True Love Way

Chapter 4

Bella didn't mention moving to Phoenix again, but she did spend the holidays there. I almost didn't expect her to return. Rose spent a lot of time with Emmett, leaving me with a sullen Jasper. He urged me to keep his mind occupied, and off of Bella. The problem was, the more time I spent with him, the more I thought of her, and that didn't seem right. Each night, I berated myself for thinking of my brother's girlfriend so much. Sure, we were friends too, but if I was completely honest, I cared for her more than anyone I'd ever known outside of family. It wasn't right.

The jealousy I felt upon her return wasn't right either. Jasper never took his hands off her, and I felt a surge of anger every time she was in his bedroom. Thankfully, I hadn't heard any of the telltale sounds emitting from the room like I had when Jasper used to entertain Maria in there. I knew it was inevitable – they'd been dating for over a year – but it wasn't something I felt I could deal with in any way.

Aro had stopped bringing up medication during our sessions, but I knew I hadn't heard the last of it. He sensed a new anger in me, but I managed to avoid confessing the true reason behind it. No one could know my true feelings. It wouldn't help me any to admit it, and it would hurt those involved. No good could come of it. I ended up telling him I was anxious over the end of high school approaching. Rosalie and Jasper were submitting applications to several universities, and I hadn't even thought about what I'd be doing. When I returned home from one session, I found Rosalie in the kitchen with Emmett. They were working on another submission for her.

"Hey! Mom left dough and toppings for us to make our own pizzas. You hungry?"

I grabbed an apple and a can of Diet Coke, shaking my head. "Not really. I'll throw something together later on."

As I headed for the stairs, I heard Emmett call out. "You should probably make some noise going up the stairs. Bella's up there with Jazz."

"Thanks," I grumbled and proceeded to stomp up each step, pounding out my anger with each one. Anger surged, directed at my father for being at work so much and my mother for going out at this particular time. They had to be aware that their son was sexually active – how could they leave him unattended with Bella? She was underage. She'd never dated anyone before Jasper. Was I the only one who felt protective of her?

I could hear Bella's soft laugh when I reached my room. Jasper's door was closed. I slammed mine behind me and put on my headphones to drown out any other noises I may hear. I fired up my laptop, and glanced at the snack my mother had left for me with a note:

'Hi honey! Hope things went well with Aro. I know you don't have much of an appetite after your sessions, but I knew you'd like this. Please eat. Love you, Mom'

It was beside a plate of apple-coffee cake. I looked at it and then down at my flabby gut before shoving the plate aside. That wouldn't help. I cranked up the music and pounded away on the keyboard, letting words fill my head that had nothing to do with Bella possibly kissing my brother across the hall. Page after page of words that had nothing to do with Jasper possibly having his hands on Bella's private bits poured out. Absent-mindedly, I reached for a slice of the cake. It was remarkably good – as usual. I finished it off and had half of the second slice on route to my mouth when I felt something on my shoulder. The cake dropped, and I bit my cheek. Hard.

"Jesus!" I swung around in my chair, heart pounding. "You scared the shit out of me!"

Bella stood before me, wide-eyed and pale. "I'm sorry! I… I knocked! I swear I did. You mustn't have heard me –"

"Headphones." I grimaced as I tugged them out.

"You sounded upset when you came home, and then you didn't respond when I knocked. I was worried about you. I'm sorry."

My heart was beginning to settle, but I was still breathing rapidly. Bella was too. Her perfectly rounded breasts were heaving in and out right in front of me. That did nothing to calm myself down. I stood abruptly, brushing the cake crumbs from the front of myself and tossing the fallen chunk into the trash can by my desk.

"I over-reacted," I mumbled. "Sorry. I'm fine."

Bella grinned at me and wiped at a crumb at the side of my mouth. "You were really engrossed. What are you working on?"

I sidestepped in front of my laptop. Being caught by surprise, I hadn't shut down the window. "Uh… it's nothing…"

"Therapy stuff?"

I shook my head, my eyes silently pleading with her to let it go.

"I've always wondered what you do in here all by yourself. Are you writing?"

I exhaled, calming my nerves. She wasn't going to drop this. "Yeah. I write sometimes."

