Got new beta and she worked on all the first seven chapters yeah, thank my girl Rena!!

Disclaimer: Twilight and all it characters are not mine, I mean no copyright infringement.

Chapter 6 – Already Over

John Whitlock was a tactical man, unlike his ever-perceptive wife Anne; he demanded proof to believe something. With all that being said, even the patriarch of the Whitlock house could see the difference in his son's demeanor. Though he looked tired all the time, as if he wasn't getting adequate sleep, Jasper gave off and air of happiness and calm. He knew the symptoms, didn't need the proof shown to his face, his son was in love.

~*~

Jasper and Bella were going on their second week of secret meetings; tonight they both lay in her bed. Both silently caressing each other thinking of the future they could have but were too nervous to discuss.

As Bella looked into his eyes, she was brought back to that fateful dream and those that followed it. The idea of marriage didn't scare her as much, not if it was with this man. Sure, she could argue that she was too young, but many girls her age were thinking of marriage or already planning their weddings. Well, let's face it Bella wasn't any girl, she wanted to experience life and enjoy her youth while she still could.

More often than not, you could compare her to a wild horse, for loyalty reasons she would stay with the herd but was able to run free, as long as she didn't stray far. Eventually she thought she would be captured and owned and branded by some man. Never would she have thought that she could find a stallion from another herd that would appease her, just as wild and free spirited as her, same loyalty but different morals. She thought the possibilities were endless when it came to them, but how would they come out unscathed and victorious from this dilemma?

Jasper's worries were far more different than those of his beloved. He knew his parent's suspicions were rising as to why he was so tired lately. His father even came up to him earlier that day and asked if he was feeling well and suggested he take a few days off from helping around the plantation and rest until he was feeling better. Jasper knew his father was skeptical that he was really sick, he could hear how insincere his father was when he commented on his welfare. Not in a way that he didn't care for his son, but in the sense that there truly was nothing wrong.

He decided to break the silence with a heavy sigh, his lids heavy on his eyes. "Jasper, are you alright? You seem worried, and your eyes are drawn. Maybe you should go. You're tired and I'm keeping you from getting a good nights rest." She didn't mean to sound disappointed or reprimanding but she was mad at herself for making him stay so long with her. He had work to do the next morning; she could see the effect it was having on both of them staying awake so late.

"Bella, I want to be here, but you seem tired, too. Sleep darlin, I'll leave once you're out." Bella had taken to wearing her chemise for their meetings since she knew the minute he left, she would fall asleep. It would be too much effort when she was that tired to take of all the layers of clothing she wore; a hard lesson she learned after his first visit. Sleeping in a corset would never be comfortable to anyone.

"And maybe tomorrow we skip our nightly meetings. Look at us Jasper, we are the walking dead. People would confuse us with corpses or creatures of the night." She let out a short laugh, "A night away from each other to get some proper rest would do us nothing but good. My mother is starting to suspect and I fear she could get too close to the truth."

"My parents are becoming suspicious of my nightly activities also, but my fear is I won't be able to stay away. I want to learn all there is to know about you, and it appears this is the only way. You, my darlin are an addicting creature." He whispered the last sentence lowly; leaning closer he brushed his lips over hers. She smiled into the kiss as it began to intensify but before either could deepen the kiss a knock on the front door startled the young lovers.

Panic seeped in to both their bodies. There was movement coming from the floor above them, meaning Bella's mother had awakened. They knew the risks and this was definitely one of the possibilities of being found out, but when it happens panic is the first reaction. Rationality went out the window and they began to wonder, Who the hell could be at the door at this hour?!

~*~

Renee woke up to the sound of repeated knocking at her door. She was a woman who believes strongly in that women who slept well were the most beautiful; well this person's knocking was cutting into her rest and that made for a very aggravated Renee.

Putting her robe on, on the way out of her room she sprinted to the door. Unbeknownst to her that her daughter and the young man she had taken to despising just for his family were very carefully listening to make sure they had not been found out. Also the curiosity of who was at the door had every soul in that house on a slight edge that was only heightened as the seconds passed.

Bella had her door slightly ajar in order to hear and see what was happening. Her mother had just approached the front door and twisted the knob when it flew open. An outraged Mrs. Whitlock and a rather stoic Mr. Whitlock where standing in the foyer, "Where is he?" the Misses cried. "I know he is here, where is my son?!" they were shouting to a point were you would think the entire town would hear. "Your son is not here, as a matter of fact none of your family is welcomed here. I suggest you leave before you make an even bigger spectacle of yourself Anne."

Both Jasper and Bella were watching the altercation; to them it was more proof of the impossibility of there ever being more than this. They watched with a melancholy attitude; tired of watching as their worlds were serrated further they retreated into the room that held so many good memories of the past days. They looked into each others eyes and knew as long as they were in this town, in these houses with their parents, being together would be nearly impossible.

