Prologue

"You should eat something. When's the last time you ate?" My brother's best friend, Jasper, asked as we sat in the hospital waiting room.

"When's the last time you ate?" I snapped. I immediately felt bad for it, and he was right. I couldn't really remember the last time I'd really eaten anything. I got a total of two hours of sleep last night. I knew I wasn't taking care of myself, and that was the same reason I was so cranky.

Jasper sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, knowing he couldn't argue with me on my point. "Let's go to the diner, huh? We'll both get somethin'."

I shook my head.

"Bella." He begged softly.

"Jasper, why are you here right now?" I asked him, not waiting for his response before I continued. I already knew his answer. "For the same reason I am. My dad is either locked in his office at the station or running the roads all day trying to find the person who ran, and my mom won't leave Garrett's bedside, but she's completely and totally out of it. She has no grasp on anything right now. She just sits there and cries and stares out of the window saying rosaries over and over. If your dad has any updates on him, someone half coherent has to be here to listen."

It had been a week of this. It had been a week since Garrett was involved in the hit and run that put him in his coma. It had been a long, excruciating week of just waiting.

"I know, Bella, I know. But this town is only five miles wide, alright? And I know my dad will let us know as soon as anything changes. Your brother would have a conniption fit if he knew that you weren't taking care of yourself."

I shook my head, crossing my arms and glaring down at the floor.

"Your college graduation is this weekend, Bella. Shouldn't you be sending out invitations or picking out a dress or something?" His usually low and deep, calm Southern drawl came out in an edge I wasn't used to from him, and his loss of patience with me stung just a bit more than it should have.

"Why don't you do it for me? Since, you know, I'm obviously a toddler that needs to be told what to do and watched at all times."

"I would, but I don't think you'd like the one I pick." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

I looked over at him with an arched eyebrow. His stormy hazel eyes were mischievous and playful for the first time in days–layers of blue and gray and soft brown all melting together in a way that was nearly hypnotic.

"You think Sister Renee has an extra habit laying around in there?" He asked, nodding towards the hallway of patient rooms.

I rolled my eyes, trying to fight a smile.

"Come on, Bella. You gotta get out of here for a little bit. You're gonna go crazy."

I looked at Jasper sadly, silently begging him to just let me stay where I was.

"Ya know I'm not just here for him, right? Your parents aren't the only ones on the verge of going off the deep end. You only leave to shower and change, and even then, you're barely gone an hour. You don't sleep. You don't eat. Babe, you can't keep goin' like this."

"I'll be fine." I said, looking back down at the floor.

"Please come to the diner with me." He pleaded.

I raised my eyes only to be met with his heavy stare, his bluish eyes peering at me expectantly. I took the moment to study him. He did look exhausted. He had dark circles under his eyes, his face was extra scruffy, and though he had his blonde curls pushed back with a baseball hat, his hair still looked messier than normal.

"My nerves are so bad that I don't even know if I'll be able to eat anything." My voice softened.

"Just try."

Slowly and begrudgingly, I nodded. "But we eat quick and come right back."

Jasper nodded and stood up, his tall frame towering over me as he held a hand out for me to take. I put my hand in his and let him pull me out of my chair. He kept my hand in his as he led us to his truck.

The drive to the diner was only five minutes, but it felt like it took hours. When we walked in, all the eyes fell on the both of us. Some in shock. Some in pity. All in curiosity.

I sat down across from Jasper and stared blankly at the menu. I wasn't hungry, and even if I had been, after eating at the same tiny diner in our little town twice a week for the past twenty-one years, I knew the menu by heart.

The waitress that came to our table was Miss Sue, and she had been working here for as long as I could remember. She looked between Jasper and I for a moment before trying to hide a knowing smile. I managed to keep my eyes from rolling at her nosiness. My brother had been in a coma for a week, and still, my platonic lunch with his best friend was apparently the best gossip in town. I couldn't wait to get back to New Orleans where I was just another nameless face in the city.

"The usual for the both of y'all?" Miss Sue asked.

We both nodded, she took our menus, and then she walked away to go put our orders in.

I continued to look at the wood grain pattern on the old table we were sitting at while I absentmindedly played with the ends of my long and currently very messy brown hair.

"You gotta stop thinkin' the worst."

