The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 12

Rhea's POV

After a delicious lunch, I managed to drag Jasper downstairs. The rest of the family was watching a movie. They seemed shocked that I managed to drag Jasper downstairs. Rose and Ryan made room for us on the couch but it was a tight squeeze. I slid down and sat on the floor but before I could get very far Jasper's hand held tight to mine. I gave him a reassuring squeeze and he loosened his grip.

We stayed like that for a few hours. The clock struck seven and an all too familiar engine roared, signaling her arrival. Everyone stood and walked out of the room. Jasper and I followed, our hands never disconnecting.

"You all know what I want," Bella started. "And I know how much I'm asking for. The only thing that I can think of for it to be fair is to just vote."

"You don't know what you're doing," Edward tried to persuade her.

"Shut up... Alice?"

"I already consider you my sister," Alice said going to hug her. "Yes."

"Thank you."

"I vote yes," Ryan said. "It would be nice to not want to kill you all the time."

"I'm sorry," Rose said. "I'm really sorry to both of you, for how I've acted. And I'm really grateful that you both were brave enough to go save my brothers but this isn't a life I would've chosen for myself. And I wish that there had been someone to vote no for me. So no." I walked over and gave her a big hug.

"I vote hell yeah," Emmett said walking over to pick up Bella. "We can pick a fight with the Volturi another way."

"I already consider you both a part of the family," Esme said. "Yes."

Carlisle looked up at Edward. He must have been thinking his answer because Edward had another outburst. "Why are you doing this to me?" Edward asked. "You know what this means."

"You've chosen not to live without her which leaves me no choice. I won't lose my son," Carlisle said.

"Rhea?" Bella asked.

"I've made my thoughts on you very clear," I said with some hostility in my voice. "We are not sisters, your actions towards me have made that clear. So I vote no. Call me a hypocrite but one way or another I will distance myself from you and your toxicity even if it means leaving my family."

"Rhea, please-" Bella pleaded.

"No! You have lost the chance to make it up to me. I'm done with your troubles and the mess you leave in your wake."

"I vote no," Jasper said which startled his whole family. "I watched as everything I loved and cared about was stripped from me over the years. I do not wish that on anyone." Jasper let go of my hand and walked back upstairs to his room.

I quickly followed him only to be stopped by Edward. "The last person who tried that had to be removed I suggest you remove your hand," I threatened.

"He needs to be alone," Edward said with his hand still on my shoulder.

I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back before shoving him down the stairs. I calmly walked back to Jasper's room before joining him on the sofa. We sat in a comfortable silence until my phone rang. It was Dad. I told him as much of the truth as I could. Jasper was kidnapped and he needs my help. He wanted Jasper to come in for an official statement and Jasper nodded his head. I told him that we would be down by the station in the morning and he reluctantly agreed to me staying over for one night.

"Jasper there's something I need to get off my chest," I said breaking the silence. "When You disappeared on me I thought that I wasn't good enough. I almost relapsed. Thankfully I had enough sense to talk to Matt about it. It brought me back to my dark place. I couldn't even open your Christmas present until Rose showed up at my door. I'm not trying to make you feel worse but I just think everyone needs to hear this. All of you have become so important to be and to think that you would decide to leave without even talking to me about it first broke my heart. And then you said that you were gonna stay. I was happy because that meant that I mattered.

"It's all I've ever wanted. To matter to someone. To feel like what I had to say, what I feel, and what I think is important. I thought it was all lies when no one would return my calls when you stopped showing up. But I want you all to know, even when I was hurt I was never mad. Part of me always expects that everyone leaves me-"

"I never wanted to leave you," Jasper said kneeling in front of me.

"I know that now. But I didn't then. I thought that I wasn't good enough and that you all finally realized it."

Jasper reached up and brushed away my tears. We spent the rest of the night cuddling in his room. Rose eventually came to join us and Ryan after that. Carlisle and Esme checked in on us periodically and once Emmett finished the perimeter check he joined us.

"Ryan I never asked, do you have a gift?" I asked from my position snuggled into Jasper's chest.

"I'm an empath just like Jasper," Ryan said.

"So how come you attacked at the party but Jasper didn't?"

"I felt everyone's hunger beside's Jaspers."

"Why not Jasper's?"

"Because I had you," Jasper said. "When vampires first mate the scent is overwhelming. Over the years we get used to each other's scents so they don't affect us in the same way."

"So that's why Alice couldn't calm you down?"

"Precisely."

I let the conversation drop and closed my eyes awaiting the darkness to overtake me. And then it did.