Odette's POV

"Favourite colour?"

"Blue. Favourite Author?" I smiled. Jasper and I were sitting on my bed asking questions back and forth about each other. It was simple and kinda of silly but at the same time I felt closer to him than I ever had been to anyone ever.

"Ann Rice and Tamora Pierce. You?" I asked. He frowned for a second and then his face lit up.

"Edgar Ellen Poe and Stephan King." He nodded. I had to laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked cocking his head to the side. God he looked sexy.

"Just you pick the two creepiest writers in the world." I said smiling. He smiled and shook his head.

"I like them because they hit hard and deep into the souls of people. They get all sorts of emotions out of their readers like fear, confusion, awareness etc. and that is what I like in an author. I love the feeling a book gives you when it is written well. I love it when everything written leaps out at you or sucks you in and makes you feel like you are living in that exact world." He chuckled. "I'm rambling aren't i?" I giggled and shook my head.

"It's nice to find someone who shares the same wants and needs in a book." I laid a hand on his arm. "Just another thing we have in common." He looked at my hand and then back to me and smiled slightly. I looked deep into his dark amber eyes and felt like I was falling. He cleared his throat and moved his arm away slightly. And just like that the spell was broken. I shook my head slightly and sighed. Idiot! Let's just stare at the gorgeous man and make it awkward!

"What made you start guitar?" Jasper asked as if the moment hadn't happened. I was grateful in a way because he was trying not to make it awkward and yet at the same time I was kind of sad that he just shrugged it off. I was such a hopeless romantic. I frowned.

"How do you know I play guitar?" I asked. He smiled and nodded to the corner where my acoustic and electric guitar stood.

"Ah. I started guitar because I love music. I love the way it changes your emotions and can make you feel one hundred and one things all at once. That and my father use to play and he taught me when I was little." I replied suddenly sad. It was the last things dad and I did together before everything went south. I decided to continue it in a small hope that things would go back normal but as I got older I realised there was no going back and that's when I started my band. If I couldn't play music with my father I would play music with people like me.

JASPERS POV

I felt the drop of her emotions almost as if they were my own. One second she was happy the next she was overridden in sadness. Poor thing, it must have been before all the bullshit and bulling. I hesitantly reached out and stroked her hand. She looked up and smiled.

"I'm okay. Just thinking of the next question." And just like that she was happy again. I mentally shook my head. This girl was a mystery to me. I looked down and saw that she had turned my hand over and was now drawing circles on my palms with her nail. I sighed and closed my eyes. It was so nice. No one had ever done anything like that.

"What do you want to do in your life?" She asked.

"I always wanted to be a soldier but now I'm not too sure." I replied without opening my eyes.

"Why what happened?" Odette traced her nails up my wrist.

"I tried it for a bit a few years ago but it wasn't what I expected." I mentally cringed waiting for the ultimate question 'what was it like then?' I couldn't answer that honestly and that was the whole point of this to be honest. Times have changed since I was a soldier. But to my surprise she continued to stroke my hand and wrist. I looked over at her.

"What…no questions about war?" I asked mockingly. She shook her head.

"I don't want to think about you fighting. I'm not a big fan of violence on that type of scale. Besides now you have two questions." She smiled and I chuckled. Oh this girl was good.

"Okay then…why did you do it?" I asked deciding now was a perfect time.

"What are you talking about?" She didn't stop tracing my hand.

"Cut yourself." I all but whispered. She froze.

"I'm sorry but I just want to understand." She sighed and looked up at me.

"I don't know if I can." She mumbled.

"It's okay I thought I'd try. I wouldn't have told anyone either."
"It's not that Jasper. It's just…I've never told anyone and I'm scared you'll think of me differently." I looked at her long and hard. Sitting next to me wasn't the strong, brave smart ass girl I had come to know. In her place was the real Odette…the scared, alone, abused and lost young woman. This was Odette without her mask. I sighed. She was even more beautiful.

"If you don't want to tell me you know you don't have to. But just know that whatever the answer may be it wouldn't change the way I think about you." I said.

