It's not like you didn't know that
I said I love you and I swear I still do
And it must have been so bad
Cause living with me must have damn near killed you
And this is how you remind me
Of what I really am
This is how you remind me
Of what I really am
How You Remind Me - Nickelback
Jasper
Bella and I returned to her empty house three days after the text from Edward. I tried my hardest to not think of the things he'd said, but each time I saw her phone, I was expecting the next text message or call to be from him. When Bella's phone rang, I was right up under her, and I think she started realizing it. I didn't mean to do it, but I constantly caught myself getting into her business.
It's not that I didn't trust her.
I didn't trust him.
Days went by, and not a single text or call came from Cullen. I eased up on the nosiness, and I felt like everything was finally getting back to normal.
Bella
I honestly felt like a prisoner in my own house. When my phone went off, Jasper always had to know who it was. When I would reach for my phone to call someone, he would ask who I was calling. After about a week of it, I'd finally had enough of the questions and enough of the non–trust issue and opted to stop answering the phone. I didn't even bother to call Alice.
By the second week, I'd had enough.
"Okay, I get that he doesn't trust Edward, but what have I done that was so bad that he couldn't trust me? I'm trying so hard to make him understand that I love him, but this is becoming too much. If I wanted someone standing over me twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, I would have stayed married to Edward."
Alice and Rosalie both tapped their beer bottle with their fingers.
"To be honest, Bella, and this is just me being a great friend, you kind of have done some things to make Jasper not trust you. You just haven't gotten caught yet," Alice said, staring at me.
I looked at her and thought about it for a minute. She was right. The time I snuck off with Edward to Port Angeles and didn't tell Jasper. I felt as small as the straw on the table.
"Do you think I should tell him about that?" I asked. Rosalie shook her head. "No. I don't think it would be a good idea. I don't think it'll come up in conversation."
"Are you suggesting she lies?" Alice asked. "That's the last thing she needs to do. She needs to be open and honest with Jasper. He'll be okay with her honesty."
I stared off into space as the two of them debated over my honesty. By the time the bill was paid and I was drunker than a skunk that fell into a vat of bourbon, it was settled that I would tell Jasper the truth about the trip to Port Angeles.
Rosalie dropped me off at my house later that night. As I stumbled up the steps to my house, I put the key into the door, and before I could open it, Jasper swung the door open.
"Are you okay?" he asked as I grabbed the door frame to steady myself.
"I'm fine. How are you," I said, giggling.
"You're drunk. Get in here before you hurt yourself."
Jasper led me to the couch as I tripped over everything in the house. I plopped down and put a pillow over my face.
"What on Earth were you up to?"
"Alice, Rosalie and I had a little too much to drink tonight… I think?" I said, giggling again.
Jasper
"Well I think you need to sober up a little bit." I stood to grab a bottle of water for Bella.
"And I think you need to quit worrying so much about me," she said, taking the bottle from me.
Bella sat up, stared at the fireplace for a moment and said, "Would you forgive me if I said I lied about something unimportant?"
I sat up with her. "What do you consider unimportant?"
She took a sip of her water and stared at me for a moment. "Do you remember the night I gave you the tickets to L.A.?" I nodded.
"Well, remember how I said it was Alice who took me to Port Angeles?"
I nodded again.
"It wasn't Alice. It was Edward."
I felt my body heat up. I sat for a moment, letting the new found information soak into my brain. At first, I thought I would hit the roof. I tried to not lose it, but it was too late.
"What the fuck do you mean it was Edward? Are you losing your fucking mind letting him take you anywhere?" I yelled.
"Jasper, it was innocent; I swear. He just got me out of the house for a while."
"Innocent, huh? How about all those times I sat here beside you begging you to get up, wash your hair and let me take you somewhere? Anywhere but this place? You wouldn't budge." I ran my fingers through my hair and stared at her. She just sat there, not saying a word.
"This hurts Bella. He was able to get you up off this couch and into the real world again. Do you know how that makes me feel?"
She looked up at me. "Do you think I expected him to do that?"
I didn't even know what that meant.
"No, I expected you to let me help you… to take care of you. But instead, you let him do it. I'm just… I don't even have words right now, Bella." I walked to the door, grabbed my coat, my keys and left, slamming the door behind me.
Bella
"Alice, I need you…" I sobbed at the other end of the line.
"Did you tell him?" she asked.
"I did, and he's very angry at me Alice. I… I don't know what to do."
"I'm not in any shape to drive. Aro will be home in an hour. I'll be over as soon as I can." She hung up with me, and I stood on my porch, looking for any sign of Jasper.
An hour turned into two, and the fact that Alice hadn't come yet made me worry. I dialed her number again. This time, Aro answered.
"Bella, hi." He said at the other end.
"Hi Aro," I sniffled out. "Is Alice around?"
He giggled, "Actually, Alice is passed out on the couch. Are you okay?" he asked.
Great. She fell asleep. "I'm okay," I lied. "Tell her to call me tomorrow when she wakes up."
"I will," Aro said. He hung up with me, and I stared off into the night sky. As I rolled over my contact list, Edward's name showed up.
I placed my finger down and hit send.
Edward
"I'll be there shortly… I'll park at the end of the street. Yeah, I know; we need to talk…"
A/N: Please, for the love of the God almighty above don't be angry with me for no updates. Good news? I got fired on Friday so you'll have tons more updates... bad news... I don't have a job… oh well. I'd rather write anyway ;)
Thanks to my bad ass beta CereuleanBlue for always turning my piles of shit into gold. Flove you hard lady. To my Team Fire & Ice h00rs, you are the best.