Her entire face lit up. "Yeah? Can I read it?"

I began to shake my head. Why did her face have to look so beautiful when she was all excited about something? "It's really not very good."

"What is it? You'd never believe the kind of stuff I read." She was chuckling, tilting her head to the side and looking amazingly adorable.

I wet my lips. They were suddenly as dry as the remaining cake crumbs on my shirt front. "It's just sci-fi stuff… fiction."

"Cool! I love sci-fi! Can I read it when you're done? Please? I'll give you honest feedback. You know I always give it to you straight."

"Bella, you really won't be interested in this. I promise."

Her grin grew. "Is it pornographic?" she asked teasingly. "It is, isn't it!"

"No! It's…" I huffed in frustration, looking towards the door. Jasper was nowhere in sight. I lowered my voice. "I write fan fiction, okay? I know, I know. It's really stupid. Dorky. Just please… please don't say anything to Jazz. He would never let me live it down."

"I won't say a word," Bella vowed. "What fandom?"

I raised an eyebrow at her.

"I read… sometimes. Maybe I've already read your stuff."

"You… read fanfic," I stated, rather than asked. "I don't believe you."

"Would I lie to you?" Her lashes flicked as she challenged me with her piercing, dark eyes. "What fandom?"

"Star Wars," I admitted in a whisper. "I just got into some Harry Potter, too. And Dawson' s Creek. Don't judge. Rose got me hooked on it."

Bella moved in, gazing up at me with interest. "Who do you pair Joey up with? Dawson or Pacey?"

"Dawson!" I exclaimed. "They're perfect for each other. They're already best friends. He knows everything about her and there's no self-consciousness. It's not just a physical thing, or lust. They love each other. They are meant to be together."

She looked at me thoughtfully and then turned to leave. "I think it's cool… that you write. Oh, and Rose said to tell you pizza's ready."

"You never told me who you think Joey should be with," I called after her.

"Dawson," she called back. "All the way."

~ 0 ~

"Edward!"

I heard my name being shouted out in the hallway after school and smiled, recognizing the voice. I opened my locker as I looked her way. "Need a ride?"

"Um, yeah, that would be awesome! Wait for me? I just have to grab a book from my locker."

I finished up and hurried around the corner to meet Bella. She was already rushing back to mine, and we slammed into each other. I gripped her by the shoulders so she wouldn't topple over. I was a hell of a lot larger than she was.

"You okay?"

"Yeah! Yeah, let's just go." She looped her arm through mine and trotted towards the exit. "Quick! I don't want Jasper to see us."

The guilt thing slammed me down. I frequently gave my brother's girlfriend a drive home when he was busy, but we'd never evaded him before. It felt wrong. I shouldn't be spending time with Bella without him knowing. My brother would never do that to me.

"Edward!" Bella used a coaxing voice and tugged on me when I slowed down. "Come on! I need to talk to you, and I don't want Jazz to know about it."

Inside I was hesitant, but her pleading eyes coerced me straight to the parking lot and into my car. I cranked up the heat, rubbing my hands together. I could feel a cold coming on. February was always a nasty month for me. The familiar tickle in the back of my throat told me I was in for it. Sniffling, I backed out of my spot and headed for the Swan house.

"Thanks for coming along, no questions asked. I really need your help."

Her grandmother came to mind instantly. Was she going to ask me to tell Jasper that she was leaving? Could I do that without losing it myself? For Bella, I would.

"So, Valentine's is in three days, and I don't have anything for Jasper."

I let out a laugh. Bella frowned at me. "Seriously? That's what this is about? I thought you had a major problem."

"I do! Please be serious, Edward. Do you know what he got me?"

I shook my head. "Nope. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

She growled at me. "This is so fucked up. Everything is so geared towards women, it's easy for you guys to pick something great. I have no idea what to get Jazz."

I shrugged. "You don't have to get him anything, Bella. Guys aren't really into the whole mushy part of it."

"I can't accept a gift and have nothing to give in return. Can you tell him to not get me anything?"

"Absolutely not!" I chuckled. "First of all, you deserve to be treated nicely on Valentine's. Secondly, I know he's already planned something, I just don't know what. I'm not telling him to go cheap on you."

