I am sorry! I know it has been awhile but this chapter really didn't want to come out. Usually the chapters just spill out of me but this one was like a slow drip and I didn't want to force it. Thank you so much for all of your reviews! I am so glad you guys liked the last chapter.
Congratulations to RockinThatAfroPic. She found the inconsistency I have in my story and won the sneak peak to the chapter when Edward's family finds out he is gay and dating a vampire. Way to go! If anyone else can find it, send me a message and you too can get a sneak peak!
Also I want to thank Margie for volunteering to be my new beta. It is much appreciated!
Okay on with the story.
Disclaimer:
The poem that Jasper cites was written by Francisco Hernandez. The link to his blog and the full length poem is in my profile. (Translation can be found at the bottom in my author's note)
All that is Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer but the plot to this story is mine!
Chapter 10: Meet the Cullens
Surprise, surprise, I couldn't sleep again last night. I was obsessing over the hooded figure standing out in the woods watching me. It really freaked the shit out of me. Maybe it was all the scary movies we were watching last night but the fact that I couldn't even reach out to it with my telepathy makes me uneasy. If Nana wouldn't have distracted me I would have gotten closer to have a better look, but when I turned back around, it was gone! Why am I being watched? That's ridiculous! Why would anyone be watching me? I continue pondering these questions as I finish my stretches in the front lawn. After reaching no conclusions for over thirty minutes, I decide to push the thoughts out of my mind and focus on the person I can see a block away running towards the Masen Manor.
When Jasper asked me to go running with him this morning I couldn't say no; even though I am a crappy distance runner. I took about an hour just to get ready. Why would I need to take so much time if I am just going to get sweaty anyway? Well I don't want Jasper to see me all gross in the morning. What kind of message does that send? Plus after Jasper's massage last night I had to relieve some tension of my own if you know what I mean. There is no longer a doubt in my mind. I have a thing for Jasper Cullen and I am pretty sure he has one for me.
"G'Mornin' Angel," Jasper says in his southern drawl as he jogs up to me and comes to a stop. He didn't even seem out of breath or sweaty. Great I am going to look like a complete stain running next to him with his godly physique and exceptional fitness.
"Good Morning Jasper," I greet him. I wish I had a pet name for him. I mean he had one for me so it would be okay if I gave him one right? I actually was thinking about it last night. I had came up with Jazzy, Jay, babe, snookums, and Adonis. Okay the last two were completely stupid but I kinda liked Adonis. A man so beautiful even the Gods fought over him. Geeze must I be a nerd 24/7?
"Edward everything okay?" Jasper asks. I am such a spaz! I swear I should be diagnosed with ADD. Once I start thinking I get lost in my own head.
"Oh yeah sorry. So where are we running today?" I ask.
"Oh uhm, I want to show you something. Follow me?" He asks me with one raised eyebrow.
"Sure" I say. But what I really wanted to say was 'I would follow you anywhere.'
He starts running towards the tree line of the forest. I have the perfect view as I jog behind him. His muscular legs flex as they hit the ground with each stride. His ass is perfectly round and plump in his running shorts. I wonder how it would look like without anything covering it up?
Jasper disappears into the woods. Where is he going? He wants to run in the woods?
"Ugh Jasper, where are we going?" I call out to him as he runs gracefully through the brush jumping over unearthed tree roots and uneven surfaces.
"It's a surprise. I promise you will love it!" He calls out to me from behind.
Jasper was definitely designed to be a cross country runner. He runs through the terrain as if it was nothing. He leaps so gracefully over any obstacles in front of him. His arms flex and reveal those incredibly toned biceps as he swings his arms as he runs.
We have been running for about 15 minutes through the rough woodland. He is having no problem with the terrain. I on the other hand am breathing hard. My heart is pounding, sweat sliding down my brow. I don't think I will last another 5 minutes. I am not a distance runner after all, none the less a cross country runner.
"Just a little further!" He calls out to me.
Within a minute he disappears behind some brush falling from the trees and I follow.
We have reached a meadow covered with the greenest grass and flooded with white flowers. I take a moment to catch my breath and notice a gentle breeze enters through the tree line circling the meadow and spreading the sweet fragrance the flowers offer in the air. Butterflies and hummingbirds go flower to flower feeding. It is absolutely beautiful.
"Where are we?" I manage to ask taken back by the beauty of the scenery in front of me.
