

"Uh…good." She told me and I nodded too. We were quiet for about a minute before she spoke.

"I'm really sorry." She told me and I looked to her confused.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked her and she sighed.

"You know…for just…disappearing. Without explanation." She told me and I took a deep breath.

"I mean, you don't have to apologize." I started, giving her a sincere look. Her eyes looked sad and she was radiating guilt. "But…I am curious why." I finished and she took another shaking breath and nodded.

"Um…yea that's fair I guess." I waited but she never continued. I motioned for her to keep going but she ran her hand through her hair.

"Maybe…later?" she asked, pointing to Caleb playing with his cars. I nodded in realization.

"Right…yea. Ok. Later."

"I really did miss you, Jasper." She told me, eyes brimmed with tears and I felt my heart ache for her and nodded, tears in my eyes as well. I went to hug her and she melted into me.

"I missed you too, Bella."

Bella POV

I looked around the table nervously. Kerri had of course placed a beautiful meal in front of me and all I could do was dissect it.

'Meatloaf -Red meat, bread, salt. Potatoes – carbs. Butter – fat. More calories than I've consumed all week on one plate.

I eyed the green beans on my plate and stifled a sigh. The one thing I'd be open to eating and they had been cooked in butter, garlic, salt and pepper. I chanced a glance around and made eye contact with Jasper. He's eyes were pained, his fork midair, watching me. I had yet to even touch my fork.

I quickly looked back down and felt my dad's hand on my shoulder.

"Are you ok, Bella?" he asked and I felt my face flush red with embarrassment.

"Dad…" I whispered, grabbing my fork quickly. I paused though, not knowing what to even do with it. I heard Kerri clear her throat.

"Bella, I know this isn't something you want to discuss…but there doesn't need to be an elephant in the room here." I looked up to her with tears in my eyes and she gave me a sincere smile.

"We all know…what's going on. We know this can't be easy for you. But this is a safe place. You are free to come to my table any time and eat a much as you want. If you take two bites, I'm not offended. If you clean your plate, the only thing any of us will feel is pride. You don't need to hide here, baby." I wiped a tear falling down my cheek and looked to Ben and Jasper. They both mirrored Kerri's support and I took a deep breath. My dad gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you." I told her quietly. I looked back down to my plate and tried to look at it differently.

'Meatloaf. Ok…protein. It also smells so good…'

I felt my mouth watering at the scent. I looked to my mashed potatoes.

'Potatoes. Well…they are a vegetable…and in moderation they aren't terrible for you.

Green beans – still green. Still contain vital nutrients.'

I took a slow, calming breath and stabbed a green bean, bringing it up to my mouth. I kept my eyes down as I put it in my mouth and began to chew.

'Holy damn that's good.' I thought, stabbing another one and putting it into my mouth. I looked up to see everyone focusing on their own plates, my dad, Kerri, and Ben holding a conversation about work. I looked back to my plate and got a bit more adventurous. I took a small bite of mashed potatoes and put it in my mouth. I wanted to groan in pleasure. It's been so long since I've eaten potatoes, let alone Aunt Kerri's 'famous' garlic mash. I ate a few more bites, now almost oblivious to what everyone else was doing, my stomach rejoicing at the sustenance.

I finally eyed my meatloaf and took another breath. I grabbed a piece on my fork and brought it to my lips.

"Belle. What did I tell you about carbs? Huh? DON'T PLAY STUPID!" Aaron yelled at me as I looked at my sandwich. He ripped it from my hands and threw it at the wall. I hated when his parents weren't home, he was always much worse when it was just us. I just looked down at my now empty plate. It was 4pm and I hadn't eaten yet today. Well, except for two bites of the forbidden sandwich. He rolled his eyes at me as I kept my silence.

"How many times do I have to tell you? This is fucking embarrassing for me. You're too fat. Look at yourself! I have worked too hard for that stomach to still be there! Stop being so selfish." He ranted on as I held back tears. In my head I knew he was wrong, I knew this was so wrong... but my heart ached and I couldn't lose him…he's all I had left.

"I'm sorry." I whispered looking down again. My head screamed at me, but it was a constant battle. I could always hear his voice in my head, reminding me I was pathetic and not good enough. That everyone thought so...that he was the only one that would put up with me and fix me. I wanted to tell myself he was wrong…but everyone else had disappeared. My mom...my friends. They all shut me out so easily…he was the only one still around. He just sighed in annoyance as he gave me a few slices of cucumber that were already cut up in the fridge.

