Chapter 16: The Great Unravelling, Part 1
If I thought about it, I would probably classify this as the new low point in my life. Hiding in the fucking bushes wasn't exactly something I could be proud of. But this was kind of necessary for my mission so I was determined to not think about how humiliating this would be if anyone saw me.
Jasper was with me, so the chances of me getting caught were close to zero. It was handy to have a supernatural guard dog with you when getting into some mischief.
I just had to try and not to think about the hundreds of creepy crawlies surrounding me. It was so gross and I thought I could feel every single one of them on my body. It was almost enough for me to screech like a fucking banshee and get the hell away.
Revenge was worth it. It had to be.
"Would it be rude of me to mention that we could have just stayed at the cabin while we waited? I can listen in on anyone on this venue if I focus hard enough." Jasper whispered into my ear. This was so not the time for him to do stuff like that!
I had to keep my head in the game and he was not helping. Stupid sexy vampires.
"And you couldn't tell me this twenty minutes ago when I crawled into this fucking gross bush?"
There might've been a teeny tiny bit of resentment in my voice. Like, if he had a better idea then why not share it with the class? Here I was, thinking that my stupid head was the one that had to think stuff up. I would've been happy to leave the big thinking to Jasper and his big and beautiful brain.
"You looked so determined and full of righteous anger. It was just too cute."
Okay he was laughing at me. I glared at him, feeling both turned on and fucking pissed off at the sight of his smug smirk. He could be such an asshole. It really was unfortunate that he was so fucking charming that it was impossible to dislike this kind of behavior.
"If I get any bugs in my hair, you'll be the one who gets to pluck them the fuck off. I hate bugs!" I hissed. Jasper didn't know it yet, but if any creepy bugs got under my clothes, he'd get the priviledge to get rid of them too. I did not touch bugs, not even to brush them off of skin. Okay, it was more like I went into total panic and was incapable to do it myself...
But if I told him that, he'd probably throw a handful of bugs at me just so he could mess with me. The boy did like winning and saying something like that would be taken as a challenge.
The thought of Jasper taking his time to carefully de-bug me would've sounded way too good to pass, if it weren't for the 'bug' part of it. I was insanely into Jasper, but I would never voluntarily suffer the sight of bugs just to get his hands on me.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you from all the evil critters lurking about. You're perfectly safe, lil' darling."
"Why thank you. You're my hero, Major Whitlock."
Jasper tilted his head slightly and looked to the large cabin in front of us. Ariel's bridal suite.
Ugh... there she was, ready to ruin my entire day by just existing. Jasper growled softly and I reached for him blindly. My hand hit denim and it took me a hot second to realize that I was squeezing Jasper's thigh. His warm, muscular and very delicious thigh.
Fuck... my mouth felt super dry all of a sudden. Probably because all of the moisture in my body had gone down to have a fucking party in my pants. Our eyes locked and I was so fucking gone.
"Would you hate me if I asked you to kiss me right now?"
Yeah, I had no fucking filter. The words just tumbled out. Ariel who? Revenge what? What did insignificant stuff like that matter when I had a sexy vampire right in front of me?
Jasper moved closer to me. I was pushed back to my beautiful ass. I could feel the wet ground going right through my pants. Thank god I had decided to change into my leggings after lunch. I did not need to get my jeans dirty like this. Grass stains were a bitch to remove.
"Are you sure? If I kiss you now, you might miss your chance to sabotage your nemesis..." He whispered lowly. His eyes were downcast and I licked my lips. He let out another growl and hello, he was totally staring at my lips. Busted!
Jasper's hands came to rest on top of mine. He took a hold of them and squeezed them gently. It was amazing how much his arms radiated heat to my sides. He wasn't wearing his hoodie, but I still had mine on. I couldn't survive the lovely Washington spring without it. It did nothing to insulate the warmth of his body.
"Does that mean you'd be okay with it...?" I asked. My eyelids felt heavy. My face felt hot. My fucking body was tingly all over. Dear god I wanted this more than anything. Well, except maybe his dick, but that was probably not going to happen.
Ariel walked past our hiding spot. Her revolting stench pierced through Jasper's delicious scent and I wrinkled my nose a little bit. Was that even perfume or some sort of new chemical weapon of mass destruction? I pushed my body forward so I could bury my head into Jasper's chest. He smelled so much better than whatever the fuck that devil's spawn bathed in.
