Disclaimer: SM owns all recognizable characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The plot herein is mine. No plagiarism!
Thnx beanothercullen!
This story contains mature themes and is suitable for those eighteen and over.
JPOV
We abandoned dinner after our talk. And what was left, Tanya stored away in the fridge.
She didn't bother to head in to work. Jake had called Emmett and asked if Tanya could have the night off, even amidst her protests.
But Jake wasn't taking no for an answer. And furthermore, when Tanya saw Edward cradled in my arms like a child, work became the last thing on her mind.
"See?" Jake points out. "Edward needs you."
Tanya's eyes fill with tears and she walks over to me, pleading with her eyes to let her into the tight hug I have Edward in while he cries.
I do as she silently asks, and placed an arm around her too. She's sad, upset, and explained to me that even though she knew Edward's story, it still hurt every time she heard it.
Hurt. I'm not hurting. I'm out for blood. I want revenge. I want to humiliate them. Mostly, I want to fuck his parents' lives up!
It looks like Tanya is reading my thoughts. "Don't do anything to them, Jasper," she says warily. "I know you want blood, and fuck, if I don't want it too. I want to fuck them up, but don't touch a hair on either one of them. They'll want that. Don't give in." She strokes Edward's hair as he sniffles. "Edward taught me that. Let them make the first move. Let them fuck themselves up."
"We know everything that they think they can use against us, don't we?" I seethe, my anger spewing out in every word.
But Tanya isn't fazed by my harsh tone. She welcomes it. "That's what I'm saying, and we can use it against them. I can only imagine what your parental units will do when they figure out how you two met, and even though Jake's dad is a dick…" Jake laughs and Edward chuckles in my arms. "…he'll still be shocked that his top financial advisor son wants to get his dick sucked by an ex-hooker."
Jake chokes and Edward laughs while I shake my head. Tanya has no filter, and she doesn't even think she said something wrong. "What?" she asks, picking her head up and looking around at us like she's looking at a bunch of idiots. "Am I wrong?" She turns to Jake with challenge in her eyes.
And he's just as daring and crude as he answers, "No, just giving me something new to fantasize about."
Edward gets up from my chest, moving out of my arms, but laces his fingers with mine. "You two are perfect for each other," he croaks, his velvety voice laden with sadness.
His eyes are painfully red when they meet mine and it makes me angrier. His father should in this position, not Edward. Edward Sr. should be the one who's sorry. Not Edward. He's done nothing wrong. He only wanted to be truthfully and happy.
And he will be…with me.
"It's okay," he says with a sad smile. "I feel better because I talked to you. I wanted you to understand that I did what I did to survive. That I didn't see another way and what I thought of myself. But you're steadily proving me wrong. Every single day. You're what I never used to dare to dream about."
"You should have, but you don't have to anymore, because I'm here to stay," I tell him. "You're magnificent. You're brave. You inspire me. So much so, that I fell in love with you."
Tanya moves to Edward's other side and leans on his shoulder, lacing their fingers as I watched them closely. She leans in close and kisses him on the lips.
There is a love between them. It's not as strong as the love building between Edward and me, but there is something beautiful there. An understanding. A need and a wonderful relationship between two very close friends.
Their friendship will be for years to come. You can see it. They will never be without one another. It's in their eyes.
Tanya brings me out of my thoughts as the question I've longed to ask, dances on the tip of my tongue. "He's everything to me," she says, confirming their everlasting bond. "And I couldn't be happier that you've found each other." Her undeniable blessing on Edward's and mine's relationship.
Edward tightens his hold on me and kisses Tanya's forehead while Jake takes a seat before us. I can see my question dancing his eyes also.
"Have you two ever been more than friends?" I don't want to beat around the bush. I don't want to hide from the truth. I want to learn it, accept it and move on. Edward is teaching me that with his ever present love.
"Have we ever slept together, is what you mean to ask, Jasper," Edward says.
"Yeah, I'm curious about that too," Jake adds, making Tanya chuckle.
Edward and Tanya look at each other; their hands are tightly clasped while they hold a quiet conversation. When they stop, Edward meets my eyes and says, "Yes. We've been together."
"Oh."
"What?" he asks me.
"It's nothing," I'm too quick to say that for Jake's liking, and he jumps in.
