Parallax

Chapter 10

"One day, I just woke up and I was human again and a much younger version of myself... I thought that I was just stuck back in my past but when Jacob started talking about all of you leaving and then Alice started talking about my life that I have never heard of and experienced at all, I realized that this isn't my world.

I don't know why my story is different... I don't know what made my reality different that somehow, I have a different mate here. I don't have any control about what's going on with the universe any more than you do... All I know is that... Jasper is my mate. It always has been that way, the first time I laid eyes on him on my first day on Forks High, I knew.

I was never with Edward, it's not like he left me and I was suddenly Jasper's mate, no. I am Jasper's mate in my reality as much as Alice is his mate in this reality and as much as I don't want to believe it, I have to accept that fact while I'm stuck in this world" she finished.

While Bella was saying this, she could see Edward's face contorted in pain, probably not wanting to accept everything that Bella was saying.

Everyone else was silent after Bella's revelation. No one still seems to grasp the idea of what she just shared with them.

Even Carlisle who already knew about it was suddenly deep in thought now that he has seen the reaction of the others. If it was them on her shoes, they'd have a hard time accepting the truth as well but Bella was stuck in this situation unless she can find a way back in her own time.

"I... don't know what to say..." Jasper was looking between the two women and there was a guilty expression in his face like he was somehow guilty of cheating on Alice.

She felt sorry for Jasper. There was nothing to be guilty about.

"Jasper... please don't..." she started. She wanted to reach out to him but kept herself from doing so. The situation was already complicated enough as it is.

"This is beyond anyone of our control. I'm just glad to know that in this reality, I may not be the one you call your mate... but at least I know that you found yours in Alice and I can see that you love each other very much and that's all I really could ask for." She smiled at them fondly and a wave of gratitude was directed towards her from the empath.

"What I can't find to be thrilled about is waking up in the body of my counterpart and learning that her own mate left her because he was too afraid of damning her soul to this existence." Bella kneeled in front of Edward and looked him straight in the eye.

Edward stared back, eyes searching as if trying to look for someone missing.

"It's really true is it... you... you're not -?" he couldn't say her name and his tone was resigned. With everything that had been explained and probably hearing Carlisle's thoughts about his conversation with Bella, there was no more room for disbelief.

"I'm afraid not..."

"It's all my fault..." he muttered. He had his arms around his torso as if he was trying to keep himself together.

Bella huffed. Leave it to Edward to blame himself for everything that's happening in her life.

"Hey, this isn't just about you! Me getting stuck in this past, taking over your version of Bella Swan... that's the universe messing around. I don't think that's anybody's fault. You, leaving her because of your twisted way of trying to protect her from yourself... yes... that one I agree is your fault" she pointed out.

"No... you don't understand..."

"What don't I understand? ... Edward, what are you fighting for here...?"