My eyes moved upward to look at Jasper, and my throat tightened. "I'm really trying."

He gave me a sad smile, and we sat in silence for the rest of lunch. When he was satisfied that I'd eaten enough, Jasper paid the bill and then we made our way back to the hospital. When we got there, both of Jasper's younger sisters were there.

When Jasper first became friends with Garrett twelve years ago and started spending most of his time at my house, I never expected his sisters to come with him as a package deal. It started the first time as my parents keeping his sisters for a night while his parents were out of town. Since the girls were about the same age as me and Jasper would be at my house anyway, it just made sense. From that very first sleepover, Rosalie and Tanya, both outspoken and unafraid of anything, took me, the quiet wallflower, under their wings and we'd been nearly inseparable for almost a decade now.

As siblings, Jasper, Rosalie, and Tanya Whitlock were a united front and fiercely loyal. And at this point, they considered Garrett and I part of their family unit. Rosalie and Tanya had been here at least every other day to check on me and to see if there were any updates, and I'm sure Jasper had asked them on numerous occasions to kidnap me from the hospital. Every attempt they had at getting me to have a girl's night never succeeded, though. I wasn't going anywhere until Garrett opened his eyes.

"There you are. We thought maybe you'd gone home for some rest." Rosalie said as she stood up from her chair and gave me a hug.

Jasper scoffed.

"We just went to get a bite to eat." I said softly and took the spot next to Rosalie.

I was suddenly aware of how awful I must have looked. Rosalie and Tanya were both incredibly beautiful, and I could barely compare on a good day, much less after a week of sleepless nights and hardly any food.

The two sisters had the same crystal blue eyes, and while they both kept their hair long, Rosalie had the same honey blonde curls as Jasper while Tanya's was pin straight and strawberry blonde. They were tall with striking features and gorgeous smiles, when they actually dropped the resting bitch face, that is. I'll never quite understand why they chose a shy and plain, brown-eyed brunette in glasses (and now with a nose ring and too many ear piercings) as the introvert they wanted to adopt, but I'd spend the rest of my life being grateful that they did.

Jasper sat on the other side of me, leaving an open seat between us. He slumped down in his chair, spread his legs wide apart, and rested his head against the wall with his eyes closed. I couldn't help but feel just a pang of guilt.

"Well, do you have everything ready for graduation next week? You know you need an outfit for the ceremony and the party." Tanya said. "We can go shopping today if you still need something."

I pursed my lips and looked down at my lap.

"You can't skip graduation, Bella." She continued softly.

I sighed, knowing that she was right. When Garrett woke up, which he was going to, he'd kill me if he found out I'd skipped the ceremony just to sit in the hospital waiting room. "I know."

"So?" Rosalie urged.

"Maybe tomorrow? I feel like I need some sleep before I go shopping with the two of you." I joked weakly.

"Alright. Rest up. Sleep in. Let us know when you're ready, and we'll come get you." Tanya said.

I nodded.

They stayed for about another hour, and we made senseless small talk until they were convinced I'd had enough social interaction for the day. They both gave Jasper a meaningful look as they left, but I ignored it.

A couple hours later, my dad, Charlie, came in and I went with him to Garrett's room. It was eerily silent in there. My mom was sitting in a chair at my brother's bedside, looking down at her lap where she had a rosary tangled in her hands, and my dad stood up in the corner, looking out the window blankly. After a half an hour of that, I couldn't take it anymore, so I left the room and went back to the waiting room.

Jasper had dozed off in the same spot where I left him. I took the spot I had been in before, and he woke up, blinking at me a couple times.

"Same?" He asked.

I nodded, and about ten minutes later, my dad emerged from the hallway, shot me a weak smile and then left through the front doors of the hospital to get in his police cruiser to head back to the station.

"If I lose him, I lose them, too." I whispered. "They're already off the deep end. If he doesn't make it, they're gonna spiral even more."

"You're not gonna lose any of 'em." He reassured me.

I rested my forehead in my hand to hide my watering eyes. I sniffed twice and then felt Jasper move and get on his knee in front of me.

"Hey, guess what." He said softly.

"Hmm?"

