Next chapter WHELA! Also, I switch to Jane's POV pretty quicky here- sorry we haven't heard from her lately! ENJOY!


Twelve: Bright Red

Seth's POV

I awoke before the sun rose, and then spent that time staring at Jane, who was sleeping soundlessly next to me. Her beautiful, red lips were slightly parted in the middle, and her long, long eyelashes fluttered gently, creating a dark contrast to her flushed cheeks.

I reached out and gently stroked her cheek. Jane's eyebrows furrowed, but in a moment she let out a small sigh and continued sleeping.

At this, I smiled to myself, leaning in to kiss her gently on the tip of her nose. Last night had been absolutely incredible. Jane had opened up to me in ways that I never imagined she ever would. I felt like we made triple the progress in a few hours than we had made the entire time since I had met her.

I always knew that Jane was sweet, but I realized last night that her heart was truly gentle and pure, through and through. She didn't have that anger that she should have had about her parent's death- heck, I had felt the anger. She didn't hate the guy who cheated on her and made her feel worthless. She was so... good. Jane was just good.

I leaned my face overtop of hers and gently brushed the dark hair off of her face, an idea spurring in my mind as I watched her sleep.

"Jane," I gently murmured in her ear.

Jane made a muffled, sleep-filled sigh, but then was silent once more.

I laughed to myself. "Janesie," I kissed her jaw, and then her chin. "Wake up," I whispered in her ear, and then kissed the skin right in front of that, too.

"Mf," Jane stretched her arms in the air and rolled onto her back. I held myself overtop of her, lulling her from sleep with sweet nothings that weren't even near sweet enough for Jane, but they did the trick.

Jane battered her eyelashes open, her eyes glassy from sleep.

"Hi," I gently spoke to her, smiling at her because I couldn't help myself- she was just too beautiful.

Jane's lips pulled up into a small sleep-filled smile.

"Hi," She replied, her voice hoarse. She wrapped her arms around my neck and nestled her face into the crook there.

Jesus, I wondered if I should have rethought my idea after all. If Jane wanted to cuddle all morning, who was I to disagree?

"Jane," I kissed her hair, thinking better of it. "I want to take you somewhere."

"Mm, Seth," Jane mumbled. "Shhh."

I chuckled and stroked her hair. "I have something to show you," I explained to her gently. Once I realized that, that did absolutely nothing to motivate her and that she seemed very content not to get up, I gently slid my hands underneath her body and began to pull.

Almost as soon as I lifted her off from the sheets Jane complained. "Seth!" She rubbed at her eyes. "I'm sleeping!"

"You can keep sleeping," I held her close to my chest as I stepped out of bed. "I'm taking you somewhere."

Jane yawned rather adorably and then struggled in my arms for a moment along with a good amount of whimpers in the form of protests before managing to entangle her arms around my neck and pull herself up to wrap her legs around my torso.

"You never let me sleep," She nuzzled her face into the crook between my shoulder and my neck. "I'm so tired."

"Come on, Janesie," I rubbed my hands up and down her back. "You'll like it. I promise."

"Mmm," Jane reached for a bunch of my shirt, one of my favorite tendencies of her's, and I smiled to myself. I kissed the side of her face softly and felt Jane smile against my skin before kissing my neck back.

I tried not to let that affect me like she must know that it did.

My hands glided against the soft skin of her thighs, and I felt them tighten beneath me. Oh? I froze; I had never witnessed such a physical reaction from Jane like that. It made me want her even more, if that was at all possible.

I carried Jane outside, and then to my truck. I ignored her complaints as I started driving us away, and instead headed for the very tip-top of the cliffs off in the distance; the ones that overlooked the cabin; the ones that we always used to go to when my dad was still alive.

Jane laid across my lap as I drove, resting her head against my chest, sleeping a little less soundlessly as she ran her fingertips up and down my chest in rhythm with her breaths.

"You're going to love this," I whispered into her hair.

"Mmm," Jane kissed my chest overtop of my shirt. "I love sleep too."

I chuckled, running my fingers through her soft hair, and then accidentally getting them stuck in her curly tangles. I tried to pull them out to no avail; I tugged a little harder, and Jane made a small moan of complaint.

"Sorry," I tried not to laugh. I didn't want to embarrass her. I loved Jane's unruly hair after all.

Finally, I managed to detangle my hand, and made a mental note not to try to do that right after she woke up.

