XXVII. A Drunk Girl with a Sensitive Nose

"You can open your eyes now," Jasper called.

I lifted my face from where I'd tucked it against his shoulder. (After the ordeal with James' coven, I was not eager to get windburned again.)

With Jasper's help, I landed safely back down, boots sinking into the damp soil. Beside us, the river roared, cutting around smooth stones in white foam ribbons. Although it looked to be the same one that ran near his house, he'd likely taken us a couple miles upstream.

"No one can hear us?" I double checked.

"No ma'am," he assured me with a soft grin. "With the exception of Edward. He requested I remain within range of his telepathy."

"Oh that's fine," I shrugged and strode closer to the river, filling my lungs with the fresh scent of water and wet earth. After careful consideration, I clambered atop one of the boulders, until I reached a flat surface jutting out from one of its sides and sat down, legs dangling above the rushing water.

Jasper leaned against the boulder beside me, in a facade of human ease.

Despite my trust in Edward's judgement, I couldn't help but wonder, "I'm not making you uncomfortable?"

Jasper shook his head and glanced at me with a rueful smile, eyes shining a pale gold. "You're around so often, I've grown accustomed to your scent. More so than any of the humans in Forks. As long as I stay on guard, you'll remain safe."

And that had been the supposed issue in New Moon, hadn't it? Bella's blood had caught him off guard. It's not as though the students in Forks High were immune to paper cuts or the occasional scrape. While Alice was helpful in telling him what areas around campus he might need to avoid, I doubted an accident within his vicinity hadn't occurred before.

"Alright," I conceded, and wondered what my easy agreement with being around a vampire with a history of poor control said about me. Nothing good, I presumed. But it was difficult to be on edge, when even Edward, who had a tendency of being overprotective, was willing to go along with it.

Instead of dwelling on the thought any longer, I took advantage of our privacy and turned to him. In a tone short of demanding, I asked, "Jasper, what do you know about soulmates?"

Jasper blinked, features slackening into a flabbergasted expression. "Pardon?"

I huffed and repeated, "Soulmates? The bond you have with Alice? Ring a bell?"

"Isabella," he began, after a moment of silent contemplation, "While I'm impressed with the level of knowledge your gift has allowed you, I think it's led you astray. What I have with Alice is special, but there's no such thing as soulmates."

It was my turn to stare at him in utter bewilderment.

"…I don't understand."

"I'm not sure there is anything to understand," he answered carefully, brow furrowed in worry.

"Right," I muttered to myself, and then said to him, "Imagine if any of you were to split up. Would it be possible to move on and fall in love again?"

"Absolutely not," Jasper's answer was near instantaneous, his expression twisted into something fierce―likely imagining himself and Alice in this scenario. After another drawn out moment of thought, he admitted, "But I can see how you might've reached the conclusion that soulmates exist."

I shifted, turning to face him more fully. "Care to elaborate?"

It wasn't long before he gathered his thoughts. "As you well know, vampires are permanent creatures. Although we're able to grow and expand our knowledge and outlook of the world around us, our characteristics―what you might call a personality―as well as our needs and interests remain the same," he explained, and met my gaze long enough to gain a nod of agreement from me. It all sounded standard enough. "But falling in love is one of the few ways we can permanently change, even after the venom. It's not that we have predestined soulmates―it's that once we fall in love, that love bonds us for eternity. And because it never fades, there's no such thing as recovering from the loss of a mate."

I tilted my head. "Oh. So…you mate for life. Like beavers."

"Sure, Isabella. Exactly like beavers."

I ignored his look of exasperation and flashed him a grin. "That's a relief!"

"Does this have anything to do with the guilt and regret you've been experiencing every time you look at Irina?"

I smiled weakly. "Perceptive as always, Major."

"It's not the first time," Jasper admitted. "Sometimes, when you look at us, you exhibit peculiar emotions. It's always caught my attention. With Irina especially. What could you possibly have to feel guilty for?"

I gazed down at the frothing currents below my feet with a small grimace. "It's just…there was a vampire she was meant to be with. But he's dead now because of me, and this wedding has her talking about falling in love, but I thought she might not have that chance…"

"…Because you believed them to be soulmates?" Jasper guessed. Rather than being amused by my mistake, he seemed worried.

