Disclaimer: S. Myer owns all, but what I wouldn't give for a Jasper of my very own-sigh.
A/N- Road trip! Okay, so never having been west, except to CA, I relied on Mapquest for these routes, distance times and towns. Please forgive any creative licenses taken with the actual road trip part of the story, my apologies in advance to those living anywhere near where J/B visit.
Also, the last scene scared the shit out of me to write, so be gentle with me, it was my first time writing that kind of scene.
My poor beta, C Me Smile, is still recovering from the holidays, so this chapter is once again unbeta'd, so all mistakes, grammatical and otherwise are my own.
Huge hugs and thanks to Dannie for the feedback on this chapter, and for telling me to stfu (even though I totally didn't listen) by the last scene.
More author's notes at the end.
To those that have read, thank you! I appreciate it very much.
"**~~**"
We Were Fine All Along
Location: Seattle, WA (Clarity)
"**~~**"
I was her she was me
We were one we were free
And if there's somebody calling me on
She's the one
We were young we were wrong
We were fine all along
When you get to where you wanna go
And you know the things you wanna know
You're smiling
When you said what you wanna say -Robbie Williams
"**~~**"
A light drizzle fell from the overcast, dark sky. Shivering, I zipped my leather jacket up, pulling the collar up around my neck for some added protection against the chill that surrounded us; one that I knew would follow me into the cab of my truck after we left Edward. It was too fucking early to be awake, but if Bella and I were going to get anywhere, we needed an early start.
He released her from the hug, cupping her face and kissing her lips before placing his forehead to hers.
Even though I knew I should have turned away and given them privacy, I leaned against the hood of the truck and blatantly watched their goodbye.
I watched her hands grip his hair, tugging it as she clung to him with tears streaming down her face.
I watched as he placed his lips softly on hers, a tear or two on his own cheeks.
I watched as his fingers slid through her thick brown hair.
I watched as she closed her eyes, her lashes wet from sorrow, losing herself in the moment.
I listened as he whispered words into the air between them, words meant for her ears only, words of encouragement and love.
He had gotten up long before he needed to in order to say goodbye to us. Bella had spent the night before with Jake; he had driven her home just in time for her to change clothes for us to leave.
Finally releasing her, he reached for her hand and walked her to the passenger door of my truck. After opening it, he helped her climb in and smiled up at her.
"Call me, okay?"
She nodded, her small hands wiping away her emotions on her cheeks as she sniffled. Since dating Jake Edward had become Bella's sole foundation, relying on him more than she ever had, but for the next four weeks she had to rely on me.
We had to rely on each other.
Sometimes I doubted if it was possible to repair what we had lost, but I honestly believed it might be possible, but I wasn't sure to what extent. As I stood there watching their tearful goodbye, I realized just how much the separation was going to hurt her and wondered why she had even agreed to go without Edward.
Jake.
I think he was more a part of her agreeing to go than he realized, the time and space she desired to think about his proposal was exactly what Texas was going to provide. My job was to see her through it, returning her to both Edward and Jake safely.
Glancing over at me, he winked. "And take care of Jasper. Keep him out of trouble."
Sighing, I pushed myself off the truck, going to my door and opening it. Edward met me there, his hand extended. When I clasped mine around his, he pulled me into a tight hug, whispering in my ear."Take care of her Jasper, please," he begged, his voice choking up. Returning his embrace, I made a promise of my own.
"I'll keep her safe and sound, Edward, don't worry." I began to pull back."I'll bring her back in one piece, I promise."
It was the most important promise I had ever made to anyone. And one I fully intended on keeping.
"I wish you were coming," I whispered. Even though I had not wanted an emotional goodbye, the thought of not seeing Edward for four weeks began to terrify me, and that fear had crept into my voice.
"Me too, Jazz, me too," he smiled sadly. "But you two will be fine. You need this, you both need this."
I knew we did, but that didn't make it any less frightening.
Stepping back, he glanced at the back of my truck, the black cover hiding the contents of the bed. "You got everything?"
I nodded, mentally reviewing the packing list in my head. "Yep, Scrabble game and coffee maker included."
Even Bella couldn't resist smiling at my coffee maker comment as she settled into her side of the truck. I climbed into my seat and started my truck. Rolling down my window, I looked out at him. He looked as I had rarely seen him, haggard, disheveled, bloodshot eyes highlighting the dark circles under them, hair sticking up in every direction from his hands constantly running through it.
"We'll call every day," I promised.
Nodding, he smiled at us both, leaning a bit so he could see Bella, who had moved forward to see him as well. "Bye, sweetheart," he winked. "Be good." Stepping back to let my truck pass, he looked back at me. "Bye, Jasper, please be careful."
"See you in a few weeks, Edward." I shifted into drive and looked over at Bella."Ready?"
With a sad nod, she agreed and we pulled away. Glancing on my rearview mirror, I saw Edward waving in his jeans and sweatshirt waving. I sighed and stepped on the gas, Edward's form getting smaller as we continued down the road.
