Another week, another chapter! I hope you're all well. Apologies for the late update! I've been very busy over this past week (and will be until February :( ) but have no fear, because I'll still make time to send out as many chapters as I can.
I still haven't managed to find a beta, so the search continues. If there's anyone out there who might be interested, please don't hesitate to PM me - I'd love to have you as my trusted side-kick and ruler of the world of Morphine.. Riiight, that sounds a bit underworldie. Nonetheless, I'll be waiting, whoever you may be! :-).
As always, a huge thank you to all of you who are reading/reviewing and subscribing. I love getting FF emails (I've VIP'd them on my account, lol) so please know that I do read them, take them into account, and greatly appreciate them. So again, thank you!
Disclaimer: If I get sued, Jasper and Edward will never get to 2nd base.
That'll be all for today. Enjoy!
"Did I show you well enough?" I asked, my head back between Edward's neck and shoulder. "Does it make sense now?" Edward's shoulder vibrated from a small chuckle and he turned to rest his cheek against my head. "Nothing ever makes sense with you, but yeah, you got your point across," he said, smiling. I pulled my hands out from under his shirt and brought one of them to rest against the side of his neck, before he added, "Thanks Jasper." I ascended my head before I'd barely put it down, brought my eyes to his, and kept my hand where it was. "For what?" I asked.
"For not giving up on me," he responded wistfully, his eyes moving from my gaze. I couldn't understand why anyone in their right mind would ever give up on Edward, but I guessed that this insecurity may have had something to do with the 'situation' Carlisle had mentioned. I didn't want to pry, despite the curiosity that swam within my mind, so I smiled, nodded, then moved back to my place between his shoulder and neck. "If anyone has given up on you, Edward," I said quietly, "then they never deserved you."
My face was subsequently pulled out of its niche and pressed against Edward's face. My lips touched a soft surface and did so for a solid thirty seconds, before I realized that I was being kissed again. It was a bad sign that the kissing experience didn't immediately register with me; it had been a long time, after-all, and I was still getting used to things. I guess Edward and I were on the same boat in that sense. However instinct took to the reigns, and my lips were swerving between Edward's before I could even say, 'my life is now complete.' He broke from me with a gasp and a smile, his jagged teeth separating his flesh-swollen lips. His smile brought out my own, and I grinned somewhat confidently.
"Showing me with actions, yeah?" I questioned lightly, chuckling. Edward smirked cheekily and kissed me again. "Just making up for two months worth of Jasper," he remarked. At first, I laughed, both at his words and my naivety, before an unexpected spike of guilt struck my gut. I frowned slightly, and returned to Edward's 'niche,' as I had now christened it. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner. Had I known, Edward, I swear-"
"It's all right," he said, bringing my face from the niche and pecking my mouth. "It all worked out in the end."
He was so right there. He was right about a lot of things, but I also realized that I'd been right about a lot of things too. Okay, okay, I was wrong about a hell of a lot more, I agree with that, but I was right about one thing: I couldn't give Edward the friendship he wanted. I was never able to give him the friendship he wanted. Instead, I was going to give him a hell of a lot more. I was going to watch ice-hockey games with him, rather than opposite him, and I was finally going to be the recipient of the lyrics he'd sing at the piano. I was going to be what I never thought was possible - I was going to be with Edward. It sounded like a dream to say that. The person I'd thought about so many times, and who I'd allowed to haunt my thoughts and mind, even down to the last second before I passed out, was now in front of me, kissing me, holding me.
My eyes fell upon the horizon. It was pitch-black and we were encompassed by only the faint shapes, suggestions of trees from behind. The distant darkness was scarred by the shining, twitching lights of the Seattle skyline in the distance and the orange, and sometimes yellow, sparkles shivered and wobbled amidst the obscurity of the night. I noticed that the car was parked at a cliff-edge. Somehow Edward had driven us to a trail, of which was probably not meant for cars, and we sat only a meter from the cliffs of fall, frightful, sheer and no man-fathomable depths.