"Ella... I want you so badly that I would be okay with anything." He whispered right into my ear so we wouldn't be discovered.
Mmhh... I totally understood why he liked my honesty so much. It was so fucking sexy.
"How sure of that are you, Ariel? I mean, I could totally see Ella do something so desperate. They just look so..."
Leave it to Elena to fucking ruin the moment for good. This much sexual tension couldn't be good for my health and people just kept fucking interrupting us! I was going to fucking die from sexual frustration if this continued.
Jasper scooted off of my body, smooth as fuck. Not a single rustle of leaves. It was super impressive and I was jealous. I couldn't move my body until the two bitches were out of earshot.
"She has to have some dirt on him. Jasper doesn't look like someone who would need cash so it has to be blackmail. Ella is so out of his league." The Bitch Supreme shrieked. Fucking hell, her voice was almost enough to make my ears bleed.
It didn't help that the fucking dog-faced devil was right. There was an all-too familiar sting in my chest. What a fucking wake-up call.
Because it was true that Jasper had been blackmailed into being my date. It was true that I was out of his league.
I wrapped the hoodie closer around my body. I pulled my knees up into my chest and rested my forehead on them. I felt disgusting. Like a fucking failure.
Jasper was just getting sucked into my stupid emotions again. It had to be. There was just no way someone like me would turn him on. What was I thinking? A girl who couldn't even attract your regular-ass high school boy, hooking up with the hottest vampire in existance?
Fuck it all. I was going to cry again. This was so not the plan! I wasn't supposed to start crying in front of Jasper again. He would feel all burdened by my issues. He'd think he was somehow responsible.
"Ella... don't listen to her. You hear me? She's wrong... look at me, sweetheart."
Great. We had the quivering lower lip going on. I sniffed pathetically and wrapped my arms tighter around myself. I heard Jasper moving around. I thought he was going to get away from me, but he wrapped his arm around my shoulders instead and pulled me into his body.
I lifted my head a little, one of my hands coming up to rub my eyes. Yup, we had tears ladies and gentleman. Ella Johnson was about to break down and fucking cry like there was no tomorrow.
Jasper's warm fingers came to brush my cheek. He tilted my head up so our eyes locked. He smiled so fucking tenderly... It made my heart speed up.
And then he kissed me.
I sighed against his lips. It was like a huge wave of relief washed over me. This was exactly what my body had been craving for ever since I got my first taste of Jasper Whitlock. I relaxed against him and his hand came to cup the back of my head.
He was so gentle. He moved his lips slowly and carefully, stealing my breath away. It was nothing like our first lust-filled kiss. It felt somehow so much more than that. The lust was there, bubbling low in my stomach, but at the moment my entire being was so focused on this tenderness that my hormones were in no rush to lunge forward.
Jasper dropped his other arm around my waist and hoisted me up so I ended up straddling him. I didn't even notice that any movement had happened until my knees touched the moist grass. I had the vague notion that I was still shorter than him even while in this position.
It was such a turn-on.
He was in full control and I was so fucking happy to just let him guide me. He was the one with all the experience anyway. My heart was bursting out of my chest, but I couldn't give a damn about something so insignificant. Jasper was kissing me. That was the important part.
His tongue slipped past my lips very sneakily. The noise I made couldn't even be described as a moan. It was more like a mix between a croon and a mewl that got stuck in my throat. Not that I was paying that much attention to what noises I was making. Everything in me was focused on Jasper. The feel of his lips, the taste of his tongue, his scent filling my lungs... It was heaven, pure heaven.
I think I forgot how to breathe for a moment. Or maybe I was just choking on the crying-feeling. Fuck if I knew. What did I care about breathing when Jasper was kissing me?
It felt like an eternity had passed and no time at all when Jasper pulled away. I may or may not have been gasping for breath like a fat woman on a jog, but he was gracious enough to not comment on it. Such a gentleman.
"You are more than good enough, Ella Johnson. You are a beautiful young woman and any man would be lucky to have the priviledge of being your lover." He said in a low voice. His eyes were so fucking soft as he looked at me.
