Hello all! Like I predicted, I was a few days late on updating, but this is because I've been sick most of this week. I'm sure you understand, because this is the season for the flus etc. But here it is! Hope you love!
D/C: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own any of the charachters portrayed in the book and/or movie. I do, however, own the bad boy Jasper that is mentioned in this chapter. Because his name is 'J' in my head, and the way he looks is scrumdidilyumptious and I want to put him in my pocket forever and feed him Skittles... *grin*
The birthday sleepover had long since ended, and I smiled at the sound of the girls' snoring floating to me from upstairs. I now sat on the couch, upside down. That's right. My feet were up in the air while I watched television from this interesting angle.
"These guys are hard core," I muttered to Jasper. He was lying sideways with his feet on my stomach as we watched 'Alaska State Troopers' on Nat Geo Wild. He grunted, his eyes trained on the screen as one of the troopers tried to cut a buffalo's head off with a knife.
"That's not going to work," Jasper muttered. "It's like negative thirty degrees out." He was right- the trooper went and got an ax and returned, effectively disconnecting the head from the body. My hair was falling down around my head, and I welcomed the head rush that came with all the blood rushing to the one spot.
"You're going to loose brain cells if you keep lying like that," Jasper commented nonchalantly. I shrugged, poking his ankle as it shifted on my stomach.
"I'll just borrow yours," I replied. Our banter was becoming so normal now that he just smiled.
"Seriously, hard core," Jasper said as he watched the trooper on the TV jump on a snow mobile and take off across the terrain.
"Let's head to Alaska after graduation," I said, only half joking. "We'll become Alaska state troopers and learn how to fight bears and pull frozen dead people out of rivers." I could see Jasper shake his head in laughter and with the birthday hat tilted on his head in an attempt at making it look cool, he looked adorable.
"I don't think Alice and Edward would agree to that," Jasper said. I only shrugged. "But who needs them? Bella, will you run away with me to the Alaskan wilderness and be my Eskimo queen?" I couldn't contain the laughter and soon found Jasper helping me into a sitting position. The blood rushed back to my lower extremities and I swayed in place.
"Whoa there, Eskimo queen." Jasper's hands pressed on my shoulders to keep me from falling over. Once I gained my balance, I sat down right next to Jasper and leaned into him. His arm draped over my shoulders naturally and we continued to watch the show.
"So, what do you say?" I looked over at Jasper in question.
"About what?" Jasper only laughed.
"About being my Eskimo queen. I can sweep you off into the arctic tundra and we can make little Eskimo babies." I knew Jasper was joking with me, and I laughed. But nothing prepared me for the fluttering in my stomach at his words.
"Sure," I laughed, pushing the butterflies aside. "Just learn how to chop a bison in pieces with an ax and we'll get right on that." The look on Jasper's face was priceless. He cringed at the thought of cutting into animal flesh and shook his head.
"Sorry, darlin', but I can't commit to this type of relationship at this time in my life." His expression turned almost mocking. "It's not you, it's me." I elbowed him in his stomach and continued to watch the television in peace.
Just then, the front door opened and I glanced at the clock located on the cable box and saw that it was almost one in the morning. I had sent my mother a text almost two hours ago and let her know that I was spending the night at Jasper's.
"Ah, kids, you're still awake." I sat up a little straighter and smiled as Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock took off their coats.
"Someone had to make sure you weren't running the streets creating mayhem," Jasper joked. Mr. Whitlock rolled his eyes as he gently smacked his son over the head. Jasper's father was an attractive older man, with short brown hair and a goatee. You could see the gray hairs starting to poke out in different spots, and I loved that he would claim each gray hair was a reflection of each crazy thing Jasper had done. All three Whitlock children got their hair from their mother and I marveled only for a moment at how elegant she looked in a red cocktail dress.
"How was the ballet?" I asked. They both smiled and exchanged a loving look with one another.
"Magical, Bella, thank you for asking," Mrs. Whitlock said. "And thank you for helping Jasper with the girls. I can imagine they were a handful." I shook my head.