Though we were dangerously close to a drop, I didn't feel in danger. Despite the fact that it would take only one, long push of a Washington wind to roll the car over the edge, I didn't suggest that we leave. I felt strangely close to this place, to this frontier that we teased, and I didn't want to move. Not yet.
I sensed Edward shuffle, but I didn't feel his eyes on me. I glanced at him, but the sky-line stole my attention again. The crackle of his voice tore through the silence when he spoke, and I, as always, had to uphold my decorum with a strength I'd refined over the past months. "This was.. a nice accident," Edward remarked, apparently awed by the same sight as I was. I chuckled within my chest and placed my head on his shoulder. "A great accident," I assured.
We sat without words for a moment; we didn't need to speak as being in each others' company was a language in and of itself, but I still found that I could see, in my peripheral vision, a frown on Edward's face. "I didn't mean to scare you," he started, sighing somewhat guiltily, "I was angry. You know what I'm like when I'm angry. I do stupid shit. But you know I would never hurt you, right?" I tilted his face towards mine and sent him a reassuring smile. "I know," I said, "and yeah, I know what you're like when you're angry. Remember what you said to Ptero when he woke you up that time?"
Edward shivered with the memory and I felt his skin crease. My experience as the stuntman for every blow-fish operation known to man inspired me to give him a lighthearted taste of his own medicine. "Poor guy won't even open his beak when you're in the house.. you managed to break him. What was it you said again?" I sent him an evil grin.
"Why don't I remind you of the thing you shouted to me in the hospital? Your shit-hot line of Spanish?"
Here lied the remains of Jasper's attempts to embarrass Edward. May they rest in peace and never see the light of day again.
"Whatever. You win," I coalesced, shifting uncomfortably. I needed to brush up on my ways-to-out-smart-Edward skills.
"I know I win," he said proudly, sticking his chest out, "but remind me anyway."
"No," I said firmly, not wishing to embarrass myself. Again.
"Something about brakes? Oh, and curves?" His smile was devilish, like the one he bolstered in the Japanese restaurant. Except then, I didn't have the wherewithal to kiss that grin off of his face. I'd almost forgotten that times had indeed changed. We had changed. Everything had changed. But it was a good change. And it was a change that would enable me to wipe those cocky smiles off of his face in a plethora of manners, whenever and however I saw fit.
"It'll get old, you know," I commented, to which Edward denied out right. We both laughed until silence came, and Edward's arm snuck behind my back. I was clutched into his grip and almost pulled from my seat. My head still on his shoulder, I snuggled into him closely. It was as if we had always been this way, as if we were picking up from where we left off.
I noticed that I could see my breath as I exhaled, and realized that my hands were chilled and icy. Being prone to bad circulation, I grunted and blew into them, to no avail in the slightest. Edward went to turn the car back on, but when I remembered where we were and how we'd broken a dozen city laws by driving off-road, I told him not to make any noise. Instead, I slithered my hands back underneath his shirt, where the heat from his chest brought life back into my nerves. I was being a good citizen by putting my hands there, too; it meant that we weren't burning car fumes by blasting the heat, and was actually a very prudent environmental move on my behalf. Save the atmosphere! Feel up Edward! Who could possibly complain about that?
My hands found warmth from the light scruff of hair across his abs, but when I became spoiled and craved further warmth, I moved my hands up to clutch his pecs. Edward didn't seem to mind me using him as a personal and portable heating device, so I snuggled further into him, as if he was a large, broody and red-lipped hot-water-bottle. I maybe pushed the limits of what was deemed acceptable a little too far, as I was practically sitting on him with my arms entangled into his chest; I noticed his shy-face (I could recall most of his faces at this stage) imbue his features. I knew when Edward was relaxed because his bottom lip would drop slightly, but now, his lip was pursed tightly against his upper one as I clutched onto him.. strictly for pragmatic reasons, of course. I was about to pull away and face the cold, lest he got a bit too uncomfortable, until I felt the air rumble through his body and knew he was about to say something. I remained in my position.
