Sign Of The Times || Jasper Hale

chapter 058

"Well let's get this over with." Alex murmers as she stomps towards the Cullen house.

Nothing could get Alex out of her bubble. She was looking through rose colored glasses. Everything that had happened on Friday and Saturday had improved her mood.

"They're not really here yet." Rosalie grunts back. Both of them holding hostile feelings towards the human female.

She had told Jasper that she loved him, she truly did. Jasper had said it back, as he had done many times before. The whole weekend was magical.

Until, Jasper told her about the bets that the family made. He was holding her once again when she awoke and she knew that he was holding something back. It was a gut feeling and she was right. The whole family was taking bets to see if Edward would take Bella to introduce her to the family.

"You don't have to be there." And Alex couldn't be more glad that Jasper was hers. He understood her completely. But she also knew how hard it would be for him, he couldn't skip the meeting and if she wasn't around, Bella would be in more danger with Jasper than when Alex was around. But then Bella would be in more danger with Alex. It was an inevitable and difficult conundrum but Alex knew that she couldn't have Jasper face it alone. After all, they told each other that they loved one another. Something that shouldn't be taken lightly.

So here she was, with the rest of the Cullens. Alice was smiling from ear to ear, she of course had predicted this. She was making jokes with Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, knowing that Edward and Bella could arrive any minute. But Alex was trying to hold back her lunch. She didn't feel the exhilaration as some of the others did, she felt dread. Peter was gone, what if she couldn't handle herself?

A soft hand on her shoulder makes her tense and her head snaps towards the owner. Carlisle gives her an encouraging smile. "We will all hold you back." A laugh escapes her mouth and Jasper looks over to where his mate and 'father' are talking. He felt her fear, the unsteady feeling in her chest and he wanted nothing more than to take it away. But he knew he couldn't.

"I wonder if that'll work." Alex cheekily says back, hoping to ease Carlisle as well. She knew that they were all a little on edge because of her.

"They're here!" A very happy Alice exclaims and she runs over to Alex. "You'll do great!"

"How would she know? She can't see me." Alex asks with a raised eyebrow as she looks at Jasper who just chuckles at her response and throws an arm around her.

"No, but we are all here." A small smile pulls at Alex' lips as she leans her head into his shoulder. "I could always strangle you."

"Kinky." Emmett replies and Alex starts to laugh.

"Don't even begin," Alex smiles at him and a sudden idea pops in her head. "Who wants to bet that I can make her blush?" Emmety immediately raises his hand and Alex smiles.

Bella was meeting Carlisle and Esme downstairs and a bubble came up in Alex' throat. She didn't know what any of these feelings were or how to deal with it but she knew she had to.

"Come on." Alice takes Alex' hand and coaches her towards the stairs, Jasper's hand never leaving her lower back. "Don't show her." Alex nods and takes a deep breath as she looks at Jasper. This would work. "I'm going home right after this." Alex mutters to Jasper and he simply kisses her temple in agreement.

"Where are Jasper and Alice?" But before Carlisle and Esme could reply, Alice already skipped down the stairs. Edward's eyes sharpen as he looks past her and notices Alex with Jasper. He didn't expect her, but he was glad that she was here. She was also becoming a rather important part in his life and he hoped for her to lighten the mood, she could easily do that after all.

Alex looks down and there Bella was, in all her glory. A khaki skirt and a dark blue blouse that compliments her skintone perfectly. Her hair in a ponytail, momentarily distracting Alex from the pulsing movements that were rapidly going through her neck. Bella was not at ease, but she looked to be in the place where she belonged.

"Hi Bella," Alice walks up to the girl and hugs her. "You do smell nice, I never noticed before." A small embarrassed smile erupts on Bella's face and Alex feels herself lighten. Bella was just as nervous, maybe not for the same reasons but she was. Good.

"Hello, Bella." Jasper said. He kept his distance, not offering to shake her hand. Alex knew that he was easing Bella's nerves, just as he was doing to her and it worked.

"Hello Jasper." Her eyes skip over to the last one left in the room and Alex feels all eyes on her.

"You're cute, in an almost angelic way." Bella's cheeks redden even further if possible and Edward purses his lips, trying to hold back laughter. "Don't worry, I'm taken." Alex winks at Bella before leaving the house.

She hears Jasper following her and he jumps on her back, making them fall just in the treeline. He turns her around and smiles at her.

"Oh, are you taken ma'am?" A teasing smile on his lips as he pushes her hands into the ground right above her.

"He wouldn't like seeing someone else doing this."

"No he would not."