"No, they were great." Mr. Whitlock glanced then at the TV and grimaced as he watched one of the troopers skin a moose that was hit by a car. He looked at Jasper and then at me.
"And here we thought you were the normal one," he said to me. Both Jasper and I laughed as Mr. Whitlock grimaced again and walked to his wife.
"We're heading up to bed, you two don't stay up too late." Jasper eyed his parents for a moment before he pointed a finger of warning at his dad.
"You two better not have sex until we're asleep. We'll be able to hear you." I smacked Jasper in shock as his parents turned red.
"Good night, Jasper," his dad called and Jasper just laughed. I settled back down against my human pillow, getting immersed in the show once again.
"Why do you egg your dad on like that?" I asked him. I felt Jasper shrug beneath me. Jasper didn't move his eyes away from the screen, he just grinned his signature grin.
"He's got two girls who are fast approaching puberty, and I have to keep him on his toes. You know, preparation." I turned slightly so that I was facing him.
"No, really." Jasper glanced at me for just a second but forced his eyes back to the show. I refused to look away from him, actually wanting a straight answer from him. Jasper finally sighed and turned his attention to me.
"What?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and gave him a look.
"Tell me," I said gently. "Give me a straight answer. No bull shit, no hidden doors, no rhinestones." Jasper raised an eyebrow at my phrase but didn't comment on it. He reached over to turn down the volume on the television and threw the remote to the coffee table. He turned to me, his joking expression gone and his blue eyes hard. The change in his features came as a shock to me, but I tried not to let it show on my face.
"Bella," he began softly, "there are only a handful of people that I am able to be myself with. Really, truly myself. Everyone expects me to be this serious person whose life revolves around his studies so he can be a lawyer just like his dad." Jasper swallowed thickly, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "It's why my parents don't make me get a job- they want me to study all the time so I can get into Harvard or some shit." I found myself inching forward as Jasper's voice dropped.
"The only people I can let loose around and show my less serious side is basically Edward, Alice, my dad…and you." I smiled when Jasper's eyes softened. "Even around my mother I'm expected to be respectful and serious, which I understand completely, but it's rare that I'm able to be an actual teenager around her. So… I become an extra pain in the ass around the people who accept me for me, while I can. This way I don't burst from spontaneous combustion when I'm around the people who have sticks up their asses." I laughed gently and looked back at the TV. Now that the volume was down, I could see how someone would think the show was weird. After all, what would you think if you saw a bunch of guys getting pepper sprayed voluntarily while rolling around in the snow?
"I like when you're yourself," I told Jasper as I looked at the TV.
"Yeah?" I looked at him and rolled my eyes at the birthday hat he still adorned. I reached over and yanked it off of his head, sending some of his curls askew.
"Hater," he muttered, smoothing his hair down. I threw the hat on the ground and positioned myself once more to where I was leaning against Jasper. When I felt Jasper's arm fall around my shoulders again, I closed my eyes. Edward's face flashed through my mind, and I felt my heart stutter. I hadn't talked to him today and I wished that I could hear his voice right that moment.
"Go to sleep," Jasper whispered. My eyes opened and I shook my head.
"I'm not tired." He chuckled and gave me a half hug.
"Okay." His attention was on the television as our show ended and he changed the channel. I was, in fact, tired. So I closed my eyes and let the feel of Jasper's chest rising and falling with each breath lull me to sleep.
I could feel someone touch my leg, pressing their fingers into my thighs as they pulled me closer. I moaned quietly as I felt the familiarity of the touch. Edward. He came home early? I tried to open my eyes but found that the feeling of euphoria that flowed through me was best when I didn't struggle with my heavy eyelids. So instead, I reached down and touched Edward's hand. I noticed how warm his skin was. He was in the Bahamas…maybe he got a sunburn? I moved against him, begging for his touches to continue. I realized then that we had very little room to move. Where were we? On his bed? I imagined the king sized bed and immediately dismissed the possibility. If we were on his bed, I would be able to roll over without meeting air. Something sparked in my mind, and I remembered a couch…
Edward pulled harder on my hips, pulling me even closer to him. I could feel his hardness pressed against my stomach as he ground into me. A soft groan left him and it only egged me on. I moved my hands to his shoulder, not noticing right away that he felt different. All I could comprehend was that Edward was allowing our physical relationship to progress. I arched into him, loving the feeling of his body pressed against me. My breath hitched in my throat as I stifled a moan.
