Hopeless Devotion ~ A Jasper Hale Story

Chapter 31- They are Back

Twenty-four hours of silence so loud it felt like it could crack the walls. No calls. No texts. No signs. Just that damn note Bella left behind, scribbled out in panic.

Dad, I'm with Alice. Edward's in trouble. You can ground me when I get back. I know it's a bad time. So sorry. Love you so much. Bella.

I must've read it a hundred times. The ink was still slightly smudged from where my fingers gripped it too tight. She was gone. Alice had taken her, and no one had told me where, how, or what exactly she was running into.

And the worst part? No one knew if they were okay.

Dad was hollow-eyed and stiff when he left that morning, driving out to the reservation again — said he needed to check on Sue. I knew it was a lie. Not that he didn't want to see her, but that it wasn't the whole reason. His world had tilted, and he needed to find something solid to stand on.

And I was left in this haunted, too-quiet house, waiting for the universe to cough up an answer.

Then—finally—a knock.

Not rushed. Not nervous. Just... there.

I knew that knock.

When I opened the door, there he stood. Jasper. In the flesh. Pale and sharp-edged, like he hadn't slept in a century — though he never did, so maybe it was the guilt weighing him down instead.

"Hey," I managed, voice rough.

"Hey," he said back, like he didn't trust his voice either.

"You're not dead," I said flatly. "So I guess that's something."

His mouth tugged into a near-smile, and then just as quickly, it vanished. "None of us are. They made it back."

I stared. My fingers tightened around the edge of the door.

"They're back?"

He nodded. "Just landed. Carlisle has them. Edward's stable. Bella's exhausted, but she's okay. They're coming home soon."

Relief hit me like a wave and left me staggering. My knees wobbled, and I leaned against the doorframe, blinking fast.

"God, Jazz. I thought—" I broke off. I didn't have the words for what I'd thought. For what I'd feared.

"I know," he said, stepping closer. "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. I couldn't risk drawing attention. Not until Alice gave the all-clear."

"And now?" I asked, crossing my arms to keep from reaching for him.

"Now I needed to see you," he said, voice low. "I needed you to know."

"That they're okay?" I asked, half-sarcastic.

"That you are," he said. "That I care."

The sarcasm died in my throat.

I let him in. Of course I did. Jasper walked like a ghost through the house, eyes catching on the smallest things — Bella's jacket still slung over the couch, the note crumpled on the counter, Dad's untouched coffee cup by the sink.

"You've been alone this whole time?" he asked.

I shrugged, folding my arms. "Leah checked in. Emily sent food. I haven't exactly been throwing a party."

He sat down at the edge of the armchair, elbows on his knees, like he wasn't sure he deserved to make himself comfortable. Like he didn't want to take up too much space. I hated that.

"I was scared," I admitted. My voice wasn't much louder than a whisper. "Not just for Bella. Or Edward. I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."

Jasper's golden eyes lifted to mine. "I told you I'd be careful."

"You told me nothing," I snapped before I could stop myself. "You didn't tell me anything, Jasper. You just left. Again."

The silence stretched for a moment. Then he stood and crossed the room in two quiet steps.

"I wanted to tell you," he said, hands open at his sides. "But if I had, you would've tried to follow. You would've put yourself in danger to stop her."

"You don't get to make that choice for me."

"I didn't." He stepped closer. "Alice did."

That stung. Of course it did. Because it was true.

"I'm so tired of being left behind," I muttered.

"I know," he said, and this time, when he reached for me, I didn't pull away.

His arms wrapped around me, and I leaned into him, breathing him in — the strange, clean cold of him, the way he always smelled faintly like cedar and rain.

"I hate you a little," I murmured into his chest.

"That's fair," he said. "I still love you."

Silence.

Then my voice, small and a little broken: "I still love you too."

I felt his breath shudder. Maybe he didn't need to breathe, but I could tell—this mattered.

Before either of us could say more, my phone buzzed.

Bella. Finally.

Landing in Seattle. Should be back by nightfall.

I showed him the screen.

"Well," I said, backing out of his arms but letting my fingers linger against his for just a second longer than I should've, "guess the fallout's about to start."

He gave a dry little smile. "It usually does."

It was the middle of the night when Edward quietly stepped inside, carrying Bella like she weighed nothing. Her face was peaceful, eyes closed in sleep, but Charlie was waiting just inside the door—his jaw tight, arms crossed, and the kind of pissed-off glare that could cut glass.

"Where the hell have you been?" Charlie's voice was low but sharp, like he was trying to keep it together but failing.

Edward didn't say much, just nodded toward Bella's room and set her down gently. No explanations, just silent urgency.

Charlie's eyes flicked between Edward and Bella, frustration simmering. "You two just disappear, and no one knows where. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you caused?"

Bella didn't wake, and I could see the tension thick in the air. I wanted to say something, but Charlie's anger wasn't something to push right now. Not with Bella asleep and Edward holding his ground.