It seemed I was once again leaving my best friend behind.
"**~~**"
Four hours.
Four very fucking long hours had passed.
Four hours of clipped sentences and furrowed brows.
We had been making good time, and had just turned onto Interstate 82, heading toward Oregon. Checking the time on the dashboard clock, I glanced over at Bella. In jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, she sat with her legs curled up under her, her arms wrapped around her as she laid her head against her window. Rock music replaced the silence of our voices, but even the notes and lyrics of some of my favorite songs couldn't coax away the tension between us.
I already missed Edward's tranquil presence.
"Yakima is the next town of any size, you want to stop for something to eat?" I asked hopefully, my stomach reminding me we had left long before our usual breakfast time.
Shaking her head, she didn't say a word, but continued to stare out her window.
"Fine, you don't have to eat, but I'm starving so I'm going to stop. That okay with you?" I asked curtly.
"Of course."
I rolled my eyes and realized just how tight I had been holding the steering wheel, my knuckles turning white in the process. We had about twenty hours until we crossed the Texas border, even long until we hit Abilene, and then a fucking long four weeks ahead of us if she kept up this attitude.
Near Yakima, I pulled into what I suspected would be the far from last truck stop we would visit. Huge eighteen wheelers filled the lot, lining up for gas at the available pumps. Parking the truck near the entrance, I looked over at Bella.
"Want anything?"
"No, I'm good," she mumbled.
Clenching my jaw, I struggled to hold back the first remark that came to me, and instead, tried another approach.
"Bella, you have to eat. I promised Edward I would take care of you, and that includes making sure you eat."
Scowling, she finally looked at me. "Fine, muffin and a coffee."
Nodding, I got out of the truck, and checked the bedcover, making sure everything was secure before heading into the small dinner. On every stool in front of the counter sat a truck driver, talking and laughing with one another.
After taking advantage of the restrooms, I ordered our coffee and muffins and headed back out to Bella. With a grateful look she probably didn't mean for me to see, she took her food. As I pulled back out onto the highway, I sipped my coffee, letting the hot liquid sooth my frayed nerves.
"Mmmm," she mumbled against her cup, steam curling up around her lips. "This is good, thanks." I glanced over at her and she gave me a half smile. Approvingly, I nodded and returned my eyes to road, trying to suppress my own smile.
"Welcome."
Progress.
"**~~**"
Soft snores escaped her as she slept next to me. She had fallen asleep shortly after eating, the warmth of the coffee feeding her already drowsy state. Reaching over the space between us, I laid my leather jacket over her, and pushed her hair back off her face.
She was beautiful even in her sleep. Even when I couldn't hear her voice, or see the sparkle in her eyes, her soul still owned mine, she literally had the power to break me, no matter that I tried to convince myself otherwise.
While she slept, I began to plan our trip a bit more; we had set a basic outline up before leaving, but hadn't worked out the small details. The drive was going to take a little more than thirty hours, and while I could drive straight though, it was safer if we stopped for the night somewhere. I went over the major cities in my head and decided that stopping in Salt Lake would be about half way and allow us a good night's sleep. It would be too cold in Salt Lake to camp out, so we would have to use the credit card Doc C had gotten for us. After Edward had told him about the trip, Doc C added both Bella and I to his account, giving each of us a credit card for the trip. It was to be used for all our hotel and dining expenses, but anything else was to be paid for by us. The credit card would allow us to stay in a hotel when we needed to and eat well without having to worry about money, but Bella and I had to pay it off when we returned.
I remembered his words to me when he handed me my card.
"I gave each of you one in case anything happens to either of you; the other has one of their own so they can return home safely."
Talk about a fucking gloomy thought.
She stirred, shifting toward the middle of the seat, her seatbelt restricting her movements. Mumbling my name, she reached for me. Not taking my eyes off the road, I unclipped her seatbelt and she immediately slipped over the seat and curled herself into my side, laying her head on my shoulder.
My heart raced at her touch, at her wanting to be near me, even it if was only in her sleep. At least a small unconscious part of her still required my presence.
With my girl sleeping next to me, I drove down the highway, flying past trees and over mountains. Even with our strained relationship, I had never felt so lucky to have someone by my side.
Gently leaning forward, not wanting to disturb Bella, I tapped the screen on the GPS. Edward had bought it for us before we left, saying he trusted it far more than the sense of direction that neither Bella nor I had.
At first, I had refused the gift, informing him that good ole' Rand McNally was good enough for me.
"Listen, just take the dam thing, Jasper. I don't want you to spend three of your four weeks driving around lost. "
Sighing, I had resigned and went out to my truck to set it up.
"Pretty damn cool," I murmured as the GPS provided me with a list of restaurants in La Grande, Oregon. At the sound of my voice, Bella's eyes slowly opened.