"It's not being cheap, it's saving my life!" she insisted with the melodrama I'd seen other girls at school use frequently. "Okay, if you won't do that, can you at least give me an idea of what to get him? I don't think he's the cute little stuffed animal sort of guy."

I snorted in response.

"You're not being very helpful."

"Well, the last time I bought a guy a Valentine's gift was… never."

Bella's laugh filled the car. "Okay, what would you like from your girl?"

My girl, that's a laugh. "A heartbeat?"

"Edward! Stop!" She slapped my arm but still giggled. "Seriously. I really need help."

"Okay… what I would most want is time. That's it. Just being together on a day for couples would be what I'd want. I'd want to show the girl how much I care about her, and if she's there with me… well, that must mean that she cares too. I'd just want to be with my girl." I'd want to be with you, Bella.

She remained silent. I figured I must have sounded pretty stupid and inexperienced – pathetic, and desperate. I pulled into her driveway and stopped, not daring to look at her.

"You're the sweetest guy I've ever known," she said in a whisper.

I still didn't risk looking at her. My emotions were battling it out inside of me. What I wouldn't give to spend Valentine's Day, or any day, with this perfect girl and hear those words. "I haven't been much help to you. How about this… feed him. Jasper likes to eat. Obviously. Make a special dinner for the two of you. Or dessert even. His favourite is pecan pie. He'd appreciate that more than a stuffed animal or a heart balloon." I tried to chuckle so my heartfail wouldn't show. Giving advice to Bella on how to romance my brother was torture.

Her arms were around my neck in a flash. "You're brilliant, Edward! You're the best! You'll have to tell me your favourite, and someday I'll make it for you. You're the best friend I've ever had." Her lips brushed against my cheek before she released me and hopped out of the car. I had to pull off the road a block or so away until I could breathe properly.

~ 0 ~

I listened half-heartedly to Jasper's account of the special evening Bella prepared for him at her house. She prepared an entire meal for them – everything down to the pecan pie. He gave her a necklace with a small engraved heart: J & B. Personally, I would have put B & E… I mean B & J. Bella should always come first.

"…better than Mom's, I swear…"

He was still talking.

"… I swear, if I don't get me some soon, I'm gonna explode! It's been long enough, don't you think? An entire fucking year I've waited. I never wanted to more than tonight. But I'd be a complete dick if I made a move like that after she made such a sweet night for us, right?"

I nodded stoically. "Complete dick." I knew he wasn't talking about getting pecan pie at this point.

"Mom and Dad are going away for their anniversary next month. I think I'm gonna make my move then. In fact, I know I will! She won't say no now. I've got a really good feeling about this."

He was smiling like a big old cat who'd swallowed a canary.

"We were really close tonight. I mean, really close. No way she'll say no. My drought is coming to an end! In mere weeks!"

He strolled out of my room, and I slammed my head against the wall. "Fan-fucking-tastic."

~ 0 ~

My lovely sister had other plans for Mom and Dad's night out – she gained permission to have a few friends over for a small party. Our parents were agreeable, provided everyone was out by midnight, with nobody driving home drunk, and we cleaned up after ourselves. I focused on the "everyone out by midnight" bit. That meant Bella, too.

"Of course Bella can stay!" Mom crushed my hope right before they left. "In Rosalie's room." She gave my brother a stern look. "Jasper? You listening to me?"

"Sure, Mom! Of course!"

Of course, she believed him. Damn my smooth-talking, believable brother. Curse my all too trusting mother.

"Behave yourselves," Dad warned, backing up Mom before he turned to us with a wink.

A small gathering to my sister meant about ten additional people in the house – too much for my liking, in my mood. I hid out in my bedroom. An hour or so after my escape, there was a knock on my door.

"Edward? It's Bella. Can I come in?"

I sat up on my bed, running my hands through my hair. "Sure. Of course." She entered with her usual smile for me and sat on the end of my bed. "What's up?"

She turned her eyes downward, running her fingers over a pillow I'd tossed at the end. "I got my acceptance to ASU today."

ASU - Arizona State University. Shit! "You're moving to Phoenix then? You made your decision?"

