Chapter Twenty Six

Bella

We drove on for three more hours before he slowed as if looking for a turn off half remembered. Suddenly he spun the wheel and we turned into a cart track of sorts, the suspension crashing down onto some of the higher ruts. My teeth crashed together and I bit my lip. As I put my hand up and pulled it away seeing blood I heard a hiss from Jasper and looked at him in the mirror.

He was watching me and his eyes were black and wild-looking then he swallowed and laughed,

"Don't worry Bella. I didn't go through all that just to attack you myself but please try to stop the bleeding and throw any tissues out the window as we go."

I nodded and did as he'd instructed. Luckily it didn't bleed for long and I soon got rid of the tissues I'd used to wipe away the enticing smell. When I looked at him again his eyes were slowly returning to their golden color and he smiled reassuringly

"Its OK Bella. We'll be stopping soon."

I looked round me, we were still on the track which was overhung by trees covered in lichen, leaves brushing against the cars sides as it forced its way through the fast narrowing opening.

"Are you sure we can get through?"

"Yes. It opens out just ahead. We might scrape the sides of the car but we'll make it."

He was right of course. The track opened out into a circular driveway which curved around the front of an old and semi derelict house, or villa I guess you'd call it. The sun shone on the front of the villa making the few windows that still had their glass sparkle. I saw birds and rabbits grazing in the long grass that reached almost to the lower window ledges of the house. He pulled up at the foot of the cracked tile steps and turned off the engine and we sat in the sun and silence neither of us wanting to break the spell.

Jasper

I'd watched Bella in the mirror after she said those words, she felt safe with me? That was good but the words resonated deep within me and set off a warmth that was spreading slowly through my frozen body. A feeling I wasn't sure I should feel with her but one I couldn't help. The peace enveloped us as I turned the engine off only the quiet tinkling of it cooling breaking the complete silence. I turned to look at Bella,

"Are you OK?"

She nodded smiling,

"Is this where we're staying?"

She gestured to the villa

"Yes. I remembered it from many years ago and I was praying it would still be empty."

"Its beautiful."

She opened the car door and stepped out, forgetting her damaged ankle and fell heavily with a pained cry. I was beside her, helping her up in a second.

"Its OK I sprained my ankle trying to slow them down at the airport, it worked but not quite how I had envisaged."

"You held them up?"

"Yes. I needed to give you or Peter chance to catch up or get ahead of us so I messed about as much as I could"

Now I knew how I'd got ahead of them.

"Well done Bella. It worked."

"Yes thank goodness. Do you think I could find somewhere to sit with my ankle up and some cold water for a compress only it's really throbbing now."

I picked her up and carried her into the villa through the half-open door. Inside there were a few sticks of furniture that were slowly moldering and I placed her gently on a chair that was still largely intact.

"That feels better."

I knelt down and lifted her foot gently onto my knee wrapping my cold hands around the swollen ankle and she hissed,

"Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

"No it feels better with your hands there."

I felt her blush without looking up and heard her heart beating faster than it should.

"Are you nervous Bella alone here with me? I'm sorry about earlier but I wouldn't have hurt you. I don't think I could hurt you Bella. I have to thank you for saving me from Jane."

I wasn't sure that throwing myself in the way would work but I couldn't think what else to do."

I laughed,

"Throwing yourself in the way didn't help."

"Then how come you were able to get me away?"

"You shielded me, the way you shield yourself and shielded your mother over the years."

She went very quiet then, something had just occurred to her and she closed her eyes, going an even deeper red.

Bella

When I heard Jasper's words they didn't sink in at first. I'd saved him using my shield? I didn't even know how to use it for heaven's sake! Then the words I'd been told came back to me,

"You shield those you love."

What did that mean to Jasper and I? Was I in love with him? I couldn't be surely? He didn't love me I was a job and one he'd handed on to someone else. Questions spun round in my head and I closed my eyes, unable to look into hie beautiful ones any longer.

"Jasper, how did the Volturi know where I was? Did I make a mistake?"

"No we did Bella. We put you at risk."

"How?"

"We assumed Alice was a victim when in fact she was a sleeper."

"What's a sleeper? Are you telling me Alice Cullen gave me away?"

"I'm afraid so. Aro must have got to her before we did and offered her something if she'd wait for you to turn up and hand you over., We failed you Bella and I'm so very sorry about that. I hope that by getting you away from them today I have repaid at least a little of the debt we now owe you."

I laughed and he looked resigned, he thought it was scorn, nothing could be farther from the truth.

"I owe you thanks for saving me. You see I knew you'd come. Not thought you might, I knew you would, even after all I've said to you and done you were still there for me. That makes me feel very small."

"Don't Bella, I asked for everything you said, over the years we'd become complacent and forgotten we were playing with real people, real lives. We started to act as if you were a toy to be handed round. I should be thanking you for waking us up. I apologize for hurting you in that way. I just hope my gift helped to make up for what I said. I had hoped you might use it to contact me but I guess I deserved your silence."

"Gift?"

"Yes. The one I gave you as I left."

I thought about that,

"Oh, its in my closet. I never even opened it. I'm sorry Jasper. That sounds ungrateful."

"So you never opened the box?"

"No, what's in it?"

He shook his head,

"It doesn't matter"

And he smiled that smile that made my body feel like liquid and melted my heart, God perhaps I was in love with him after all.