Chapter Eighteen
Jasper
I watched as Bella got her stuff together and went into the bathroom and as soon as I heard the shower I took my cell phone out and rang the house,
"Cullen residence Carlisle Cullen speaking"
"Carlisle is Edward there?"
"Jasper? Is everything alright?"
"Yes Carlisle I haven't feasted on Bella yet if that's what you mean and you had your go at warning her earlier I hear."
"She told you? Well I thought she should know what she's letting herself in for. You have to admit you aren't the safest person for her to be with."
"And Edward is I take it?"
"Well he has less chance of slipping up shall we say and we're all very fond of Bella. We'd hate for anything to happen to her."
"You've made your point Carlisle. Is Edward there?"
"Yes. Just a minute"
I waited hoping to get the conversation over before Bella came out of the shower and heard.
"What do you want Jasper?"
"To thank you for the message you left Bella"
"You heard it? Well I don't regret what I said."
"Really? It was quite insulting to Bella you know."
"Oh, and how do you work that out?"
"Implying that she would sleep with me just to hurt you. It makes her out to be loose moralled and I don't appreciate that."
"Why? Think you'll get brownie points for defending her honour?"
"I don't play games Edward, I never have and I never will but if you speak of her again like that I will come back and rip your filthy tongue right out of your head.
I didn't hear his reply because a dripping feminine hand came over my shoulder and took the phone from me,
"Edward, drop dead"
She handed the phone to me and I shut it off turning to look at her standing there in a towel and nothing else. She stared at me and shook her finger,
"You skulk around behind my back and I'll kick your butt too."
Then she turned and walked leisurely back into the bathroom. I couldn't help a smile, she was really coming into her own since leaving Forks. I liked this Bella even more than the old one, she was taking control of her life and that suited her much better. A few minutes later she came out in her old sweats looking down ruefully,
"If I'd known I would be sharing a room with a handsome guy I would have chosen my nightwear with more care."
"You look beautiful to me in any case. May I kiss you goodnight or do you have the pepper spray secreted about your person?"
"You may and I don't. Besides it doesn't work on vampires."
"Really and how do you know that?"
"I used it on James in Phoenix, hopeless, it just upset him."
"I think the fact the fragile human was trying to hurt him annoyed more."
I kissed her then went to sit in the chair while she climbed into bed and sat looking at me,
"Jasper, what do you normally do at night if you aren't hunting?"
"I read, use the computer, or write, or play on the games console with Emmett if he's looking for an adversary for Modern Warfare or whatever his latest game is."
"Do you enjoy playing with Emmett?"
"Yes I like him, we are just competitive enough to make things interesting."
"Who usually wins?"
"I guess I do, but only because I'm better at tactics."
"And you write?"
"Yes. I'm writing a history of the Civil War. Mainly because the ones in the books are so hopelessly wrong. I was there and I know."
"Will you publish it when its finished?"
"I don't know, possibly."
"And what do you read?"
"History books mostly or philosophy although I think a lot of that is rubbish too. When you've lived as long as I have you see things differently."
"If you had to give two lessons you've learned by being alive so long what would they be?"
He laughed,
"So the easy questions first eh? I guess, appreciate your friends because they are all that keeps you sane. Keep your friends close but your enemies closer then they can't surprise you."
"And the second?"
"When you find your mate hold on tight and show her how much she means to you all the time."
"Why did you ring Edward? Or I should say why did you ring Edward secretly?"
"I just wanted a quiet word with him. A sort of friendly warning."
"OK I guess, but in future let's do things together."
"Consider me told ma'am"
She seemed to be debating something and I wondered if she'd decided it had been a mistake to invite me to stay in the room with her. I would leave if she wanted me to but I hoped she wouldn't ask. Being close to Bella was like being bathed in warm sunshine and my cold body soaked it up gratefully.
"Jasper?"
"Yes Bella"
"This is really awkward but..."
I waited for the ax to fall,
"It seems kind of stupid you sitting over there with a book and me sitting over here with mine when we could be sitting together reading."
"So what do you suggest?"
"Well I thought perhaps you might consider joining me over here. It would be a little more comfortable for me but I don't know how you feel about it."
"Bella nothing would give me greater pleasure than to join you, if you're sure?"
She patted the mattress at her side and I joined her gratefully. She took my hand a little shyly and we sat together reading until I sensed she was getting sleepy.
"Would you like to lay down now? I can take the chair."
She shook her head putting her book on the cabinet and wriggling until she was laying down with her head on my lap,
"Is this OK? Can you still read?"
"I prefer to watch you if that's OK, but yes I can read."
She closed her eyes and within minutes she was asleep, her emotions evening out as she drifted in sleep. I was amazed by her actions as always, she had no fear of sleeping so close to me in fact she seemed happier the closer we were, she really did seem to be in love with me, for all my faults. I watched her as she dreamed feeling her emotions, whatever she was dreaming about it made her happy and then I heard my name, I was in her dreams too. Thinking about our conversations I realized how much we had learned about each other in a short space of time. She seemed to be able to draw things out of me without even having to try and I just hoped that nothing would spoil our time together but I should have guessed it wouldn't be as easy as it appeared, my life was never easy so why should my luck change now!