Embers [Completed]

{Love Letters And Last Goodbyes}

Alice rushes for the phone, while Bella stays sitting on the sofa; seemingly wishing to impersonate a rock.

"Bells, mom isn't home for two weeks," I say.

"Charlie could have phoned her, she could be home, worried because of how quickly we left in the middle of the night," Bella says, her voice rising higher and higher.

I give Jasper a look, and he shifts closer to Bella, an uncharacteristic movement that she notices. He places a hand on her shoulder, and her eyelids drop for a second.

But they fly back up as she angrily pushes off the sofa. "I don't want to sleep!" She slams the bedroom door behind her.

I run my hand through my hair as I sit down. This wave of stress must be particularly strong, because Jasper draws me closer to him.

"You know, Bella is hysterical, but you're stressed. It is quite an interesting difference between you," he says, a casual curiosity in his voice.

"She's my little sister, Jaz. It's my job to keep her safe, and now she's most likely within a hundred miles of a psychotic vampire who wants to kill her. Yeah, I'm stressed," I say.

"But she isn't. She is horrendusly worried about Edward, but not herself."

"Bella's always been like that. Sometimes it makes me think that's why she's so clumsy. And, Jaz, I'm pretty sure I'd be that worried if it were you out there," I say, burying my head in his shoulder.

"Your reactions are very interesting, though. Especially from my point of view," he says, absent-mindedly stroking my cheek.

"Well, I've been in life or death situations before, Bella hasn't. I have a quicker reaction time, and a better idea of what that feeling is like," I say, shrugging.

I suddenly notice something, and chuckle a little.

"Jasper, you're not breathing."

He turns slightly guilty eyes to me. "I know. It's a lot better when I don't know how amazing you smell."

My eyes go wide, and I sit up. "Oh, Jaz, I'm sorry. Your throat is probably murder right now and I'm just making it worse."

"It's alright. I should have eaten before we left," he says with a wry smile.

Horror takes over my features, making him frown. "Jasper, oh, no, I smell like sick don't I?"

He tilts his head, humour flashing across his eyes as I dash to the bathroom; my face burning red with embarrassment.

Once I'm done, Alice tells me Jasper has gone to check us out, so I decide to see how Bella is doing.

"Hey, Bells, we're going soon," I say, then stop short when I see her writing a letter.

She jumps, and I see her eyes are wide and panicked. I manage to catch the first word of the letter before she stuffs it away.

Edward.

"Bella, what are you doing?" I ask suspiciously.

"Is Alice there?" She whispers.

"No, she's gone down to reception with Jasper," I say slowly, eyeing her carefully.

"Good. We need to go to mom's house," she says, grabbing something from the side.

"What? Are you crazy?!" I ask, wondering if she's snapped from the strain.

Bella holds up her phone and plays a recording that sends chills down my back.

"James has mom," she says tightly.