Thanks to EVERYONE.
"I'm not going anywhere with you."
He says nothing as I step into view, only turns his head so he's facing me instead of Edward. I stay where I am on the edge of the living room, realizing now I should have listened to Edward when he said to stay in the hallway.
Seeing him again after all this time is devastating, and I have to force myself to stay where I am and not run back to my room and lock the door behind me.
He's changed since I saw him a year ago.
Gone is the calm and controlled man who made my life a living hell. Instead, the man standing in my living room is a ticking time bomb, filling with fire as he stands in front of us. My knuckles are white and my nails are digging into my palm as my hands clench into fists as I watch him. My legs shake and my heart is racing as he stares at me with a mixture of elation for finding me and fury for the way I managed to outsmart him.
"You're my wife," Jasper reminds me, his voice sending shock waves to my very core. I swallow, trying to find the bravery I thought I had in me when I was hidden in the hallway.
"On paper," I answer. "And not for much longer."
The pierce of dark brown eyes pins me from across the room where he stands. "You don't think you've been gone long enough?" Jasper takes a step closer in my direction, and so does Edward, his presence the most formidable amongst everyone in this room. "Your sister could only keep your secret for so long."
He still knows the exact buttons to press to get a rise from me - and my feet are moving in reaction to his words about Rose faster than I can stop myself.
Luckily Edward is there to hold me back from charging Jasper like he deserves.
"Bella, wait!" Edward shouts, stepping in my way and blocking me from moving any further. He shakes his head at me. "No."
"You've been busy while you were gone, hmm?" Jasper notices the way Edward has now stepped in front of me, understands what Edward is saying as he stands tall in front of me, his eyes saying the words he knows Jasper can read. You have to get through me first.
"What do you want, Jasper?" Edward warns.
"I told you," Jasper answers, circling Edward and me in the living room. "Bella's coming with me."
"I think it's best you leave," Edward's grip is strong on my wrist as I stand behind him still. "For several reasons."
"It's laughable you think I'm just going to walk away after all this," Jasper says angrily before softening his voice so he knows it's me he is now speaking to. "Alice would be devastated to know her death was in vain."
Edward holds me back again as the air leaves my lungs.
"Why?" I ask through heavy breaths once I can form the words again. "What did she ever do to you?"
"She had a role in this," Jasper answers casually, as if his rationale is reasonable. "As did your sister and her boyfriend, Emmett. This guy, well, his role is to be determined." He stares at Edward with a deep hatred, knowing Edward's role in my life runs deeper than his ever did.
"You'll find out soon enough if you don't get off this property," Edward snarls, his words a threatening tone I've never heard before. "You're making a mistake being here."
Jasper takes a step forward, and we take another step back. "Then make it simple for all of us. Bella, come with me and we can all move on."
How it's possible for time to slow down and explode at the same time is a phenomenon that happens before my eyes I'll never be able to explain. But that is how it happens - Jasper moves forward as fast as lightning, taking me by surprise - but not Edward. Edward is faster than Jasper, and catches his first blow in his hand, his eyes never leaving his face as he twists Jasper's hand, as if in slow motion.
Jasper staggers back, his face contorted in both pain and undeniable rage.
It's my scream that pierces through the night as Jasper begins to defend for what he thinks is his, and Edward answers each blow that Jasper lands on him.
But no one is watching me. No one sees me make my way over to my bag - to retrieve both the gun and my phone that Edward never had a chance to get for himself.
Or so I think.
I don't have time to send the call through before Edward shouts my name and I look up to see Jasper right on top of me.
See you tomorrow! (If I double update today, the ending will be sooner - and I need a few more days to prepare myself for saying goodbye to these guys!)