Author's Note: This is a short chapter, but I'm sure you're all wondering what Jasper said to Edward. So read on.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.


Chapter 64

Jasper didn't say anything about his conversation with Edward when he joined me. He merely started the engine and pulled out, making me even more curious.

"Jasper," I asked tentatively.

"I'm disappointed in you, Bella," Jasper said flatly. "Very disappointed."

I sighed. "I know. But…what did you say to Edward?"

He was quiet, thinking. Finally, he said suspiciously, "Are you changing your mind about him, Bella?"

"What? No, of course not." I winced internally. My first instinct had been to defend myself, pretend otherwise. But, of course, Jasper knew me better than I knew myself.

"He almost destroyed you," Jasper said warningly. "Don't ever forget that."

I didn't reply, not trusting my voice.

"Personally, I think Edward should be punished more," he said quietly. "Maybe I'm being biased because the person who got hurt was my sister. But he did something that was unforgivable. You know that, right?"

I still didn't say anything. I just stared blankly out the window, trying to fight back the sudden urge to cry.

"Don't forget, Bella," he pleaded. "The moment you forget and take him back…that's the day your troubles will truly return. He's my brother and friend, and I love him, but I don't trust him when it comes to you."

"What…" My voice shook. I took a deep breath to try to steady myself, but it didn't work. What the heck. I kept talking. "What if…I do change my mind? What will you do then?"

He looked at me quickly. "Have you forgiven him?"

My eyes flashed in hurt at the memories. "I…"

Jasper shook his head. "I should've realized eight years ago that he was bad for you. He's such a bad influence… He's like a drug for you, Bella. You couldn't help becoming addicted to his presence. I don't know how you survived alone without him for all those years."

I swallowed, still trying to get the lump in my throat under control. "It's an addiction I can get rid of."

"Can you?" Jasper laughed bitterly. "Because from where I'm standing…you both can't. You're not the only one with an addiction."

My thoughts flashed to the way he looked at me. The love and adoration in his eyes…the desire and lust…and the grief and remorse. Could I take all that back? Would I be able to handle it?

"Let's talk about the hypothetical," I suggested. "If I do decide to forgive him and give him another chance, what will you do?"

"You mean, will I be willing to allow that?" Jasper asked. "Don't you know me well enough by now, Bella? Of course I'll go against it."

My heart sank. I didn't know why. I wasn't even considering the possibility. Right now, I felt like I just couldn't accept Edward.

"I'll be the first one to dissuade you strongly. I'll probably even go far as hurting him if I have to." He sighed. "Can you blame me? Whether you believe it or not, the worst few weeks of my life were when you were suffering after your miscarriage." He was quiet before adding, "I even thought about killing him then."

Fear gripped my heart. Why had I let myself get tangled in this situation? Why had I run away eight years ago? I should've just faced it so I didn't have to face it now. I'd been so stupid lately…

"Please, Bella," Jasper begged. "Really think about it. Just think about what he's done to you. How he made you feel. Just…just think about it. And then decide whether or not you can accept him again or not. Because this is your last chance. Once you decide, there's no going back. If you accept him, he'll never let you go again. If you push him away…your pride won't let you take him back."

Edward's Point of View

I sat behind my desk, rubbing my temples absently. I was thinking over my conversation with Jasper. I had to admit, it hadn't been very pleasant.

The minute we'd both entered my office, he'd made sure to lock the door and close the shades. When he'd turned around, I recognized the haunted expression on his face. I'd seen it only once before, and it had been eight years ago, when Bella had been recovering from her miscarriage.

I couldn't speak. Did he regard a simple seduction method so seriously?

Of course, I could understand. Bella was everything to Jasper. He protected her so fiercely that I'd always admired him for it. I could never compare to the way he looked at her.

"Edward," Jasper said quietly. "Please…think about what you are doing."

He'd looked so exhausted, so…worried. But I couldn't find myself to feel guilt over what I'd done. I wanted Bella. I truly loved her. I was living in guilt and remorse every day because of what I'd done to her. Couldn't he understand that?

"She…" He sighed, trying to find the correct words. "She was hurting…so much…when you did that to her."

I winced slightly. "I know, Jasper."

"I don't think you know how much," Jasper said. "You think you do. You think you know how much she had to endure. How much she had to go through. But no one knows. Not even I know. Bella doesn't say anything about it, how much she's been hurting."

I waited. I found that I couldn't meet his eyes suddenly.

"I don't know how sorry you are," he continued. "I don't know how much you can love her from this point onward to make up for it. But I do know that you've hurt her before…and you can hurt her again. I don't want to risk that."

I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head. "Think about it, Edward. Really think about it. This isn't the Bella I know. Trying to get back at you, get revenge. Using everyone around her to make you feel hurt. I know what she's been trying to do, Edward. I'm not an idiot.

"As a human being, I think that's wrong. I know that what she's been trying to do is wrong, and morally incorrect. It's just not her. But as a brother…" He raised his eyebrow. "Can you blame me for approving?

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad she's finally come to her senses. I know that she's never going to do this again, but I'm guessing that she probably will keep trying to push you away. All I ask is that you give her some space. I saw what you did to her last night. That look on her face reminded me of her vulnerability that she showed eight years ago. I don't want to see that ever again.

"I can't stop you from trying to seduce her, or trying to win her forgiveness. I can't do that. But I can oppose you two getting back together again, and you can bet your ass that I'm going to do my damn hardest to separate the two of you. I don't care if fate has you two intertwined together; I just can't see her in pain again."

He fixed his eyes on me with a steely look. "Are we clear, Edward?"

I didn't like any of the things he'd just said. But just as he had no control over what I could do, I had no control over what he would do as well. "Crystal. But Jasper…" My face hardened. "You should know that I won't give up."

Disapproval flashed across his face. He didn't speak again, but turned and left the room.

I knew that Jasper would do anything for Bella. I wouldn't doubt it if he said he wanted to kill me for hurting his sister.

I wasn't confident about not hurting Bella. I knew that it was inevitable that I would hurt her again as I tried to get her back. But there was one thing I was confident about, and it was the fact that fate had indeed intertwined us together.

Bella belonged with me, I was sure of it. I was just going to have to prove Jasper wrong and make him accept me.


AN: Stubborn, much? Review!