"This is my favorite spot in Forks. Not many people know about this meadow. It is pretty hidden deep in the woods. I like to come here when I need to relax and just take in the fresh air. Everything is so peaceful here. It is the perfect place to just let your mind roam when it is pulling your thoughts in all directions," Jasper explains.
"I wanted to share it with you," he says as he walks towards the center of the meadow and takes a seat in the grass being careful not to disturb the hummingbirds and butterflies. He looks up into the sun and closes his eyes. A butterfly flutters to his nose and rests there. He opens his eyes and smiles. He looks beautiful. Like an angel basking in the sun. I have never seen him in this light before. I make my way to sit next to him in the grass not taking my eyes off of him.
"Beautiful," I mutter unintentionally, referring to Jasper.
"It is, isn't it?" Jasper says. "All these flowers, they are lilies. This white one with purplish spots is the Shasta Lily."
"There are so many in this meadow!" I say looking around in astonishment. Then my eyes rest on one that is different from all the others. It is smaller and more bell-shaped than the other lilies. Its petals are an exquisite shade of pink with red spots emerging from its base.
I suddenly catch myself in a flash back as I stare at the lily.
Every birthday up to the day my mother died my father would bring home a bouquet of flowers. They were these exact same lilies. A bouquet of Alpine lilies
"A lily for my Lilly," my father would say. "Only this lily does not smell as sweet, or compare in beauty to the one I have chosen to call my wife."
My mind finds its way back to the present when Jasper sees me staring at the pink flower. "And this one here," he says cupping the flower in his hand being ever so gentle and careful not to harm it, "is the most beautiful of the bunch. It is called the …."
"The Alpine Lily," I say finishing his sentence.
My heart suddenly feels a sharp pain of sorrow as I relive the memory of my mother, my lily.
"Edward are you okay?" Jasper says with concern in his eyes.
"Huh? Oh yeah I am fine." I lie.
He puts his hands on my face and looks directly into my eyes. "Edward what's wrong?" He asks once again clearly seeing through my lie.
It was as if he could see directly into my soul through his gaze. It was no use hiding my emotions from him. He could read them no matter how well I thought I hid them.
"It's my mother… these flowers…they remind me of her. Her name was Lilly and these flowers were her favorite. Every birthday my father would bring her a bouquet of Alpine lilies. She would put them in a vase and just sit there and admire them. She would try every day to keep them from dying and live just a little longer. She would put them on the window sill to get plenty of sun and make sure they had water. But eventually they would just wither and die. I guess something so beautiful and sweet isn't meant to live forever," I say just letting the thoughts spill from my lips as they enter my mind.
"You miss her don't you?" Jasper asks not breaking eye contact with me.
My eyes begin to water. I will not cry! I can't!
Jasper takes in a gasp of air.
"Do you always wear that mask?" He asks me.
"Mask?" I say confused
"The mask to hide your pain," he clarifies.
How did he know what I felt?
"You wear it quite often. At school…yesterday at your home…and even now…you are in pain but you shed no tears," he states.
Jasper was wrong about that. I shed tears, but behind closed doors. I couldn't let my sorrow and pain show. I needed to be strong. I don't want to be any less of a man than I already am. Crying at the drop of hat will not help with that.
"Will you tell me about her?" Jasper asks. And his request surprises me. I have never spoken of my parents to anyone since they died. The memories were too painful to bear.
"I…..I can't," I state simply. Jasper looks at me with questionable eyes. He clearly wants an explanation but thinks it rude to ask. I grant him his unspoken request.
"If I start talking about my parents I will lose my self control. It takes everything I have not to fall apart into a million pieces. I feel so broken and wrong as it is," I confess. Did I just say that out loud to Jasper? I wish I could take those words back. He didn't need to know how fucked up in the head I was.
"Losing someone you love…someone you considered a part of you…brings so much pain anyone would feel broken. That is only natural. But I wonder why do you feel wrong?" Jasper asks with concern in his eyes.
I didn't even know how to start. I gaze around the meadow again and let my mind roam.
"You ever think this Alpine Lily looks at itself surrounded by Shasta Lilies and wishes it could be more like them?" I ask him.
Jasper looks at me with confused and questioning eyes.
"Why would it want to be?" He asks.
"To be normal…not stand out…not be different. I mean if people see it standing out in a field of white lilies it gets singled out. It gets picked and dies," I explain.
Jasper looks at me as if he is examining a creature he has never seen before. But then the look in his eyes changes to one of understanding.