"Right," I said and heaved a sigh. "Knowing that's not the case…I'm so relieved."

Despite my smile, his expression remained pensive. "Isabella, how do you know this vampire is dead?"

"Oh. I guess you weren't here," I recalled. "It was one of the nomads who attacked Edward and I a few weeks ago. You were in Biloxi."

"Irina was going to fall in love with one of the vampires who attacked our family," he said flatly.

"That's a bit unfair," I admitted, smile sheepish. "In the timeline that I know, he never attacks us, and Carlisle suggests that he visit your cousins to learn more about your lifestyle."

Jasper gazed at me in disbelief. "I was told you and Edward were alone when they attacked. I suppose lack of numbers didn't give him a change of heart?"

I scowled, recalling how I'd reached a similar conclusion myself. "That's right. He was a coward. And a traitor."

"…Sounds to me like you saved Irina a lot of trouble."

"That's not…" I trailed off and shook my head. "Jasper, I don't want to play God. It's not for me to decide…I know Laurent didn't feel as strongly for Irina, but then he was killed by the wolves. Perhaps if he'd been given more time, he could've changed for the better. But then they were attacking Edward and I, and everything was happening so fast, and I never said anything…"

My head shot up at the cool feeling of Jasper's hand gently gripping my wrist. His eyes burned fiercely. "Isabella. Recall what you told us about this future. Why was Laurent killed by the wolves?"

I swallowed thickly, the sour taste of revulsion coating my tongue. "Because he would've killed me otherwise."

"Precisely," he seethed. "Even when given a chance by Carlisle, he remained dishonorable. Falling in love with Irina wouldn't have changed that."

I frowned. "You really think so?"

"I don't think, I know," Jasper glowered. "You made the right call. Don't doubt that for a second. Your safety, and the safety of our family, should always be our top priority. Do you understand?"

I was so touched by his use of 'our family' that I could only nod silently in agreement, throat thick with emotion.

His features softened. "Don't get all tore up about it, Izzy. Irina never even met the damn fool. She'll be alright."

I cleared my throat. The nickname was a surprise, although not an unwelcomed one. "Okay. Thanks, Jazz."

"It's no fuss. You ready to head back?"

"Yeah," I said, accepting his hand as he helped me slide off the boulder and back onto solid ground. "Just, one thing."

Jasper arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Um, I just wanted to say sorry. For, you know, spreading that rumor that you were a serial killer," I mumbled sheepishly.

He barked a sharp laugh. "Don't think you're so clever."

I scrunched my nose. "What? Does that happen often?"

"Sure," he said, much to my surprise. "Although it's usually on account of Emmett."

"Now that doesn't surprise me," I snickered.

"Alright, hop on. You're wasting daylight."

"Yes sir!"

The five hour drive down to Portland was cut nearly in half due to Edward driving at breakneck speeds. Although I hardly complained when we sped past the coast. It was the closest I'd been to the ocean since my death, and the sight from my peripherals created a sick feeling within me, a ripple of hysteria gushing beneath my skin. Edward, sensing my discomfort, somehow went even faster.

Later, when we were close to our destination, I wondered, "Are you going to look for it?" We were exiting the city now and approaching what looked like a series of suburban neighborhoods.

Emerging from whatever thought held him captive, Edward shot me a startled glance. "Look for what?"

I shrugged. "For whatever weird thing Alice saw in Portland." He hadn't shared with me exactly what she'd seen, and for once, I was left at a loss.

"Right," he recalled with a grimace. "That was about the only concrete plan I had. You'll keep in contact?"

"Of course," I assured him. We'd agreed that I would keep him updated via text. I wasn't eager to face another dangerous situation on my own.

A moment later, we entered one of the neighborhoods, and then his car slowed to a halt. "We're here."

I peeked through the dark tinted window and across the green lawn, to a lovely single story house with expansive windows and a peaked roof framed between two sycamore trees.

Edward gripped my hand. "Promise me you'll stay safe?"

I flashed him my best reassuring grin, "Definitely. And you, don't get into any trouble."

