When Monday came around, Edward was eager for Bella's attention. He had made well on his word of giving her the weekend. But now, the weekend was over.

"Would you like to come over today?" He asked her as they settled into their lecture.

"It's the library and then home for me this entire week." Bella pointed at the chalkboard ahead with the words in big letters, Reminder: Exam on Friday!

"I can help you study."

"No, you'll just point out inconsistencies with my learning, because you have a huge bias against this professor."

Edward rolled his eyes teasingly. "Is it really about the grade or the quality of knowledge, Bella?"

"It's about the grade. The U.S education system wants to see a number. I don't think they've ever cared about the quality."

The lecture was another review, and Edward followed Bella to the library after.

Wednesday was another repeat of this. Bella would study quietly beside Edward following the lecture, and then he would drop her off at home.

It was now the early evening when they got into his car. Bella felt just a little more confident for Friday. She would do a final review tomorrow, and finish the quarter.

In the passenger seat, her phone buzzed to life multiple times. It was a group chat that consisted of some girls in their class. It was blowing up all week.

You would think that the topic of conversation would be about the exam on Friday. No. It was about the party that would follow after, since the end of the quarter usually commenced a slew of house parties.

"Monica's throwing a post-exam thing on Friday," Bella said casually. "You know Monica, right?"

"Monica Larson. She thinks obsessively about Cody Bridger."

Bella shrugged. "She's too good for him."

"I don't think she realizes that." Edward glanced at her. "What is this post-exam thing?"

"Just a house party. It's our way of forgetting all that we learned in a quarter."

Edward's eyes went back to the road. "Sounds irresponsible."

"It's good fun."

"Alcohol?"

"Naturally."

It was a few more moments before Edward spoke. "I don't think you should go."

"Why not?"

Edward swallowed. "People have vile thoughts at those places."

And when he meant vile, he just meant premarital sex. Bella tried hard to change the subject, but Edward pressed on. He asked about who was invited, the time and location of the party, and how long Bella had known Monica for. Bella stepped out of the car feeling like she had been through an intense interrogation.

Edward walked her to her door. She turned to him, and straightened her spine.

"I'll go," she said decidedly. "I think I deserve it."

She turned away momentarily to dig through her backpack, but she didn't get very far. With a sharp intake of breath, she felt that all-too-familiar sensation jolt up her arm. Crushing pain. Bella swallowed, her eyes watering. And Edward didn't seem to realize.

"I think you deserve so much more than that," he insisted, his hand clamped around her left forearm, trying to grab her attention. But he was grabbing onto way more than that. Alice had colored her right arm. And now, Edward seemed intent on leaving his mark on her left.

The words fought to leave her mouth. "You're hurting me, Edward."

His grip was gone almost instantly, and he seemed startled. "Are you okay?"

Bella lifted her sleeve up past her elbow. The red marks were already forming, and the bruise would follow. This one would be more prominent—thicker fingers and more surface area. Bella breathed out a shallow breath, the pain now manageable, but entirely uncomfortable.

"I didn't realize—" Edward cut himself off when Bella lifted her other sleeve, showcasing the bruise that had morphed into various colors. "What happened?"

"Don't you know? Alice had a vision, and we were walking. She grabbed a little too hard."

He shook his head, gritting his teeth. "I didn't know."

"I thought you would read her mind."

"I don't just go around invading people's minds, Bella. There are things I don't need to know." But then, his tone softened, and he kept his hands to himself. "I'm sorry."

And that was all he could say.

Bella blotted her lipstick on three separate tissues before she was satisfied.

Concealer covered the circles under her eyes from the late night before. A long-sleeved dress was her solution to the glaring bruising on her arms. And now, she felt a new sense of confidence as she ran her hands down the fabric that hugged her body.

She knew she had aced that exam, and she was ready to celebrate.

It was around 10 PM that Charlie drove her to Monica's house. He had made no comment on the length of her dress, or the height of her heels. He only warned her to keep her drinks in sight, and wished her a good night.

