Sign Of The Times || Jasper Hale

chapter 61

"So where are you?" Alex' eyes snap towards the owner of the voice.

"What?"

"What are you thinking?" Edward asks her and she narrows her eyes, she could tell him but he already knew.

"You don't have to pretend." she sighs and looks around at the trees. "Weren't you supposed to be with Bella?" 

"Charlie is being a little.. difficult." he says with a slight shrug before leaning back. "Where's Jasper anyway?"

"He's trying to remember how to make lasagna." Edward chuckles and lets himself completely fall on the grass. "I know you know." Edward nods at this but keeps looking at the sky. "What do you think?" he turns his head towards her and sees how tired she looks. "You could read his mind right? Do you have an idea?" the two questions franctic after one another.

"I don't know Alex, I really don't." she closes her mouth and bites on her lip once she hears the pity in his voice. "Alice can't see him." he knew what her next question would be. 

Somehow the dissappearance of her brother had completely shocked her. She knew he was going over the edge, but going away with a plan and just not returning was not what she had in mind. It quickly drove her to being tired and slightly emotional. 

Edward hadn't told Jasper but now that he could read her mind again, he knew that she was searching for him every single night. So Edward had told Jasper to keep her company, make sure that she rested. Finally she had slept for two nights in a row. After all, she only had the Cullens now.

"They didn't hurt her!" Alex raises her voice as she tries to defend the Cullens.

"But they could have." Billy simply replies, his tone simple and accusing.

"I could have." Alex suddenly says with a frown as she narrows her eyes and looks at her old friend.

"I know." the icy tone still shaking her core and bringing tears to her eyes.

Billy Black and Sam Uley hadn't been to kind when they heard about what had happened to Bella and the fact that Alex had stayed with Charlie did not do anything to give their minds any rest. They knew that something was going on. They didn't want to help and search for someone that had been helping them for a while now and that had stung Alex beyond words. 

"I'm going to Spencer this afternoon." Edward raises an eyebrow and looks at her. "His shrink." the vampire nods and sighs softly.

"I truly do hope that he knows something."

"Me too."

**

Alex walks over to Jasper and wraps her arms around him. Though the Cullens had wanted to provide help, she was still doing it almost all alone. He wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer, feeling the heat of her skin through their clothes.

He didn't have to say anything, she knew that he would just hold her and that was exactly what she needed.

Besides Alex - and Harvey and maybe now Emmett and Rosalie - there was only one person that knows Peter through and through. He knew what a raised eyebrow meant, a tilted head, almost every sign that Peter could throw at him; he could say what it meant.

"Alex," Spencer opens the door and almost immediately sighs as he sees her. He knew that something had been up when Peter wasn't showing up for a few weeks but now that she was there, he knew that Peter had up and left once again. "How long?"

"He went to Harvey in March I think?" she narrows her eyebrows and sits before looking up at the slender man. "It's July now?"

"June." he softly replies before sitting down before her and pouring some tea for her. "How are you?" she scoffs and looks at him, trying to decipher what he wanted.

"How the fuck do you think?" she shakes her head. "He's been gone for what.. three months?" Spencer nods and looks at her body language.

"I hope you're staying safe when you search for him." her eyes flicker towards him.

"How'd you know?"

"It doesn't take a genius to find that out." she bites her lips and nods slowly. "How is school going?" 

He spend the rest of the hour trying to find out what she had been up to. But he wasn't her shrink so she didn't want nor felt the need to tell him. She did however feel the need to go home, smell his clothes and pretend that he was coming home after a long night of partying. The fact that Jasper was already waiting for her, made all the difference.

"I love you." She murmers and he looks down at her with a smile. She has her eyes closed and is just taking in the moment of them laying outside on the picnic blanket and playing a game.

"I love you too ma'am." Her eyes flutter open and she looks at him with the biggest smile. "And don't you doubt that." She kisses his cheek before getting up and running away.

"Catch me if you can!"