Jasper returned home a lot quicker than he left it. He wasn't sure what to make of all that he'd heard, nor what to do about it. Whatever he did next, he would have to leave. It was just considering the best way to go about it.
He would have to have a group meeting, tell half the truth and use that as an excuse for leaving before going out in search of the truth.
He couldn't decide if he was glad or not when he saw that Carlisle's car was already in. It would mean he would be able to leave almost immediately, but it also meant he would have to find the right words sooner. At a time when he wasn't even sure he had the wrong words it became a scary prospect.
Like usual, when he got back in Rose and Emmett were curled up on the couch, staring absently at the TV turned on to a high action, high violence thriller. Still, when Jasper came in they both looked up at him, offering him a small but still present smile.
"I'm going to go fetch Carlisle and Esme, will you meet us at the meeting table." A confused look passed over the couple's face but nonetheless they turned off the TV as Jasper left them to go upstairs.
He stood outside Carlisle's door for a minute, contemplating. He needed to do this but he didn't want to upset Esme even further. It would as well. To know that Jasper was leaving, the fact her family was even more broken than she already believed. He steeled his courage, let out a sigh then knocked once sharply on the mahogany door. There was a momentary pause, then Carlisle was standing there, his usual kind smile fixed on his face.
"Come in Jasper, what can I do for you?" Despite Carlisle moving in to let Jasper in as well Jasper remained where he was.
"If you've got five minutes, can we have a meeting, downstairs." Again he received a look of troubled confusion but both Carlisle and Esme followed him out. It almost brought a smile to his face when he saw that even despite how broken they were, they all still went to their designated spots. Carlisle sat at the head, Esme to his left, then down from her sat Emmett and Rosalie. And then there was him, opposite Rosalie, leaving a space for Alice and Edward on Carlisle's right.
That was what killed the smile. Their absence acted as a reminder as to just why exactly he called the meeting. He sucked in a breath, about to start with the words he didn't realise would be so difficult to speak. Before he could though Carlisle intercepted him.
"Are Alice and Edward joining us soon?" At the question, Jasper dreaded to think about what kind of expression was on his face. He doubted it could be pleasant. But he merely shook his head and went to carry on with his initial intention as if there'd never being an interruption.
"No, they won't be joining us," He paused, took in the confusion that he could both feel and see reflected on their faces, "On my way back from my hunt, I found Alice and Edward together," The way that he said it left no confusion as to what exactly he meant by that, the gasp that left Esme definitely gave away she understand at any rate, "As such, I'm going to visit Peter and Charlotte for a while. I'll be back eventually, I just need this time away. I couldn't just leave not after..." He trailed off, but they all heard the unspoken 'Bella'.
They just sat and stared at him at first. Letting the information settle in. Then the emotions settle over the top. The most prominent emotion was still confusion but there was understanding, compassion and sympathy also mixed in. Esme rushed at him, hugging him in a way that only a motherly person could, full of hope that gave you strength on your way.
"Just remember you said you'd come back, Jasper? We love you, and if you ever need us you can call us." Jasper was glad he was now a vampire with the inability to cry, if only to maintain his masculinity.
Carlisle was next, his hug just as strong if not as warming, "Give our regards to Peter and Charlotte." There was Carlisle. Ever the polite gentleman.
Emmett had none of the physical warmth of Carlisle or Esme but his brotherly pat-on-the-back-hug portrayed all the same emotion. "Gonna miss you Jazz-man. You remind Peter he still owes me a wrestling match." Both let out a laugh at that memory.
Then finally there was just Rosalie, over the decades Rosalie had become the twin sister that they pretended to be. She was always his closest confidant and he knew he'd miss her the most. He hugged her back just as tight as she hugged him. And he wasn't even surprised when she whispered in his ear, "I know this isn't the whole story, but I promise you that you will tell me everything when you go back." And then she let him go with a final kiss to his cheek.
The whole ordeal made him want to say fuck it and put up with the knowledge of Alice's and Edward's cheating. But like Rose had said there was more that just cheating, and it was that more than the cheating that was the reason for his leaving.
He left the living room to the room that he shared with Alice, a room that was decidedly more Alice's than it had ever been his. He went to the one half of the wardrobe that contained his clothes and packed a couple of jeans, a couple t-shirts and some underwear into a bag. He dug through to make sure that there was nothing in particular that he wanted, nearly wrote everything off before he stumbled across his Stetson. It was his most prized possession but Alice hadn't allowed it on show. But it was here still, he'd refused to let it be chucked away his human mama had given it to him for his 16th birthday and it had survived all these years, through the southern wars.
Finding it built up a bitterness inside him, he pulled the jumper off and smart trousers he was wearing, in fact he practically tore them off before pulling on a pair of genes and a plaid shirt. He could almost imagine the smell of sun heated sand as he put them on, feeling more at home than he had in a very long time. He was ready to leave.
He made his way to the door, he almost left without thinking, but then right there by the door was the box to Alice's favourite louboutins. He smiled bitterly at them, pulling them out the box, cleanly snapping the heel off each and tearing through the suede. Then he packed them back in the box and grabbed a pen, writing 'Love, Jasper' on the box lid. Now he was ready to leave.
He sent out a shout of goodbye as he passed through the house. The door seemed to shut with such an ominous bang that he looked back expecting there to be something there. There wasn't of course, just memories. With a sigh he went to the garage, pulling his bike out of the garage. While he was more than able to get around without him, it would look suspicious his ability to get around with no obvious transportation. Plus, although it wasn't as quick as running it was a very different, but just as exhilarating feeling to ride astride a bike.
He took the quickest root he could find to Washington. He genuinely wanted to visit Peter and Charlotte, and plus his curiosity was more than getting to him. Still, it couldn't prepare him for the barrage of memories that remained here. He might not have been as emotionally invested as some of his other family members but it still wasn't pleasant to be around here. He refused to go back to the house, he was more than physically strong enough to live in the forest. It would be easier to evade the wolves this way. He wasn't sure the treaty would still apply being as Carlisle wasn't here as well.
He went to the supermarket first. He needed food if he was going to be making an appearance in town especially as he was on his own. He wished Esme was with him. He felt so strange grabbing one of the small metal baskets to put food in that there was no way he was going to eat.
He was on the second aisle when he saw Angela Weber. He remembered her being friends with Bella, she'd being one of the less annoying humans at any rate. She noticed him just a second later, and where there had been a smile was now a look so full of anger of hatred. It was a look that Jasper hadn't believed the amiable girl to be capable of, but damn if it wasn't just her face that showed it. She was pushing waves of hatred at him, and there buried underneath it was a wave of sorrow. She strode over to him.
"You dare to show your face around here again? It was a little convenient that Bella was found dead the day after your family had left. I don't know what your family of weirdos did to her but I swear if I even smell you around here again I will bring this whole town on you." She was bitter and angry and her words left Jasper reeling. And just to top it off the incensed girl spat in Jasper's face. He merely nodded without a word. There was nothing he could say, she would not believe his plea of innocence. He turned on his heel, heading back towards the store entrance, dumping his basket in the pile. Despite being a good distance away he could still feel the anger radiating to him from Angela in the store.
He had all the answer he needed to know now anyway. Alice was right, Bella was dead. He would make his way to Texas in the morning.