Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Chapter 6: Hello Answers

I didn't dream.

After discovering that Edward was a vampire, I expected my dreams to be filled with bloodsucking monsters and horror. But they weren't. I didn't dream at all.

I assumed that my mind may have gone into some kind of overload. As I jogged, I wondered if I should be afraid of Edward. Should this new piece of information change all of my feelings about him? Did anything really change besides my new found knowledge?

Edward was the same person. He was the same person that sought out friendship with me. The same person who could make me smile. He saved my life, he showed me kindness. Even though he'd been ignoring me, I still looked forward to just being in his presence.

I didn't pay attention to Bella as I ate breakfast or when we rode to school. When we pulled in the parking lot my heart thundered as I saw the silver Volvo in its usual spot. Would I confront him? Would I just walk up to him and tell him I know his secret?

By the time lunch came around, I still hadn't seen him. I decided to eat in the cafeteria in hopes of seeing him with his family. As soon as I entered the cafeteria, I saw Edward having, what seemed to be, a heated discussion with Alice.

They both stopped talking and looked in my direction causing my cheeks to warm. Edward said something else and then walked swiftly out of the side door. Alice's tiny hands formed fists before she stalked over and sat with Emmett and Rosalie.

As I walked over to the lunch line, Jessica stepped in front of me. "Hi, Jasper."

"Hey, how's it goin'?" I was a little wary because I could tell that she wanted something, I just wasn't sure what.

"Um, actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. Is now a good time?"

I shrugged and placed a container of milk and a club sandwich on my tray. "Yeah, sure. What's up?"

"There's a Sadie Hawkins dance this Saturday and it's, um, girl's choice of course. So I was wondering if you'd want to go. With me, I mean."

"Oh," I said uncomfortably. "I appreciate the offer. But I already have plans this Saturday."

She fixed her face in what she thought was attractive pout. "What kind of plans?"

I frowned at her insistence. "The busy kind. Besides, I don't think Mike would appreciate it if I went to the dance with you."

"Mike?" She quickly looked over at him. "You think Mike might care?"

I paid for my lunch and hers then carried our trays to the table. "I know Mike would care." I whispered the last bit and winked at her. Her face turned crimson and she said a quiet thank you before sitting down.

Lunch passed with me watching the door for Edward to come back. He didn't. In my distraction, I had somehow agreed to go with Jessica, Angela, and Bella to Port Angeles for the evening. Apparently, Jessica and Angela wanted a male's opinion of the outfits they wanted to purchase for the dance.

I had hoped that my French class would pass quickly but luck wasn't on my side. The teacher put us into groups of three to work on an assignment. I had to work with Rosalie and a quiet girl named Lucy. I noticed that she was less than thrilled with working with me and the feeling was entirely mutual.

The girl, Lucy, was pleasant enough. She was a little awestruck by Rosalie's beauty but managed to complete her part. Rosalie and I sat as far away from each other as possible. I could just feel the darkness rolling off her. Boredom, unhappiness, misery.

I finished quickly and handed my paper to Lucy, letting her check over everything. Rosalie glared at me, annoyed beyond reason. My body struggled under her stare. The word vampire kept popping in my head. Lucy was oblivious to the tension and chattered on about something in the book. Rosalie's golden eyes turned darker as she watched me. The contempt intensified as she looked down her nose at me.

I clenched my jaw because I hated being around her. I hated her emotions. I hated her glare. I hated that I had to work on this assignment with her. I hated the assignment. I hated the desk. I hated my pencil.

I gripped it so hard that it snapped in my hand. A piece of wood wedged itself in my thumb and a drop of blood oozed to the surface.

I looked at Rosalie in panic. Would she attack me? Would I die?

Her eyes were completely black as she stared at my thumb. I gasped as her hate faded to hunger. She looked at me and I watched her put the pieces together.

She knew.

She knew that I knew. Her lips peeled back over her startling white teeth in the most frightening expression I had ever seen. I stumbled out of my seat and asked to be excused to the restroom.

My limbs felt shaky so I sat down by the lockers in the hallway. I breathed in and out, calming myself the only way I knew how. I didn't return to class until the bell rang. Rosalie was still there. She stood to her full height which was at least five inches shorter than me. Her eyes were full of accusations.

She opened her mouth to speak, but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to even be in the same room as her. I grabbed my books and made a hasty exit.

I was still jittery in my next class. Emmett ignored me but even he felt grim about something. His normally smiling face was drawn, making him even more intimidating. By the time school was over, I was a paranoid mess. Edward's Volvo whipped out of the parking lot and I watched it go with dread.

