38.
Learning Control
After everyone calmed down following their close win, Coach Meyer invited Esme and the kids to join the team for dinner. They had a reservation at a local pizza place and they all crowded around several tables put together. Rose sat next to Emmett and he spent the first few minutes catching up with her.
The coaches ordered several assorted pizzas and reminded the boys to let the ladies go first. Each of the girls took a slice of pizza and poured themselves a glass of Coke. As soon as they were done, the boys attacked the pizza and began talking and joking. Coach Meyer and his Assistant, Coach Larson, conversed with Esme and the time went by quickly.
The girls had a great time, being the only two girls there, and having the boys vie for their attention. Emmett just laughed, but Jasper was barely hanging on to his temper. He sat next to Alice, but no one seemed to acknowledge that she was with him and they flirted with her and fought over who was going to pour her more Coke. He gritted his teeth and put his arm around her on the back of her chair. He looked over at Emmett to see him grinning at him with a knowing look. He was going to have to ask Emmett how he put up with his girlfriend always getting so much attention from other guys.
After everyone was finished eating, the team all filed out of the restaurant and starting walking back to their hotel. Esme pulled Emmett aside, "Honey, have a good night. We're going to get the car and head back to our hotel." She went to give him a hug, but he asked her if he could stay with them for the night. "It's fine with me, if it's okay with your coaches." said his mom.
"I'd just like to spend some time with you, Rose and everybody," he said. "Coach Meyer won't care and I'll be here in time for warm-up."
Emmett ran over and talked to the coach and then hurried back to Esme. "He doesn't mind, but I need to get some stuff from my room."
"Okay, why don't you go get your stuff and I'll drive the car over and pick you up." Esme told him.
"Okay! See you in a little bit!" and he ran off.
Esme laughed and her and Rose shared an amused look. As big and independent as he liked to act, they both knew he was missing being with his family.
There wasn't enough room in the SUV for everyone, and Emmett wanted to sit in the front with Rose on his lap, but Esme made Rose sit in the back with Jasper and Edward, and Alice sat on Jasper's lap. Jasper was happy, and kept smirking at Emmett. They got back to the hotel and Emmett jumped in the shower while everyone else got comfy. The girls decided they were going to watch a movie and the boys wanted to hang out in their room and play video games for a while.
The boys had fun catching up and Emmett told them about some of the awesome pranks they had pulled on each other at the hotel. The boys were cracking up and they were all just enjoying being together again. Then, Emmett said, "Hey! Did you guys see Rose's face today when I carried her onto the field? Oh my God! I thought she was gonna' kill me!" The three of them laughed.
"I was surprised that she didn't kill you!" Jasper said. "By the way," Jasper added, as Emmett looked at him, his eyes twinkling. "how do you, you know, keep from getting mad when, ah... you know, all the guys are, well... hitting on Rose?"
Emmett would've laughed, he had seen the anger and desperation on Jasper's face at the pizza place, but he looked so clueless, that Emmett gave him a break. "Well, Jas, think of it this way, she's with you, right?"
Jasper looked puzzled, "Uh... yeah?"
"Well, Dummy, she ain't with any of them." He looked at him like it was obvious, but Jasper just had a blank look on his face. Emmett grabbed him and gave him a noogie.
"Emmett! Come on, Man! I'm serious!" Emmett let him go and he tried to fix his hair.
"Jas! Dude! If she wanted one of them, you'd be the one hittin' on her, right?" He still looked blank. "Okay, look, if she didn't want to be with you, she wouldn't be. Out of all the guys, she chose you. If she didn't, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it any way. Just sit back and watch them all wishin' they was you, ya' know? 'Cuz, at the end of the night, she's leavin' with you, not any of them."
He grinned, "Oh! So, the whole time, you are sittin' there thinkin' how lame they are for hitting on Rose, wishing they were you, 'cuz she belongs to you. Right?"
Emmett laughed, "Well, I don't know if she belongs to me, but, yeah. It's the best feeling, ya' know? Here she is, all gorgeous and awesome, and they're all trippin' over each other trying to get her to notice them." His eyes took on a gleam as he kept talking. "I walk up and her eyes light up and she's happy to see me. She gives me a kiss and they all just, like, deflate. I feel their pain, ya' know, but I'm the one who gets to drive her home. I'm the one she kisses goodnight. I'm the lucky fucker she chose, so who am I to deny them being able to flirt with her for a little while?"