And it was a good night. Starting with the fact that Edward hadn't reached out after he dropped her off after their exam. He had been agitated at the mention of this party. His face commanded her to stay home, but his words didn't come to solidify the order.

She wouldn't have listened to him anyway.

She deserved a night like this to celebrate. She deserved many nights like this.

Even before Bella stepped out of the car, she could feel the bass as it shook the air around her. And now, her ears worked to adjust to the blaring music as she navigated the crowd inside. Familiar faces greeted her as she made her way through room after room, and finally ended up in the kitchen. The girls she was looking for were semi-circled around an island with lots and lots of bottles and tiny multi-colored glasses.

Bella had taken two shots of tequila within the first two minutes of stepping into the kitchen, and now, she just felt divine.

The girls stumbled over each other, yelling and screaming the lyrics to the latest top 40. Dares were made, truths were said. Bella didn't even feel the ache in her feet from her heels.

Three shots, four. She caught the stares of some of the guys along the walls. She could read desire when she saw it, and it felt good to be desired. She knew what they wanted to do to her, and she had wished for so long that Edward would act the same.

She forced her eyes away. It wasn't the kind of attention she needed.

It was at that moment that she got a phone call. She was staring at Edward's name when Monica grabbed her arm. She was numb enough to not feel her hand squeezing the bruise her boyfriend had blossomed.

Monica's long, dark hair swayed as she moved her hips to the music coming from upstairs. "You should answer. Edward Cullen is so hot."

Bella burst out laughing. "Hot, but dangerous."

"That makes it even hotter."

Monica grabbed the phone and answered it for her, drawing out her greeting. "Why hello. Bella Swan is unavailable right now. She's actually making out with the tequila bottle. Please try again later."

Bella giggled fiercely and fought for her phone.

"What's that?" Monica asked, and then made a face. She put the phone down for a second, grinning. "He sounds mad."

"Give it to me!"

"Your girlfriend is too sexy right now for your tone," she said into the phone pointedly. "No! I think the question is, what are you doing? You're leaving this beautiful woman alone? Shame on you." Monica stuck the phone into Bella's hands. "I'm already done with him."

She then proceeded to grab one of the tequila bottles along with a handful of limes, and disappeared.

Bella pressed the phone to her ear. "Hi, Edward."

"Bella, what are you doing?"

She leaned casually against the island. "I'm… at Monica's."

"I can barely hear you. How much have you had to drink?"

"I don't know, but I feel great."

"I'm coming to pick you up."

She instantly frowned. "No. I'm not leaving."

"Bella—"

The alcohol gave her so much courage that it was probably dangerous. "I told you I wanted to come. You were more than welcome to join me."

There was a pause on the phone, and it was clear that he was holding back more that he wanted to say. "It didn't seem appropriate."

"For me or for you? Never mind, don't answer that. I've been to many parties before, and I'm not stopping because you have an outdated opinion. Goodbye!"

She hung up on him, and that action alone made her giddy. Standing up to Edward felt great, and she should do it more often.

She hunted the girls down for a round of beer pong.

After three more hours of drinking games and sloppy dancing, the party was beginning to disperse. The girls took a final shot of vodka before collapsing onto a large couch. One of the girls fell asleep.

"How's Edward in bed, Bella?" Angela, one of the seniors, asked. "I bet he's vicious."

Bella rolled her eyes and let her head fall back on the couch. "I don't know."

Monica leaned forward quickly. "What! You haven't had sex with Edward Cullen?"

She murmured her reply softly, "He wants to wait until marriage."

The whole couch of girls were instantly caught up in a round of laughter. So much so that Bella couldn't help but join along. Her lips hurt from smiling so hard. It was truly and unexplainably ludicrous.

"Just my luck," she added.

"So that's what's wrong with him!" Maddie, another girl from history, exclaimed before bursting into giggles. "There had to be something wrong with him."

"Oh, come on girls," Angela coaxed. "It could be endearing."

Monica shook her head. "You can't just commit to someone for the rest of your life before test driving."

Bella agreed wholeheartedly. "But there are also some guys that believe in test driving a car that isn't even theirs."

