Dark Temptation

Thanks go to Leelan Oleander for holding my hand and saying nice things about my first lemon, even if it did originally defy logic and gravity. She is the maple syrup to my pancakes.

This story is rated M for language, adult themes, and some smexin' in later chapters.

Warning: may be offensive if you are American, or a Republican. It's not my fault Jasper is a democrat. Honestly, I mean no offense by any of this, it's all part of the characters and if anything Edward or Jasper says upsets you, ask Rosalie to kick them in the balls, ok? I don't condone hate, and I don't give a shit about US Politics, all I really care is that you don't kick kittens, because Zombie Jesus will fuck you up if you do.

Disclaimer: I wanted to say something witty about how I don't own twilight… but then I realised, who reads this shit anyway?

When we last encountered our reluctant protagonist aka Jasper the dumb-fuck:

As the car disappeared down the next street, I couldn't help but wonder why that second voice sounded so familiar. I turned around to head back inside and only then did I realise that my belt was loose and my pants were halfway undone.

Oh.

~o_o~

Dark Temptation

Chapter 6

JPOV

What the fuck was that? Seriously

I suddenly clued in to the fact that I was still standing on my front lawn with my mouth hanging open almost as wide as my pants. Quickly deciding that this was not the way I wanted to get acquainted with my neighbours – who I've made a concerted effort not to meet at all so far – I hastily snapped my jaw shut and turned around, trying to discretely shove myself back into my pants. Storming back into my house, I finally managed to get my pants closed and my shirt smoothed out as I reached my front door.

What the fuck WAS that? Apparently I'm stuck on some kind of loop of incredulity and sheer mind-boggling wtf-ness, because that is the only coherent thought that is going through my head at the moment. Slamming my front door shut and nearly splintering the wood, I stormed into the living room and plopped myself down on the couch, scratching my head.

"What the fuck?"

Seriously this is getting old now. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind, but all I managed to do was immerse myself in her scent and, oh god, her arousal. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees and hanging my head my hands, while playing over the last few hours of my life in my mind. What the FUCK?

I've been wandering this earth for over 150 years, and yet this little slip of a girl manages to make me come completely unravelled, again. I needed to get the hell out of this house and away from her scent before my thoughts start veering into dark territory. I had been struggling so hard these past few years to pull myself together and move forward. One tiny, insignificant drop of blood had sent me careening off my path. That one little drop of ruby red heaven had forced me to leave the life I had known and my wife of fifty years behind and strike off on my own.

I quickly leapt off the couch and ran out the back door in a weak attempt to outrun my negative thoughts. I did NOT want to dwell on the past today. I had been doing better, I really was. Being away from other vampires, my control over my bloodlust was vastly improved, and attending courses at the local college had been helping me to move past what had happened. While most of the textbooks may have been wrong, it was certainly interesting to guess the political inclinations of the textbook authors depending on their interpretation of events. There were a shocking number of Republican historians by my estimations, now there is a group of humanity that could use some culling.

I'm not sure that morally, there would be much of a difference between taking down elk to solve an overpopulation problem, and taking down Republicans on the same premise. No, that's not fair. The elk didn't choose to be elk.

Shaking my head, I laughed internally at the direction my thoughts had gone in. Politics had always been an interesting topic of discussion in the Cullen household; there were a surprisingly diverse range of opinions amongst the family. Not that it was much of a shock, but Edward was a staunch Republican, likely a remnant of the Victorian era morals he brought over with him when he was changed into a vampire. Debating with him was always amusing; he took everything so seriously and was completely blind to the rationality of any argument but his.

I found myself smiling, remembering one of our arguments about homosexual marriage. Emmett had been arguing that religious doctrine had no place in determining political policy and federal legislation. Emmett was often surprising us with his surprisingly complex perspectives on wide-reaching issues; he was much more intelligent than people suspected.

Edward of course, reached deep into his intellect for what he likely deemed a scathing retort. He argued that gay marriage was a sin because homosexual sex was an abomination and that without the former, the latter would be prevented. Therefore, by preventing homosexual marriage one could prevent homosexual sex from occurring. How these types of arguments make sense to him we've never quite understood.

