Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Thanks and credit to Stephenie Meyer her creativity and storytelling!
Rosalie and Emmett appeared behind Edward, obviously displeased.
Emmett shrugged with exasperation. It led me to believe they tried to distract Edward before he caught us together, but he was undeterred. Edward was very fast.
Edward was also very hurt. He was shocked and betrayed. He was jealous and angry. Instinctively, I stepped in front of Bella to protect her.
"You don't have to protect her from me," Edward snarled.
My brother did not intimidate me. I battled more dangerous vampires in my years of war.
"Edward, I'm sorry you had to find out about us this way. Let's go to the house and discuss things calmly." I sent a wave of relaxation.
"Don't manipulate my emotions. Is that what you're doing with Bella?" Edward spoke bitterly.
"No," I replied. Be mature about this Edward. You left Bella. You told her you didn't want her. What did you think would happen? You wanted her to move on and she did.
Edward glared at me and stood firmly in place. Rosalie and Emmett were anxious, not sure what to do.
Bella was strangely calm and composed. She and Edward stared at each other in silence for a moment, the atmosphere filled with fascination coming from both of them. They way they were looking at each other was starting to make me nervous. It was alarming to see them act as if no one else existed.
"I want to speak with Edward alone," Bella announced. She was taking the lead in this situation. As a human she had been so dependent on Edward, it was interesting to see this new dynamic. Edward was suddenly so submissive.
I gasped. "Absolutely not!"
Bella squeezed my hand. "It's okay, Jasper. Edward won't hurt me."
"He better not," Emmett echoed, flexing his muscles. Edward looked at him in shock, surprised at the threat.
Panic started rising within me. I should have never brought Bella to the family. When I changed her, I should have taken her away to be alone with me...
"You changed her?" Edward growled, reading my thoughts. He throttled towards me. I let go of Bella's hand and rushed forward. I didn't want to fight Edward, but I didn't want Bella to get hurt by his attack.
He crashed into me, wrestling me to the ground. The hesitancy in his emotions told me he didn't want to kill me, but he definitely wanted to hurt me. I decided to not fight back, but I would defend myself.
Edward, calm down. I love Bella. I couldn't live without her, so I changed her.
My thoughts only seemed to infuriate Edward more and he kicked me into a tree. Edward was quick, but Rosalie and Emmett managed to subdue him. I wanted Edward to let out some of his frustration and that's why I allowed him to attack me. Now, that he was being held back, I manipulated his emotions until he was feeling extremely lethargic, the closest a vampire could ever come to feeling sleepy.
"Stop it," Edward slurred. "Stop manipulating me."
"When you decide to be mature, I will. As I said before, let's go to the house and discuss things calmly."
"Jasper's right," Emmett agreed. "Edward, be reasonable...consider Bella."
Bella was obviously upset at our tussle, but was remaining calm. I was proud of her, actually. She was being so strong.
"I want to speak with Edward alone," Bella repeated. I realized that it was important to Bella to be independent. Edward always treated her like a pet, needing constant attention. I wanted her to know that I was different.
I nodded and released my influence on Edward. "We'll be at the house," I told her.
Emmett and Rosalie gave Edward a look of disdain, as he gathered himself off the ground, and followed me back to the estate. It physically hurt to leave Bella alone with Edward, but if this is what she needed, I would allow it. Thankfully, we weren't too far away if I did need to intervene.
"Aren't we going to eavesdrop?" Emmett asked, as we neared the house.
"No," I replied calmly. "We need to respect their privacy."
Emmett groaned, disappointed there wouldn't be more fighting. Rosalie was feeling impatient, wanting the drama to be over and things to return to normal. Carlisle, Esme and Alice were anxiously awaiting our return and were surprised to see us without Edward or Bella. Carlisle and Esme's glances at me revealed they didn't fully understand why I kidnapped Bella cave man style. They were also worried the family would be torn apart. I guessed they thought either I would leave or Edward would leave again. Alice was calm, searching the future for various outcomes, but not telling us what she was seeing.
"Bella and Edward are talking," Rosalie explained and the others nodded in understanding.
We waited in silence. Bella returned exactly an hour later and went directly to sit beside me on the sofa.
"What happened?" I asked.
She shrugged. "It's over."
Bella was feeling emotionally fragile, but putting on a very strong facade. Everyone looked at Bella with curious compassion. "It's over" didn't explain a lot.
When Edward walked in the room, he was sullen, and all eyes turned to him. I instinctively put my arm around Bella, to claim her as mine, and she snuggled closer. Her body began to rock with silent sobs and she oozed hurt and confusion.
