When Jasper was finally able to speak he was using all of his concentration to not crush the human girl's hand. His voice was tense and he felt a fury build up inside of him, reminding him of all too powerful emotions from his past. "Bella," He began, trying not to jump to any conclusions but knowing where this was going already, "are you saying that Edward took you into the woods, broke off your relationship, and left you there?"

As Isabella Swan's cheeks grew flushed, Jasper reminded himself of every connection she had to his family, willing his body not to react. Jasper ruffled with indignity when he felt the trickle of venom in his mouth. Edward wasn't around to magnify the blood lust, yet his body knew what the flush under her cheeks meant. He was still attracted to her blood even if intellectually he knew how much she meant to him and his family.

Shame filled her when she responded, "It's really my fault." She tried to pull her hand away from Jasper's hand but he wasn't ready to let go yet. She had always been harder to read than others but through touch her emotions came through crystal clear, intensified. When he focused on her emotions, it made it easier to tell her apart from prey, and that's what he decided to latch onto.

Bella continued, looking away, "He brought me out there but we weren't very far in, just secluded enough for a private conversation." She shook her head, a dark pit filling where her shame had been. Jasper pushed a little calm her way. "I lost my damn mind when he told me that he didn't love me anymore, that it would be like he had never existed. I didn't know how to handle him leaving and how everyone else had already left. I freaked out when he said goodbye and tried to follow him." She shook her head, half covering her face with her other palm. Shame brought it's way back to the forefront. "I was so stupid. I knew I couldn't follow him, that it would be impossible, but I led myself deeper into the woods and eventually…" She trailed off. "A search party was sent to look for me. A man from the reservation found me that night."

When Bella revealed that Edward had lied to her and the whole family, Jasper was in shock. Edward had always used his ability to read their minds in his own favor but to straight out lie to the family? He knew, he heard and knew through Jasper how everyone felt about that move. It had been heartbreaking to so many members of their family. This betrayal would be heartbreaking news too.

Jasper knew his rage was warranted but it still scared him. Intense emotions like this had led to him slipping in the past and he didn't want that to happen, he couldn't be a danger to Bella again. He quickly released Bella's hand, standing and positioning himself behind the seat he had been sitting in. He wanted to curse Edward's name. How could Edward be so stupid? Of course Bella would try to chase after him. She had been utterly infatuated with him. How could he treat her with such disrespect? To not provide her or their family with the legitimate reason they all were leaving tarnished the whole relationship. Now that Jasper knew, how was he supposed to face Edward with the same sort of respect he had once had? How was he supposed to give his family this information? It would just give them another reason to mourn the life they lost.

While Jasper was warring with himself Bella had been growing ever more uneasy. She shifted in her seat to cross her legs and fold her arms in front of her. She no longer looked like the confident girl Jasper had seen in class. He tried to reach out and detect where her head space might be at the moment but all he could tell was that she was worried and still a little shame filled.

Jasper spat out in disdain, "What a righteous bastard he was to do that to you."

Bella was shocked, though Jasper couldn't tell if it was from his vocabulary or from the purity of emotion that she could hear in his voice.

"Edward calls himself a gentleman, yet he grew up in an age of deceit. Our family should have known something like this would happen." Jasper knew he was letting his anger get the best of him. He respected Edward and cared for him as a brother but he was also pissed at his brother. Jasper turned his focus back towards the brunette who deserved every ounce of it. Her emotions held long echoes of pain. What had she been through must have felt insurmountable, yet she was strong enough to overcome. He wouldn't admit it but his voice bordered on reverent, he held a deep respect for anyone who was strong enough to overcome personal battles, "Bella, you are so strong. To have dealt with this alone is something no one should have dealt with. Everyone was distraught over leaving, if they knew they could still see you... Edward will not come back to the same trusting family he left, I promise."

Bella began to shake her head almost immediately, "No! No- I wasn't alone." Bella's voice grew fond, "I had a friend who helped me through all of this, I wouldn't be here without him." She let her feet drop back down to the floor, "Jake helped me see past all of the misery." She paused, "I was a zombie before he agreed to my reckless schemes."

Jasper's curiosity flared but he let her continue.

"Jake helped put me back together." She smiled in recollection, "He even helped find some new parts to replace those that were broke." Bella chuckled but Jasper felt as though he was the outsider listening to an inside joke. Then, without any reason that Jasper could find, he felt Bella's mood darken in a way it hadn't even when her looming emotional pit made its appearance.

