A/N: Here's the moment you've all been waiting for…the moment after the kiss! I'm watching The Office while I type this so hopefully it comes out right…lol. Happy Reading!

If Eyes Could Speak- Derek Werkheiser (yes that is Ned from Ned's Declassified)

Previously…

He groaned in frustration and raked a hand through his messy hair before responding. "Why, of all the places I looked, did I find you in yall's meadow? After checking my room, your room, the baseball field, and even the La Push boundary, why did I find you there?"

"I don't understand why you're attacking me about this." I responded in confusion before it hit me. "Wait? Is this about Edward? Because that was the meadow that he showed me a long time ago?"

His unwaveringly fierce expression answered my question.

"Jasper." I gasped. "That meadow means nothing to me anymore. It was just a place for me to gather my thoughts."

"But are you sure Bella? Because I know you and Edward spoke a week ago out on the porch. And you don't seem as angry at him anymore. And I fear…that I'm losing you." He said, his eyes alight with something that made my heart catch.

"I spoke to Edward because I was finally able to without feeling like I was going to lose it." I began quietly. "And you know what I discovered after that conversation? That I was finally, completely through with Edward. No more tears or thinking about what we used to have, because truthfully I realized that I was over him. It didn't hurt to think about him with Alice because it didn't matter to me anymore. I didn't care. And that-"

My speech was interrupted by Jasper suddenly grasping my face in his hands and bringing his lips to mine.

I inhaled sharply through my nose and tried to pull back, but he held me steadfast, and after a few seconds I felt my body relax as I fell into our first kiss.

JPOV

"So why'd you go to the meadow anyways?" I asked suddenly, my attempt at nonchalance failing miserably.

I thought that after everything she had been through that the last place on earth Bella would want to go in that meadow. But then again she always surprises me…

"What do you mean? I just wanted some peace and quiet to think." She responded, her face looking up at mine in naïve confusion, dim sunlight breaking through the trees and shining in her hair.

Did she even know how she affected me? She had the Major of the Southern vampire wars noticing things like sunlit hair.

"No. I mean why did you go to that meadow?" I stressed, meeting her orange eyes with my auburn ones.

My eyes were still not restored to their golden color since I changed Bella, but they would be back to normal before hers even got remotely close to being the eyes of a vegetarian vampire.

Her body had to cleanse out all of her human blood before turning gold, which takes about nine months with her eating animals.

"That meadow? Jasper where are you going with this?"

I groaned in frustration and raked a hand through my hair in exasperation, a habit I retained from my human days, before responding. "Why, of all the places I looked, did I find you in yall's meadow? After checking my room, your room, the baseball field, and even the La Push boundary, why did I find you there?"

"I don't understand why you're attacking me about this." She said defensively. "Wait? Is this about Edward? Because that was the meadow that he showed me a long time ago?"

I didn't reply but kept my face a stony mask of apathy.

"Jasper." She gasped. "That meadow means nothing to me anymore. It was just a place for me to gather my thoughts."

"But are you sure Bella? Because I know you and Edward spoke a week ago out on the porch. And you don't seem as angry at him anymore. And I fear…that I'm losing you." I said fiercely, wishing I could taste her emotions.

It wasn't like me to be this open with anyone; but once again it just shows how much Bella has changed me, for the better. I wonder how our relationship would have gone if I had made an effort to know her a year ago. I think about that often. Would we even have been able to be as good of friends as we are now since we were both still with our respective partners? I doubt it.

"I spoke to Edward because I was finally able to without feeling like I was going to lose it. And you know what I discovered after that conversation? That I was finally, completely through with Edward. No more tears or thinking about what we used to have, because truthfully I realized that I was over him. It didn't hurt to think about him with Alice because it didn't matter to me anymore. I didn't care. And that-"

Thunder roared in my ears at her words.

She didn't care about Edward?

When she spoke these words she dropped her shield, whether purposely or by accident I'm not sure, and I was able to feel the truth of her words.

She felt convicted in her platonic feelings about Edward.

She was in disbelief and confusion as to why I was asking her these questions.

Overwhelmed with the tension of the moment and her heightened senses.

Love and discouragement were pouring out from her in waves so strong I nearly buckled under their weight.

Euphoria and possessiveness swallowed me up and I reacted on instinct.

I grasped her face in my hands and brought her lips to mine.

I heard her inhale in shock, but didn't let it phase me.

She loved me?

No one would ever hurt her again. I would follow her to the ends of the earth. I would take her somewhere where no one would try and steal her. Dammit, I would slaughter every other vampire on this earth if that's what it took to protect her because…she was my mate.

How could I not see this before?

It was never Alice or Maria or Jade -One of my sister's friends that I fancied as a young human.

