Rain: And I am back with a brand new Twilight chapter. Thanks to all of those that have reviewed. Hopefully, this chapter will be as good as the first. Also, if you guys have any suggestions or advice to give me, leave a review or PM me. I'm always up for any suggestions and ideas!

Mario: Here we go!

The Crimson Eyed Drifter: Distance between Hearts
Chapter Three

Forks High School
Bella Swan

Have you ever got the feeling that something was wrong?

Like your world had been titled sideways?

Because ever since my birthday, I've felt as if something was different within me.

When I got that stupid paper cut, I was thrown into a glass table by Edward and Jasper was coming towards me but as I laid there, I had managed to look up.

And that's where I saw it.

Jasper's face was hovering right in front of mine while Emmett held his left arm, Rosalie held his right, and Carlisle holding his chest.

I could remember being scared as I stared into his pitch-black eyes but then I saw a flicker of red within the black and for a moment, I thought that I had imagined the red but then the red began to expand until it slowly changed into gold.

It was like driving through a dark tunnel and then seeing the glow of white light near the end of the tunnel.

For a moment, my heart seemed to stop as I stared into his eyes, where the gold started to overcome the black of his eyes.

It was as if with every inch of gold that slowly appeared in his eyes, pieces of my heart and soul were flying from my body and becoming trapped within them.

His lips had become achingly close to mine as I softly took my right bloody hand and touched his cheek with my palm and I could remember telling him "It's ok…"

I could remember how shaky my breath was as my eyes were half-lidded as I fully expected him to close that gap to either bite me or kiss me and considering how his eyes were half-lidded as well, It could have been the latter.

It was like it was just him and I in the room…Caught in this rather intimate pose but to my dismay at the time, they were able to get him out of the house.

And from that moment, my world felt different. Since then, all of my thoughts and feelings came back to Jasper.
I remembered how after they got Jasper out of the room Edward, Alice, and Esme trying to make sure I was ok but all I could say was "Is Jasper ok?" Or "Will he be ok?" and more to that effect.

Edward was able to soothe my worries and got me home after Carlisle stitched me up and that was really the last time I had any contact with the Cullen family.

Originally, I was actually really glad that none of the Cullen family came to visit me in the last two days so I could think about everything that occurred but to my annoyance, I couldn't explain what had happened.

Even now, while I should be eating my lunch after missing eating my favorite cereal in the world known as Waffle Crisps, all I could think about was Jasper!

I groaned out in frustration as I banged my head on the lunch table beneath me.

Why?

I am Edward's girlfriend and Jasper is married to my best friend and yet Jasper is the one thing that has been on my mind.

And to make it even worse, I barely even know anything about him, and yet, here I am, thinking of him in a way that he doesn't belong to be thinking about.

'Get a hold of yourself Bells,' I thought to myself with a frown on my face as I moved my head off the table below me and took a deep breath.

'I just need to see Edward as soon as possible. Maybe he'll drive the thought of Jasper out of my head,' I thought before promising myself that I would see my boyfriend when I got out of school and kiss him so hard that it will drive the vision of Jasper's black/red/ turning gold eyes out of my mind.

And keep it out for good.

The rest of the day continued to go as slowly as humanly possible but I was glad that this would be the last day of school for a week due to quite a few repairs but of course, homework was granted during this impromptu break.

Joy.

If only Angela was here…It sucks that she was currently still out of state in California with her folks. She would know what to do to get rid of these silly thoughts of Jasper Hale.

After gathering the homework from my teacher, I quickly made my way out of the classroom and then right out of the school but the moment I got of the school, I saw him.

Leaning on a rather brand new motorcycle with his motorcycle helmet dangling off one of the handlebars was the bane of my thoughts.

And as I stared at him, I eyed him from his leather cowboy boots, his faded blue jeans, his skin-tight black shirt that left nothing to the imagination, to the very nice leather jacket and to his roguish and gorgeous pale face.

And he had the nerve to have a smirk at me as if he had no cares in the world but despite how…good looked in just casual clothes, compared to the stylish ones Alice had always made him wear, it was his eyes that attracted me.

His amber-colored eyes seemed to shine with amusement as if he knew he was on my mind for the last few days or that he knew I took notice of how good he looked.

'Snap out of it Bells!' I shouted within my head, shaking these improper thoughts of Alice's husband out of my head.

How would she feel if she knew I was ogling her husband?

Slowly, I walked towards him until I stood right in front of him and said, "Well this is a surprise, Jasper. I wasn't expecting to see you after...the incident…"

Jasper laughed softly at my words, making sure to send me a burst of his amusement before he replied "Well honestly, I wasn't expecting to see you either. I was just going to go on my way but…I nearly forgot to give you my gift."

I tilted my head in confusion and asked "Are you going out of town?"

Jasper nodded but I could somehow tell that there was more to it than that so I decided to prod him a little more and asked "Well when are you going to come back?"

Jasper's eyes stared at me for what seemed like an eternity before he looked to his right and patted the black gym back that I now just noticed hanging from the back of the bike before he said "I'm not coming back."

Wait…

What did he just say?

"I'm sorry but run that back for me again," I said to him with narrowed eyes because clearly, I didn't hear him at all because I thought I heard that he was leaving.

But instead of some joke or anything like that, Jasper merely replied "I am not coming back."

So I did hear him correctly.

Good…

"What do you mean by that? Of course, you have to come back," I told him with a bit of anger in my voice, knowing he would feel both the anger in confusion due to his special abilities. "You can't just leave."

"That's exactly what I am doing Bella," Jasper told me with a chuckle but I obviously didn't find it funny or humorous at all.

"You can't just do that! What about your family? What about Alice? What about your life here?" I asked heatedly but I made sure to omit the "What about me?" that was wanting to escape as well but again…I barely knew him and he barely knew me.