"Mmm, that feels so good."
I froze.
My eyes shot open.
And there was Jasper.
I cried out and flew backwards, falling off of the couch in the matter of a second. My head hit the corner of the coffee table and I cried out again, but this time in pain. I heard a noise from the couch and watched as Jasper peeked over the edge.
"Bella?" He seemed confused. "Are you okay? What are you doing on the floor?" His voice was laced with sleep as he tried to comprehend the surroundings. My eyes widened, and I moved my hand away from my head. My stomach lurched when I saw that there was blood covering my fingers.
"Oh my God!" Jasper leapt off of the couch and crouched beside me, his hands immediately replacing mine. I felt the warmth of his skin and I could feel my face turn red as I remembered Jasper touching me.
My mind was spinning, and when I looked down I saw the bulge in Jasper's pants that I had very clearly felt pressed against my stomach. I could feel the tears prick the corner of my eyes at how Jasper and I had acted.
Please let this be a dream. Please, oh please.
There was noise from upstairs and I heard footsteps fall on the stairs. No, no, no. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock appeared, worry on their tired faces.
"What happened?" Mrs. Whitlock's mother bear came out as she rushed to my side. I froze for the second time in two minutes and felt my jaw drop open. I had no words for her. My eyes darted over to Jasper and I saw that he did not look panicked. As a matter of fact, he looked only… worried?
"I woke up to Bella falling off of the couch," Jasper explained while trying to apply pressure to my wound with a towel that had been left out. I stared at him in shock. He didn't remember. He didn't remember at all. My face flushed again and I reached up to take over applying wound to my head. When I felt Jasper's fingers on my own I pushed away the fluttering in my stomach and tried to stand.
"I'm fine. I just had a dream and was caught off guard." My explanation was weak, but Jasper's parents accepted it without a second guess. They stood, and Mr. Whitlock reached down to help me to my feet. I stood on my own two feet, thankfully, without any help. Jasper stepped forward and started prodding at my head wound.
"Bella, I think you need stitches." I closed my eyes and shook my head.
"No, I'm fine." He opened his mouth to argue, but I sidestepped him and made my way to the bathroom. I could feel all three members of the Whitlock family stare after me, but I tried my hardest to ignore it. I couldn't hold my composure any longer, and I felt the tears rising to the surface.
Closing myself into the first floor bathroom, I looked at myself in the mirror and gasped. My eyes were wide and glassy and the tears were beginning their path along my cheeks. I wanted to gag at the sight of the tears mixing with blood, but I proudly held it back. Moving my hand away from the wound, I grimaced when I found my assessment along side of Jasper's. I needed stitches, soon. The gash was at least an inch long, right along my hair line. Blood was flowing slowly, right into my tears. My hair was sticking up in several directions, and I shuddered at the sight of the blood streaked in my hair.
"Bella?" I jumped at the sound of Jasper's voice right outside of the bathroom and tried to draw in a shaky breath. "Bells, are you okay?" He sounded so concerned. It was sweet.
"Yeah?" It sounded like a question.
"You need stitches, Bella. I know you do," he said through the door. "Please let me in so I can help you." I took another shaky breath and reached for the doorknob. Opening it, I saw Jasper standing against the door frame with an anxious expression on his face.
"Oh, Bella." His eyes immediately went to my cut and he pulled me into his arms for a hug. I was still, but tried as hard as I could to return the hug. He didn't remember what happened on the couch. He didn't remember touching me and pressing himself into me and saying that it felt good.
He never had to remember. And I never had to tell him.
"I'm okay," I whispered. "But I do need stitches." Jasper pulled back and I gave him a small smile. He wouldn't remember, and I wouldn't help him remember. It was like it never happened.