It was always Bella.

Only when I felt her melt into my embrace did I deepen the kiss.

I slid my hands around to her lower back and pulled her closer, and tighter against me.

She gasped and I took the chance to slide my tongue into her mouth and felt a purr rise up in my chest.

She returned the kiss eagerly, pressing into me and- unfortunately- making me remember that we were in the middle of the forest.

She must have sensed my hesitation because she pulled away from me with wide eyes.

We stared at each other, each of us breathing heavily.

"What was that?" She said finally, her eyes locked on mine.

"That is what I've wanted to do for weeks." I replied honestly, my thoughts catching up with my actions.

Shit. That was not how this was supposed to go…

"I…I don't know what to say." She said hesitantly, biting her bottom lip.

I willed my eyes not to follow the unconscious action.

"If you don't know what to say then I guess that settles things." I said resolutely, my voice sounding steely even to me.

Why would she lie? I know what I felt from her. I couldn't have been mistaken, unless she was thinking about someone else.

"No, Jasper that's not what I meant. Gosh, sorry I've never been good with words." She exclaimed urgently, grabbing onto my arm as if to keep me from leaving.

I waited patiently.

"What I meant was I'm glad you kissed me." She said quickly, sounding embarrassed at saying the words out loud.

I chuckled at her embarrassment, causing her to glare.

"If I knew you were going to laugh, I wouldn't have said anything."

"If I knew you weren't going to say anything after I finally kissed you I wouldn't have." I said, raising my eyebrow challengingly.

"Okay I'm sorry but I don't exactly have much…experience when it comes to that. Certainly not as much as you do." She said with a scowl on her features.

"Says the girl who returned the kiss very eagerly if I do say so myself." I said with a lazy smirk.

Her mouth dropped in indignation and disbelief.

"Jasper! You-"

"Me?" I questioned cheekily, trying to hold back a grin.

She sighed with a small laugh and a shake of her head.

"Does that mean I can kiss you again?" I asked, moving closer and placing my hands on her hips.

She swallowed, her emotions quickly shifting to match mine.

"Hmm? I'm waiting." I murmured quietly, letting my breath wash over her face.

It was my turn to be surprised when she suddenly pressed her mouth to mine.

I felt her smile against my lips at my shock, which I must have projected.

I tightened my grasp on her as the brunette in my arms moved her hands up into my hair on the back of my head.

I purred again involuntarily causing her to giggle.

I pulled back with a devilish grin.

"Are you laughing at me Ms. Swan?"

"Maybe…" She trailed off teasingly, tilting her head to the side.

"God, you don't know how much I wanted this." I said seriously, dropping the playful banter. "I just wasn't sure if you felt the same, or if you wanted Edward."

"Well are you sure now?"

At my nod she smiled and jumped into my arms, embracing me in a tight hug, her head tucked against my shoulder.

"Thank you Jasper."

"For?"

"For being there for me during the hard times. For seeing me at my absolute worst and still wanting me." She said softly against my neck, probably referring to all the tears the shed for Edward and how she clung to our friendship as if it was the only thing she had.

But in reality I had depended on her too. Me, an immortal vampire, needing a human. It was the strangest, most wonderful thing.

I pulled her closer protectively.

"I'll always want you." I replied seriously, closing my eyes and inhaling her scent.

"I think we were supposed to be together from the beginning." She said, stealing the thoughts right out of my head. "Alice led you to the Cullens. Edward brought me into the Cullen family. But it all led to us meeting and you changing me so we could be together."

I let out a shaky breath and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Forever." I murmured against her soft brown hair.

"Forever."

A/N: Okay well I planned for this chapter to be a lot longer, but this just seemed like a good place to end the chapter. But since it is so short I'll give you guys a little preview of the next chapter. Love you guys! This story is slowly coming to its last chapters and I'm actually really sad! Thanks for reading and reviewing, as always!

NEXT CHAPTER:

"You must be another friend of Carlisle's, I take you to him if you'd like." I said with a small smile, reaching my hand out to shake the dark-haired strangers.

"It's a pleasure. My name's Benjamin." He said with an open grin, his red eyes bright. "Are you also a friend of Carlisle's?"

"Well, I'm actually the newest addition to his coven." I replied as I led him out of the woods and back to the house where everyone was.

"Oh so you must be Rosalie!"

"Oh, well no. Sorry I guess I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Bella." I said with a laugh at my forgetfulness.

"Sorry, I haven't seen Carlisle in decades and the last I heard he had changed a beautiful girl named Rosalie." He explained unabashedly, looking at me with interest.

Oh brother. This guy is so lucky Jasper did not come with me to hunt this time.