It wasn't the passionate love confession that I wanted, but somehow it was maybe even better. Neither of us knew what the fuck we were doing and what exactly we were. I was sort of fine with it.
I had no idea what I wanted. On the other hand, I desperately needed him to leave Alice and tell me he loved me. But then, the guy I was in love with wouldn't just do something like that. I loved him because he was so fucking considerate and kind and gentle.
And putting all of my mixed feelings aside, I had to think about what Jasper wanted. He had feelings for me. That was so amazing and I was so fucking gleeful about that. We had this electricity between us. There was no denying of that.
But the harsh reality was that Jasper was married to Alice. Presumably because he loved her. Whether it was because they were fucking 'mates' or if he felt indebted to her, it didn't matter. Not in the context of our feelings. That was something Jasper would have to figure out by himself and I would have to let him do just that without expecting anything.
I wasn't going to be the 'other woman' and if after all of this, he would choose Alice, I would have to deal with it. And that was okay.
It was life. It would suck balls and I would be a total mess, but I wasn't unfamiliar with hurt and pain. I'd get over it... eventually.
"Maybe one day I'll actually believe that. I just want to let you know that I understand this doesn't... mean anything. You know, like I'm not expecting anything just because you kissed me. Which was just... wow. I'm rambling now, aren't I?"
Me and my stupid mouth. Well, at least Jasper was amused. He laughed lightly.
"You flatter me, lil' darling. You're not too bad of a kisser yourself."
And now my hormones decided to wake up. My ears were fucking burning. It was kind of pathetic that he didn't even have to say anything more vulgar than that and I was all ready to bend over and drop my pants.
At least I wasn't feeling like crying my eyes out anymore. Who knew that Jasper-smoochies were the magical cure for my mental breakdowns?
"I'm just naturally gifted, I guess."
Wait a minute. I wasn't supposed to be having a romantic romp in the bushes with Jasper Whitlock. I was on a mission. I looked around to see if any of my overly nosy relatives were in sight and got up. I tried my best to dust off all the dirt in my leggings, but the wet spots remained.
I reached up to make sure my hair was still somewhat presentable. I grimaced when my fingers found a leaf stuck there. I did not want to know what I looked like. It had to be a giant mess.
"Okay! Let's go ruin my dear cousin's most special day." I said, feeling all giddy all of a sudden. This was going to be so fucking satisfying! Ariel Reagan would fucking woe the day she decided to start harassing me.
Jasper smirked and jumped up. What a show off. I rolled my eyes and started walking towards Ariel's cabin.
"Ella." Jasper took a hold of my hand. I turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Thank you for understanding. And I'm sorry."
Fuck. I felt that, right in my heart. A quick little stab. Or maybe I was in the early stages of heart failure. You never knew, not with the life I've led so far. Who knew what kind of toxins my mom had been secretly feeding me through the years? It didn't have to mean that my heart was breaking.
Not yet anyway. I was going to be just fine.
000
I tapped my chin, deep in thought. What should I do first? I had so many ideas and just so little time. I had to narrow down the mental list.
First of all, what was doable? I looked around me. The cabin was pristine as fuck. It was like it was ripped straight from some catalogue and nobody had ever stepped into it. I was half worried that Ariel would notice someone had been snooping around, but that bitch was so self-absorbed that she probably wouldn't pay much attention to her surroundings.
My eyes were drawn to her wedding dress. It was left out in the open so very... carelessly. It was almost like the universe was telling me to fuck with it. And really, who was I to question the will of the universe?
"I need to get Faye in here. I'm okay at sewing, but she's much better. It needs to be unnoticeable." I murmured to myself. I mean, Jasper obviously heard it, but I wasn't talking to him. Not really.
I also needed Faye's assistance with something else. It was too risky for me to come back later, so I had to do it now. I pulled out my cellphone and dialed Faye's number.
"You didn't happen to bring your sewing kit with you, did you?" I said as soon as Faye picked up. No time for pleasantries. Who knew how long the fucking rehearsal would take. I mean, it was possible that Justin realized what kind of beast he was marrying and he'd run away.
It could happen.
"Of course I did. I never go anywhere without it. Your brother spares no thought to my wardrobe."
Eww. Too much information! I swear Faye was just as bad as Brody. I didn't understand their need to broadcast their sex life to everyone around them.