Nodding ever so slightly, she looked up with tear-filled eyes. "Gran is failing fast. There isn't much time left to spend with her. It seems like fate wants me to go to her – this is my first acceptance."

I nodded my understanding. I hated that she'd be leaving, but I understood her reason. "Does Jazz know?"

She shook her head. "I needed to tell you first. You always give me the best advice."

Yeah, sweet guys who are the best friend ever tend to do that. I cleared the massive lump in my throat. "You should tell him. He'd want to know."

"Come with me?"

"To Phoenix?"

Bella laughed, shaking her head. "Downstairs! To tell him. Please?"

I felt my ears burning. That was such a ridiculous thing to blurt out. Why the hell would she want me to go to Phoenix with her? "Rose is there. She'll back you."

"I want you. I wore my funky socks for you!" She hoisted a leg and wiggled her toes in her electric, striped socks. "Come on… please? There's none of the assholes down there. Everyone's cool. Come hang out with us. Have some fun. We've only got a few months left together."

Her eyes misted up again, and I was toast. Reluctantly, I followed her down the stairs. I would follow her anywhere she asked me to. The first thing I noticed was the beer bottles. The second was the bottle of vodka in my brother's hand as he poured two drinks.

"All right! She got you out of your hidey-hole! Cool! Drink?" He sipped from one glass and handed Bella the other.

I shook my head. I wanted to ask him what the fuck he thought he was doing, but several people were watching. Did I want to be the fat loser who wrecked a party this way? Certainly not. "Nah. It'll give me a migraine. Where's Rosalie?"

"Outside. A couple of Emmett's friends just got here."

Well, there went my escape. I wanted to be with Rose. I liked Emmett, he was cool with me, but I wasn't nearly as certain about his friends. Bella, sensing my discomfort, pulled me closer. She was sandwiched between me and my brother and looking to me for support.

"So, I should tell you guys while I have you both together… I'm going to Phoenix. I got accepted to ASU, and –"

"You're going? Are you serious?" The ever-present smile on my brother's face fell. "You're not serious."

"I am, Jazz. Gran isn't going to be around much longer –"

"I thought we were going to U-Dub together!"

Bella looked at me pleadingly. The least I could do was support her. "Jasper, Bella's grandmother means a lot to her. You know that. It won't be forever."

"So, what… you're gonna transfer here when she dies?"

"Jazz!" Bella's eyes filled with tears.

"That's not what I meant…" He pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean it that way. It's just… hell, you mean a lot to me too, y'know? Of course you want to be with your gran. I know. We'll make it work, okay?"

"You could apply to ASU?" Bella's voice was weak, but full of hope. My heart plummeted. She'd laughed thinking of me in Phoenix with her, but she was asking Jasper to go. I slipped out of the huddle, needing to escape more than wanting to give them privacy.

"Ed! Hey, man, come here for a sec!" Emmett stopped me before I could reach the safety of the stairs to my room.

"Hey, Emmett. Good to see you."

"I want you to meet my sister! She's staying with me for a few days. Big blow-up at home." He rolled his eyes as he slung his arm around my shoulder, confiding in me. "Girls have so much drama. Things aren't great there – my dad's a real hardass, but she's almost done with high school. She could stick it out a few more months, and then she's outta there. That's what I did."

Emmett was going to college near here, as well as working at the mill to support himself. He was such a happy-go-lucky guy, I'd never realized there was trouble at home. "So she's moving in with you?"

He nodded. "That's the plan. Hopefully at the end of the school year, and not now like she's begging for. It would be a pain in the ass to get her transferred now."

I admired Emmett even more for being so willing to take care of his sister this way, so when he suggested that we hang out with her when the time came, I had to be agreeable. Inside, all I thought of was one in, one out. Bella would be leaving when Emmett's sister joined our little group.

"Anyway, come meet her. And don't let her scare you. She's a bit… um, well… you'll see."