"Let's get you to the hospital," Jasper said, pulling me behind him. We didn't bother getting dressed, as we had fallen asleep in our clothes last night. So, feeling slightly gross and sore from the confines of the sofa, we drove to the hospital and signed me in. Some of the staff knew who Jasper and I were because of our association with the Cullen family, so that helped me get in faster.
I was sitting in one of the curtained-off exam areas with Jasper when suddenly the ugly blue material was ripped aside and there stood a uniformed officer, his face pale.
"Dad!" I exclaimed. He rushed forward and embraced me, sufficiently cutting off all air supply to my body. I looked at Jasper and he held his hands up and backed away, shaking his head.
"What are you doing here? You didn't have to come," I managed to choke out. My dad let me go and backed away, his brown eyes so much like my own flashing with surprise.
"What? What do you mean? Of course I'm going to come! How could you not call your mother and me to let us know you were in the hospital?" I rolled my eyes and glanced once again at Jasper.
"It's just a couple of stitches," I muttered. In fact, when the doctor had looked at it, he said it was going to take roughly ten sutures to close the cut. Lucky me. "Why called you?" Charlie stepped back and glared at me.
"Let's just say that when the Chief of Police's daughter walks into the ER without the Chief of Police, someone makes a phone call." Damn narks.
"Okay, okay, I get it. Bella bad. Bella irresponsible." The curtain pulled back the rest of the way and the doctor stepped back in. She was about my father's age and she had a large smile that showed a lot of pearly white teeth. Dr. Whitney. AKA Dr. Flirts-a-lot.
"Hello again! You must be Chief Swan." Dr. Flirts-a-lot stared at my father like he was a sirloin steak and stuck her hand out. My dad politely shook her hand in return and I could see him struggle to get it back when she wouldn't release it right away. I glanced at Jasper and saw that he was grinning at me. He was waiting for my sarcasm and my quick wit to get me in trouble, I knew it.
Dr. Flirts-a-lot continued to stare at my father while he looked anywhere but at her. After about twenty seconds, I sighed and snapped my fingers in front of her face.
"Hi there, remember me? The bleeding patient? Yeah, I thought so." Dr. Flirts-a-lot giggled (giggled!) and turned away from my dad, who was clearly uncomfortable with the sudden attention. I glared at the doctor again and watched as she prepped a tray for my stitches. She pulled the gauze away from the wound and started to dab at it with a brown colored liquid. I looked at Charlie and saw that he looked queasy. Really? The Chief of fucking Police got nauseous over a bit of blood?
"You don't have to stay and watch guys," I muttered when Dr. Flirts-a-lot stuck me with a needle. I felt a slight heat flow through my scalp, and I welcomed the numbing shot with open arms. Charlie looked at me with an expression that said 'Are you sure?' I nodded and waved my hand at him.
"Go ahead, I'll be fine." I didn't have to speak twice, and he was gone before I could blink. Laughing, I moved my eyes on to Jasper. He was watching as Dr. Flirts-a-lot slipped on a new pair of gloves and opened a suture kit.
"Jasper, you don't have to stay," I pushed out. I wanted him to stay. I didn't want to be alone behind that curtain with a doctor that would rather press herself against a married man than complete patient care properly. I wanted him to hold my hand when the needle stuck me. Like he was reading my mind, Jasper stepped forward and slipped his hand in my own.
"Of course I'm going to stay. You think I'm going to leave you alone with Bright and Shiny over here?" Jasper glanced at Dr. Flirts-a-lot when her head snapped up. "No offense, you understand." I stifled back a laugh as she glared at him, all traces of a smile gone.
"If she sticks me somewhere unrelated to my head wound, I'm coming after you," I muttered to him. I squeezed Jasper's hand when the doctor began to suture my head back together. I only felt a little tug, but I watched Jasper's face the entire time. I don't know why, but I felt like I needed to torture myself for just a moment.
Even wearing yesterday's clothing, Jasper looked refreshed. His hair was pulled back into a tight pony tail, hiding his curls. He hadn't shaved, and his shirt was slightly wrinkled, but even then he looked handsome.
My mind began to travel, and I wondered for the briefest moment what would have happened if I hadn't been so smitten with Edward when Jasper came to town. Would I have tried to date him? Would I have had a crush on him, just like Alice? Would he have felt the same about me? Hell, we may not have been friends.
