Long Live | Jasper Hale [Completed]

|22| September

Chapter Twenty-Two: September

"Please Jasper," Alice begged. "It's Bella's birthday. Come down and celebrate with us. It'll do you good."

She had been trying to get Jasper out of his room for months. He had been isolating himself since March when Alina had sacrificed herself to save Bella from James.

"I'm not going to take no for an answer, Jasper." She said again, walking towards the bed where he sat. She graciously sat beside him.

"When do you ever?"

She debated her next words carefully. She knew Jasper blamed himself for what happened. 'If only' filling his head, plaguing his thoughts. If only he had noticed they had left the airport. If only he had arrived quicker. If only he had saved her

"It's not Bella's fault."

"I need to go hunt." Jasper said. He didn't want to but he knew he could pretend he lost track of time as an excuse to continue to be alone.

"You'll be fine. What's the worst that can happen?"

And with that, Alice went to grab Jasper's hand but he pulled it back before she could touch him. The two of them walked down to the living room where a pile of presents waited for Bella when she arrived with Edward.

The Cullen's looked up in shock. They had barely seen Jasper since the events in Phoenix. He couldn't bare to interact with them. The only person who he let near himself was Alice. She is his best-friend and was very persistent.

Edward led Bella in shortly after, diffusing the awkwardness of Jasper's unexpected arrival. The entire coven wished Bella a happy birthday, except Jasper who only gave her a curt nod. Bella blinked back at her shock, she hadn't seen Jasper since the day in Phoenix, he had avoided her at all costs.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" Emmett said, before rushing past her, "I'll be back soon. Open the present from me, Rosalie and uh Jasper."

"Uh... thanks." Bella said, confused at the empty box until Rosalie explained it was a new radio for her truck and that Emmett was installing it so she couldn't take it back. She then reached for the second box from Carlisle and Esme. As she lifted up the paper, it sliced through her finger and that's where everything went wrong.

To a human, it would seem as if Jasper had shifted from human to some sort of monster but in actual fact he had been one all along. He had lunged at Bella, trying to get to her blood. He hadn't hunted in days, and without Alina here it was impossible to keep in control.

Carlisle and Edward had a vice-like grip on him to stop him reaching Bella before Alice and Esme had gotten her out of the way. Carlisle and Edward had managed to get him out to Emmett who had rushed him into the woods in hopes to find something for him to hunt.

But Edward had realised, he couldn't stay. He was risking too much by being near Bella. The Cullens had to leave Forks.