Endlessly ▸ Jasper Hale [4]

VIII

EIGHT; AWAKENING

Cassadee kept true to her word for at least a day and a half. Anyone that went near her, aside from Eden and Renesmee, was instantly sent through a wall. Granted, Edward and Jasper were the only two that dared to go near the room. The only exception was Esme when she would bring either of the girls to see the brunette. After a few hours she calmed down enough to tolerate anyone but the children for more than a few seconds, but she still didn't let anyone near Bella. When Alice and Rosalie came in insisting on changing her clothing, Cassadee took the navy blue dress and brush out of Alice's hands and pushed them out of the room. Cassadee was the one to clean up her sisters body, change her clothing and brush her hair. Which only made her cry even more considering the fact that she felt like she was getting Bella's corpse ready for a funeral. Her funeral.

Cassadee knew Bella would come back as a vampire, but that didn't mean it hurt any less. It still felt like she lost her sister. The only time she felt remotely better was when she held Renesmee. The newborn touched her cheek and showed her what she saw when she was born: everyone frantically moving around, Edward, Bella's frail body, Cassadee kissing her forehead, Rosalie smiling. All of that only made her cry more, because if there was a chance Bella wouldn't make it, Renesmee already reminded Cassadee of her sister.

"Eden wants to see you, darling." Jasper spoke softly from the door, careful not to disrupt Cassadee as she looked at Bella's body. "Do you want company?"

"I want to see my sweet pea." The brunette nodded, looking to her husband holding their daughter as she had her thumb in her mouth. Jasper kissed Eden's head before setting her on the ground and watching her walk over to her mother, smiling when Cassadee pulled Eden into her lap before leaving.

"Mommy, why hasn't auntie Bella moved?" Eden questioned, looking at her aunt in curiosity.

"Because she's sleeping, sweet pea." Cassadee said in the simplest way she could. Sure, Eden was smart but she didn't want her daughter to know about death, at least not when she was technically only a few weeks old.

"When is she gonna wake up?" Eden asked as she leaned over her mother and looked at her aunt. "Are you sure she's just sleeping?"

"When did you become so curious?" Cassadee questioned quickly, pulling Eden back into her lap. "You are your father's daughter."

"Daddy said I'm your daughter earlier."

"Of course he did." Cassadee rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure she's just sleeping?" Eden put her hand on Bella's and tilted her head to the side as if she were deep in thought. "Her hand is cold." She turned to her mother. "And she's in pain."

Cassadee was about to ask how she knew but was cut off when she saw Bella's abdomen quickly rise, her broken ribs appearing to heal as her hair began to get its color back. Her skin got paler but it somehow made her look more alive than just a second ago. "Eden, go to your father. Or anyone else, I don't care, you just need to leave."

"What did I do?" Eden questioned, easily picking up on Cassadee's confused and panicked mood. "I just wanted to make her feel better." She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"No, sweet pea, you didn't do anything wrong." Cassadee assured her daughter as she wiped the few tears that fell and kissed her forehead. "I just need you to go find Daddy or someone else and stay with them, okay?" Eden nodded, tears still in her eyes. "Everything is okay, I promise." Cassadee put her daughter on the floor and gave her a gentle push, Eden tried to run the best her little legs would let her.