Finding My Brother

Chapter 10

Edward's POV

As soon as the Volturi left, Bella went back to human form. She then turned to look at Carlisle, utter fear on her face. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a look of concern, his eyebrows raised. Bella shook her head, and Carlisle then took her back to the house.

I frowned, confused. What had just happened between them? I turned to Jasper. "Do you know what just happened between them?"

"Who, Carlisle and Bella?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, he gave her a look and she shook her head, like she knew what he was asking."

Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. Don't care, either. I'm more concerned about why she keeps glaring at Alice."

I frowned again. This is not what I was expecting to hear. "Bella's your sister, Jasper. She should be your first priority."

He looked at me. "Alice is my first priority. She always will be. Alice is the most important thing in the world to me."

"She is?" We both turned at the sound of Bella's voice ringing out in the clearing. The look on her face hurt me more than anything else in the world. She looked heartbroken and sad.

Jasper tried to cover up what he'd said. "No, Bella, of course not. You will always be my first priority. Alice is not as important to me as you are."

"I'm not?" Now we looked to see Alice there, the same expressions on her face as on Bella's.

Jasper struggled to clear what he'd said about both of them. "No, Ali, I love you. Bella is just a sister to me. You are more important than anything."

Alice smiled and buried herself in Jasper's arms. As for Bella, she looked completely destroyed. Tears were in her eyes and she looked like she had just seen everything she'd ever loved ripped away from her. Which, in a way, she had. Jasper was her brother and he just pushed her away like she meant nothing to him. It made me angry.

Ignoring Jasper and Alice, I walked over to Bella and said, "Come on, Bella. Let's go take a walk."

Jasper immediately was in front of me, glaring. "Absolutely not. Stay away from my sister."

Bella became angry. "Why are you so intent on keeping me away from him?"

Jasper whirled on her. "Because he'll hurt you, that's why."

"He'll hurt me?" Bella said, incredulous. "He won't hurt me, you will. In fact, you already have."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "How have I hurt you, Bella?"

She shook her head, tears in her eyes again, some rolling down her cheeks. "You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what, Bella?" Jasper asked, exasperated and annoyed.

Bella shook her head again. "I'm your sister. I should always be the most important thing to you, whether you love me or not. But instead, Alice is the most important thing to you, and you haven't known her as long as you've known me. Don't you see? You're pushing me away for some girl you barely know. I'm your sister, Jasper. But apparently, you aren't my brother."

I stepped around Jasper and walked off with Bella, leaving Jasper to think about what just happened.

Jasper's POV

I stood there, utterly and desperately confused, not to mention taken by surprise. In all my years of knowing Bella, she had never gotten defensive like that. Peter and Charlotte were right. Bella really did change after I left. She wasn't herself anymore. And as much as it scared me, I was going to figure out what really happened when I 'went missing' in the war, as Bella so loves to put it.

Alice's POV

I was so happy that Bella was gone. She was so whiny and needy, it was ridiculous. It's no wonder Jasper tells me I'm the most important thing to him. I'm not like Bella. I shook my head, smiling. Then, I was pulled into one of my many visions...

"Bella, what's going on?"

"What are you talking about, Jasper?"

"What happened to you when I left?"

"Nothing. It's none of your business. You don't care."

"Bella, why would you think that?"

"I'll tell you why..."

"Alice!" Jasper's voice brought me back to reality. "What'd you see?"

I looked Jasper in the eyes. "Nothing. I was just thinking, is all."

Jasper smiled, believing me. "What about?"

"Us." I smiled warmly at him. "I'm so glad you're mine, Jasper."

Jasper smiled back, pulling me in for a loving kiss. "I'm glad I'm yours, too, darlin'."

Edward's POV

I was fuming. Jasper had no right to treat Bella like that. She was his sister for crying out loud! I looked at Bella only to see tears streaming down her face. This caused me pain, and I didn't like it. A beautiful girl like Bella did not deserve to be treated like that by anyone, especially her brother.

"Bella..." I said, trying to make conversation to take her mind off it. "Are you okay?"

"No," was the only response I got.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked her, thinking it would make her feel better.

At first, she didn't answer, so I thought she wasn't going to answer at all. Then she spoke. "I just don't get it. I'm his sister. But he's pushing me away for Alice. It doesn't make any sense."

I sighed and placed an arm on her shoulder. "Jasper's a jerk."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, he is, but at the same time, I love him. I can't...I can't imagine life without him. I just wish he wasn't pushing me away."