Why would he care if I didn't want him to leave?

Hell, logically, it would be good for him to go so I can get him out of my head, and yet…my heart was now hurting.

Why was he doing this?

"Why?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice steady despite wanting to shout but not wanting to bring attention to the two of us.

Jasper let out a small sigh and crossed his arms as he leaned back on his motorcycle. For a moment, Jasper didn't say much at all and I was just standing there, waiting for him to answer my one-word question.

Finally, he began to speak.

"Bella…You need to remember something throughout your life before you become a vampire-like me…You are a human…And as a human, you are basically our prey. A little bunny rabbit in the den of lions…On your birthday…You came this close…"

Jasper then placed his right index finger and right thumb as close as possible to one another without them touching to show how close my death could have happened and continued with "This close to me ending your life and if not for Carlisle, Emmett, and Rosalie, you would not be breathing now."

I wanted to argue with him and say that he had stopped himself from doing it. I was there, I could see that the minute he was before me that he stopped his advancement but I decided to let him continue, to see why he was going to leave.

"By the grace of God, your heart is still beating…After you left, I decided that the diet that the Cullens have been doing is not working for me…I haven't been able to control that thirst for decades now and no amount of animal blood could help keep that fire in my throat down to a small flame. Because of what happened, I decided to leave and strike out on my own once again and continue where I left off in my life prior to becoming family with the Cullens."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

It was my fault that he was leaving his family?

"No…" I whispered softly, really unable to comprehend that I was the reason that Jasper was leaving.

"No…" I repeated while taking a step away from him.

"Y-You're leaving because of me? You're leaving your family…Your wife…because of what happened at my birthday?" I asked; panic beginning to rise in my voice.

If that was true…They would never forgive me for having Jasper leave like this!

I was going to lose my family…

Suddenly, a burst of calm hit my body and I instantly looked to Jasper, who had his eyes closed briefly before opening them again to say "Bella…Your place in the Cullen Family still stands. I've been debating with myself for a long time about this. What happened at your birthday party just confirmed what I have wanted to do for a long time. Do not blame yourself for me leaving Alice and the others behind…"

I watched as Jasper looked down to the ground beneath us and said "Bella, despite all the riches…despite all the accolades we all have, we were living a pretty pathetic existence. Going from place to place, school to school, just existing…We didn't talk to anyone nor did we let anyone get close to us…Every house, from our first to our current, didn't feel like a home to us. It was just another place…until you came into it."

Jasper then looked at me and took my hands into his and gave me a soft smile, which made my heart skip a beat as he said "They love you so much…I could feel it every second you were there. Even Rosalie, even though she hides it well…The reason I am leaving isn't just because I want to return to that life but it is because…At the end of the day, I am a monster that preys on the human race…And while I can feed of anyone I please…I never, ever want you to be that."

I could feel the self-loathing that Jasper was emanating from his body as he said "…I nearly killed you on your birthday and that is something I will regret forever…Me leaving basically means that I will never have to be the monster that killed their light and hope…"

Jasper slid his hand away from mine and gently caressed the right side of my cheek with his left palm and whispered "That is at least one thing I can do for you and my family…Both of which I let down…"

My eyes welled up with tears as both of my hands grabbed Jasper's outstretched hand and with one tear falling, I said "You aren't a monster…Monsters wouldn't leave their family for a human girl they barely know! Monsters wouldn't care what anyone thinks, as long as they got their way!"

I then reached forward and grabbed his leather jacket and shouted "You made a mistake! We all do one time or another but you aren't a monster nor a disappointment so you don't have to leave them behind…You don't have to tear your family apart for me!"

Jasper was surprised by my scream but he gently leaned forward and place a gentle kiss on my left cheek, just as my tear fell there, which caused my eyes to widen and that's when he whispered "I'd rather leave them and keep you safe than to stay here and take their light away…They know, as well as I do, that I am not worth it…You are.."

I bit my bottom lip hard as tears started to fall down my cheeks rapidly, my breathing as well as my hands shaky but once again, I felt a feeling of calm embrace my body, letting me know that Jasper calmed me down once again.

Jasper then reached into his pocket and pulled out a black necklace that had a crystal bunny dangling at the end of it and slowly leaned over to put it around my neck as he said "I came here to give you your birthday gift and my goodbye present…"

Jasper then leaned back and for that moment, our faces were inches apart.

My lips were inches away from his and if I moved just a little bit, I would be kissing him but I was so upset, I could barely think to do something so bold.

I wanted to shout at him that I wasn't worth him leaving his wife and family behind.

That I wasn't worth him going back to his original diet of human blood.

That I wasn't worth the worry that he felt I was.

But I couldn't…

All I could do is stare at his face and whisper, "Please don't go, Jasper…"

Jasper stared at me long and hard before he leaned up and placed a tender kiss on my forehead before he whispered against it, "Goodbye Bella…Show my family that you will be a better Cullen than I will…"

And just like that Jasper moved away from me and placed his helmet around his head before straddling his bike.

With a rev of the engine, Jasper drove away from me and made a quick U-turn before driving down the road to the left.

It was then I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted, "Jasper! No matter what, I will show you that you are worth it!"

Despite the tears on my face, I couldn't help but let a determined smile form on my face. "And when you come back…I'll be here waiting," I whispered gently as I watched his bike fade into the distance, my right hand gripping the crystal kitten on my necklace tightly.

And that was a promise I will be willing to keep.

No matter what happens.

Rain: And that ends this chapter! What did you guys think is going on with Bella and her thoughts of Jasper? And what do you guys think of her promise? Let me know in a review. Until the next chapter…

Mario: See you next time!