Chapter 10: Other Secrets
Jasper walked out of the kitchen to find Maria there. "M-Maria…" he started slowly.
"Jasper, querido!" Maria exclaimed smiling.
Before he could stop her, Maria hurried over throwing her arms around him. "Um…I'm just…yeah…" Alice started hurrying into the bathroom.
"Alice…" Jasper started when Maria grabbed onto his arm.
"What happened to you? You disappeared from Texas," she commented.
"I left after you went back to Monterrey," he answered ripping his arm away.
Maria sighed as she stood in front of him when he tried to walk to the bathroom. "But why? Didn't we have fun in Texas?" she asked wrapping her arms around his waist with a grin.
"Yeah until I seem to recall almost ending up in the emergency room because of you…no not almost. I WAS in the emergency room because of you," he answered ripping her arms away from him.
"Oh it wasn't that bad," she answered moving her finger over his chest.
Jasper pulled her hand away. "Maria, I had ten stitches in my jaw and three broken ribs. Let's also not forget the concussion," he told her.
"Aw it was just a little fall," she answered.
"Your friend cut my jaw, punched me, and then shoved me down a rocky hill when the air was knocked out of me," he told her.
"You challenged him to a fight," she insisted.
"Me? YOU!" he shouted.
Maria crossed her arms over her chest. "And what are you doing here with some strange girl? And so small," she commented.
"Her name is Alice and she is an incredible girl," he answered.
"Cheating on me are you?" she snapped.
"Uh no, there is no us anymore Maria. I broke up with you before you left for Monterrey," he answered.
She started laughing. "You were serious?" she asked hitting his arm.
"I'm not the same guy you met in Houston," he answered.
"We had fun didn't we?" she asked, stepping closer.
Maria placed her hand on his leg. "A lot of fun in fact," she commented dragging her hand up to the front of his jeans. Jasper grabbed her wrist when her hand rested on the front of his jeans, pulling it away.
"Maria, don't," he told her.
"What? Usually you like it when I touch you like that," she commented smiling.
She moved up so her lips were close to his ear. "You liked it when we were close like this," she whispered, her hot breath on his neck.
"Maria…" he started pushing her back.
He stared at her. "I said no," he told her. She stared at him.
"It's that girl in there isn't it?" she demanded.
"Yes," he replied simply.
"What does she have that I don't?" she demanded angrily.
Jasper looked up when he saw Alice trying to sneak out. "My heart," he answered. Alice stopped and turned around with wide eyes.
"Your heart?" Maria asked her face growing red with anger.
Jasper was still staring at Alice before glancing at Maria. "Something you never had and never will have," he answered. Alice had tears in her eyes as she stared at him.
"You are both loco!" Maria hissed before storming out of the room.
Jasper watched as Maria left, slamming the door behind her. "You love me?" Alice asked quietly. Letting out a sigh, he nodded his head slowly. She hurried over, jumping up, and throwing her arms around his neck. "You really, truly love me?" she asked. Jasper wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her close.
"I really, truly love you. I always have," he answered, holding onto her.
Hugging her tight, he kissed the side of her head. "I never thought I could ever love someone as much as I love you," he added. Alice let out a small sob, holding onto him.
"I love you too," she answered with tears in her eyes.
Jasper lifted her up off the floor, nuzzling her neck.
Later that evening, Jasper was holding Alice's hand as they walked through the city. "Where are we going?" she asked smiling.
"We're just heading out for a little fun darlin," he replied.
Alice held onto his hand as they crossed the streets to a club. "Can I help you?" the security guard asked.
"Jasper Swan, I'm Peter Olson's friend," he replied.
The security guard stared at them in surprise. "Excuse me for the wait, enjoy," the security guard answered letting them into the club.
"You know the club owner?" she asked surprised.
"Yeah met him in Houston a few years back when I was on my rebel streak," he replied.
Alice held onto his hand as she looked at all the people in the club. "Shall we dance?" he asked. She stared up at him in surprise.
"You dance?" she asked.
"When the moment calls for it," he replied.
She smiled as he gave her hand a squeeze as they went out onto the dance floor. "I love this song," she commented as the song Falling for you by Colbie Caillet began to play. Jasper smiled to see her eyes shining with excitement as the two of them began dancing in the club. "Jasper, when you say you were a rebel…" she started. He let out a sigh as he spun her around once.
"Alice, I wasn't always the good guy," he admitted.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Chuckling lightly, he moved his hand up and down her back. "Think of it this way, I grew up in what people describe as 'a broken home'. My mom took Bella and me away from Forks when I was 2 and Bella was 1," he replied. Alice bit her lower lip as she wrapped her arm around his neck while they swayed to the music. "When I hit thirteen, I started rebelling. I didn't have a dad around to you know discipline me and I didn't see Charlie enough to keep me under control," he added. He rested his forehead against the top of her head. "So my mom sent me to Houston to stay with relatives there because she thought that would put me back on track. Boy was she wrong. I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, the very, very wrong crowd," he explained.
Alice let out a sigh as they moved off the dance floor after the song ended. They sat on the stools at the bar and Jasper ordered them a couple of sodas. "What…what exactly did you do?" she asked.
"Just a lot of petty stuff. Mostly the vandalism kind of stuff," he replied.
He tapped his fingers on the bar. "The one thing I would never ever do was hurt another woman or hurt another human in general. That goes against everything, I'd do the stupid shit and all that, but then I saw the rest of the group start to beat up other people," he added.
"Jasper…" she said quietly, her hand on his arm.
Jasper rested his hand over hers. "Well, then I started dating Maria and I thought things could get better. I was so wrong, Alice, so wrong. I got in way over my head," he answered. He moved his fingers through his hair. "The day I wanted to leave, one of Maria's friends tried to stop me. I was a sixteen-year-old kid who thought he was just the greatest thing on the planet. So, the day I tried to leave, he started shoving me. I didn't want to fight him, but dammit I listened to Maria telling me I could take him on easily," he muttered.
Alice bit her lower lip as she moved her thumb in circles over his hand. "So, I tried to fight him. The guy had a knife with him and I had nothing," he added. Alice's eyes widened in disbelief. "I tried dodging him and everything, but the knife got my face," he told her gesturing to the scar on his jaw. Letting out a deep breath, he took another drink of the soda in front of him. "Then he shoved me down the hill. Next thing I know I'm waking up in the emergency room," he finished.
"Jasper," she murmured.
She reached up, moving her fingers along the scar on his jaw. Jasper looked at her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. "I love you Jasper, there is nothing you can say that can make me change my mind about you," she murmured. Smiling softly, he rested his forehead against hers. "You're too good of a man," she whispered.
"I'm getting there," he answered.
Smiling, she rested her head on his shoulder, just relaxing against him. Jasper wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. "And I love you too," he whispered.