"True, but I would hope it would not want to be like the other lilies. Because this lily is beautiful just the way it is. In fact more beautiful I think. And I know you see this Alpine lily as if it is by itself in a field of Shasta Lilies but if we look closer and walk a little more…" he grabs my hand immediately sending chills down my spine. Yet his hand is warm. He lifts me to my feet and we walk along the tree line, "…you see there are more Alpine lilies just like it. They may not be like all the others but they are not alone. And so what if they are picked? These Alpine lilies were built and created to be strong and resilient. If they are picked…" he says as he grabs the lily from the stem and pulls it from the earth, "…they grow back strong and as beautiful as ever."
He holds the lily between his fingers, twirling it. His eyes never leave the beautiful colors.
"De la espina y el dolor creze la flor
Y si tienes valor acepta tu color
Toma la mano de la persona a tu lado y muestrale amor
No importa quien sea, no le tengas temor
Mira a tu alrededor y ve el rezplandor"
I had recognized this poem. It was written by a young gay latino student named Fransico Hernandez during his college years at Harvard. I am surprised Jasper knew of it and even more surprised he spoke Spanish. He spoke it so beautifully and elegantly it only made him more attractive. More importantly he was right. I should accept who I am without fear and be true to myself.
Jasper then hands me two Alpine lilies still holding my hand and says, "And when you're picked Angel, I will be there to help you grow."
"Mi sol?" I said. My sun. That's what Jasper would be to be, sunshine on the chaotic thunderstorm that is my life. Would he think it was stupid? I immediately turn red with embarrassment.
"Your sun?...No one has ever called me that before. But I must say coming from you I kinda love it," he says.
I immediately relax "Yeah?" I question.
"Ugh, yeah" he says and this time Jasper looks at the floor not being able to make eye contact with me. Did I just make Jasper nervous? Me? Did I just make him feel the way he makes me feel every time I see him?
I feel confident and emboldened so I grab his chin in my left hand and make him look at me. "Well I think it fits you perfectly," I say. Woah! Eddie, where did all this suave come from?
Jasper smiles and just looks at me directly in my eyes. He puts his right hand on my left cheek and makes subtle glances to my lips. He moves in closer and rests his forehead on mine, not breaking eye contact. Was he going to kiss me? Was I ready for him to kiss me?
"Edward?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I kiss my angel?" He says not moving his hand from my face. We are so close to each other our noses are touching. I can smell the sweet smell of vanilla on his breath.
As soon as his words left his mouth I didn't even have to think. I wanted this. I wanted my sunshine. Like the poem said, I needed to look around me and see the light….see the truth…I am gay…and right now I don't want anything more than for Jasper Cullen to kiss me.
"Yes, Jasper please," I plead.
Jasper licks his lips and places his right hand at the nape of my neck. His left hand wraps around my waist pulling me gently toward him. My eyes don't close and neither does his. He presses his smooth warm lips to mine and I am overcome with the desire to close my eyes and get lost in his kiss. I move my right hand to cup his cheek and rest my left at his hip.
In my newly found confidence I deepen the kiss, tracing his lower lip with my tongue asking for entrance. I can feel him smile at my attempt and he catches my tongue with his own and at that moment I am consumed with lust and desire. I can hear my heart beat in my ears. My breath is ragged with anxiety and excitement. Jasper's warm wet tongue tastes of sweet vanilla and I want more!
I pull his waist towards me kissing him…tasting him…nibbling on his lower lip. Jasper lets out a lustful moan full of hungry desire. I just made Jasper Cullen moan! Me! This seemed to have sparked something in him because he then moves the hand on my waist to cup my face with both hands. He kisses my lips passionately before he slides his tongue down my lower lip asking for entry to which I easily grant. Our tongues dance with one another. He bites my lower lip and the slight hint of pain pushes me over the edge and I let out a loud desperate moan. I struggle for breathe as Jasper continues to kiss me. I debate which I want more, air? or Jaspers lips? Finally my survival instincts kick in and I pull away from Jasper breathing heavily. Yet, Jasper's breath is even and steady. I am clearly the inexperienced one.
"Wow," I said. Shit did I just say that out loud? But that was the only word I could use to describe that kiss. That should have been my first kiss!
Jasper just looked at me with still lustful eyes. "Wow, indeed Angel," he says as he closes the newly formed space between us by placing his arms around my waste and pulling me towards him.
I look deep into his baby blue eyes and see something in them, something I do not recognize.
Angel…My Angel.
