10.
The air goes still in the room as Jasper watches me. It feels as if my heartbeat slows; its sluggish thump thump pounds in my ears.
"What would you say if I told you it's not as far-fetched as you think?" he asks.
"What?"
"What if I told you that vampires do exist?"
"I'd say I made a mistake in coming here." I scoff, turning back to the window. "I need someone to help me make sense of everything, not someone who's as crazy as I am."
"Bella?" When I don't turn around, he repeats, "Bella, please look at me."
When I do, I'm met with his earnest gaze.
"You're not crazy," he says softly. "Vampires really do exist."
"But … how?"
He shrugs, leaning forward in his chair. "How does any of this exist?" he asks, waving a hand toward the window. "The complexities of the world and everything in it are, for the most part, beyond our comprehension, but it doesn't make them any less real."
"How do you know about them?"
Something dark shines in his eyes. "You could say I've had my own experiences. And everything you've told me leads me to think they're responsible for your husband's disappearance."
"Disappearance? You don't think he's dead?" I rasp, his words a lifeline I grasp onto. My vision clouds and my throat tightens.
He's contemplative for a moment before saying, "I don't think so. If they had drained him"—I flinch at his choice of words—"they would have left him in that alley. And you wouldn't be here talking to me."
"But I don't understand! Why am I still alive? And why didn't they take me, too? Why was I spared?" My breaths come too fast, so fast it feels like I can't breathe. "Why—"
"Slow down, Bella." He rises from his chair, approaching me slowly and reaching me before I hyperventilate. "Deep, even breaths."
His cool hands and gentle touch on my arms ground me, and I do as he tells me. My thoughts are a whirlwind, so I focus on my breathing.
"That's good," he encourages. "That's good, Bella."
Once I catch my breath, I whisper, "If you think he's still alive, why hasn't he contacted me again?"
"Again?"
Fumbling, I pull my cell phone from my pocket, opening the app and handing it over. "He texted me that night. A few times."
Jasper's chilled fingers brush over mine as he takes it from me and scrolls through the messages. "Hmm." He looks up from the screen. "And he hasn't reached out to you since?"
I shake my head. "No."
He opens his mouth but pauses, thinking better of it before snapping it closed.
"What?"
"I'd like to visit the alley where he was last seen and the woods where you were found … if that's okay with you."
"Why?"
"Because … I think I can help you." He looks at my phone then back to me. "Because you deserve answers. I want to help you find him."