"You're not alone, alright? Garrett's gonna be fine. And until he wakes up, you've got me. And Rosalie and Tanya. And the crazy ass plus ones that come with them." He chuckled halfheartedly before continuing seriously, "Your parents need to cope, and I get that. But it seems like they're forgetting that they still have a kid that's getting a lot of shit dumped on her, too. And you shouldn't have to deal with that by yourself. So you don't need to. We're not goin' anywhere, darlin'."

I looked up at him with blurry eyes, but I couldn't mistake the sincerity in his expression as he looked back at me. A strangled sob escaped me, and Jasper pulled me close to his chest, bringing my head to rest on his shoulder. He held me the entire time I cried, which could've been hours or could've been minutes. I had lost my concept of time after the first three days in the hospital waiting room. He didn't say anything; he only gently stroked my hair as I tried to calm myself down.

When my crying had subsided, Jasper let me settle down for a few moments before pulling back to look at me. "I know you're not… but are you okay?"

I laughed wryly and nodded, understanding what he meant.

He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear before taking the seat directly next to me instead of leaving a space between us like there normally was. He took my hand in his and twined our fingers together. It shocked me a little, but I was thankful for the small comfort.

It was silent for a couple of minutes before I spoke again. "And speaking of crazy ass significant others, where the hell is Victoria, huh? She disappeared before he was even out of surgery."

Jasper shrugged. "We don't know. No one's heard from her."

I huffed. "She was a bitch before we even left for college, and now she's just a complete cunt." I saw Jasper smirk from the corner of my eye, so I looked over at him. "How is Garrett the only person that doesn't see that?"

"He sees the best in people, Bella." He replied simply.

"Please." I snorted. "At best, she's just an easy lay, and I'd like to think Garrett isn't quite that vapid."

"What happened between the two of you?" He asked, eyeing me curiously.

"What are you talking about?" I muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"No one is Victoria's biggest fan, alright? I'll admit that much, but we can all at least somewhat tolerate her. But the two of you can't even be in the same room together without trying to rip each other's faces off. Didn't Rose have to break up an actual fight between the two of you at one point? And you and Victoria were best friends in middle school, weren't you? What happened?"

I sighed.

"Bella." He hedged.

My answer came out in a blurted ramble. "Ben Cheney was my homecoming date. I was supposed to walk on the field with him, and Victoria didn't have a date, and it killed her. It killed her, so she stole mine. She french kissed him in a supply closet at school, and I was a good girl and I didn't do that, so he dumped me and took her instead. She's a date stealing psychopath."

Jasper guffawed. "This about your eighth grade homecoming? And Ben Cheney no less? He's a complete stoner, Bella."

"He wasn't then." I defended. "And he had pretty eyes."

"Ya know, I've been told that I have pretty eyes." He teased.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Anyway, it's not only about that, but it was definitely the catalyst. Her mom also slept with the principal our senior year so Victoria could get valedictorian over me. And I can tell you for a fact that she has a to-do list that she started in eighth grade, and she hasn't stopped adding to it or crossing off anything since then, even after she started dating my brother."

"A to-do list?" Jasper raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, cowboy. A to-do list." I emphasized.

He registered what I was saying and then his eyes widened. "She's cheating on him?"

"I don't have any hard evidence and that's why I never said anything, but yeah, I do think she is."

Jasper sighed and stayed silent for a moment. "Who's on it?"

I smirked. "Well, you are if that's what you're asking."

He groaned.

"So is your dad."

He gagged.

I giggled. "If it makes you feel any better, so is my dad."

Jasper grinned. "The stache made the list?"

"He did." I affirmed just before a yawn escaped from me.

He looked at me pointedly.

"I'm not sleepy." I mumbled.

"You're exhausted, babe."

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"You've had about twelve cups of coffee today, and you still can't keep your eyes open. You promised my sisters you'd rest for tomorrow. You need to sleep."

"I do sleep."

"No, I mean actually sleep. Go home. Get in your bed. Come back in the mornin'."

I shook my head again.

He sighed and slumped back down in his chair before resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes like he had earlier.

I did feel bad that he was here taking care of me. I tried to tell myself that I shouldn't feel guilty because I never asked him to and because it wasn't his job to step up or to be the man in my life when my dad or brother couldn't. But I knew that was a dangerous line of thinking, and I knew Jasper better than to believe he'd leave me by myself here all day. He practically grew up at my house, and he saw my family like his own. And Jasper Whitlock was nothing if not loyal to a fault.

