Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

This is unbeta'd and not pre-read by anyone. All mistakes are my own.

MA: This story will eventually have explicit and lemony scenes. If boy x boy relations offend you please don't read any further.

This is the continuation of Edward's POV from chapter 8. Thanks to all those who voted! I loved getting each and every response!

-iwtfy-

A light hand curled around my bicep sending tingles up my arm and I turned to look at Jasper. He'd been waiting for me to respond, and like a total idiot my brain had wandered off.

"Uh, sure?" I shrugged, my heart racing at the continued contact with his skin. "What did you need to talk about?"

I forced myself to stay calm as I looked him in the eye, barely keeping myself from shaking under the intensity of his gaze. What the fuck? Why is he looking at me that way? It hadn't escaped my notice that he hadn't let go of my arm yet. There was a charge in the air and I had the urge to see what his reaction would be if I stepped a little closer and lowered my lips to his. My cheeks turned warm from the idea of kissing him and I knew I was probably blushing again. I'm like a fucking girl around him.

"If you don't mind I'd rather talk alone without interruption. How 'bout lunch? Got any plans other than reading?" As always his voice was calm and collected. Like our skin touching each other wasn't affecting him in the same way it was for me. Of course he isn't. To him you're just some young guy he's working with. He probably wants to talk about the job.

"Good morning boys," Carlisle's cheerful voice broke through the moment and Jasper dropped his hand from my arm.

"Morn'n boss," Jasper drawled and stepped back. He didn't take his eyes off me and I was growing disconcerted from his attention.

Forcing myself to look away I finally got the lock unbolted and pulled the door open with a sigh. "Morning Carlisle."

We all moved into the room and Carlisle put down the tray of drinks he was carrying. Jasper sauntered over like he'd been working here forever and picked up a cup from the tray. "Coffee," he mumbled. "Purrrfect." He then picked up another cup and brought it over to me. This being Jasper's first day, I was pleased Carlisle had remembered to bring an extra cup.

Pretending I hadn't been interested in what he was doing, I stood facing the clipboard with the day's training list. It was hard to focus and read the words when I was really watching Jasper from my peripheral vision. When he thrust the cup in front of me I grasped it in my hand to take it from him but not without letting my fingers graze his. I was hoping he'd think it was an accident. I really shouldn't have done it. Not if I didn't want him to know my true orientation.

And now I need to make an adjustment. I stood still ignoring how uncomfortable I'd become, glad that jeans were the normal attire for this kind of job. There was no way I would have been able to hide my reaction if I were sporting my school uniform.

"Thanks," I responded, immediately turning back to the clipboard and again feigning interest in the written words in front of me.

"So Ted," Jasper began. I bristled immediately, I hated being called Ted and it sounded even worse coming from Jasper. "Your friends... they seem a little younger than you?"

"Please don't call me Ted. Garrett does that to get under my skin. I prefer Edward." I was avoiding the question. If I tell Jasper I'm only seventeen, would that make a difference? Would he think I'm too much of a kid to hang around? At this point I was desperate for any amount of time with him.

"Edward," Jasper said while sounding like he was smirking. I chanced a glance at his face to see. Yeah, he was finding this amusing. "You didn't answer my question."

"A little younger." It was the truth, sort of. Garrett's birthday was a week later than mine and Bella was still sixteen. I think she had a fall birthday. So, yeah, I didn't lie, but I knew he hadn't meant our exact birthdays. Don't ask my age. Don't ask my age.

I flipped the tab on the lid of my tea and tried to appear nonchalant, like I hadn't just tried to deceive him. I wanted desperately to ask him his age, but it wasn't worth the risk that he'd then realize I'd never given mine. Instead I took a quick gulp of tea and the hot liquid burned my tongue. I winced as I tried to hold back the assault of swearing I wanted to belt out. At least this will distract me from Jasper for a few minutes.

He must not have noticed my discomfort because he continued on with the questions."How long have you and Bella been together?"

Together? Did he mean... like girlfriend/boyfriend together?

I looked over to see if Carlisle was listening in on the conversation. He was standing in the doorway to the tack room, his back to us, probably enjoying his coffee and watching the morning traffic as it rolled in.

"Well, I've known Bella for a couple of months now, but we aren't what you would call together."

"She isn't your girlfriend?"

Hell no! Where did he get that idea?

"Uh-no? I don't have a... I'm not in a relationship. Why would you assume that?"

My mind was rapidly trying to recall if yesterday Bella had touched me in some way that would give him that impression.

"Yesterday, Garrett called her your girlfriend," Jasper responded. His voice sounded funny, almost as if he were grinding his teeth. I glanced up at him and was surprised to see he looked angry.

Ohhh. I hadn't even noticed when he'd called her that. It was so typical Garrett that I hadn't stopped to think how it might have sounded to an outsider. I smiled thinking about the mixup. It was possible that Garrett had slipped up in his affections, but now that I'd had the chance to review I was pretty sure he'd subtly or not so subtly been trying to remove me from the equation. Probably he had some designs on Jasper, and in the off chance Jasper was gay and available he wanted his way to be clear.

Thank God I'd had the inspiration to text Garrett to keep his hands off. He did keep his hands off, right? The smirk I'd been sporting quickly slipped off my face as I further considered the whole interaction. It was crazy, Garrett would never... no I didn't have anything to worry about. I shook my head at the way my insecurities were now causing me doubt my best friend. Garrett would have understood how 'different' this request was from me and he'd never break my trust like that. I was an ass for being so distrustful.

"That's just Garrett. He loves to add labels like that. All his friends that are girls are automatically categorized as 'girlfriends' but in a totally platonic way because there's no chance..." Jasper had realized Garrett was gay right? "...well, because Garrett's kind of..." How do I explain this? I was floundering and I didn't know why. I knew rationally that being friends with someone gay didn't automatically mean everyone would jump to the same conclusion about me. Yet, I suddenly felt like I'd be lying about myself if I only declared Garrett as gay and failed to out myself.

Jasper seemed to catch on about what I was suggesting about my best friend and probably felt embarrassed about where the topic was heading. "I think I know what you're getting at." His anger had subsided, but it now seemed as if he was anxious to change the subject as quickly as possible. His mood swings were giving me whiplash and I felt like I was missing important information. "So how was your night out? Garrett mentioned they were going to some clubs."

I'd forgotten that I'd used my friends as my excuse for not going to dinner last night. Did Garrett happen to mention what kind of club they were going to? Fuck! I feel like I'm flying blind here. What was Jasper thinking if he thought I'd gone out to a gay club? I should have fucking manned up and responded to Garrett's texts last night.

"I didn't go. I wasn't up for what Garrett had in mind and I instead decided to work out at the gym and go home to bed. Maybe I should have gone out to dinner with you guys after all." I tried to keep my actual level of disappointment absent from my voice. I doubt I was very successful.

"I wish you had," Jasper responded in a regretful tone that actually matched my mood pretty closely. He then tossed his cup in the garbage can and headed toward the tack room door.

I watched him walk away without a backward glance and I felt thoroughly confused. Desperation forced my hand and I pulled out my phone. I was willing to break one of my rules for the first time ever if it could shed any light on the conversation that'd just occurred. Before I said anything else to Jasper I needed to find out what happened yesterday after I'd walked away. There was no way Garrett or Bella would be up at this ungodly hour, especially after clubbing, but hopefully Garrett left some sort of clue in his texts.

*****iwtfy*****

B.T.W. I'd written the Jasper outtake last summer when I was trying to wrap my head around his next conversation with Edward. It is over 4,000 words, so it will be a nice way to wrap up some lingering questions at the end of the story.

Thanks for reading!