Jasper looked thoughtful. "Yeah, it's not like they're gonna' be able to steal her from you, 'cuz she loves you, right?" His eyes brightened.
Emmett just laughed and shook his head, "For being such a smart guy, Jas, you sure are one dumb jerk." Jasper glared at him but, with Edward and Emmett laughing, he couldn't help but grin.
After about an hour, the boys got bored and decided to see what everyone else was doing. They walked out into the living area and Esme was sitting on the couch with a book and a cup of tea. "Hey, Mom, are the girls sleeping already?" Emmett asked.
"I think they're watching a movie, Em." she answered him, looking down at her book.
Emmett turned a devilish grin on the other boys, and they grinned back. One of Emmett's favorite things to do, was aggravate the girls. They headed toward the girls' room and Emmett carefully opened the door. He peeked in and saw the girls each laying on a bed watching '17 Again' with Zac Efron. He turned and whispered to the other boys and the three of them walked into the room.
"Oh my God!" Emmett exclaimed. "It's Zac Efron! He's so hot!"
"He just makes me quiver! He's so dreamy!" Jasper added, in a girly voice.
"Sigh! I wish he was mine!" Edward squealed.
The girls looked at them with irritation, but then busted out laughing.
Emmett jumped on the bed with Rose and said, "Ooooooo! I can't wait to see him in his basketball shorts. His legs are soooooooo sexy!"
Edward laid on his stomach next to Ali and put his face in his hands. "Oh Ali! Isn't he soooooo handsome? His eyes are just, so, you know, beautiful!" He rolled his eyes at her and batted his lashes.
Jasper was bent over laughing and the girls were giggling. "You guys are idiots! You know that?" Rose asked them. "You all wish you were as good-looking as Zac Efron!"
Jasper pouted, sticking his bottom lip out. "Ali! You think I'm cuter than him, don't you?"
She looked like she was deep in thought, trying to decide. "Well... you are pretty cute, but... I don't know, Zac is really hot! Hmmmmm..." Rose cracked up and Jasper scowled. Ali grinned up at him and he couldn't help but grin back. He laid down on the other side of Ali and the five of them finished watching the movie.
Jasper couldn't really concentrate on the movie. He was too aware of Alice laying next to him. He loved how she smelled when he leaned toward her slightly and he loved how soft and shiny her hair was. He loved how cute her giggle was, and he loved how curvy her little body was getting. She had really changed over the last couple months, popping out in all the right places and even gaining more confidence. Her voice sometimes had a soft huskiness to it that made his toes curl when he heard it and she blushed adorably when she now understood the innuendos in their jokes. He wasn't exactly sure when his feelings for her had changed this last year, but he was ultra aware of her whenever she was around. She was like an obsession for him now, and he didn't know if that was good or bad, but he was determined not to mess up this time.
Sensing him looking at her, Alice tensed up. She could feel the heat coming off him as he lay next to her and, though she didn't turn her head to actually look at him, she was aware that he was looking her over. She felt a slight tug on her hair and knew he was rubbing a lock of it between his fingers. She heard him draw in a deep breath and realized that he was smelling her. She was alarmed at this, it seemed a little stalkerish, but she knew he really cared about her. Maybe it was a boy thing. She looked over at Emmett and wondered if he smelled Rosalie. Glancing at Edward, she wondered the same. Did he smell Bella? Was liking the way a girl smelled part of what made them attracted to her?
There was so much she didn't know and she wished the boys weren't here so she could ask Rosalie. She understood that Rose didn't know everything, but she would at least try to figure out whatever Alice wanted to know. Finally, she turned her head slightly so she could peek at Jasper. He had a lock of her hair between his fingers and, with his eyes closed, was holding it up to his nose. She looked back at the TV and shivered. She felt a strange feeling in her stomach that moved down between her legs. She shifted a little and felt Jasper drop her hair. Pretending to be absorbed in the movie, she concentrated all her attention on him and wondered what he was doing now. Not sensing any movement, she chanced a glance at him to find him staring directly at her, his eyes lit by an inner fire.