"What are you thinking about?" Jasper asked, his brows furrowed together. I looked back at Dr. Flirts-a-lot, who desperately needed a mint, and tried not to move.
"Nothing. Just thinking." His hand squeezed mine as he laughed.
"I thought I smelled something burning." I rolled my eyes and glared.
"You're lucky I have a needle to my head right now, or I'd kick your ass." We laughed and I shook off my earlier thoughts. There was no reason to think that way, the events that happened that morning shouldn't affect me at all.
Just then my phone rang in my pocket. I moved my arm and motioned for Jasper to get it out. His fingers delved into my pocket for just a second before he resurfaced with it.
"It's Edward." My heart stuttered in my chest and I glanced at Jasper worriedly.
"Can you answer it?" I asked.
"No phones allowed," Dr. Flirts-a-lot said shortly. Hmm, maybe a smile on that face was better than what she had now.
"Don't worry, I'll go outside," Jasper rolled his eyes at her. He disappeared from the room and left me alone with the bipolar doctor. After a minute of silence she decided to open her unpleasant smelling mouth.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Seriously? This woman was going to pry into a teenagers business?
"Uh, no. Best friend." She nodded as if she understood, and I eyed her warily as she finished up the sutures. When she cut off the thread, I breathed a sigh of relief.
"I never held my friends' hands like that when I was a kid." I froze for just a moment and then slowly turned to look at the woman I suddenly wanted to push through a window.
"Well, in the nineteen thirties, it wasn't appropriate to touch anyone. Times have changed, grandma." And with that, I jumped off of the cot and walked out. I could feel her anger burning from where she stood, but I knew she wasn't worth my time. I just hoped she didn't say anything to my dad. I was raised better than to treat my elders with disrespect, but she hit a button.
I found Jasper standing with my dad in the check out area, and sighed with relief that Jasper was off of the phone.
"I'm done. What did Edward say?" Both Jasper and my dad laughed and shook their heads.
"Edward states he is going to get his father to cancel their trip early and he's going to come back and keep you safe, even if that means getting you a padded suit." My father's words shocked me and I gaped at him.
"Are you freaking kidding me?"
"Language, Bella." I rolled my eyes and my dad and looked at Jasper.
"Please tell me he's just joking." Jasper shook his head and handed me my phone back.
"No, Edward said just that. But Carlisle said you would be just fine, and that they weren't going anywhere. Edward told me to tell you he would call later." I nodded and pocketed the cell phone, ready to go home.
"Let's go," I sighed. Jasper threw his arm around my shoulder and steered me towards the automatic doors. I could see my dad look us with questions in his eyes, but I refused to acknowledge the display of affection between Jasper and I. We were just friends. Only friends and nothing more. Friends could hold hands and drape arms over shoulders, right?
Jasper drove us back to my house while my dad returned to work. I texted Edward and Alice letting them know I was fine and that I would talk to them later, while Jasper texted his mom to let her know we were at my place.
"So what do you want to do?" Jasper asked me as we collapsed on the couch. I looked around and groaned when my eyes landed on the clock. Half my day was gone, and tomorrow I would have to return to work.
"There's not really any time to do anything," I sighed. "It's already two in the afternoon." Jasper looked around and nodded. Standing, he stretched, his back cracking loudly.
"Okay, well I'm going to go home and take a shower. Then I'm going to come back and you and I are going to spend the remainder of today planning this party idea you have, and maybe watch a movie. Is that good?" I only paused for a second before nodding.
"Bring sustenance," I said with a smile. "Because I have nothing to eat in this house, and under doctor's orders I am to be spoiled and well taken care of." Jasper stared at me disbelievingly.
"I do not remember the doctor saying anything about that." My eyebrows rose in mock surprise.
"Really? Well, Dr. Flirts-a-lot said a lot of things that you weren't there to hear, especially since you weren't there for a bit of our interaction. You know, with your very important phone call and all." Jasper laughed at my nick name for the doctor and shook his head. He nudged my leg with his foot and made his way to the front door.