Monica kicked at an empty bottle and watched it roll across the hardwood floor. "Like Justin?"

"Like Justin," Bella agreed.

"He was disgusting," Monica said. "I can't believe he slept with the both of us."

Bella really didn't want to think about it. He had hardly been a boyfriend. And now, he was halfway across the country, chasing fame in New York City. He certainly had the face for it.

"Well, you've had both extremes now." Angela's head fell on Bella's shoulder.

And both were entirely undesirable, weren't they? Bella got up to pee, and when she left the bathroom, she slapped her phone against her ear.

Please pick up, please pick up, please pick up. She really didn't want to have to take an Uber home at night.

Charlie didn't pick up. Glaring at her phone, she saw the time, and immediately could guess why.

2:31 AM.

He had most likely fallen asleep.

What about… Edward? "Hell no," she whispered to herself.

As her finger hovered over the Uber app, she changed her mind.

On her recent calls, at the very bottom of her screen read the name, Jasper Whitlock.

She blew a breath out and tapped his name.

The call was answered so quickly that he might as well have been standing beside her. "Bella."

"Hello?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Jasper, hi." Her head spun only slightly. "I might need a ride."

"Where are you?"

"Um." She had a text with the address somewhere, right? She finally found it and read the address aloud slowly, and hoped she wasn't slurring.

"I'll let Edward know."

"No!" She exclaimed into the phone, and she wasn't quite aware of her vocal range at that moment. "Do not tell Edward."

The line was silent for a few moments. Bella checked to see if the call was still active. And then finally, he responded. "I'm on my way."

Bella and the girls moved to the porch, where they all stood, shivering slightly in the cold. Monica had let Bella borrow a coat, and she tugged on it every few minutes to warm up.

"None of you are taking Ubers, right?" Angela asked.

"No," a girl grumbled. "Nothing will convince me that getting into a stranger's car at almost three in the morning while intoxicated is okay."

Monica launched into a self-defense story from her kickboxing class, eliciting oohs and ahhs from the crowd. But the girls quieted down very quickly as a car pulled up by the curb.

A luxury silver convertible with the top up. Bella simply stared, and then looked around at the girls. No one was getting ready to shuffle towards it.

"Whose ride is this?" Monica asked.

And then Bella realized, it was hers. Jasper got out of the driver's side and stared at her, motioning for her to hurry up.

The sunglasses were a bit much, but Bella could understand their necessity.

But Monica didn't. "The sun won't come up for another three hours. Can someone remind him?"

Angela elbowed her, a smile forming. "No one say a word. I think he pulls it off quite well."

"I agree," Bella said quickly, making her way down the porch steps one at a time, so as to not embarrassingly tumble down in front of a vampire. How graceful that would be.

"Wait, Bella!" That was Monica. She whisper-yelled, "Who is that?"

"Just a friend!" She called back before opening the passenger side door. Jasper lingered outside for a moment before joining her.

Once she got settled, and the car interior stopped spinning, she opened her mouth to ask—but Jasper seemed to already predict her question.

"It's Rosalie's."

Of course it was. The leather seats felt premium as she put on her seatbelt and then slumped properly, letting the headrest support her. The car peeled away from the curb, and soon, she couldn't see Monica's house anymore.

"Thank you so much, Jasper."

It was only after a while of driving that he questioned, "Is your inebriation a tantrum for Edward?"

"What? No." She ran a hand down the tight skirt of her dress. "I can have fun, and he can't. That's the problem."

He pulled off his sunglasses and threw them on the dash. "Is that the only problem?"

She sighed heavily and responded dramatically, "There are so many problems." And then she let her head roll towards him. "Can vampires get drunk?"

"No."

"Not even a little bit?"

"No."

"Thank you."

"For?"

"Picking me up."

Jasper made a turn. "You've already said that."

"I know. I just really appreciate it. I really didn't want to take an Uber. Am I slurring?"

"A little bit."

"A little bit is better than a lot, do you agree?"

"It depends on the context."