"G'mornin', Sleeping Beauty," I chuckled. As she realized her close proximity to me, she immediately straightened and moved back to her side of the cab.
"Morning," she yawned, stretching her arms out above her."I'm sore."
"I'm not surprised, you've been asleep for a few hours. " I stifled a yawn myself. "Next time, no decaf for you."
Ignoring my teasing, she rubbed her eyes and glanced around our surroundings. Not that these pines trees were any different than the pine trees four hours ago. "Where are we?"
"We crossed into Oregon about two hours ago, and I was thinking about stopping at La Grande for lunch, then stopping in Salt Lake City for the night. If we leave early enough tomorrow, we should get to Texas by late afternoon."
"Whatever you want. This is your trip, Jasper. I am just along for the ride."
Bullshit.
"Are you?" I challenged, taking my eyes from the road to glance over at her.
I could tell she was thinking, she knit her brows and bit her bottom lip. "No.…" she finally answered quietly.
"Lunch in La Grande okay then?"
"Yep," she replied, resuming her prior position of staring out the window.
A fucking long four weeks, I repeated to myself.
About an hour later, we arrived in La Grande. After following the GPS directions, I pulled into the lot of the restaurant and parked the truck. Bella had done nothing but stare out the window until we had exited the highway, then she had begun to fix her clothes, and pull her hair back, twisting it into a knot of massive brown on her head.
Silently, we exited the truck, walked into the restaurant and were quickly seated at a booth by a window. Our waitress sauntered over, nonchalantly dropping plastic menus in front of us.
"Anything to drink?" she asked, not even looking at us as she pulled a pen out to write down our order.
She obviously loved her job.
"Just water, please," Bella replied, picking up her menu and studying it. The waitress wrote down Bella's order and then looked at me. She was taller and thinner than average, the orange polyester uniform doing nothing for her slim figure. While I guessed she was only in her early twenties, her soul looked much older. The way she held herself, the dropped shoulders, the messy hairdo, chapped hands and dead eyes all told me she had led a hard twenty years. The plastic nametag pinned to her breast claimed her name to be Jane.
"And for you, doll?" She smiled at me, her voice abruptly a bit more lively.
"Water too, please."
"You got it, doll," she winked before turning away.
"Well," Bella began, flipping through her menu."You've made a friend."
With my head down, I glanced up at her through the hair that had fallen in front of my eyes. Refusing to look at me, her head was also down, her teeth nibbling on her thumbnail; small pieces of her hair had already fallen from her clip. Even in a ratty sweatshirt, jeans, and not a drop of make-up on, she was breathtaking.
She was my world.
With a heavy sigh, she pushed her menu away and caught me staring when she finally looked at me. My breath hitched when I saw her eyes, deep and full and stormy. It had been so long since I had looked at her, really looked at her enough to see the turmoil she was in, to see the toll her stress was having on her. Not just on her body with the dark circles or shallow skin, but on her soul as well. In her eyes, I could see it aching, yearning for answers to questions she had been asked, or had yet to ask others. Had I been paying more attention, I would have seen the light had slowly faded from her, getting dimmer as months had passed by. Edward had seen it, he had warned me about it, encouraging me to talk to her, engage her.
Yet, I hadn't listened to him.
I had gone about my life in my own distorted way, ignoring one of my best friend's anguish.
Feeling I was beyond a fuck-up, sitting there in the vinyl booth across from my girl, vowed to return her sparkle to her eyes, life to her soul-no matter the cost to me.
Even if it meant tossing myself under the proverbial bus.
Straightening up, I returned her look. "This is going to be a fucking long trip," I mumbled under my breath, but knew damn well she heard me.
"I agree," she stated evenly.
"Listen," I leaned forward, proof of my determination to get our shit out in the open. "I don't know about you, but I don't want four weeks of barely speaking. So just tell me, what the fuck did I do, and how do I fix it?"
Ball was in her court now.
Not only was she ready to return my serve, she was going to nail me in the crotch with it. "What the fuck did you do?" she hissed. "Where should I start, Jasper? Hmm? When you almost punched Jake after Christmas? Or how about that you stayed at Emmett's every weekend Jake was over, never once making an attempt to be nice to the guy. Oh wait, perhaps it was the silent treatment you gave him when he was at our place for dinner, and when you weren't silent, you were sarcastic as hell." She took a deep breath, her voice growing quiet. "How about, it's that when I found someone, you pulled away. Just when I needed you most, you weren't there."
Unable to maintain eye contact, I looked down at the brown laminated table, studying the design with intensity as I silently prayed for a reply to come to me. Even though I had gone on the offensive, her reaction had caught me off guard. I had questioned her, demanding we discuss our problems, and yet, I wasn't prepared to answer hers in return.
"I couldn't be there…." I whispered in a moment of weakness.
"Here ya go," the waitress returned with our waters, placing the glasses in front of us. "Decide yet?"
