Thank you again for reading! You never cease to amaze me!

Characters/setting belong to their creator.

~~~ And now, onto the chapter: ~~~

"I think I'm overdressed," I whispered as we stepped inside the huge room. When Sandy told me that she was in an art show, I imagined a pristine museum. Instead, the tall brick walls were covered in graffiti. Shorter walls, only about 8 feet tall, created a colorful maze with each surface painted a different solid color and splattered with contrast. Large framed photographs hung under art lights, each with a small plaque to the right. Quiet piano music played in the background, and people mulled around in pairs.

"You would have looked just as beautiful in jeans." His lips softly grazed my ear as he whispered. The proximity sent shivers down my spine. His hand went to the small of my back, with his fingers barely resting against my dress, as we walked forward into the maze.

The photographs were breathtaking. The name of the picture, as well as the photographer, were framed on the plaques. I noticed one of Sandy's near the front. It was a lighthouse, with it's tiny light flared out and facing the lens, under looming dark clouds. In the distance, angry waves broke on the rocky beach.

"Admiring my work?" Sandy was next to me in an instant, her warm hand squeezing my shoulder.

"Its amazing," I said. "How did you make the light flare out like that?"

"Star filter," she said. "I was out there hoping to catch some lightening on the ocean, but the light from the lighthouse kept messing up my metering. So I finally just took a picture of the damn thing. I never did get the lightening, but the lighthouse isn't so bad. Someone liked it, anyway." She pointed to a red sticker on the wall above her plaque.

"Does that mean its sold?" I asked.

She nodded. "The only one tonight so far. Jim, the guy in charge here, wanted it near the front. That's probably the only reason it sold so fast. I have better stuff near the back. Who's your friend?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "Jasper, this is Sandy, the photographer that invited me. Sandy, this is my friend Jasper."

"Its a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," he said politely. "You are quite talented."

"That's nice of you, but don't judge me by this. Not one of my best," she said. She snapped her head around at the sound of her name. A man peeked around a wall across the room and gestured her over. "Damn, you'll have to excuse me. That kid's been on my last nerve all night."

"Is he featured here?" Jasper asked.

"He has two pieces by the exit sign. Poor kid. Its his first show and his knees are knocking. Nobody sells on their first show, but try telling that kid. Location is half the battle and newbies are always in the back. The buyers buy early, get drunk and forget about looking at the rest of the show," she said impatiently. "I have to go get a drink in him. I'll see you two later."

"What's his name?" Jasper asked.

"Jordan Tackett," she said as she turned away.

"I'd like to see his photographs before the evening is over, if you don't mind," Jasper said.

"Then let's start at the back and work our way to the front," I suggested. That brought out the smile I adored, the one that softened his eyes and made my heart race.

We walked through the short halls. I could see his eyes dart from wall to wall. He was reading the names as we went. The crowd thinned the further we went in. Jasper's arm muscles started to tense.

"Are you alright?" I asked. He just nodded.

I had thought that Sandy was joking, but the photographs we were looking for were illuminated both by the white light perched above and the orange cast of the EXIT sign. She was right about it being empty, though. The purple hallway at the end of the maze was vacant.

Jasper let out a small sigh. "I apologize. I don't like being too far from an exit."

"I understand," I said with a smile.

He stepped forward, his topaz eyes growing slightly wider. The photograph that caught his attention was one of Jordan's. In the middle of a large field of white flowers was a rundown tin-roofed house. The endless deep blue sky was filled with puffy clouds, white with a touch of pink.

"What kind of plants are those?" I asked.

"Cotton," he said quietly. "There were fields just like this, where I grew up."

"Texas?"

He nodded. "My family raised cattle, but we used to trade a steer for bushels of cotton. Between that cotton and the wool from our sheep, my mother and sisters were spinning, weaving and knitting all winter long."

"How many sisters did you have?"

"I had two sisters: Mary and Hannah. Mary was two years younger than me, and Hannah was five years younger. I also had a brother, Hiram. He was four years older."

"What was it like? Living on a farm?"

