Unforgivable Lacerations

E P I L O G U E

I stared out at the beautiful view before me from the living room window, thinking about the past two weeks which had been full of wedding plans and experimenting with my gift- which could now be used to physically and mentally shield and protect people, like wrapping them in a bubble. With all the commotion, Edward and I hardly spent time alone apart from hunting and the occasional time Alice was somewhere other than around the house.

The girl was truly a Godsend, my best friend...but an overly hyper Godsend.

Today was the day of my wedding, Edward and I were finally tying the knot. Keeping tradition, the two of us hadn't seen each other since last night, when we were separated to different parts of the house after the hen night and stag do, other words for hunting in genders. A hilarious experience as there were more jokes than hunting.

The family and I were somehow closer than we had originally been, starting with Jasper and Emmett training me like an army soldier so I could one day wrestle them. The two were convinced the only reason I had won numerous rounds was because of newborn strength and speed.

Please.

This girl, here, knew how to fight like a stunt double from James Bond, and Edward's smug expression every time I won motivated me more so than the ability to tease Em and Jaz after. 

When Edward and I arrived home after visiting Forks, two weeks ago, Jasper came to speak to me privately. The poor guy looked as if he was mentally carrying a mountain, which I later found out was remorse and guilt.

"Bella," Jasper greeted as I played a game of chess with Edward, which Emmett commented saying I was 'such a lucky fuc-' 'Emmett!' 'Sorry, Esme...I was gonna say lucky girl'. Apparently, Edward cheated at chess making the family rather agitated, and I was lucky because it was now possible to outsmart him. 

"Hi, Jasper." I smiled, wondering why Jasper hadn't greeted Edward, who was now standing up.

"I'll leave you to it, Jaz...I'll be expecting to finish this game, though,  love." Edward kissed my forehead before dashing out of the room, obviously knowing something I didn't.

"You okay?" I asked as I uncrossed my legs on the window seat.

"Actually," Jasper started, sitting next to me. "I owe you an apology...a very late one at that," he amended himself as he felt my confusion. Why must he be remorseful?

"What for?" I frowned.

"What happened on your eighteenth birthday. Bella, if it wasn't for me, Edward wouldn't have ever left! None of that would have happened. I cannot even start to describe the guilt I have been harboring since Rosalie found you. As I said it is a very late apology-" Jasper's voice raced out, speaking in one exhalation of a breath until I interrupted him.

"Jasper, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, you should be apologizing for. Let alone feeling guilty. It is part of who you- we- are to go for human blood. Natural instinct, which we are trying to curve. If anything I shouldn't have been so careless...but the separation was going to come at some point, anyway. It was a brewing thing. I've never put you to blame, Jasper." Once I had finished, Jasper's eyes visibly softened and lifted as the heavy emotions he was feeling started to fade away.

"You have always been too kind, Bella." He shook his head.

"Empathetic," I fixed. I wasn't too kind, especially after thinking murderous thoughts about a couple of people. Not only the pack but the man who was behind the wheel, under the influence of cannabis and killed my mother and step-father.

I thought freely and happily about killing him. I had wanted him dead. I still did. 

Instead, the man received twenty years in prison, no chance of parole. Most of those years were due to his possession of cannabis.