"How could they know I was here?" Jasper whispered from behind Bella. "What does it matter Jasper, they know and you need to go before they confirm it. It will be worse on both of us if they actually find you in here. We will wait a few days maybe more before we see each other again." She was trying to reassure herself just as much as him. Hoping that they would truly see each other again and not just in passing.

He nodded solemnly, taking his boots and climbed out the window. Bella quickly followed behind and closed the window just as the parents came bustling into the room she swiveled around. "Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock to what do I owe the visit?" Bella was always a terrible liar and at that very moment even with no questions being fired at her she felt the cold sweat breaking through her body. The adrenaline coursing through her veins was making her breathing shallow and all eyes were examining this reaction.

"Isabella, where is he?" Anne Whitlock was positive this girl knew where her son was, she just had to ask the right questions. Yet, her quest for answers was clouding her mind and making her act too direct with the scared girl in front of her.

"W-Where is w-who?" Bella stuttered.

~*~

Jasper was too anxious to actually leave without knowing their secret was safe. It wasn't that he didn't trust Bella; but when faced with three, well more like two interrogators the task could be damn near impossible. He hated using that word "impossible" but right now he felt bad for leaving her to deal with them all alone and that made the sneaking little word sneak up on his mind more often than not.

~*~

"Dear, we know he's been sneakin' off in the middle of the night to meet you, I want to put a stop to this now. You are aware that bein' alone with a man in any room, especially your bedroom, is very improper." Bella felt something in her snap like every strand that kept her sane was being torn apart by the woman who was responsible for the love of her life's existence.

"What you are implying is that your son has been sneaking into my room in the middle of the night. Yet you are calling me the improper one. How do you know he did not initiate these meeting your insinuating happened but have no proof of their existence?" she began to address the mothers in the trio for she could find no fault in John's stance, he seemed rather uncomfortable, almost as though he did not want to be there. "I suggest that if that is the case that you retrace those etiquette books you both are so fond of and tell me if it is proper for a man to come into a woman's room in the middle of the night." Bella quickly realized that she had been saying too much and not pointing out the obvious. Internally calming herself, she continued her tirade, every word coming out of her mouth, every lie she fed making her wish to take it back; but it was not time, and no one was ready for them.

Denying her love was somehow not as hard as she had assumed, but internally it burned her to say the next words that she uttered. "Yet, as you can see your Jasper is not here, maybe he is inside some other girl's room. You should storm all of the properties with young women in their houses and make these ridiculous accusations and further humiliate yourselves more than what you have done this evening."

The room was filled with gasps and shocked expressions, this girl had single handedly insulted all three at once. "Young lady, you don't think if we didn't have proof we would have stormed as you say, in here. We had one of the workers follow him tonight and when he returned, he informed us Jasper led him here." Hearing this from outside Jasper chastised himself for not being careful enough.

"Did he see Jasper enter the house? Or did he just leave his horse near the property?" Bella was surprising even herself with her attitude towards her elders. Even she knew that she was beyond disrespectful at that point. What was even more surprising was that she did not seem to care.

"Alright, this non-sense stops her, Anne, John, as you can see your assumptions and sources were wrong. My daughter knows she is prohibited to have any contact with your family, besides soon your son will be a thing of the past. Bella will be engaged to Mr. Hunts next month. I have been arranging it and he has accepted her hand." It was Bella's turn to gasp, "What?" she screamed, making all in the room cringe at the volume.

"Yes, it is truly wonderful isn't it Isabella, he is quite content with the engagement. It will be made public in two weeks time in the local journal. It will truly be the wedding of the year." Renee gushed unaware of her daughter's obvious outrage towards this news. "So, as you can see, your business is done, no more accusations. I will ask nicely that you exit my house and never disturb us the way you so rudely have done tonight." She left no room for discussion as the Whitlocks left the house; Anne satisfied that the girl and more importantly her mother would no longer be a threat, though she did feel rather bad. John though was very well versed in interrogations, it was one of the jobs he would be assigned with the militia; he knew the girl had been lying and worse she would be forced to marry a man that, although being very wealthy, was never known for his kindness.

~*~

Bella collapsed against her door after her mother returned to her room.. She thought it was unbelievable that her mother had been plotting this all along, using her like some piece on a chessboard and apparently she had just checked. Jasper had probably fled to the house without hearing a word of what was uttered tonight, at least she hoped so. It seemed the world had tipped tonight, they had been too happy and something had to bring them back down to reality. That reality being that society, or better yet their families, would never accept them together. It seemed the only thing she did these days was cry as she felt the wetness fall from her face into the arms hugging her legs close.

Jasper had fled, yes that was true but only after hearing what Bella's mother had confessed to them all. He didn't think he could control himself if he kept listening. Again, that word impossible came to his mind, the world was making it impossible for them to be happy.

After all the events tonight, they still fell in their respective beds each plotting on their own. Undeterred from the love they held for each other, and more determined to escape but when? How? These new revelations held more obstacles to overcome and though it seemed impossible, it truly wasn't.

A/N: Beta'd