Bella spoke up first, her voice not holding any of the harshness it had a few minutes ago. At least she was sparing the waitress her wrath. "I'll have the BLT with mayo and chips, please."
Silently, the waitress turned her attention to me. "And you?"
"Cheeseburger, medium well, and fries, please." I attempted to smile, but it was useless. The air surrounding me was suffocating me, forcing the air from my lungs as it pushed on my chest, stealing my breath.
"Got it, doll," she flirted before picking up our menus and walking away, swaying her hips along the way.
"You were saying?" Bella encouraged me to continue.
But I couldn't.
"I don't think this is an appropriate place to have this discussion," I countered, wimping out in the worst way.
"But it was fine a few minutes ago," she challenged, raising an eyebrow. I knew she was right, she knew she was right. When I didn't reply, she continued. "Fine. But this little talk was your idea…and it's going to happen sooner or later. "
Nodding, I exhaled a breath I had been holding. I knew I was far from off the hook, but at least I had a temporary stay of execution.
A few minutes later our food arrived, and we ate in silence. Once we were done, Bella went to the restroom while I went to the counter to pay. Taking the bill and my credit card from me, our waitress punched some keys in the register. After I signed the receipt, I was putting it into my wallet with my card when she handed me a paper napkin.
"Hey doll, when you're done with her, here's my number."
I glanced at the name and number. "Oh, um…she's not my girlfriend."
Jane snorted."Yeah, and I'm a millionaire, I just do this job because I'm such a people person." Apparently, my look was one of confusion, because she felt the need to clarify."Doll, there is no doubt in my mind that you got it bad for her. I'm not the type to be the 'other woman', been there done that. So, when you're done with her, come find me."
Just as she finished, her eyes lifted, and settled on something over my shoulder.
Bella had emerged from the restroom and was standing behind me. "Ready?" she growled. I shoved the napkin into my pocket, thanked Jane and turned to leave. Bella was already out the door and waiting by the truck.
Yep, it was going to be a very long four weeks.
"**~~**"
It was dusk when we pulled into a hotel just off the highway in Salt Lake City. We weren't picky, settling on the first one we saw off the exit. Carrying our bags inside, I went to the desk, with Bella close behind me.
"We'd like a room for tonight, please." I placed our small bags on the floor at my feet, and reached for my wallet.
"Name?"
"Whitlock. W-h-i-t-l-o-c-k. Jasper," I finished, handing him my credit card and license. Furiously clicking keys on his keyboard, he asked a few more questions before one I hadn't been expecting.
"One bed or two?" He finally glanced up at us, looking between myself and the pissed off brunette next to me. Before I could even comprehend the question, Bella stepped forward.
"One is good, thank you."
She looked up at me and shrugged. "It's cheaper, fucking deal with it, Jasper."
Turning back to the desk clerk, he had politely returned to his computer monitor and less than a minute later was handing us our keycard.
"Enjoy your stay, Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock."
Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock.
As Bella turned for the elevator, he gave me a sympathetic smile and whispered to me."Good luck."
"Thanks, I have a feeling I'm going to need it." Picking up our bags, I followed Bella to the elevator.
We arrived at our door, after arguing three times on the way there on which direction the room was in. At our door, I slid the keycard in the slot.
Fucking red light.
Again, slid the key in.
Again, red light.
"What the fuck!" I hissed, tempted to kick the door with my foot."What the fuck was wrong with the good old fashioned keys?"
Sighing, Bella reached over, grabbed the key, flipped it over and inserted it.
Green light.
"I can see why that confused you," she remarked, pointing the image of the proper card position on the door above the lock. Pushing the door open, she slipped by me and entered the room. "This is nice."
It had been the first positive thing she had said in hours.
The room might have been nice, but all I could focus on was the one rather large bed against the wall.
"Do you want to go out for dinner or get room service?" she asked, placing her bag on the dresser.
"Doesn't matter."
One bed.
There were really so many things that one bed said. It said, couple, together, commitment…and more importantly, it said sex.
Now I knew sex was not the reason Bella asked for one bed, certainly we didn't need a bed to have sex, but the idea of sleeping next to her all night made me uncomfortable.
In more than just in my jeans.
"Fine, room service then. I'm tired, I want to go to bed early." She pulled a few things out of her bag. "Can you order while I take a shower?"
I nodded and she gave me a questioning glance before going into the bathroom. Dumfounded, I stood in the middle of the room, staring at the bed while listening to water running, and her showering.
Naked.
Wet.
Soapy.
Adjusting myself, I groaned at the contact of my hand on my cock, even through my jeans, the friction felt so fucking good. There was no way I could sleep next to her all night. There was a reason I hadn't slept next to Bella in years, always using Edward as a buffer between us.
That reason was hardening at the very idea of her being naked and wet in the next room, there was no doubt it would be worse with her warm, soft body next to mine.
When the shower turned off, I realized I hadn't called in our order; I quickly grabbed the menu, swearing at the obscene prices, and ordered salads and burgers for us both. After hanging up, I sat on the edge of the bed, wondering how I was going to survive the night.
