Intrigue
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 17
He sensed him before he heard him, so when he finally sat next to him on the cliff, he was ready.
For what? He wasn’t sure. But if there was one thing he’d learned in his years, it was to always be ready.
For anything.
“You love her.”
It was useless to deny it. It’d been plucked right from his mind. “Yep.”
“And Alice?”
He glanced at the mind-reader. “You of all people should know the nature of that relationship. She’s dear to me…a dear friend.”
Edward nodded, then glanced askance. “I won’t give up.”
Jasper arched a brow. “You left her.”
Edward tensed, his tone bitter, “Yes, to keep her safe, out of our world. It didn’t quite work, did it, Jasper?”
“You blame me.”
“You could’ve left her alone.”
The empath inclined his head. “Yes, I could’ve.”
“She’s conflicted,” Edward stated the obvious.
Jasper scoffed. “What gave it away?”
“I…I followed her earlier. She went to a therapist, I overheard.”
Jasper stayed quiet as embarrassment colored Edward’s emotions. “She told him she feels like two people. That the person she is now loves you, but the one she’d locked away—whose memories she’d forgotten—loves me, and it’s as fresh as if it all happened yesterday, as though no time has passed at all.” He ran long fingers through messy hair. “She also told him she can’t trust me because I lied to her and left her.”
The words were out before he could stop them. “You did.”
Righteous indignation flared from Edward. “Yes, and whose fault was that?”
Jasper’s eyes narrowed. “You know what blood-lust feels like.” He looked the mind-reader square in the eye. “Now multiply that by seven ‘cause that’s what I was slammed with that night.”
Grudging remorse leaked from Edward. “I guess I never realized.”
Jasper snorted. “All these years and not one of you ever considered it, but whatever. It’s water under the bridge.”
“We just thought…”
“That my control was shit,” Jasper said with a nod. “Yeah, I picked up on that.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
The empath’s brow arched. “Not in my nature to whine about shit. Besides, what was the point? What could any of you do about it?”
Edward shrugged. “I see your point.” He stayed silent for a moment. “Is that why you left and quit the diet?”
“Among other reasons, yeah.” He looked at the mind-reader. “It’s a relief to not be half starved all the time. Does wonders for the control.”
Edward gave a slow nod before changing the subject. “We had a family meeting.”
“I assume there’s a point in telling me?”
“A forewarning, I guess.”
A muscle ticked in Jasper’s jaw. “Go on, then.”
“We’re going to ask Bella to move into the family home. Stage her death, get it over with.”
It took effort to relax the tension in his body, but he did it. “You’ve talked of turning her, then?”
Edward nodded. “Carlisle thinks it’s best at this point.”
Jasper scoffed and shook his head. This boy…wonder if he can find his own dick without Carlisle’s instruction…
Edward scowled, but Jasper cut off any retorts with a question. “And Bella? What of her thoughts on the matter?”
“I’m going there next. I just thought you should know.”
“You’re being awfully presumptive.”
Edward shrugged. “She always wanted to be a part of the family. Now that it’s clear my efforts to keep her out of our world were futile, I think it best she’s with us.” He turned his head and met the empath’s red gaze. “I told you, I’m not giving up.” His lips quirked bitterly. “May the best man win.”
With that, he pushed to his feet and vanished as Jasper muttered, “Too bad you’re just a boy then, isn’t it?”
He sensed him before he heard him, so when he finally sat next to him on the cliff, he was ready.
For what? He wasn’t sure. But if there was one thing he’d learned in his years, it was to always be ready.
For anything.
“You love her.”
It was useless to deny it. It’d been plucked right from his mind. “Yep.”
“And Alice?”
He glanced at the mind-reader. “You of all people should know the nature of that relationship. She’s dear to me…a dear friend.”
Edward nodded, then glanced askance. “I won’t give up.”
Jasper arched a brow. “You left her.”
Edward tensed, his tone bitter, “Yes, to keep her safe, out of our world. It didn’t quite work, did it, Jasper?”
“You blame me.”
“You could’ve left her alone.”
The empath inclined his head. “Yes, I could’ve.”
“She’s conflicted,” Edward stated the obvious.
Jasper scoffed. “What gave it away?”
“I…I followed her earlier. She went to a therapist, I overheard.”
Jasper stayed quiet as embarrassment colored Edward’s emotions. “She told him she feels like two people. That the person she is now loves you, but the one she’d locked away—whose memories she’d forgotten—loves me, and it’s as fresh as if it all happened yesterday, as though no time has passed at all.” He ran long fingers through messy hair. “She also told him she can’t trust me because I lied to her and left her.”
The words were out before he could stop them. “You did.”
Righteous indignation flared from Edward. “Yes, and whose fault was that?”
Jasper’s eyes narrowed. “You know what blood-lust feels like.” He looked the mind-reader square in the eye. “Now multiply that by seven ‘cause that’s what I was slammed with that night.”
Grudging remorse leaked from Edward. “I guess I never realized.”
Jasper snorted. “All these years and not one of you ever considered it, but whatever. It’s water under the bridge.”
“We just thought…”
“That my control was shit,” Jasper said with a nod. “Yeah, I picked up on that.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
The empath’s brow arched. “Not in my nature to whine about shit. Besides, what was the point? What could any of you do about it?”
Edward shrugged. “I see your point.” He stayed silent for a moment. “Is that why you left and quit the diet?”
“Among other reasons, yeah.” He looked at the mind-reader. “It’s a relief to not be half starved all the time. Does wonders for the control.”
Edward gave a slow nod before changing the subject. “We had a family meeting.”
“I assume there’s a point in telling me?”
“A forewarning, I guess.”
A muscle ticked in Jasper’s jaw. “Go on, then.”
“We’re going to ask Bella to move into the family home. Stage her death, get it over with.”
It took effort to relax the tension in his body, but he did it. “You’ve talked of turning her, then?”
Edward nodded. “Carlisle thinks it’s best at this point.”
Jasper scoffed and shook his head. This boy…wonder if he can find his own dick without Carlisle’s instruction…
Edward scowled, but Jasper cut off any retorts with a question. “And Bella? What of her thoughts on the matter?”
“I’m going there next. I just thought you should know.”
“You’re being awfully presumptive.”
Edward shrugged. “She always wanted to be a part of the family. Now that it’s clear my efforts to keep her out of our world were futile, I think it best she’s with us.” He turned his head and met the empath’s red gaze. “I told you, I’m not giving up.” His lips quirked bitterly. “May the best man win.”
With that, he pushed to his feet and vanished as Jasper muttered, “Too bad you’re just a boy then, isn’t it?”
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.