"Nothing, my ass," he says. "Jasper is a possessive dick, and worse, he loves you and it's not like you both had sex with Tanya. So he has reason to be jealous because he wasn't there." He eyes me then with a cross expression as he says the next bit in the same breath. "By the way, you try and fuck Tanya, and I'll chop your dick off."
My mouth is hanging open. I can't get a word out. While Edward and Tanya can't contain their laughter as Jake goes on, "So what was it like?" My eyes snap to his. "What?" he questions, looking at me. "He's not interested in chicks, so…it's like how I asked you how could you stomach fucking Alice? Except, my girl is far more doable. I mean, look at her! She's fucking hot!" Tanya blushes and then starts to laugh with Edward.
I shake my head as Edward answers him, "Basically, Jake, while Tanya is far more fuckable in your eyes than Alice…" Edward says her name with malice, and I can't help how my body reacts to my boyfriend. It's so sexy to see him angry. "…which I agree with a 110%, with Tanya and me, it was more because of choice and need. It's sex. It's not that different. We were both seeking pleasure and with each other, it was our choice."
That made sense. In their former job, they couldn't handpick their 'clients' so being intimate with one another would be freeing in a sense.
"So having sex with Tanya, was in a way, freedom of choosing your lover and not having them choose you," I say, airing my inner thoughts.
"Yes," Tanya says with a bright smile. "When I slept with Edward, it was freeing because it wasn't some son of a bitch I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole under normal circumstances so Edward and I came to an understanding. But, I want you to know that it ended when he met you."
I nod while Edward asked her, "Were you sad about that?" Tanya looks a little confused but I wanted the answer to that too, so I'm glad he elaborated. "Since everything was happening so fast, I haven't really had the chance to ask you that."
"Edward," Tanya sighs happily. "Hell no! I love that you're happy and I love Jasper." Jake growls. "Not in that way!" She laughs, but then looks at me and winks, and further pisses off Jake when she says, "Although, I mean, who knows what a drunken night with him and Edward could bring? I already know how Edward is in the sack, so…Jasper? Hmm? I'll have to give it some thought."
I try not to meet Jake's eyes while Edward attempts to hold in his laugh, because Jake looks like he wants to murder me on the spot. "Not funny, Tanya," I say to her, finally meeting Jake's furious gaze. "I think you meant Jake when you said that."
"Nope!" she says brightly. "I mean, you. I got all the delicious details out of Edward."
"I'm standing by my statement that she hypnotized me," Edward interjects.
"Whatever," Tanya says, smacking his arm. "I still want to see what is so fascinating about Jasper's dick that has you glowing and shit," Tanya goes on.
Jake looks like he's about to burst or attack me. I'm not sure which.
Tanya moves from beside Edward, who starts laughing again, which I'm happy to see. She sits in Jake's lap, kissing his lips while he's stubbornly holds my gaze with an 'I'm gonna rip your balls off if you touch my girl' look in his eyes.
"I'm just kidding," Tanya assures him. But Edward's laughter tells me she isn't finished. "Don't worry, Jakey, I'll only fantasize about Jasper's dick. I won't try to ride it. Not that he could resist me you know." Jake growls again and I start to laugh, causing Jake to just shake his head and chuckle along with us.
"But, seriously though, Jasper," Tanya says. "You're great for Edward. You're doing exactly what I wished for him, you're making him happy. You're loving and taking care of him. Edward is an amazing guy, and the best friend a girl could ask for, I want nothing but the best for him."
"I want the same for you," Edward tells her.
"Thanks, babe," she says to him and turned to kiss Jake on his forehead, while he wraps an arm around her. "I think I found it." She looks down at Jake with all the love, I'd always hoped for him and asks, "Have I?"
He glances up at her, his eyes shining with a happiness I haven't seen in them in a while and says, "More than you know."
Edward moves closer to me, kissing my cheek. "Are you okay with hearing that?" he asks, suddenly seeming unsure.
"Knowing that you slept with Tanya?" he nods in reply. "You're mine, aren't you?"
"Yes," he answers right away, making my heart leap in joy.
"Then I'm okay with it." I hold him to me and kissed him slowly, loving the taste of him on my tongue. When I finally pull away, he looks dazed and gives Jake the finger when he chuckles at us until Tanya pulled him into a searing kiss, making Edward laugh. "I'm fine with whatever makes you happy."
"I don't deserve you," he whispers.