"I, ugh, like it when you do that," he stated, in a way that was so utterly uncertain that it almost undid me. I smiled fervently and confidently pressed my arms into his chest, without even a smidgin of apprehension. "Good," I said, "because there's plenty more where that came from." My reply lightened the atmosphere greatly, and some of Edward's rugged confidence came chancing into him.
"I have an idea," he declared, eyes lighting up while I watched with enthusiasm. "Why don't we make this our place? Y'know, if we're ever lost or can't find each other.. we can make this like, our meeting place?" The wonder in his face silenced me, and I watched his mouth move up and down, barely taking anything in. I mean, I heard him, and I thought it was a great idea, but when Edward made his 'I-have-an-idea' face, I usually tuned out and watched the show play-out.
"Jasper?" he prodded uncertainly. "Fuck, it was a stupid idea, right? Forget I said anything."
"I think it's a wonderful idea," I said, putting him at ease. There I was with my torturous ways again, but I swear, it was unintentional. Edward seemed to take my sudden moments of self-dialogue as expressions of disapproval, but the irony was that the exact reverse was usually the case. "So this is our place? What should we call it?"
Edward shrugged. "Jedsper?" His face was dead-pan serious, and I spat out laughing.
"You've got to be kidding me?" I cackled. "Your creativity just exceeds me, Edward."
His hand came and ruffled my hair, an action that was reminiscent of our 'friend' days. "Since you're the new Salvador Dali, what do you have in mind?" he asked.
My eyes drew across the boundary between land, air and water and my mind flashed to the crumbled rock on the chest of the cliff. Our spot almost named itself, as far as I was concerned, and I turned to Edward and said, "Cliff's Edge."
"Cliff's Edge?" he asked, seemingly considering it or else holding back laughing at it. His eyebrow cocked and his gaze dropped to me. "I like that." His arm pulled me in again and I gladly moved wherever it brought me. I didn't move my hands from beneath his shirt because as far as I was concerned, he liked having them there, so we sat together and watched the twinkling lights of Seattle as the sun began to rise from the east. Half of the sky was definitively dark, while the other was a nascent pink and orange. Between the two, was an undecided streak of color that wasn't sure whether it was light or dark, and so remained in between. I couldn't help but identify with it and think that it mirrored how I was with Edward up until this point; I had been mistaken in thinking that Edward was the dark. A friend, and nothing more. I was willing to join him in the dark, when in truth, that was never where he was. He was always in the light, calling me to him, even though I faced the darkness. When the orange and pink rays reached the undecided streak and finally claimed it as their own, it was perfectly reflective of how Edward had reached out to me and enlightened me of what I'd had my back to all along.
My eyes elevated to the man beside me and I nuzzled into him before I looked up with a sleepy smile. He was beginning to nod off with his head tilted against the headrest when he felt my eyes on him and looked at me. "You can go to sleep," he said, his voice crackling, "I won't go anywhere." With a satisfied yawn, I pressed into the niche once again, feeling much warmer now that I was completely up against him. Having his body beneath my hands and face proved to have soporific effects on me, as I'd never felt so relaxed and peaceful in my entire life. His heartbeat against my hands lulled my eyes shut, and the scent emitting from his pulse reminded me that even though I was meters from a devastating drop, I was in the safest place I could ever possibly be.
My thoughts soon leaked from my mind and before I knew it, I was having vivid dreams about kissing Edward.
I woke up some time later with a gasp. My mouth had opened at some stage during my sleep and as a result, my lips were slathered in a patch of condensation on Edward's neck. My arms were no longer on his pecs, but were instead wrapped around his torso as if I were a koala clutching to a tree. I reddened at how clownish I must've looked, but judging by the deep sleep Edward was in, I doubted he'd noticed.
I felt strangely, yet sufficiently, warm despite the fact I could still see my breath whenever I exhaled. My shirt felt heavy and my neck felt covered, but I put it down to a pinched nerve. I noticed that there was a foreign fabric wrapped around my shoulders, and when I pulled it off, It turned out to be Edward's shirt. My eyes panned over to his chest and indeed, it was bare.
