The Change, Chapter 11
Beta: The always great BlackwaterLove
A/N: As you noticed, I divide sections of each chapter with quite primitive looking "000". Any ideas how to make a nice line/divider? Every time I try in MS Word, it disappears once posted into ff. Very annoying!
"So Wrong."
As soon as Jasper stopped his car on the driveway, she almost ran out of it. The strap of her bag looped against the safety belt clasp but she did not stop to untangle it, she pulled hard. There was a soft sound of ripping fabric and all her books, along with loose notes and pencils felon the floor of the car. Leah froze.
Her notes from the literature class were currently being gathered by Jasper, slowly one by one. He bent and reached for her chopstick that landed at his feet. He looked at it strangely and brought to his nose sniffing lightly. Leah stared.
"Strawberry?" He tried to act playfully to relieve the tension between them, but his behavior only added to her edginess. For some reason, his attempts made her feel trapped.
She stepped out of the car and shut the door fast. She wanted to leave and never comeback, at least not for the next…thirty years? Thirty years should be enough to forget what had happened between them back on the bridge and now in the car. She walked fast toward her old Corolla, her thorn bag limply hanging in her hand.
"Leah?" Esme chose this very moment to open the front door, "Leah are you all right?" Despite her young appearance, Esme acted as if she was forever frozen in her sixties. She now looked worried fingering a pink dishtowel between her hands.
"No, Esme, everything is okay. It's just late and I should be going home." She tried not to look at the occupant of Prius.
"Well, I hoped…You know, we are so grateful…"Esme smiled her most charming smile, and Leah noticed the vampire wore light makeup and a nice dress. She definitely looked ready for an elegant evening.
"Carlisle and I hoped you would join us for a dinner tonight. " Leah's mouth opened to produce a quick excuse, but Esme was faster, "I already arranged everything with Jacob, he will take over your patrol tonight."
Leah stood somewhat dumbfounded.
"I hope you forgive me my forwardness, but we truly wanted to have you for dinner tonight." The invitation was sincere and Leah felt that any form of decline would either offend or simply sadden Esme.
"I would love to, Esme, but I am not sure…?" She looked down at her clothing. Today she wore a loose white cotton top with tattered skinny jeans. Her attire was completed by a tribal necklace and pair of old flip flops. Hardly comparable to Esme's dark blue fitted number and beige heels.
"Oh, darling," Esme beamed realizing she persuaded Leah to her plan, "You have nothing to worry about! You look beautiful in whatever you wear." Esme urged Leah to come inside, her smile persisting. "Your youth and life are all you need to make you breathtaking, Leah," she talked as she led Leah to the living room.
The room was dimly illuminated with candlelight. Tall candles stood on the fireplace and coffee table softening the modern edges of the room. Carlisle was already there, along with Emmett and Rosalie. They were all sitting comfortably in the plush chairs and sofas, their skin almost golden in the lights of candles. They looked almost alive.
"Hello, Leah. You have to forgive me for not letting you know in advance, but Esme really wanted to surprise you," Carlisle offered with sympathy in his eyes.
"Well, I have to admit, she succeeded." Leah looked around feeling Rosalie's eyes on her.
"Anything to drink?" Esme entered the room carrying a bottle of water and several glasses. Leah sat in a chair close to Carlisle, "Yes, a glass of water would be great."
Four vampires stared at her, Leah drank her water slowly. She stopped with the glass still at her mouth. "Hey, guys, please stop. When you stare at me like that it really makes me rethink the meaning of the phrase We would love to have you for dinner."
Emmett laughed loudly and Carlisle smiled, "Sorry Leah, it is that we rarely guest others."
"Well, not that she mentions that, we could have her for dinner," Emmett kept laughing, and earned a swat on his arm from Esme, "Emmett! This is not funny, don't scare her."
"I would rather not. Really, I doubt that wolves are eatable." Rosalie sighted with solemn face and scrunched her nose in disgust.
"Well, Rosie, you may not be a fan, but I know someone who would not mind to try…" Emmett ducked form Esme, a conspiratory smile on his handsome face as he nodded his chin at Leah.
"What?" Rosalie jumped shocked, and Emmett raised his hands to the air in an innocent gesture, "Just sayin'." Rosalie stared at him with her eyes opened wide.
Leah felt that she clearly missed some points of the exchange. She frowned and opened her mouth to ask Emmett what he meant, but in this moment Jasper appeared in the doors.
"Emmett." He commanded sharply, and Emmett froze. Jasper looked at him with dark eyes, the blankness of his face too controlled to be casual. Emmett smiled apologetically at Jasper, "Hey, bro! We only talk about the dinner."
"Oh, Jasper, you are here!" Esme took over the conversation. "So now we are all here. Lets start the dinner!"
She clearly tried to avoid something or stir their attention in different direction. Considering that the vampires were not at all interested in the dinner, the conversation stirred around Leah and school. At least this was a relatively safe topic. She avoided mentioning Jasper in her stories, and Jasper stayed silent.
000
Saying that he dinner was a strange experience would be an euphemism. Rather, it was one of the most bizarre experiences of her life.