We made it to the top of one of the many cliffs, and I backed the truck in before cutting the engine. Jane let out a dramatic sigh and then sat up, rubbing at her eyes.

"Where are we?" She mumbled.

"Come on," I patted her thigh and then pulled her out of the truck. Jane was still shoeless, so I made sure I catch her when she jumped out, and then carried her to the back of the truck before opening the bed and then jumping in the back.

"One second," I told her, setting her down on the edge. In a moment I returned with the blankets and pillows that I always kept in my car for nights that I was phasing and knew that I wouldn't necessarily make it home in time if I was too exhausted.

I jumped into the bed, and made a small, makeshift bed for Jane before looking up, smiling, and ushering her over.

I caught her staring at me, which resulted in her biting her lip and blushing rather dramatically.

"I told you, you could keep sleeping," I said as she crawled into my arms.

Jane snuggled up against my chest and laced her feet in mine. "Mm," She spoke into my shirt. "You're so warm, Seth."

I rubbed her back gently. "And you're so cute, Janesie. How do you look so good right when you wake up?" I swipe a piece of her unmanageable hair that fell into her face behind her ear. "How do you look better without makeup on?"

"Shut up," Jane moaned.

"Why?" I laughed.

"Because it makes me trust you less when you lie to me," Jane suddenly tilted her face up so that she could look at me. "It messes with your credibility."

I frowned at her. "But I'm not lying," I told her simply.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Seth, I look like an animal in the mornings. My hair is unreal."

I hid my smile. "I think you look gorgeous. Honestly, you're really hot in the morning. I think if you agree to finally date me we'll have to keep our sleepovers to a minimum for my sanity."

Jane gasped and blushed at the same time, which I had no idea was possible in the first place. "Seth!" Jane shoved my chest at what I was referring to. "You're crazy," She giggled. "But what do you mean, 'if I agree to finally date you?' Didn't I do that last night?"

My eyes widened. "What?" I managed to get out.

"I mean," Jane bit the corner of her lip. "If you still want that."

"What?" I sat up, bringing Jane with me. I cupped her cheeks in my hands and look straight at her. "You mean... yes?" The question was almost ridiculous enough for me to take it back once I insinuated; there was no way in hell that Jane Mcalaster, the most beautiful human being that I had ever seen, inside and out, would date me.

But Jane smiled sweetly, and then kissed me even sweeter. "Yes," She whispered into my lips, loosely stringing her arms around my neck. "But we're really going to have to work on communication because I thought I said that a thousand times last night."

I ignore the fact that Jane never once told me that she would be my girlfriend because of the fact that she actually is my girlfriend.

"Jane!" I take her face in my hands and smile ridiculously wide at her. "This is- you are- Thank God." I kiss her quickly, and Jane giggles and pulls away to bounce her forehead against my shoulder.

"Hey," I nudge her shoulder and scratch her neck. "Look."

Jane lifts her head, her eyes curious, and then turns where I motion. Behind us, is the most beautiful declaration of a sunset that one could possibly see. The sun rises just behind the cabin, and there is a sparse area of trees right in the middle, giving us a perfect view.

"Seth," Jane spoke, that softness behind her voice that made her so attractively vulnerable to me.

I pulled her down and thankfully she rested her head against my chest. I raised my hand and began playing with her hair, but much more carefully this time.

"You're so romantic, Seth," Jane murmured after a long stretch of silence. "I didn't know guys like you existed."

"I was never like this before, Jane," I responded her simply.


Jane's POV

The week following the best date of my entire existence was exceptionally brutal. I put off much of my homework, and wasn't able to resist when Seth asked me over Emily's for dinner the Sunday night after our date. By the time Monday rolled around I realized that I had neglected almost every single one of my classes.

I missed an assignment in two of them, which was thankfully so out of the ordinary that my teachers gave me an extension with only minor penalties, and I had almost completely forgotten about my midterm coming up.

Along with that, I had to close Monday through Wednesday though I made sure to call Seth to let him know and see if he could give me a ride, which made him so, exponentially happy that he brought me presents in the form of candy and food every single time. Thursday morning, I picked up an extra shift at the diner because I needed a new textbook for one of my classes, followed by a long day of labs, and by the time the night rolled around, I had a test in the morning and was absolutely, entirely, not prepared at all.

When Seth called around six, I was so exhausted and frustrated that I almost cried picking up the phone.