"That's it for today, got it?" I nodded sadly as I ate the four slices of cucumber in silence, too afraid to say anything else.

I felt my eyes tear up at the memory and glanced to my fork, the meatloaf mocking me. I chanced a look to Jasper who gave me a sad smile and I saw the obvious worry they held. He looked so hopeful and I felt surprised. I haven't had someone wanting me to eat in a very long time. I took a deep breath, feeling less scared and put the meatloaf in my mouth. I chewed slowly, looking down. I wanted to cry it was so good. I felt a tear slip down my cheek and noticed the room go quiet.

"Hey…what's the matter?" Jasper asked and I shook my head, wiping the tear away.

"It's just so good." I whispered and felt my dad kiss my temple and saw Kerri wipe a tear of her own. They got up, clearing their already empty plates and giving me space. Jasper came around to take my dad's empty spot and we were finally alone.

"Is it ok if I stay?" he asked and I nodded, actually thankful for the company.

"Yea…of course. I uh…I actually feel comfortable with you." I told him, motioning to my still very full plate.

"How…how long has it been since…" He trailed off, not knowing what he wanted to ask. I stabbed another green bean.

"Since this started? Or since I've eaten last." I asked, mumbling the last part. He sighed.

"Well…I suppose both." I nodded and chewed my bean.

"The not eating thing started about 8 months ago. And…um…" I tried hard to remember my last meal. I saw his eyes gloss over with worry at my silence and I sighed.

"I mean I've eaten…I just…don't really remember what or when. It's a lot of just…vegetables. I don't remember my last meal." I finished quietly and felt him put his arm around me.

"You're doing amazing." He encouraged and I felt more tears fall.

"You ok?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yea I'm just…not used to…this." I told him lamely and he gave me a curious look as got another small piece of meatloaf on my fork.

"Used to what?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Someone actually…encouraging me to eat." I saw anger and shock pass over his face.

"I don't understand. What did your mom have to say about this?" I looked down, pushing some potatoes around with my fork.

"We…haven't spoken about it." I told him and he did a double take.

"She didn't have anything to say about you losing…what…50lbs?" I shook my head.

"40lbs…and…no. She uh…mom and Phil haven't really noticed. And if they did…they haven't said anything." I told him finally setting my fork down. I was starting to feel nauseous.

"How…what?!" he asked in shock and I shrugged.

"I don't have any answers for you, Jazz. I wish I did." I said glumly. He huffed, changing his attention to my now abandoned plate.

"Feeling ok?" he asked and I glanced to him. He shrugged.

"I uh…I have a friend that used to have an eating disorder. So I know a bit about…this stuff." He told me nervously, as if he was afraid to say the words. I nodded.

"Oh…ok. Yea. I'm just a bit nauseous." He nodded and grabbed my plate for me.

"You did amazing, Bella. I'm really proud of you." He told me and kissed my temple. I let out a content sigh and knew I had made the right choice. This is where I belonged. I inwardly felt foolish that I wasn't sure if he would want me back. I followed Jasper into the kitchen in time to see my dad hanging up his phone.

"Goddammit." He muttered and I gave him a curious look.

"What's wrong?" I asked and he shook his head.

"That was the station, the called me in to run down to the res to help with a big fight." He shook his head again.

"Bells I'm so sorry." I shook my head.

"Dad…no. Don't be sorry. It's your job. I'll get my coat."

"Well, you don't have to go, Bella." Kerri interjected. She looked to my dad. "She only just got here…there's no point in sitting at home alone when we are all so glad to finally have you back." She told us and I glanced to Jasper.

"Yea, Miss Marie. What's the rush? Uncle Charlie can just pick you up when he's done. Or I can take you home later…whichever." He offered and I nodded, looking to my dad.

"That would be great, Kerri. Thank you." He gave me one last apologetic look and kissed my hair, jogging out the door. I turned to Caleb as he pulled on my sleeve.

"Bella! Let's play high speed chase!" he asked me excitedly and Kerri shook her head.

"I don't think so, mister. Upstairs into the bath you go." She told him and he groaned, turning to the stairs. I giggled at his dramatics and Jasper nudged me.

"Let's go talk." He told me and I nodded, following him down to the basement rec room. I smiled as it came into view, remembering spending many sleepovers down here as a kid.

Now instead of beanbags and toys, it had an oversized comfy sectional and a mini fridge. A few gaming systems sat beneath the TV, which was mounted over the large fireplace. I gave him a smile as I sunk into the couch.

"Well this brings back a lot of nostalgia." I told him and he chuckled, nodding.

