Chapter Seven
Bella
"What did he do?"
"Do? Nothing really. I didn't like the way he and the rest of the family treated Jasper. I guess you heard about my birthday party?"
He shrugged,
"I've heard a version of it. Why don't you tell me yours."
"It's no different I guess. I cut my finger in a house full of vampires and Edward thought Jasper was attacking so he over reacted and sent me flying into a table full of crystal. That set just about everyone off and they all disappeared. Edward decided he couldn't protect me and he wouldn't change me so he left and I guess I went to pieces for a while. Then Alice thought I tried to commit suicide, he thought I was dead and went all dramatic, he couldn't live without me. Anyway I went to Italy, got him back and from then on he thought he owned me. I got fed up of being told what I could do and where I could go. Then I found out they all blamed Jasper for it all, for Edwards actions and decisions"
"And you didn't like that?"
"No, it was grossly unfair."
"What was unfair?"
I hadn't heard Jasper come back downstairs and looking over at him my mouth went dry and my heart beat fast again. His hair was tousled from towel drying and he was wearing a pair of loose-fitting cotton pants and a short-sleeved tee-shirt. It was the first time I'd ever seen him without sleeves and I could see faintly visible the scars on his arms. Edward had told me he was scarred from his former life but I'd never seen them before now. Although they were faint to my eyes I saw him stiffen as if suddenly realizing where my attention was so I smiled.
"Dry now?"
He smiled and the brilliance of it took my breath away completely for a few seconds. By the time I could muster coherent thought again he was sitting on the floor leaning against my chair, his shoulder just touching my leg and for some strange reason he felt hot not cold.
"Bella was telling me about her birthday party"
Jasper looked at Peter but I couldn't see his expression and Peter just smiled challengingly,
"Her story doesn't quite fit with yours, you see she saw more than you give her credit for. She knows why you were moving towards her."
Jasper had thought I was frightened by his actions? No wonder the others had found it so easy to condemn him.
"Why did you leave the Cullens? Was it because of the end of school party?"
"In a way. I got fed up of being scowled at, Edward blamed me for you leaving, Alice wouldn't discuss it and Rose was so happy I thought she might celebrate. In all the Cullens had extremely mixed feelings about you and about me."
"So you just left?"
"Alice and I went away on our own to talk, it turned out she'd seen my future and it wasn't with her. She was upset but she'd seen someone else in her life too so we decided mutually to call it a day. Alice went her way, back to the Cullens and I went mine, here to Peter and Charlotte."
"Not straight here though."
"No, true."
"You tracked me down. You saved me in that alley, you killed those two men for me."
"Yes, I'm sorry about the deaths, I guess I lost it there for a while but I was angry at what they were trying to do. When I came to I was at the end of the alley, moving away from you, I didn't want to hurt you or see your face if you saw me covered in blood."
"You didn't feed from them though, can I ask why?"
"I vowed when Alice showed me the Cullens, another way to live that I would never feed from humans again. It was a struggle, the temptation was great but I kept to my vow."
"Why were you tracking me?"
"Because you're a fucking danger magnet by the sound of things Bella Swan"
Jasper shot Peter a look before gazing back into the fire, he hadn't looked at me as he spoke.
"Ever since the party, the dance, your words, I've felt that in your eyes I'm not a scary monster and I like that feeling. As an empath I spend my whole life feeling others emotions, most people, vampire and humans, find me uncomfortable to be around if not outright scary. Spending your life feeling others fear and apprehension at your presence is wearing. Around you I don't feel that, so I followed you, feeding off your emotions to give myself some peace. So you see, I have been acting true to form as a vampire feeding off you, just not your blood."
"I can understand that and I'm glad I was able to help but why did you come here then?"
"I was tired, tired of moving around, of chasing dreams so I came here to rest up for a while."
"Chasing dreams? Yeah that'll get you every time. I know all about that one. I'm just glad I was able to talk to you but I really need to go. I have to go into town and get a room for a few nights while I check out the job at the feed store. Thank you for the coffee. It was nice to meet you Peter, Charlotte."
"I'll walk you to your truck,"
"Jasper got up and held out his hand to me to pull me up. I was reluctant to leave, I'd felt warm and comfortable here but now life had to go on. Perhaps I would see them all again if the job worked out. The rain had stopped as I walked out and the daylight was fading but I noticed the scars on Jasper's arms standing out more prominently. He rubbed them self-consciously seeing my gaze.
"I'll see you again Bella"
"If I get this job sure. I'll be a fixture in town for a while. I'm glad you have friends like Peter and Charlotte, they seem to care."
He nodded and stood watching as I turned my truck round and headed reluctantly back up the track. I kept one eye on the mirror as his form slowly faded from view until I could no longer see him any more.
The Feed Store was just closing but the guy inside stopped locking up long enough to tell me the job had been taken by a local girl.
"But there's one going at the bar on the edge of town. It's not a very nice place but the pay is as good and it comes with accommodation. Don't get roped in to dancing though. The job is tending bar and that's safe enough."
I wasn't keen on the sound of it but it would furnish me with a way of staying close to Jasper and that seemed important somehow so I drove out.
