Chapter 42 - Bella
After mom left, I headed upstairs so that I could shower and get ready for the bonfire. When I walked into the bedroom, Jared was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders. I walked over and stood in between his legs. He placed his hands on my hips. "It's my mother. She does what she thinks is best even if that's not always the case. I think that she worried about me when I was with Edward, even if she never said anything to me about it." I told him.
"Babe, we all worried about you when you were with Edward." Jared said and I looked at him confused. He started rubbing small circles on my right hip with his thumb. It was a comforting gesture. "Sam, Paul and I saw what you were like when they left. You were a zombie babe, comatose. We know now that it was because you were under their…his influence. Yes, Jacob helped you get past that, but I think that it was the whole pack that also helped. When you came back from Italy with them…I'm not gonna lie, I was crushed that you went back to him so easily. I don't know…maybe my Wolf knew that you were ours. Jacob was crushed because he was in love with you. I guess he thought that eventually you would've loved him too." Jared said and I sighed.
"I never felt that way about Jake." I said.
"I know that. It crushed all of us when he started keeping you from coming down here. We all knew how happy you were when you were down here. It was like you were free to be you, down here. Babe, he essentially kept you hostage in a toxic relationship. He kept you in a bubble and only allowed you to do the things that he thought were safe for you. His family…the clothes his sister picked out for you…Babe, if you think about it, it was essentially an abusive relationship." Jared said.
I nodded. "I know. You know, I've thought about it some. If things had happened the way that they should have, you would've imprinted on me the day that I slapped Paul. Then I never would have gone to Italy with Alice to save Edward. I don't know why it took till the Newborn battle for me to finally see things clearly, but I'm glad that I did. I don't want to think about what would have happened if I had married Edward and actually become a vampire." I said.
Jared pulled me slightly closer and leaned his forehead against my stomach. "Fortunately, we don't ever have to find out." Jared said looking back up at me.
"Thank the Spirits for that." I said. "Now I should probably take a shower and get ready." I said and Jared nodded, letting me go.
I made my way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Stripping out of my clothes and stepping into the shower, I thought about everything that had been going on since the Newborn battle. Realizing that my relationship with Edward was toxic. Realizing that I had my whole life ahead of me. Jared imprinting on me. Reconnecting with Leah. Rachel coming home. Kim trying to split up Jared and I. Learning more about Imprinting. My trip to the in-between.
I lot had happened in the short time that Jared and I had been together, but I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.