"Yea we did a lot of not sleeping down here that's for sure. How many times did my mom yells at us to shut up and go to sleep?" he asked and I grinned.

"Far too many to count." I laughed and he smiled to me delicately.

"So." He started and I sobered, watching his face turn serious.

"So." I nodded, sitting back into the couch, facing him.

"Why…uh…why did you stop coming around?" he asked and I sighed. I put my hand on his arm and he looked up to me.

"Jasper. It killed me to grow apart from you." I told him. His eyes were so sad.

"Then why did you?" I took a deep breath, my hand falling from his arm and sitting in my lap.

"Aaron…made me stop visiting." I told him and felt his eyes burning holes into me.

"Why?" he asked and I shrugged.

"Well at first he just told me he wanted me to wait til he could come too…then he just flat out told me I wasn't allowed. He uh…he saw a picture of Jacob and I…and he got really possessive."

Jasper POV

I narrowed my eyes.

"Wait. He wouldn't let you visit your own family…because he saw a picture of you and Jake." She nodded and I shook my head.

"What kind of bullshit is that?" she shrugged again.

"I don't know…he kept telling me Jacob was only going to try to get in my pants…and that I'd probably be slutty enough to let him." I clenched my fist in anger.

"The thought of him talking to you that way makes me sick." I spat and she sighed.

"After that…I tried to stay in touch…I really did. I just…you kept asking when I was going to visit and it hurt so much to know it wasn't going to happen. And that I couldn't just tell you why. So, I just…" She trailed off and I felt my chest ache.

"So you just…drifted." I supplied and she nodded. I grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Bella I'm so sorry you had to go through that." I told her and she gave me a confused look.

"Wait...why are you sorry. Shouldn't I be the one apologising?" she asked and I shook my head.

"He trapped you...he secluded you and forced you to live this way all alone. You have nothing to be sorry for." I told her and she let out a relieved breath.

"I really am trying, Jasper. Coming back...it makes me feel better already. Not having you the last few years has been...torture. I felt like I was missing a big part of me." She told me and I smiled and pulled her in for a hug.

"I felt the same way." I told her softly. I pulled back and snagged the remote off the coffee table. Sitting back and opening my arm to her. She smiled and scooted closer, tucking her knees up and curling into my side. I flipped on The Office and put my head on hers. I'd been waiting so long to have my cousin back.

"Hey man, how's it- oh. Oooh...uh...sorry dude." I looked up to see Emmett bounding down the stairs into the rec room. He gave me a smirk and glanced to Bella. I laughed and shook my head.

"God no...gross. This is my cousin you idiot." I told him and I felt Bella sit up beside me. He laughed and realized his mistake.

"Oh, right. I didn't realize she'd still be here. Hey, I'm Emmett." He nodded to her and she nodded back nervously.

"Bella."

"Yea she wasn't supposed to be...Charlie got called into work and Bella stuck around. I forgot to message you to cancel." I told Emmett and Bella stood up.

"Jasper...why didn't you just tell me you had plans? I'm sorry... I-I'll catch a ride home." I shook my head and grabbed her hand.

"No...no, no you aren't going anywhere." I told her and she glanced to Emmett who was watching her.

"But you have-"

"I don't care what I have. Sit your ass down, Miss Marie. You're not going home to sit by yourself in an empty house your first night back. Em, want to play Rock Band? Bella can play too." He nodded but Bella shook her head.

"No, I'm good. I don't want to intrude. I'm very happy to sit and watch...unless that's weird." She told me and I watched her for a moment before realizing she wouldn't budge on this. I nodded and gave her hand a squeeze.

"Not weird at all." I told her and Emmett nodded too.

"Yea my sister watches us play all the time. Except I bet you'll complain a lot less." He laughed and she nodded nervously, looking to the TV. Emmett gave me a look when his joke bounced off her and I smiled, getting up to grab the controllers to the PlayStation.

"So what's on the agenda for tonight, Jazz man?" Emmett asked and I tossed him a controller.

"COD?" he nodded.

"I'm just running up to grab some drinks and chips. Be right back."

Emmett POV

I glanced to Bella as Jasper disappeared upstairs and took her in again. This girl was tiny. She almost looks like...but I shook my head. I was probably imagining it. I cleared my throat, causing her to look at me, her body language nervous.

"So, Jasper tells me you're starting at school Monday." I commented and she nodded. I sat on the couch next to her and noticed she seemed even more uncomfortable.

"Uh...yea. I am." I nodded.

"Nervous?" I asked her and she looked to her hands and nodded.

"Yea...a bit." She told me and I looked back down to my controller.