Bella closed her eyes and felt the vibrations of the car throughout her whole body. The engine was powerful. "This is a very nice car."

"If you feel nauseous, you need to let me know as early as possible."

Bella giggled. "Don't worry, I don't need more reasons for Rosalie to hate me."

"She doesn't hate you."

"Are you sure?"

"Empath."

"Well, she doesn't like me."

"Yes, but she doesn't hate you."

Bella placed a palm on the window beside her. The cool felt so good. "That's nice."

Jasper eventually stopped in front of her house. Bella didn't even consider how he knew where she lived. She simply opened her purse and dug around for her keys.

"Oh, no, no." Her fingers were carelessly digging around the various contents, climbing over lipgloss, tampons, and her phone. "No."

When she looked up, Jasper was watching her. "Is something wrong?"

"I don't have my keys."

His eyes roamed her house. "Your father is home."

Bella sighed, a pout on her lips. "I know that."

He paused, listening. "He's asleep."

"I know that too."

She squinted at her house, thinking. "My bedroom window is locked." She had locked it because it was the clearest sign to Edward that she wanted him out. "But I suppose I could break in." It wasn't a very sober thought.

"In your state? Just wake your father."

She chewed on her lip. "I shouldn't. He works early."

"What is your alternative?"

Bella stared at her front door. "Is Edward home?"

"Yes."

So, not an option. She sighed again. "I guess I could get a hotel room for the night."

Jasper put the car in drive. "Esme has a cabin just at the edge of town. If you'd like, I can bring you there."

"A cabin?"

"A sanctuary, if you will."

"For what?"

"Solitude. The Cullens are a clan of six. No house is big enough for the separation one might need."

Bella thought for a moment. "Would she mind?"

Jasper stared at her. He wasn't very visible in the dark car, surrounded by the black night. But even the alcohol couldn't blur his sharp, crimson eyes. "No."

In another twenty minutes, ten of which were spent on a dirt road that led into the forest, Jasper parked Rosalie's car right before a quaint, one-story structure. It wasn't a cabin in the sense that it was rustic. On the contrary, it looked surprisingly modern, with an electric outdoor fireplace, and tall, square windows. The pathway to the front door was smooth, hugged closely by colored rubble and occasional flowers.

And as Bella took little steps towards the door, the lights came on one by one—motion activated. She paused on the little porch, right before the door, and waited for Jasper. He eventually towered behind her. "It's open."

And it was. There really was no reason for a family of vampires to lock any doors. Humans couldn't go undetected, and a simple door wouldn't stop a vampire.

Once inside, she was greeted by a very big, fluffy white couch. Happily, she let herself pop down and sink in. The pressure from her heels eased, and she let her eyes close. Her brain felt like it was on an unstoppable carousel ride. The spins were terrible.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and blinked them hard. And it was then that the scent of fresh flowers hit her. It wouldn't be something she usually noticed, but these flowers smelled way too familiar.

She craned her head towards the kitchen area to see blooming lilies of various colors in a large vase, placed delicately on the kitchen counter. Suspiciously, she got up and did her best to walk as straight as possible in those heels. Bracing herself on the counter with one hand, she found a note tucked away by some petals.

Have a good night.

Even through the alcoholic haze, her pulse began to race. "Is this from Edward?"

"Yes."

He knew she'd be here. And the only way he knew had to be through Alice. Bella's head turned to Jasper, who was leaning against the closed door. "How much of this night is pre-planned?"

"All of it."

There was a slight tremor in her hand as she held the note. What she was feeling was unease. And then, she did something incredibly impulsive. Without much thought, her hand swiped across the counter and toppled the glass vase down to the floor. It smashed into pieces, the water leaking out. The flowers landed limply on the ground.

Jasper didn't even flinch. He watched her as she crouched low, placing tense hands on her knees.

She stared at the destruction. "I bet Alice didn't see that."

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"Impulsive, instant decisions. That's how Victoria did it, right?"