"Jasper why do you call me Angel?" I ask curiously.
"I think it's the best way to describe you," Jasper says. "Is that okay?"
"More than okay," I say as I rest my head on his shoulder and place an ever so gentle kiss on his neck. I can't believe I am here right now. In this beautiful meadow kissing the most gorgeous man I have ever laid my eyes on. It is like a dream.
"You don't know what you do to me baby," Jasper whispers in my ear as he places a delicate quick kiss on my lips reminding me this is very much real.
I realize in this moment that this feeling cannot be wrong…being gay cannot be wrong. There was so much emotion and tenderness in our kiss…in his voice…that if it is wrong, I hope I am wrong for the rest of my life.
"What are you thinking about Angel?" Jasper asks me.
"That I don't want this feeling to end," I say honestly.
"And what feeling is that?" He asks again.
"Happiness…not being afraid…peaceful," I answer not finding the words to fully express how I am feeling. But the look in Jasper's eyes told me he knew exactly what I was feeling.
"Anytime you are afraid, frustrated, or unhappy just think of this moment Angel….this meadow…our meadow. Promise?" Jasper says looking deeply into my eyes…into my soul.
"I promise, Jasper," I say before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He holds me in his firm strong arms and I breathe in his scent trying to burn this memory into my mind. The moment Jasper Cullen kissed me and I didn't feel ashamed. As if in that one kiss all the shame I had felt about being gay had vanished. I didn't know exactly what I was feeling. It was more than happiness and tranquility but the more I thought about it the more I couldn't find the words to describe it. Is it love? Whatever it is there was no way I could feel ashamed of it, it was too pure…too good.
Jasper pulls away from our embrace and looks up at the sun. "We better get back. It's already 9:00. We have been gone for an hour and a half. Your grandmother may start to get worried," Jasper warns.
"And?" I ask not wanting to be away from Jasper just yet.
Jasper smiles at me and raises his left eyebrow, "Now what do you think your grandmother would think of me if she knew I disappeared with her grandson into the woods for hours?"
His smile is contagious. I smile back at him, "Maybe your right, believe me you don't want to get on Nana's bad side."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Jasper says.
"Race you back to the manor?" I challenge him with an evil grin.
"You're on!" Jasper gets ready to run. But there is no way I can beat Jasper. Time to play dirty.
"Wait!" I say.
"Yeah?" Jaspers looks confused.
"One last kiss?" I plead. Jasper smiles as I grab the nape of his neck. He closes his eyes and I immediately start sprinting for the tree line. Jasper may be the better distance runner but I am sure I can beat him home if I have a head start. What can I say I am competitive by nature.
"YOU CHEAT!" I hear Jasper shout.
I can't help but giggle to myself as I am jumping over rough terrain. I remember the path we took to get here. I just got to remember not to take any wrong turns.
I can hear Jasper running behind me but he is nowhere near me.
"Give it up Edward, you can't win!" He shouts.
Oh yes I can! As long as I don't tire and can keep up this pace I will be sure to beat him to the manor.
I hear Jaspers strides getting closer and turn back. He is less than a hundred yards behind me. I try picking up the pace but I can't run any faster. I am already starting to feel the fatigue in my legs. I can see the other side of the tree line that leads to the road in front of the manor less than 300 yards in front of me.
I jump over tree roots and duck under branches not letting them slow me down, but Jasper keeps gaining on me. Less than two hundred yards away from the road! I turn to my right and there is Jasper running toe to toe with me.
"See you at home, Angel," he says and winks at me before sprinting past me through the tree line. I try catching up to him but my body has had about enough. I am breathing heavily, my legs are aching, and sweat is burning my eyes. I reach the road on the other side of the tree line to see Jasper across the street leaning against the mailbox to Masen Manor with his arms crossed against his chest and a content grin on his face.
I cross the street to face my defeat. I lost! I hate to lose!
"Edward, Edward, Edward," Jasper teases. "Now I never took you as a cheater?" He says looking into my eyes. God even his taunting is sexy!
I am too out of breath to respond.
"So I won, what is my reward?" Jasper asks.
"What do you want?" I manage to ask.
"I will let you know soon enough," he says and winks at me for the second time today. Oh please tell me you want me to ….
"Boys! There you are!" Nana interrupts my thoughts as she comes around the side of the house.
"You were gone for quite some time. Did you enjoy your jog?" She asks.
"Very much Ms. Bennet, probably the best jog I ever had" Jasper says politely.
