Finding My Brother

Chapter 6

Alice's POV

I opened the door and gestured for Bella to enter first. She stepped inside, and I shut the door behind her. My family was seated in the living room, talking to one another. One moment I was standing next to Bella, the next I was perched on Jasper's lap, giving him a loving kiss. When I looked up, I saw Bella glaring at me, hatred and anger in her eyes. 

"Your sister is giving me angry looks," I whispered in Jasper's ear, low enough that only my family was able to hear it. 

Jasper turned and when he looked at Bella, her expression was blank yet innocent. "Bells?" 

She raised her eyebrows at him, causing a more innocent look to cross her face. "You okay?" 

"Yeah, why?" she asked him, feigning innocence. 

"Alice said you were glaring at her," Jasper said, frowning.

"No, I wasn't. Why would I glare at her?" Bella said, tilting her head to the right. 

Jasper looked at her for a moment longer, then turned away and kissed my cheek. I smiled, but looked up to see Bella glaring at me again. 

Esme's POV

Alice and Jasper spoke quietly to each other, but Bella stood by the door glaring at Alice again. It made me wonder what she was hiding from her brother. She had said that nothing was wrong, and that she hadn't been glaring at Alice, but as I moved my eyes to her face, I could see that she had lied to her brother. Clearly, there was something she didn't like about sweet, little Alice.

"Carlisle," I whispered his name, low enough so that only us vampires could hear. 

"Hmm?" 

"Look at Bella," I told him.

Discreetly, Carlisle lifted his head to look at her. "She's glaring at Alice," he stated, surprised.

"Yes," I looked up at him. "But she just told Jasper that she wasn't." 

Carlisle looked at her a moment longer, then quietly spoke to Jasper. "Look at your sister, Jasper." 

Jasper turned quickly enough that he caught Bella's look of hatred and anger towards Alice before she could clear it from him. "Bella." 

"What?" Bella played the innocent, sweet girl again. 

"Don't give me the innocent crap," he said. "I saw you glaring at Alice." 

Bella, realizing she had been caught, blushed and looked away. "I have to go." 

Bella's POV

I turned to leave, but stopped short when I found Jasper suddenly standing in front of me. The look on his face told me he wasn't happy with me. 

"Bella, why were you glaring at Alice?" he demanded.

"I have to go, Jasper," I tried to step around him, but he caught my arm. 

"You aren't going anywhere until you tell me why you were glaring at Alice," Jasper's voice was hard, angry. 

"Peter and Charlotte are waiting for me back at the house, Jasper. I have to go!" I said to him, trying to escape his grip. 

"Peter and Charlotte can wait. Why were you glaring at Alice? This is the last time I'm going to ask you, Bella. If you don't answer, then I'll-" 

"What?" I cut him off. "What will you do?" I glared at my brother now. "Keep me here against my will? Torture me until I tell you?" 

Jasper glared back at me. "Yeah, I'll keep you here. You're going to give me an answer." 

My breath caught in my throat. I stared at Jasper, wide-eyed, all traces of anger gone now. From me, at least. "You'd force me to do that?" 

Jasper paused, suddenly realizing what he'd said. "No, Bella, I didn't mean it like that. Of course I wouldn't force you to do anything." 

Peter, please help me! I cried out to him in my mind. Tears came to my eyes as I stood there, staring at my brother. Minutes passed between us in silence. Jasper looked pained, and he lifted a hand to touch my face. 

"Bella-"

"Let her go." 

Everyone suddenly looked up, to see Peter and Charlotte standing in front of them, but behind Jasper. By the look on Peter and Charlotte's face, this would not end well.

Jasper quickly spun around, still gripping my arm. "Peter," he said, surprised.

"Let her go," Peter repeated, more demanding now. 

Jasper's grip did not loosen at all. He only pulled me closer to him. "How did you know where she was?" 

Peter nearly growled at him. "She called out to me in her mind. I came the minute I heard her." 

Jasper, and everyone else, looked at me. "How is that even possible?" 

I only looked away, biting my lip. If I told him, he would be furious. I couldn't let him know my secret. It would put him in danger, just like knowing his puts me at risk. 

"Bella?" Jasper called out to me. 

I took this chance to slip out of his grasp. His grip on my arm had loosened when Peter told him how he had known where I was. Standing next to Peter, I looked up at him. Peter met my gaze and raised his brows in question. I shook my head. 

It will put him at risk, you know that. I sent my thought to him. 

"You're at risk for knowing his secret," Peter told me.

"He's going to find out sooner or later, Bella," Charlotte stated. 

I sighed, knowing it was true. Whether I liked it or not, I had to tell him the truth. Looking up at Jasper and everyone behind him, I stated my secret. "I'm a vampire."