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Six: Paper Airplanes
Seth's POV
"Have you heard anything about the dead guy?" Jane asked nervously from her spot sitting down at the island. I was cooking her dinner, in retribution for the "lunch" that she cooked for me the other night. I still hadn't snagged her number, so once it turned nine o'clock, I showed up on her doorstep, which was seeming to become a weekly thing.
"No I haven't," I replied, which wasn't necessarily a lie. In all honesty, my cooking was the only thing that I could think to keep her company tonight. Last night, we had been out all night following scents, and there was no denying it: there was a new vampire in Forks. Even the Cullen's, who covered their territory, were mystified by the scent. It was a stranger, and I did not want Jane alone at a time like this, especially after the scent went cold and we lost whoever it was. We had no idea if it was still in town, or if it was, what the heck it wanted.
"I still can't believe he died," Jane murmured.
I nodded my head. "It was probably an animal," I told her gently, not wanting her to be afraid. "He probably wandered into the woods and got attacked."
"An animal could do that?" Jane's eyes widened in disbelief.
I shrugged, because I just didn't want to lie to her anymore.
"Dinner's almost ready," I said, instead.
"Great," Jane smiled and turned her attention back to her chemistry book. She had a test coming up in a few days and she was very nervous, at least she told me as much.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, you're welcome, you're welcome, Janesie!"
We worked in silence for a while before my food was finally ready for her. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't thrilled when she absolutely loved my dish. She even had seconds! I loved making Jane happy, and if food was the way to her heart, than I would most definitely be capitalizing on that talent of mine.
After dinner, Jane insisted on cleaning up, even though I argued with her for quite a while. Jane was shy as could be, but when it came to her opinion, she had a way of standing defiant in what she wanted; it wasn't that she argued passionately and made her opinion loud and known like the strong personalities of Lena and Leah, for example, but instead she stood in a quiet yet stern defiance in her own opinions and wants. It displayed a confidence in her own decisions... and was sexy as hell.
"So," Jane pondered in her own, quiet and timid way. She nervously placed a piece of her stray, bronze hair behind her ear. "What do you want to do?" She bit the corner of her lip, and for the first time since I had been alone with Jane Mcalaster, I thought that she might be thinking of something different than just talking.
I hesitated with a response, wondering if I should answer completely innocently and steer the conversation in the other direction, but it was the way that her brown eyes shined brightly as she was staring at me, and how her lips were naturally this beautiful, deep red color and it looked like she had lip-gloss on when she didn't that made the decision for me.
I closed the extremely short distance between us slowly, and Jane's eyes widened as she peered up at me with obvious worry.
I couldn't help myself.
I gently cupped her cheeks in my hands as this little, innocent bundle of perfection stared up at me.
"Seth," Jane said, her eyes wide and bright.
"Jane," I stroked my thumbs along her jaw softly.
"Please don't," She whispered, her eyes darting down to my lips. It was a serious contradiction, how she was looking at me versus what she was asking of me.
"You're so beautiful, Jane," I told her honestly. "I don't know how you're so beautiful."
Jane's shoulders were rising and falling faster now. I could tell that she was thinking about exactly what I was thinking about from the way that her eyes would dart to my lips and then back up to my eyes.
We were so close. We had never been this close before. I wanted her so badly I could scream.
"Seth," She tried again.
"Jane," I smiled and spread out my feet so that I could gently guide her back against the cabinets.
Jane's breath caught in her throat. She licked the center of her red lips, and I almost broke right then and there.
"I need to kiss you," I told her hoarsely. I could only imagine what her soft, plush lips tasted like.
"Seth," Jane whispered, but this time it wasn't as much of a complaint as it was a moan. I could hear her breathing.
I leaned in closer.
"I'm not ready," Jane jerked her head back with a small gasp.
My hands dropped from her face and I took an immediate step back. I took a deep breath and then cleared my throat, standing up straight.
Jane's eyes were wide and her cheeks were deliciously flushed. "I'm sorry," She stated timidly.
"No it's- you- You have nothing to be sorry about," I nodded my head adamantly. "Absolutely nothing."
Jane bit the corner of her lip. "I just, I've only ever dated one guy before, and that ended... badly. And honestly Seth, I never liked him the way that I like you, so I don't know what I would do if this ended badly, too."
I softened- hell, I melted at her admission. "I'm not going to hurt you, Jane," I promised her.
"I've heard that before," She mumbled.