The vampires, like any other everlasting creature were and not always aware of time. They simply stared at the room smiling. The dining room was illuminated with a low crystal chandelier and side candles placed against the beige walls.
The chandelier, composed of thousands of little crystals, dominated the room hanging merely few feet above a dark dining table. The large mahogany table carried a breathtaking arrangement of silverware and venetian glass, complemented by simple white china.
When Esme invited her to sit, Leah felt that just by entering the room, she disturbed the artful layout of the room configuration.
"Everything is so beautiful, Esme." She had difficulty expressing herself, overwhelmed by the work Esme had to put into the dinner. She slowly sat in a chair, Esme next to her. Rosalie and Emmett at the opposite end of the table, Carlisle at its head. Jasper entered last and quietly took a spot next to Leah.
"Did you know anything about that?" Leah asked him quietly. He was sitting close to her, but careful not to touch. She had to consciously constrain herself from trembling at his nearness.
"No," was all he said, his face unchanged since his entry to the house. "I know better than surprise you, of all people." Leah stared at him, Was he angry with her or was it his attempt at flirting?
"I hope you like beef." Esme brought them back to the dinner conversation. And before Leah could answer, Emmett eyed Jasper with sarcastic smile,
"Oh, lets hope she does, right Jasper?"
"Fuck off Emmett," was all that Jasper said, but Emmett became visibly sleepy and lethargic. Smiling and with a relaxed expression on his face, he slumped and on chair. Emmett's arms fell back, his lips drooled, and Jasper smirked.
Rosalie looked furious, "Jasper!" she shouted, "How can you do this?" But Jasper only smiled wider, his eye keep drilling in sleeping Emmett, "It is better this way, Rosalie, I don't need his comments now."
Carlisle and Esme only exchanged stares, but did not intervene. Considering their lack of reaction, Leah though it was a casual banter in the Cullen's family. Yet, there was a dirty meaning in anything Emmett said. It made her uncomfortable suspecting he referred to her and Jasper. She felt her hands sweat.
"Ah, Esme, anything you cook is great." She re-directed her train of thoughts when Esme served her a generous portion of roast meat. It was perfectly juicy and soft in her mouth.
She was the only one with food on her plate, the only one with water in her glass. Her dinner was delicious and yet, it was hard to swallow. Despite
Carlisle questions about school ad Emse fussing over her, Leah did not feel comfortable. She could not stop being aware of Jasper's body next to her. His coolness radiated her heated skin like a magnet drawing her senses to the vampire. She felt Jasper's eyes on her entire time. Rosalie eyed Jasper in angry astonishment.
000
When the dinner was over, Leah thanked Esme for the party and excused herself hurriedly. Emmett was still drooling on the chair in the dining room, Rosalie pointedly left the room immediately after the dinner. Leah accepted an impressive portion of leftovers for Seth and exchanged awkward pleasantries with Carlisle. When finally the doors closed behind her, she shut her eyes on the night and sighted deeply. What a nightmare…Her Corolla stood parked nearby, but as she took her first step towards it, he stopped her.
Jasper appeared on her side grasping on a cotton shopping bag, "Wait. You forgot your books…" He brought his hand closer to her, but when she moved to take the bag from him, he took it away and momentarily dropped. With a fluid motion, he caught her arm and pulled to him, "Quiet!" He hissed in her ear, "You don't want to alarm them, do you?" She could not see his face, but his voice was cold and sharp. He pulled her body closer to him.
"Stop that," she hissed back trying to free herself. She did not want to fight, but she had to escape him. His touch heated her and made her dizzy, not allowing her to be become angry.
"Let me fucking go, Jasper. What do you thin…" She could not finish. He pressed his hand to her mouth and pulled her body sharply. She felt speed and cold, and then her body was thrown against her car. Hard.
"You will listen to me, and listen me good, Leah," for some reason his body shook and voice broke occasionally. "I don't know what you are doing to me, what is your power, but you need to stop it."
"Stop what?" She tried to muff though his hand. His hand loosened on her lips, and she was aware he only kept to there to rub his fingers in her skin. And even this small rough gesture felt sexual. It aroused her.
"This," he whispered sharply and pushed his hard body on her, his pelvis thrusting into her a little too hard. "You need to tell me what is happening. Tell me!" his lips were next to her ears, "You are taking me over. I feel you and only you. I know you feel me too, Leah." His embrace on her less than innocent as his hand traveled along her ribs to the breasts. Leah's heart sped up, her breathing heavy. She responded to his touch with her lips on his neck. Heat grew inside her, swollen pulse started between her legs. She pushed her hips toward him. He groaned, but managed to whisper sloppy words, "What is that we feel?"
And this few words made her come back to reality., What exactly…? She found her strength, and pushed him away. This cannot be! This cannot be the… she could not force herself to say the words.
"This is nothing between us! Nothing, you hear vampire?" She exploded with anger. "This," she gestured at the space between them, "had never took place."
She grabbed the bag from the ground, opened the doors to Toyota, and jumped fast inside. She could not stop thinking of his smell. The taste of his skin. The shape of his fucking dick.
She gritted her teeth and sped up. You have to forget. Forget him!
000