"It was hard work, but we never complained. We were all up before dawn and in bed after the sun set. There was always something to do, and it was always so hot in the summer. Then the sun would set, my mother would bring out tea, and we would watch the fireflies dance. Sometimes my father read from the family Bible, or he would tell us stories about his childhood. I swear, even the animals would quiet to listen to him." His voice trailed off.

"That sounds wonderful," I said.

"It was, for a long time," he said. "My father died. He was bitten by a snake. My brother was old enough to take over. He married a young lady named Beth, and they turned one of the buildings on the property into a home for themselves. My mother said she wanted to take Mary and Hannah and go live with her sister, but I don't know if she ever did. I left for war, and then I was turned. I never saw them again; I didn't think about her for decades."

"I'm sure she knew how much you love her," I said.

"I hope you're right," he said. His hand flattened against my back and pulled me a little closer to him. His lips softly pressed against my hair. My eyes fell shut and I let the feeling of his nearness wash over me.

He relaxed his grip and sighed. "Tell me about your mother," he said as we walked to the next frame.

"She was around my age when she married Charlie, and she left him not long after I was born," I said. "We lived in California and then Phoenix before I came back here."

"What does she like? What are her hobbies?"

"She likes to go out, I guess. She regrets that she got married so young. She always felt like she missed out on something by being tied down," I said flatly. He was getting close to territory I didn't visit.

"How did you feel about that?" he asked. We moved into a green hallway now, and I paused in front of a photograph of a single shriveled leaf falling against a dark background.

"She did her best," I said. "Meeting Phil was the best thing that could happen to her, though. He's really good for her."

We turned around a corner and into a crowd. I looked up to him, silently asking if he was able to handle it, and he nodded slightly. I spotted Sandy at the far end of the hall and gave her a small wave. She cheerfully gestured us over.

"Go ahead, Darlin'," Jasper said quietly. "I'm going to step out for a moment."

"I can come with you," I started to protest, but he held up his hand.

"I will be right back," he said. He stroked my back once before turning back the way we came.

Sandy gave me a knowing smile as I approached her. "So what's the deal with him?" she asked in hushed, conspiratorial tones. "You dating him?"

"I'm...not sure yet," I answered truthfully.

"If he is even half as interested as he looks, you should snatch him up, kid. They just don't make 'em like that anymore," she said with a wistful sigh.

"You got that right," I replied, stifling a giggle. If only she knew how right she was.

"Listen, I have something for you," she said with a wink. "Come with me."

I looked behind me briefly, but Jasper was long gone into the crowd. I was sure he would be able to find me, so I followed her as she ducked behind a wall. It was dark; even with the overhead lights the wall cast a heavy shadow over us. There was a series of lockers against the outer wall. Sandy bent over one of the large silver locks and twisted in the combination.

The lock clicked as it fell ajar. She swung the door open and pulled out a mauve shoulder bag. She peeked inside and nodded to herself before she held it out to me.

"What's this?" I asked.

"One SLR camera, one 50mm lens and my favorite book on exposure," she said. "That should be enough to get you started."

"Wait...what?"

"You have a good eye," she said. "You just need some confidence. The first 500 exposures will be embarrassing, and you'll want to quit, but once you get past them you'll start to see stuff you like."

"I...I can't accept something like this from you," I stammered.

"Of course you can," she said with a smile. "You have it in you to do beautiful and amazing things, kid. If you didn't at least want to, you wouldn't be here tonight. Look, you have the whole world at your feet. Don't waste the next ten years trying to make yourself be something you're not. Try it out. If you don't fall in love, you can give it back the next time I'm in town." I looked at my feet, my cheeks burning. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want to try."

"I can't," I said. It was a little concerning how right she was. I always loved taking pictures, but capturing beauty in the way she did seemed out of the realm of my possibilities. But I wanted it. I wanted it so bad I was willing to drive here and back alone.

"Just take it and love it," she said. "It was one of my favorites, and I know it will serve you well. Besides, if no one had taken a chance on me I'd probably be working on my fifth Master's Degree just to avoid actually finding a job. Think of this as me paying it forward."