"Great. Grab that and come to Ariel's cabin. Oh, and I need you to get something from my mom on the way."
There was no need to ask if Faye was willing to get her hands dirty. Johnsons stuck together and she was going to be one of us in a year. Besides, it wasn't like she liked Ariel in any way. It was nearly impossible to not hate that bitch.
"I just know I'll regret this... Fine. What do you need from Marilyn?"
I grimaced. A wave of unpleasant memories washed over me. My stomach clenched in phantom pain. I gave a quick side glance to Jasper and tried to keep my voice under control. He didn't need to know everything my mother did to me.
"Uhh... tell her that I'm feeling bloated and need a cleanse."
Don't notice it, please don't notice it...
Fuck it all. Of course he noticed the slight pitch in my voice. He raised his eyebrow questioningly. Shit shit shit shit... How was I going to talk myself out of this situation? I didn't want him to go all homicidal on my mom.
"Are you talking about... Ella, no! You do not need that stuff!"
And Jasper could hear everything. Fuck! It was time to panic.
"It's not for me! Just bring it, please? I'm not going to take it."
Shit. Now he was interested. He was frowning and was it just my imagination, or were his eyes a shade darker again? This was so not good. Think, Ella. Use that fucking brain of yours. It's not there to just prevent your skull from echoing!
I ended the call and tried to move on with the plan. It didn't work. Jasper's hand moved in a blur and suddenly he was holding my forearm in a tight grip. Not tight enough to hurt or anything, but a grip that told me I wasn't going anywhere without an explanation.
Why did I have to fall in love with a fucking supernaturally strong empath again? Stupid, stupid Ella.
"I get the distinct feeling that you've left something quite crucial out... something that I should most definitely know." He said softly. Deadly. Fuuuuck.
It was so inappropriate that I was gushing at the tone of his voice. Why did he seem all the sexier when he was all dominating and intimidating?
"It's nothing, Jasper. Honestly."
It was time to come up with something... What did I always tell Angela when I tried to rationalize my mom's... less than ideal behaviour?
"Ella..." Great. Now he was growling. My knees felt weak and I knew for a fact it had nothing to do with fear I probably should've felt. Oh no. I was all turned on and ready to offer myself up as a snack.
I was so fucking sick in the head.
"I love my mom." Yeah, that sounded way too defensive. I couldn't help it. No matter what my mom did, I would always find a way to defend her actions to other people. Because I needed to be a good daughter. A perfect daughter.
And sometimes my mom thought that required more extreme methods. And who was I to say that she was wrong? I looked amazing! Healthy and thin and toned. Just because the mainstream would frown upon it, it didn't mean she was doing anything wrong... right?
"What is she doing to you? Tell me, my love..."
My palms were sweating. He wouldn't understand. Fuck, even Faye and Angela didn't understand. They couldn't. They weren't under the same pressure as we were. Mom just wanted that someone fell in love with me. I needed to be beautiful for that to happen.
Fat wasn't a good look on me. So I couldn't be fat. No matter what.
"Look, it's not that bad. It's just that sometimes I gain a little bit weight and my mom... she helps me to get rid of it. It's not a big deal. She's not... She would never hurt me."
It sounded so fucking false to my own ears. Jasper scoffed and that told me he wasn't buying it either. But how could I explain it any better? I hated what my mom did, but... it was necessary. It had to be.
Because the alternative was something I couldn't handle.
"Is she drugging you? I will fucking break her body if she's poisoning you, Ella."
"You can't! Jasper, I know you don't understand or you know, approve... but I love her. I need her. She's my mom!"
Couldn't Faye hurry it up? My life was falling apart here and I needed to do this. I just had to do this, play nice for a couple of hours and then I could slip away and get shit-faced. Forget all of this for a second... get away from it all.
"Look, can we drop it? Ariel could be back at any moment and she needs to pay for what she did to me." I said, tugging on my arm gently.
Jasper stared at my face. I didn't know what he was looking for, but I recognized that he was trying to read me. My emotions, my words, my face. Something. He was looking for answers and I just hoped he would come to the conclusion that he didn't need to kill my mom.
Priorities. Mine were slightly screwed up. I just really wanted to ruin Ariel's life and I didn't want to try and explain everything to another person. It felt like nobody ever saw it the way I did, and that should probably tell me something.
