Author's Note: So Still Not Stephanie Meyer, so I still dont own Twilight or the characters. I do own Ana and Jade though and that rocks my socks. Anyways, here is Chapter 30, hope you all enjoy. And thank you all for the wonderful comments seriously made me soo happy :D Anyways, Read, Review, and Enjoy :D
Chapter 30: Only If You Mean It
" Ana, do you have to go all the way to California for Thanksgiving?" Emmett asks, his voice taking on the tone of a whining twelve year old girl.
" Yes Em, I do. My mom needs someone to spend the holiday with," I say, sighing heavily as I continue folding clothes into my suitcase.
" Well why can't she just come here?" he asks, pulling out the shirt I just put in throwing it over his shoulder. I glare at him as I get up and lean over him picking up the clothes he decided to unpack for me.
" Well one, because I already bought my ticket, and two my mom is absolutely terrified of planes," I say re-folding the clothes.
" This isn't fair," he says leaning back against my bed crossing his arms across his chest.
" Emmett, it isn't like I am going to be gone forever," I say, zipping up my suitcase.
" That isn't the point, what fun is Thanksgiving going to be without you there?" he asks solemnly.
" It will be tons of fun. You will have all of your family there, Alice, Jasper, and of course Jade, she is most fun of them all," I say smiling at him. " Now seriously, come on Emmett. I have to finish getting ready or I'm going to miss my flight."
" That was kind of the point," Jade says from the doorway of our room. I look over and see her smiling at me.
" Oh so this was some sort of plan that you two were in on to keep me here, huh? Well I cant be mad at you, I am pretty fabulous. I'm going to miss you guys," I say, smiling even as I feel the tears burning in my eyes.
" Well it was worth a shot," Jade says, as Emmett picks up my suitcase and walks down the stairs leaving Jade and me alone.
" So," Jade says, and I just look at her trying not to cry.
" Hey, it isn't like I'm going to be gone forever, besides you will have Edward to keep you company," I say, hugging her tightly.
" I know. Are you sure I cant drop you off at the airport? Why does Jasper get too?" she asks, her voice kind of bitter.
" Jasper gets too because if you or anyone else were to take me I would break down and start crying like a baby and miss my flight," I say, pulling my sweater over my head.
" Fine. Be that way, come here girl," she says grabbing me into a tight hug. " Give Momma B a big hug from me, and hurry back okay?"
" Of course I will. I love you J. Larson," I whisper, pulling away from her tight hug.
" I love you A. Benson," she says, wiping her eyes quickly. We walk down the stairs where everyone is waiting to hug me goodbye. I start with Edward hugging him tightly.
" Take care of her while I'm gone, okay?" I whisper in his ear and he squeezes me tightly in response. I hug Rosalie, and Emmett, trying not to cry when Emmett begs me one last time to stay.
" Okay Em, let the girl go, she has a plane to catch," Jasper says, pulling me from Emmett vice like hold.
" Okay fine, but be safe and have fun, but not too much fun without me," Emmett says, smiling as much as he can.
" Don't worry I wont," I say, smiling at my group of friends through tear clouded eyes. " Bye guys." I walk from the house into the cold November air wishing that I didn't have to leave.
" You okay?" Jasper asks, fifteen minutes into the car ride. I look over at him gloomily trying my best to muster up a smile.
" Not really. I don't want to leave," I whisper, turning my face back to the window. I feel his warm hand encircle mine as he comforts me in silence, the only way that he can. The car ride is quicker than I expect and my heart breaks slowly as Jasper parks the car. As much as I hate leaving my best friends behind, leaving Jasper behind when things are so uncertain between us, is killing me. I silently check in my baggage and get in line for the first security check. Jasper standing on the other side of the rope, his hand tight on mine. I groan inwardly when I am next in line and I realize that this is when I have to say good bye.
" Well, looks like this is it," I say, turning to look at Jasper. He smiles lightly as he brushes the hair from my forehead.
" Guess it is," he says, leaning down to kiss me lightly.
" Have fun okay, and keep an eye out for Jade. Make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble while I'm gone," I say, tears thickening my throat.
" I will. Have fun, and stay safe," he says wrapping me in a hug.
" I'll try," I say, holding onto him. I don't want to let go, I want to just jump out of this line and go back.
" You have to go now Ana," he says, letting go of me.
" I know, I'll see you in a few days," I say, walking to the front of the line. I shoot a glance over my shoulder to see Jasper standing off to the side staring after me. I walk through security and start making my way to my gate number when someone yelling after me catches my attention. I look back and see Jasper standing on the other side of the glass. I walk towards him and smile.
