I sat in the kitchen, eating some soup that I'd microwaved. Edward was sat next to me, resting his chin on his hands and thinking. He was probably trying to think of some way out of our situation, some trick which would make Jane go away and leave me human. I didn't fancy his chances.
Rose walked in and Edward looked up curiously.
"Do what subtly?" he asked.
Rosalie frowned at him, "I was thinking, Edward, not talking to you."
He appeared surprised for a moment. "You're sure?" he asked. "I haven't made that mistake for a while."
I looked over at Rose's face, trying to gauge whether she was as worried as me. But she just shrugged.
"I guess that's what being nosy gets you," she told him. "If you treat other people's thoughts as if they were intended for you, eventually you won't be able to tell the difference."
Edward scowled.
"Give me your phone," Rose said to him.
Edward's scowl deepened. "Why? Is there something wrong with yours?"
"No, I just want to check something."
At first I thought he was going to refuse. But, then he seemed to rethink, perhaps he just decided that there was no point in starting an argument. It wasn't exactly done with a smile, but Edward handed his phone to his sister.
Rose pressed a few buttons, Edward fiddled with a coaster and pretended not to watch her.
After only a few seconds, Rose held the phone out. Edward reached to take it and she snatched it away at the last moment.
Edward groaned in irritation. "Rose," he said, "come on!" He glowered at her hand which still held tightly on to Edward's phone.
Rose, however, wasn't looking at Edward's phone at all, she - like me, in fact - was watching Edward's hand. It was still stretched out, waiting for her to give back his property, and it was, unmistakably, trembling. I looked away quickly, not wanting to alert Edward. This was obviously the thing that Rose had wanted to do subtly.
This time she put his phone back on the table and let him reach out and take it.
"That was pretty childish," he grouched, "even for you, Rose."
She shrugged.
After she'd gone, Edward said, "what do you suppose that was about?"
I panicked then. Rosalie had wanted to check Edward's hand without him knowing. Probably because she didn't want to worry him. I didn't want to be the one who told him and made him worry.
"Um . . . I don't know," I said, "just messing about, I guess."
He frowned, "well, yes," he agreed, "I was wondering what she wanted with my phone in the first place. What was she checking for?"
Oh, he wasn't suspicious after all.
"Well," I tried, "aren't you still grounded? Maybe she was checking you hadn't been calling anyone you shouldn't."
Edward sighed, he didn't like being reminded that he was in disgrace still. But, he nodded, "I hadn't thought of that," he said.
"Does it matter?" I asked, "have you been calling anyone you shouldn't?"
"Of course not!"
I tried a smile, "that's alright, then, isn't it?"
He nodded, still a bit miserable. I felt guilty for upsetting him again, but at least he was distracted enough to miss what Rose had really been up to.
Suddenly the atmosphere changed. Edward stood up.
Jane walked in. She scowled.
"That is rather foul stuff, it has a noxious smell," she said. "Why are you eating human food anyway? Surely you don't need any more to sustain you until your change."
"I guess not," I said, standing up and tossing the rest of my meal in the trash. I didn't want to antagonise her ever again.
It looked as though Edward was about to protest. So I turned to him and said, "could you get my red sweater? I think I left it in the car."
He frowned, I imagine he didn't want to leave me with Jane, "you can borrow mine," he offered, already shrugging it off.
I shook my head, "yours is cold. Please, Edward?"
He shrugged and left on his errand. I was hoping he'd been gone a while. I hadn't actually brought a red sweater with me.
"I wonder if you will be as amazing as Aro expects," Jane said, examining me curiously.
I shrugged now. "I don't know," I said, "maybe I won't be special at all. Maybe whatever stops vampire's gifts working on me is part of my being a human. Maybe I'll be normal as a vampire."
Jane smiled, I could tell she liked that idea. She did not like me being so 'special'. She would love it if I were normal again. "Maybe my gift will work on you then," she said gleefully.
I nodded, "maybe." Whether it did or not, I would far prefer that Jane thought it did. Of course, that might be a little tricky to fake. Surely possible with the aid of a mindreader for a boyfriend.
Edward came back. "I couldn't find your red sweater," he said guiltity, "but I've brought these." He'd brought every sweater I'd packed.
I sighed, "I really wanted the red one," I said, "but, if it's a hassle . . ."
Edward cut me off, as I knew he would, "of course not, Bella, it's not trouble at all." He ran off again.
Jane gave me one of her catty smiles, "he's not very bright, is he?" she asked.
I didn't want to argue with her. I didn't want to argue with her ever again. But, nor did I want to agree with insulting Edward. I just shrugged.
Jane was happy with that, thank goodness, she continued, "of course, I'm no fool. I know you want to keep him away from me. Which seems a little pointless. After all, I can still do this."
She smirked and, even though nothing appeared to be happening, I felt scared.
I was right to worry. A couple of seconds later there was a crash from the living room. Then Jasper sauntered into the kitchen.
"Jane," he said softly, "you've come back to me."
She tried to frown at him, but how could anyone be annoyed with someone who looked like that? Jasper was glistening.
"I know what you're doing" she said, "you're manipulating my emotions with your gift."
Jasper didn't stop smiling, "can you blame me?" he asked. "Wasn't I bound to use whatever tools at my disposal to gain your attention?" He sidled up to her and reached out for her hand. Then he lifted it to his delectable lips and kissed her.
"Isn't your wife going to be a little irritated?" Jane asked.
"Wife," Jasper said, with a sexy scoff, "such a human word, so passionless. Not like, blood," he kissed her wrist, "hunt," he kissed his way up to the crook of her elbow, he kissed her neck and whispered one last word in her ear.
Jane looked like she was about to swoon. Jasper smirked, "come and play with me," he said, "I'm a lot more fun than Carlisle."
She left with him. Who could blame her? If they hadn't moved too fast, I think that I'd have gone too.
Imstead, I went into the living room to investigate that crash. Jasper's . . . special distraction had made me forget all about it.
The crash had been Edward pulling over a table. Now he was sat on the sofa with Alice on one side and Rose on the other. Alice had her arm around his shoulders. Rose was examining him again.
"Is it worse if she keeps doing it?" Emmett asked.
Rose glared at him, "we don't know," she said, "hopefully not."
"Jazz looked worried," Emmett said.
Rose and Alice scowled at him again.
Edward smiled, "I think the girls were trying to stop me from worrying," he said.
"Oh, yeah," Emmett said, "er . . . I'm sure it's nothing, Ed. My hands do that all the time."
Edward looked at his trembling hands, then back at Emmett.
"Seriously?" he said.
Emmett shrugged, "does that make you feel better?" he asked.
"Not really," said Edward, "more confused, I think."
Rose sighed, "alright, as you know, I think you need to try and relax. And, try not to antagonise Jane, OK?"
Edward scowled, "I'm not absolutely convinced that I have been antagonising her," he said, "am I really that annoying?"
"No," said Rose and Alice at exactly the same time as Emmett said "yep."
His wife and sister glared at him again, so Emmett explained, "I thought we weren't meant to be worrying Edward. Isn't he bound to worry if we all start being nice to him?"
"Maybe you should go and distract him," Alice said to me, very much enjoying the word 'distract'.
Edward looked down at his feet. At least he wasn't staring at his hand anymore.
"Will Jasper be OK?" I asked.
Alice nodded.
"Go on," she said, "it will help him relax."