Even the cold shoulder she was giving me was not going to elevate the ache in my pants. After all, it wasn't her shoulder my cock was craving.
As the bathroom door opened, I encouraged my eyes to look anywhere but on her body. She walked around the bed to my side, her tank top clinging to her breasts, her shorts curving around her ass, and I caught her wet hair hanging down her back, drops of water racing down the ends before falling to the carpet.
Those tiny drips of water did nothing but feed my fantasy.
Getting up, I walked over to the chair by a small table, and sat down. It was a bit hard, and not the prettiest thing I had seen, but it was big enough for my tall frame with armrests that would serve me well.
I had found my bed for the night.
Fucking long four weeks.
"**~~**"
"I'm just saying you could have slept in the bed, Jasper. There was no need to be uncomfortable all night."
We were doing about seventy-five down the highway, having left Salt Lake City about three hours before, grabbing breakfast on our way out. After I had made the mistake of groaning as I had got up from the chair, my neck, shoulders and back stiff from the position I had slept in, Bella being Bella had argued with me for over an hour, listing a dozen reasons why I should have slept with her in the bed.
I hadn't been able to tell her that the throbbing in my pants was the only reason why I couldn't have slept in the bed. Instead, I had come up with various desperate excuses, even using her virtue as one, and finally I had resorted to Jake, and asking how would he feel about me and Bella in bed together.
She let it go after that.
Tilting my head to one side, then the next, to work out the kinks, I kept my eyes on the road but replied. "The chair was fine. Completely comfortable," I lied.
Snorting, she shuffled through her bag for something. "Yeah, okay. So the swearing as you limped to the shower the morning was you waking up completely comfortable?"
Conceding, I remained silent.
"When will we be in Texas?"
"According to the GPS, we should pass the border in about ten hours. Unless we stop."
"Drive-thus are good enough for me," she shrugged, adding. "The quicker, the better." Settling back into her seat with her cell phone in her hand, she began to type at a blinding pace.
Not being able to resist, I sneered, "Tell Jake I said hi."
She glared at me from under her hair that had blown out of her elastic. "If you must know, I'm texting Edward. Letting him know where we are and when we are expecting to be in Texas."
I had no choice but to apologize. "Sorry."
Was I ever going to learn to keep my fucking mouth closed?
"I'll tell Edward you said hi," she smirked at me before looking down at her phone. Just then it rang, and she answered. "Hello, sweetheart."
Forcing myself not to roll my eyes at the endearment, I glanced over at her, giving her a satisfying smirk of my own. My timing had been off, but I had been right. Blushing at my smugness, she turned her head toward the window a bit, her voice quiet as she answered his questions.
"Yes, everything's fine." Pause. "Yes, of course I've been eating." Pause. "About nine tonight. I know, I miss you too." Pause. "Yes, he's right here, driving." Then some giggling before the dreaded phrase. "I love you too."
The cut to my heart was deep, the shards that had it had broken into when I had found her and Edward together were still sharp, and as they shifted with those three little words, a new wound was formed in my heart, fresh and dripping with blood.
I had never heard her say it to anyone other than Edward or me, and those times had been limited to special occasions, or when something major had happened, like birthdays or graduation. Never just out of the blue, or at the end of conversations.
Hearing her say it, and more importantly mean it, to Jake was only more confirmation in why I needed to keep my feelings to myself, why I had to hide them deep within myself under a lock and key of flesh and bone. There was no way I could let them fester and mature into something that was beyond my control, and even as I knew that was what I had to do, I realized it was also a fucking impossible feat.
There would never be another love for me.
Never another that would fill me as she did, completing my days with her smiles, or breaking them with her whispered words.
In so many ways, my only choice was acceptance.
Acceptance of Jake.
Acceptance of nothing more than friendship between Bella and me.
Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't realized she had hung up, and was back to texting Edward. Once she was done, she turned and looked out her window, much as she had done since we had pulled out of our driveway.
The silence, as uncomfortable as the chair I had slept in the night before, embraced us, shrouding us in a chill. For the next few hours, we lived in the silence, neither of us attempting to remove the cloak we were under.
"Jake asked me to marry him."
Her voice was quiet, almost inaudible over the hum of the engine. Of course, the news did not come to as a shock to me, Edward having told me her secret before I had left, but hearing her admit it, those words passing so easily over the lips I had kissed only forced those shards to gouge me deeper.
"And?"
Sharply, she turned her to head to me, anger settling on her features. "And what?"
I was about to dive into the deep end…head first. Thy name be masochistic.
"And…what did you say?"
With a heavy sigh, she turned back to the window. "I told him I needed time."
"Time?" I repeated.
Again, she turned to me."Yes, time, Jasper. I told him I needed these four weeks to think about it, and I would come home with an answer."
Fuck the deep end, I was going to cliff dive.