"Hello?" I answered, my voice weak.

"Hey Janesie," Seth responded confidently. "Whatcha up to?"

I merely burst out crying. "I am so tired," I whimpered.

Seth's voice become more uncertain as he picked up on my mood. "Are you okay? Go to bed, honey."

"I can't," I cried softly, pressing my hand to my face in full frustration. "I had work this morning and class all day and now I have a test tomorrow that I'm not ready for, and am so, so, so, so hungry." I let out a small sob and then dropped my forehead on the counter.

"You're hungry?" Seth's voice raised in intrigue.

I laughed wildly, but I was quite sure that I had lost my mind at this point and I would be better checked into a mental institute than anything. "I'm going to get fat dating you," I moaned.

"I'm coming over with dinner," He stated sternly.

"I need to study Seth," I tried to soften my voice as to not make him feel bad.

"Great! I won't stay."

My heart softened a whole lot. "Well now I really want you to stay," I heard myself saying.

"Jane," Seth laughed. "Study. Drink some water. Take a deep breath. I'll be over in a little bit, okay?"

"Okay," I sniffled.

"Okay. Bye, Janesie."

"Bye Seth."

My voice was absolutely miserable as I hung up the phone, I could tell, but I was beyond caring about my dignity at this point. At this point, actually, I was about to fail out of college, so I didn't care about much else at all.

I looked at the binder of notes in front of me and tried to press my blurry eyes together to be able to read what looked to be Brail in front of me.

"Think!" I hit the sides of my head with my fists. "Think brain- think!"

That had little effect.

Finally, I moaned and dropped my face into the binder. "No!" I suddenly sat up. "No. No. No. No. No. You can do this! You're smart. Super smart. College kids pull all-nighters all the time! Just get up, fix your hair, get some water and some coffee, and pull it together! Yes!" I stood up and actually believed my own pep talk, ignoring the fact that I had just spoken aloud to myself and I was actually mental at this point.

I headed for the kitchen, poured myself a glass of water, and then popped a K-cup in the Keurig, placing my favorite mug underneath. I rolled my neck and gently massaged the skin there. I had been studying for so long that all of my muscles felt tight. I stared at the Keurig as it brewed my cup, when suddenly, something in the reflection caught my eye.

I squinted my eyes and leaned in. It looked like... a man.

I turned quickly, panic overtaking me as I searched outside of the glass doors in the back of my kitchen. I didn't have to look long, though, when my heart suddenly fell down, down, down into my stomach.

It crashed to the floor as my eyes connected with a man, standing right in my line of view, right in front of the forest lining, not close enough to be able to make out his features but not far enough not to notice him. And he was staring right at me.

My mouth dropped as I stared at the man. He didn't look... dangerous, but I doubt most murderers looked dangerous on first glance. I could be pretty sure, though, that most men who hung out in your backyard staring at you as you made coffee were a little more likely to be dangerous than those who did not.

My mind began racing at a thousand miles per minute. For one thing, he wasn't coming any closer, but his gaze was unwavering, and even more than that... they were bright red.

Was the door locked?

Where was my phone?

Did I have time to call the police?

How long would it take for the police to get here if I did?

Would I be better off sprinting through the front door and heading for a neighbor's house, or better off trying my luck with the car?

If I tried the car, would I have enough time to get out before he came after me?

Was he even after me at all?

I felt like my lungs were constricting and my mind was working faster than my body could react. I had so many thoughts but so little solutions. I had no idea what to do. The only thing that I was entirely sure of, was that there was something in those shocking, bright red eyes that absolutely terrified me. I knew that he was not here under friendly circumstances, even more than that, my gut was telling me that he was dangerous, and that he wanted to hurt me.

In a second of pure and full adrenaline, my eyes drifted to the back door. My entire body filled with ice. The lock was turned down. The door was unlocked.

Adrenaline surging through my veins, I reacted. Rushing to the door and then managing to flick the lock up with shaking fingers. I had been so focused on my determined movement- on what I had to do to stay safe- that I hadn't realized he had gotten closer.

I gasped and jumped back.

The man was not standing feet away anymore. He wasn't against the forrest line. He wasn't too far that I couldn't catch his features. Suddenly, he was standing right on the other side of my backdoor.

