Hopeless Devotion ~ A Jasper Hale Story

Chapter 14 - Cullens House

January 19th

I answered on the second ring, stepping away from the low chatter of the quad. My heart stuttered at the name lighting up my screen: Jasper.

I didn't even try to play it cool. "Hey."

His voice, calm and low like a familiar melody, eased something in my chest. "Hey, darlin'. You got a second?"

"For you? Always."

It was stupid how much those two words settled me. We hadn't talked since yesterday—yet time still felt warped without him. Without all of them.

"Well, I didn't give him permission to monopolize you," Alice's voice chimed in suddenly, light and mischievous. "Jasper, move over."

I laughed before I could stop myself. "Hey, pixie."

"I miss your face. You'd think after a hundred years apart, we'd have some patience. But nope. Still annoying."

"I miss you too," I admitted, sitting on the bench outside the community college's art building. "Even your bad fashion advice."

"I heard that," she gasped. "Now I'm offended."

Before I could shoot back, Rosalie's voice cut in smoothly. "Can I talk to her now, or is this a sibling takeover?"

"Rose?" My voice softened. "You're actually calling me?"

"No. I'm hijacking someone else's call," she replied dryly. "How are you holding up?"

There was no judgment in her tone—just quiet understanding. Rosalie never asked the way others did. She knew. Because we'd both been broken once, rebuilt ourselves with steel and spite and scars.

"I'm fine," I lied. Then sighed. "Okay, I'm existing. College is fine. The air here smells like wet moss and betrayal, but, you know. Forks."

Rosalie gave a snort. "Sounds about right."

Alice cleared her throat. "How's Bella?"

I hesitated. "She's... getting better. Slowly. Jacob Black's kind of become her comfort blanket."

"Of course," Rosalie muttered under her breath. "The wolves."

"They're not all bad," I said quietly. "Jake's good to her. Makes her laugh. She hasn't done that in months."

"She's getting better because of a wolf," Jasper murmured. "And we're supposed to be okay with that?"

"I'm not saying throw him a parade," I replied. "But maybe don't come back swinging."

"We wouldn't—" Alice started.

"Yes, you would," I interrupted. "You'd come back and try to control the fallout like usual. Bella's not made of glass, but you guys sure treated her like she was."

No one spoke for a moment.

I took a breath. "I get why you left. But it still broke things. And Bella's the one gluing herself back together—with Jacob, not with Edward."

Rosalie's voice was quiet now. "Do you trust him?"

I paused. "I trust Bella's instincts more than Edward's decisions."

Alice exhaled. "Fair."

Rosalie said, "You're too good at being honest, Tiff."

"I learned from the best."

That earned me a soft chuckle from her, and I clutched the phone tighter.

"Promise me you'll call again," I said. "Don't just... disappear."