Her eyes widened a little and he grinned at her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Wanna' go for a walk?"
She hesitated, where the heck were they going to walk to? He was looking at her expectantly, so she agreed. He got off the bed and helped her up.
"We're gonna' stretch our legs a little." Jasper told the others.
Emmett piped up, "I wanna' come, too!" and started to get off the bed.
Rosalie smacked him upside the head. "No you don't! Lay down and watch the rest of the movie."
He laid back down, pouting, while Jasper and Edward snickered. Rose looked over at them, and grinned. She loved how they always laughed when she put Emmett in his place. Jasper mouthed, "Thank you!" to her and led Alice out of the room.
Esme was still on the couch with her book. She looked up when Ali and Jasper came out. "Hey, you two! How was the movie?" she asked.
"It was okay." said Jasper. "We're a little stir-crazy, though. Do you mind if Ali and I go for a little walk. We'll stay right outside the hotel."
Esme looked a little worried for a moment, but gave her consent, "Just don't walk away from the hotel. And, stay together!"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. We'll stay together." They put their shoes on and Jasper led Alice out the door and into the hallway. "Come on, Ali! Let's get some fresh air." He took her hand and they walked outside. He led her around to the side of the building and, turning her, pressed her up against the wall. She felt alarm and looked up at him. He lowered his mouth and kissed her urgently, running his hands up and down her sides. He moved his lips to her throat, just below her ear and murmured, "I've been needing to do this ever since we came in to watch that damn movie." He nibbled her ear and sucked on her earlobe.
Alice felt like she had been punched in the stomach and lost her breath for a second. Then she felt a throbbing heat between her legs and shivers down her thighs and her knees felt wobbly. She clung to Jasper's arms and felt as though she couldn't stand on her own if she tried. Jasper pulled her closer and put his lips on hers again. He deepened the kiss and his hips moved forward to press her back further against the wall. Her hands had a mind of their own and moved up to curl into the soft hair covering the back of his neck. Jasper moaned and slid his hands down to cup her butt. He pressed her tight against his growing hardness and Ali gasped. Jasper quickly slid his tongue inside her mouth and she felt like she was being consumed. An overwhelming panic started to take her over and she tried to fight it down, but it began to claw at her throat. She tried to turn her head to the side, but Jasper wove one hand through her hair and forced her to keep her head still. She began to pant and her hands moved down to push against his shoulders. He finally moved his mouth to just below her ear and she rasped, "Jasper! You have to stop!"
He shook his head and took her mouth again. She couldn't breath and felt the panic building inside her. Her rational mind knew she wasn't in any danger, but the panic wouldn't subside. She tried one more time to slow him down by pulling her mouth away. "Jasper! Jas! Please! Please listen to me." she begged, as his hands ran all over her back. He was kissing down toward the neckline of her shirt now and his hands moved back to her butt to urge her against him. He began to grind himself against her and, though it didn't hurt, she felt sick to her stomach. Even through the material of his jeans and her skirt, she could feel how big and hard he was. He moved back up to her mouth and she turned her head away and yelled, "Jasper! Stop it!"
Jasper froze and moved back a little. He turned her face back to him and searched it with his eyes. Alice could see remorse in them, but the fire was brighter and she knew he was having a hard time gaining control of himself. She could still feel his hardness against her and tried to shrink away from him, but the wall prevented her from getting very far. Her stomach jolted and she was mortified to discover that she might not be able to stop herself from getting sick. She pushed against him and he moved away from her so that only his hands were clutching her arms. "Ali?" he whispered, but she couldn't answer him. She slid down the wall to sit in the grass and put her head in her hands. She couldn't stop the revolt of her stomach and moved her hands down to clutch at it.
Jasper moved to sit next to her on the grass. His breathing had finally calmed some and he talked to her softly. "Ali? Are you okay?"
She shook her head, still with her head down. "I feel like I'm going to be sick." she mumbled.
Jasper blanched. Making out with him made her feel like throwing up? "What the hell?" he felt his temper rising. He adjusted his pants and sat back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "You feel like throwing up?" he ground out, trying to control his temper.