This close, I could make out his eyes, even brighter and redder than I had first thought. His pupils were tiny and black, honing in on me and holding my own. His skin was so pale it was almost white, and his lips were such deep red that if I didn't know better I would have thought that he cut them and they were covered in his own blood. He had light blonde hair, which was quite weird because of how un-weird it was. He looked like a mix of the Joker with a normal businessman, which terrified me beyond belief.

I had no idea what to do.

It was like this man... no, this monster was holding my gaze, making me unable to move, or think, or react. I stood still as a statue as my brain screamed at me to react, but I was frozen in fear.

The stranger cocked his head, and an amused smile filled his lips.

How had he gotten here so fast? I wondered. My head was spinning. His smile made him look even more menacing, and I wasn't sure how that was possible.

Finally, my brain kicked into overdrive. With his closer proximity, it was no longer a secret to me that this man wanted to hurt me. I needed to do something before he had the chance. Thankfully, he was still outside. My best bet would be to grab my phone, keys, and book it to the police department.

Even if he heard the garage door, he wouldn't have enough time to get over there. If he somehow managed, because he did seem un-humanly fast, I would run him down. But where were my keys? A quick visual of my purse with my keys strewn over the side of the chair in the dining room, and my phone on the table from when I had called Seth flash into my mind. Before I have a chance to talk myself out of it, I turned on my heel and sprinted into the dining room. I knocked over the chair as I grabbed my purse, and fumbled with my phone before I finally enclosed my hand around it, and then made a break for the back door.

I was going so fast that I hadn't seen that there was someone coming in as I was coming out. My body smashed into someone moving. Someone tall and huge and male.

I screamed and jumped back.

How had he gotten here so quickly? What was I going to do now?

"Woah, Jane." As soon as I heard that voice, I nearly cried out in relief. "Are you okay?"

Seth placed his hands on my arms to hold me steady and studied me with shock and a little bit of nervousness. He probably thought that I finally lost it.

"Seth!" I exclaimed, my mind racing. "Seth there's someone- there's- close that door! We have to go!"

"Wait, Jane," Seth pulled me back when I tried to tug him out to the car.

"Seth," I was crying now. "There's someone in my backyard. We- we have to go! We have to go!"

"What?" Seth's eyes went wide with shock now. "What do you mean there's someone in your backyard?"

He reached for my hand and pulled me back into the kitchen.

"Seth!" I squeaked. "We have to go!" I wheezed.

"Relax, Jane," He squeezed my hand. "Where was he?"

My mouth dropped, bewildered that the back porch that he had once been standing on, only a mere few inches from the back door, was suddenly empty.

"Right there!" I exclaimed, pointing outside. "We have to go, Seth!" I cried. "He could be coming in through the garage or- or."

Seth reached for my head and pushed it to his chest.

"Not- the- time- Seth!" I struggled against him. "We have to go!"

"Jane," His voice was much harsher now, more commanding. "I need you to relax."

"But- but Seth!" I cried.

"What did he look like?" Seth asked me softly. "Do you want me to call Charlie?"

"Who the heck is Charlie?" I wheezed. "He- He- Oh, Seth. Seth he had was so quick! One minute he was by the forest just watching me make coffee, and the next he was right in front of the door!"

"He was probably just trying to scare you," He told me gently.

"But- but," Tears were blurring at my vision. I wanted him to realize and realize fast that I was not being dramatic. There was something seriously wrong with that man- I could feel it. "He- there was something wrong with him Seth!" I exclaimed. "He was so fast. And he had red eyes Seth! Red! And- and he-,"

"Wait- What?" Seth's voice was suddenly clipped, his expression entirely rigid. He took an intimidating step closer to me. "What do you mean he had red eyes Jane? Jane?"

"I- I," I blinked away the tears. "I know it sounds crazy, Seth. But I swear they were bright red! And he was so pale. I've never been so creeped out in my entire life. He- He could still be here!"

"Shhh," Seth pulled me to him and wrapped his arms protectively around me. I tried to fight but he held on tightly, and I was seriously no match for his strength.

"Seth," I whimpered. I had no idea where that man was, if he was still watching, or what he wanted from me. Seth was a pretty intimidating guy, and thinking back, Seth was much bigger in size than that man; was it possible that Seth had scared him off?

"How- how did you get here so fast?" I grabbed a fist-full of his shirt.

"I was already on my way over with food when you called," Seth replied quickly, his mind elsewhere.

