"Edward!" Bella squealed as silently as she could when she felt him wrap around her in bed. The sudden coldness of his skin was jarring, but she blinked her eyes open and smiled at him nonetheless.
"You're going to wake your father." He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "How was your day?"
"Probably boring compared to yours." She snuggled closer to him, an instinct she needed to learn to fight, since it didn't exactly warm her up. "How was wresting animals all day? What did you catch?"
"Let's see." His eyes sparkled. "Two mountain lions, a few deer. There was a bear, but I was too full for it."
"Have you ever killed a rabbit?"
Edward laughed. "You'd like to see that wouldn't you?"
"Yes. Well, no. They're pretty cute, are they not?" She wiggled closer with the best of her ability, given her arm. She had taken off the sling for her shower, and she hadn't put it back on. "Cute things deserve your mercy, Edward."
He leaned down and kissed her, and it took her breath away. The coldness of his lips jolted her awake. She didn't want to go back to sleep. She couldn't. Not with the heat coursing through her body, battling the drastic change in temperature.
Bella rose on her good arm to position herself properly. Her tongue swept over his mouth multiple times, but he wouldn't open up. Huffing through the kiss, she pressed her body closer. Her breasts were firmly against his chest, and the thin tank top was doing her all the favors.
She felt his hand on her cheek, and she placed two of hers on his face. She didn't want him to stop. She wanted this to end the way it was supposed to. But he pulled away, pushing gently on her cheek.
"You said it would be better," she said immediately, and she realized how childish she sounded. She was pouting at him.
"It is better. I just don't want to hurt you." And then he noticed her arm. "Bella, your sling."
"Forget about the sling." She sat up and crossed her legs while he lay on his side. "Edward, I want you. Is that so hard to tell?"
He seemed to be fighting himself, and Bella wanted the reckless teenage boy in him to win for once. But he lost. As always. But this time, he gave her a reason. "It's a modern era, but I'd like to hold onto my values."
"Values?"
His face turned into something so pure, Bella felt horridly underdressed in a tank and shorts. "I want you everyday, and every moment. But I'd like to marry you before then."
Bella should have expected this. And perhaps she had, because she wasn't as surprised as she thought she would be.
"You don't believe in sex before marriage," Bella stated evenly.
"It was a different time. But my beliefs still hold."
And what kind of girlfriend would Bella be if she didn't respect his beliefs? "I understand, Edward." But maybe she could negotiate. Instantly, a devilish smile graced her face. "But let's talk about your definition of sex."
Edward smiled and kissed her nose. "I'm courting you, Miss Swan. I should hardly be in your bed."
Bella sighed and placed her head back down onto her pillow next to him. "You're so unexpected." And had he just laid out his intentions to propose? No. Bella closed her eyes. It had hardly been three months.
She felt fingers in her hair, and the cool felt nice. Edward spoke gently, "I hope you don't hold it against me."
Bella hadn't been in a situation like this before, and given his tone, and the look on his face, she felt inappropriate for suggesting anything remotely sexual between them. She should really change out of her racy pjs.
All of her other boyfriends had always been more than eager. But maybe this was good? Their emotional connection would take priority, which, as Bella thought about it, could be refreshing.
So, she said, "No, Edward. Of course not. I respect your boundaries."
It was a Sunday morning, and Edward was gone by the time Bella woke. She went through a quick morning routine before enjoying breakfast with her father. The little things, she noticed, were what made her life so enjoyable. When Charlie handed her her first mug of coffee for the day, she took in the aroma before letting herself indulge in her first sip. Charlie had the newspaper folded to the sports section on the dining table, and Bella loved that he bought the physical paper even to this day.
After saying goodbye to her father, she headed back upstairs to go over some reading for the week. The first thing she noticed was that Edward was sitting on her bed. She also noticed that he had already made up the sheets for her.
"I need you to pack some clothes," he said, his voice a little too serious for a calm Sunday morning.
Bella tiptoed to him and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Good morning. Where are we going?"
"You'll stay with us for a few days until things are more certain." He was already up and rummaging through her drawers. And where on earth had he found that duffel bag?
"Edward, hold on." She hadn't even brushed her teeth. "What's happening?"