She nodded her head and moaned. "Great!" he thought. "Just great!" He finally got her back, and now she tells him that his kisses make her feel like she's gonna' puke. "I don't understand. Why do you feel like you're going to throw up? Is making out with me that disgusting?" he demanded to know.
She raised puzzled eyes to his and saw the anger there. "No, Jasper. Of course not! I'm just not used to, you know," she lowered her eyes again and blushed. "feeling you."
Understanding dawned on him. Alice had been repulsed by his erection pressing against her. He couldn't help it, the damn thing had a mind of its own, but he wasn't going to say he didn't enjoy the way the contact with her warmth had felt.
His face softened, he was still unhappy with her reaction, but he knew she had no control over her response to him. He stroked her hair. "It's okay, Ali. Try to take a couple of deep breaths and relax a little. She laid her head on his shoulder and took a couple deep, steady breaths. He felt her relax some and rubbed her arm. "Better?" he asked her.
Alice nodded, she did feel better. That weird, sick feeling in her stomach was almost gone and she didn't feel nauseous any more. She turned her head to look at Jasper. He gazed back at her wondering what was on her mind. "Sorry, Jas." she whispered, lowering her eyes in embarrassment.
He lifted her chin so she was looking at him, again. "Hey, it's not your fault. It's my fault, I got carried away. I'm the one who's sorry." He grinned at her. "I confess, I had the urgent need to kiss you when we were watching the movie and I couldn't fight it off anymore. I'm not sorry I did kiss you, though. It was awesome!" He chuckled and she grinned.
He stood up and he helped her as she stumbled to her feet. Her legs still felt wobbly and she still felt a light throbbing sensation up her middle. She looked worriedly at him and he raised his eyebrow at her. "You still feel sick?" he asked her.
"A little. I have this weird feeling in my stomach, almost like a warm, I don't know, throbbing? And my legs are all wobbly still." She put her hand to her lower abdomen. Jasper snorted and her head flew up, her eyes snapping at him. "You think it's funny that I feel sick?" she haughtily asked him.
He smirked at her and lowered his head so that his mouth was at her ear. "You don't feel sick, my angel. You're turned on." At her blank look, he continued, "You know, horny." She gasped and looked at him as he chuckled again.
"I am not! How dare you say that!" She pulled away from him. "You're the one who's... who's... horny! You... you... man whore, you!" She was sputtering at him now and he couldn't help it, he cracked up.
"God! Ali, you are so frickin' cute!" She made a huffing sound and clenched her fists. He pulled her against him and hugged her.
She stood rigid within his arms and wanted to kick him in the crotch, the big, jerk. He released her, still chuckling and she slapped him on the arm. "You are a big... jerk, Jasper Hale!" She turned, angrily and started to stalk away, but he grabbed her and spun her back around. He bent over so he was at her eye level.
"I'm sorry, Ali. I am! I just can't help it! You are so adorable! My whole heart aches for you and I just find myself smiling for no reason. Don't be mad, please!" he tried to give her the charming Jasper grin, the one with the dimple and the cocked eyebrow and everything, but she just scowled at him. He stuck out his lower lip and pouted, giving her his best puppy dog look. "Ali!" he whined. "Please don't be mad!"
Her lips twitched and she gave him a soft smile, "You are such a pain!" she groaned.
He grinned back at her and said, "I am right, ya' know. You were horny." and he laughed as she wheeled around and marched back to the hotel, him hot on her heels.
Jasper felt like a million bucks. He had gotten Ali all hot and bothered, and she was so pissed that he called her on it, she wouldn't even talk to him. The bad part, though, was that he didn't dare tell Edward. He had shared everything with Edward all his life, the bad and the good, but how do you talk to your best friend about something like getting his little sister hot for you? You don't. Not unless you have a death wish!
He couldn't even discuss it with Emmett, and he and Emmett could usually talk about anything. Well, maybe not him and Rose making out, but anything else. "Oh well, I can always talk to Rose if I need to." he thought, practically dancing behind Alice as she stalked down the hallway to their suite.