But love was blind as fuck, and all that.
"Fine... but we will talk about this later on. Really talk about it. I... I need to know everything."
No, he really didn't. Or maybe he did, but he wouldn't want to know everything. It would sound super fucked up and Jasper was slightly overprotective by nature.
Not to compare myself to someone he loved, but he had brutally murdered people who looked at Maria the wrong way. What would he do if he thought someone was actually harming me?
But that was a worry for another time. Jasper released my arm and I went to snoop around to see what was laid on Ariel's vanity. I examined all of her jars and tried to determine which ones she was most likely to lather on her ugly plastic face on her big day.
Hmm... wouldn't it be the best if she felt desperation the first thing in the morning? I picked up her night cream and unscrewed it. Ugh... lavender. How fucking basic. But it worked for me. She would think the product was going bad and she was having a reaction. No need to suspect that her night cream was tampered with.
"Am I right to assume that you're not going to leave me alone?" I asked.
"You're kidding, right? You were almost mutilated by your cousin today. I'm not letting you out of my sight."
Aww, he really did care. So sweet! Alas, I did need him to run a little errand for me.
"The thing is, I'm going to need you to go find some poison ivy for me. You can be all stealthy and supernatural about it, but I need some right now. Ariel's beauty products need some finishing touches."
He growled at me. Now he was just being dramatic. I rolled my eyes and placed my hands on my hips. I realized it wasn't the best time to ask this of him, but it wasn't like I had time to go traipsing in the woods right now. And I didn't want to touch the poison ivy in any case. Jasper was surely fine with touching that stuff. I mean, what would a little plant poison do to his skin?
"Absolutely not. You are a trouble magnet like I've never seen before."
"I'm going to be with Faye. She's got that magical Quileute blood flowing in her veins. She'll be more than capable of keeping me safe."
I mean, I had no idea if Faye got that wolf magic thing going on in her family. Sam Uley was most definitely a wolfy boy, but maybe it was just certain families? Or like, you needed to have the exact genes to activate the wolf powers or something.
But Faye was big and strong. Well, bigger and stronger than I was. And really, it wasn't like picking up some poison ivy was going to take long.
"You have to admit that she could take on Ariel no problem." I continued. Jasper actually cracked a smile at that.
Man, I loved it when I got what I wanted.
Jasper sighed and walked up to me again. He tilted my head up and pressed his face close to mine. Our noses were almost touching. Wowza. I wouldn't mind another mind-blowing kiss, but I had a feeling that wasn't happening right now.
"Five minutes. Do not leave this cabin. If that... thing returns for some reason, you will lock yourself into the bathroom and wait for me to come and get you. Agreed?"
It was so adorable that he pretended to let me have a say in this. It was the thought that counted, right? I grinned and mock-saluted him.
"Aye, aye Captain. Sorry, I meant Major."
He rolled his eyes and ran out of the door. Like, really ran out. Fucking hell he was fast. I blinked dumbly at the empty space that had just hosted Jasper's wonderfully sculpted and warm body. The room felt a bit colder all of a sudden.
I was in this way too deep. Shit was going to hurt when we returned back to the real world. I shook my head and continued to look around.
Faye arrived like two minutes later. Perfect timing.
"Okay, what did you want me to do?" She asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
I smirked and touched Ariel's wedding dress. It was quite beautiful actually. Mermaid dress, of course. Because she was Ariel, the little mermaid. Yuck. The bodice was covered in gems. Swarovski Crystals, if I had to guess. The Reagans were rich, but they were not diamond rich. It was sleeveless and the gems continued down the waist and faded beautifully into the silken hem. The back was open and it had a beautiful lace detail. It was actually something I would've considered wearing. Well, not anymore since the devil's spawn ruined that for me.
I would never be caught dead wearing something that fucking Ariel had worn.
"I was thinking that we should... adjust the fit a little. We wouldn't want it to be loose on Ariel's big day, now would we?"
Faye went all pale in her beautiful face. I was loving it. Wedding dresses were sacred. And Ariel didn't deserve to feel beautiful in hers. And honestly, why would she be stupid enough to keep it in her room where anyone could get their hands on it?
I knew exactly what made Ariel tick. I knew her weaknesses and I was going to exploit every single one of them.