"Hi!" A tiny, dark-haired girl rushed me the moment I walked outside with Emmett. She barely came up to my chest. "I know you've got to be Edward. Rosalie described you perfectly! Oh my god! I looooove your hair! Do you highlight? It goes perfectly with your eyes! Rosalie didn't tell me you have green eyes! I love green eyes! I tried those coloured contacts once… wrecked my eyes. I couldn't see worth doo-doo and they scratched the heck out of one cornea when I was trying to get them out. You're so lucky! You're tall, too. Is everyone here a giant?" She erupted in giggles. "I feel like a Smurf around you guys! Do you know about the Smurfs? It's this old cartoon –"

Emmett shook his head as he grabbed his sister from behind. "Breathe, Smurfette."

She giggled again. "I'm just so excited to meet all of you! Em talks about this family ALL the time! You're like, the perfect family! I fight with my mom all the time, and my dad… ugh! It's so much worse since Emmett moved out. Now I'm stuck there all alone to take two rations of lectures. It's not even like we're horrible kids! You know Emmett! He's the most responsible guy ever. He never does anything wrong. He's like, perfect! And they're on him about everything… or they used to be. I'm in a drama club, and I have to BEG to go to rehearsals. It's not like I'm out raving or anything, I'm with the same group of kids, acting! They've known these kids all my life, and they still think they're gonna brainwash me or something. It's ridiculous. I think I've got it worse. Dad made Emmett go out for every sports team, but he's good at that, you know? They wouldn't let me try out for any team, 'cause I'm so little or whatever… I joined a book club, and it was awesome, but I was asked not to come back. Apparently I talk too much. Drama is the best thing that happened to me, because I can talk, and be physical, and I really suck at painting, which was my only other choice. I'm Alice."

Finally! "Hi. I'm Edward, as you guessed. Uh… welcome?" I held my hand out to her. I'd be out of this situation as soon as humanly possible to wash her germs off anyway. She embraced me instead. For a tiny, little thing, she had remarkable squeeze power. I stared at my sister in shock as she held back her laugh.

"Aly, you're cutting off his air supply. Release." Emmett pried her off of me. "Sorry for my sister."

"It's… okay." I gave Alice a grin and took a couple of steps back. Rosalie came to my side and tucked her arm around my waist.

"There will never be a shortage of conversation around this one," she whispered to me with a snicker. "Thanks for doing this. Em says she calms down after she gets to know people. She's just excitable."

"By the way, that big lump over there is my buddy, Sam. The strong, silent type gets eclipsed by the dust cloud of the Tasmanian Devil here. Sam works at the mill with me. He's actually the one who got me the job. He wants to be a firefighter, too."

I noticed the big guy for the time, standing off to the side. He was even bigger than Emmett – total jock. He had muscles showing through his t-shirt that I didn't even know existed. I tore my eyes away from his chest and finally saw his amicable grin.

"How're ya doing, man? Good to know you." He didn't try to crush my hand with his shake, nor did he look at me with disgust or amusement. I relaxed knowing that Emmett chose friends that were more like him than the other musclemen I'd encountered.

We went inside to find Jasper and Bella for their introductions, but they were nowhere in sight. I stuck by Rosalie, and Alice stuck by both of us, chattering endlessly. Bella finally appeared on her own, her eyes swollen and red. She took her intro to Alice like a trooper, though Alice did have enough sense not to full steam with her.

"You okay?" I asked her quietly when Rosalie distracted Alice with a house tour.

She nodded bravely, putting on a little smile. "Jasper's pretty upset. I hate this part. It's going to be so hard leaving all of you."

"Well, don't worry about that right now. No point being sad until then, right? It's like wasted time."

Her grin widened as she nodded. "You always know what to say."

I hummed, doubting her wisdom for the first time. I usually said the wrong thing. "Those socks of yours are kind of leaving me speechless. They're the brightest thing in the room. If we turned off all the lights, we'd have a night club ambience with your feet."

"Oh, shush! You love them!" She was giggling as she did a little dance, flashing her feet.

"Bet I'll still see them even when you're in Phoenix. Like the Northern Lights, only from the south. Bella's Lights. Times two. I'll know when you're out dancing."

"Right! 'Cause I'm such a party girl!"

"Hey, you never know. You and Gran may be hitting the nightlife on a regular basis. I've heard sometimes Alzheimer's patients lose recent memories, but retain some stuff from their youth. Maybe Gran was a party girl. You'll be her wingman… er, woman."