"Yet you're stuck with me now, so, deal with it," I smile and Edward returns it, wrapping his arms around my waist and laying his head on my chest.
"How did you do it?" he asks.
"What are you talking about?"
"Jasper, I've met her, how the hell did you stomach Alice enough to fuck her?"
"That's what I want to know!" Jake exclaims, jumping in. I roll my eyes at him and answer Edward.
"Truthfully, I don't really know. I tried to think about whatever I could come up with that turned me on, but nothing really worked until…" I pause, remembering the dream of that guy; the perfect green eyed guy in the field I used to dream about making love to.
It was Edward. It is Edward! I was dreaming about him before I met him. I don't usually believe in premonitions or try to decipher dreams, but it all made sense to me now. I feel the comfort and love racing through my veins for Edward, the same way I felt for that guy in my dreams. It had always been Edward.
"Jasper?" his velvety voice brings me back. I look at his beautiful face in realization, and pull his lips to mine. When I move away he asks if I'm trying to shut him up and I laugh, "No. I just realized why I could stomach sleeping Alice."
"Why?" he says softly.
"Because I was dreaming about you." Edward stares deep into my eyes, long and hard, looking for answers. Seeming to find what he's looking for, he didn't question me any further.
The rest of the night went on that way with questions flying between the four of us until we couldn't keep our eyes open.
By the time, I climb into bed behind Edward's sleeping form, I knew all there was to know about him; his favorite color, his favorite place in Forks, and in New York, his favorite meal to prepare and that he loved Tanya more than anything. She was everything to him. And I also knew that his parents were fucking assholes and I would do everything in my power to protect Edward from them. And if I ever saw that prick, Seth, I was gonna stick my foot up his ass.
The next morning at breakfast the conversation is light and flows between the four of us without effort. We'd learned so much about one another that nothing felt uncomfortable. There were no more secrets. Our friendship and the bond between us all, was growing and becoming stronger.
But something is bothering me. There is something Edward wasn't saying. He'd been distant since we woke up in each other's arms. He seems lost in thought through most of our morning routine, but he's very present during breakfast.
When we get in my car, I couldn't stand it anymore, he'd very nearly shut down again.
"What is it?"
"It's…I don't know why I just can't spit it out," he says more to himself than me. "I need to ask you something, but…"
We'd arrived at the coffeehouse so I parked and give him my full attention. "Just say it, baby." I want to reassure him that he can talk to me about anything. Is there something he hadn't said last night, something he needed my help with?
He looks frustrated, and sighs, shaking his head, and jumps out of the car.
It won't be that easy to get away from me. I'm out of the car right behind him. I take his hand and we walk in the coffeehouse together. "Baby, tell me what's wrong?"
He takes a second to gather his thoughts, before saying, "Yesterday, it seemed like such a good idea when I thought of it after my mom came here," I lead him to a table and we take a seat.
"If you don't tell me, then I can't help you, I don't understand what you're talking about."
"Yeah, but what if she's just like my mom?" Edward asks.
"Who?"
"My aunt Esme."
"You've got an aunt?" That surprises me. He has family out there. But why didn't he go to her when his dad kicked him out?
"But why didn't you…"
Edward cuts me off. "Esme and my mother don't talk. They're enemies and I don't know how to find her. I want to know where she is. I want to meet her and talk to her. I thought you knew my parents?"
"Yeah, I know them, but I don't get too in depth into their lives."
"Which is why you didn't know that much about me," Edward smiles, taking my hand in his.
"Exactly," I smile back, squeezing his hand. "Okay, so you want to look for Esme? Well, alright."
He looks stunned. "Are you sure? I mean, it could get nasty. Yesterday, my mom acted like if Esme were involved with me, she would've had a heart attack. I want to know what that was about."
"Okay, we're going to find out what's going on."
~~sfjm~~
Jenks is very willing to help. Money isn't a factor for me and he has been working with Grandpa for years.
We'd been on the phone for a while now, and it's near lunch time. I have a free period with only one more class to teach today after lunch. Then my day will be done and I can focus on Edward and me.
I want us to go out tonight.
I called him before talking to Jenks and asked him out on a date, which he readily accepted then I called Jake and invited him and Tanya. I wanted us to have nothing but fun tonight.