Emmett and I, of course, both cracked up at this. Eddie-boy could be so simplistic sometimes. We tried to explain to him that most people regularly engaged in pre-marital sex but he seemed to think that making it illegal would solve the problem. I strangely doubt that 'sinners' are inherently concerned with sin or the law. You would think that with his ability to read the minds of those around him, he would be able to appreciate how much the world had changed, but he still believed strongly in the morals of his youth, and clung, almost foolishly to his belief in the innocence of mankind. Arguing with him sometimes was like arguing with a cow. Sure, it would make noises at you, but you weren't really speaking the same language.

I was drawn out of my thoughts by the slow-thumping heartbeats from a herd of deer half a mile north of me. Catching their scent, I pumped my legs hard and sped towards them. Quickly draining two large bucks, I disposed of the carcasses and planted myself on a tree branch to relax and enjoy the fleeting sense of satiety the deer had provided me. Stretching my legs out in front of me, I leaned back against the trunk of the tree and rested my hands behind my head. I was about twenty feet off the ground, but I could still make out the subtle motion of each individual blade of grass as they swayed in the gentle breeze.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and willed my body to relax. Sometimes after a satisfying hunt, I would lie like this and pretend I was sleeping. Of all the human experiences that are lost in the transformation, I think I miss sleeping the most. As I relaxed further, enjoying the slight heat of the sun off my exposed skin, my mind began to wander back to this afternoon.

She had changed a lot since we had left her in Forks. Standing there, in that grocery store, despite the negative tenor of her emotions you could feel the strength radiating off of her. She had been weak, timid, and somehow off. She had had such a depth and range of feelings, the strength of which could rival a vampire's. At times, her emotions would seem superficial, artificial, almost as if she was projecting what she deemed was the appropriate cocktail—a perfect melange of socially acceptable emotions.

I had often wondered whether it was a conscious thing or if it was an unconscious reflex on her part. I know we had all wondered the same thing about her ability to block Edward's gift at one point, but I had never raised the question in regards to my gift. Much like thoughts, emotions were private, and unlike Edward, I respected people's right to privacy.

Bella's emotions now have a different tenor to them. They feel different, stronger, and more pure. Unfortunately the spectrum of her emotions has shifted from the positivity she perpetually radiated in high school, to a melancholy sense of yearning and dissatisfaction. She was no longer the naïve girl enthralled in the throes of first love, now she seemed more cautious, jaded and definitely feisty.

I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed her feistiness and her quick wit; she had certainly become a passionate creature.

Yes, she certainly was passionate. I thought back on the fire in her eyes, the venom on her tongue as she berated me for some unknown transgression. I knew it was wrong to think of Edward's Bella in this way, but some sick part of my mind revelled in the fantasy. I soon found myself loosening my belt and unbuttoning my pants, imagining it was her hands. How had I missed that? Oh how I wished I hadn't.

The memory of the anger burning in her eyes stirred something deep within me and I felt my cock stir as my hand reached into my pants. Parting my legs further, I recalled with vivid precision the feel of her lips against mine, her soft little body pressed up against mine. I pictured her nipples puckering and standing out against her shirt when I had pleasured her in the store as my hand slowly began to stroke up and down my cock.

My pace began to pick up, my hand squeezing harder against my engorged length as I envisioned her warm hand instead of my cold rough one. Her tongue, dancing with my own as her sweet breath washed across my face and filled my senses. A feeling of betrayal flashed through my mind and my hand faltered as I thought of how deeply my actions would hurt Edward. I had stolen a piece of her innocence that he never had. My pace picked up again as I remembered the flood of heat, the flush of blood rising to the surface as I had brought her to the peak of ecstasy that he had never experienced with her.

She was glorious; her head thrown back, panting and moaning, and it was MY doing. I had brought her to that, not Edward, not any other man. And I had very nearly had her in my house-I could have had her. I SHOULD have had her. My demon roared, surging to the surface as my hand glided across my cock, my thumb sweeping over the tip and collecting the drop of venom beading on its surface.