"That's... a little much, isn't it?" Faye said carefully. I snorted. This was nothing. Let's not forget that the bitch had poured hot coffee on me. Tried to disfigure my face. I was just messing with her a little. This was me being merciful.
"She deserves it. Come on, it's just a dress. She'll get over it."
Jasper opened the front door and dangled a mangled green plant between his fingers. Huh. That felt like less than five minutes. He beat his own time. And the way he wrinkled his nose in disgust was fucking adorable. Nothing should be this cute.
"Perfect timing. Get to it, my dear sister-in-law. Just cinch it an inch or two. Now, we need a bowl of some sort and a splash lukewarm water."
Jasper nodded and went to the bathroom. He came back with a plastic cup that had a little bit water in it. This was the man I wanted to have with me every time I was sabotaging someone. He was so fucking efficient. God I loved him.
"Perfect. Just toss that poison ivy in there and we'll grind it up." I said. I looked around for something to use as a mortar. A blush brush. Fucking perfect.
I grabbed the brush, but Jasper plucked it right out of my hand.
"Let me. I don't want any of this accidentally touching you."
Be fucking still my heart. Fuck, he already had my love. He didn't need to continue being so amazing! This was so dangerous to my mental health.
Things happened very quickly with my two minions helping me. Faye did a quick and neat job with the waistline of Ariel's dress. It really was just a couple of invisible stitches. Ariel wouldn't figure out the real reason why her dress was too tight on her. I was going to make sure of that.
I went to the king sized bed that was placed in an alcove, giving it the feel like this cabin had a separate bedroom. I'm not going to lie, I felt a little bit resentful. Our cabin was very pretty and cozy, but we did not have a bed like this or an alcove like that.
I had known the bane of my existance for so long that I unfortunately knew all about her gross nightly rituals. I searched the two bedside tables for Ariel's secret stash. I wrinkled my nose as I found a flask tucked away behind books I knew she wasn't reading. It was all to make sure no cleaning ladies touched her 'miracle elixir'.
Ariel had drank this stuff before going to bed every night of her life. Like, we used to have forced sleepovers, back when we weren't trying to kill eachother and just bickered a ton, and she had always brought the fucking flask with her.
It was nothing special. Stilled water with dried birch leaves and a cinnamon stick. She thought it was fucking magical. It certainly hadn't helped with her doggy face, so I had no idea why she still believed in that bullshit, but it served me perfectly.
I took the flask with me and asked Faye to give me what my mom gave her. Jasper halted his grinding and Faye looked ill at the thought of it.
"I'm not going to cause any permanent damage. It's just a little cleansing. At the most inconvenient time, but it's totally harmless." I said. I wasn't sure if it was to assure Faye that I wasn't putting Ariel through what my mom put me through, or if I said it to convince Jasper that it wasn't that bad.
Faye handed me the small brown bottle that was a source of a lot of my worst memories. That said a lot. I shuddered when I took it, remembering the days I would writhe on the bathroom floor in absolute agony as the medicine rampaged through my body.
… I needed to work out tomorrow if I wanted to avoid having to use that once I was back home. Mom would not be pleased if I gained any significant amount of weight.
"What is that?" Jasper asked. Tread fucking carefully, Ella. Jasper couldn't get all trigger happy again.
"It's abuse in a bottle. Marilyn forces Ella to drink it from time to time. It makes her so violently ill that Brody is scared she's going to die."
That was so dramatic. It was not that bad... Mom would never put me in any real danger. It just felt painful. That's all.
"She doesn't force me. You're being ridiculous. Mom doesn't abuse me."
Except mentally. And I suppose somebody could make the argument that it looked like she physically abused me too. But that wasn't true. It couldn't be.
Mom wouldn't do that to me. She didn't love me, at least I didn't think she did, but that didn't automatically mean that she hated me or anything like that. She was my mom.
"And she manipulates her into thinking this is something she agrees to."
Nope. I refused to believe that. I made my own choices. Most of the time.
Jasper's eyes flashed black. Fucking great. I just hoped Faye was too pissed off to notice. I gave Jasper a hug, hoping that it would distract him.
"It's not like that. I'm fine, Jasper. Everything's fine."
It had to be, because I didn't have the time or the energy to go into this right now. I uncorked the unholy thing in my hand and used the drip in it to get some of the toxic goodness.