"It isn't that hard to find out about her, Mr. Whitlock," Mr. Jenks says as Rose peeks into my office after knocking. She's all smiles and blushing at something someone behind her is saying. I'm curious but I want to know why Jenks thinks Esme Platt is easy to find.
"Well, what do you know about her?"
"She's a brilliant artist who lives in Chicago with her husband, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and they have one daughter, Bella Cullen, seventeen years old."
"Really?" This should be easy. Edward and I will go to Chicago and meet her when he's ready. I won't leave him on his own with this. I'll be there for him every step of the way.
"She has a website, Sir," Jenks says, giving me the address.
"Good," I reply, typing in the URL and watching Esme's website come up on my tablet's screen. Oh my God! Maybe Edward doesn't remember Esme well, because I nearly lose my breath when I look at her.
I'm staring straight into my boyfriend's eyes! What the fuck is going on here?
I quickly tell Jenks to start digging because something is up and end the call; opting to go through Esme's web page more fully.
She's brilliant and her family is beautiful. Bella looks like her, but she has Carlisle's brown eyes. Edward looks like Esme.
What are the Masens hiding?
"What's wrong, boy?"Grandpa asks, making me jump.
"Where's Rose?"
"Oh, she left while you were staring at your tablet's screen," he says with concern. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I hand him the tablet. Grandpa looks down at it, scrolling through the pictures while I pace the room. Can it be possible? Is Esme Edward's real mom and the Masens have been lying to him all this time? But why, what happened?
"What am I looking at?" Grandpa asks, but he's got that look on his face; his 'I know something you don't' look.
"What do you know?" I ask harshly. I don't care right now. Something is fucking up in the air. "Is there a scandal here? There is, isn't there?"
Grandpa gives me a wide devilish grin and almost makes my heart stop with his question. "Does Edward look like his mama?"
"Esme is his mother?!"
"I don't know the full details, but Edward's 'mom'…" he says so with air quotes. "can't have children. She has endometriosis, boy. Had it long before Edward was born. But walks around saying he's her 'miracle' baby."
"How the hell do you know that?!" What the fuck is going on? Grandpa knows about the Masens?
He looks like he's reading my mind as he continues to gleam at me. "You should know your enemy, boy."
"I know, but…"
"You're sleeping with the enemy's son, you should know all you can about Edward Sr.," he scolds. I nod and Grandpa goes on, "Now, I got it from my sources after you told me about Edward. I hope you two are prepared for the shitstorm that's about to come."
"Yes, we are," I reply confidently. "I'll walk through fire for him."
"I loved your grandmother like that," Grandpa smiles. "Now, I found that some didn't believe that Elizabeth could have had Edward because they knew of her condition. So it was surprising that she showed up with this bouncing baby boy a few months later saying he was hers and Edward Sr.'s."
This is unbelievable, but definitely true. Sometimes the secrets that lie in high society would shock the world.
Grandpa relaxes back in his seat as he continues, "Now, what made matters worse was that my sources distinctly remembers seeing Esme –since their mama somehow lost 'control' over her for some reason – with a huge stomach before Elizabeth showed up at this social event with baby Edward."
"They took Edward and passed him off as theirs, but why?" Why would the Masens do that and now they kick him out?
"I guess you're wondering why they would treat him the way they would now, aren't you, Jasper?"
"Yes," I reply. That's exactly what I'm thinking.
"Think hard, boy," Grandpa says. "Why would they do that?"
The answer is right on the tip of my tongue and I have to chuckle. "Because Edward didn't turn out the way they wanted. He was wild like his mother." How am I going to tell him this? "He says he was smart and tried to do everything they wanted. He wanted them to be proud of him."
"Which means that they treated him like he was estranged," Grandpa concludes. "They acted like he wasn't theirs. Pity, he didn't know the truth."
"Do you know Esme?" I ask Grandpa. I can't believe he's done this. He's gone ahead and found out about her. He's aware of the family and they weren't his favorite people, but because he's willing to accept Edward for me, and he's learned the Masen's deepest secret to protect us.
Grandpa doesn't answer my question verbally. He takes out his cell and dials Jenks, telling him to cancel what I told him to do. Jenks must have agreed and Grandpa ends the call. "Her address is on the website. I think that Elizabeth took Edward Sr.'s side when they found out Edward Jr. was gay because she now saw that he had the same defining spirit like his mama. Now, your job is a hard one."