I obviously wasn't supposed to know anything about them. Were they deciding my fate?

Bella and I rode to Port Angeles in our usual silence. We still hadn't been talking much. The conversations we did have were superficial. My mind continued to jump to the Cullens while Bella seemed to be in deep thought as well. We soon arrived at the store then Angela and Jessica started looking through the racks.

I was incredibly bored as the girls tried on their dresses. Bella pulled out a book and ignored everyone completely. I just stared out the window and watched people walk by. I could hear the girls arguing but still didn't look over at them.

"What do you think, Jasper?" Jessica stood in front of me with a skin tight green dress. The neckline plunged causing her breasts to spill over. She gave an awkward twirl and looked at me hopefully.

I cleared my throat, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. "I think it's a really nice color."

She waited me for say more but was disappointed by my short answer. She and Angela continued to bicker over the dress while I decided that I'd had enough.

"Bella," I whispered. "I pretty sure I'm at my limit."

Bella glanced up from her book with a smile, her large brown eyes twinkling in amusement. "You lasted longer than I thought you would."

I nudged her side, making her giggle. "I'm headin' out to look around for a while. You'll be ok here?"

"Yeah, I saw a book store next door. I might stop in there for a while."

After I left the store, I walked around for a few blocks. It was nice just to enjoy the crisp air.

I walked into a music store with a content smile. I walked straight to the guitars and just stared. My hands twitched by my side, longing to touch the strings. I closed my eyes and remembered my mom sitting on a chair, struggling to play a Beatles' song. It took her a month just to get a few chords but she was so happy doing it.

The soothing sounds of a piano filled the air and I automatically walked towards it. I stopped in shock when I recognized the player. "Blake?"

His ice blue eyes snapped open and a wide smile stretched his russet skin. "Jasper, how are you?"

He stood to shake my hand and towered over me. He seemed to have grown about four inches in the last month. "Did you go through a growth spurt?"

He dismissed my question with a shrug. We talked for a while about his skills on the piano. He told me that he taught himself when he was six on his grandma's old piano.

"So you were like a child prodigy?"

His face tinted red. "That's what my mom says but I don't know."

I learned that he was also a senior in high school. We actually had a few colleges in common on our wish lists. Time seemed to fly and I had the most fun I'd had in weeks. Blake was incredibly easy to talk to and laid back. We exchanged phone numbers promising to get together every once in a while to hang out.

After he left I looked at the guitars again with a goofy smile on my face, still feeling warm from my conversation with him. My phone vibrated, alerting me that I had a text message.

I'm all done here. You need more time? –Bella

It had already started to get dark so I decided to leave the shop, waving to the lady at the register.

I'm done. On my way to the truck now. -J

After I sent the text to Bella, I walked past a couple of bars and saw an alley that would take me directly to the spot Bella parked. It would shave at least 10 minutes off my walk. Right as I turned into the alley, I noticed a group of guys behind me talking loudly and laughing. Even without my gift, I could tell they were drunk.

"You think you're tough? The only person you fight is you wife," one of the guys said. The rest laughed openly.

"Shut up, Lonny!"

I sped up my pace slightly, trying to get away from them. I silently cursed my decision to walk down this alley.

"What about that guy? You think you can take him or is he not small enough?"

"I said shut up!" His pace quickened and I could tell he was trying to get to me. A couple of guys appeared at the end of the alley, blocking my exit. I had no choice but to stop and face them.

I turned around slowly. "Look fellas, I'm not lookin' for any trouble."

The guy closet to me was about five inches shorter with small arms and a protruding belly. Someone behind him finally broke the silence. "You say anything about trouble, Frank?"

Frank smiled at me drunkenly. "I didn't say anything about trouble, Lonny. Maybe we just want to see how a cowboy like yourself can fight."

I quickly looked around for any objects I could use to defend myself when I saw a broken metal pipe lying on the ground. I picked it up and held it in front of me defensively.

"Stay away from me," I said in a loud voice. Two of the guys were already feeling bored with this scene. They didn't want an actual fight to occur.

"Just leave the kid alone, Frank," one of the guys said.

The guy named Lonny was actually excited at the thought of seeing a fight. "Yeah, Frank. Don't embarrass yourself by letting this kid knock you out. Why don't you just go back home to your wife and smack her around a few more times?"

Frank took his rage that was directed at Lonny and looked at me. He felt desperate, as if fighting me would make him more of a man. He charged at me, but I was quicker. With a swipe of the pipe, I hit his right knee with a deafening crack. Frank howled in pain, clutching his knee. A couple of the guys snickered but made no move to help him.