"How about you Edward?" Jasper asks me clearly teasing me as he knows I am still trying to catch my breath.
With my arms on my head trying to open up my airway I can only manage a thumbs up and Nana giggles.
"I see, well I am glad you two enjoyed yourselves. I better tend to my garden before its start to rain. It was nice seeing you Jasper.
"You too Ma'am," Jasper says politely.
Nana grabs a small bag of fertilizer she had sitting on the porch and takes it to the back of the manor.
"Your grandmother is a very lovely lady," Jasper says.
I finally have my bearings and control over my breathing. "Yes she is," I manage to respond.
"Glad to see you got your breath back."
"How is it you are not breathing heavy?" I question.
"Practice," he answers simply.
"Edward, have you been getting anymore migraines lately?" Jasper asks.
"No, why?" I ask confused by his random question.
"Well I was wondering, would you like to come over to my house today? My dad does not work today and I asked if he could look you over just to make sure everything is okay," he explains.
I immediately become tense. I would love to spend more time with Jasper but how was I supposed to fake a medical examination? I had already promised Jasper I would let his dad look me over so I couldn't back out now
"Uhhhh, sure can I wash up first?" I ask still wondering how I am going to pull this off.
"Of course, Angel. Why don't I wait for you out here and then we can take your car. My house isn't easy to find on your own," he says.
"Sure, sounds great. I will only be a minute," I say before I open the front door to Masen Manor and head to my bedroom and get the warm water to the shower running. I strip off my clothes and let the water run over me. Jasper Cullen kissed me! I think to myself. I kissed Jasper Cullen? He does like me! I like him! Wow what a morning. Does this mean we are a couple? Of course not it was just a kiss Edward. He didn't ask you to be his boyfriend. Does he want to be my boyfriend? Do I want to be his? What was that look in his eyes I could not recognize? All these questions consume my mind and I have no answer for any of them.
I finish lathering my body and give myself a final rinse before exiting the shower and drying myself. I wrap the towel around my waist and pull out a blue button up shirt from my closet with a pair of jeans. I head back to the restroom and tame my hair with a styling gel. I also brush my teeth and rinse my mouth with Listerine just in case Jasper and I have more kissing sessions in our near future. This thought brings a smile to my face.
All dressed and ready to go I grab my keys from the dresser across my bed and head back towards the front door to meet Jasper, but he is nowhere to be found. Surely he wouldn't have left without telling me.
I walk around the house to see if he decided to explore. When I reach the backyard I see Jasper standing over Nana as she kneels tending to her garden. She is looking up towards Jasper and they are both laughing.
"What's so funny?" I ask as I walk towards them.
"Oh Edward, Jasper was just telling me about your run this morning and how you cheated in your race," Nana said.
"HE DID!" I say panic in my voice. He told Nana about how I acted as if I was going to kiss him?
"I told her that you distracted my attention and got yourself a pretty good head start," he says winking at me.
What a relief! He didn't tell her we were kissing.
"Edward never does like losing! He has been that way since he was a little boy," Nana explains.
"Edward, did you know Jasper knows quite a bit about the plants in my garden. He is very bright."
"Oh that's very sweet. My mother used to have a garden of her own with many of the same plants. She could spend hours there just tending to it," Jasper explains.
"Sounds like a very nice woman," Nana says.
"She was," Jasper says and his smile is lost and his eyes look sullen.
The expression of sadness is clear on Jasper's face. He must have been talking of his birth mother.
"Nana, I am going over to Jasper's for a little while. But I should be home in time for dinner. Is that alright?" I ask.
"Of course dear, but be home by five. We have some business to attend to in the attic," she says raising one eyebrow.
"Will do, Nana," I say understanding what she is implying. Alice and I are supposed to have our next lesson today.
"It was nice seeing you again Ms. Masen," Jasper says in farewell.
"You too Jasper, please don't be a stranger," she says with a smile.
"I will try not to be," he says before we turn heading towards my car.
As we get in the car Jasper turns to me. "You should have seen your face!" Jasper giggles.
"I thought you told her I pretended I was going to kiss you!" I said in defense.
"Payback's a bitch isn't it!" he says teasingly.
"I guess I deserved that," I confess.
"Just a little," he says grabbing my hand and bringing it to his lips. How I wish those lips were on mine.
"So where to?" I ask bringing myself out of my daze.
"Turn right out of the road and head north," he says.
