A.N: Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers :D Thanks to all of you, I am being encouraged to write, write and write more :D There isn't going to be communication between Jasper and Bella in this chapter but I am thinking of writing out and uploading another chapter by tonight which will include Jasper and Bella a lot. Enjoy and review :D

Chapter 4 – Best Friends Forever

Bella's POV

I couldn't sleep again that night. I kept thinking about Jasper. This couldn't carry on. I love Alice; she's my best friend and he's her husband. I couldn't take him away from her. But his voice and his wonderful accent kept ringing and ringing inside my head and that smile and the way he had protected me from Edward; everything was drawing me into him. I knew that I was falling hard from him. But I couldn't act on what I felt. He was my best friend's husband and Edward's brother. I couldn't do that, especially to Alice.

So the following morning, I waited no longer. It was still seven am but I couldn't stand being in bed for another minute so I showered, wore a pair of old worn out jeans and a green and white striped stretch cotton t-shirt and tripped my way downstairs to breakfast. I poured myself some cereal. Charlie was already downstairs reading the paper in full uniform. He only needed to put on his holster before being ready to go to work.

"Morning Bells," he said, "You're up early. Is something the matter? You know you can talk to me kid."
"Oh no," I replied, "I couldn't sleep well. I'm going to have some cereal, wait for an hour until Jacob's awake and then go visit him on the reservation. It's been about three weeks since I last saw him. I miss him."
"I think it's gonna be longer than an hour until he wakes up," Charlie chuckled, "Billy says nothing wakes that boy up. But Billy wouldn't mind having you over until Jacob wakes up. He said you're always welcome there. Bells, why are you going this early? Is it because of Edward? I know he doesn't like Jacob."
"Oh no dad," I replied, "I broke up with him. It's not because of him. I just couldn't sleep that's all."
"Wait, you say you broke up with him?" he asked me, "Why Bella? Did he hurt you?"
"No dad," I replied, "It's not like that. We just parted ways that's all. I'm still gonna hang out with the Cullens though. They're still my friends. Edward's just not my boyfriend any longer that's all."
"Oh," he said, "Ok. I feel better now that you've told me that. I think this'll be a great day." He stood up, folded the paper and left it on the table. He had a smile plastered onto his face and I hadn't seen him smile like that since before I had started dating Edward. I had really screwed up with him. I hadn't noticed before how unhappy it had made Charlie. He walked over to his holster and strapped it on and then he waved me goodbye and left. As I've said before, Charlie doesn't hover; he just says what he feels he needs to say and then leaves you to your thoughts. I wondered how he would feel about Jasper.

NO BELLA DON'T GO THERE, I shouted internally. I wanted to slap myself for thinking about Jasper this way. Alice would be so hurt if she knew. I knew that I had to tell her, so I decided I would visit her or call her to meet up after my day at La Push. I decided not to wait for another hour, so I washed and dried my bowl and spoon and I went out to my truck. It rumbled to life and I started driving to the reservation. When I got there, I could see Sam, Paul, Jared and Embry cliff diving. Sam saw me driving by and he waved so I stuck my head out of the truck window and waved back at him. Sam was really a nice guy once you got to know him. I felt mad at myself for having misjudged him so badly before. But in my defense, I was biased – Jacob had despised him. I parked my truck on the road and walked up to Billy's door. I knocked and soon enough, I heard the squeak of his wheels. He soon opened the door and his face lit up. He had on an expression of surprise and worry at the same time.

"Hey Billy," I said, "You look worried. What's wrong? Did something bad happen to Jacob? Is he okay?"
"No Bella," he replied, "I'm worried about you. You haven't been here in so long. Did something bad happen?"
"Oh no Billy," I told him, "Nothing to worry about. I just came to drag your son out of bed and hang out with him all day. Sam and the others are out cliff diving so I don't think they'll miss him. Sam saw me and he waved at me so I don't think they'll mind me borrowing him for the day. May I come in?"
"Sure Bella," Billy said as he finally relaxed, "I'm so happy to see you here again. We've missed you."
"I've missed you guys too. I forgot how warm this place felt. Well I guess it's inevitable with a shape-shifter living here full time. This was really comfortable during winter but right now it's getting really hot. Well I guess it reminds me of Phoenix. It feels so much like Phoenix. Wow. It feels familiar."
"Bella," Billy said as he chuckled, "Breathe. You haven't stopped talking since you got here."
"I'm sorry," I said, "I haven't been here in a very long time. I kind of missed this place. So is he asleep?"
"What do you think?" Billy asked, "It's still eight in the morning. We're complete opposites. I wake up at five and he wakes up at ten. That boy could sleep through World War three and not even notice."
"I'm not gonna wait until ten but I'll hang out with you for another thirty minutes if you'd like to give him some more time to sleep." I said as I smiled. Billy smiled back and wheeled himself to the living room. The TV was on. He was watching a documentary. I sat down on the comfortable and familiar couch and joined him. We discussed our opinions on the documentary. It was about bears.