I saw a glint of metal as Lonny pulled out a pocket knife. "Now I just don't think it's fair that you had a weapon when Frank didn't. Let's even things up a bit."

He stalked towards me, thriving on the fight. Before he could get to me, bright headlights momentarily blinded all of us. My heart thumped unevenly as I saw Edward standing before us with a deadly expression.

"Leave him alone," he said in an eerily quiet voice.

My distraction left me vulnerable and Lonnie ripped the pipe from my hands and threw it away. "Why don't you mind your own business, kid?"

That must not have been the response Edward hoped for because he let out a terrifying growl that caused ice to run through my veins. Frank and the rest of the guys felt a flash of fear before making a hasty exit from the alley. Lonny, on the other hand, positioned himself behind me and pressed a blade to my throat.

Edward glided right in front of us. "Let him go now, and I may let you live."

The blade pressed harder. "You're not in any position to be bargaining."

I caught him off guard by relaxing my body and falling backwards on to him. He scrambled away from me and looked up at Edward. Whatever he saw on Edward's face made him run as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

He was almost to the end of the alley before Edward appeared directly in his path. I looked at the spot where Edward stood less than a second ago in disbelief.

Edward grabbed Lonny by the throat and held him at least three feet in the air. "As if you could outrun me."

I ran closer to them, my mind completely reeling. I was terrified, but at the moment I didn't know exactly what I was terrified of.

Lonny struggled in Edward's hold and tried to break free by clawing at Edward's forearms. Edward quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted it, causing a loud snap to echo.

"As if you could fight me off," Edward said calmly over Lonny's yells.

I glanced around, wondering if someone else would come down the alley. "Edward?"

He heard me over Lonny's noise. His eyes snapped to mine and he quickly dropped Lonny to the ground. He reached a hand towards me and for a second I thought about recoiling but I couldn't. I stepped closer to him, but didn't take his hand.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, looking for injuries.

I shook my head, suddenly feeling detached from my body. "He's probably hurt though, we should call for help."

I was surprised my voice came through so even. Edward was already talking on his phone and told me an ambulance was on the way when he hung up. I didn't answer; I just looked down at Lonny, who was now unconscious. I knew Edward saved me from him; I could have possibly been killed. But the look on Edward's face was while he tortured Lonny still burned in my mind.

I cleared my throat. "Will he tell the police what you did?"

Edward shook his head. "There's a warrant out for his arrest here and in a few other states. They won't believe a word he says, even if he does remember anything."

"Right." I reached in my pocket for my phone. "I need to call Bella, she's probably worried."

"Jasper, wait." He took another step towards me. "I'm sorry you had to see me that way."

I nodded my head numbly. "S'ok."

He regarded me closely for a moment. "I think you may be going in to shock. Do you think you could eat something?"

"Sure," I shrugged. I didn't even know how to act in that moment. I let Bella know that I would be riding back to Charlie's house with Edward. After the police escorted Lonny away, Edward and I went into a diner.

The hostess gave us a few lustful looks and then we were finally sitting down at a booth next to the window. I watched some of the other customers eat; still trying to process everything I'd just seen.

"You're very quiet," Edward observed.

"I'm fine," I mumbled.

"I'll feel better once we get some food and sugar in you. How about you order a coke?"

I shook my head. "I don't drink caffeine; it makes everything a little hectic for me. I love the smell of coffee even though I can't stand the taste. My dad use to drink it every morning. The smell of that would wake me up better than any alarm clock because my mom would have a fresh pot brewin' at exactly seven o'clock in the mornin'. She didn't like coffee either, but after my dad died we would sometimes go down the coffee aisle at the supermarket just for the smell."

I stopped talking, feeling embarrassed by my rambling. "So, um, no coke for me."

Edward looked completely captivated by my little story, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Were you very close with your father?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, feeling my throat constrict. The waitress came and took our order. I asked for a BLT and a Sprite while Edward ordered nothing. It was completely dark outside by this time. I thought about Bella driving back and instantly felt guilty.

I reached in my pocket for my phone. "I shouldn't have let Bella drive by herself. It's late. I wasn't thinkin' right."

"She isn't alone. Alice is with her."

I paused and placed my phone down. "Alice came here with you?"

"Yes."

"How did you know where to find me?" I questioned warily.

He looked at me with a certain warning in his eyes. "Pass."

"Pass?"

"Pass. Meaning I'm not going to answer the question." Edward clenched his jaw and his voice had grown colder causing a spike of adrenaline to form within me.