"Edward." I nudged him worriedly and he woke up with a jump. Our eyes locked, while he took a moment to remember where he was, and he asked, "Are you okay? What's wrong?" He sounded almost panicked.
"Nothing," I replied, unwrapping his shirt from me. "You shouldn't have put this on me, you'll freeze." I placed it over him like a blanket, but he quickly removed it and spread it out over me again. "You were shivering last night," he apprised. "So I just put it on you. Wait, you don't mind, do you?"
"No!" I gasped, "I mean, yes, but no, err, yes for you, no for me." I stopped and chuckled at myself. "Look what you've done to me."
Edward smiled with his jagged teeth and pulled his shirt up to my chin. "Morning," he whispered, brushing his lips off of mine. My stomach tensed and I smiled goofily. "Good morning," I stuttered. I had to get used to waking up to his face every morning without looking like a complete red-faced schoolboy. But I still had a feeling that that wasn't going to get any easier.
"How did you sleep?" he asked, early morning emeralds probing me tearily. I never woke up in the middle of the night, nor did I yelp in fear that I'd slept in too long, so it was clear that I'd slept pretty damn well. "Best I've slept in years," I responded. "But I owe that to you."
He smiled proudly and stretched, groaning as he did so. I almost liquified when I saw his abs, pecs, V and biceps flex as he pulled his muscles in ways that brought wonderful sights to my eyes. He was so defined, svelte, but defined, and had the perfect amount of fuzz on his stomach, despite his white skin. He had light nipples and prominent collarbones, of which I imagined myself biting and licking. Phew, I could no longer see my breath.
It took all my strength to not throw myself on top of his chest and do very naughty things to him. I needed to keep my control lest I over-stepped things; I knew Edward wanted this, he'd made that very clear, but despite his willingness to be more than a friend to me, this was still new to him and I didn't want to rush things. Maybe that was a self-defense mechanism because I wasn't exactly the most experienced of guys either, but when I empathized with Edward to some level, and remembered that he had in fact admitted to having felt scared by the nature of this situation, I wasn't about to cut my foundations - as I had done with Emmett - and act on what my body implored me to do. No, I'd only go ahead with Edward's consent, and so far, all he'd consented to was kissing, and a little bit of feeling. I was grateful for even having that.
"What do you want to do today?" he asked, pulling me from the prisms of my mind. In response to that, I had no idea. I didn't really want to move from him, especially now that he was shirtless, so I shrugged and threw the ball into his court. "No idea," I yawned, cracking my neck, "I don't really want to go home incase I bump into Emmett, and I don't want to move too far from you. So where does that leave us?" I wiggled my eyebrows at him and he chuckled silently.
"We could.." He drawled out as his eyes elevated to make the Edward 'thinking-face.' I must've smiled goofishly again because I didn't notice that my cheeks were as high as my eyes. "We could get something to eat in the city?"
"No blowfish Edward, so help me God."
"Hater." He mumbled under his breath and feigned anger while I snickered, before he turned on the car and began to pull out of the trail we'd found ourselves in. I searched around the grounds outside and saw that some tire marks were emblazoned on the higher part of the road. With that, I pointed in that direction and signaled Edward back onto the highway. It was unnerving to know that 'Cliff's Edge' was just off of the main highway. I mean, cliff-edges and highways should never have been anywhere near each other - especially in Washington, where there were more idiotic drivers than there were idiotic surgeons - and that was saying a lot. Edward drove noticeably slower than he had last night; I think he was worried about scaring me, which wasn't the case at all, so I lightly insisted that he drive at the speed he'd normally drive at. He had no problem taking me up on that offer, and before I could fasten my belt for dear life, we were breaking the speed limit by 40 mph and weaving between the cars of indignant drivers.