Jasper stood in front of her then, and she rose to standing. He examined the broken glass pieces. "It isn't easy to get around Alice. You shouldn't even try." He looked at her. "It's more important that you ensure that she's on your side."

"What if you can't tell what side she's on?"

Jasper didn't answer that, but the way he looked at her made her feel like she had asked the right question. And she really wanted to understand why.

But he moved on quickly. "Give me a list of what you need."

"A list?"

"Yes."

She blinked a few times at the kitchen counter. "Um… a toothbrush. Probably a lot of water."

"What else?"

"A charger. Carbs. Gatorade."

"Gatorade?" He pronounced it strangely, which made Bella giggle.

"It's a sports drink, but I have a suspicion it's used more for a hangover cure than anything."

"Anything else?"

Her eyes roamed the open layout. There was a door that was closed, and she guessed it was the master bedroom.

"Is there a shower?"

Jasper led her to that door, and once he opened it, Bella's mouth fell open at the large, plush king-sized bed with probably twenty unnecessary pillows. The room had a soft blue color scheme, and it was so very inviting. And of course, there was an offshoot into a bathroom.

"Still larger than my bedroom," she said, mostly to herself, as they entered the bathroom. Her eyes roamed the giant tub in the middle of the room. "Esme loves the egg-shaped ones doesn't she?"

Jasper opened a tall cabinet to reveal dozens of white towels. He then peeked into the shower in the corner.

"You should have everything you need."

She snorted. She didn't have any doubt about that. "I bet there are toothbrushes under that sink."

Jasper knelt down and opened the cabinet beneath the sink to reveal a collection of toiletries. It was stocked all the way from piles of makeup to deodorant. And yes, there were toothbrushes.

Bella laughed. "Oh, Esme. I'm not surprised."

"Neither am I."

She shook her head, grinning. "I don't think this is normal."

"It isn't."

When he looked back at her, the corners of his lips were tilted up into almost a smile. Mini-smiles were nice. So nice that she took a few steps forward and plopped down on her knees beside him on the cool, bathroom floor. She pulled off her heels.

"I also bet that these floors are heated." She shivered slightly, looking around the walls for a switch. She smiled at him teasingly. "You said warmth was not a necessity, but that it was still nice."

He was still on one knee before the sink, and he shifted to sit properly. Her proximity didn't seem to bother him, and it only made it better when he agreed, "Warmth is nice."

"Exactly! Why shouldn't vampires and humans mix? You like warmth, and we like cold if we're too warm. And you make perfect ice packs. I think it's a fair trade."

Bella nudged him with her shoulder and rummaged around in the cabinet, pulling out q-tips, cotton balls, and make-up removers.

After a while, Jasper said quietly, "We can trade, but fairness is very hard between us."

His tone changed the mood. Bella sighed, deep and heavy, her hands pausing on the various cleansers and creams. Her brain was dragging her back to Edward. Back to her problems. "I wish that weren't the case."

"Once you change, it won't be."

"Once I change," she said, almost ominously. "You're very pro vampire-Bella."

Jasper didn't respond.

Bella shut the cabinet. "Edward's not. I would know. I've already asked him." She paused, considering. "It's actually quite embarrassing."

"Embarrassing?"

"I was planning my classes for next quarter. I have big university plans, you know. Anyway, I point-blank asked him if he was going to change me. What a silly, stupid question. Desperate. Immature, probably." She cringed at herself. "I know nothing about any of this. I think I barely know Edward." She glanced at him. "And I'd be committing my forever to him, wouldn't I?"

She turned to rest her back against the closed cabinet door, extending her legs out in front of her. Her tights were slightly sheer, and she began admiring them.

"Edward doesn't want to change you?"

"No, he likes his little human." She stared down at the smooth floor, polished to the point that she could vaguely make out her features. "But isn't being human also fun? Look at me. I'm loopy on poison, and my actions have real consequences. I could die at any moment."

Jasper ignored that. "Edward will not change you?"

Bella shrugged, letting her head fall back.

And then, the floor vibrated. Her face contorted into concentration as she tried to understand the stimuli. But it seemed that it was just Jasper. He pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"Let me guess." She closed her eyes lazily. "Alice."