'Tough room, Jesus.' We sat in silence for another minute before she spoke again.

"You...said your sister hangs out with you guys?" She asked in a small voice and I nodded, looking to her. Her big brown eyes were filled with anxiety, so I did my best to be calm and friendly.

"Yea she does. We are twins so we do almost everything together. I would have brought her tonight if I'd known you'd be hanging out too." She nodded.

"Oh...cool. That's ok...like Jasper said I shouldn't even still be here...sorry to crash." She told me, looking to her hands again and I shook my head.

"No it's totally cool. It's not a 'no girls allowed' type of thing. We're just playing for a few hours." She just kept staring at her hands.

"Really." I told her, causing her to look up to me. "Don't feel bad at all." She forced a smile and nodded.

"Thanks."

Jasper came down the stairs with a few bags of chips and drinks. He handed me a Coke and Bella a bottle of water. He sat beside me and grabbed his controller.

"Bella, are you sure you don't want to play?" He asked her and she shook her head. He let it go and started loading the game. Something felt...disastrously off about this whole situation. For the last two days all I've heard from Jasper is how amazing and funny his cousin is. He was practically busting at the seams with excitement and now...it feels like someone died seconds before I walked in. Bella is so clearly standoffish I almost started to second guess if I'd somehow offended her...and Jasper looked lower than I'd ever seen him. They looked happy enough when I walked in...

I noticed Bella shift out of the corner of my eye so she was sitting farther from me, pushing herself into the corner of the sectional and leaning against the back.

"Want a blanket?" Jasper asked her and she nodded, a small smile on her lips. I couldn't help but notice how it just didn't reach her eyes, and yet she looked infinitely happier talking to Jasper than she did talking to me. He reached over to the recliner and tossed the blanket sitting on it to her. She draped it over her and sighed happily, turning her attention back to the TV.

After about an hour of playing, I noticed Bella had fallen asleep and I turned to Jasper.

"Uh...hey." I said quietly and saw Jasper chance a quick look from the game to Bella before replying.

"Hey." He said back.

"So...what the hell was all that about?" I asked him and he sighed.

"It's hard to explain." He told me and I shook my head.

"Try again." I told him and he shrugged.

"I'm serious. I can't betray Bella's trust like that. All you probably should know is...uh...she's...she's sick, man." He whispered the last part and I glanced to her again.

"Sick...like..." I drifted off and he nodded.

"Yea." He told me and I felt my chest ache.

"Jasper...man I'm so sorry." I told him and he nodded.

"I'm just glad she's still alive and here asking for help." He told me and I nodded.

"She's asking for help?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yea...that's why she moved here. Told Charlie she couldn't stay there and need to be in Forks. They have a whole plan worked out I guess but...I have to really keep a close eye on her." He told me.

"Well anything you need man." I offered and he nodded, dying in the game so he sat back.

"Thanks." I died a few minutes later and sat back with him, grabbing a bag of chips.

"So like...how bad is it?" I asked, glancing to Bella and seeing her breathing still even and slow. He ran his hand down his face and shook his head.

"It's pretty bad." He whispered. "She said she's down 40lbs in the last ten months."

"Jesus Christ." I swore, looking to her again. It's not easy to tell with her under the blanket but earlier I could see her tiny legs, her boney fingers...her sunken cheeks still visible and sickly.

"She did eat some of her dinner though." He told me and I nodded, looking to him.

"Hey man that's amazing. Anything counts when it's this bad." He looked to her.

"Yea...I just hope we can take care of it all without having to send her away." He told me.

"Well, we know it can be done. Just have to stay positive." I told him and he sighed.

"Do me a favour and just...keep this between us for now?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yea of course, whatever you want." He gave me a thankful look and grabbed the other bag of chips.

"She's...not quite as cheery as you made her out to be." I commented and he sighed.

"Yea...she's really not herself right now. I think she just got nervous when it wasn't just her and I. I completely forgot about tonight...I should have warned her." I shrugged.

"That's ok, I just thought it was something I said." He shook his head.

"No, she's been off all night."

"Give it time...I'm sure she will start to feel better once her energy is up." I told him and he nodded.

"Yea. Hey thanks man. I appreciate it." I clapped him on the shoulder.

"Anytime. Just let me know how I can help." I tossed a final glance at Bella before we picked up another game. I couldn't help the worry I felt settling in the pit of my stomach.

Wow I forgot how much fun these characters are to write! I'm loving finding them again. I hope you like the greater depth! Enjoy!

Song: This Is Me Trying – Taylor Swift