Edward looked like Rambo, as he catapulted - shirtless - through the streets of the city without as much as a nod to the drivers he'd cut in front of. He was lucky that his speed blurred his license plate and when I asked him whether he was worried about getting stopped by the police, he shrugged and said, "Good luck catching me." And having refined my ability to not question every little detail of a situation, I smiled and sat back in my seat, even though I felt a little as if I were on Space Mountain.
Edward parked illegally and stepped out of the car. I tried to warn/remind him that he didn't have a shirt on, but being stubborn headed Edward, he didn't listen and jumped enthusiastically out of the car and into the icy Seattle conditions. As predicted, he shrieked, ripped open the door and threw himself back inside. "Fuck!" he squealed, rubbing his body desperately, "why didn't you tell me I didn't have a shirt on?"
I snorted. "I tried to, but you were so bent on getting out-"
"Yeah, yeah. Revenge is sweet. Shirt please."
I laughed loudly. I actually was genuine in that I tried to warn him, but I could see how he'd think I let him get out on purpose - as revenge for the countless blowfish stunts he'd pulled on me. Unfortunately, he put on the shirt and hopped out of the car, somewhat less exposed this time.
"You know, you're lucky. Had you jumped out in front of an old lady, you'd be sued for contributing to the heart failure of an elder," I said, recalling my own embarrassing encounter with the old ladies in the elevator. Edward cringed and bit his lip. "I feel dirty and in need of a shower. Thanks. Done fucking with me yet? I'm starving." He patted my back and guided me through the streets, apparently set on one particular place to eat. I noticed that he walked with his head down, and when people neared him to a specific point, he'd drift away with his eyes to the floor. Even when an old man accidentally bumped into me, Edward jolted like a cat in water and grabbed my arms to ask me if I was okay. When I told him it was just an accident, he took a deep breath and apologized. I thought it was very strange, but I wasn't about to pry into his idiosyncrasies when I was no perfect individual myself.
When we got to a café called "The Somber Brandi," Edward assured me that it was the most underrated dining place in the entire city. I wasn't about to doubt him, because frankly, he knew the city a hell of a lot better than I did, and I walked inside with him, only to be met by a dim room, with dark wooden furniture and a few tables and chairs. It was almost like a tavern that would've been found in plague-ridden London during the [insert century here.] History wasn't my forté.
"It's dark," I remarked simply. I was hoping he'd bring me somewhere with a view, preferably somewhere romantic, or maybe somewhere to sit outside beneath heat lamps. But if this was what Edward liked, then whatever. I'd make myself cool with it. There seemed to be a bar, and a kitchen, and a deli, and a bakery display. I noted that this was one of those small, family run businesses, where the owner wasn't sure whether to have a restaurant, café or bar, and so decided to just have all three instead. I shrugged and sat down, holding my breath lest I contracted the plague.
I didn't mean to be snobby, especially when the waitress asked me what I wanted to eat, and I responded with, "a certificate of your approved hygienic standards, please." Well, I knew I was coming across snobby, but that really wasn't my intention, despite the look Edward gave me. I was just a little annoyed that Edward hadn't told me why we needed to go to such a dim place, especially after the great night we'd had. It was a bummer on the mood and I guess that bent me the wrong way. I presumed that he liked this bar, restaurant or whatever it was, because it was dim and difficult to make out peoples' faces from a distance. I didn't feel it was my place to ask him why he was so nervous about being seen in public, but it did annoy me that he hadn't thought about maybe giving me an explanation as to why. Maybe he didn't notice? No, surely he must've noticed how on-edge he was? I wanted a reason, but I wasn't holding out for one, so I remained a little aloof.
"What's wrong?" Edward asked, after the waitress walked away with a huff. Since he wasn't about to tell me anything about his social short comings, I decided to take the same stance and remain secretive.
"Nothing," I sighed. My tone was a testament to my act of immaturity, and although I wished I was one of those perfectly mature people who could just deal with everything so perfectly-perfect-perfect, I wasn't, and this was just how I wanted to deal with it, so I sat obdurately - arms folded - and stiff in my chair.
"I can tell something's wrong," Edward pressed, watching me with suspicious, hooded eyes. "You've been acting strange since we got here."