Alice opened the door and let it close in his face. He snickered and pushed it open and followed her inside. He closed and locked the door behind him and heard a door slam as he turned into the room. He snickered again. Boy, was she pissed. He couldn't help but grin. She was into him, he knew it, and now, she knew he knew it. He now fully understood what Emmett meant about feeling confident when other guys flirted with Rose. She wanted him. She wouldn't be looking at any other guys any time soon. He said goodnight to Esme and strode into his room.
Emmett and Edward both looked up. "You're looking mighty smug." Edward commented.
Emmett laughed and gave one of the many knowing looks he had given him today.
Jasper grinned, stopped outside the bathroom door, and said, "She wants me."
Emmett chuckled and he went into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
Edward shuddered. "Oh God! Why does it have to be Ali? I can't handle him talking about her like that."
Emmett laughed, "Eddie, grow a pair! At least we know him really well and know he'll be good to her. It's better than some stranger."
Edward shuddered again, "I guess you're right."
Jasper came back out of the bathroom in his pajama bottoms and T-shirt, his eyes twinkling and a big grin on his face. He jumped on the bed with Edward and starting humming 'I'm Bringing Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake and Edward groaned, "God help me!"
Emmett and Jasper cracked up.
Rose looked up as Ali came into the room and slammed the door. She cocked an eyebrow at her as she noticed her bright eyes and messy hair. "Uh, Ali? You okay?"
Alice turned her furious face toward Rose, "Do I look all right?" she snapped.
Rose looked shocked, Alice had never talked to her like that before. Alice looked contrite, "Sorry, Rose. I'm not okay. Jasper is a jerk and I just want to beat him." she gritted out.
Rose got off her bed and walked over to put her hand on Ali's arm. "What happened, Ali? Did he hurt you?"
Alice shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "He asked me to take a walk with him and he... he just... attacked me! He started kissing me and I couldn't even breath. Then he pressed his... " Ali blushed. "Well, you know. I felt sick to my stomach and I thought I was going to throw up and he said I wasn't sick, I was... turned on." She whispered the last part and turned bright red. "He is such a jerk! I wouldn't be turned on by him, ever!" She was panting she was so angry and the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Rose hugged her. "It's okay, Ali. If you were 'turned on', and I'm not saying you were, there is nothing wrong with it." She pulled back to look into Ali's eyes. "That's part of love, ya' know? You just have to decide how you want to deal with it. Do you want to, you know... act on it? Or wait until you feel you are ready. Don't let him rush you, Ali."
Alice straightened her shoulders and a determined look came over her face. "I am not going to be doing anything with Jasper Hale. You can bet on that! He can go... jump in the lake!" She plopped down on the bed and wiped angrily at her tears. "Why does he always have to ruin everything, Rose? He's such a... a... boy!"
Rose laughed and sat next to her on the bed. She pushed Alice's hair off her face. "Ali, try to be patient, okay? He's young, full of hormones, and he just won back the girl he loves. He's so happy. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time. Please try to understand, please?"
Alice looked up at her pleading face, then she looked down at her knees. "I suppose I can understand that he's really happy and just got carried away." she said. Then she looked up at Rose again, her face serious. "But I am not going to be alone with him any more. Not until he can prove that he can keep his hands to himself!" she stated.
Rose smiled, "I agree, that's a good plan. I'll try to make sure that you aren't ever alone, okay? He'll learn, you have to train 'em, just like a puppy." Ali giggled and Rose continued, "You know, 'Sit, Jasper!', 'Stay!', 'Keep your hands to yourself!', then you teach him to beg."
Alice cracked up and Rose grinned at her. "I love you, Rose!" Ali said, giving her a big hug.
"I love you, too, Little Sister!" Rose hugged her back.
The next day, Esme took the kids out for breakfast. When the girls came out of their room, the boys were waiting on the couch and Jasper grinned at Ali. She blushed and stuck her nose in the air, ignoring him. Beside her, she heard Rose sigh, but she couldn't stand that smug look on Jasper's face. He reminded her of the caveman she was always calling him and she didn't even want to look at him.