Bella looked up at Jasper with some sort of desperation in her eyes. He hadn't seen anyone look at him like that in a long time. He was hooked. Jasper had always been a sucker for a damsel in distress. Though, Isabella Swan didn't seem like an ordinary damsel and he wasn't sure what her distress might entail.

"Jasper," her voice quivered, "you can't-"

Jasper panicked. He didn't know what he had done, other than the obvious attacking her at her birthday party, but he felt repentant. He'd do anything to make it up to her.

Bella's breath hitched, "You can't tell the others." Her eyes brimmed over with tears.

Tell them what? That she was here? Why? Was she afraid that they were in on the lie? He would assure her that they were not. "Bella, none of us knew he had said or done those things to you. You can bet he'd lose his head if near anyone found out he'd left you like that. Besides, everyone was heartbroken to leave you. They would love the chance to see you again."

She shook her head wildly, "No! I can't." Jasper felt resolve settle into her. "I can't do that to any of them. Edward was a part of their family long before I was. I can't let what he did ruin anyone's relationship with him. Would Esme even be able to handle it? Besides, Rosalie never cared for me. I was aware enough to know that and Carlisle didn't put a stop to any of it. He's the head of the coven but enables Edward's every whim." She tucked her arms tightly across her chest. She was withdrawing.

She had made a point that Jasper he tried hard not to think about. He wanted to maintain as much respect as he could for their coven leader, but he couldn't ignore that Carlisle had been handing Edward the reins and Alice the binoculars for decades. She made a few good points but she'd forgotten about one person who Jasper missed her like crazy, "What about Emmett?" He peered at her, still standing behind the chair though the bloodlust had all but vanished.

Bella whipped away a tear, shaking her head again. "I can't see him without seeing all of them and I don't want them to know what Edward really did. They don't deserve that." She looked away. "We should just finish our years at Cornell separately. How hard could it be to keep my presence a secret from them?"

Jasper recalled thinking a very similar thing that prior week. He didn't like it but he tried to appease her wishes, instead questioning this unknown future where the rest of the Cullens thought he hadn't had any contact with her. "Separately?" He tried for soothing tones, to be placating. Yet he wanted anything but to placate these wants. "Would you like me to pretend we never met Issabella?"

She inhaled sharply.

Fuck. He'd said the wrong thing. He tried again, "You don't want the family to know you are here. I get that but why should we have to keep our distance? We both know the truth, that Edward lied his way into upheaving everyone's lives." Jasper thought about how little he knew Isabella Swan. How little he had been allowed near her back in Forks. Had they ever had a conversation this long? He couldn't recall one.

Edward had lied to Bella and Jasper felt the effect that had on her, an emotional pit lingering on the edges of her emotions. He sighed, Edward wasn't here now and if they were lucky would stay away for a while. Now, Bella and her emotional fall out were here. Edward had successfully left behind a family left at the edges of ruin. Jasper felt that it would only be right for him to help clean up the mess, he helped cause it after all.

Jasper continued, on a roll and thoroughly convinced he'd come up with his best idea in years, "What if, instead, we got to know each other?" He felt her skepticism rise. "We never had the chance to talk in Forks and there's nothing stopping us not if you'd like it." He smiled, trying to convince her with his charm instead of manipulating her emotions. "You already proved in class that you've got a good perspective and I think we could find much to talk about."

Once more, he could see her question coming before she voiced it. " I can hide our time together from my family. It won't be too hard without Edward around and when you are ready, if you are ever, I can bring you by to see them." He gave her an imploring look, "I know they would all love to see you."

When Bella started warring with herself over what he proposed, he returned back to the chair and gently pried her arm away from her chest so that he could take her hand once more.

Deciding that it wasn't considered manipulating her emotions if he was just sharing his own, he let his remorse and a twinge of anger flow out of him. Jasper had grown up in a time where "I'm sorry" didn't exist and apologies had only begun to become mainstream. He was used to showing people he cared about them with action. Sharing his emotions was as personal as it got, but it wouldn't end there. Jasper was determined to pick up where Bella's friend left off. He vowed to himself, and to her in secret, that Isabella Swan would never have to face treachery like that again.

With a small smile on her lips Bella whispered, "Okay,"