When she opened her eyes, he had his phone to his ear. He hadn't said a word into the speaker. And then, seemingly ending the call, he tossed it onto the ground in front of him. But as he did so, Bella caught the way the soft lightening highlighted his forearm.

"What are these things?"

She scooted closer until her right leg brushed his knee. Her attention was fixated on the marks on his arms.

When he didn't respond, she tilted her head up and saw him watching her just as closely. Only then did he answer her. "Scars."

"Vampires can scar?"

"Yes."

Her eyes traced them all the way up his arm. "They look like bites."

"They are."

There wasn't any hesitation in her movements as she let one finger rest on top of one—right on his forearm. "Does this hurt?"

"No."

"Did it hurt at the time?"

And again, he only answered when she finally looked up at him. "Yes."

She considered the scars on his forearms. She wondered if he had more hidden underneath his shirt, though his arms were covered in plenty. You just needed good lighting to really make them out.

Her finger tapped the scar closest to his wrist. "When did you get this one?"

"1865."

Bella's eyes lifted to his. "No way." She looked back down at his wrist. "I sometimes forget how old you are. How did you get it?"

His answer was simple, as always. "Battle."

It made sense. "That's why you're so good at it." She used one of his favorite words. "Experience. You need to fail to succeed."

"Who said I had failed?"

"Well, these are—"

He lifted his other arm to direct her attention there. "Some were due to carelessness, I'll admit. But sometimes, you'll let someone bite you to distract them. Just when they think they have the upper hand, you encircle their neck, and… they're done."

"But getting the scar still hurts, no matter if it was intentional, right?"

"It's the harshest pain we know. Venom bites. It's worse than being torn apart."

"Torn apart?" Bella leaned closer. "You mean dismemberment?"

"Dismemberment, disarmed. We can be torn apart into a million pieces and still be put back together."

Had she not been dizzy on alcohol, she would have been horrified. "There's so much I don't know. And I don't know why I don't know it. Does that make sense? I should know more by now." She sighed, pulling herself back. "What did Alice want? You should have told her that I'm getting sick of the lilies."

Jasper's eyes darted from his phone on the floor to her face. He cocked his head to the side.

She caught his stare and lifted a hand up to her cheek. It was never not alarming to be watched so closely. "You can just tell me if I have something on my face, you know. Or in my hair. I was blasted with a confetti popper, and I've probably sucked on two whole limes tonight."

His eyebrows popped up. "Limes?"

"Tequila. Long story." But it really wasn't. She nudged his knee with her leg. "What does Alice want? Is Edward mad? Actually, I can answer that. Yes."

Jasper grabbed his phone and stood up. "Alice said that you should shower."

"She can smell through her visions? I didn't think this could get any creepier."

"She can't. You smell fine."

Bella grabbed onto the counter behind her and lifted herself up. "Just fine? I know, the alcohol is probably completely unappetizing." She paused, then looked up at him. "I'm really rambling, aren't I? I'm sorry."

Bella found that she really liked the amusement in his eyes. It wasn't something she saw in them when he was around the others.

She went to the tall cabinet and grabbed a towel. "Was that all Alice said?"

There was an unmistakable pause before he answered—his voice distant and strange. "No."

But when she turned around, he was already gone.

A/N: This chapter: Colorful forearms, 3 AM sunglasses, and Esme's cabin of wonders.

A little taste for what's coming up:

"I wish you would just talk to me. You're a little bit better than the Cullens, but truthfully…" She sighed, considering his one-liners. "…not by much."

Jasper's shoulders tensed slightly. "I'm better enough. You're still partially bleeding, by the way. In case you weren't aware."

Bella dug her heel further into the ground, on the paper towel.

"And you can sit there without any fear that I'll kill you because of it." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and he turned his head to the side to look at her. "And talking is information. Information is currency. We have no trade between us."

His eyes darted to her bleeding heel, and then back to her face. "I'm not incentivized to give you anything."

See you next week.