In my mind, I pictured her hair in wild disarray, her cheeks flushed, and her lips swollen and tender as I hovered over her. I pictured my name falling of her lips in ecstasy instead of rage. I imagined the searing heat that I would feel as I sunk myself deep into her and I roared as I found my release. Spurting venom all over my hand, I came back to reality with a start.

What the fuck? This little nuisance had turned my life upside down again, and now I was sitting in a tree covered in my own juices. Disgusted with myself, I wiped my hand off on a nearby branch and tucked myself back into my pants for the second time today. At least I accomplished one of the goals I had set out for myself this morning. Masturbation, check.

I sped back to the house and hopped into the shower, relishing the warm of the water as it sliced over my body. I need to get a fucking hobby. I need to get out of this house. Shutting off the water, I towelled myself off rapidly and decided I would go into town. Maybe I'll find a nice bar and relax myself by absorbing the emotional climate. Some bars were better than others, dance clubs and sports bars were out, the emotions there were too volatile, but cocktail bars and lounges often had very pleasant atmospheres. They often also had secluded corners where I could enjoy myself in relative peace.

Humans didn't often approach me in bars, most were naturally fearful and cognizant on some level that I was their predator. When they did, on those rare occasions come near, it was often unpleasant for me. The burning draw of their blood, combined with the scent of cheap perfumes, alcohol, drugs, medications, and whatever cocktail they had imbibed to rid them of their sense of self-preservation was abhorrent to me. Even stronger than the often disturbing spectrum of scents these humans were surrounded by, was the incredible amount of lust that they put off. Of all human emotions, it was the strongest, most pungent and most heady.

I had heard some students in one of my classes discussing a sort of whisky bar that boasted high end liquor and a subdued clientele. I decided to check the place out tonight and hopefully keep my mind off of a certain brunette.

~o_o~

A few hours later found me walking down a quiet street, dressed in dark washed denim jeans and a charcoal grey button down. I had a beat-up old leather jacket thrown over one arm, and some worn leather cowboy boots on my feet. I felt at ease as I inhaled the scents of the evening. I could smell the exhaust from the cars on the street, the delicious blood of the pedestrians, a hint of something awful wafting away from a street meat stand, and other miscellaneous scents of the city. The blood didn't bother me as much as it would have previously as I had recently hunted, and my earlier ministrations seem to have quieted down my inner demon, for the time being at least.

I turned a corner and caught a glimpse of a neon sign, seemingly out of place with the rest of the businesses on the street. A faded blue sign reading 'Electric Mud' in a slightly messy script was elegantly displayed above the door of an unassuming building. Deep curtains obscured my view of the interior, but the atmosphere inside seemed muted and peaceful.

Flashes of lust, or frustration would occasionally burst into the peace, but as quickly as they came, they faded into the quiet contentment that permeated the emotional atmosphere. Walking in the front door, I took a deep breath and appreciated the mingling scents of all the patrons, the distinctive aroma of a number of high-end liquors, and a number of aged whiskeys. The rich earthy smell of the wooden furniture was overlaid with a hint of cigarette and cigar smoke, but it was old. It seemed smoking had been allowed here before the laws had changed. It was a shame for a vampire such as me, since second hand smoke presented no danger, we couldn't get cancer, and the rich mixture of scents from a fine cigar was a fitting tribute to a cool glass of aged whiskey.

The soft chords of blues music were wafting from speakers spaced around the main area. There was a small stage at the side of the room, but it was empty tonight. Perhaps a dozen tables were filled with a wide assortment of customers, from the young to the old, chatting happily and sipping on their drinks. Strangely, there was no domestic beers, no sickeningly sweet scent of coke and cheap rum, but a pleasant blend of fine liquors. There were no overwhelming feelings of drunkenness, but a gentle buzz of enjoyment permeating the air. It seemed that this was the place to come to for a drink, not to get drunk.

I smiled and slipped into an empty booth, far enough away from the other patrons as to be unobtrusive, but not so far as to vex the staff. I sat back and relaxed, watching a thin but curvy blonde swishing her way throughout the room. She paused at a table near mine and smiled down at one of the men sitting there. I wasn't focusing on the conversation, but it seemed to be something about college. Her emotions seemed muted and she seemed lost in thought for a few moments, and then she smiled and her laughter filled the air around her. She politely declined the offer of a scholarship, as if this were not an uncommon occurrence before excusing herself to continue her rounds. She made her way over towards my booth, her eyes roaming over the small crowd and she gracefully slipped between tables on her path towards me.