Jasper was amused at first, but as they went to breakfast and she still wouldn't acknowledge him, he felt his temper rising. He had only been teasing her. Sure, he'd been full of himself when he realized what she was feeling, and it had been so cute that she didn't know what it was herself, but, geeze, she acted like he had killed someone, or something.
Emmett didn't play until 5:00 pm that day, so Esme decided to take them to the water park located just outside of town. The girls put their suits on under their clothes, and the boys wore their swim trunks and a T-shirt. They all grabbed their beach towels and piled into the SUV. Alice sat on Edward's lap before her mom or Jasper could say anything, and Jasper scowled the whole way there. Emmett chuckled and Rose sighed, and Edward looked bewildered. What had he missed? Esme smiled watching all of their faces. She didn't know what was going on between them, but she was always amused by their little dramas. They always worked it out , so she wasn't worried.
They pulled into the parking lot of the water park and all started chattering at once. It was much bigger than they expected and they were excited. They filed into the park, carrying their stuff and found chaise lounges to leave their stuff on. Esme pulled out her book and sunscreen and set herself up for a pleasant day of relaxation. Alice decided to hang out with her for a while and pulled her book out of her bag, as well. The boys yanked their shirts off and slathered sunscreen on quickly so they wouldn't waste any precious time. Rose made Emmett hang back and help her with the lotion before grabbing his hand and following behind Jasper and Edward. As they all rounded the corner to a huge slide, Jasper chanced a glance back at Ali. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile before looking down again. He felt hope and smiled as he ran after the others.
Ali closed her book and turned over on her lounge chair. She felt so lazy and closed her eyes. Esme stood up and said, "Honey, I'll be back in a few minutes. Do you want something to drink?"
"No, thanks Mom." Alice said as she folded her arms under her head for a pillow.
Alice dozed for a little while but woke up with a start when she felt something cold and wet hit the hot skin on her leg. She turned over, squinting in the bright sunlight and saw Jasper standing above her, soaking wet. "Um... Ali? Do you... would you... want to come... you know... slide with me?"
Alice sat up on her chair. "I don't know, Jasper. I'm more comfortable staying here with my mom."
Jasper frowned. "Alice, I won't touch you, okay? I'm sorry I got carried away last night. I just missed you... kissing me. I won't tease you, or anything. Just come play with us, please?"
Alice thought about it for a minute when her mom came back. "Hey, Jas! Are you having fun?" she smiled at him.
"Yeah!" he smiled back at her. "The slides are great! I'm trying to get Ali to come try them out."
Esme looked at Alice, "Ali, Honey, you should go. We aren't going to be here a whole lot longer. Maybe another hour? Go have fun."
Alice agreed and got up to follow Jasper. He grinned at her. "You'll love them, Ali! I promise!"
Alice was a little anxious. She knew Jasper thought she didn't go on the slides with them because she was still upset with him, but she actually was not crazy about water slides. They were usually really tall and closed in, and she felt scared that she would get stuck and wouldn't be able to get down. She bit her lip as she spotted the others waiting for them. Rose looked at her apprehensively, and then smiled when Alice reached them.
"I'm glad you decided to come with us, Ali!" Rose welcomed her. "We have been having so much fun!"
"Yeah, Ali!" Emmett agreed. "You're missing out by reading all day. You can read any time!"
They walked over to get in line for the slide and Jasper stood behind her. He looked down at her and discovered that he could see down her top a little. He quickly looked away, but he wanted to look back so bad. He felt like a pervert always checking her out, but she was so frickin' beautiful that he just couldn't stop himself. They reached the stairs to the top and he admired the way her suit clung to her butt as she went up the stairs ahead of him. He didn't want to think about what he might be able to see by looking a little further up. He looked down at the steps as they climbed, trying not to think of her like that, but, by the time they got to the top, he was having trouble keeping himself from becoming aroused.
"Maybe I am addicted to sex." he thought with a worried frown. "I sure think about it enough." He looked up at Ali and forgot all about his 'problem'. Her face was white and she looked scared. "Ali? You don't have to go down, if you don't want to." he said, gently.
She looked up at him with wide eyes and tried to smile. "I'm not sure if I can go down. It's so high. Will they let me back down the stairs, do you think?"