As we drive to Jasper's house I begin to think what I will tell Dr. Cullen about my "migraines". I could say I have had them ever since I was a child and they just come and go. I can't tell him I have seen a doctor before because he will ask what kind of tests they ran on me. Surely he will ask if I am taking any medication for them. Do I know of any medications that treat chronic migraine headaches? Maybe I should just keep it simple. If I try to make up a big elaborate story to explain my headaches something tells me Dr. Cullen will see right through me.
It doesn't take long for other thoughts to consume my mind. I wonder how Jasper would react if he found out I was a witch? Would I ever be able to tell him? Would he still like me? It is kinda funny that just a few days ago I was worried about how Jasper would take the news of me being gay. Now I am worried of how he would react to me being a witch. He would never believe it!
Jasper reaches over the center counsel rubs my thigh.
"Angel what are you thinking?" He asks.
"I am thinking if you keep that up we might have to pull over," I retort.
Jasper smiles that crooked grin I love so much.
"Promise?" He asks teasingly as he moves his hand farther up my thigh! It was like a bolt of electricity spreading through his hands up my thigh and straight to my dick. I was getting hard.
I give a nervous giggle "Jasper you are going to make me wreck!" I warn.
"Now we wouldn't want that now would we…at least not before I collect my reward," he says removing his hand and raising one eyebrow.
"You are going to hold me to that aren't you?" I say.
"Absolutely!" Jasper says
"Turn left here," he says directing me to an unpaved road that leads into the woods.
We drive for a few minutes until the brush clears. The road leads up to a white mansion sitting on what looks like an acre of forest property nestled beside a river and towering cedar trees that shade the entire acre.
"You live here?" I say. It looked much more modern than the Masen Manor but you could tell it was just as old. It was three stories tall and rectangular in shape. A porch wrapped around the entire first story. It was perfectly proportional and equally beautiful.
"You sound surprised," Jasper says.
"No, that's not it! It's just so beautiful," I confess.
"I much prefer the antique older look myself," Jasper says as he steps out of the car. He walks over to my side and grabs my hand and we walk up the porch to the front door. He lets go of my hand and reaches to open the door. I grimace at the loss of his touch. But before he can open the door himself the door swings open excitedly and a woman with straight caramel hair and the same milky skin that matches Jasper's is standing on the other side of the entryway.
"Hi, you must be Edward. I am Jasper's mother Esme," she says enthusiastically introducing herself.
"Hello Ms. Cullen, it is very nice to meet you," I say extending out my hand in greeting. She immediately shakes my hand and I am taken back by her cold touch.
"Please come in!" She invites me eagerly.
As I cross the threshold to Jasper's home I look around. The inside is even more spectacular than the outside. It was very bright, very open, and very large. In the foyer, the walls and high-beamed ceilings were all shades of white and floorboards were honey-colored wood.
"Jasper has told us so much about you!" Ms. Cullen confesses.
"He has?" I ask surprised.
"Oh not to worry sweetheart all good things I assure you. Please follow me to the living room everyone is so eager to meet you," she says.
"Ugh Mom I thought we discussed this before that Edward was just here to get a quick check up from Carlisle. I mean Dad," He says worriedly.
"Oh don't be rude Jasper. I swear you take the gentleman out of the south and he forgets all manners," Esme teases. I get the feeling Jasper was being set up.
I walk into the living room and am taken back by its magnificence. One wall is completely made of glass that gave the perfect view of the flowing river. The tall cedars provide the perfect amount of shade to keep this room protected from the sun's heat. Not that there was much in Forks anyway.
The floor was covered with thick white carpet and in the center stood a beautiful black grand piano perfectly contrasting the white theme of the room. I caught the subtle fragrance of lavender as I noticed incense resting in a small vase on the corner table. Surely this kept the room nicely perfumed.
"You have a very lovely home Ms. Cullen," I say with a polite tone.
"Oh call me Esme dear, and thank you. I decorated it myself," she admits.
My focus is directed to four other people sitting in the living room all reading.
"This is Carlisle, Jasper's father," Esme says as a tall gorgeous man puts down the newspaper and makes his way towards me. He eagerly shakes my hand. His hand is cold but I almost didn't notice as I am overtaken by the beauty of the man in front of me. It didn't look like he was old enough to be the father of teenagers. His hair was straight blonde and light shined off of it giving it a glow that looked like a halo. His eyes were pale blue and you can tell his body was in great shape. He was HOT! Oh my god! Did I just check out Jasper's father? I immediately turn red from embarrassment.