I took a deep breath and froze as once again, I was assaulted with the scent of peaches, and sweet peas and sin. Bella.

She stumbled and nearly dropped her tray as she looked up and met my eyes. I couldn't contain my own gasp of surprise as her eyes raked over my body. Suddenly, she was in front of me, once again burning into me with her penetrating glare. Fire burned in her eyes, but her overwhelming emotions were more subtle, irritation and unease. She was not necessarily afraid of me, but she didn't want me here. There was no hatred though, which confused me. I found myself struggling once again to understand this strange creature before me.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me! Are you fucking stalking me now? What are you doing in my bar!" She spat at me, and quickly spun around, determination and irritation radiating out from her tiny body.

Without thinking, I reached out and grasped her warm wrist with one of my hands and gently held on, keeping her from running away from me once again. A thought hit me and I blurted it out before I realised how rude it sounded.

"Wait, this is your bar?"

Oh, shit. My eyes widened and my mouth fell open in horror at the accusing sound of my tone. She whipped her head around and glared at me. On some level, I was revelling in the passion in her eyes, but on the outside, I knew I was terrified of this little waif of a woman. Sure, I could snap her neck and drain her blood before she could even understand what was happening, but I realized she had a power over me too. She could tear me down with her words in a way that almost hurt more than if she had the strength to rip off my arms. I wanted her to respect me, to trust me, and even more concerning, I wanted her to like me.

As she stood there, practically panting in her anger, I took the opportunity to look her over. Her breasts were heaving, straining against the fabric of her dress, which hugged her in all the right places. I could appreciate her body now in a way that I never could before. She was beautiful, she had matured, in both her body and in the way she carried herself. Edward's Bella would never have worn something like this, not without Alice forcing her into it, and she especially would have never been so at home sashaying through a room full of people in heels and carrying a tray of glasses.

I realised that she had snapped out of her astonishment at my blunder and was now talking at me.

"… the fuck is wrong with you? I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't know whether this is a vampire thing, a man thing, a Cullen thing, or just a STUPID thing, but you have to be, beyond a doubt, the dimmest fucking lightbulb in a box of broken lightbulbs. Did Alice steal your sense of fucking respect when she took your balls, or does animal blood just make you fucking stupid. What the HELL is wrong with you?"

I gaped at her. This woman, this fucking woman, how the hell does she do that? How does she simultaneously make me feel like I'm two feet tall and being dressed down by my mama for pullin' my sister's pigtails while making me want to bend her over this table and flip her skirt up so I can pound into her from behind?

"Now listen here…" I began to drawl at her, but she swiftly interrupted me, slamming her tray down on the table.

"No, you listen, you fucking piece of sparkly shit. This is my business, you don't come in here and disrespect me. I'm not the meek little fucking girl your douchebag of a brother abandoned in the forest. I'm not the naïve little girl who let your family dictate her life. You all walked out of my life and you have no right to come in here and-"

"He WHAT?" I roared at her, drowning out her tirade and catching the attention of the businessmen at the next table over. I lowered my voice, "Please tell me exactly what you mean when you said he abandoned you in the forest." I was trembling with anger as I waited for her to elaborate. Edward knew very well that there were worse dangers in the forest than even us, and to think that he would leave her out there...

Bella seemed to sense that I was losing it, so she grabbed my hand and forcefully pulled me to my feet and began leading me towards the bar. She stopped on the way to exchange a few words with the table she had been at earlier.

"It's okay, Jim, he's an old friend. Don't worry so much, it's bad for your blood pressure. I would hate for Sarah to have to kick my ass because you had a coronary on my behalf. I'll send Lee over with your drinks in a minute." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he relaxed. It was good to see that she had people looking out for her but she always was charismatic and drew people to her.