" Ana, I love you," he says, and I feel everything else fall away. I have waited so long to hear him say it, that it seems almost unreal that I am actually hearing it. I stare dumbly at him as he smiles and walks away. I turn back around walking in a haze as I realize that things have gotten so much more complicated than I imagined they could be.
Jade's POV
" You seem sad," Edward says as we drive through the mountains to his hometown.
" I am sad," I say looking at him. " Ana should be here."
" Jade, you could have gone with her," he says, looking at me sympathetically.
" I know. It sucks to have to decide between the man you love and your best friend," I say, pulling my feet up to rest against the dash board. " Besides, Ana will have plenty of fun cooking with her Mom, and shopping the day after."
" That's my girl, looking at the bright side of things," he says, pressing his lips to my hand.
" Yeah that's me, little miss sunshine," I say sarcastically. Things have been weird between Edward and me. Ever since Bella left with Jacob, again, its almost like we are inseparable. That isn't the weird part, the weird part is that we haven't talked about what exactly we are. Are we boyfriend and girlfriend? Just dating? Friends with benefits?
" You know you could always ask me if your that curious about it," he says, smiling slyly at me. Damn it, I always seem to forget that he can hear what I am thinking.
" Well, come on Edward. Seriously, Bella has been gone for almost two weeks now, you and I spend every moment that we can together, and we still haven't talked about what exactly it is that is going on," I say, growing somewhat annoyed.
" What do you want us to be?" he asks, pulling the car into the driveway of his childhood home.
" What do you think?" I ask, turning in my seat to look at him. I don't say anything more, I just stare at him. Everything that I want playing in my head free for him to hear.
" Is that so?" he asks, smiling as he leans in to kiss me.
" Yeah," I say against his lips.
" Then that's what we are," he says, taking the kiss as deep as it can go.
Jasper's POV
" So wait, let me get this right. You told Ana you love her as she is getting ready to get on a plane and fly to California for three days?" Emmett asks me, staring at me in disbelief.
" Yes," I say, banging my head against his bedroom wall.
" And your still here, why?" he asks, flopping onto his bed.
" I don't know. I don't even know why I said it," I say, sliding against the wall.
" Did you mean it? Or are you still just playing with her? Because let me tell you something Jasper, I have known you for most of my life, but Ana is like a sister, and if this is all just a game to you, still, I wont hesitate to kick your ass this time," he says, sitting up to look at me. I can feel anger and apprehension flowing off of him.
" Of course I meant it. I love her Emmett, I do. I just don't know why I said it when I did, not exactly what I had in mind for the first time that I told her how I felt. I thought about telling her the other night when we," I begin saying and I trail off as a light comes into his eyes.
" When you guys what?" he asks, smiling at me.
" Never mind, don't worry about it," I say, running my fingers through my hair.
" Holy shit, you totally took Ana's v-card didn't you?" he asks, standing up laughing.
" Shut up Em," I say, anger starting to build inside me. I was still beating myself up for that. If I would have known, I would have never let it go that far, not like that.
" Your serious about her, aren't you?" he finally asks, looking at me seriously.
" Yes, I am. It scares the hell out of me, I haven't felt this way since Alice," I say, getting to my feet to look at him. " What am I going to do?"
" Let me tell you what your going to do," he says, pulling open his top dresser drawer. He pulls out a white envelope. " Your going to take this money, get into your car, buy a ticket to California, and be with Ana."
" Em, I cant just leave everyone here," I say, lifting a hesitant hand to the envelope he is offering me.
" Yes you can, I will explain everything. Now go, before its too late," he says, shoving the envelope in my hand and pushing me out the door.
" Thanks Em, seriously, I owe you one," I say, running down the stairs.
" I'll remember that," his laughing voice calls behind me, and I cant help but to get caught up in the laughter. Emmett was right, I wouldn't feel right being here, not without Ana, and not without being able to tell her, exactly what I want, and how I feel. I grab my bag from the entryway and race out the door right by a stunned Jade and Edward.
" Jasper where you going?" Edward calls out and I just ignore him as I slam into my car and drive away. No time to stop and talk, I have a plane to catch, if it isn't too late.
Jade's POV
I sit in the Cullen's kitchen staring in disbelief at Emmett.
" Okay, hold on, let me get this right. Jasper told Ana he loved her at the airport, left, came all the way here, just to turn around and leave and try to get a flight to California," I say, every word coming out of my mouth sounding more and more ridiculous.
" Yeah, pretty much," Emmett says, laughing as he pops a grape in his mouth.
" Oh wow," I say, sitting back against my chair.