He looked back down behind him and saw that the stairs were pretty well blocked by kids waiting their turn. She would not have an easy time getting back down, especially as small as she was. He didn't think he could get through to take her back down, either.
He looked back at her and she cringed. "I knew it. I can't get back down, can I?" She bit her lip and clenched her hands together.
He laid a hand on her shoulder, "It's okay, darlin'. I'll help you, okay? Don't worry."
She laid her head on his chest and sighed, "Okay." He stroked her back and felt her relax a little and prayed the line would go fast. Finally, they reached the mouth of the slide. Jasper felt her shaking a little and tried to reassure her. "It'll be okay, sweetheart, I promise you."
The attendant motioned for them to go, and Jasper sat down and pulled Ali down to sit between his legs. She stiffened up and pushed back into him and he wrapped her in his arms. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Trust me, sweetheart. It'll be over quick." She had her hands on his thighs and she squeezed them and closed her eyes as he pushed off. They went barreling down the slide together and Jasper tightened his arms around her. She opened her eyes and saw the water swirling below them and actually enjoyed the sensation of hurling down the tube while held safely in Jasper's arms.
She let out a giggle and she felt him chuckle against her back. They went flying out of the tube into the water at the bottom. They flew apart and went under the water. Jasper broke the surface and immediately started looking for her. She bobbed up a few feet in front of him with a big smile on her face. He came towards her and she met him and jumped into his arms, laughing.
"That was great!" she cried. "Oh my God! We have to do it again!"
He laughed as she grabbed his hand and hauled him through the water to get in line again. She was chattering excitedly the whole way up and eagerly sat down when it was their turn. She looked up at him and patted the floor behind her. "Come on, Jas! Let's go!" she urged him.
He sat down with a chuckle and she cuddled her back immediately into his chest. "I could get used to this." he thought as he pushed them off the platform into the slide, and wrapped his arms tightly around Ali's warm, wet body. He wanted to bury his face in her hair, but the force of the slide had him leaning away from her. He pulled her closer to his chest and enjoyed her giggles and the excitement of flying down the slide.
After they went down again, Alice asked Jasper if he would like to try a different slide. They saw Emmett and Rose just get in line at another slide a little way across the park and decided to join them. Alice ran laughing over to them, Jasper close on her heels. "Isn't this fun?" Ali exclaimed.
Rose laughed at her and smiled up at Jasper's ecstatic face. "Having fun, Jas?" she asked knowingly. He grinned at her, and her and Emmett laughed. They all looked down at Ali to see her dancing from foot to foot, excitement making her eyes sparkle.
Emmett called an end to the day about an hour after they had joined up with Jasper and Ali on the slides. His stomach was growling and he knew it must be after lunchtime. Ali protested and wanted to go again, but they all complained that they were hungry and went back over by Esme. Edward was sleeping on one of the lounge chairs and Esme was standing there looking around.
"Oh good! I was just coming to find you. It's time to go for lunch and let Emmett get some rest before the game tonight." she said. Emmett wrapped Rosalie in her towel and grabbed his to start drying off. Jasper did the same for Alice and pulled his shirt over his head. Esme gently shook Edward and told him it was time for lunch and they made their way to the car.
They decided to get something to take back to the hotel since they were all wet and went through the drive through at Wendy's. At the hotel, they ate and went to get cleaned up and then laid down for a little nap before Emmett had to be back with his team.
The game was awesome and William's Bay whipped the pants off of the team they played. The boys were in a great mood and went crazy on the field. They had two more teams to play and, if they won both games, they would be the state baseball champs.
During the game, Ali sat next to Jasper and they held hands. They both smiled when they saw Shannon coming towards them. She sat with them and they introduced her to Rose, Edward and Esme. After the game, she said goodbye and her and Rose went down to the field. Edward was talking to Esme and Jasper looked adoringly down at Alice.
"Having fun, Ali?"
She met his eyes and grinned. "This has been the best day! Thank you, Jasper." She lowered her eyes shyly.
He raised her chin with his finger and, when she met his eyes with hers, he said, "It was my pleasure, Love." He was so glad that she wasn't mad at him any more. He vowed to try extra hard not to upset her because, he had realized, that her happiness was the only thing that made him truly happy.