"I mean it," I pushed. I wish that there was a way for me to explain to her that her dead parents, her trust issues from her last relationship, anything- it would never, ever be close to enough to make me walk away from her. Nothing in the entire world would make me walk away. I already loved her, yet I was still falling in love with her. Every day I fell in love with her more and it seemed impossible for me to any deeper until the next day came. It was the way that she was the most stunning girl I had ever seen, but she didn't know it in the slightest, and the curl of her hair, the freckles on her cheeks, it was everything.
"Seth," Jane sighed, and I knew that I needed to drop the issue. Jane wasn't ready. And that was... okay- it was okay if it was what she needed.
"Should I go?" I asked sadly, because that was the last thing I wanted to do.
Jane frowned, and internally I smiled, because it was proof that she felt the same about that as me. "Definitely not," She crossed her arms defiantly. "Are you not interested in hanging out with me if you can't kiss me?"
"No," My eyebrows shot up. "I definitely am, but I just don't know how I'm going to hangout with you all night wanting to do that and not accidentally slip up."
Jane's lips fought their way upward. "How is kissing someone ever an accident? Actually," She held up her hands. "Never mind. I don't want to know. Ask my ex."
I laughed loudly as she shook her head and led the way into the living room.
"So your ex-boyfriend cheated on you?" I asked hesitantly, standing in the doorway.
"Yep," Jane sighed. "But I found that out after we broke up. Somehow, it didn't make it any better. Just made me hate him more."
I frowned. I hated that he hurt Jane, but I also hated that she hated him; hate was a strong emotion, and it made me wonder how serious Jane and her douche of an ex-boyfriend were.
"How long did you date him?" I tried to be discreet.
Jane sighed, her voice growing quiet. "I don't want to talk about him anymore.
I sat down on the floor next to her. "That's fine."
Jane shook her head at me. "You're the nicest guy I've ever met, Seth. Why are you like that?"
I laughed. "I don't think I could ever be mean to you, Janesie. Not even if I tried."
Jane chuckled. "I don't believe you."
"Mhm." I scooted myself closer to her, closing the distance between us, and then grabbed her. I enclosed my arms around her upper body and pulled her tightly to my chest, lifting my knees around her so that she was locked in.
"Seth," Jane giggled. "What are you doing?" She asked, but she immediately relaxed in my arms. She reached for a bunch of my shirt and hung on tightly, which I noticed is the same thing that she did at the fair.
"I just wanted to give you a hug," I rested my chin on her shoulder and took a deep breath of her scent that intoxicated me.
Jane rested the back of her head against my chest. "Not really helping with the whole not kissing thing, Seth."
I squeezed her knees. So she was feeling it too. "Date this weekend?" I tried for the third time since I had met her.
Jane laughed gently and then rolled her head side to side on my chest. I knew that it was probably harder for her to say no to me when I was touching her, that is if I had any affect on her that was similar to the effect she had on me.
"It's not a good idea," She whispered, but there was a smile on her face now.
"What if I let you pay for your food?"
"Seth."
I sighed and let it drop. "Just one more question," I whispered in her ear. Jane shivered, and then I saw the corner of her face heat up. I smiled to myself, a small victory, because I loved seeing how she really felt about me.
"Do you not want to just because you think that I'll hurt you? Or that it won't work? Because if so than I can't let you do that, Janesie. You're not being fair to yourself. You deserve to be happy."
"Seth," She groaned and pulled my arms apart from their place around her, quickly crawling away from me.
"Jane," I closed my legs.
"I thought that you said that you respected what I wanted," Tears blurred her vision.
"I do," I deflated.
"Than why do you keep pushing me?" Jane frowned.
Suddenly, I hated myself. I was trying so hard to give Jane the space and the time that she needed to feel comfortable enough to be with me. I was trying with everything that I had in me, only, it wasn't enough to fight against the Imprint. I wanted her so badly that I was letting the hope and knowledge of what could be cloud what Jane was feeling.
Jane had no idea about the imprint. In her mind, this could end just as badly as her ex, even worse because she said herself she had deeper feelings for me. I couldn't expect her to just jump in head-first like I wanted her to.
"I'm sorry," I told her earnestly. "Really. I'll stop."
Jane bit the inside of her cheek. "It's okay," She sighed after a moment.
"It's just frustrating because I wish you could see inside of my head at my intentions," I told her honestly.
Jane chuckled. "You've never dated, have you? Because you're terrible at flirting. Just absolutely terrible."