"I have to tell him."
"Exactly," Grandpa agreed. "But not yet."
"I don't want to lie to him," I say. How would I do that? I can't keep this from Edward.
"Buy a little time," Grandpa argues. "Do something. Take him out. He needs to be in a calm state of mind when he learns this. Did you tell him you're gonna look into it?"
"Yes."
"Good! That should give you some time," Grandpa says. "I suggest doing it after the gala."
"Fuck! That's in two days."
"Yeah, my boy, that's when you two are going to come face-to-face with the truth and let the world know," he says with a laugh. "I'll be there for you two."
"Thanks," I whisper worriedly. Grandpa is right. I can't tell Edward that Esme is his mom yet.
"Don't worry, Jasper," he says, getting up and coming to take a seat beside me on the edge of my desk.
I didn't even realize I had moved there.
"I'll help you," Grandpa says. "Come on, it's lunchtime and I want to meet Edward."
He moves to the door, opening it as I say, "Before we go, I want you to do something for me."
It wasn't hard at all. It took me just a couple of minutes and a sizable donation from my grandfather and I had everything Edward would need for his first day as a student at NYU.
"Money makes the world go round," Grandpa laughs as we climb into my car, heading for Emmett's coffeehouse.
Grandpa really wants to finally meet Edward. While I'm dying to blurt out that I've found Esme and he wouldn't believe what I found out.
But luckily, Grandpa is here to help me keep my mouth shut.
We pull up and I park while Grandpa warns me to keep my mouth shut. He wants to meet Edward under normal circumstances, not have the poor guy shut down on him because I opened my big mouth. I snap my eyes to him and he scolds me for it, making me apologize.
We walk in together, and my heart skips a beat as I watch Edward serving a lady her coffee. He looks so handsome. I can see her hang on his every word; positively swooning.
"He's definitely Esme's," Grandpa comments.
"You're not helping." How could I keep my mouth shut when he said things like that?
"Just stating a fact," he laughs. "I've met the girl. Granted, it was when she was a child, but she was always a charming little thing. I can see that it has been passed down to her boy.
Edward looks up after the woman walks off. He sees me and smiles broadly, tapping Emmett on the shoulder, maybe asking for his break. Emmett waves me and Grandpa over.
"What's up, old man?" Emmett cheers, pulling Grandpa in for a one armed hug when we get close, and hitting me on the shoulder. "What's up, man?" He looks over at the counter, where Edward stood. "Edward? You're on break."
"Thank you," Edward says, watching Grandpa. He walks around the counter, hesitantly making his way to me.
"Hi," he says meekly. "Is that?"
"Yeah, that's Grandpa," I smile.
Edward smiles and kisses my cheek while Grandpa walks over to us after he and Emmett finished their short chat.
Edward jumps away, grabbing my hand, and shyly looking down, not meeting my grandfather's eyes.
"It's nice to finally put a face to the name," Grandpa smiles, holding his hand out for Edward to take.
Edward hesitates a little and then takes it. "It's nice to meet you, Sir."
"I should be thanking you," Grandpa tells Edward.
He looks confused. "For what, Sir?"
"Opening this boy's eyes and showing him a way out of that closet his mama built," Grandpa is never one to mince words. He speaks his mind.
"And I want to thank you for raising such an admirable man," Edward tells him, squeezing my hand and looking at me. His eyes shine with nothing but love for me.
"It was a pleasure," Grandpa tells him. "But nothing pleases me more than seeing Jasper so damn happy. I've been praying for this to happen to him. I've wanted him to find a love like I had with his grandmother for so long. And now, it looks like he has."
"I've found the life that I never dreamed I would have," Edward answers and Grandpa smiles.
"So, it's lunchtime and I'm as hungry as a dog," Grandpa chuckles. "What do you say, Edward? How about some lunch?"
"Yes, Sir," Edward replies.
"Good!" Grandpa cheers. "Let's go."
He walks past me and Edward whispers, "I really like him." Before he follows Grandpa out of the coffeehouse with me trailing behind them. Grandpa tells Edward that I need to talk to him about school. And then Grandpa turns to me, giving me another devilish smirk and I shake my head. His way off reminding me not to say anything.
How am I going to do this? How will I enjoy the double date tonight knowing that I can't tell Edward about Esme?
I have to do this.
Next: Double date