"Bella," I began, my voice already heavy with the sarcasm. "If you are so in love with Jake, why not say yes immediately?" In my opinion, it was an honest question, and one I was both curious and petrified to hear the answer to.
"It has nothing to do with how much I love him, Jasper. It's not him that scares me, it's marriage."
"Marriage scares you?"
"Yeah, well my parents got married young and it didn't exactly work out so well for them. I don't want to make the same mistake." Resting her head against the window, she closed her eyes, her arms across her chest protectively.
It was a valid point, but an absurd one as well.
"You're not your parents, Bella," I reasoned with her, or at least I thought I was.
"Jesus, I know that," she spit back at me.
"If you love the guy…" I could feel the bile rise in my throat as I said the words.
"You just don't get it…."
"Get what?" I glanced at her, exasperated. "What do you want from me, Bella?"
Tell me. Tell me what you fucking need me to say. Help me make it right…please.
"Forget it, just…fuck off, Jasper," she whispered, turning toward the window, refusing to acknowledge my presence.
Sighing, I swear I could see my breath in the air.
The cold silence fell to below zero.
"**~~**"
Even though night had fallen, the Arizona heat was thick in the air. While it lacked the humidity we had both grown accustomed to, it was much warmer than even the hottest days in Washington. Our windows were down, both of us eager to absorb the dry warmth we had grown up in and missed so much. The wind swirled in the cab around us, blowing our hair and clothes. Bella was in a black tank top and cut off jean shorts, her bare legs folded up and little feet under her as she sat with one arm out the window, letting it ride the breeze. I could feel my tee shirt clinging to my sweaty back and briefly considered turning on the air conditioner, but Bella seemed to be enjoying the fresh air too much, not even bothering to tie her hair back, she let it swing around her head, creating a tornado of mahogany tresses. After tucking my own behind my ears a hundred times, I had given up on trying to keep it tame, and let my waves blow freely in the night wind.
Barely any words had passed between since she had told me about the proposal, and as I pulled into a truck stop of the highway for gas and some food I began to wonder if I should put Bella on a bus back to Seattle. We weren't going to last four weeks together, certainly not without one of us needing bail money at some point.
Taking in our surroundings, I noticed the trucks lined up in the lot, where most of the drivers parked to sleep, but the gas pumps were empty, and eerily dark, the normally overly bright lights dulled and blinking on and off. After pulling up to a pump, I put our windows up and grabbed my wallet from the glove box.
"I'm going to go pay for the gas, do you want anything?"
She shook her head. "I'm going to use the bathroom."
"Okay, I'll meet you back here," I instructed, handing her the keys.
We got out and as I walked to the small store, I watched Bella enter the bathroom. Inside, I wandered up and down a few isles, grabbing some stale donuts, and Bella's favorite snack, Sno-balls, before heading to the counter where there was a coffee, and poured two cups.
Two very caffeinated cups.
At the counter, I waited for the cashier to amble from the backroom. I picked up a small stuffed green cactus, complete with eyes and a mouth and pressed the 'try me' button. It started singing "I Can See Clearly Now", the irony not lost on me. Two people from rainy Seattle in dry Arizona who couldn't see past their own clouds to see the sun that beamed down on them. Smiling, I added it to my pile of goods just the clerk walked up to me.
"Fifty on pump five, please." Not even looking at me, the clerk, an older man about my father's age, handed me the change. "Thanks," I mumbled before turning to walk out the door. Balancing the coffee, I pushed the door open with my hips.
I looked over at my truck, and saw two men standing by the passenger door. Confused at first, I scanned the parking lot for Bella, hoping she was still in the bathroom.
One of the men stepped to the side.
And I saw her.
She was standing between them and the truck, her chin stuck out defiantly even as one of them held her upper arm in a tight grip that was surely going to leave bruises.
Both men were older, probably late twenties, and one was as tall as me but the other was a few inches shorter, his greasy hair pulled back at his neck. Dressed in jeans and tee shirts that had seen better days, their tattoos were clearly visible and not very friendly looking.
They must have not seen me get out of the truck, and assumed she was alone, because they both had their backs to me as I approached them from behind, my heart racing with each step I took. As I neared, I could begin to hear their conversation and I glanced around for more of them, needing to know what I my odds were.
"Come on, sexy, just one kiss for my friend, it's his birthday. Don't you want to give him a present?" His voice dripped with a sleaziness that sent a shiver up my spine. The slurring of his words told me he was shitfaced, but I was still outnumbered and his friend might not be as drunk.
"I said no, now LET ME GO!" Bella demanded, her voice not betraying the fear she must have felt as she tried to rip her arm from his firm grasp.
"Just one kiss, sweetie."
"Fuck off!" she yelled, her eyes wide as she saw me coming up behind the men.
My gambling man tendencies were about to get me into some serious shit, and it was probably going to hurt.
Even though I felt anything but, my voice sounded calm. "You heard her, let her go."