I rubbed my neck. "Only once," I told her. "Like you, didn't end well." What I didn't mention to Jane, was that my only other girlfriend had been a girl that had pursued me right after a shifted. I was in high school, suddenly the biggest, most jacked kid within a 100-mile radius, and the most popular, hot girls in school were after me.
It was fun and it was exciting, but it was more physical than anything. I hated myself that I slept with her, even though she had slept with a good amount of guys before me. Though she wasn't a virgin, I was, and it bothered me that I had done things for her when I hadn't loved her. I knew that I would have gotten made fun of from the guys for wanting sex to be "meaningful," so I never brought it up, but I learned then that sleeping around just wasn't what I was interested in. I just never understood it, even before I imprinted.
At first, no one knew that Imprinting was as common as it was, but once we realized, I never got how Paul and Embry and Jared and hell, even Jacob's kid, slept around like crazy until it happened. If they knew that they were going to imprint one day, why not just wait for that girl?
"What happened with you?" Jane asked, not able to mask her curiosity.
I smiled. "She wasn't named Jane Mcalaster."
Jane rolled her eyes. "That was smooth. Still terrible, but smooth."
I laughed. "It's true, Janesie."
"I bet," Jane whispered, rubbing her hands along her arms.
"You cold?" I asked nervously. There was something inside of me that felt seriously panicked any time that I thought Jane was in any way uncomfortable. Cold? I panicked. Scared? Completely went bizzerk. Sad? Did everything I could to make her laugh. It was kind of insane, but I had no desire to care about her any less.
Jane shook her head. "You're just really warm," Jane smiled timidly. "Like very warm. Are you always that warm, or do you have a fever?" She walked over on her knees to me and then placed her hand on my forehead.
I took deep, long breaths to smell her, my eyes locked on her and focusing solely on the feeling of her touching me and being this close.
Jane's eyes widened. "Wow, Seth! Do you feel okay?" She placed both hands on either side of my cheeks now, her mouth dropping open. "You're burning up!"
I laughed. "I'm fine, Janesie," I reached for her hands and rubbed them gently in my palms. "Promise."
"You've got to be like 120 degrees!"
"Been that way since high-school," I smiled at her, happy that I didn't have to necessarily lie to her about that one.
"Really?" Jane gaped at me. "Have you been to a doctor about that? I mean, it can't be healthy! You know that if you're temperature is too high for too long it can actually lead to brain damage."
I pressed my lips together to keep from bursting out laughing. "Are you calling me stupid, Janesie?"
Jane gasped, her entire face heating up in an instant. "No!"
I laughed. "That's okay. I know I am very stupid in comparison to you."
"You're not stupid, Seth," Jane spoke back very timidly, then with more confidence, "It just defies the laws of biology! It's fascinating."
"Have I become a lab mouse to you?" I asked her happily.
"I'd have to keep you in a cage if that were the case," Jane blushed.
"I really don't think I would mind that," I answered honestly after pondering the possibility for a moment.
Jane sighed.
"Sorry," I grinned.
"I still can't believe you're so hot," She shook her head and placed her hands on my face yet again.
"Really? Wow, Janesie. That's so nice of you to say!"
Jane gasped and pulled away. "Seth!" She complained.
I laughed easily, when suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket. Because my phone had been on silent, I hadn't heard any of the calls, the only sound that I had heard had been the alert for a voicemail. Jacob had called twice, along with Jared three times, and finally, fifteen calls from Morgan Atiera, who had shifted not too long ago.
Oh no.
I had been so wrapped up in Jane I forgot about the fact that there is a murderous vampire on the loose. Whether I wanted to or not, now I really had to go.
I looked up at Jane, ready to apologize profusely, when I noticed her eyes locked on my phone screen. Her eyes were scrunched in a certain distaste that I had never seen on her express before, as she stared at the missed calls.
"I'm sorry, Jane," I told her honestly. "I have to go."
Her eyes quickly lifted to mine, and I suddenly saw so much hurt behind the deep brown that it basically slapped me in the face, and made me want to die.
"Woah," I couldn't help but let slip out. "Jane. Hang on."
She stood up suddenly, folding her arms around herself like she was holding herself together, and walked towards the kitchen.
"Wait, Jane!" I rushed after her. "Jane," I grabbed her arm but then immediately let go, not wanting to hurt her.
"Let me go, Seth," Jane mumbled.
"Jane, what just happened?" I asked her. "What upset you?"
