Within the next few days, Bella had actually gotten comfortable enough with Edward to look up when he was in the room which was a strange feeling with her. They'd even had a few short conversations without Bella stuttering all through it. The person she'd become most comfortable with was Emmett, he hadn't taken her back to the music room, but he said she should get Edward to take her and play her something on the piano. Apparently he was good.
"I'll be right back," Edward announced, leaving Bella soaking up the breeze from the open bay windows. She let her arms float upwards and her hair was swimming around her face. Edward Cullen, the strange vampire who drank animal blood and spoke kindly to a slave, was the most wonderful master Bella had ever met, even though he had no use for her.
The most common use of slaves was for pleasure, he didn't use her for that. If not that it was blood so that the locals weren't too drained in population but he drank animal blood. Sometimes it was even just to be a real live stress ball or to be hurt for entertainment but Edward wasn't into that either. It had been the most relaxing five days of her life. Yet, she wouldn't let her guard down. Something bad had to happen soon, right?
Bella was still by the window when Jasper marched through the door, "Edward I- Oh, he's not here, is he?" Bella spun to face the door and dropped to her knees, she'd only spoken to Jasper once besides the time when he was in the music room with her for all of nineteen seconds. Afraid to speak again, Bella shook her head no. "Mind if I sit?"He gestured towards the bed, he only received the shake of a head once more so he tried to make conversation.
"Bella," He breathed, "Please stand up, I'm no different to Emmett, Edward or Carlisle. You can speak and stand if you like." He calmed her, more than he really should have and she stood up and looked at him, "What are you doing to me?" She was so blunt and confident about it that it took Jasper off guard. "Sorry, I d-don't know what came over me, Sir." Bella apologised hastily.
"Don't apologise, I calmed you down that's all," He said soothingly, "Yes, I can control your mood." He added at Bella's raised eyebrow, "Now get yourself a seat," Bella smiled and took the oak desk chair, turning it to face Jasper.
"Ouch!" Bella yelped as her foot sank into a screw that had fell off of one of the legs. She shook it off but it had her blood on it. Bella snapped her eyes to Jasper who's breathing had become more rapid. "S..Jasper?" She said, unsure of his reaction to having used his name and her blood.
"Bella, you have to clean that up." He said urgently, "Now, Bella." Jasper was quiet but his tone was clear. Bella sprinted to the en suite, which held cleaning and medical supplies, a sink and a shower, keeping her bleeding heel off of the ground and stuck on several plasters to be sure then squirted the floor with some bleach from under the and wiped it away quickly.
"Give," Jasper reached his hand out and grabbed te rag. He was gone for less than half a minute but returned rag-free, "I'm so sorry," He panted, not from the exercise but from the stress of having nearly tasted human blood.
"Sir- Jasper, can I ask," She trailed off and waited for Jasper's signal to continue, "Do you react like that around all human blood?" Bella didn't stammer for once but the fear was audible.
Jasper merely chuckled, "I'm new at this vegetarian vampire thing." He sighed, "I'm gaining self control all of the time, but I'm nowhere near as strong as Carlisle is, he is a doctor for humans. It's incredible," He explained without any further prompt from Bella, "I can usually just get up and leave the room when things get bad but if I stood up there, I hate to say it but I knew I was going straight for your throat. Your blood, Bella, it's the best I've ever smelled and everyone knows it." He put his head in his hands, "Edward struggled too, at the beginning. He is especially affected by you, Carlisle can't say why. And he can't tell what you're thinking," He chuckled again, "Which is very funny for the rest of us, thank you by the way."
"Is that why he doesn't talk to me? He hardly looks at me," Bella asked, amazing herself with all her questions, "He speaks to be polite, I think."
"Probably," Jasper said simply, "But he'll come around."
"Why doesn't he- Why don't you all just do it?" Bella asked, she was becoming more comfortable but she was still scared. She was pretty sure that fear was a permanent thing there. "I'm right here, I have twenty times more blood that a human. You can take most of it and wait an hour and it will have replenished, it what I'm- one of the things I'm here for." She said quietly, "Am I not good enough? Do you want someone else? I can switch but- I don't know what any of you want, especially Edward. The one I'm actually supposed to cater to."
Jasper put a cold arm around her, "Bella, you're great. It's just-"
"That I don't want to be one of those idiots who don't realise their destruction," Edward walked through the door, "It's for the same reason that we don't drink human blood," Edward stood a little off the bed, with a hand running through his hair. He looked almost nervous.
"Can you give us a minute, Jasper?" Edward took Jasper's place on the bed as he headed to the door.
"Are you alright?" Jasper asked, concern on his face.
"Just being around Aro for so long, being attacked with questions about Alice," He waved it off, so it must have been the usual attitude towards him. Jasper nodded and left the room silently.
There was silence for a while, "You look tense, Edward. Could I help with that?"
"Only you could make Edward sound so much like 'Master.'" Edward smiled slightly, but didn't actually decline so Bella climbed around to the back of him and began to rub his hard shoulders, "Have you ever seen the city, Bella? It's beautiful here," He sounded almost nostalgic.
"No, I haven't," Bella replied, using all of her strength to relax the vampire. Silence once again filled the room, but it wasn't awkward this time, it was close to comfortable. Edward twisted round and laced one hand through Bella's, "I should take you some time." He announced, looking into her eyes.
Bella smiled softly looked away quickly, her cheeks were red. She liked the idea but he wouldn't take her. She'd never seen the city, she knew she was somewhere in Europe, possibly Italy but she had no clue which city she was in. Edward stiffened at the blood rushing in her veins. "I'm sorry," Bella said, moving backward a little.
Edward held her in place with her hand, "You are a mystery, Isabella." And for once Bella didn't mind.
Okay, I wrote this at 1am and have posted immediately, please ignore all errors! I'll fix it tomorrow!