"I will be back in an hour, smelling like roses with food in hand." I shook my head, purposely looking to have the last word.
"I don't like my men to smell like roses. I would prefer a manly smell. Maybe old spice. Or woods. Or dirt. Yeah, roll around in some dirt and smudge some oil on your cheeks or something." Jasper's chuckle vibrated through the room, and he wiped his hand over his face.
"You're a special woman, Isabella Swan. Special indeed." With that, he walked out the door and I was left in silence. Special? I was special? I shook my head slowly and stood, making my way up the stairs and into my room to retrieve clothes before I took a shower. My mind was reeling with the events that happened today. Although nothing momentous happened to where I couldn't grasp anything, still… my mind was still full. Full of Jasper, and of thoughts that I wasn't supposed to have. Full of internal doubts and of questions.
Questions that I had to push away and ignore. Because no matter what, I was not allowed to have any feelings, other than friendship, towards Jasper Whitlock.
Feeling satisfied that I had ended all thoughts relating to the 'issues', I took a quick shower, careful not to touch the bandage that covered my stitches. Dressed in black jeans, a white long sleeved shirt and feeling refreshed, I pulled my hair back into a loose bun. I didn't want my hair flying around my face today, especially when it hurt like hell to pull it away from the adhesive holding the bandage down.
I made my way downstairs and straightened the living room in preparation for an evening of 'hanging out'. Pulling out my cell phone, I called my mom, realizing that I hadn't spoken to her all day. I was sure that my dad had called her to let her know what happened to me, but I figured a personal call would be better.
"Hello?" I heard laughter in the background when my mother answered her phone and I paused before speaking.
"Mom? It's me." The laughter stopped and my mother seemed surprised to hear from me.
"Oh! Bella, what are you up to? Everything okay?" I stared out the window at my street, frowning at the fact that it rained even on a summer day.
"Yeah, everything is fine. Just wondered if I was going to see you today. Haven't seen you since yesterday morning, actually." The laughter started up again and I pulled the phone away from my ear to stare at the name. Silly enough, I wanted to make sure that I was actually speaking to my mother and not Jessica or someone.
"Oh, sweetie, yeah I'm out with the girls from work. I won't be home until later tonight, so you and your dad can do dinner without me. I gotta go sweetie, I'll see you later!" I opened my mouth to respond, but was met with silence.
"Oh well," I muttered. I threw my phone on the couch and dug a notebook out of the coffee table drawer. I had a little time before Jasper showed up, so I planned on starting the birthday plans early.
I sat at the kitchen table and started making a list of our closest friends. Jessica, Tyler, Angela, Mike, Ben… after I added about thirty names, I realized that the list of 'closest friends' was getting a little out of hand. And it occurred to me that I didn't know how big Jasper and I were going to make this party. If we didn't invite everyone who expected an invite, we could end up on someone's shit list. I threw my head back in aggravation, wincing at the tug I felt in my stitches. I was starting to get a headache, so I stood and went looking for a bottle of Tylenol.
While I found my headache relief, I thought about where we would hold the party. Would my parents mind if I had it here? Would Jasper's parents want it at their house? I immediately dismissed the idea when I thought of the china cabinets full of historical items that Mr. Whitlock collected, scattered throughout the house. All we needed was some idiot person to knock into one of the cabinets and send it crashing to the ground, thousands of dollars worth of memorabilia destroyed. I cringed at the thought and struck Jasper's house off of the list permanently.
Maybe we could have it at the Cullen house… would that be tacky? Throwing someone a party and having it at their house? No, not if we involved Carlisle and Esme. Maybe that's what I would have to do. I went back to the table and looked down at the list. Edward and Alice were very popular, friendly with practically all of the students at Forks High School. Even if Jasper and I were never seen without them, and were considered 'popular' as well, I didn't do friendly time with the natives. I kept close to my friends and just nodded at the others. Was that rude? I didn't think so. It wasn't like I was mean to anyone, I just didn't go searching for attention.
The doorbell rang, breaking me out of my mental argument. I opened the door to see Jasper, arms laden with bags. He grinned and walked past me towards the kitchen. I stood there like an idiot, my mouth open as my eyes raked up and down his body.
