"Bella..."
Her heart was lodged in her throat as she ran through the never-ending darkness of the night. The sound of leaves rustling in the trees told her she was back in the forest. When did she get back here? Where was everyone?
Bella's feet stomped harshly against the dirt as she ran as if her life depended on it. Her head whipped around her face as she looked over her shoulder with wide eyes—searching for whatever or whoever kept calling her name.
Why? Why am I running? What am I running from?
Fear spiked her desperation, urging her never to stop running. Her pants filled the void of the silent forest and continued even as she tripped over the roots of a tree that stuck out of the earth.
Bella shut her eyes, bracing herself for the fall that would surely hurt. But it never came. Instead, a pair of strong arms caught her, pulling her close to a broad chest. For a moment, she felt safe. Safer than she has in a long time...
Her eyes fluttered open, and she was greeted by the pale full moon shining down on the field of flowers in the meadow.
Edward's meadow...
"Bella, why are you running, love?"
Tilting her head up, Bella finally relaxed as she saw Edward's pale chiseled face coming into view. His hands cupped the back of her head as he bent down, his lips barely grazing hers with a whisper of a kiss before—like always—he pulled away, leaving her feeling rejected and alone all over again.
He stepped out of her arms before she could hold onto him properly just as the voice of another echoed behind them.
"Does the human want to play?" Bella's blood went cold, and the familiar life-altering fear she grew to know last year in Phoenix—in that forsaken ballet studio—came rushing back as she looked over Edward's shoulder and stared at the red-eyed vampire that haunted her dreams even though he was dead.
"N-no...Edward—" Bella turned to find that Edward was no longer standing beside her. Instead, he turned his back on her and smiled at James. A wicked, soulless grin that she'd never seen on his face before. Bella reached out for him, but it wasn't Edward's hands that took a hold of hers this time.
James's sneered at her as he pulled her forward, his hands traveling up her arms and keeping her close enough that she could smell the metallic scent of blood on his breath. Human blood.
"I've wanted to do this for a very long time, Isabella. You have no idea."
She tried to back away, but then another set of arms stopped her, gripping her shoulders until her bones started to hurt. Peering up with fear in her eyes, she caught Edward looking down at her; his own eyes were now identical to James's. Blood red.
No...
When Edward spoke this time, it was lifeless. "It'll only hurt for a second, Bella. Then we can be together. Then you can be mine. Forever. You won't be worthless anymore."
Bella parted her lips, about to protest that she didn't want any of this. Not if it meant she was going to kill humans too. Not if she would become a monster like James.
No...
"Edward!" James stopped her from running away. Edward turned his back on her without another word and disappeared into the forest, leaving her all along with her tormentor.
She stared into the blood-red eyes of the nomad as he parted his lips, and his fangs grew closer and closer to her neck. She tried fighting him, to shove his hands away as they held her in place.But it was all in vain. "Stop! Please!"
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she let out a scream, right as his venomous fangs bit into her flesh.
Her blood spilled from her neck as he feasted on her list like he wanted to and when she finally stopped fighting him, fire began igniting her entire body and the unending pain followed...
"Bella! Wake up! I don't know what's wrong with her!" A delicate voice said, sounding more frightened than she felt right now.
Someone was screaming—a gut wrenching, terrible scream that made her cringe.
Cold hands cupped her wet cheeks even as she thrashed against them.
Then, finally, the screaming stopped, and she realized when the ache in her throat began that it had been her who had been screaming this whole time.
No, no, no! Someone, please—
"Bella, open your eyes." A startling wave of calm fell over her, like snowflakes falling on her face and melting against her warm skin.
Jasper? "Yes, darlin'. It's me. I'm here."
Had she said that out loud? Slowly, she began to feel things other than bone-chilling fear as peace and love became a blanket over her trembling body. Her pounding heart was slowing down and her breaths, though shallow, began to follow suit.
"Please open your eyes." Jasper's pleading voice made her shiver as the smell of cinnamon and fall filled the cold air around her. "Open them for me, Bella."
Focusing on the feel of his large hands cupping her cheeks, she released her hold in that horrible dread in her stomach. She slowly opened her eyes, preparing herself to see Edward or James standing over her—keeping her locked away without any chance of help. She blinked away the tears, feeling them roll down the sides of her face as her vision cleared.
Jasper kneeled on the bed, hovering over her with a strained look on his beautiful face.
Beautiful...
Jasper's lips quirked slightly though there wasn't an ounce of humor in his golden eyes. Had she said that out loud too?
Swallowing hard, pushing past the dry feeling in her throat, Bella looked around the room warily.
"You're safe," Jasper reassured her, feeling her worry seeping into him. His thumbs swiped over her cheeks as more tears rolled down her face. "It's just you and me. Edward won't go near you."