But I couldn't go to my house tonight. Just going home to shower and clean up every morning was hard enough. It was cold and dark and empty since my mom was here and my dad was spending all of his time at the station or chasing leads in the accident. It was too quiet, and it gave me too much free space and time to think.

"I can't go home." I whispered. "It's too quiet. It doesn't feel right. It's just… empty."

Jasper squeezed my hand, and I looked over at him. "Why don't you come to my apartment then? I have plenty of room."

"You rent a studio." I deadpanned.

He gave a halfhearted smile. "The couch is plenty comfortable enough for me. You can have the bed." His face turned stern. "You need rest, Bella."

I looked down at my lap for a moment. "Alright." I conceded softly.

He breathed a sigh of relief and nodded before standing up and pulling me up with him. He never let go of my hand as we walked towards the front doors of the hospital.

When we got in his truck, he tossed his baseball hat on the dashboard and then started the engine. "You wanna stop at your parents' to get your stuff?" He asked and started the car.

I nodded.

Jasper pulled out of the parking lot, and we drove to my parents' house in silence. When we got there, he parked in the driveway, and I ran inside alone to get a bag together. I was in and out within ten minutes, and when I got back in the truck, Jasper wordlessly put the truck back in drive and started towards his apartment.

He lived above a small shop in the downtown area of our little town. A few years ago, there had been a big push to revitalize the area, and more shops and restaurants came into the old buildings and updated them, and the second floor apartments were also updated in an effort to keep the younger generation from moving out of town. It had worked pretty well. It was small, but the strip now had a coffee shop, a florist, a couple of cafes and boutiques, and a craft butcher shop.

When we got to his apartment, Jasper parked on the street and then led me upstairs to his door. He opened the door and let me walk in front of him.

"Make yourself at home." He said as he kicked his boots off by the door and slipped by me to go into the kitchen.

I'd only been to his place a handful of times, but I'd always felt like it was extremely homey, especially for a twenty-five year old that was barely ever home anyway. There was a small chaise leather sofa on the far end. His bed was closer to the door, and though it wasn't made at the moment, I knew that the bedding was nice enough to rival any luxury hotel or interior design magazine. His walls were filled with vintage concert posters, rodeo and landscape photographs, and animal mounts. The floors were antique hardwood, and he had different area rugs under the bed and sofa, one plush and soft and one cowhide.

I tossed my bag on the floor near the foot of the bed and then walked over to sit down on the sofa. I pulled my feet up under me, and a few minutes later, Jasper came out of the small kitchen with two beers. He handed me one and then sat down next to me on the couch.

"Thanks for letting me stay here tonight." I said softly.

Jasper gave me a sweet smile. "It's nothin'." He replied and took a sip of his beer.

I played with the label on the bottle in my hand for a minute, and I could feel his eyes on me. "I think I'm gonna go shower." I took a sip from the bottle and then handed it to him. "I'll grab a fresh one after."

He chuckled softly. "Alright."

I got up and picked up my bag on the way to the bathroom. I took my time in the shower, and I felt slightly guilty for how long I stayed in there. But when I finally pulled myself out of the shower after I was done, I felt the cleanest and most refreshed that I had in the week since Garrett had gotten in his accident. I quickly brushed my teeth and dressed in sleep shorts and a camisole before going back into the living area.

I tossed my bag back on the floor and looked at Jasper. He was looking down at his phone, sprawled out on the sofa. He barely fit on it. "I can take the couch."

Jasper turned to look at me before shaking his head. "You need rest."

"So do you."

"I'll be fine." He insisted as he stood up. He pointed to the bed on his way into the bathroom. "Sleep."

I sighed just as I heard the door shut to the bathroom behind me. I begrudgingly walked to the head of the bed and sat down cross legged, leaning back against the headboard. I was too afraid to settle in and lay down. My thoughts would start to wander if I did that. I pulled out my phone and lazily scrolled through it.

I heard the shower turn on, and I kept wasting time on my phone for twenty minutes before finally turning it off. A few minutes later, Jasper emerged from the bathroom with damp hair and wearing only some gray sweatpants. I was ashamed to admit how hard of a time I had keeping my eyes focused on his face.