She continued pulling me towards the bar, and then led me around a corner into a dimly lit office. She shut the door behind us, pointing to an overstuffed leather lounger seated across from a large wooden desk covered in paperwork and half-drank cups of coffee.

Still struggling to control my rage, I sat down where she indicated as she perched on the edge of the desk in front of me.

"Jasper, you don't get to be angry. Your whole family abandoned me without so much as a word. He may have been a dick about it, but at the least Edward took the time to tell me that he was bored of 'playing human' before he moved on. Yeah, it would have been nice if he hadn't torn me apart and played on my already low self-esteem, leaving me crying in the woods. It would have been great if I hadn't come back to reality to see a giant fucking were-wolf sniffing at my face. But, it is what it is."

"A FUCKING WEREWOLF? My idiot brother left you in the woods to be found by a fucking werewolf? Do you have any idea how fucking dangerous those things are?" I exploded at her, shouting in disbelief and spraying venom as I rose out of my chair. I planted my hands on the desk on either side of her hips and hovered over her, my face inches from her.

"Yes, a werewolf. Not the best way to find out that the local teens turn into giant slobbery dogs, but hey, I'm not sure there is a good way to find that out. At least Sam was nice enough to put on some pants before he carried me back to Charlie's house." She shrugged, as if it was no big deal to be around immature werewolves. I fumed as I struggled to find the right words to express how dangerous they were. As if she could sense my struggle, she raised an eyebrow, challenging me to say something.

"I… you… how do you manage to find every dangerous and mythical creature within a hundred mile radius? First vampires, then shifters, what's next, witches and warlocks?" I was breathing heavily, and I could tell my eyes were getting darker as my rage at my idiot fucking brother stewed.

"Well, actually, now that you mention it, I did meet a really kickass Voodoo priestess a few years back, but I haven't come across any warlocks; do they really exist?"

Something inside of me snapped at her casual dismissal of the world of myth and magic, and before I could stop myself, my lips were crashing against hers. There was only a moment of hesitation before she gave into me and our tongues were fighting for dominance as her hands became tangled in my hair. She continued pulling me ever closer as I gently pushed her to lie back against the desk. Breaking away from her mouth to let her breathe, I trailed kisses down her neck.

"My god woman…" I panted out as I moved closer to her breasts. I could see her nipples straining against the fabric and I wanted to free them. "… you are a fucking danger magnet."

I pulled her up, so I could reach the zipper at the back of her dress and attacked her mouth again. I fumbled with the small metal tab, but I was finally successful in unzipping her, careful not to rip the fabric. Oh god, one day I wanted to rip her clothes off of her, but I doubted she would appreciate that at the moment.

"You have no idea, Jasper," she breathed out. At the sound her practically panting out my name, I picked her up and slipped her dress the rest of the way off her body. I spun her around and bent her over the desk.

"You have to tell me to stop, Bella." I pleaded with her, as my hands roamed her body, caressing her breasts through the black satin material of her bra. I ground my erection into her ass as I prayed for her not to tell me to stop.

"Shut up and fuck me, Jasper." I ripped her matching black satin thong off her body and plunged the fingers of one hand into her delicious wet heat.

"Oh fuck, you smell so good… feel so good. Wet, hot, soft…" I trailed off as my other hand fumbled with my belt. She spun around and deftly released the buckle on my belt, unclasping my button and pulling down my zipper. I revelled in the sight as my fingers returned to pumping rapidly in and out of her, I had missed this the first time, and I was enjoying watching her undress me now.

Her hands trailed around the waistband of my boxer before plunging down to grab at my ass. She impatiently pushed my boxers down with my pants as she moaned and writhed against me.

"God, Jasper, fuck me."

I don't think my cock was free from its confines for more than 30 seconds before I plunged into her. Oh god, wet, soft, warm, heaven. It had been so long since I had had sex, much less sex with a human, and I didn't realise how much I had missed it.

As I continued to move languidly in and out of her body, relishing the friction, it occurred to me that something was missing that I expected.

"You're not a –", my mouth was buried in the warmth of her neck, nuzzling into her hair as I quickened my pace.

"Haven't been since before you met me," she gasped out, clawing at my back and writhing underneath me.