"It's nine," Billy said, "You gave him an hour Bella. Did you find the documentary that interesting?"
"Yeah," I replied, "I guess. It surprises me. But I didn't see the time going by. Ok I'm gonna go wake him."
I hopped to Jacob's room and opened the door. He was sprawled on the bed, snoring lightly and wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. I walked up to him and shook him. He tried to shrug me off and I tried to pull him off the bed but he was too heavy for me. So I shook him harder. His eyes fluttered open and it took him a moment to register the surroundings. His brown eyes shone when he saw me.

"Bella!" he exclaimed. He jumped off the bed and picked me up into a squashing hug. He let me go when he realized I was struggling to breathe and then he followed me to the kitchen where Billy was already making him some breakfast. He was cooking bacon and eggs and Jacob went to the counter to make himself some toast as well. He asked whether I wanted any but I said no as I had already had my cereal and it would keep me full until at least two in the afternoon. After wolfing down his breakfast (how ironic), we went out to the beach. It had been so long since I had come here. I hadn't been here since before graduation.

"What made you break up with him Bells?" he asked me, "Be honest. Did he hurt you?" I remained silent and then I looked up at him. I knew that I could trust him but I was afraid that he might break the treaty and hurt one of the Cullens whom I too considered to be my family. I opened my mouth to tell him but decided to warn him beforehand so that I could avoid any unnecessary pain for myself and others.
"Jacob, when I tell you, you have to promise me that you will not hurt any one of the Cullens."
"I promise," he told me, "You know I hold on to my promises well Bella. You remember right, how sorry I felt when I had to break one? And it wasn't even my fault Bella. You know that right?"
"I trust you Jacob, I know and it's ok. Well, you know how Edward was becoming all possessive of me. Well, it wasn't just about you…he didn't even let me speak to Jasper and he was starting to get possessive of me even around other family members. As if any of them would hurt me. As if you would hurt me. Then something slipped out. He was totally afraid that I was going to cheat on him with you. And then I started to wonder whether he was really protective of me or just possessive. Well I said some things in a rage and he started to scare me. He was so angry. Well Jasper's an empath; he can feel other people's emotions in waves. And well he couldn't help but to listen in to our conversation and when he felt my fear and his fury, he came to Edward's room to protect me. I spent some time with him and told him about how Edward had not let me be your friend anymore and he gave me his cell phone so that I could call you. Edward was so angry. I broke up with him last night. So that's the story Jake," I said.
"Oh Bella," he told me. He pulled me into a warm hug. I returned it, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"So don't you love him anymore?" he asked, "Or is this just because you didn't like what he did to you?"
"Jake," I said, "When he came back, he was just not the same Edward that had left me. That Edward is gone and he died along with my love for him. I need to talk to you but you have to promise you won't tell anyone. I mean, I know the pack will probably hear it in your head, but try to block it out. I just need to tell someone cos it's killing me and I can't do anything about it. I love Alice too much for this."
"What's wrong Bells?" he asked me, "You can tell me anything. We've established that there's only friendship between us and I'm not going to force you to love me more. But I'll be anything you want."
"You're my brother Jacob, my brother and my best friend." He smiled at me when I said that and motioned for me to carry on. So I did. "Jake, I think I'm falling for Jasper. I tried to shrug it off as a result of him being nice to me, but I can't stop dreaming or thinking about him. Everything's so nice about him."
"But all of this just happened in a day?" he told me, "As far as I remember, you haven't really ever talked to him apart from yesterday."

"Yeah," I said, "But it hit me like a bolt of lightning. It's nothing like I've ever felt before, even for Edward. I would have to get to know Jasper better if I were to act on my feelings but I'm not."
"Why?" Jake asked me, "Is something bothering you about him? Or would the Cullens hate you if you started seeing another one of their sons instead of Edward? I mean, sure I dislike them, but Dr. Fang seems nice and accepting and that wife of his seems nice as well. They don't really look like leeches."
"They're not 'leeches' as you put it," I said as I slapped him on the arm, "And it's not about them. It's about Alice. Jasper is her husband Jake. Alice is my other best friend, and I can't hurt her like that. She means too much to me. She means as much as you do. You're my two best friends; both like brother and sister to me, and I can't lose either one of you. Sure I would have had to stay away from the both of you if Edward had made me but I can't lose you forever." Without knowing how I started to cry.
"Well," he told me, "I think you should tell her. But you're right about not acting on it. It's not because I want you for myself. But if she means to you as much as you mean to me, I don't think you could handle it if you lost her. I looked at him and then I hugged him gently and he wrapped his arms around me.
"Oh Bella," he told me, "What are we gonna do with you?"