"I could never," he smirked briefly, before softening his expression and pressing a kiss against my temple. "I'll see you soon. Call me if you need anything."

"I will," I assured him again, shooting him another smile before slipping out of the car, backpack in hand.

Unfortunately, it was only partly cloudy, and the threat of sunlight kept Edward from being able to walk me to the front door. Instead, he lingered in the car, as I made my way up the stone pathway.

Once I rang the bell, I shifted on my feet, nerves ablaze. It wasn't a mere book that had lead me here, but Azmon himself. I wasn't sure I would get any more answers than he had already provided, but until I talked to this woman, I knew I couldn't let it go. Not yet.

When the door finally flew open, I was surprised to meet the startled brown eyes of a boy not much older than me in my current body. He was tall and handsome, blond hair sweeping stylishly across his forehead.

For a moment, I feared I'd been given the wrong address.

"I'm sorry, is this by chance the residence of Zaire White?"

To my relief, his eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! You must be the guest that Aunt Zee mentioned…although I thought you'd be older."

I could see how a teenager visiting an adult that wasn't a relative might be perceived as weird. "That's me," I shrugged helplessly.

"Come in," he offered, standing to the side.

"Thanks," I said, stepping into the dimly lit hall. As I set my bag down and slipped out of my coat, I introduced myself, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Isabella Swan."

"Riley Biers, at your service," he smiled goofily, shutting the door behind me.

When all I could do was stare at him in bewilderment, he laughed nervously and turned to lead me further into the house. I quickly hung my coat on the rack, and hurried after him, thoughts racing.

"You want anything to drink?" he called over his shoulder once we entered the kitchen.

Somehow, I found my voice, "Water?"

"Sure."

As I watched him pull out a jug of water and a can of coke for himself, I kept reminding myself that Victoria was dead. Riley Biers wouldn't be another casualty in her newborn army from hell. He was just a kid who would be attending college soon. He'd be fine.

"So, do you live with your aunt?" I wondered as I took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Nah. I live down in Santa Fe. I just flew out here for the weekend," he said, setting a glass down on the table and pouring water into it, before sliding it in my direction and taking a seat across from me.

My eyebrows shot up. "Why fly out for only a weekend?"

His grin turned abashed. "I got a little excited. I recently received my acceptance letter into OSU. I came up here to check out the campus."

"Wow! Congratulations," I smiled around a sip of water.

Riley's expression brightened. "Thanks!" He leaned back and opened his soda can with a crack and a hiss and took a gulp. "How do you and Aunt Zee know each other, anyway?"

"Oh, um, I'm a fan of her work."

"…Her work?"

"Yes, her book…"

"Oh! Right. I remember now," he nodded. "She finally got it published!"

"Finally? Did she have trouble finding a publisher for her work?"

"Not at all. She didn't even want to find one. I guess she was just writing it for herself, and then Uncle Ron found it, and insisted that she at least try getting it published," he explained with a small shrug. "I haven't read it myself, but mom said it was brilliant."

My smile turned sad. "Yes, it was very compelling."

"So that's it? She invited a fan of her book to stay over for the weekend?"

"I just sent her a letter," I admitted. "And then she wanted to meet me. So here I am."

"Huh. Strange," Riley said, eyes once again straying towards the kitchen exit, as they had during our entire conversation.

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you?"

His cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh. Kind of. I was about to head out, just before you got here. Aunt Zee wasn't expecting you for another couple hours, so she's out running errands with Uncle Ron."

Of course she hadn't. If Edward didn't drive the way he did, I wouldn't have arrived for another few hours. "Were you going to head down to visit the campus?"

Riley nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

"How about I just go with you?" I suggested, standing from my seat.

"Wait? Seriously?" he scrambled to follow after me.

"Yep! Let's make it an adventure," I shot him a grin over my shoulder. The only other option would be sticking it out alone, and I could easily imagine I'd drive myself mental. There was no way I'd keep Riley stuck here with me. So, going with him it was.

"Sweet!" Riley hurried to put his coat on alongside me and then lead me outside. "Let's go!"

"Somehow, I'm not surprised this is what you meant by exploring the campus," I shouted. The house pulsed in tune with the force of bodies within it, music gushing out in throbbing waves.