Suddenly, her eyes flashed up to mine, hurt and anger bearing into me. "Why is a girl calling you 100 times when you're with me?"
Relief actually washed over me, because I realized that she just totally had the wrong idea. "Oh Jane," I let out a long breath. "That's just Morgan. I've known her since she was born. It's not like that at all."
"I bet," She whispered, nearly inaudibly.
"Jane I'm serious," I placed my arm on the wall beside her.
"Is that the Morgan from the other night?" She asked quietly.
I stared at her. What the heck did this girl have to be jealous or insecure about anyway? Jane was absolutely the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was striking, and I knew that I wasn't the only one who saw that.
"Yes. It's my friend's kid, Jane. I would never- that thought hasn't ever crossed my mind. See?" I held out my hand, scrolling to the bottom of the screen where the other missed calls were, so that she could see the other ones from Jacob and Jared. "Everyone was just trying to get ahold of me. Her dad called right before she did. I'm sure he told her to just keep trying until she reached me."
"Oh," Jane suddenly looked very guilty. "I- Oh."
"I would never do that to you," I told her honestly. "I already told you, I don't have bad intentions."
"I'm sorry," Jane blushed. "I-,"
"You don't have to apologize, Janesie."
"No I do," She reached hesitantly out for my collar. Okay, now I wasn't going anywhere. "I'm so sorry, Seth. I can't believe I thought- I just figured that- I made an assumption and it was so stupid. I'm sorry to accuse you of something like that."
"There is no need to apologize, Janesie. I swear. I'm not mad at you."
"I'm mad at myself," She moaned. "I can't punish you for what other guys have done to me in the past. It's not fair."
"No, but it's completely understandable," I told her gently.
"No it's not. I'm so sorry. Just- go. Please, go. Your friends need you. I don't want to keep you any longer."
"Jane," I gave her a pointed expression. "I'm not leaving until I'm sure you're okay. You matter more to me than those dummies."
"Why are you so nice to me?" Jane frowned. "I just accused you of being a douche."
"I'd stop being so nice to you if you were nicer to yourself!" I rubbed her arms. "Stop beating yourself up. You have nothing to apologize for."
Jane sighed. "Well, is everything okay with your friends?"
Oh, right. I'm sure it had something to do with the attack last night, but I wasn't about to tell Jane that.
"I'm sure it's just some trivial emergency. Family game night gone wrong."
Jane chuckled. "Go, please. For me?"
"Well if it's what you want," I sighed, because screw vampires, I just wanted to be with Jane all night, especially when she was holding so tightly onto my collar.
Jane nodded. "Do you think you'll be long?" She asked softly, a little embarrassingly too.
I couldn't help my face from falling, because I knew that more than likely I would be chasing scents all night long. "I don't know, Jane," I answered uneasily. "I hope not, but sometimes with them their emergencies tend to take up some time."
"That's okay," Jane quickly brushed aside any hint of disappointment and slid out underneath my arm. "Go."
"Jane," I called after her. "Promise you're okay?"
"Yes!" She called, but I couldn't see her anymore as she ascended the steps up to her room. I heard the door close behind her and then sighed to myself. I hated leaving her, especially after her thinking that I would ever go behind her back to text other girls, and with a vampire on the loose. I sadly exited the back door and then made it halfway across the lawn before I heard my name called.
I turned back, and noticed Jane peeking out her bedroom window. I smiled, unable to help myself, because the world was black but Jane's room was lit and she was absolutely glowing.
She threw something white out at me, and I lost it for a moment in the blackness before I heard it land in a bush to my right. I pulled it out, and then noticed a very terribly molded paper airplane.
Jane giggled in the distance as I smiled to myself and opened it.
"The key is under the mat. Come back when all the lights are off."
I couldn't believe my eyes. I blinked them tightly together and then re-read it, stuck in a state of shocked bliss. I looked up, bewildered, to see Jane giggling and closing the window back up.
I hated myself for having to be a good guy and not an animal like I wanted to be. God, a sleeping Jane. A sleeping Jane in her bed. Getting next to said beautiful, sleeping Jane in her bed in the middle of the night! I had to be insane to argue this!
"Are you sure?" I called up to her.
"Shhh!" Was her only response.
Oooooo! What do you think is going to happen after all the lights are out? Also, a wonderful guest reviewer has been commenting who they believe Jane to look like, and it has been so fun for me to look up famous actresses or models that you all imagine Jane to look like- who do you think Jane looks like? Comment below! And follow/favorite too!
