On My Way
Chapter 4
"Can we talk Bella?" Jasper asked as he sat the tray down.
"Jasper, please." I shook my head.
"Bella, I know Edward did something to you. You wouldn't have had that reaction to him if not. I read people, and I'm reading you loud and clear." He grabbed my hand and held it, staring into my eyes.
So, I told him everything. Jasper being the military guy he is, excused himself.
"Bella, I just need some time to process this." He sighed.
"Of course. I know you don't want to be with someone who's been raped anyway and I can understand. I don't want to be with me most of the time either." I shrugged.
"That's not what I said. I was just going to go for a run to clear my head. I want to drive to that school and beat Edward's ass."
"It's not like you owe me anything."
"Bella…" Jasper started.
"No, you don't, seriously." I got up and walked into my bathroom.
I heard a fuck and then a door slam as I got into the shower.
"Bella, you missed all the shopping fun!" the girls said as they came in with arms full of bags.
"I should've went, better than my morning." I saw them all exchange glances.
"Well, we bought you some nice things too." Alice brought all the things for me to my room. "Come on, let's have a look."
Two hours later and ten bags of clothes, I was finally finished.
"Bella, those looked great on you." Rose smiled.
"Thanks."
We had a pretty quite night, leftovers, movie watching and game playing; I didn't see Jasper the rest of the day and that hurt my feelings.
"I'm headed to bed." I said around 8pm.
"Are you OK dear?" Esme asked.
"Just tired. Feeling stressed today, on edge."
"Let me know if you need anything." Esme hugged me goodnight.
Going upstairs I grabbed my book and snuggled in the chair in the corner, watching some light snow flurries.
I must have fallen asleep reading, because I woke up to knocking on my French doors.
Jumping up I saw it was Jasper.
"Hey, can we try talking again?" he asked.
"Is there anything else to say?"
"Yes! I really like you and when I heard what Edward did to you, in your own words; that just pissed me off. I needed to run it out. That's how I deal with my anger."
"It made me feel worthless when you just walked out on me today and then avoided me." I informed him.
"That's not what I intended. I didn't want to start screaming and yelling at you, for something that's not your fault and that's what I was getting ready to do."
"We've got to learn to communicate, friends have to talk."
"I want to be more than friends." He stepped closer.
"Jasper, I'm 16." I shook my head.
"I'm a patient man. Not everything is about sex." He ran his hand softly down my arm, I shivered.
"Jasper, I can't promise you anything. I'm ruined." I started crying.
He pulled me into a hug.
The next few days went by in pretty much the same way, the girls shopping, I joined in once; shopping wasn't really my thing, I'd rather be at home reading.
Thursday afternoon I was the only one home and decided to bake some pies for dinner.
I'd just taken the last one out and was going to place it on the counter when Jasper put his arms around me.
I froze and dropped the pie, screaming.
"Shit! Sorry!" he apologized.
He pulled me back from the hot sticky mess and grabbed a wet towel to wipe up any that got on me.
"Are you OK?" He kept asked over and over.
"I-I don't know, just quit touching me!" I was shaking and crying.
"Shit. Sorry." He dropped the towel and stood there.
"What can I do?"
"Nothing. Just go." I shook my head as I cried.
"No, you need to stop pushing me away." He stood firm. "If this is going to work, I've got to be able to touch you."
"I know, but coming up behind me is hard. He did that. He bit me." I pulled my shirt down to show my scars.
Jasper walked towards me and I backed up.
"Stop walking away from me!"
He reached for me and ran his fingers over the bite marks.
"I'm so sorry. I only want you to experience happiness and good things." He kissed my shoulder softly, I jumped slightly, then relaxed when I realized he wasn't going to hurt me.
"Can I kiss you?" he asked and I nodded. It was a sweet, soft kiss that was too short, but it was full of promise. "See. I won't hurt you." He held my face gently.
I nodded as tears streamed down my face.
"Go shower, I'll clean up the mess." Jasper pressed a kiss to my temple and squeezed my hands as we heard Esme's car pull into the garage.
I took the back stairs up to my room and turned on the shower; showering I had so many emotions. I was happy, scared, frustrated, and most of all ready. I was going to start letting Jasper show me affection.
I dressed for the day, again in a flirty skirt because I wasn't going out in this cold and a tank top and walked into the kitchen.
"Bella, Jasper told me what happened." Esme frowned at him.
"I'm sorry ma. I'll get used to not frightening her." He smiled at me and took my hand, making me blush as he pulled me to his side.
"Hmmm, is this new?" she waved a hand between us.