I hear Jasper chuckle behind me.
"Edward, it is so nice to finally meet you! Jasper has told us so much about you!" Dr. Cullen says.
Jasper lets out a sigh of embarrassment.
"So I have heard," I say.
He was immediately followed by a bulky muscular man with dark brown almost black hair. He was taller than me or Jasper. He had a face of a teenager but his body screamed power and strength.
"You of course already know Rosalie, this is her boyfriend Emmet," Esme continues with introductions.
"So you are Angel?" Emmet says putting his hands to his cheek as if he were napping and fluttering his eye lashes as he looks up at the ceiling.
For the hundredth time today my face blushes with embarrassment. He knew my pet name?
I heard a subtle yet threatening growl come from behind me. Did Jasper just growl?
"Now Emmet don't be rude!" Esme warns.
"What? That is what Jasper calls him isn't it?" Emmet says innocently. Then Emmet's head goes flying forward as Rosalie meets the back of his head with the palm of her hand.
"Geez Rose!" He whines
"Hi Edward," says Rosalie. "Please excuse my boyfriend sometimes he doesn't know when to stop talking," she says glaring at him.
"It's okay," I say still red and embarrassed.
"And this is Riley, Jasper's brother," says Esme pointing to a tall dark blonde with a baby face. He had stood from his seat but made no effort to approach me or shake my hand. Riley said nothing and just stared at me. He had a blank emotionless expression on his face. Looking into his dark brown eyes you would think they were empty.
What does Jasper think he is doing bringing him here? Jasper looks exhausted, why would he spend so much time out in the sun on purpose!
Ooops… I guess I wasn't welcome by everyone. And of course we were out in the sun. Forks never sees much sunlight why not enjoy it while we have it?
"Hello," I greet Riley.
He simply nods his head. The room is suddenly filled with tension and a sense of awkwardness.
"Well now that we have concluded the introductions perhaps we should get to why Edward is here," Jasper suggests.
"Now don't be so hasty Jasper! We haven't even offered our guest a drink," Esme says scolding him.
"Are you thirsty dear? Would you like something to drink?" She says directing her questions towards me.
"Looks like Jasper does," Emmet says and he is met with another hand to the back of his head from Rosalie.
"Ouch!" He exclaims.
I look at him confused. Jasper's family is kinda weird. But who am I too judge. My family is a bunch of witches. "Uh no ma'am, thank you though," I politely decline.
"Well why don't we get your physical started then shall we? My office is upstairs please follow me," instructs Dr. Cullen as he begins to walk up the stairway.
"It was nice meeting all of you," I say as I follow Dr. Cullen with Jasper on my heels.
"So sorry about that," Jasper whispers to me and I give him a gentle smile of understanding.
We walk up the massive curving staircase and reach the cherry wood door that marked the entrance to Dr. Cullen's office. As he opens the door I am once again taken back by the beauty of the décor.
The room like all the others had a high ceiling but was paneled with dark wood. His office was filled with bookshelves that towered over my head and filled with books of all fields of science. In between bookshelves were mounted paintings. Colorful canvas all illustrating what looked like historical cities with beautiful architecture. In the center above his mahogany desk was mounted the largest of them all.
It was a painting of four men each godly in their appearance with a face of seraph. One of them was obviously Dr. Cullen, however he was dressed in a long swirling robe that reflected a much older time in history. It almost looked biblical. With Dr. Cullen's youthful appearance he clearly looked out of place. The other three matched his attire. These men stood in stances of power and stature. Two were black haired, and one snow white. But the most interesting was their eyes. All but Dr. Cullen had blood red eyes. They stood on a marble balcony looking down at what looked like people in chaos. It truly was an exquisite painting.
"Jasper why don't you go get washed up while I examine Edward," Dr. Cullen suggests.
"Oh of course," Jasper says as he grabs my hand. "I will be outside when you are done okay?'
"Okay," I whisper. And Jasper walks out closing the door behind him.
"I am sorry Edward. I realize my family may have made you a little uncomfortable. It has been awhile since Jasper has brought a friend to our home. Naturally we were all very curious," Dr. Cullen explains.
"It is okay," I say slightly confused. "Jasper has never brought friends home?"
Carlisle catches himself as if he may have said too much. "Well not a friend like you," he says with a soft tone and gentle smile.
Friend like me? What's that supposed to mean? He means a gay guy doesn't he? Of course he does. Jasper told me his parents knew he was gay and it is clear by Emmet's comments that Jasper has said more about me than being an ordinary friend.
