Chapter Thirteen

Bella

When the hot meal arrived I fell on it ravenous and only slowed down when I heard Jasper chuckle,

"You look like a newborn with its first kill"

I finished my mouthful and looked over at him,

"Sorry, its been a long time since I had a meal. I was too scared to eat."

"I understand. I didn't mean to embarrass you"

"You didn't but I'm going to embarrass you when I finish eating."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't speak so I finished my meal and while he wheeled the trolley out I dashed into the bathroom to clean my teeth and get changed. When I came back out he was sitting in the chair reading and I recognised the book,

"My copy of Wuthering Heights"

"Yes its the only thing I had of yours when I thought you were dead."

"You wanted something of mine? Why?"

"Because I love you, because you are all I'll ever have and you were gone"

"How did you know that Jasper? I really don't understand this mate concept properly., except to know that I was never Edwards."

"In humans you fall in love over and over, with boyfriends who then leave and it happens all over again until you both love each other enough to stay together. But you work at it all the time to reinforce it. Sometimes one of you loves more than the other and you get a broken heart, but usually you move on and find someone else. Its different with us, we have a mate, just the one and sometimes its years, decades, even centuries before we find our mate but once we do it's an all time thing. Your mate completes you. If we were humans I would say I need you in order to breathe, to keep my heart pumping, to give me a reason to go on. If a mate is killed the other partner finds a way to end their own existence. Its one of our laws, that you never separate mates because the consequences are so dire. So you see, I wouldn't have outlived you by long. The pain builds up to such a pitch that you can't bear it any longer."

"Were you in pain?"

"Yes."

It was such a short and simple word yet he imbued it with such meaning that it made me feel humble.

"If that's the case then you offering to leave me would mean the end for you."

"No, I would just stay out of sight but close enough to make the pain bearable and hope"

"Hope? Oh that I would change my mind."

"That's all I'd have left Bella, hope."

"That makes me feel a real bitch for what I'm going to ask you now. I'm so tired I have to sleep, would you stay with me?"

"Of course I'm not going anywhere."

"No, I mean with me. Hold me so I feel safe"

His smile was dazzling,

"How could I refuse you?"

I got into bed pulling the covers up to protect me from his cold body and he sat beside me with the book and put an arm around me, pulling me in close and then unexpectedly he kissed the top of my head.

"I'm sorry Bella I just couldn't resist that but I promise to behave now"

I closed my eyes smiling and was asleep within minutes.

Jasper

This night was the best I'd ever spent, just laying here with my mate in my arms, it was a night I would never forget as long as I survived and I promised the sleeping Bella that I would protect her as long as I had strength to move. She was so beautiful, so delicate and so trusting. She was right to think I would never hurt her but even so, it took trust to sleep in a vampire's arms especially when she had already been hurt by another, well more than one in Bella's case. I wondered what Peter would make of her and more importantly what she would make of him. I hoped they would get on because he was my only real friend and it hadn't been easy with Alice, she hadn't liked him, too crude for her. I thought about Alice, I had loved her and I think she had loved me but it hadn't been a mating love and I didn't know that, after all I had nothing to measure it against. I guess Alice had known but she had been happy to live with me all these years before moving aside when she saw my real mate come along. I wondered if she would ever find her own? I put the book down and closed my eyes allowing my senses to take in Bella's scent, the feel of her close to me and I lay my cheek against her hair, feeling so silky. Vampires didn't sleep but I came close tonight, very close.

Bella

As I woke up I felt cold stone arms around me and cuddled closer, had Edward finally come to me? Then I remembered what had happened and sat up with a startled gasp. Jasper let his arms drop but he didn't move away. I looked into his face and smiled a little red-faced,

"Sorry Jasper. I forgot"

"I'm not, I just spent the most relaxing and sweet night of my life holding a beautiful woman in my arms while she slept"

"Well I'll give you the sleep but that's as far as I go agreeing with you and I really need a few human minutes."

He groaned as I went through to the bathroom and shut the door. Had he really said beautiful? Did vampires ever have eye trouble? I think maybe I'd found the first one. I repaired the ravages of the night and came out to grab some clothes. Jasper was sitting in the chair with my book but he wasn't reading it, just holding it close to his chest and he looked embarrassed that I'd caught him doing it.

"Would you like me to order you some breakfast or will you wait until we get on the road?"

"I'll wait, it will be great to get out of here. I need to see the sky and smell fresh air. Where's your car?"

"In the car park, we can get to it without being seen"

"Is that important?

"I like to be careful. It will be easier once we get away from Denver but I'd like to get moving if you're ready."

"Give me five minutes"

He nodded and I ran back into the bathroom to dress. It occurred to me that the room needed paying for but when I asked Jasper he shook his head,

"Alice has already sorted all that out. You ready?"

We went down the stairs to the car park and Jasper insisted I keep out of sight until we got well away from the hotel. I couldn't help giggling as I lay across the back seats and I saw him looking at me in the mirror,

"Sorry it's so crazy hiding in the back of a car like an action movie"

"If it keeps you safe I'm happy."

I believed him, I knew somehow that my safety was the only thing that interested him. How had I been so lucky at last? We drove for an hour before he stopped on a deserted road so I could join him in the front seat.

"I'll stop once we get out of Colorado, I'd rather you weren't seen here, just in case there are any photo's of victims in the newspapers."

"Is that likely now?"

"I don't know but I'm not taking any chances with your safety Bella"

He took my hand in his and brought it to his lips kissing it gently then he put it back down and glanced at me,

"I'm sorry Bella I shouldn't have done that but it just seemed so natural. Forgive me"

The fact it had been so natural made it so much more powerful to me. This man sitting beside me was in love with me and from my reaction to him I thought it was probably reciprocated. While I worked things out I wouldn't encourage him but neither would I discourage him. I just smiled and he drove on.