He had chosen to wear one of his 'bad boy' outfits, as I always called it. His hair was still damp, slicked back away from his face. When it dried completely, the curls would come alive. He wore a dark olive green shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The top two buttons were undone, and a pair of sunglasses were hanging right in the opening. Over his shirt, he had on a black vest, undone. His shirt wasn't tucked in, and hung over dark blue jeans that hung just right over his hips. When my eyes hit the floor and I saw his black boots, I heard whimper escape my lips.
"You okay?" My eyes flew up to meet Jasper's, and I noticed right away that the green of his shirt made his eyes hazel.
"Yep," I choked out. I pushed the door shut, effectively cutting off the sound of the falling rain. I walked right up to Jasper and watched his eyes follow me curiously. I reached out and plucked the sunglasses from his shirt.
"It's fifty degrees out, overcast and raining. Why do you have sunglasses?" He laughed and took them out of my hands. He leaned back against the table, bringing his eyes close to my level. I watched as his eyes studied me for a second and almost like he came to a conclusion, he put the sunglasses on, covering his blue eyes. I wanted to yank the frames from his face, to throw them on the ground and curse them for covering those blue pools. But I stood there and watched as he leaned his head down and looked at me over the top of the glasses. My heart stuttered once and went into overdrive.
"Because," he whispered, "I get a great reaction out of them." I closed my eyes and swallowed. Stepping back, I forced myself to walk away. I had to get away from this topic, I had to change my focus to something else. I wanted to smack Jasper upside his head for making the thoughts that I had clearly pushed away, come flying back to me.
"Asshole," I said loudly. Jasper laughed and took the sunglasses off, tucking them back into their spot on his shirt. I wanted to take the sunglasses away and shove them into a drawer.
"I brought food to make us a late lunch, as well as snacks and things to last the night." Jasper started taking things out of the bags he brought, spreading them on the table. My mouth began to water at the sight of deli meats, cheeses, bread, oranges, chips, popcorn, drinks, and even ice cream.
"You didn't have to get all of this," I said with a laugh. Jasper only shrugged and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.
"It's no biggie. My parents took the twins into Seattle for their birthday. They wanted to go to some amusement park, and I would rather hang myself than go." He looked at me as he rinsed the soap off of his hands. "This is the better alternative." I gaped at him and looked around for something to throw at him.
"I can't believe you associated being hung to hanging out with me!" I finally settled on a pint of ice cream and chucked it at his head. Jasper caught it easily and laughed.
"I'm playing, Bella. You know that." I crossed my arms over my chest and watched as he made sandwiches for the two of us. It was nice, having someone make the food for once. I quickly put away the other groceries and sat down in my regular chair.
"I started making a guest list," I offered into the conversation. Jasper looked over at the notebook and nodded.
"That doesn't seem so bad," he said as he sliced a tomato. I shook my head and gave him an apologetic look.
"I stopped writing names when I realized that Edward and Alice are friends with all of the high school." Jasper stopped and looked up at the ceiling in thought.
"Are they really?" he finally asked. I sighed and nodded, picking at the corner of the paper.
"When I met them, it was at a party they were throwing at their house. And I swear, all of Forks was there. Everyone knows them, and they know everyone." Jasper began cutting an onion, and I backed away a little. The smell didn't seem to bother him as he added the slivers to both sandwiches. I didn't have the heart to tell him I didn't like onions, and made the silent decision to pick them off before I ate. He would never know.
"So, we're inviting everyone in Forks? It doesn't seem possible." And then Jasper looked up in the middle of adding muenster cheese to his creation. "Um, where the hell are we going to hold this thing? Neither of our places are big enough to hold the population of Forks High." I watched as he delicately placed equal amounts of turkey and ham to each sandwich.
"Well, I don't think anyone will come to a party that is held at the Police Chief's house. And your parents won't allow it. I doubt they would want their museum ruined." Jasper's eyes widened in shock and he shook his head.
"No, no they wouldn't." I sighed and glanced up at Jasper before I spoke again.