Dr. Cullen gathers his equipment and takes out a stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.
"So Edward, since when have you been getting these migraines?" Dr. Cullen asks.
"Ever since I can remember," I lied.
"Do you experience any sensitivity to light, nausea or vomiting when having these migraines?"
"No," I answer simply.
"How often do you get them?" he asks wrapping the blood pressure cuff around my left arm.
"It depends sometimes right before a big exam, other times when I am really worried about things," I say trying to pass my "migraines" as being stress induced.
"I see," Dr. Cullen says as he tightens the cuff and listens for my pulse. "120 over 80, perfect."
"So you worry about things a lot do you?" he asks.
"Sometimes," I say not wanting to elaborate.
"Do you take anything for your migraines?"
"Just Aspirin," I say keeping my lies simple.
He asks me to unbutton my shirt so that he could listen to my heart and lungs. As I do his eyes rest on my amulet.
"That is a very pretty necklace," he says "Jade is it?"
He recognized the stone? "Yes, it was a gift from my grandmother," I declare.
He listens to my heart and then asks me to take deep breaths as he listens to my lungs.
"All sounds normal there," he says.
"That is an interesting painting," I say pointing to the painting mounted above his desk. He flashes a light to look in my ear then proceeds to shine a light in my eyes to check for the dilation of my pupils.
"Oh that? It was a gift from a friend of mine. He is an incredible artist."
"It looks very old."
"It is probably not as old as it looks."
"Who are they? The others standing with you….who are they?" I ask curiously.
"Just very old friends," says Dr. Cullen. "Well I can honestly say that your vitals are all normal. I do not find anything unusual about your lung and heart sounds. And your ears are among the cleanest I have ever seen." That was not surprising. I had this weird obsession with keeping my ears clean.
"It looks as if you are in perfectly good health Edward. I am going to give you a prescription of Almotriptan. It should be more effective in relieving the pain during your migraines than regular aspirin. Just take them when you feel you need them okay?"
"Okay thank you Dr. Cullen," I say appreciably.
"Please call me Carlisle, Edward," he offers.
"Okay thank you for seeing me Carlisle," I say.
"Anytime Edward. If you have any more problems feel free to come see me either here or at the hospital got it?"
"Will do," I state.
He opens the door to his office and Jasper is waiting already bathed and changed. He is wearing a green polo shirt with tight Levis jeans and is barefoot. He is fucking barefoot! For some reason the sight of Jasper's bare feet make me lustful. I look into his eyes and the bright blue color I could usually get lost in is not there. His eyes are a pale blue and look less bright than usual with dark circles under them.
"How did it go?" He asks me.
"Perfectly healthy," I state.
"Really?" He says looking questionably at Carlisle.
"Really, stressed induced migraines are more common than you might think Jasper," Carlisle retorts.
"Jasper, are you feeling alright you look tired?" Asks Carlisle
"I am fine, it is nothing," Jasper responds.
"Well I think so much time in the sun is taking a lot out of you boys. May I suggest you stay indoors the rest of the day? At least until there is a little more shade outside?" Says Carlisle.
What is this family's weird obsession with the sun? It's like they hate it or something. I much rather be out in the sun and take it in when I can. It is not like we get much of it here in Forks.
"Yes Carlisle, will do," says Jasper.
"Alright well you boys have fun. It was nice to meet you Edward," says Carlisle as he shakes my hand again.
"You too Carlisle," I say before he turns and walks down the stairs.
As soon as he leaves and I make eye contact with Jasper, he grabs me by the waist and pulls me towards him. He leans in and kisses me so passionately I can't help but wrap my hands in his curls and taste him once again. He pulls back from the kiss, grabs my hand and raises one eyebrow. "Follow me?" He asks.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"To collect my reward!" Jasper says with a wicked grin as he ushers me to his bedroom.
Here is a translation to the poem Jasper cited. Personally, I think some of the beauty of the poem is lost in the translation. As a gay latino man myself, I love this poem. If you would like to read the full version the link is on my profile. You can also find a link to pictures of the lilies in the meadow.
"From the thorn and pain grows the flower
And if you are a person with values accept your colors
Hold the hand of the person next to you
And show them love
It doesn't matter who it is, do not be afraid
Look around you and see the brightness"
Everyone was waiting for the kiss and here it was! You know I am dying to know what you thought of it and the rest of the chapter. Let me know and hit that review button!