"James is dead, but that apparently doesn't mean this is over. I need you to stay close until we figure this out."
Bella watched as he dumped clothes into the bag. "You can't be serious. What about Charlie?"
"We'll make rounds," he said. "Don't worry about Charlie. What she wants is you."
Bella took a step back as he moved past her to the bathroom. He was grabbing her skin care, hair supplies, anything and everything he knew that she used.
"Edward, I don't—I didn't agree to this." She stepped up uncertainly to the bathroom threshold.
"This is for your protection," he said vehemently, giving her a look. "How do you not see this?"
He didn't wait for her to respond, and he was already back in her room. Exasperated, Bella circled back. When she found him, he was going through her phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Where did Charlie go?" He asked, his thumb still scrolling.
"Fishing," she gritted out.
"I'm texting him that you'll be sleeping over at… Emma's."
Bella rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I hardly know Emma."
"Charlie doesn't know that." He showed her the screen with the text message. "Look good?"
"No!" Bella exclaimed, but Edward was too fast for her to grab her phone. "Edward, please."
"We need to go." He came up to her, but seemed to stop herself. "Let me get my car, and let me drive you."
Bella crossed her arms, the pain of her shoulder worsening her mood. "Is this you asking me or telling me?"
"Don't do this," he pleaded and handed her the duffel bag. "Please pack anything else you need. Expect to be gone for a few days."
Bella saw the fear in his eyes, and wondered if she was being irrational. But before she could get anything else out, Edward was gone, and she was left with this stupid duffel bag that she hadn't seen since high school.
She dejectedly eyed her room. Carefully shutting the drawers Edward had opened, she thought of the three vampires that had intruded the Cullens' baseball session. James, Laurent, and Victoria. She could picture them clearly—the adrenaline from her injury had heightened her senses enough for her to lock down onto the predators with surprising recall.
Now, as she entered the Cullens' home with Edward, she found the entire family congregated in the living room. And by entire family, it was the entire family—Jasper included.
Emmett sat with Rosalie on the loveseat. Carlisle and Esme were beside Alice on the sectional. And Jasper was standing right in the middle of the room.
"Bella," Carlisle was the one that spoke first. He had his hand on his wife's knee. "We're glad you're here."
Bella didn't respond, because she couldn't. There was a burst of energy in the room and it took her a moment to comprehend what she was seeing. She heard murmurs, but it was just sped up conversation that she could barely understand. And then one by one, she watched members of the family disappear. First, it was Alice, and then Emmett followed soon after.
She turned to see the front door close, and when she looked back, only Esme and Jasper were in the living room.
She dropped the duffel bag onto the floor and stared in disbelief. Her mind couldn't process the disorienting blur that was the last few seconds. She looked around once more to make sure that Edward was truly gone.
"What is going on?" She asked, a little delirious.
Esme stood from the sectional. "They've left to go patrol for Victoria. Don't worry, the routes we've drawn out intersect with your house. Charlie will be fine." Esme glanced at Jasper. "I'm going to join Carlisle. We'll double up."
Jasper gave her one firm nod, then looked at Bella, who seemed to be losing her mind. But then, she wasn't. She found an eerie sense of comfort in this living room as her feet mindlessly took her to the sectional. She let herself plop down, letting the cushions envelop her. It felt like she had a very calming weighted blanket draped over her. She removed her shoes and pulled her legs onto the couch.
She turned her head to Jasper, and she noted how bitter she sounded when she said, "Aren't you going to leave as well?"
"Six of us are more than enough to cover the ground we planned to."
"And you got the lucky draw to stay with me?"
Jasper remained standing. "It's a skill to be able to patrol effectively. This is a great opportunity for training."
Training? Bella gave him an odd look. "And what about you?"
"What about me?"
Bella sighed. She didn't get answers for anything, and she didn't expect to get any today. "Do I have a room, or am I setting up in the living room?"
"That's a question for Esme."
But Esme just disappeared into thin air.
Bella felt as if she were wading through water. She felt slow when she lifted her hand and stared at it. Why did her skin her feel so numb?
"Are you doing this?" She asked.
"Yes."