"Did he say anything to you?" Seth asked seriously.

I shook my head. "He didn't say anything. It was so weird though, Seth. One minute he was almost hidden in the forest and I looked down for one second to lock the door and then he was standing right on my porch. He smiled at me. It was the creepiest encounter of my entire life- and yes that includes that back ally night when I met you."

"Janesie," Seth's face fell. "It's okay, babe."

Even in my terror, I couldn't help but notice that, that was the first time Seth had ever called me "babe" before. Focus, Jane! I reprimanded myself.

"I'm going to call Jacob," Seth said after a moment.

"What?" My mouth dropped. "Seth," I stated pointedly. "We need the police. What is your friend going to do?"

"We kind of... help the police out on the reservation," He diverted his eye contact. "Do you have your phone?" He patted his pocket. "I think I left mine in the car."

I blinked at him. "Seth," I stated slowly. "I'm not overreacting right now, you do realize that, right?"

His expression softened. "Of course I do, Jane," Seth looked almost... sad. "I promise Jacob can help."

"I think we should call the police, Seth," I rubbed my arms, which I suddenly realized had formed goosebumps. "I'm telling you there was something wrong with that man."

"Awe, Jane," Seth frowned as he mimicked what I was doing and began rubbing his arms himself. "You're freezing. Let's go grab you a sweatshirt; come on." Seth's fingers trailed down my arm before tangling themselves with my fingers.

I was in straight awe at how nonchalant Seth was acting right now, but once we got upstairs and Seth wouldn't release my hand, not even to grab a sweatshirt for me, I suddenly realized just how tense his jaw was, and it wasn't just that. Seth's entire body was rigid with tension. He was holding my hand much too tight, too; I was wondering if he was cutting off my circulation.

I was relieved when he released my hand to let me slip on a sweatshirt, but when I went to go back downstairs Seth grabbed me again and pulled me towards the bed.

"Just stay here a second, Janesie," Seth said, attempting to sound casual, but I could see the tension in the way he held himself. "Can I have your phone? I'm going to go grab the food and your homework; you can work up here."

"You're going to leave me?" My eyes widened.

"Of course not," Seth's voice was gentle now. "I'm just going to go make a call and grab some things. I'll be right back. I promise, Janesie." He reached for my hand and pulled me to him to place a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Sit down," He kissed me on the cheek. "I'll be right back."

I did what I was told and by the time I did it, which took a little while because I was still seriously freaked out, it was like Seth was back again. He seemed much more relaxed now as he handed me my binder and placed a bag of takeout on the side table before opening it up and handing it to me.

He seemed to be watching me closely as I stared at the food in my lap. I was very hungry, but it seemed weird to eat after what I had just experienced.

Seth's finger found my chin, and he slowly pushed it up so that I could meet his worried eyes with my own.

"Are you okay?" Seth asked quietly.

I took a deep breath. "That guy was weird, Seth. He really scared me," I admitted.

"I'm having Jacob and some of the guys come over to check it out. They'll report what they see to the police, alright? I know it sounds weird, but this is what we've done since forever. We usually just worry about the reservation, but you're mine Jane, so we worry about you, too."

My heart softened at him referring to me as "his."

"I am taking this seriously, though," Seth told me slowly. "I want to make sure that you know that. I'm not ignoring you."

"I know," I let out a long breath. "I think it just really scared me." A lump rose in my throat, and I noticed Seth's eyes squint in sadness as he reached for me and pulled me into his lap. I hugged around his torso, welcoming his ridiculous un-human warmth as he held me and kissed my cheek three obnoxious times.

"I'm so glad you're here," I spoke into his shirt. But I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do about this test tomorrow."

"You have a test tomorrow?" Seth whispered into my hair.

I nodded my head, grabbing a fist-full of his shirt. I wasn't sure why I always did that, but it made me feel safe in a way; like he wouldn't leave me, whether he wanted to or not, while I was holding on so tightly.

"And right now all I want to do is sleep on you."

Seth's chest shook as he laughed. "We can do both," He told me simply.

"Ha, ha."

"We can," Seth kissed my head. Gosh, this guy was straight out of a romance novel. "I can stay over tonight."

"I wasn't about to sleep here alone so..."

Seth laughed easily. "Come on," He pulled me away and then gently tapped the back of my thigh. "Get up. Study."

I moaned and stood up, frowning and crossing my arms tightly overtop of my chest. "I don't wanna."