"Yes." I nodded. "Just today. After he scared me." I smiled. "He made a valid argument and then offered to clean up the mess he made." We laughed.
"I wish you both luck. You both have good heads on your shoulders." Esme smiled.
"I'd like to take Bella on a real date tonight ma. Just the two of us." Jasper smiled.
"Well, that's up to Bella and I'll make sure everyone else knows." Esme assured.
"I'd love to." I squeezed his hand.
"We'll leave at 7pm."
We sat around the rest of the afternoon talking, getting to know each other a little better.
He told me a little about what he did in the military and that he had two more years and when he went back after leave, he was being deployed.
"Where to?"
"I'm not sure. I won't know until I deploy. I'll be interrogating any prisoners."
"Oh wow!" I sighed.
"Yeah. I also do hostage negotiations if needed."
"How do you stay so stress free?" I questioned.
"Lots of running. I also do martial arts and work out." He smirked.
"I'd like to learn." I shrugged.
"Let's go out tomorrow and see if we can find you a gym close to the college. I'll see if I can find a good instructor for you, that's important. I want you to focus on self-defense. It'd be good for all you girls to take together." Jasper said as an afterthought.
"Good idea! I will never be a victim again." I shook my head.
"That's my girl. So, what are your plans for the next two years?" he asked.
"Finish college as soon as possible. I want to double up on classes if I can. The less I have to work, the more classes I can take and then when I graduate I can find a place to open my own bakery."
"You've got it all planned out, huh?" he played with my fingers.
"I have, for a while. This is what I've always wanted. Alice and Rose make fun of me. They want these high-profile jobs that pays big salaries and I want to work hard to make my money. But I'm happiest in the kitchen."
"Well I for one, am not going to complain about eating your cooking or baking." He pulled my hand to his lips making me blush.
"Make sure you give me an address to send care packages and you'll get them while you're away."
"Are you serious? You'd do that for me?"
"Yes." I nodded.
"It might take weeks before I get them. You'd have to send hardy snacks." He chuckled.
"I know how to package things to last and I'm sure sugar cookies would be welcomed after not having any luxuries." I joked.
"Mmmm… Sugar and snickerdoodles are my favorites and they'd remind me of you."
"Really, why?" I laughed.
"Because you smell like sugar and cinnamon." He leaned into my neck and inhaled; surprisingly I didn't jump this time.
Around 5:30pm I headed upstairs to shower and change.
Alice and Rose were waiting for me with smiles on their faces when I walked out of the shower.
"I guess you heard." I deadpanned.
"Yes!" Alice was bouncing with several outfits laid out on the bed.
"Alice, I just want to be comfortable, the skinny jeans and grey sweater are perfect; add the pink scarf and grey Ugg's and it'll be perfect for the movies."
"OK."
"OK? Really, it's going to be that easy." I laughed and looked at Rose.
"Yes. We want you relaxed and to have fun tonight." They both agreed.
I hugged them tightly and got dressed. We left my hair down, as Jasper had requested it be, apparently, he liked running his fingers through it and then they did my make-up softly and natural.
"Have fun, and relax." The advised.
"I will. Promise."
We walked downstairs and Jasper was in a deep conversation with his dad that stopped abruptly when Carlisle nodded his head towards the stairs.
"You look lovely." He kissed my forehead.
"You don't look so bad yourself." Jasper was dressed in faded jeans, a tan Henley, brown leather belt and shoes and grabbed a grabbed his brown leather bomber jacket, I'll admit I bit my lip. He looked way out of my league at that moment, I felt like a high schooler.
"You ready?" he took my hand and led me towards the garage. "We're using dads Mercedes tonight." He wiggled his eyebrows.
Driving down the drive way I was fidgety.
"Are you OK?" he looked worried.
"Yes and no." I let out a breath. "I feel like I don't belong with you. I know in a few years our ages won't matter, but now; people will surely talk. And then I'm guessing something is up. You and your dad were in a pretty heated talk."
"Look, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do. What we're doing, is 100% legal in Washington, as long as you're consenting and I'd never, ever make you feel guilty to try and give me more than you're ready for considering what you've been through and regardless, I wouldn't pressure you. I care for you. I want to take this slow, we've got a long time to get to know one another. As for my dad and I, you can guess what we were arguing over. It's only over ever one person."
"I don't want to cause problems with the family." I shook my head.
"Bella, you're not. Trust me." He held my hand. "Edward and I have never got along. When he was little I always got in trouble because of him. Emmett was the peace maker. This time however, it's done and I don't think anyone can repair it. Ever." He whispered the last part.
AN:
The date and a blast from the past… His past…
YIKES…
Revies=Love