"Beg your pardon," I stated quietly. "I don't mean to pry; I'm just tryin' to understand." My body still felt strange from all of the adrenaline and a wave of fear went through me. After seeing how Edward handled Lonny, the last thing I wanted to do was upset him.

His eyes shot up from the table and locked with mine, softening instantly. "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer him. I took a sudden interest of the table. We sat in tense silent as he watched me.

"Jasper." His hand reached towards me but I cringed back a little. Anguish twisted his perfect features. "No, Jasper, please don't be afraid of me."

"I don't want to be."

"What can I do?" His eyes looked so sad.

"Help me understand. You can start by answering my question. How did you know where to find me?"

He kept his hands at his sides but leaned towards me. "I wonder if you'll believe me."

"After what I just saw, I'm pretty much open to believin' anything."

"Ok." His shapely lips formed a grim line. "I followed your thoughts. Then I followed your scent."

My mind buzzed with the possibility of what he was saying. I looked around the diner, careful to keep my voice low. "You hear thoughts?"

"Yes."

I opened and closed my mouth a few times, unable to respond. What does one say in the presence of a telepath?

"How…how does that work?"

The waitress delivered my food before he could answer. I took a large bite of the sandwich, realizing how hungry I was. Edward leaned close again so he could speak in a quiet voice.

"Generally, I can hear and see whatever happens to be passing through someone's mind."

"Generally?"

"I've recently found an exception." He didn't seem entirely happy about this.

"Who?" Could it have been me? Was I somehow an anomaly to him?

"Bella."

This information shouldn't have been upsetting to me but somehow it was. Why couldn't I be something special to him? Why couldn't I have something that set me apart from others in his mind? I quickly pushed these thoughts from my mind in hopes that Edward didn't hear them.

He continued to watch me eat. His eyes tracking my every movement. He was growing impatient with my lack of response.

"That must be quite the burden," I finally said.

He was surprised by my statement. I let my words hang in the air as I finished my sandwich and tried to keep my mind clear.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked as I sipped my Sprite.

I snorted. "Can't you tell?"

"I told you before; I have a hard time reading you."

My eyebrows drew together in confusion. "And why is that?"

"You seem to have a different way of processing thoughts. I can usually only pick up a couple of words at a time. Everything seems to be muddled or maybe even unfocused."

"You callin' me scatterbrained?" I teased.

He scoffed with a smile. "Hardly. If anything, it's the opposite. Your thoughts are more complex than those around you." He gestured to a jukebox that had been playing since we arrived. "The brain automatically knows what not to focus on. You can easily be aware of the music without giving it your full attention."

I nodded for him to continue.

"But with you, it's more than that. You are aware of so much more that's around you. It all jumbles together and I can only make out a small portion of what you're thinking. It's like you compartmentalize your thoughts. Most times I can't hear anything at all."

It wasn't hard for me to figure out that my gift must somehow be affecting Edward's ability. When I looked at him sitting across from me, I knew that I wanted to know everything and for him to know everything about me as well.

"I've always been in tune with people's emotions. Ever since I can remember, I was always different this way. Even after all this time it can still overwhelm me. But I've learned how to calm myself and keep those emotions at bay."

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "So you're an empath?"

I gave a half shrug because no one had ever called me that before. People always felt there was something weird about me. But aside from my parents and Bella, no one had ever tried to learn what made me different.

"You want to play a game?" I asked trying to lighten my mood.

Edward looked around the diner. "Here?"

"Yeah. I'll tell you what a person is feeling and you tell me if their thoughts match."

"Sounds fair enough." He tried to sound indifferent but I could feel his excitement.

"Ok." I looked around and spotted a guy sipping coffee and looking out the window. "That guy, he feels pride and a tinge of sadness."

Edward spotted the guy and tilted his head as if he were listening to a conversation. After a moment, Edward's eyes looked a mine with shock. "Yes, his daughter was accepted into NYU and he's sad she has to leave."

Before I could pick anyone else Edward was looking around again. "What about her?" he asked, barely keeping the astonishment out of his voice. He had pointed to a woman reading a book.

I focused in on the woman and my cheeks warmed. "She's, um, feeling lust."

Edward's eyes grew teasing. "She's reading a rather erotic scene."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You did that on purpose. Ok, the waitress." She was leaning against the wall typing a message on her phone. "She's feeling greed."

Edward face turned a little at her thoughts. "Yes, it seems that her boyfriend got a raise and she's planning on ways to spend his money."

We played the game a little while longer before it was time to go. The playful atmosphere from the diner evaporated once we were inside his car.

