Chapter Fifteen
Bella
By the next morning I was feeling better. My ribs didn't hurt so much and the swelling had gone down sufficiently for me to open my eye at last. The sun was shining through the window and just caught the edge of Jasper's face causing it to glow like it was lit from within. I gazed at him while he sat eyes closed concentrating on taking my pain away. I squeezed his hand and he opened his eyes and smiled,
"Awake at last sleeping beauty. Are you feeling any better?"
I squeezed his hand, our code for yes and he smiled wider.
"Good, time for breakfast"
He held up a beaker of energy drink and I rolled my eyes.
"As soon as the wire comes out you can eat and chat away. Until then its this and silence so come on."
As I drank slowly and painfully he told me about Charlie staying at the house. If he'd known he was in the company of three vampires he might not be so complacent although Char had told him a little. Enough that he could stay there without any problems about meals or sleeping arrangements.
I spelled out my question on the back of his hand and he smiled.
"He and Peter watched a basketball game and he drank a few beers, not phased by Peter not drinking too. He seems content to leave the questions as long as he knows you are OK. I don't know how long he's staying, that's down to him, the invitation is open-ended. I think he was debating whether to tell your mum or not."
I gripped his hand tightly scribbling "No" over and over
"Yeah that's pretty much what he decided."
I relaxed, the thought of Renee around a houseful of vampires and a stressed Charlie was more than I could take.
"You know the nurse did provide a pencil and a pad for you."
I wrote on his hand again,
"OK I can live with that, my hand is better than a pad and pencil. I have to say Id' rather be holding your hand than a pen."
I scribbled,
"Yes you can ask me what you like, you know that."
I thought for a few minutes then wrote very slowly and deliberately, his eyes opened wide and he looked at me stunned.
"You want to know how long I've known you love me. I didn't, not really. I knew how I felt and I knew we were being drawn to each other but I didn't know how you felt about me. Are you sure? You've had one experience with the vampire world. Are you sure you want another? Especially with someone like me?"
Jasper
Her eyes caught mine and I couldn't look away as she wrote on my hand again, this time even slower and more deliberately.
"It's not the same? How?"
"Edward was a boy, a selfish controlling boy,"
"What about me then? Remember who I am and what I've done Bella."
Her eyes were still locked with mine.
"I make you feel complete? Its how you make me feel. Bella, it's not the right time and certainly not the right place but I have to ask you, will you allow me to be your companion in life?"
Bella
My yes was large and emphatic as if it were being shouted loudly.
He smiled and kissed me gently, my whole body aching for him although I knew it couldn't be more than the chaste kiss, not at present anyway. I watched as he tore a page off the pad and started to twist it then tried the slightest smile, which still hurt like hell, when he threaded the paper ring onto my wedding finger.
"I know it's not much but until we can go get a ring it will have to suffice."
When Charlie came in later he was amused by my paper ring and looked at Jasper jokingly,
"Boy I've seen some cheapskates but that takes the prize."
I tensed but Jasper merely laughed,
"Its only temporary, until Bella gets out of here and we can go shopping for the real thing."
"Then I guess congratulations are in order you two."
My dad kissed me gently on the cheek and shook hands with Jasper not even flinching at his cold hand. There were hidden depths to my dad that I was only now beginning to see.
"Bella I have to go back tomorrow, I can't get any more leave for a while but I'll come back as soon as I can and in the meantime I'm leaving you in the capable hands of the three stooges."
Peter laughed at that,
"Well it's not the worst name I've been called Chief."
I reached out for Charlies hand and wrote on the back of it with my finger,
"Yeah I love you too kiddo."
A few days after Charlie left the doctors finally took the wire off and I could move my jaw again. It still ached but felt better than it had and I could finally speak and be understood. Jasper had waited outside while the doctor cut the wire away and checked my jaw for range of movement. As soon as he was allowed in again he came over and kissed me gently on the lips.
"Now that's better. It was like trying to kiss you through razor wire before."
I smiled and tried to form words rustily,
"Thank you Jasper for everything. Without you I would have been lost."
"Hey, its you and me remember?"
He touched the paper ring I'd refused to take off and I smiled.
"I like that, it has a good ring about it."
"Tomorrow I think you can be discharged," was the best sentence I'd heard from the doctor and Jasper promised to be here waiting at lunchtime. I wouldn't be seen until late morning so that was the earliest I could get out. He was going hunting so he wouldn't have to leave me once I was out and I couldn't sleep that night, but lay awake listening to the swish of the nurses shoes along the tiled corridors and the soft whoosh as the doors closed. I'd been offered a sleeping tablet but I felt uneasy at the thought of sleeping and I had no idea why.
It must have been the early hours when I finally dropped into an uneasy doze and the first thing I knew someone was in my room was the feel of a cold hand over my mouth, pressing down hard enough to make my jaw hurt. I opened my eyes and above me stood a red eyed red haired vampire that I knew only too well. Victoria had finally decided to take revenge for James death. I had forgotten all about her over the last year and I guess I'd hoped she'd heard I was no longer with Edward and forgotten about me too. Her smile was cruel and predatory as she looked into my shocked eyes then she leaned over me and whispered in my ear,
"Hello Bella, I bet you didn't expect to see me here. I've been watching your father for a while now, hoping he would lead me to you. It looks like you upset someone else, you seem to have a habit of doing that. We're going to have a lot of fun you and I, playing hide and go seek with Edward."
I tried to speak but she pressed down harder and shook her head.
"I'll do the talking, you listen. I know you left him but he's still looking for you. He still loves you Bella but does he love you enough? Well lets find out shall we."
I felt her cold arm around my back, crushing my slowly healing ribs together and I groaned
"Hush now, you don't want to be responsible for the deaths of the nurses on duty do you?"
I shook my head and she grinned maliciously.
"I thought not. You hold life far too important Bella, still it helps me I guess."
She lifted me up and went to the window looking out into the darkness then jumped out, landing cat like despite my weight.
