Kennedy Arielle Davis just moved to Forks, Washington. Follow her on her journey through love, loss, and heartache as she falls for a certain honey-blond cowboy.
{A/N this chapter will also be short. it will just be Jasper and Kennedy's conversation from the previous chapter}
When I walked outside to stand next to Jasper, he started walking towards the woods. He took me to a beautiful spot about four miles from the house.
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"I figured it would be best to discuss this away from everyone," he told me. "Emmett would constantly interrupt, Edward would read our thoughts and make silent judgments. This is just easier."
"I agree," I said. "It's also a good thing to keep all this drama away from the kids. All the emotions probably would've overwhelmed you as well. Anyway, where do you wanna start? Do you have any questions?"
He paused before looking at me. "Why didn't you tell me?" He whispered. "I would've understood. Do you not want me?"
"Jasper you and I both know that all I want is to be with you," I told him. "You just looked so happy with Alice, everything about me was so new and weird. I have kids with a very toxic man. I just thought it would be easier if I let you adjust to my unique family before practically forcing you to be part of it with the mate bond."
He analyzed my words before asking another question. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Edward knew, Alice would've known had it not been for your amazing but slightly frustrating shield ability."
I looked down before answering him. "I was going to tell you around that third month I was here, but then I saw how happy you were with Alice. I didn't want to ruin it," I said, once again on the verge of tears. I looked up at him. "I know that this isn't an excuse. I'm not trying to make it seem like I'm innocent. I should have told you and I realize that. You have every right to be angry. All I ask is that you understand why I did it."
"I do understand. And I'm not angry," he said. "I can't imagine how hard it must have been. The excitement of leaving a toxic relationship, but the pain of being forced to flee your hometown because of it. Then, coming here and seeing your mate with another woman. It must have been horrible."
"It was," I told him. At this point, I had quit trying to hold the tears back. He could feel my pain anyway and I needed to let this out. I learned a long time ago that it's okay to cry, and holding your feelings in will only hurt you more. "I hope it's something my kids never have to feel."
He walked over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He buried his head in the crook of my neck, so the next time he spoke, it was muffled. "Our," he said. "You said your kids, but they're our kids. Those are my kids too. Maybe not biologically but they are. I know it's probably moving a little fast, but we are literally meant to be and those kids need a stable father figure. I'm willing to be that if you'll let me."
I cried harder at this, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Of course you numbskull," I laughed. "Who else would I want our kids to call dad? Oprah?"
As we walked back to the house hand-in-hand, I thought over the last seven months. Around the third month, Emmett accidentally touched me in a wrestling match he was having with Jaz. He looked terrified. When I didn't have a panic attack like I usually did with unexpected touching, we knew that I finally accepted what happened to me over the last eight years. I called my family that night and told them the good news. Some of them were shocked, as it was a extremely weird and unhealthy that I had accepted it so soon after it ended and especially with how it ended. But most of them understood because this wasn't a normal situation. These weren't just random friends I made after moving. They were family. And my mate was one of them. He made it easy for me to move on, to be happy. I'm finally starting to be my regular self again. I'm not afraid of people touching me, I'm not afraid to be alone in public, the nightmares have gone down drastically, although I still have them on particularly bad days. My life has gotten so much better in such a short amount of time and I can't begin to express how grateful I am to have met these wonderful people. I hope life brings them nothing but happiness. If only I'd known in that moment the pain Isabella Marie Swan would bring my family.
