Keep Yourself Alive ¡ Jasper Hale

Chapter Twenty-One

Cliffs and Clearwaters

I know it has only been a week, and I usually love spending time with my boys, but I haven't been allowed outside alone since Bella realized Victoria is after her. It's spring break and I have to ask permission to go on a walk. When they do say yes I'm supervised. Jake insists on driving Bella and me home most days even though we both have our own vehicles. Wren and Julian are both pissed I'm around wolves again, I tried to convince them nothing will happen to me but I don't think they'll ever not be mad at Paul. I hadn't told them about the Victoria situation either because I don't want them to worry.

We had just finished cleaning up after breakfast, I washed the dishes, Bella dried, and Emily put them away. Embry and Paul weren't on patrol, finally given a chance to sleep after keeping watch over us overnight. I still feel bad that they have the night shift but they refuse to leave us alone. We all know it's not like Victoria has the decency to not attack at night. I know she would attack us in the middle of the school day and I don't even have my bow on me there, Julian is our only defense there.

It doesn't take too long for us to clean up after the boys anymore, we had gotten used to the workload. It was oddly quiet now that Jared, Jake, and Sam were on patrol. Bella constantly babies Jake in her mind and Emily has been on edge ever since she found out Victoria is in La Push. We all know the boys should be fine, but we constantly feel like holding our breaths because of the 'what ifs.' Also it was almost silent in the house with just the three of us here because the boys rarely ever shut up unless there's food in their mouths.

"Do you guys want to go to the beach?" I blurt, tired of the silence and this house.

"You two are supposed to stay here."

"No disrespect to Sam but Alpha's Orders don't really apply to me, Em."

"It's for your own safety, Vae."

"It's just the beach! It's a two minute walk and if anything happens I'll bring my bow."

"Yes, because that will look normal. Just your average white girl on the beach with a bow and arrow. Nevaeh, I only got two hours of sleep last night, I am too tired to argue about this."

"Go lie down. We'll lock the door behind us, and if anything happens I'll call one of the boys plus I'll be weaponized."

"She's not going to give up." Bella states, studying Emily's sleepy expression.

"I'm not okaying this." Emily yawns. "But I'm going to be in my room with the door closed." She walks to her bedroom. I know it's been hard for her having Sam gone most of the time, their imprint bond strained.

"Want to come, Bella?"

"I know I'm lousy when it comes to fighting off vampires but I know I can't let you go alone."

"That's the spirit!" I cheer, grabbing my bow and arrows as we head towards the door.

Once we're out the door I feel under the doormat for the spare key, finding it and locking the door. It's a cold and windy day but it's better than the confining walls of the house. The walk to the beach doesn't take too long, Bella and I both knew it by heart as it was one of the few places the boys took us.

Bella takes a seat on one of the ginormous tree trunks a good distance away from the water. She doesn't look too interested in much of anything, her eyes either look as the sand beneath her feet or up towards the cliffs. The cliffs where she saw Sam, Paul, and Jared jump from the day she first rode the motorcycle. The cliffs where I realized my best friend is a werewolf. The cliffs Jacob promised he would take her cliff diving.

Scratch that. Jake said he would go cliff diving from a lower point. But her eyes are still switching between the ground beneath her and the cliff overlooking the crashing waves. Only a crazy person would jump in this weather. To be fair only a crazy person would be looking into the woods where werewolves were on the loose like I was. I shouldn't have left Emily's house.