I glared at Edward. What did you do to her? my thoughts demanded to know. Anger boiled within me. The second I began to contemplate lunging at Edward, Emmett and Rosalie were standing in front of me and Bella, blocking me from action.
"Why don't you and Bella go upstairs?" Emmett suggested cautiously. As much as he liked to fight, he didn't like seeing his sister in pain, and if I attacked Edward, Bella's pain would only increase.
Bella, embarrassed for crying, quickly tried to compose herself. "I'm fine," she responded.
I stood, pulling Bella up with me. She relented and clung to me as I led her upstairs to my bedroom. I locked the door, which wasn't for security, but a clear sign to the others to leave us alone. Bella crawled on the bed and I stretched out next to her.
"Would you...cover me?" she asked shyly.
I wasn't sure what she meant exactly, but since she was feeling so vulnerable and exposed, I knew she meant more than being covered with a blanket.
I rolled on top of her, my frame covering the entire length of her body. She instantly relaxed. I propped myself up with my left elbow and with my free hand, I stroked her cheek. I was genuinely surprised at the emotions she was radiating.
"My sweet Bella, why do you feel humiliated?"
If she could still cry, her face would have been covered with tears.
"He didn't want me," she confessed. "He never loved me at all."
I remained calm for her sake, fighting to urge to go downstairs and beat the hell out of Edward.
"Did he tell you that?" I asked, gently, wondering about their conversation. It had been brief, considering the history they shared.
"Yes...no...not in so many words. Mostly, I realized it on my own."
"It hurts because you realized you still loved him?" I asked, not out of jealousy, but out of a sincere desire to understand her.
"I don't love him anymore, Jasper. Not like I love you," she assured me. "I feel humiliated because I was so wrong. I regret being so heartbroken by him because what I thought we shared wasn't real at all."
I couldn't believe I was going to say this. "Bella, what you and Edward shared was real. I remember it clearly. It was very intense. I felt it. I was jealous of it."
She shook her head. "Edward felt protective of me. He was fascinated by me. I was his singer and the only person whose thoughts he couldn't read. But, it wasn't love."
"I love you," I replied, kissing her bottom lip. "Do you believe that?"
"Yes," she smiled. "If you hadn't rescued me, I would have lived the rest of my life thinking Edward was my true love." I felt her relief and thankfulness.
Bella continued. "You are my true love Jasper. I love you."
It was the first time she had said those three simple words to me.
"Oh, Bella," I moaned, kissing her deeply. It was a good thing we didn't need to breathe.
"Edward begged me to leave with him," she further confessed.
"He did?" I felt no anger at this, Bella was here with me and she loved me, not him.
"I never for a second considered it, of course. But, as he was pleading his case, it was then I realized his motivation was out of possessiveness, not love. I told him I wasn't his human pet anymore."
"That-ta, girl," I praised.
"I told Edward the reasons why I wouldn't go with him and he really listened. He didn't object. That's when I knew it was true. He never loved me. How else could he explain why he left me for so many months when, in comparison, you refused to be parted from me?"
My memory searched for the moments I encountered human Bella with Edward. Comparing how I felt for Bella, Edward's love for her did feel more like infatuation, but I always thought my perspective was biased because I loved her too. She was his singer and the only person he'd ever met whose mind he wasn't able to read. This was an interesting combination and it made sense why Bella was irresistible to him.
The reason I never pursued Bella was because I figured due the intensity of their emotion Edward was mated to Bella. The rest of the family assumed this too, except when he left her, I knew something was wrong. It gave me a hope that I had a chance. Carlisle and Esme and Emmett and Rosalie were the only mated couples in the family. They were inseparable. Carlisle and Esme were a bit different, in that Carlisle spent hours at the hospital and Esme had the family to look after. But, they would never leave each other like Edward left Bella. I couldn't assure Bella that Edward loved her, because she was right. He didn't.
"Will we have to leave the family?" she asked. "I'm afraid things will be so awkward now. This was Edward's family first, not mine. If anyone leaves, it should be me."
"That may be true, that Edward was the first Cullen, but you are now an equal member of the family. Carlisle doesn't play favorites. If you want to leave, we can, but we don't have to leave."
Bella obviously didn't want to leave, but she was irrationally embarrassed by her human behavior and love for Edward.
"May I also remind you that I have a gift of manipulating emotions? Half the time the family doesn't realize I'm interfering. Things won't be awkward if you let me help."
Bella sighed. "Can we spend some time alone? No more sneaking around or interruptions? Just the two of us?" She asked shyly, as if I would not grant her request.
"Darlin', that's the best idea I've heard all year."
