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XXIII. LIE

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BPOV:

I turned my head sharply around, feeling myself calm down in an instant.

"Jasper!" Esme exclaimed happily. Everybody except Edward and I gushed over at him and welcomed him back. I could see Jasper looking at me more than twice out of my peripheral vision but I couldn't meet his eyes… I was silently waiting for Edward to read his mind and confront me about it, but it never came. He just stood there with a smile, happy to see Jasper back like the rest of his family. Their eyes met and they exchanged a silent greeting.

Maybe I wasn't that big of a deal to Jasper after all. I felt my heart break a little at the thought.

"Would you like to go outside for a bit?" Edward asked me quietly.

"Sure," I squeaked nervously. He doesn't sound upset in any way so I guess he still doesn't have a clue.

Away from the house, I could feel my heartbeat spike again. Edward brushed his cool fingers on mine and when we were a good distance away from the house, he stopped and turned to look at me.

"I know being around Jasper makes you uncomfortable because of what happened on your birthday" he said, "But he told me how sorry he was and I just hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive him too. Maybe if you talk to him he'll give you an apology. He's my brother, and though it doesn't excuse what he did, he's going to be around a lot and it would just make everybody feel bad if you keep on dodging him."

I nodded, glad that he thought of another reason. I didn't even think about that… it seemed so long ago. Like a dream, after everything that happened.

He smiled at me warmly, "Thank you," he said, leaning over and kissing me on the lips lightly. I tried to hold on to him, wanting to take the kiss deeper, make me forget the kiss I shared with Jasper in the rain.

But once again, he resisted and kissed me on the forehead.

I felt defeated.

* * *

I caught up with my chores today, alone at the house. I did my homework and started the dinner, but still found myself out of stuff to do with a few more hours to spare until Charlie gets home.

I finally convinced Edward to go and hunt for a while, his eyes had been the darkest I've ever seen them and I knew he was having a hard time. It touched my heart that he couldn't leave me but I wasn't as affected by him leaving than I was before…maybe because I've been without him for too long.

I flipped through the channels on the TV, looking for something worthwhile but none of them caught my eye. I tried reading a book, but it didn't get me anywhere; I just felt even more utterly bored and restless. Finally deciding to drive around town for a bit, I put my hoodie on and got my keys.

As I stepped out of the house and walked towards the Chevy, I gazed at the late afternoon sky. It wasn't raining again and I wanted to bask in the orange light coming from the setting sun before I had to endure weeks of rain again.

Edward was here. I'm happy. I could go back to the tree house again… right? Before I could think about it properly, I found myself walking to the woods behind our house, up the familiar trek and into the clearing where the tree house stood as if I'd been there yesterday. Nothing changed. I climbed up carefully, wincing as I remembered the ugly fall I almost had if Jasper hadn't caught me.

I reached the trapdoor and opened it, poking my head inside. To my surprise, I found a duffel bag lying there along with a familiar sketchbook and an impressive set of charcoal pencils. He's been here. My curiosity got the better of me and I shoved myself inside, sat down and reached for the sketchbook. It was filled with drawings of me, of my face, and--some of them--just my eyes. I flipped through the pages, reaching the last one where he drew a very vivid sketch of his face. It was a beautiful drawing, but it didn't do him justice. Below written in his manly script were the following words:

I would never leave you.

I felt my heart warm up as I traced each letter with my fingers. I reached over the duffel bag after a while and opened the zipper. It was filled with different kinds of fireworks along with a small silver lighter. As I stood, I took the bag with me and opened the flap on the roof and carefully pushed myself up.

A few stars were appearing and the sky was ever so slowly turning from indigo to a deep blue. I sat down and lit one of them up, making a bright explosion of gold burst into the near-darkness. I lit more of them up and watched in awe as each of them shot to the sky. They were so amazing.

"Bella," I heard a voice call my name.

I knew who it was immediately. Peeking back into the tree house, I saw Jasper there with a carefully guarded look in his face. I smiled at him and beckoned him to come up with me. He smiled back and was beside me in a flash.

I handed him a sparkler and lit it up, doing the same to another one and holding it in my hand.

"Have you…?" he began, but I already knew what he was going to ask.

"No, I haven't told him anything."

"Anything?"

I nodded. "He didn't read your mind, I guess?"

"I've been with Edward for decades, I know how to guard myself around him," he said simply. I was right, after all.

We were silent for a while, watching our sparklers die out.

"You should tell him." He said finally. "At least the bit about Mike. Just to begin with. He would know once you're back in school tomorrow anyway."

"Jasper…" I started, and then stopped to clear my throat, biding my time. "What about--?"

"It's not the time to talk about it. Edward's back now, Bella. And you're happy."

Well, I am happy right now. Because I found out that Jasper and I were okay. We're talking and lighting up sparklers, just like before.

"It's the first time I've been back here." I told him. "I only received your gifts today,"

"That's okay, I figured as much," he replied with a grin. "I wouldn't have come back here too, if I were you."

"I almost never did," I said bitterly. "I almost left,"

"And you had enough reason to do so," he said. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Bella."

"If Edward hadn't come home at the last minute, I would have never gone back here," I said honestly.

"But he did. And you're happy," he said again. "You are, aren't you?"

He looked at me skeptically, then I remembered he was an empath.

"I am," I said defensively. "This is what I wanted,"

The moment I said it, I realized it wasn't true.