Jacob
Ding-dong!
Grumbling, I dragged myself to the front door, cursing whomever it was for interrupting my show. I flung the door open and saw…no one.
"Um."
I looked down. Oh.
"I…I…"
The kid looked completely lost and confused. "Um…are you Jacob Black?"
I leaned against the doorjamb and sighed. "Depends on what you're selling."
"I…I'm not selling anything."
I waited expectantly. When the kid just stood there, shivering, my impatience took over. "Well then? What do you want?"
"I…I'm not really sure…"
"Why me?" I demanded of the sullen, cloudy sky as I drove to the edge of La Push. As I neared the border I could make out a silver Volvo waiting for me.
"Okay," I growled, stepping out of my Rabbit and slamming the door. "What was with the unwitting messenger?"
Jasper Hale stepped smoothly out of the Volvo, coming around it with catlike grace and resting on the hood. "I need your help," he admitted, his voice disgustingly silky.
"Oh, really." I considered this. On the one hand, why in the world would I help out my mortal enemy?
On the other hand, how awesome would it be to hold something over his head for the rest of my existence?
"With what, exactly?" I asked suspiciously.
He sighed. "I need you to go shopping with me."
"This is so weird." My brows knitted together as yet another disapproving glance was thrown my way by a mother holding her toddler's hand.
"What do you think, necklace or bracelet?" Jasper held two jewelry boxes up to the light, pursing his lips.
"You realize that we are completely compromising our dignity?" I stuck my tongue out at a pair of glaring middle-aged women.
"Or earrings?"
'I'm not gay!' I wanted to shout to the snickering guys just outside the Kay store. 'I swear!'
But that probably wouldn't help the situation. "So remind again why I did this."
Jasper set the boxes down, grimacing. "I promised to follow you around your school sending waves of negative emotion to people you don't like and glee to those you do like," he recited, scrunching up his nose.
"In heels," I added, grinning widely.
"In heels," he agreed, sighing. "It'll be worth it, though," he smiled, scrutinizing a gold necklace with a jet-black pendant. "I'll finally be able to surprise Alice."
"I hope you're still saying that when I've got a picture of you in pink pumps."