Bella's heart ached at the mention of his name, but not for the same reasons it had hours ago. Now it was because she was afraid of him. Worried that he'll come back and...
With a dry-sounding whimper, Bella curled into herself as she laid on her side, clamping her mouth shut as she tried to hold back a sob that built up in her stomach, traveled up her lungs, and through her chest—shaking her entire body.
The calm continued fighting the despair.
Just a dream. It had been a dream that felt so real. His hands gripping her shoulders, his cold touch feeling so foreign now. As if it wasn't her Edward at all. Not the kind, warm, and protective Edward that she'd fallen in love with.
"Bella?" Jasper's voice pulled her back before she could fall what felt like an endless spiral of dark emotions.
She couldn't find her voice to tell him she was sorry, that she was alright and he could leave if he wanted to. A big part of her didn't want to say that at all. She wanted Jasper here with her, holding her and casting away all the bad that followed her nightmares.
Her shining eyes met his in the dimly lit room. Jasper slid his hands away from her face, instead reaching for her hands that were closed into fists, stopping her nails from digging into the skin of her palms.
Jasper's cool touch soothed her instantly, tiny tingles running across her fingers and palms the moment her hand held his.
"Bad dream," she forced the words out.
Jasper nodded, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"I...no..." Bella couldn't stop trembling as she buried her head deeper into the pillow, letting the thick covers of the duvet swallow up her petite body. "I'm okay. I'm sorry."
"You're not okay, don't pretend to be. Not with me." His blunt words stung, but the ones that followed were tender and kind, "Would you like me to stay and help keep you calm while you sleep?"
Bella stared down at their interlocked hands for a long moment, her hands gripped his tighter, and Jasper reciprocated. His touch was so gentle...
"I'm not a burden to you?" She whispered, almost too afraid to know the answer to that.
Why? Why did it matter what Jasper thought of her? Why is the thought of him confirming what she thought about herself making her feel sick to her stomach?
Jaspe frowned, "What? Of course not. Did he say that to you?" The anger laced in his words were not lost on her. She released a shuddering breath. Bella couldn't deny it. Not to herself or Jasper. That had been what Edward implied, wasn't it?
You were just a means to an end.
Get over yourself.
"Talk to me, darlin'. Don't go away," Jasper urged, his hand tightening around hers as if she were indeed fading away, going somewhere he couldn't reach her. In reality, her mind wanted the escape, and Jasper could see it in her eyes. "I'm here, Bella."
"Jasper. Did Edward...did he ever love me?" She hated how small she felt. How utterly pathetic she felt she had become.
"Yes." He answers truthfully. "He did love you. In his own way."
Her voice shook as a strained sob left her, "Then why did he do that to me? If I wasn't good enough, why couldn't he just leave me instead of..."
Jasper closed his eyes as she cried softly. "I don't know, Bella. I wish I did. You have no idea how sorry I am that this is happening." It sounded like he wanted to say something more but refrained. Instead, he brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear, making her shiver against his gentle touch, "But know this, you are so much more than he deserved and he will never lay a hand on you again."
As soon as he spoke those words, however, whatever urge she felt to be honest with Jasper was swiftly washed away. Replaced with a cold, hollow feeling in her heart.
Her eyes drifted closed, and she released his hands, even though it pained her to do so for some reason.
Even though she wanted to be held...by Jasper.
"It's not important anymore."
The pained look on Jasper's face was imprinted in her mind, and it remained even when she opened her eyes again.
"Can you stay with me? I don't—I can't see him again. I don't want to dream of him..."
"I'll stay if that's what you want."
Jasper tucked the covers up over her shoulders as he sat up on the bed and leaned against the headboard. His fingers gently massaged her scalp to ease the discomfort she felt coursing through her, flowing towards him.
Bella didn't know why but she let him soothe her, comfort her in such a tender way that was so unlike the distant, stoic Jasper she'd come to know.
"I'm sorry." She whispered as she looked up.
His expression was unreadable for a moment until he sensed her gaze was still on him, felt the awe she felt towards the empath who didn't seem repulsed or annoyed by her. His eyes were so kind.
"Shh," he soothed, his long fingers running through her hair, "Sleep, Bella. I won't let the dreams come back, I promise."
Bella's brown eyes fluttered shut, wanting to watch him closely but the wave of lethargy that took over swept her away into a peaceful sleep.
Jasper made sure she didn't feel anything other than warmth and comfort for the rest of the night. The dreams didn't come back to haunt her again. There was no Edward and no James coming to torment her.
There was only Jasper caressing her face as he wiped away her tears. And his gift, protecting her all night long—both of them attempting to heal what had been broken.
Thanks for reading x