"What do you think about asking Carlisle and Esme to hold the party at their house? We already know it'll hold everyone. Or do you think it's completely tacky?" I waited as Jasper assembled both ends of the sandwiches and placed them on plates. He scooped up some chips and placed them next to his creation, licking his fingers when he was done. I was amazed at how easily he made lunch for the two of us, and I watched as his tongue darted out to clean his fingers off, one by one. The sound of him clearing his throat was the only thing that tore my eyes away from his cleaning detail, and when I saw that he was watching me with a gleam in his eyes, I dropped my eyes in horror. My face erupted in fire at the realization that Jasper had seen me.
"No, I don't think it'll be tacky." I swallowed hard and tried to calm the blush that threatened to set my face aflame. Was spontaneous combustion possible?
"Are you sure?" I managed to choke out. "I don't want to offend anyone." Jasper placed a plate in front of me and sat down in the same seat he occupied the day before. I took a bite of the thick sandwich and closed my eyes, moaning in pleasure.
"Oh my God, this is amazing!" I chewed quickly, wanting to devour the entire thing in the matter of a minute. I opened my eyes to see that Jasper was staring at my lips with his mouth open slightly. It was my turn to clear my throat, and I watched as Jasper's eyes darted up to mine quickly.
"Uh, yeah, my mom taught me how to cook. Well, this isn't really cooking, but you know what I mean." Jasper shoved his sandwich in his mouth and we sat in silence as we ate. My mind was going a million miles an hour at how ridiculous I felt. Is this how the next three weeks were going to be? Were Jasper and I going to throw flirtatious comments at each other and then act embarrassed about it?
I swallowed my last bite and set my hand on Jasper's arm. His head snapped up, his eyes searching my face.
"Thanks for lunch," I said with a smile. He grinned in return and nodded.
"You're welcome. But next time, you cook. You're high maintenance." I smacked him lightly and started to pick up. Jasper helped and we were relaxing in the living room before I knew it. I lay down on the couch, my legs bent so that I could use my thighs as a writing tablet. Jasper sat at my feet, his arm draped over my knees. The posture seemed so normal, and I pushed away all thoughts that might construe it as something else. He was one of my best friends. End of story. Nothing else about it. Dr. Flirts-a-lot can go suck it.
"So, I figure I'll text Carlisle and ask him to call me in regards to the party," I said. "This way we can make sure the nosy twins don't catch on." Jasper nodded and ran his fingernail along the seam of my jeans.
"Sounds good. So how are we going to know who to invite? We can't exactly post it on the internet and hope everyone comes." I tapped my pen on the notebook as I thought.
"Do you even know everyone's names in the school?" Jasper added. I glared at him for all of a second before I sat up.
"Yes! I do!" I threw the notebook at him and ran upstairs. Digging around my closet, I found that years' yearbook that I had thrown in there just a couple of weeks ago. Heading down the stairs, I sat next to Jasper and opened the book right in the middle.
"Here," I said simply. Jasper laughed and nodded.
"Okay, that works. It's a small town, we'll get invitations to everyone who is worthy of one." Jasper and I then spent the next two hours going through every page of the book, writing down the name of everyone who would get an invitation. When we were done, I groaned.
"One hundred and thirty eight." Jasper's eyes widened and he threw his head back to look up at the ceiling.
"That's a lot of fucking people," he muttered. His head turned to face me. "How the hell are we going to pull of a party for almost a hundred and fifty people in less than three weeks?" I knew what he meant- this was going to be crazy.
"Well, when I'm at work I'll be able to plan. As long as I'm doing my normal work duties as well, I won't get in trouble." Jasper nodded.
"I can always go to your work, too. This way you aren't the only one doing the work." I laughed and threw the notebook and yearbook on the floor.
"We could always say fuck it and forget the idea all together," I offered. Jasper sat up straight and leaned in to where I could smell a distinct wave of cologne. I sighed in pleasure at the aroma, loving the fact that he smelled manly.
"You trying to get rid of me, Swan?" His voice was smooth and calming. I opened my eyes and felt my heart stutter for the millionth time that day.
"No," I whispered. "Not at all."
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