Ebb and Flow (Twilight x Reader)

Chapter 11

"What does that mean?" Bella's voice quavered. "That he hasn't called yet?"

"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us." But her voice was too even.

Bella began breathing heavier.

Jasper was suddenly beside Alice, closer to us than usual.

"Bella," he said in a suspiciously soothing voice. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I know that," she said.

"Then why are you frightened?" he asked.

"You heard what Laurent said." Bella's voice was just a whisper. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett . . . Edward . . ." Bella gulped. "If that wild female hurts Esme . . ." Bella's voice had grown higher, a note of hysteria beginning to rise in it. "How could I live with myself when it's my fault? None of you should be risking yourselves for me—"

"Bella, Bella, stop," he interrupted, his words pouring out so quickly they were hard to understand. "You're worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this—none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries. Listen to me!" he ordered, for Bella had looked away. "Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you."

"But why should you—"

Alice interrupted this time, touching her cheek with her fingers. "It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

Bella finally calmed down as she stared into Alice's dark eyes.

It was a very long day.

We stayed in the room. Alice called down to the front desk and asked them to ignore our maid service for now. The windows stayed shut, the TV on, though no one watched it. At regular intervals, food was delivered for Bella and I. The silver phone resting on Alice's bag seemed to grow bigger as the hours passed.

Our babysitters handled the suspense better than Bella and I did. Bella fidgeted and paced while I disappeared into a rabbit hole of dark thoughts, but they simply grew more still, two statues whose eyes followed Bella imperceptibly as she moved.

As the afternoon wore on, Bella went back to bed, simply for something to do. Alice followed her casually, as if by some coincidence she had grown tired of the front room at the same time.

That left me in the front room with Jasper. I noticed he was careful to keep his distance from me.

"Why do you do that?" I finally asked him, voice breaking through the silence.

He looked over at me from across the room. "Do what?"

"Stay away from us," I said. "Even when you were trying to comfort Bella before, you didn't get too close. Why?"

He blinked his yellow eyes once. "The truth may make you uncomfortable."

"My sister is being hunted by a blood-thirsty vampire," I said, smiling bitterly. "I think we're past that point."

Jasper was silent for a moment. "Well, I'm the newest in the family. The one who. . . turned. . . the most recent. I don't have as much control as the others. And while I don't pose a danger to you or your sister," he said hastily, seeing my alarmed expression, "Carlisle thought it to be a good idea to keep my distance."

"I see," I said, gaze sliding back to the TV.

After another moment, I asked, "How do you become a vampire?"