"You look like a little toddler, Janesie," Seth smiled at me.

I giggled. "Should I stomp my foot?"

Seth chuckled, reaching for my binder and then handing it to me.

I took one good look at it and then dropped my head into my hands.

"I'm going to fail," I moaned loudly.

"No, you're not," Seth stood to rub my shoulders. "Here," I heard him move away from me and then looked up in time to see him sitting across the room on the window seat. He clasped his hands together and smiled at me. "Teach me."

My expression faltered. "Really?" I suddenly asked.

"Yes," Seth nodded confidently. "I need to get smarter, and the guys will need some time to survery the area to make sure whoever that was is gone, anyhow, so we're stuck up here until then."

I knew that it was weird, but I couldn't help but just staring at him for a while. Here was this guy; the hottest, cutest, sweetest, and most genuine human I had ever met about to give up his night to listen to me talk about something that I knew he had absolutely zero interest in. And the best part? He was my boyfriend.

I bit the corner of my lip. "It's really boring, Seth. I doubt you'd want to hear about it."

"Sure I do!" He argued. "You're not the only one who finds Ischemic Seizure attacks interesting!"

I stifled a laugh. "Ischemic stroke attacks? Regardless, I'm proud that you even knew what that was."

"Why thank you, Janesie," Seth grinned.

"That's okay, Seth," I sighed. "You really don't have to. You're already a super unnaturally sweet boyfriend. I don't want to test my luck."

"Would you stop it?" Seth suddenly blurted. I looked over at him, startled. "How come you're so surprised every time I do something nice for you? And I swear to God if you thank me more than once you're going to get it."

Heat immediately erupted on my cheeks at the threat. For some reason that came off slightly sexual, and my brain was spinning with the new excitement. Would I even be able to focus with him staring at me?

"Are you sure?" I asked nervously. The last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of his niceness. I couldn't figure out if he was just being courteous and I should send him home. I thought about him getting annoyed, telling his friends, laughing about it and then never calling me back; it debilitated me more than I cared to admit. Once I got to know Seth, the part that worried me was that I knew that I could never not know him. But that wasn't him; I had to remind myself that.

"Yes, Jane," Seth let out an incredulous sigh. "I'm excited," He said happily as he sat back on the window seat and laid one of his arms along the top.

Dear God. I bit my lip and turned my attention to my notes. This was really going to be difficult. "But how should I even start?" I asked him. "It will be hard because you don't know what I'm talking about. Plus I'm hungry."

"You get a bite when you successfully explain something to me and I get it," Seth told me with a grin. "Pretend like you're the teacher and I'm a med-student. You can do it."

I let out a shaky breath. "Okay," I finally whispered. "So..."


As suspected, it was difficult to focus at first considering Seth's freaking beautiful eyes watching me as I attempted to explain the disease process of neurological dysfunctions. Only, he was so attentive. At certain moments I could see clear as day on his face that I had lost him, and that everything I was saying was going right over his head, but he never once stopped me to ask or looked bored.

By the end of my notes I was pacing back and forth, ignoring him watching me and instead breathing it in, pretending like I was my teacher herself, and that he was my student. Seth even started asking questions, but not stupid, dumb questions- no. He was asking questions that actually helped me to remember the information better because I had to break it down, which made me sure that I knew what the heck I was talking about.

Minutes flew by into hours, and suddenly Seth was getting a call from Jacob on my phone, and Jacob told him that whoever it was, was long gone, so we shouldn't worry.

I couldn't believe that I had actually forgotten about the terrifying man with the red eyes. He was surely a serial killer; honestly, with my luck, I found the most incredible boyfriend ever, and then was going to get shredded to bits by a crazed maniac.

By midnight Seth and I had covered half the material.

By one in the morning I was beginning to waver, so Seth made me a cup of coffee and said that we needed a change of scenery, so we moved downstairs. I could tell that he could tell how apprehensive I was to be back in the same room as I had been when I had seen him, but Seth's warm smile and casual demeanor made me feel better. And oddly enough, his friends had, too, even though I still found it weird that they hadn't just called the police.

Somewhere around two am I crashed, and I awoke to Seth carrying me up to bed.


Seth's POV

"Mmm, Seth," She mumbled and rubbed at her eyes.