Despite feeling ridiculous talking about her socks at such an intense moment, Bella was bent over in stitches.

"You'd better bring extras of those socks, you know, so I can see Gran getting her groove on too."

"Edward… thank you." Bella gave me the biggest hug yet and didn't let go. "You make me laugh, and you give me hope. I love you for that."

I could hardly form words, but I couldn't just stand there with her that way. I was bound to say something stupid, but silence was worse. I willed myself not to ask if she was wearing her Disney panties too. "Just focus on now, Bella. You'll get through it."

"I shouldn't have told him. This was going to be really special… tonight. Now I've ruined it."

Now, I was speechless. I'd known what Jasper had planned, but Bella had just confirmed that she not only knew his plans, but approved. I also knew my brother. He could get sulky, but it wore off quickly. He'd be back to his usual self soon enough. They would be having sex tonight. Across the hall from me.

"Edward? Please say something."

Her breathy voice was choking me further. For the first time, I thought that her going to Phoenix was the best thing that could happen for me. I couldn't do this. I couldn't sit by and watch her with my brother. I couldn't keep falling for my brother's girl. And I couldn't offer support for them taking this huge step in their relationship.

"Please don't close up on me. I need you. You're the only one who understands me. I really need you, Edward."

Dammit. "Hey, there's who you really need… over there." I spotted Jasper being introduced to Alice and turned Bella towards them. "You could never ruin anything. You're perfect… for Jazz. Here, or in Phoenix."

I rushed up the stairs the moment she joined the others. I just couldn't do it anymore. I almost wished I had grabbed the bottle of vodka on my way. My luck, I would be allergic to alcohol and fall into a coma with one drink. I would welcome a coma at the moment. Anything to not think about Bella in my brother's bed. Across the hall. Naked. Or in Disney panties. Fuck.

Pounding on my mattress, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to not think of her that way. She belonged with Jasper – my brother and best friend. The guy who had looked out for me since we were in diapers. The guy who would never hurt me and would walk away from anyone who did after laying into them. My brother.

At some point I drifted off to sleep, music blaring through my headphones. I awoke when the noise shut off abruptly and shot up in bed.

"Edward! I'm sorry! Didn't mean to scare you." My sister sat on the edge of my bed, running her fingers through my hair as I calmed myself.

"What time is it?"

"Um… after midnight. And I'm trying to get everyone to leave, but it's impossible. I don't know who came with who, and so many of them are drunk. I need your help."

I groaned, flopping back down on my mattress. "Get Jasper to help. He wasn't opposed to serving drinks. Let him fix what he started."

"He's worse than any of them," she said quietly. "Please help me? Emmett's outside with him right now, if you could take over there, I'll get Em to kick everyone out and sort out drives."

"Yeah, yeah… whatever…" I huffed and crawled out of bed. I was still in my jeans and t-shirt, so I just pulled a sweatshirt overtop and went to find my brother, bedhead and all. Rosalie never asked me for help. It was the least I could do.

I anticipated a brooding, drunk Jasper. Instead, I found him completely wound up and excitable – but very unsteady on his feet.

"Ed-die! My man! My bro! Come here, bro. I've gotta tell you something." Emmett braced him as he tried to haul me towards him. "Whatever you said to Bella was perfect. I thought for sure she was gonna back out now that she's planning to leave. But she's into it, man! Tonight… me and her… yeah… I'm gonna have that."

Emmett arched an eyebrow at me. "She's not anywhere in hearing distance, is she?"

I shook my head. She was with Rosalie and Alice when I left the house.

"I'd suggest not announcing that you're 'gonna have that', or there's no way in hell you will." Emmett spoke firmly to Jasper, forcing him stand up straight. "Just a little advice, my friend. Can you behave yourself while I go give the girls a hand clearing this place out?"

"Yeah, man! I'm perfect! Top of the world!" He threw his arms up in the air.

"Ed? You got this?"

"I can handle him. Go help Rose." I led my brother towards the back of the house, urging him to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake the neighbours. He proceeded to tell me, in detail, what he had planned for later on. I kept checking to make sure Bella wasn't in hearing range. She didn't need to hear any of this. The more he spouted off, the more pissed off I became. Bella deserved better than this.