There was a point I'd had a bit of a crush on him. It was hard not to. He was at my house all of the time, or I was at his with his sisters. He was incredibly handsome with his pretty bluish eyes and the gorgeous ringlets in his hair. His jawline could cut glass, and it was always covered by just the perfect amount of scruff. And it didn't help that his not-often-shown, sweet, Southern charm could melt the coldest of hearts.

Jasper looked at me sternly. "Are you avoiding going to sleep?"

I took off my glasses and took my time folding the arms in and setting them on the bedside table. "No, I'm just trying to wind down a little." I mumbled.

He sighed and walked over to sit on the bed next to me. "Coming here isn't gonna do any good if you don't actually get any rest."

I looked down at my lap. "I'm sorry. I know. My head just won't shut up." I complained weakly.

"Yeah, mine neither." Jasper replied before lifting up my chin and looking at me with eyes that were just as exhausted as mine.

"You know you don't have to keep taking care of me like this."

He released me from his gentle grasp and leaned back against the headboard before taking my hand and holding it on his thigh. "Taking care of you is the only reason I'm not drowning in bottom shelf right now." He whispered.

I looked over at him in surprise, but he kept his eyes staring blankly ahead at the wall. I leaned my head on his shoulder, and we stayed sitting in silence like that for a while before Jasper squeezed my hand.

"You should get some sleep." He said with a wry smile and moved to get out of the bed.

On instinct, I held on to him tighter, and he looked down at me with questioning eyes. My response was out of my mouth before I could even catch the words. "I can't be alone."

"Do you want me to stay by you until you fall asleep?"

I nodded shyly.

"Okay, lay down." He said softly.

I let go of his hand and scooted down on the bed, getting comfortable under the covers. Jasper got up and went to turn the light off and then sat back down where he had been just a moment ago, sitting back slightly lower against the pillows.

"Sleep." He commanded gently.

I nodded and rolled away from him, closing my eyes. It was only minutes before I drifted off.

When I woke up the next day, I could tell that my head wasn't on a pillow, and I opened my eyes to see a bare, tattoo covered chest. I looked up and noticed that Jasper was still sitting in the same spot from last night, sleeping soundly. He had hardly moved at all. Only his arm was stretched along the bed, and at some point during the night, I had turned to face him and cuddle into his side.

"Fuck." I muttered under my breath as I tried to push myself away without waking him.

I was just beginning to sit up in bed when Jasper started to stir. It took him a minute to realize where he was before looked at me apologetically. "Sorry. I must've fallen asleep."

"It's okay." I assured him softly. "What time is it?"

He looked at my phone on the nightstand. "A little after noon."

"What?" I shrieked before clumsily crawling out of bed. "I went to bed at ten. There's no way I slept that much."

"You haven't had a good night's sleep in over a week, Bella." Jasper said gently. "Your body needed rest. Don't you feel better?" He asked, watching me as I pulled out clothes for today from my duffel bag.

"Yeah." I replied weakly.

"I'm sure we would've heard something if something happened. It's okay."

I nodded.

"We'll get dressed, go get something to eat, and then go back to the hospital if that's what you want, okay?"

I nodded again.

"Okay." Jasper said simply and got up to get ready.

I dressed quickly while he was in the bathroom, slipping on a comfy linen jumpsuit. When Jasper finished in the bathroom, I slipped in and raced through my typical morning routine before going back into the living area.

Jasper was in a pair of jeans and putting on a t-shirt when I got there. "Ready?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Alright. Just give me a minute." He said and walked to the entryway to get his boots from the day before. Once he had them on, we walked down to his truck and headed downstairs to one of the cafes in downtown to get something to eat.

Jasper must've known what he was doing though, because halfway through us eating, Tanya and Rosalie walked in, looking incredibly determined. There was a little bit of a fight, but after lunch, the two of them managed to drag me to a couple of boutiques along the strip to find outfits for graduation and the after party. I was less picky than normal, and I settled on whatever they thought was cute. I just wanted to get back to the hospital to check on Garrett.

When we finally finished shopping, they dropped me off at the hospital. I peaked my head in Garrett's room. Nothing had changed. He was still lying on the hospital bed, eyes closed, and my mom was still staring down at the beads in her hand, her lips moving slightly as she spoke to herself.