" Yeah, wow," Edward says smiling like a fool. " Its about time."
" Amen," I whisper smiling to myself.
Ana's POV
I have been home for almost a whole day, and Jasper's words are still reeling around in my head. I stare through the darkness of my bedroom, wishing that I could just pick up the phone and call him. There are so many things I have to ask him. The first being did he mean it. What if he didn't? Or what if he just meant that he loves me like a friend? 'Oh God that that would kill me,' I think to myself as I roll over on my bed. If there was one thing that I have learned about Jasper Hale, its that he is easily the most confusing individual that I have ever met. I sit up in my bed and grab my phone. I scroll down the names until I come across Jades. 'Come on Jade, now is the time for you to answer your phone,' I think to myself and I groan loudly when her voicemail clicks on. I snap my phone shut in frustration throwing my phone across my room. It smacks the wall with a small thud and I smile somewhat satisfied. Not to self, the next time I need to release some frustration just throw a phone. I open my bedroom door slowly and walk down stairs quietly. I notice the light on in the kitchen and walk in to find my Mom awake, studying a cookbook.
" Hey Momma," I say, pulling open the fridge door.
" Hello sweetheart, cant sleep?" Mom asks, lowering the cook book to look at me.
" No," I say taking a long drink from a water bottle.
" I see. So when were you going to tell me about the tattoo?" she asks, looking at me sternly. I pull down on the hem of my shirt quickly.
" Oh that, well, see," I say, fumbling for some sort of explanation.
" Did Jade talk you into it?" she asks, pulling her glasses off.
" No," I say, " I talked her into it."
" Yeah, right," she says smiling brightly.
" I'm serious it was all my idea. Don't worry Mom, this is the only one," I say, hopping up on the counter. I sit cross legged smiling at her.
" Good. So tell me what's on your mind little girl," she says, sliding the cookbook shut. I stare at her for a minute in silence.
" Well, to be honest, Jasper," I say at length. A knowing smile touches her lips.
" I kind of figured," she says, getting up. I watch as she gets down two mugs. I know she is making hot coco. That's what she would always do late at night when I couldn't sleep and needed to talk.
" Mom, there is something I have to tell you," I say, looking at her seriously. My heart starts hammering in my chest. I'm afraid to tell her that I had sex with Jasper, afraid that this would be the one time she would become the strict parent who tells me how disappointed she is in me.
" What is it sweetheart?" she asks, handing me the mug of hot coco. I set it down and look at her.
" Jasper and I, well, we" I start and she chokes on her hot coco.
" Annalisa Marie Benson!" she exclaims staring at me in shock.
" Mom, please calm down okay, its no big deal," I say, closing my eyes against the oncoming fury.
" Okay, I'm calm, I'm sorry. Its just, Ana, I don't want you to make a mistake that you cant take back," she says, her voice shaky.
" I know Mom, it happened just one time, and honestly, I don't regret it. I'm in love with him Momma, and it scares the hell out of me," I say, tears rolling down my cheeks.
" Oh honey, I know its scary, but just do me a favor. Take it slow, don't rush anything, and if you and him are going to you know again, promise me two things. One you will always use protection, and two, you wont tell me," she says, laughing lightly.
" I promise," I say, hugging her tightly. " I love you Mom."
" I love you too, my girl," she whispers. I pull away, looking at her. We smile at each other and fall back into a relatively content silence when the door bell rings causing us both to jump.
" Who would be here at this hour?" she asks, and I turn to look at the clock and it read one in the morning.
" I don't know, I'll go check," I say, sliding off the counter. I walk through the dark house to the front door. Flipping on the porch light, I unlock the front door. I pull it open slowly and stand in shocked silence at Jasper's sleepy face.
" Jasper?" I ask, pulling the door open widely.
" Ana, sorry to drop in on you this way, but I had to talk to you. I couldn't just leave things the way that they were," he says, and I smile even as I feel the tears clouding my eyes.
" Ana, who is it?" my mom calls from the kitchen.
" Come on," I say, grabbing Jasper's arm pulling him out of the cold and into the warmth of the house. I take his bag from his shoulder and take him by the hand leading him into the kitchen.
" Uhm, mom, this is Jasper, Jasper, my mom," I say, smiling nervously. My moms face relaxes into a huge smile as she steps forward to hug him.
" It's so nice to meet you Jasper, Ana has told me all about you. Look at you, half asleep on your feet, come on I will show you to the guest room, you and Ana can talk tomorrow," my mom says, leading Jasper from the kitchen, leaving me to stare after them in confusion. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I guess tomorrow I will find out.