Irrational. [Jasper Hale]

0.6 ; Disgustingly Distant

After two months of Florence visiting Bella every single day after school, she finally mumbled out words, "Why haven't you given up?"

"Do you want the ugly truth or the pretty lie?" Florence deadpanned, her golden eyes staring right through Bella's sadness and into the minuscule part of her soul that was still happy.

"The pretty lie please," Bella's voice cracked as she pronounced the last syllable, "I'm tired of ugly truths."

"Well then," Florence chuckled as she hopped onto Bella's plush purple comforter, pulling her knees up to her chest to match Bella's pose, "I haven't given up on you because you mean the world to me, and I miss the old you."

Bella almost broke down at the beautiful lie, wishing that it was true. She knew Florence had never taken a liking to her before the Cullens moved away, and she knew that, more likely than not, the only reason she was here was to help her soulmate out; but it felt nice to pretend that someone still cared about her. 

The crazy thing is that Florence wasn't exactly lying. With the Cullens gone from town, Florence's only true acquaintance was Bella. That, combined with her maternal gifts, made the elder vampire care deeply for the human girl, but she didn't need to know that. 

Bella began coughing out of nowhere, her breath soured from tobacco. Florence almost had a fit when she caught a whiff of her tobacco-ridden breath, "Have you been smoking?"

"No," Bella lied, her heart skipping a beat, "I'm not stupid, Flor."

Florence let the lie slide as she hopped off the bed and smelled for the cigarettes. She found them four seconds later haphazardly hidden underneath Bella's boxspring. 

Smirking, Florence rose from her spot on the ground, "I suppose you're just holding these for a friend, then?"

"Uh - yes, actually. Jacob," Bella covered.

"Then I'm sure Jacob wouldn't mind me throwing them out," Florence winked at Bella, trying to help her break her new found habit.

"Actually," Bella put a hand on the cigarette carton, "I'm sure he would mind. A lot, actually."

"Well then he should know that smoking literally kills your lungs."

"Maybe he doesn't care," Bella went along with the 'Jacob' scenario, knowing exactly what Florence was doing.

"He doesn't care about breathing?" Florence inquired sarcastically.

"Maybe he doesn't think life is worth breathing for anymore," Bella's eyes pooled with tears that she refused to shed.

"Maybe he's a complete dumbass then," Florence rolled her eyes.

"Maybe he was in love," Bella whined.

"Love comes in all different forms," Florence began, putting a hand on Bella's back as she coughed again, "Maybe he just doesn't realize just how many people care about him because he's letting one love get in the way of true love."

"I had true love," Bella dropped the Jacob facade. 

"You still have it, Bells," Florence pointed out, "Think of Charlie. He's literally downstairs scared out of his mind because he has no idea what has gotten into his daughter. Think of your mom, who calls you everyday just to make sure you're still good. Think of Jessica and Mike and Angela and Eric, who all miss you sitting at their lunch table. Think of me, who has been coming to your beside every single night in order to make sure you don't do something rash in lieu of Edward leaving. Think of the Cullens, who are literally worried sick about how you are reacting to this change. But most importantly, think about Edward, who literally gave up his one purpose in life - you - in order to protect that same purpose."

Bella sniffled at the mention of Edward's name, "I'm just so broken. I don't know if I can be me anymore."

"Open your eyes dumbass," Florence waved her hands in front of Bella's face, "You're throwing away all the love right in front of you. You're being ignorant and selfish by depriving the world of all you have to offer, but, most of all, you're depriving yourself from having a good, healthy future by letting one boy's mistake define your life."

Bella now had a Kleenex underneath her eyes to drop the fallen tears as Florence barreled on through her speech, "You are so much more than a boy. I know it feels like you're losing a piece of you - I do. If you don't recall, my soulmate left me as well, but I'm not sitting on my ass feeling sorry for myself."

"How aren't you?" Bella asked, genuinely wondering how she was so okay with all that's happened in the past two and a half months. 

"Because," Florence began, "I spent centuries apart from him, and I know that he's worth spending a million more centuries apart if it means we get to be happy in the end. Ultimately, what's meant to be will always find a way, and we have no business messing with fate as it plays out. The only thing we can do is realize that life goes on, time goes on, and society progresses - with or without you. Now, you can be a part of it, or you can smoke your life away."

With that, Florence clapped her hands together, moving to exit her room, "I can't make that decision for you, but for your sake, I sincerely hope you make the right one."

On Florence's way down the stairs, Bella showed up in the open doorway, "Thank you."

Florence continued walking down the stairs, throwing a simple peace sign in the air as a response, but deep down, Florence's heart warmed at the thought of Bella actually getting better. Because of her maternal gifts, she has a need to always be nurturing someone - now she feels needed again.

As she passed the kitchen where Charlie was eating his vegetable beef stew, he waved to her, "Thank you for being there for her when no one else can be."

"It's what I do, Mr. Swan."

[UNEDITED]

[word count - 978]

[sorry it's been so long. comment, vote, follow & I love y'all]