I sighed and went back into the waiting room, this time managing to steal a small couch along the wall. Jasper came in twenty minutes later.

"Sorry, I had to check on a few things with work." He said as he sat down next to me.

"It's okay… ya know, you really don't have to stay with me like this."

He shook his head with a smile. "I mostly only answer emails anyway."

I pursed my lips and remained silent, knowing better than to try to push the issue with him.

A while later, my dad came for his daily visit, and at about the same time, Garrett's doctor and Jasper's dad, Dr. Peter Whitlock, came into the waiting room to give us an update.

"He did regress a bit over the course of the morning." Peter said softly. He continued to speak, explaining the situation to me, my father, and Jasper, but I didn't pay attention. When he finished talking, my dad went down to Garrett's room, but I went back into the waiting room where I had just been sitting.

Jasper sat back down next to me, and neither one of us said anything. I only held one of his hands in both of mine, grasping it tightly, as if it were the only thing keeping me firmly on the earth.

Eventually, night fell, and Jasper asked if I wanted to go to his house to sleep. I shook my head, remaining silent.

"Us being here or not being here isn't going to change his condition, Bella." Jasper whispered.

I only shook my head again, staring at the floor.

Jasper sighed heavily and tried to take his hand away. I looked over at him, and I don't know what he saw in my eyes, but he quit trying to take his hand from mine and shook his head before holding his chin in his free hand. After a few moments, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't stay here another night." His voice was pleading as he met my gaze again. "And I don't want to leave you here alone, but if you refuse to come with me then it looks like I don't have a choice."

I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I felt like I was going into shock. Like the reality of the past week or so was finally starting to hit. Like I was finally realizing that my brother may never wake up.

I tried to speak but nothing came out.

Jasper's eyes softened. "Bella?"

I felt sick. Like I was nauseous and suffocating and dizzy all at once. I needed air. I still couldn't find my voice, but somehow, my brain told my legs to stand. I walked on shaky legs to the exit, and I felt Jasper on my heels. He tried to lead me to his truck when we got outside, but I shook my head. I couldn't get in a vehicle right now.

I walked off to the side and leaned against the brick siding of the hospital and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths.

I felt Jasper come to stand in front of me after a few minutes, and I opened my eyes. His eyes were colored with worry, exhaustion, and what I could only recognize as love. Before I could register what I was even doing, my arms were around his neck, pulling him down to me to kiss his lips.

It took him a moment to realize what had happened, but when he did, his hands came up to frame my face and he trapped me between his body and the wall. I tangled my hands in his hair and relished in the feeling of his lips against mine. The kiss got progressively deeper, but when he felt my tongue at his lips, he abruptly broke the kiss and took a small step back.

"Not like this." He shook his head.

My arms fell from his neck, feeling rejected. "What?"

"You're too emotional right now."

I shook my head, blinking away tears.

Jasper's face became pained as he stood up straight and pulled me into a tight hug. I grasped his t-shirt in my hands as a sob escaped. He kissed the top of my head and continued to hold me tightly as I cried into his chest. When my tears subsided, Jasper pulled back from me and wiped my eyes.

"I'm so mad at him. Why am I so mad at him, Jas? It's not his fault that he's in there."

He brushed the hair from my face and let his hands rest on the sides of my neck. "Because you miss him. And you just want him to wake up. You want to scream at him and shake him and hit him and do whatever you can to get him out of that bed." He replied.

"What if he doesn't?" I croaked.

Jasper shrugged, his eyes turning red. "I don't know, Bella. I don't know."

We were both past the point of pretending the only way out of here was up.

"Are you mad at him, too?" I asked softly.

He let out a watery laugh and rested his forehead against mine. "Babe, I'm fuckin' pissed."

I brought my hands up to his forearms. "I'll go with you tonight." I whispered.

He nodded and as he was standing back up to his full height, a voice that was like nails on a chalkboard came from behind him.

"Jasper? Oh, I'm so glad you're here! How is…" Victoria trailed off when Jasper moved to the side and revealed that I was behind him. "Oh! Bella! Didn't see you there." She said, her voice switching from needy and whiney to completely innocent when she saw me.

I clenched my jaw and rolled my eyes. Now there was someone I had every right to be pissed off at.

When she got over to us, she pulled me into a hug that I hardly returned.