"I don't know what to say," I said, my hands starting to shake. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said, her grin growing wider. "C'mon, we need to go find your friend. They're going to wrap this party in the next 15 minutes."

Jasper was waiting on the other side of the wall. He was standing in front of a photograph of a lone willow tree silhouetted by a rising sun, but his eyes were on me.

"You two want to come to the after-party?" Sandy asked as we approached Jasper.

Even though we both knew that he could feel my trepidation, he looked at me for confirmation. I shook my head so slightly that no one but him could have known.

"Thank you for the invitation," he said politely, "but we have a long drive back to Forks."

"That's a shame," she said. "Next time, get a hotel room and stay the night. Or rather, get a hotel room and sleep it off in the morning. Artist know how to party; that's for sure!"

Just then, Jordan Tackett rushed over to us and grabbed Sandy's hand. "Someone bought one!" he exclaimed. "I sold a piece!"

"Well, I'm impressed!" she said, punching him on the arm. She turned to us. "You two are missing one hell of a party!"

We said our goodbyes and walked out into the brisk night. True to his nature, Jasper slipped off his coat and offered it to me.

"We have some time before we have to leave," he said. "Would you like to go for a walk?"

We strolled down to the harbor just a few blocks away. The water was twinkling under the moonlight as a late boat floated by. I stepped up onto the railing to get a better view, and Jasper rested his hands on the top rail on either side of me. I took a deep breath and held the cold, salty air for a moment before releasing.

"Thank you for inviting me tonight," he said quietly.

"Thank you for coming," I said. "I had a wonderful time."

"Me, too."

I stepped down from the rail. I was relieved that he didn't move away. I leaned back against his chest gently. He held perfectly still, except to rest his chin on the top of my head. I could have stayed there forever with him.

"Why stars?" I asked quietly.

"I chose the yellow envelopes, because yellow represents apology, friendship and new beginnings. When I sent the first one, I never imagined that you would want to be my friend, but I wanted a new beginning for you," he said, his voice soft and thoughtful. "I originally chose the star because it made me think of you. The stars in the sky look like they're right next to each other, but in reality they are light-years apart. You may run with vampires and live with humans, but now you are not wholly one or the other."

"But I am human," I said.

"You are, but you are not the same as you were before. You know our secret, and that sets you apart," he said. "I've always been fascinated by the stars. The stars we see now are the same ones that I saw as a human, even as a child. That thought gave me comfort when I first left Maria to regain my humanity, and whenever I felt lost since. It was what I was doing, staring at the sky, when I learned that the family was leaving Forks. I'm no poet, Bella, but I wanted to impart some of that comfort to you. Do you understand?"

"I think so," I said. His words were beautiful, full of meaning, but they left me with an aching emptiness. I turned around and stared into his eyes. One of his hands released the rail and smoothed down my hair.

"I want to thank you," I said. My hands trembled as my chest grew heavy, but I had to tell him. "I didn't know that they were from you. I didn't open them for a long time. I didn't want comfort. I didn't want to feel better. But even though I ignored them, they made a difference I think. Then when I found out that they were from you...I can't tell you what that means to me."

"You don't have to," he said as his other arm wrapped around me. He pulled me to him and tenderly kissed my forehead. He whispered, "You've done it again. You've made me feel human. I can't tell you what that means to me."

He released me, but offered me his arm to walk back to the truck. My head was swimming. My feelings for Jasper were growing every hour we spent together. Denying that fact was a losing battle. He knew. He knew exactly what I was feeling, but he didn't mention it. I could only guess that he was either too polite to turn me down, or he felt the same way.

Jasper's truck was parked in front of the nearly empty gallery when we returned. A man in a black turtleneck waved to us as we approached.

"All loaded up, Mr. Whitlock," he said as he handed Jasper a set of keys. "We hope to see you again soon."

"The pleasure was mine," Jasper said with a nod. He opened the passenger door and waited for me to climb inside.

Through the dim light of the streetlamp, I was able to discern a large rectangle in the backseat wrapped in brown paper.

"You bought one?" I asked when he was in his seat.

"Jordan Tackett is quite talented," he said with a smile.