It was a simple answer, and at least he was honest. And if Bella was being honest, she appreciated it. She had woken up that morning feeling refreshed, but now she felt absolutely drained. Whatever Jasper was doing just made it so that she couldn't feel it.
But then his gift seemed to recede, and she noticed how exhausted she really felt. Her eyes were closed, and when she opened them, she was alone.
Was she alone?
She looked around the deserted living room. There was a large, fake fireplace on display—the synthetic flames dancing ferociously beneath a large flatscreen. She twisted around to look at the large kitchen that belonged in a Crate & Barrel catalog. An unusual, rebellious side of her wanted to empty out the fake fruit on the counter and watch it pour over the kitchen floor. She wanted to plaster her hand on the glass of the microwave and smudge it to no end. Really, she wanted some semblance that people lived here.
She got up and grabbed her duffel bag, rummaging through it to find her book. Another English classic for her literature class.
"Jasper?" She called. "Are you still here?"
And as if he were the genie granting her wishes, he appeared on the grand staircase behind her. He hadn't made a sound, but they couldn't entirely be silent when they moved through air—Bella thought of the sound a tennis racket made when you swung it too quickly. The whoosh.
Bella twisted to face him. "Can I read in your library?"
He stood, statuesque, his head cocked to the side. His expression was unreadable when he bowed his head and gestured for her to come up.
Leaving her bag, she climbed the stairs and followed him to his room. Why had she requested his company? Perhaps the Victoria issue had truly rattled her, and being alone wasn't good for her at the moment.
The smokiness in Jasper's room lingered, though none of the candles were lit this time. The long curtains were still drawn tightly, and there seemed to be a fresh layer of dust over everything.
Bella plopped down on the same armchair as before and flipped open her book in her lap. That was when she noticed that Jasper hadn't even entered the room. He lingered by the threshold.
"What?" Bella flipped through her pages. "Don't tell me you're not allowed to be in the same room as me."
She had been joking, though her tone still had a bitter edge. But Jasper didn't return her smile, so she tried again. "Edward's not here, right? Scandalous."
Jasper still remained mute. It was as if he had materialized into stone right at the doorway. Ludicrously, Bella felt like asking him—what are you thinking?
She looked down at her book. But maybe—just maybe—this was Jasper's way of showing respect. In Edward's time—what, early 1900s?—was it weird to be alone with a female unless there was a direct intention? Bella realized that she hadn't thought of this—that most of the Cullens had a point of origin that was simply old. The current norms and values may feel odd or even unacceptable to them.
"Are you older than Edward?" She asked him suddenly.
"Yes."
She looked up, a little disappointed that his facade hadn't cracked. "Are you older than Carlisle?"
"No."
"One more question."
Jasper looked at her expectedly.
"Do you ever speak in more than two sentences?"
He merely watched her, unaffected. "We shouldn't be speaking at all."
"Really? Why not?"
But Bella could already guess. You're a lady, and you've already been promised to another. No conversation can ever happen between us. She felt like she was in the book that she was about to start reading.
Bella caught how Jasper's red eyes had widened slightly, and when he spoke, his tone turned teasing, but she knew there were serious undertones in his voice. His answer wasn't what she expected. "Because we're not the same."
She paused, digested his words, then rolled her eyes inwardly. She looked back down at her book. "Speciesism. Not a good look on you."
"Prancing around with predators. Terrible look on you."
The conversation was not what Bella had imagined. No, Jasper didn't want to talk to her because she was… beneath him? Her eyes darted to his, but he wasn't angry. He was amused. Perhaps she should be angry. "Prancing?"
"Is there a better term for it?"
"How about dating?" She asked, in a strange, defensive tone. "You do realize, I am Edward's girlfriend. He also just happens to be a vampire. This is a mutual arrangement."
Jasper didn't say anything to that. Whatever opinions or thoughts he had, he seemed to decide to keep to himself.
"Silence disqualifies you," Bella said, in that same, defensive manner. "I'm taking that as a win."
But he didn't seem to mean it when he eventually responded, "You win, Edward's Bella."
A/N: Bella perceptions aren't always correct. And can we talk about how she chooses to respect Edward's boundaries, but doesn't quite get the same treatment in return?