I laughed somewhat bitterly. "I've been acting weird? Funny you should say."
"Alright," he sighed, pinching his eyes. "What have I done?"
"Nothing."
"Jasper?"
"What?"
"Tell me."
I huffed, rolled my eyes, but acquiesced all the same. It was hard to stay annoyed at Edward, especially when he was genuinely concerned as to what my problem was, and I allowed myself to deflate. "Don't take this the wrong way," I started, flinching after I'd spoken, as my opening phrase was one of those 'no offense, but I'm going to slate your entire existence,' type of openers, "but you're making me nervous. Why were you walking as if you'd escaped a prison? And why are we eating in this place? I mean, I'm sure it's nice, but I can barely see you. And believe me, I want to see you."
Edward shifted uncomfortably, his features heavy and lips pursed. I felt guilty for calling him out so bluntly, and perhaps arbitrarily, but I had to remind myself that it was my lack of communication with him that almost screwed up our entire relationship. In fact, I needed to learn to speak my mind a bit more often, and I was finally ready to execute that. "Hey," I cooed, tilting his chin with my hand. "Don't feel bad, I'm just worried that there's something wrong. Is everything okay?" Carlisle's words seeped into my mind, but I swatted them away without pouring much thought into them. Edward stubbornly brought his chin back to where it was, curled in towards his neck, before I backed off and leaned against in my seat.
"I'm sorry, it's just-"
"It's just what?" he asked acerbically, his eyes masking irritation. "You're too good for me? Is that it? I'm sorry I don't walk the way you want me to, and I'm sorry my taste in restaurants doesn't meet your standards, Jasper. Would you like me to walk you to the door so you can get out of this place that I'm keeping you in? Or would the journey to the door be too embarrassing for you?"
My mouth opened and before I knew it, words I'd never said were being shoved down my throat.
"I thought things were going well? Fuck, I should never have trusted anyone. This city is too shallow."
"Edward!" I gasped, reaching forward to cup his cheek, even though he flicked my hand away. "Calm down, I didn't mean it like that! I just wanted to make sure there wasn't something wrong."
"Well there is something wrong, and it's sitting right in front of me."
"Don't say that!" I chided. "I didn't mean to be-"
Edward stood up but kept his arms and hands pressed against the table's surface. "I don't know what I was thinking with you. I need some air."
I coughed. "Why are you acting like this?" I asked with frustration, my hands illustrating my corroded exterior. "You can tell me."
"No," he dismissed somberly, turning away. "No I can't."
He stormed out of the gritty café with his hands in the air, while I sat silently, not entirely certain as to what had just taken place. I couldn't think of any reason for him to react like that. Was it my tone? My phrasing? My attitude? My body language? Maybe it was to do with the question I'd asked? Goddamn it, I ruined our wonderful string of events with one idiotic, untactful question. Curiosity and frustration, I learned, were a dangerous combination, and had been the destructive cause that forced me to offend Edward. What was I thinking? Why did I ask him something so mindless?
My questions were mindless, right?
Since I'd met Edward, there was always an essence of mystery to his recipe. At first, before I'd learned to accept things, I wondered about it a lot. I'd see him walk with his head down, or check - twice - whether the doors were locked at night. I'd notice him looking around before we'd enter a building, or being on-edge while out on the streets. It was as if he was a fugitive on the run; and despite how unnervingly plausible that was under the circumstances, I doubted that Esme or Carlisle would be hosts to a criminal, regardless of their relation to him. As I furthered my friendship with Edward, I'd taken on a policy of acceptance, and from there, I refused to notice the strange rituals he carried out. Maybe my frustration in not knowing the reasons behind his often strange ways had built up, and I needed to know once and for all.
But it wasn't even as if it was overly difficult to turn a blind eye to Edward's odd public behavior. It was difficult, however, when it came in the way of us, meaning, when it was the reason we had to sit in a dark, dim café when we both wanted to look at each other, and make up for all the time we'd wasted; I felt frustrated and in need of an answer. It was easier to ignore something when it was in the peripherals, but today, Edward's obscure ways had wedged themselves in the middle of the great day we were having. Maybe it wasn't wise of me to snap at him, maybe it wasn't wise at all, but I didn't want secrecy to be the jealous friend in our relationship.