"Where have you been, Victoria? Your boyfriend is in a coma, and you're off doing what exactly while the rest of us are here with him?"

"I needed time to process what happened." She said, looking not all phased.

"You needed time? As if any of the rest of us didn't? Fuck you, Victoria. Just go back to whoever's bed you were in." I said. "I'll be here. Some of us know where our loyalties lie."

"I'm not leaving until I see Garrett."

Jasper scoffed. "You're not seeing shit, Victoria."

My jaw dropped as I looked over at Jasper.

Victoria's did, too. "Excuse me."

"You heard me. Bella's right. We've all been here. Me, Bella, my sisters, their boyfriends. You've had plenty of opportunity to show us that you gave a fuck about Garrett, which you didn't. So leave. Visiting hours are over anyway."

Victoria's eyes narrowed. "You two think you can just run his life, don't you? Well, I'm getting a little sick of it."

"Ya know what I'm a little sick of, Victoria?" I asked angrily. "I'm sick of pretending like I give a damn what your opinions are. I'm sick of pretending like I have even an ounce of respect left for you. I don't care that you want to see Garrett. I don't even care if you drop dead tomorrow. I just don't want to fucking see your face again."

"And what makes you think that you can get rid of me that easily, huh? I'm not going anywhere, honey. Your brother and I are engaged."

"What the hell are you talking about, Victoria?" Jasper asked, exasperated.

She smirked and held up her left hand for a moment, revealing a ring. "Garrett proposed three weeks ago. We were telling everyone last weekend, but then…" She trailed off, almost looking upset. Almost.

"You really expect us to believe that, you psychotic fucking bitch? You could've gotten that out of a gumball machine for all we know." I said. "There's no way he proposed to you and didn't tell any of us beforehand."

"Why would I lie, Bella?"

"I don't know, Victoria. Why wouldn't you?"

"It just kills you that I end up with everything that you think is supposed to be yours, doesn't it?" She asked vindictively with a sickeningly sweet smile.

In that moment, all I saw was red, and I lunged at her. Jasper quickly caught me and held me back as Victoria smirked evilly at me. "Jasper, I swear if you don't me go right now so that I can murder her…"

"Bella, just calm down, alright?" Jasper said. "You going to jail isn't gonna help any part of this situation."

I fought against him some more. "No, but a dead Victoria will."

Victoria rolled her eyes, still smirking.

"Keep smiling, whore. Just wait until he's not here to fucking protect you." I threatened.

She snorted. "Oh please. As if Prince Charming over here would ever let his little princess get her hands dirty. You two nauseate me." She crossed her arms.

"Just let me hit her. Just once." I seethed, still trying to get free from Jasper's grasp.

"Bella, stop it. She's just trying to get a rise out of you."

I stopped fighting for a moment and glared at Victoria.

She giggled to herself. "I do have to say, I am glad the two of you are finally seeming to make things official. The whole 'will they, won't they' suspense was really killing me. I've been rooting for you. Really. Way back since season one."

"Fuck off, Victoria." Jasper said, growing increasingly more annoyed by the second.

"Ya know, Victoria… I don't know what happened to make you so fucking bitter, but one day, you're gonna wake up and realize that you wasted your entire life on some stupid vendetta that you've concocted in your head. And if you really are engaged to my brother, you're going to end up taking a very good man down with you. And I hope you rot in hell for it."

Her face fell for a second before her features went stoic again. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the hospital doors opened, and Peter walked outside briskly.

He looked around for a moment before his eyes fell on us, and he let out a heavy sigh. "He's awake."

A/N I've never written anything that was this much out of canon pairings, but I've been wanting to do a Bella/Jasper story for years now. After all, I did marry the asshole-to-everyone-except-his-woman, long haired country boy with a deep South drawl, so I'm quite biased I will wholeheartedly admit. Just living the dream, but I'll quite bragging.

This is just the prologue and the rest of the story will be completely on brand for me, as always: southern/country themes, obviously. Whiskey drinking, obviously. Sweet girl. Cocky guy. Shenanigans. Sassy banter. Cute nicknames. Soft on the angst. All the things we love around here. Chapter one won't be up for a few weeks, but I wanted to give everyone a little piece of what's coming. So until Chapter 1, bebs.