"Now, what did mom recommend?" I asked, wrinkling my nose at the thing. It was clear and odorless. The perfect poison really. I usually had to drink a spoonful of it. Not fun.
"Three drops. Any more and you won't be able to attend Ariel's birthday celebration." Faye said with such loathing in her voice that I shivered. Holy fuck! I knew some scary women, but Faye could hold her own.
I was pretty touched that she felt protective over me. But I didn't need it, really. It was one of the many things I had to endure to stay beautiful. I was used to it, more or less.
"Let's make it two. Ariel's body isn't used to this. I don't want to kill her accidentally."
Jasper growled and looked like he was ready to smash the bottle into smithereens. Like just holding the damned thing was enough to harm me. He really knew how to worm his way into my heart...
"It was a joke! Lighten up, people! I'm fine, Ariel will be fine, it's all fine. Let's just make sure she'll have a wedding she'll never forget, okay? Is the plant goo ready?"
I didn't wait for Mr. Grumpy-pants to answer me. I dropped two drops of mommy's special concoction into Ariel's flask and put it back where I found it. Ariel was in for a nasty fucking surprise.
"It's done. What are you using it for?" Jasper eventually said. Yeah, he was so not done with this topic yet. I couldn't wait... and please note the sarcasm.
It was a little trick that I had learned from Sarah, actually. She was way too obsessed with her big brother and did her damnest to keep all girls away from Michael. It was kind of gross, but who was I to judge? I was in love with a 167 year old vampire who had a wife. Not exactly the highest of moral grounds. Anyways, she had discovered a way to sneak a little bit of poison ivy into all sorts of stuff.
The trick was to mush it in water and sprinkle the water into whatever you wanted. And it had to be just luke warm so nothing happened to the poisonous part of the plant. Sarah had no idea what boiling water would do to the potency of it, so she didn't want to risk it. The reaction wasn't as severe as with direct contact with poison ivy, but whoa boy it did the trick.
Madison Smith could testify to that. We didn't talk to her anymore. The poor, stupid girl had tried to befriend Sarah just to get close to Michael. Sarah didn't take it well. Yeah, Madison was the school pariah now. Just desserts in my opinion, but that was just me.
I poured just the tiniest bit of the toxic water into Ariel's night cream and then I used a Q-tip to mix it all together. Ariel's face would be all blotchy and itchy as fuck tomorrow. It was sweet, sweet justice.
There was just one more thing to do here. I looked at Jasper and Faye with a grin on my face.
"Do either of you know how to rig a scale?"
Faye let out a horrified gasp. It was almost like she knew what the girls in my family had to deal with. I was pretty fucking sure that Ariel was just as obsessed with her outer appearance that I was, so this would destroy her.
Ariel Reagan had three major soft targets. Number one was her looks. She had always been so insecure about the way her face looked like. For a good reason, because the bitch had been ugly. More on the inside than on the outside, but that rotten soul just shined right through. Add her doggish features to that mix and my nemesis had a complex that rivalled my own.
Tomorrow, she would have to be at the altar with rash all over her face, weak from puking her guts out and shitting blood, her dress too tight for her frame and her scale showing that she had gained weight.
She was going to feel so fucking horrible and the mere thought of her tear-stained face felt glorious!
Jasper sighed, letting the subject of my mom's little brown bottle slide for now, and took his phone into his hand.
"I'll call Rosalie. She should know how to do that."
Author's Final Notes:
Let's make this short and sweet. I was supposed to post this chapter a couple of days ago, but I just ended up writing more and more and more... so this is chapter is now officially split into two parts. I'll make the wise decision and say nothing about when the second part will be posted. It's a surprise... :D
I could say all sorts of stuff about the next chapter, but I'm just going to say that this is the beginning of Ella's armour cracking. Her unravelling has started, as the title suggest. The storm is brewing and I'm not sure that even her personal superhero will be able to keep her grounded.
On that pleasant note, I wish you all a great week. Thanks for continuing to support my story even when I don't post anything for days. I hope this was a satisfactory update to Ella's story.
ps, they kissed again. And it took more than 40 000 words. Is it any wonder that I need to split chapters like this when it takes me so-many-words to just get these two smooching? ;)