"I lost control one day when I was about twelve." She muttered. She took a deep breath and looked up at me. "Things got so out of control that I took the scissors in my room and cut myself. I realised how good it felt and how it eased the pain so I did it again and again and soon every time things got too much to handle I would just do it. I used anything I could get my hands on. Scissors, razor blades, box cutter blades, knives, sharp rocks if I was that desperate anything sharp enough within arm's reach I used and I did it for years until one of my teachers noticed them one day and sent me to the guidance officer at school. I refused to say anything and he ended up telling me that what I was doing was stupid and if I kept doing it he would call up the psycho ward and have me admitted. Then he called my father and when I got home my father told me that if I was going to be so stupid then why didn't I just go and do the job properly so I did. I tried four or five time and each time someone found me before I could die. I'd try not to do it but sometimes I can't help it. But since being here I haven't even thought about it." She breathed out deeply and looked at her hands. "You probably think I'm an idiot now right?" I forced her to look at me.

"Don't you ever try and guess what I'm thinking especially when it comes to you. I don't think you're an idiot. I told you at the hospital that I understand and I do." She nodded and sighed.

"You still have one more question."
"What about the ones you didn't do? Can I ask about them?" she sighed again and shook her head.

"Not just yet. I'll tell you one day I promise just not right now?" I nodded.

"Fine then what is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day?" I decided not to push it and destroy this moment. Besides she had already told me something deep and she promised to tell me one day so it was fine.

"Draw or write or read." Odette answered letting go of my hand to snuggle under the covers deeper. She was under them while I lay on top. At first she couldn't understand why I wasn't cold but soon gave up and decided to let me freeze…ah if only she knew the truth.
"Write and draw what?" I asked.

"Write songs or things that come to mind. Anything really. And I draw settings or sometimes I draw people that I've met or seen. Ones that are interesting at least." We chuckled.

"Favourite place in the world?" she asked. I smiled and brushed a hair off of her face. To my delight she blushed.

"It used to be Texas but after today, I would say right here with you." she smiled.

"You are the sweetest guy I have ever met Jasper Hale."

"And you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met Odette Swan." She blushed and lent forward a little bit. I froze up. I was just managing to put up with her scent. If I kissed her I knew I would lose control. Not that I don't want to. I wanted to more than ever but tasting her…I would snap. I cleared my throat and moved away slightly. She gasped quietly sand looked away from me. I clenched my eyes closed as the wave of her emotions rolled over me. Hurt, embarrassment, sadness and confusion all in one.

"I'm…sorry Jasper. I don't know what came over me." She mumbled. I shook my head and looked at her.

"Don't be sorry I just wasn't expecting it." I replied. She nodded and bit her lip. I sighed. There goes the perfect moment.

"I should probably get going." I said slowly getting off the bed.

"Oh…alright then." Odette said sounding sad. I didn't want to leave her but I also didn't want to make thing more awkward for her.

"You going to school tomorrow?" I asked. Odette shook her head.

"I have til Thursday off. Doctors' orders." She smiled softly as she held up her bandaged hand. I chuckled and shook my head as I walked around the bed to her side.

"Typical. Well why don't you come over to my place tomorrow?" I was suddenly nervous. I never get nervous. Why am I nervous? And it wasn't Odette's emotions either! She raised an eyebrow at me.

"After school?" I shook my head.

"You're going to need some company tomorrow right so I'll come and get you early in the morning and we'll just relax at mine if you want of course?" I asked. The smile she smiled could have lit up a million light bulbs.

"I would love to! Pick me up around 8?" she asked. I nodded.

"I'll see you then."

"Bye Jasper." She mumbled. I managed to get to the door before I stopped. What the hell? I might as well take advantage of the situation. I crossed the room in two strides, took her soft face in my hands and kissed her as softly as I could. I felt her gasp on my lips and then she kissed me back. I pulled away and breathed out. She was blushing a deep red right and I had to smile at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow Odette." And without that I left her house at human speed. I can't believe I just did that! What the hell was I thinking? God she tasted sweet though. It was a tantalising and addictive taste. I was almost tempted to go back and kiss her again and again. But I couldn't because now I was thirsty. Really thirsty. And if I was spending all tomorrow with her I needed to drink as much as I could. I shook my head. The only downside of being around Odette…she made me so damn thirsty!