And there I was talking about relationships. I was kidding myself here. I'd blown it.
Hadn't I?
A beer, half a pizza and a lonely ice-hockey game later, I was sitting on my living room sofa, flicking through miscellaneous infomercials and documentaries while waiting for my phone to ring and convey Edward's voice. It had been nine hours and twenty seven minutes - give or take after the decimal point - since I'd pissed Edward off and he'd stormed out, and fifteen hours and fourteen minutes since he'd last kissed me. The second precious day of my liberation had been spent staring at my phone for 77% of those nine hours and twenty seven minutes, and the remaining 33% was taken up by thinking of what I'd say to Edward when/if he phoned.
I was at a loss with what to do with myself. Almost every day these past months had passed through a filter of either Edward, work, or both. Now, neither of these factors were currently present in my life, and I found myself in Limbo - again. Limbo was my second home at this stage; I'd been there with Edward, and now I was there without Edward. I didn't even have the luxury of work to distract me.
I tried petting Bierce Fitch to occupy some time, but she was still frightened of me since my 'mayonnaise' threat yesterday afternoon. Ptero was giving me the cold shoulder because of the shirt I'd thrown at his cage, and this was evident when I went to bring him for a walk and he said, "I like Emmett better." With that being a rather large blow to the chest, I flicked around and allowed the television - my last comrade - to take up my time.
Well, that wasn't completely true. Out of the five members of my 'family,' three were angry with me; one I was angry with, and the other.. well, I wasn't quite sure. Last I'd heard from Sofia, she mentioned being inundated with intern work and having very little time to hang out. She wasn't angry at me, at least, so she was somewhat of a neutral party, but because I didn't have access to her, the fruits of our communication were not within reach. And despite the recent growth of my confidants, I felt as if I was Bierce Fitch - my list of allies had conversely grown thin. Until Sofia was granted some sort of leave or break, I would remain in the outskirts of companionship for the time being.
I began thinking about my situation with Emmett. As far as he was concerned, we were on good terms, as he had no idea that I knew what he'd said to Edward. I mean, desperate times, desperate measures: I could've just continued on as if nothing had happened, as I wasn't even certain if Edward was going to come back or not. But I still didn't want Emmett to get away with being so deceptive. So I decided to keep hold of my conviction and interrogate him at a later date.
As I thought about all my screw ups with those closest to me, I began to question if I was in the wrong. Maybe I was unreasonable in asking Edward why he was somewhat socially inept; maybe I was wrong to expect Emmett to be happy for Edward and I after what I'd done to him all those months ago; maybe I was wrong to threaten Bierce Fitch and Ptero at a time when silence was so imperative. Maybe I was wrong about everything. Maybe I wasn't good enough.
I felt my diaphragm drop and my nose twitch. My eyes were on the television, but they weren't watching it. I would've eaten my sorrows away with the last half of the pizza on the table had it not been for the knock on my door that utterly startled me. I glanced at my phone and saw that I had no texts or missed calls; I thought it odd as Edward would almost always let me know in advance before he'd ever turn up beyond plan. Likewise, Emmett had a key and never had the courtesy to knock, and Sofia.. well, Sofia would just shout, "Jasper! It's Sofia! Open tha door! I have tequuuuilaaa!"
So who could it have been?
I apprehensively ambled to the door, chained it, and creaked it open. I took a breath when Edward's face appeared, looking vehemently ghastly and unhinged. His skin was white - ghostly so - and his hair was unusually disheveled. Something dropped from within, a feeling that sent a shiver down my spine as I sensed something ominous charging towards me, biting, swiping and nearing, regardless of prediction.
I should've been happy to see him, but instead, I was worried about something unknown. An instinct.
"J-Jasper, can I come in?" he asked shakily. I unchained the door and opened it slowly. "Of course, Edward, is everything.. okay?"