We spent the rest of the day just hanging out and catching up and it lightened up my mood. I left the reservation at around four pm and promised Jake that I would visit him again soon. He hugged me tightly before I got into my truck and drove to the Cullen residence.

Alice had seen me wanting to talk to her and she was waiting for me in the living room. She dragged me upstairs to the room she shared with Jasper. Jasper was in fact nowhere to be seen.
"Did you throw Jasper out?" I asked her jokingly, "He's not in here. He likes wallowing up here."
"Yeah," she told me, "I saw that you needed some private girl time and I shooed everyone out except Carlisle and Esme cos they don't snoop around.

"What about Edward?" I asked her, "Is he gone too? Cos I can't say anything in front of him."
"Oh don't worry. I shooed him out first. I saw what happened yesterday. I'm so mad at him. But it may have led to something really good so I might thank him later." She had a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Alice I need to talk to you but I have to tell you beforehand that I'm not going to act on what I've found out. I respect you too much for that. I hope you know that Alice. You're like a sister to me," I said.
"I know that Bella," she told me, "Now tell me what I think I already know. And I kind of figured out that you won't act on what I think I know and it's making me really mad at you cos you don't know half the story."
"Alice, I'm developing feelings for Jasper. I'm sorry. I won't do anything about it, I promise," I told her. Her reaction was rather unexpected. She first started clapping and then frowned at the end of my declaration.
"Why not?" she asked me, "You like him so much. I can hear your heart hammering and you're blushing."
"He's my best friend's husband Alice. Are you crazy? You want me to take him away? What did he do?"
"Oh Bella," she told me, "he didn't do anything and you won't 'take him away'. Jasper and I have been secretly divorced for the past five years. We realized that the feelings we had once shared had long died out and we parted ways. We're best friends now. The hand-holding and other affectionate motions – they're all just so that we can keep our family strong. We didn't want any tension, that's all. We're still best friends but no kissing or other stuff… you're the only one who knows now. We've been blocking it from Edward for the past five years and it's been really hard. It's hard not to slip up once."
"Divorced? But you're so good together Alice, why?" I asked her. I couldn't believe this.
"I just told you why Bella," she told me, "We just didn't love each other in that way anymore. I want you to be with Jasper. To tell him how you feel. You both deserve to be loved."

"Alice," I said, "there's another problem. What if Edward hurts him? What if he's so mad that he hurts Jasper?"
"Why would he hurt Jasper? I'm more worried about you, but Jasper and I will both protect you."
"No," I told her, "It doesn't matter. I'm not important. But Jasper is his brother and he is starting to mean a lot to me. Carlisle and Esme would be devastated. No it can't happen. I can't let that happen."
"It won't happen," Alice said, "I can see it coming if it was gonna happen and I would stop it."
"He won't even like me back," I told her, "He doesn't even know me. He just felt responsible for Edward yesterday that's all. He probably feels obliged towards me for that stupid incident in September. He's never gonna forgive himself is he? God, he's as stubborn as I am," I told her. Alice laughed and shook her head.

"Well," she told me, "Then you should start getting to know him. They're all coming back in about three minutes. Trust me, I've seen it. And I'll keep the others busy. Nobody will listen in, I promise."
"Oh Alice," I said, "You're the best friend ever. I'm sure he won't like me but thanks for the chance."
"It's ok. I want this to happen," she told me, "I love you both. You're both my best friends."
"Alice," I told her, "If the rest of the family doesn't know about your divorce, how would they take it if something did happen between me and Jasper? They would hate me. Except for Carlisle and Esme who are not able to hate anyone."

"Don't worry," she told me, "If anything happens, Jasper and I will make it clear. We'll tell them all the truth. And nobody can hate you. You're adorable."

I looked at her and blushed. She kissed me on the cheek and hopped downstairs, leaving me in her room waiting for Jasper. Oh my God, I thought, what am I getting myself into?

So tell me what you think. Next chapter is gonna be just Jasper and Bella getting to know each other better. Review …please? :D