"But…"

"21st Century, Jasper… now shut up and fuck me".

I felt briefly disappointed and then decided that it didn't matter. I straightened up and grabbed her hips, pumping her forcefully up and down on my cock. Her tits were nearly bouncing out of her bra, and she was flushed and panting beneath me.

A cocky smirk crossed my face as I met her eyes and I played up my southern charm with a "yes ma'am."

"Oh god, fucking cowboys… oh god, yes. Yes. YESSSSSS" She screamed as she came all over my cock. Her warmth constricting around my cock sent me over the edge as I came with a roar and just barely stopped myself from biting down on her neck to mark her as mine.

Whoa, mine? Where did that come from? I was too blissed-out to focus any further on that disturbing thought as I collapsed on top of her, both of us sprawled across the desk as I carefully kept my weight from crushing her.

I kissed her languidly, relishing in the feeling of her warm, soft body tangled around my cold hard one. With a nearly inaudible sigh, I nuzzled my face back into her neck and just breathed in her scent. She had wrapped her arms around my neck, and her legs around my waist, and with my swiftly softening cock still inside of her, it was like she as hugging my entire body.

"God, Bella, that was… you smell so amazing, feel so good, I-" I stumbled with my words and eventually gave up, basking in the afterglow of contentment that she was radiating.

I could hear her take a deep breath and open her mouth as if to say something, but she was diverted by the shrill ringing of a phone from somewhere behind the desk. She shoved me off of her and scrambled around the desk, wearing nothing but her bra and shoes, to pick up a cordless phone from the floor.

"Yes?" she answered the phone, sounding breathless. A slight frown creased her brow as she looked at the mess of paper scattered around the floor, we had apparently knocked some things in the midst of our passion.

"Sorry to interrupt you MJ, but your husband is on the phone, he said it was urgent." I could hear the voices of clinking glasses in the background, so I assumed it was one of the waitresses, but I could only focus on one word. Husband. I looked at her left hand and wondered how I could have missed the delicate white gold band with a brilliant ruby nestled between two tiny diamonds. I looked up at her in horror and opened my mouth to say something, but held her hand up to keep me quiet.

"Thanks, Lee, can you put him on? How are you and Dani holding up out there? Sorry for disappearing but I had something important to take care of."

"We're doing just fine, hold on a sec and I'll transfer him through."

I watched as Bella picked up the underwear that I had ripped off of her body. She held up the scrap of fabric and raised her eyebrow at me. I tried to look ashamed, but seeing her standing there with nothing but heels and a bra on it was hard to focus on anything other than the flexing of her muscles as she jutted out her hip, and the sweet slice of heaven between her legs.

Shaking her head, she picked up her dress and stepped into it, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"Hey, sweetheart," a deep masculine voice sounded over the phone and I watched in confusion as a smile broke across her face, erasing the slight wrinkle of her brow from her previous frown.

"Hey, Big Poppa! Do I need to buy more bleach for the kitchen counter?" She chirped, laughing slightly as she turned around, indicating for me to zip her up.

"That might not be a bad idea, MJ. How come you're in your office, I thought you were short handed tonight?"

There was something about the voice on the other end of the phone that was niggling at the back of my mind. There was a deep sense of unease that I was trying to write off as simple jealousy, but I was having trouble convincing myself that was all.

"Oh, someone dropped by and we needed a bit of privacy. It's been a quiet night, the girls probably didn't even need me in here, but better safe than sorry. Jim says hi, by the way, he offered me the scholarship again."

A deep chuckle resounded, and I could have sworn I heard a feminine laugh in the background. I was trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to get my own clothes straightened out, and I frowned as I struggled to resolve the sense of something that was just out of reach.

"Hmm...Well I don't want to keep you, but I actually called for a reason," the voice paused and Bella's frown deepened. "Your, ah, sister called. She suggested it might be a good time to go home and visit Charlie, the usual."

"Oh." Bella's feelings switched from curiosity and mild concern to a deep sense of dread tinged with frustration and anger; it was disorienting how fast she had switched from post-orgasmic euphoria to this storm cloud of negativity. I tried to push some calm at her, but her head whipped around and the glare she shot at me would have made me piss myself if I could. I held my hands up in defeat and sank back into the chair I had previously occupied.

