Chapter 15:
"You…what?" I stuttered, surprised. Alice's laughter peeled through the room in long, tinkling bursts.
"Don't give yourself an aneurism, Bella. Honestly, you should see your face." I reflexively relaxed the wrinkles forming on my forehead, and forced myself to lean back so I wouldn't roll off the kitchen counter.
"Bella, if you don't close your mouth soon you'll start drooling." Alice giggled. I would have said something but she wheeled around the counter with a large wooden spoonful of steaming eggs, which she stuffed into my mouth.
"Wow." I said through my chewing, covering my mouth so I wouldn't dribble. It was hot, but delicious, my stomach grumbled for more. "I never would have guessed that you didn't eat."
"Who knew," she chuckled, sarcastically waving her hand in the air, rolling her wrist lazily. She danced over to a cabinet and pulled out a small white, porcelain bowl, and a fork from a nearby drawer. She must have scooped some of the eggs into the bowl, because there was suddenly a steaming bowl of food rested on my lap and Alice was nowhere to be seen. I whirled my head in all directions, scouring the enormous kitchen for Alice's familiar, tiny figure, but found that I was alone.
From around the corner I heard Alice's voice, she was whispering to someone.
"Come on, it's about time you've met our new…"
"Don't worry, you won't hurt her"
"Everything will be fine. I promise."
Alice suddenly reappeared in the doorway, carting the young blonde boy that could only be Jasper. His face was puckered, and I imagined his nose and mouth pulling themselves shut and becoming non-existent, smoothing over into a flat stretch of bare skin. He didn't say anything to me. He just stared back at me intently with eyes that blazed gold, and nodded his head to greet me.
"Jasper," I half asked, half accused, my voice flat. Glancing at Alice, her smile widened like she just couldn't help herself. But Jasper was, after all, her…how had Edward put it? Betrothed. So of course she couldn't. Across the room Jasper cautiously sucked in a slow, deliberate breath,
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella." He croaked, practically through his teeth. I tried to force a smile, but it was hard when he looked like he was in so much pain. I knew I should respond somehow, it was the polite thing to do, but nothing came to mind that was fitting for someone who had attacked me because he couldn't control himself. I remained frozen, unable to decide what would be the next best course of action. Slowly, a hazy calm crawled up from the floor and wrapped itself around my shoulders like a dry wool blanket on a rainy winter's night. I drew in a deep, soothing breath. It cleared my head and I could think past seeing my other attacker who they had had to keep away from me for both of our safety.
"I'm sorry, about before." I blurted softly. Jasper held up a hand that was both a creamy, pale ivory and a ragged, calloused worker's hand.
"No apology is necessary. The fault was all mine." The warm fog thickened and I couldn't help but feel comforted, like someone was holding me while I lay curled in their arms. As pleasant as it was, it was also somewhat unsettling. When I looked back at Alice and Jasper, their eyes were locked together meaningfully. They were arguing. Probably about who was at fault for Jasper attacking me.
"It doesn't really matter anymore, it's not going to change what happened. I just wanted to say sorry." Their eyes broke apart and bore into the side of my face as I refocused my reddening cheeks down towards my lap. My breakfast wasn't steaming anymore, it was probably cool enough to eat by now.
"You should eat, Bella. Seriously, you must be starving"
"Can you read minds too?" I asked. She smothered her face into Jasper's shoulder, muffling her trill laughter.
"Oh. So that's what you were telling her." Jasper mused, intrigued.
"Yup. And you're just in time for all the gory details." She winked, flitting across the room and hopping up on to the counter opposing me. She patted the counter beside her, beckoning Jasper to join her. For a moment he didn't move, then he began to inch his way towards us. His whole body was stiff and awkward, and instead of joining Alice on the counter across from me Jasper leaned himself into the small corner about three feet from us. Alice frowned at him but nodded, seeming to agree with his decision to keep his distance. Half annoyed that she hadn't answered my question and half to break the ice I asked,
"So can you? Read people's minds." Alice giggled again, more lightly this time.
"No, silly. But Edward can."