I figured I should just put it all out there. "So are we goin' to talk about what you are? Your, uh, secret?"

"Jasper, if you knew my secret you wouldn't be content to be in my presence," he said sadly.

"Maybe you're wrong. Maybe it doesn't matter to me."

"Don't say that!" he exclaimed harshly, anger coursing through him. "Never say that."

I flinched at his tone but glared at him anyway. "Don't speak to me that way."

He raked a hand through his hair. "I apologize; it's just that you don't know what you're saying."

I stewed at his condescending tone. Did my feelings really mean nothing to him?

"Of course your feelings mean something to me," he murmured. "They mean everything."

"You can hear me now?"

He nodded. "It's easier now that we are alone."

We rode silently for a few moments. "Jasper, please, talk to me."

"I want to talk about your secret. Will you be able to calm yourself?" I asked referring to his earlier outburst.

He looked apologetic but quietly gave his word to be calm.

"I recently heard some old Quileute legends about vampires." I tried to sound nonchalant but my voice may have faltered a few times.

"And you automatically thought of me?"

"How could I not? The speed, the strength, everything they described made me think of you."

"I see." His hands tightened around the steering wheel. "And did they mention my family by name?"

He was working to keep his voice light, but I could feel his underlying anger. Ever since I mentioned the Quileutes his emotions were turbulent. "Lauren mentioned your family and this guy, Sam, said that you all weren't allowed on those lands. Is that true? And the legends, are they true as well?"

"The Quileutes have a long memory."

My heart sped up. It was one thing to think that Edward was a vampire but another thing for him to actually confirm it. "It's true?"

"Does it matter?"

I ignored his question completely. "So it is true?"

My mind was overwhelmed with the absurdity of it all. I felt like I was in some kind of twisted fairytale. "Wait, so is it all true? Even the part about the wolves?"

"Yes," he said tersely.

"That is just…amazing." I shook my head slowly. "So I have a few questions, don't laugh ok?"

Edward glanced over at me with a half smile and motioned for me to go ahead.

"Garlic? Does that, um, irritate your senses or something?"

His smile became more pronounced. "No. It's unpleasant to smell, but most human food is."

"Crucifixes?"

"No effect on us."

"Wooden stake through the heart?"

He looked a little hesitant to answer. "There are few things that can penetrate our skin. Wood is not one of them."

"Do you sleep in a coffin?"

"No." His eyes shot to mine and then to the road again. "I don't sleep at all."

"You don't sleep?"

"No. Not ever."

"What about drinking blood? Is that a myth as well?" I failed to keep the hopeful note out of my voice.

"I'm afraid that's true."

"Ah, I see." The stomach felt heavy. "So will it hurt?"

"Will what hurt?"

"I assume that I'm not supposed to know about this." I thought back to Rosalie. "Will you need to kill me? Or maybe you could just erase my memory or somethin'. Can you do that?"

The car swerved slightly as Edward's head whipped around towards me. "Jasper, I would never hurt you. Please don't even suggest it."

"And besides," he continued. "I don't have the power to erase memories."

We smiled at each other weakly. I noticed the car stopped and we were in front of Charlie's house. Bella's truck was already in the drive way.

"I think my mind is turning into mush," I told him, trying to joke and lighten the mood.

"I'm sure this is all overwhelming."

"That's an understatement." I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. "I have so many more questions. I'm glad you're talking to me again. Now you don't have to ignore me anymore."

"Jasper, it isn't that simple." His voice held such pain.

"You still don't want to be around me? Why?" I demanded.

"It's not safe for us to be around each other."

I flung open the car door and scrambled out. "So, what, you get to decide when you drop in my life? I don't get any say? I don't get to decide what I think is dangerous?"

Edward narrowed his eyes. "There is no decision to make. I have to think about your safety."

"Why is it so dangerous for us? Are you going to hurt me?"

"Of course not!" Edward stated fiercely. "I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you."

"Then what's the problem?"

He let out an exasperated breath. "I'm afraid you just don't understand."

"Then help me understand. Don't just shut me out again. I can't take it." At this point I wanted to pull all of my hair out.

"I can't."

"You can't? Or you won't?" I slammed his door and went inside.

Charlie grunted a greeting from the couch and Bella was already in her room. I paced around my room and tried to make sense of everything.

I did the only thing I could think of. I dropped to the floor and did pushups until I was numb. An hour later I stopped feeling worse than before. There was no escaping him. Edward had completely taken over my thoughts.

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Your encouragement means more than I can say. Please forgive my mistakes, this story is not beta'd.

As always, I'd love to know what you think.