"Fuck, do we have a time frame?" she sighed.

"Ah, not exactly, it will probably be a near miss, but I don't want to take any chances. We booked you on a flight out tonight after the bar closes, but I don't think we're joining you this time."

"Oh?"

"I heard my brother was in the area, thought we might see if he'd meet up with us in Montreal." Confusion clouded Bella's features as she looked over at me. What the fuck is this?

Bella has a sister, and it sounds like something is wrong with Charlie. I hope he's not ill; he was a good man and though I never knew him well, I had the utmost respect for Chief Swan. But why wouldn't her husband go with her if his father-in-law was unwell. I was so lost in thought that I missed the rest of the phone call, and only returned to reality in time to see Bella throwing the phone back into a pile of paper on the floor. She turned to look at me expectantly; I guess the complete 'what-the-fuck' look I was sporting might have clued her into the fact that I was a bit lost.

"You're married, Bella? What-"

She shook her head at me and walked towards the door. "I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, Jasper, but now isn't the best time. I've got to get back out there and let my girls take their breaks, and I've got to get the schedule covered for the next few days since I'm apparently going out of town." She was irritated, which I didn't understand.

"Why, is it, did something happen to Charlie? And since when do you have a sister?" I got up and followed her out the door and back down the small hallways towards the bar.

"No Charlie's fine, it's just…fuck it's just complicated. I don't have time to sit down and explain things to you." Her irritation and exasperation changed to determination as she put a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. I was feeling angry and confused, and something strange seemed to be happening; the world felt like it was slowly spinning around me and noises were starting to sound muffled.

"Look, Jasper, I know this is a bit fucked, but I really think you should get out of town for the next few days, and don't follow me. Charlie lives on the Res now, and the Quileutes won't exactly be too friendly to you. Go for an extended hunt or something, I hear Canada is beautiful this time of year." Now she was radiating smugness and a bit of mischief. She thinks this is funny; she's fucking toying with me! Why does it feel like the world is spinning, and she's smiling at me. Why is she smiling like that? Fuck, it's time to get the hell out of here.

Shaking my head, I mumbled my goodbyes and strode out of the bar and began wandering in the general direction of home. My mind was swirling with unformed thoughts and questions. She was married, but something seemed off about it. She felt genuine love when she was on the phone with her husband, but why would she have had sex with me then? Was she so different from the girl I had once known that she would do such a thing? I felt no guilt or regret from her, either this afternoon or just now, which plagued me even further. Bella had always been an inherently good person, how could she cheat on her husband?

The fact that Edward had not been able to read her mind made me wonder about the true dynamics of their relationship, had he known that she wasn't a virgin? I couldn't imagine Edward ever being able to love someone he deemed 'tainted'. He always spoke about how he loved her innocence, but she apparently wasn't the innocent girl we always thought her to be. And God, why did I care so much to unravel the mystery that was Bella…? I paused, realising I had no idea what her last name would be now. What kind of man was her husband, was he worthy of her? How could he be if he was blowing off her family to go gallivanting off to Canada with his brother?

I decided that I would go to Montreal and see if I could find this husband of hers. It was a long shot, but I would do anything to make sure that the man Bella loved was worthy of her.

Shit I googled for this chapter:
Dogma
Cogito ergo sum
Ontological proof
Model: ECHO-G. Emission Scenario: SRES marker scenario B1, Global Warming Rate: low – err no wait, that had nothing to do with this chapter, that was for work

Uhh, recs for you: Striptease by Scorcha Cullen which has a real douchebag of a Mike Newton in a B/E New Moon AU story, and Conversations with my Killer by Oracle Vas in which Jasper drops Bella off a roof, also there is a puppy.

I'm sorry this chapter was a bit late, between work and my cute overload-induced panic attack, I've been preoccupied. No shit, I started hyperventilating because the kittens were literally so cute I could die.

Also, woo I've got almost 50 reviews! This is super exciting :D and FYI this story can also befound at twiwrite (dot) net and freshsqueezedlemons (dot) com