Rosalie came out to find us after what seemed like an eternity. "Emmett's driving some people home. Alice is crashed on the couch. Bella's cleaning up. We could use your help, guys. Have you got your shit together, Jazz?"

"Absalllutely." His voice was slurred, but he stood tall and certain in front of our sister. "I'm your man. No, I'm Bella's man. Where's my Bella anyway?" He took off in search of her. Rosalie and I followed behind while she thanked me. None of this was my mess to clean up, but here I was.

Jasper was in the kitchen with Bella. She was wringing out a cloth to mop up a spill, and he was hanging on her back, grinding against her as he nibbled on her neck. She was getting annoyed, clearly. He was missing all clues and continued his bump and grind.

Rosalie hauled him off of her, passing him the cloth. "Bella's break time. You go clean up the spill in the front hall." She trailed behind him out to make sure he would follow her orders.

"God, this night isn't at all what I thought it would be." Bella slumped into a chair at the table, her head in her hands, defeated.

"I guess you didn't anticipate Jasper getting wasted." I stood beside her, leaning against the counter.

She snorted, laughing sardonically. "I thought he'd be really sweet about it. He's always so gentle with me. Alcohol does bad things to him. He's so aggressive. I just want the Jazz I know."

This was a new side to Jasper for me, as well. I'd never seen him drunk, nor so sexually aggressive. He was always such a gentleman with his girls – even when he was sleeping with Maria on a regular basis, he was still decent about it. I never got details from him. He didn't whore it up with her in front of onlookers. I felt bad for Bella. She deserved so much better. I knew it was inevitable that they would have sex – if not tonight, then very soon. Her first time should be special.

"I'll go talk to him, Bella. Get him straightened out for you. Don't worry, okay?"

I knew I was losing it at that point, but I went with it anyway. I found him arguing with Rosalie over the spill.

"You're not touching her in this condition, Jasper. I don't care what you think is happening, but I'll lock her in my room if you don't sober up and stop acting like a dick. This is not you. This is no one I know! Knock it off!"

"Easy there, sis. I got it under control. I just need some air. And maybe a little bit of vomiting."

"And a foot in your ass, Jasper Cullen! I can't believe you did this, tonight of all nights! Bella is so upset about leaving in a few months, and her gran… She's got a lot of shit to deal with right now, and you were supposed to be her shining light! She envisioned romance, not holding your head over the toilet. This is such an asshole move."

"I know, I know!" Jasper moaned, grimacing at our sister. For the first time, she looked bigger than him. She was certainly stronger than him. And smarter. And she was looking out for Bella, too. They had obviously discussed it.

Jasper looked over at me for help. "You're barking up the wrong tree here, buddy. I'm pissed at you, too."

"What the fuck? I'm the one who's losing my girlfriend! Why are you two so pissed off at me?"

"Because our friend is moving away, too, you idiot! We're all going to miss her, but it doesn't mean we're losing her! You're going to fuck this up unnecessarily. This isn't helping her!" Rosalie was absolutely livid as she expressed what we both felt. In the most insane moment yet, I decided I would sober up my brother, for Bella. If she was going to lose her virginity to him, she should have the guy she knew and loved.

"Come on. You and I are gonna go get some air." I approached him with authority, grabbing onto his shoulder to lead him towards the door. I turned back to our sister before we left. "I'm taking him for a drive – find him something to eat. Hopefully sober him up. You help Bella. I'll clean the place up when we get back."

My plan worked – too well. Jasper was appropriately apologetic and serene when we returned in the middle of the night. Bella was overly accepting of his gestures. I was the stupidest asshole to ever walk the Earth, but I had made everyone happy.

A/N ~ Hi all! If you don't know, I am thrilled to know your thoughts. Love to msj and Shug for giving theirs on this chapter so long ago. *hugs*

I know many of you are anxious to get to the scene in the prologue... I'll get you there, promise. Without the history of these two, the future chapters won't mean as much. If you're not into the backstory, see ya at chapter 10. *wink wink* Just don't blame me when certain things just seem ridiculous and completely random. ;) Thanks for reading! XX ~ SR