Love in Cold Blood

Chapter 24: Peter

“Wasn’t that fun?” asked Alice as our plane landed in Port Angeles.
“Tiring.” Bella and I mumbled almost in unison. The last few days have been like ice skating in Caina. We had rushed off from Paris to Germany to Austria and Switzerland. Bella had a mysteriously fun line there. She bought a T-shirt saying “Welcome to Switzerland, we’re neutral here.” And was laughing side-by-side with Edward when she bought it. They never did tell me what that was about.
“Well we’re back anyway.” Sighed Alice
“I was looking forward to more shopping.” Commented Rosalie, Alice nodded
“We did enough!” shouted back Bella
The whole trip long, you couldn’t seem to tare Alice and Rosalie from the shopping racks! They used the boys as pack mules (especially Emmett) and made them carry over three times the weight a normal human would.
“I’ll drive you home.” Said Jasper in his deep angel’s voice
“Okay.” I sighed
He carried the large bags I held and loaded then into the back of Carlisle’s Mercedes. He drove off.
“I sincerely hope you did have a good time, in a whole.” Smiled he
“Of course!” I said “These were some of the best days of my life.”
“Mine too.” He whispered so quietly I wasn’t sure he could hear, he smiled and patted my knee then there was a soft buzz and he lifted the small silver cell phone to his ear. I couldn’t hear who was on the other line. His face was blank then it went from happy to horrified in one quick moment.
“Are you sure?” he said
“Can’t they leave?”
“I’ll see them.”
He shut his phone.
“What’s wrong?” I asked
“Nothing.” He gave me a tight smile.
“Who do you want to leave? Who are you going to see?” I questioned him
“Just some old friends.”
“May I meet them?”
“No.” he growled harshly, his face bone white. He scared me. His face was immediately one of remorse.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered “It’s just that, it would be dangerous if you ever saw them.”
“Why?” I was naive enough to ask
“They aren’t like us.”
“They are vampires right?” I confirmed
“Yes.”
“Then why…?”
“Oh.” I made the small noise
“Yes.” He gave a grave smile
“They eat humans.” I was very quiet
“They are good people.” He said quickly “And if they wanted to, they could change.”
“Like you did.” I whispered
“Yes.”
“So you knew them from before.” I indicated his time before the Cullens
He nodded
“So I can’t meet them?” I asked I was dreadfully curious to meet them
“You still want to?” He asked surprised, his eyes leaving the road
“yes.”
His brow was still furrowed; I moved my hand to sooth out the marble planes.
“I can’t?” I asked again
“Maybe.” He said “I’ll have to ask them if they can handle being near you.”
“If any thing would happen.” I said to try to convince him “You and Emmett would be there to hold them and calm them down.”
“It wouldn’t be so easy.” He said in such a grave voice I didn’t question him.

I sighed as I laid my head on my pillow. It had been almost a week since I came back from abroad and that long since I’ve seen all the Cullens. Jasper’s friends, Peter and Charlotte, were having an extended stay.
“My god I want to see him.” I said and shoved my hands into the air. I said back down frowning. I was about to leave my room to go downstairs to watch some television when I heard a rustle.
I walked to my window and opened it. I stuck my head outside
“Jasper?” I asked “Alice?”
Jasper and Alice had seen me, of course, but they had sneaked in through my window or through my door when my parents weren’t home.
‘That’s funny.’ I thought ‘I texted Jasper that my family was going to be away for a few days, they should just walk through the door…’
I turned and was about to just my window when a pair of snow white hands appeared on my window.
“Jasper.” I smiled “You could’ve just come through the door.” I laughed
“So you do know him.” Said the voice. It was deep but, not so much as Jasper; it didn’t belong to any of the Cullens.
“Who is this?!” I asked stepping back as a head slowly appeared trying to keep my voice steady.
“A friend of Jasper’s” said the voice as a young man around 18 or 20 appeared.

He had light blonde hair, like corn silk. His face was more jagged than Jasper’s but, not was hard. He had the same pale skin that I was used to but, there was something different. His eyes. Instead of the honey-like gold they were scarlet. I knew who he was.
“Peter?”
“Hello.” He said politely in a quiet but, stern-sounding voice “I guess he told you about me.” He helped himself into my room.
“Yes.” I said quickly “About you and Charlotte. You are visiting the Cullens.” I smiled at the visitor. I knew I should be afraid but, he knew a younger Jasper, a different Jasper. He wasn’t human then but, young vampire is good enough!
“You’re special to him.” He said
“Yes.” I said blushing. I looked up at him and his red eyes were transfixed on my face, neck.
“So, you knew Jasper a while ago.” I said quickly and his eyes darted up.
“Yes.”
“What was he like?” I asked as I sat on my bed. He sat on a chair in the corner of my room.
“Different.” He said with a slight smile “He was much sterner, the best leader, ever. A most magnificent fighter. He’s softened up.”
“The diet.” I said nonchalantly
“That’s not all…” He said off hand
“Where were you guys?” I asked “You and Charlotte.”
“Lastly, Canada, North East. But, mostly we are around the southern states. The night doesn’t bother us, being around unfamiliar ground does.”
“How’s Texas?” I asked
“Flat, as always.” I suppressed a giggle “Where’s Jasper?” I asked ‘Did he know Peter was here?’
“At the house.” He said “I was just coming back from hunting, out of state of course, Cullen hospitality rules, when I thought I smelled him. Jasper frequents this place.” He looked around the room. “That’s when I knew it would be you, Winifred, Jasper, Alice and, the others talk about you and a ‘Bella’.
“That’s Edward’s girlfriend.” I said He nodded
“You’re going back now?” I asked
“Yes.”
“Do you mind if I come with?”