I smiled down at her; she was just so damn cute. There was nothing, absolutely nothing not perfect about her. She was everything good and sweet and kind in the world. I couldn't get enough of her. She was like innocence bundled up and tied together with a beautiful, pretty bow and adorable freckles. She was sunshine. I hadn't had so much hope and happiness looking at another person since my dad died. And yet...

She had been in serious danger tonight.

I couldn't believe that a vampire had been that close to her, but more than that, I had no idea why. The main pull in me made me need to stay close to Jane so that I could be sure to protect her, but there was an urge inside of me for her to fall asleep so that I could finally call Jacob back and get details.

I knew that Jake wouldn't have given me the all-clear if his scent hadn't moved in an entirely, much farther direction, but still... this was my Janesie we were talking about.

"Go back to sleep Janesie," I told her gently. "I'm taking you to bed."

Her beautiful, pink lips pulled up at the corners. "You're wonderful. Test at nine," She mumbled. "Alarm?"

I smiled to myself at the complement as I responded. "Got it, Janesie." Jane was indisputably perfect, so her thinking that I was wonderful in any sense was the biggest complement.

I brought her into her bedroom and didn't turn on the light in worry that I would wake her as I brought her over to the bed.

"I think you shouldn't leave," She whispered quietly.

I set her down, and then I swept the stray, brown hair out of her eyes. "I already told you I wasn't going to," I told her gently.

Jane's long, dark eyelashes suddenly batted open, and then I sat on the edge of the bed and smiled down at her.

"I'm scared," Jane admitted so quietly that I barely was able to make out her words.

My heart broke. My literal job in this world was to take care of her, and she had been attacked once and tonight nearly a second time. "I know. I'll never let anything hurt you."

Pink tickled at her cheeks as she lifted her lips up into a comfortable smile. "Get in here."

I nodded my head. The sooner I got her to sleep the quicker I could call Jake.

"Are you tired?" She whispered as I adjusted myself under the covers to conform my body to her's.

I nodded my head even though I wasn't tired at all. How could I be after what happened tonight.

I laid down on my back and then held my arm out for her. Jane bit the corner of her lip and then easily shifted over to me, resting her head against my chest and then letting her weight fall onto me just a little bit, only, she was more tense than usual.

She was obviously still freaked out. Trying to make her comfortable, I rubbed my palm against her arm over and over again, and then over the course of ten minutes, I felt Jane slowly, slowly, slowly lose her tension and sink further into me. Finally, when I realized that she was not about to get one ounce of sleep if she kept this up, I had to stop her.

"Come on Janesie," I attempted to make my voice easy and carefree though that was far from what I felt. "Loosen up," I gently shook her shoulder. "Lay down and get comfortable. You're safe with me."

"Sorry," Jane gushed.

"Don't be sorry," I said for what felt like the hundredth time since I had met her. "I'm here. Sleep."

"You won't leave?" She murmured quietly. She had a habit of doing that: Saying things so softly that she thought I didn't hear her, but I heard every time.

"Never," I told her gently. "You need to get sleep tonight to be able to ace this test tomorrow. I can't wait to take you out to celebrate."

"You don't have to do that," Jane giggled. Her giggle was unreal cuteness level; fuck, listen to me! I sounded like a girl!

"Of course I do!" I took the less serious moment to wrap my arms around her and give her a rough kiss on her forehead. "I didn't spend all night learning about neurons and acid base imbalances to not celebrate afterwards!"

"Well, where do you want to go?" She asked timidly.

"Definitely the strip club," I couldn't help myself.

I heard her gasp, and then immediately I burst out laughing. "Janesie," I ran my thumb up and down her arm. "You're so gullible. How about dinner?"

"I like dinner."

"You don't say? Me too," I smiled to myself.

"Hey, I would appreciate it if you didn't make fun of me."

I frowned. What?

"I knew you were kidding about the strip club thing it just took me by surprise is all."

I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from laughing. "Of course, Janesie." I didn't believe her for a minute. "Sleep?"

"Okay," She just barely whispered. Jane cuddled closer to my chest and I took that opportunity to hold her tighter to me before I had to get up. She smelled like strawberries so intensely when I leaned down to breathe in her hair that I couldn't stop. Jane was so soft. So, so, so soft. She had the smoothest skin, and such a tiny, little body.

"You're so warm," She breathed.

I gently stroked the backs of my fingers up and down her arm, doing that until she floated into unconsciousness, and her body went limp against me.


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