He shot me a look as I stepped to the side to welcome him in. It was almost as if he was telling me not to and I eyed him suspiciously. His eyes grew wide as he started to mouth something to me, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.
"You won't wake the neighbors," I said, brushing off of a joke, "just say it."
Edward was tossed into my arms from a deceiving force and I just about managed to catch him as we both tumbled backwards. The door was suddenly shut and my fears were aroused by confirmation.
Standing before me was a mousy looking man. Although short, what he lost in height he made up for with a terrible presence. Long, black hair that was semi clipped behind his head, fell to his shoulders in thin, almost elvish, strands. I really thought I'd seen the epitome of paleness when I'd met Edward, but this man's face was whiter than chalk, and in contrast with his jet-black hair, he looked like a phantom. Finally, my skin curled under his scrutiny, as his charcoal, beady eyes watched my every move in a way a spider or any other insect would optically dissect its prey.
"My, my," he teased, taking a step closer to us as I shuffled backwards with Edward still limp in my arms. "You must be Jasper Whitlock. Edward's told me so much about you." He stopped, smiled menacingly at Edward, and continued, "My name is Aro, short for nothing. I suggest you remember it, friend." Every word that was formed by his tongue slapping against his sharp front teeth was bolstered by a perky, mocking tone and I trembled with anger, fear and confusion.
"Who the hell are you?" I gasped, clutching to Edward, who wasn't moving. "What are you doing in my house?"
He smiled again, and pins scraped my skin. "Why, my friend, you invited me in!" he apprised. "Edward asked on behalf of both of us. So gentle for the mercenary he is." His eyes raised wistfully before descending back upon me with a reptilian blink. I frantically reached for my phone to call the police and would have done so had I not been halted by his tutting.
"Ah, ah, ah," he chided, smiling. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You wouldn't want poor, poor Esme to fall down the stairs now, would you?" He cackled loudly. "Or what of poor Carlisle? How unfortunate would it be if he was hit by another car? Such a pity. Now, Jasper, do put the phone down."
It dropped from my hand as my mouth gaped open.
"Surprised?" he continued, grinning. "Some of my colleagues are outside the Cullen household right now - not that that's out of the ordinary - they're always there, watching and waiting for one of the Cullens to make the wrong phone call."
"Who are you?" I growled.
"A friend," he responded. "An enemy. A stranger. It really doesn't matter. What matters is that Edward has something I need. Oh, forgive me for forgetting - he's been tranquilized, he should wake up in a few hours, not that he'd want to." The man stroked his pointed cheek and cackled again. "Where was I? Ah yes! Edward is in quite the predicament, you see, and I'm afraid to be the bearer of bad news, but, so are you!"
"What have you done to him?" I wheezed shakily.
"Given him a few hours of peace. Poor thing needed it after what you did to him."
"What I did to him?" Fear seeped into me as liquids trickled through an IV. "You don't know a single thing about me."
"I wouldn't go quite that far," Aro informed, his tone warped. "I may not know everything, but there's plenty of time to get there. However, I do know some things. Do you know how hurt poor Edward was after you asked him why he.. Oh, how did you put it? 'Walked as if he'd escaped prison?' Such a way with words! Beautifully put, if you don't mind me saying. When Edward got home, he got a little shock - a shock that brought him back to us. Hmm, a good shock, but a shock nonetheless, I'm sure."
"I don't know who you are," I said breathily, still holding Edward up. "But I want you to get the hell out of my house."
"My my!" Aro sang. "And I thought Edward had the temper! Fiery little thing you are! Very well, I'll take my leave. I suppose Edward can fill you in on our version of events. I think you'll find he isn't who he said he was." The man marched to the door with a sour snigger, and turned back around to look at me one last time.
"Oh, but Jasper?" he called, his face lighting up. "I'll have you know that Edward's friends and family are treated as .. collateral. Have a wonderful night."
The door shut and my legs collapsed beneath me.
Edward remained tranquilized.