Jumping at the sound of my voice, they both turned to me but did not let go of Bella, still at her sides, flanking her. Unfortunately, they were bigger than I had first thought; the taller one had at least three inches and fifty pounds on me, his tee shirt tight around his protruding belly. I would have the advantage of speed, but not force. The smaller one was compact, his muscles flexing under his shirt.
He was going to be the challenge.
I was definitely fucked, the only question was how bad.
"You gonna stop us?" I was relieved to hear the same slur in the smaller man's speech, bettering my odds a bit.
"How cliché'," I retorted. As soon as the words left my mouth, the coffee I had been holding was knocked from my hands and went flying to the ground, along with the singing stuffed cactus I had bought for Bella.
"What the fuck do you care?" the tall one asked, his attention on Bella waning, as did his grip. My mind raced with my options, trying to decide on which one was going to get us both out of their safely, or at least with as little damage as possible.
Without taking my eyes off either of them, I spoke to Bella. "Get in the truck, and lock the doors." When she hesitated for a second, I firmly said, "Now!"
Taking advantage of their attention on me, she yanked her arm from the tall man's hold and moved quickly to the driver's side door. At first, the man went to move after her, but the short one stopped him with hand to his chest.
"No, let's take care of Dudley Do-right first. Then we can take our time with her."
"Fuck you," I growled, my hands clenching at my side.
Smirking, the short one turned to Bella inside the truck as she huddled against the driver's side door, her eyes wide and full of worry. "Don't go anywhere, sweetheart; we'll be with you in one minute."
Oddly, I hoped I would last more than a minute. Or at least long enough for Bella to start the truck and drive off.
"With a tight little body like that, I'm sure she will be worth the wait," he said turning to me.
My left fist connected with his jaw, and the burst of pain that radiated through my hand was immediate. As his face whipped around to the side, his friend's drunken delayed reaction allowed me to land a hit to his jaw as well. As the short one recovered from my hit faster than I expected, I quickly drew my fist back and landed another punch to his nose, hearing a satisfying snap.
That was the last contact I made before the taller one's arms grabbed mine from behind, securing my back to his chest as I struggled against him, he was definitely using his weight advantage. He reeked of sweat and alcohol. While I should have been concentrating on my options, on getting the fuck out of there, all I could think of was Bella.
Was she safe?
Was she hurt?
Was she scared?
I caught her moving in the cab, closer to the passenger door, and I knew exactly what she was going to try to do.
"Stay inside!" I yelled at her, my anger, and some fucking fear, present in my voice. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at me with frightful eyes through the window.
Her mouthing my name was the last thing I saw clearly before it was blurred by the short man's fist slamming into my right eye socket. Letting his partner absorb some of the impact as I stumbled back a step, I forced my muscles to tighten as I saw Shorty's arm pull back, readying to land on my body again.
Only it wasn't my face this time.
The air was forced from my body as his fist sank into my stomach, even prepared for the hit, it hurt like a son of bitch, my flesh immediately bruising and swelling. His next few, with more force behind them, landed higher, near my ribs.
By then I could hear Bella screaming my name, her fists banging on the window, doing everything she could to distract my assailants.
I wasn't a religious man, but as another punch landed on my face, I prayed.
Not for me, but for Bella.
Abruptly, the hitting stopped.
Perhaps my prayers had been answered.
My head hung a bit, and I could taste metallic in my mouth as blood from my cheek ran down over my lips. I wanted to kick his ass, but my body was screaming for relief, a reprieve from the repeated hits.
"What kind of fucking faggot name is Jasper?" Shorty laughed, looking up and down my battered body. Glancing over my shoulder to his taller friend, he spoke again. "What do you say, Demetri, you want to fuck him when we're done with her?" he finished, nodding toward Bella.
Picking my head up at mention of Bella, my resolve grew, I didn't give a fuck what they did to me, but there was no way I would let them lay a hand on my girl, they would have to kill me first. Relief spread through me when I saw Bella still safe in the cab, her cell phone up her ear and her lips moving as she spoke to someone.
"Let him go, you fuckers," she screamed at them, once again her small hands beating the window.
"Aw, ain't their love sweet," Demetri chuckled.
"Fuck you," I spat, blood spraying in tiny droplets from my mouth. Bending forward a bit, I tried to gather some momentum to slam my head back into Demetri's face. My movement threw him off balance enough that I felt his hold on me lighten. Before he realized what he had done, I twisted free, turned and drove my open palm upward into his nose. Dazed, he stumbled back a few steps, his hands going to cover his face. Knowing Shorty was finally catching up to what had happened; I spun around, ready to face him, my hands fisted in front of my chest.
"Hey!"
Shorty's attention was drawn to the voice over my shoulder as the clerk was slowly running up behind us waving a cordless phone.
"Hey," he repeated breathlessly. "The police are on their way." Stopping a safe distance away, he put his hands on his knees, gasping for air.