Admittedly, we had toured a few of the buildings, and even spoken with a couple of students and professors, but then it got late enough, and we'd somehow gotten invited to a frat house party on the very edge of campus.

"Are you kidding me? This is insane!" Riley whooped.

I rolled my eyes, but didn't bother trying to be heard over the music. And within minutes, we lost sight of each other.

Shoving my way through the thrum of bodies, I eventually stumbled my way into the kitchen. I ignored the crowd converging around the kitchen island playing what looked like beer pong, and instead ducked into the pantry.

"Jack pot!" I cheered, ducking down and pulling out a sealed water bottle from a pack stored at the bottom. I wasn't all too eager to get piss drunk without someone to watch my back, but the house was so congested with people, I could feel the sweat beading along my neck.

Before stepping back out, I made the split decision of stealing the lone box of pop tarts stored in the sparse pantry. Dinner had been skipped in favor of crashing the party, and my stomach grumbled in protest.

I cradled the water and food like it was found treasure and finally exited the turbulent house, in favor of the backyard, where a cool breeze nipped at my face.

Even out here it wasn't safe from drunk partygoers, and after a quick once-over, I decided that the cute bench nearly hidden beneath the branches of a weeping willow was the safest spot for me to eat my pop tarts in peace.

Hopping down the back porch steps, I ducked around small clusters of people and edged carefully around the pool deck, before strolling across the lawn and dropping down onto the bench with a satisfied hum. I'd only taken a single bite of my fudge pop tart when―

"You happen to have any more of those?"

"Shit!" I hissed, spitting out my barely-chewed bite and jumping to my feet. But a frantic search around me revealed I was alone.

"Down here."

"Oh," I mumbled, peeking behind the bench to find a girl sprawled across the lush grass. "Hi."

She squinted up at me and then sat up with a groan, a cascade of loose black curls sticking out oddly from one side. "Hey."

"You know, the hangover isn't usually supposed to come until morning," I pointed out and held another package of pop tarts in front of her.

"Thanks," she grumbled, accepting them. "But I'm not hungover. I have a pretty high tolerance for alcohol."

"If you say so," I shrugged, watching as she stumbled to her feet and dropped onto the bench beside me.

Despite the lack of light, I could tell she was really pretty. The type of pretty that crushed your self esteem with a single glance at her delicate features. Which was saying something considering she was currently flushed red from the alcohol and looked a little disheveled.

"Are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask as I studied her listless expression.

"Not at all," she admitted freely, finally tearing open the bag of pop tarts with her teeth and taking a bite out of one. "Hm. Are these fudge? They're the best!"

"Oh yeah. They're alright," I shrugged, unable to completely subdue the flare of jealousy. Before, they had been the most delicious thing ever created. In Bella's body, they were only alright.

"I'm Isabella," I introduced myself belatedly, watching her enjoy her pop tart with no small amount of disgruntlement.

"Serena," she said between bites, and then noted, "I don't think I've seen you around before."

I shrugged. "It's a pretty big campus."

"Sure, but, attend enough of these parties, and faces start repeating themselves."

I didn't bother explaining I was still a high school student. I doubted I'd ever see her again. "Well, enjoy the view while it lasts."

She snickered and met my gaze. I was startled to notice her eyes glittered a pale, mint green. "Huh. You're not even drunk," she realized. "What's up with that?"

"Designated driver," I said. Not that it had been discussed, but I was pretty sure Riley had already had a few drinks too many.

"Drive?" her nose scrunched in confusion. "You don't live on campus?"

I took a bite of my pop tart and replied around a mouthful, "Nope."

She suddenly leaned closer and―

What the fuck? Did she just sniff me?!

"Hey, what's the big idea?" I scowled, scooting away from her.

But her gaze had suddenly sobered, and she stared at me, features twisted in an odd expression.

I shifted awkwardly. "What?"

"…Why do you smell like vampire?"

A/N: I hope the scene with Jasper was everything y'all were expecting! :3 (If not, go take it up with my lawyer.)

But seriously, let me know how much you liked the chapter! ^.^ I'll try my best to update soon!