He wasn't going to be much help to me physically, but his words worked wonders as Shorty and Demetri ran off, swaying side to side as they bumped into each other on the way to their truck. As soon as they had run past me, my hands were on the passenger door, whipping it open and pulling Bella into my arms.
"Oh my God, oh my God," she keep repeating over and over again, clutching me to her, her arms around my waist.
Pulling back, I examined her face quickly and without taking my hands off her, I turned to the clerk. "Are the police coming?"
"No, but do you want me to call them?"
I let Bella go. "Get in the truck, baby." Walking a few steps, I bent over and picked the singing cactus up off the ground, brushing the dirt off it. "No, we're fine," I told the clerk, giving him a grimaced smile, my lip hurting too much for more than that.
"You sure?" he asked, walking back toward his store. Nodding over the bed of the truck, I waved to him and then climbed into the cab.
Bella was immediately in my arms, her face buried in my neck as she sobbed, her entire body shaking. Hissing as my cheek lay against her head, I held her tightly.
"Ssshhh, it's over, it's over...." I whispered to her again and again, trying to calm myself even as the adrenaline soured through my system. She pulled back, her eyes scanning my face before her soft fingertips tentatively grazed over my swollen eye and bloodied lip.
"Oh, Jasper…." she sighed.
"I'm okay." I said confidently, hoping she believed my lie. Her hands took mine and she held them to her face, looking over the torn knuckles before kissing them. "I'm okay."
Pulling her arm closer to my face, I looked over her bruises. "Fucking assholes," I mumbled as my fingers traced the marks Demetri's hand had left behind.
"It's nothing, Jasper. I'm fine."
"That was too fucking close, Bella," I whispered, my voice somber in light of the events. "I don't know…" I forced my eyes from her arm to her face. "I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you."
This time, she took me into her arms, placing my head on her shoulder, her fingers lightly caressed my hair. She comforted me, telling me it was okay, convincing me that she was safe, that we were safe. Taking a deep breath, I sat up and gave her a grateful look.
Giving me a small smile, she reached for the hem of my tee shirt, pulling it up to my chest, exposing the yellow, black and blue bruises scattered all over my abdomen.
"Jesus," she murmured, letting my shirt fall back down as the tears started down her face again. Taking her face in my hands, my thumbs skimming over her cheeks, I forced her to look up at me.
Pain tore through every muscle, those that hadn't been hit were sore from the rush of the fight. My vision in my left eye was blurry due to the thick and heavy lid around it; my bottom lip was fat and split, some dried blood already caking on the corner. It hurt to breath, talk, and move, but none of it mattered.
The pain, the blood, bruises…none of mattered.
What did matter was that Bella was okay.
She was safe and sound.
The relief of having her in my arms overwhelmed me and I felt my cheeks sting from the salt as the tears passed over my cuts.
Silence surrounded us, encircling us in its hold once again, only this time we welcomed it, encouraged it as we held each other's faces, watching as our release from the fear fell down our faces. Our tears granting us the absolution we had both been seeking. The anger, the resentment and the frustration from the past few days, fuck, the past six months, washed away with each tear down our cheeks, each drop carrying away the burden of our friendship, leaving behind a new foundation on which to rebuild our bond.
Feeling the same forgiveness I did, she smiled up at me. "I'm sorry, Jasper"
I wanted to return her smile, the first honest smile meant for me in weeks, possibly months, but the ache would not allow it.
"Me too," I uttered quietly. "Come on, let's go." I expected her to move back to her side, but she clung to me, her head on my shoulder as I started the truck. Remembering her present, I fumbled between us on the seats and grabbed the singing cactus. "This is for you," I mumbled, sounding like there were marbles in my mouth.
As she took the cactus from me, her fingers rubbing the plush, you would have thought I had given the Hope diamond.
"Press it," I instructed, pointing to the sticker. Grinning, she did as I asked and the cactus's song filled the cab.
I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is the rainbow I've been prayin' for
It's gonna be a bright, bright
Sun-shiny day.
As I shifted the truck into drive, Bella placed a kiss on my uninjured cheek.
"Thank you," she sighed, pressing the button again as we pulled back out on to the highway.
All the bad feelings had disappeared.
We could see clearly now.
"**~~**"
Thanks for reading!
So, they are starting to clear the air, but they still have a lot of shit to deal with. Oh, and last scene go okay? *nervous*
360+ reviews? Really…I never expected 36, much less 360…thank you to each and every one of you! Also a huge, huge thank you to everyone that read and voted for Mergers and Acquisitions, as it came in second place in the Slash/Backslash contest, out of 60+ entries. I was shocked, speechless and excited. We have already begun the next chapter of Mergerward and Escortsper.
I'm thrilled to announce that Dannie and I have partnered up to host a contest called Devirginizing Edward. Details can be found here http :// www . fanfiction . net/u/2180161/Devirginizing_Edward (remove spaces). So, get busy writing Edward gettin' busy for his first time!
