AN: I own nothing….
I would like to thank my beta RockinThatAfroPic, when I was at a loss in how to do this chapter she came through and wrote most of it… SO its thanks to her that you have the chapter before you. :)
Chapter 12
Jasper POV-
Edward and I have been here for about a week, and so far everything is going great. And well you know what they say sooner or later the shit has to hit the fan…
I wake up early in the morning to the sun shining through the blinds, and I can't help but smile as I do every day as of late, because thoughts about Edward and our blooming relationship flood my mind. Looking at the time I note that it is way too early to expect Edward to be out of bed so I decide to leisurely explore the cabin.
Upon further inspection I note that what I originally thought was a coffee table, is in fact a chest of some sort. Kneeling in front of it I flip open the latch and lift the lid, I know it's rude to snoop and curiosity killed the cat, ect., ect., but I can't help but check it out. Plus, it's not like Edward told me anything was off limits.
Hopefully whatever is in here will keep me occupied until he wakes up.
Instead of finding a stash of games like I had assumed, the chest is full of Forks High memorabilia like spirit shirts, yearbooks, and gym uniforms.
Did Emily or Sam go to Forks High, or perhaps Edward's parents? But it can't be, because all this stuff looks exactly like the stuff I had when I went to Forks High…
Picking up one of the yearbooks I note the date is the same year I attended…
What the hell?
Okay now I'm really curious.
Opening the front cover I'm horrified to find out that it belongs to the head moron that made my life a living hell.
Tony.
The one name that can still bring shivers down my spine.
Tony.
My eyes watered as I read a few of the messages left by his goons… this is all too real.
Tony, man what a year, right? I mean dude can't wait for summer parties and all.
Tony, all I got to say is; You, Me, Club 33…. My cousin can so get us in to see some HOT chicks!
I stop reading as I throw the book down and run to the bathroom, making it just in time to lose whatever contents that were left in my stomach.
I stare at myself in the mirror as I take in my tear stained face, my curly blonde hair that now resembles a bird's nest, and my chapped lips.
Edward is Tony.
"Why?" I whisper just as 'Edward' peaks around the corner.
"Everything okay Jasper?" He asks, still pretending to be nice.
This whole thing was a lie.
The way he cared for me…
The way he saved me…
The kiss…
All lies.
"Why are you doing this to me?" I demand as I turn around to face him. "Was it not enough to make my entire high school existence a living hell that you had to throw in this little prank too?"
He looks utterly confused as I storm past him and over to the yearbook I had dropped on the ground.
"Jasper, what are you talking about?" He asks, stepping closer to me.
"THIS!" Is all I say as I throw the yearbook at him, and he catches it perfectly. Realization quickly comes to his features and as he goes to speak, to spill even more lies to me, I leave slipping on a pair of shoes before I go.
Storming out of the house and down the drive way. I'm walking for about ten minutes when a limo pulls up.
"Jasper, let me give you a ride back to Sam and Emily." Seth says, getting out and opening a door for me to climb in.
It isn't until I am in the car that I realize I am soaking wet and shivering from the cold. I guess it wasn't very smart of me to leave in just a t-shirt and sweat pants…
Seth remains silent throughout the ride, and for that I am grateful. I feel so vulnerable after finding out the one person I have opened myself up to turned out to be the spoiled insensitive jackass from my school days.
Now the question remains… what will I do now?
Where will I go?
I can't live under the same roof as Him without constantly being on edge.
It's terrible how one moment, one instance, can shadow all the positive memories. After seeing that yearbook when I look at 'Edward' I don't see the gentle beast that saved me from my father, tended to my wounds, and actually listened to what I had to say.
Edward was my rock, my protector, my lo-
No I'm not about to go there.
Now Edward is all but a distant memory and all I can think about is Tony, the devil incarnate with an angel's smile.
I'm taken back to days of high school when all I wished was to be invisible. When you're invisible no one makes fun of you. I can still picture them laughing at me.
Jasper: the weirdo, the freak, the broke loser
…the butt of all jokes.
Memories of their stupid pranks still haunt me to this day:
Opening my locker to get my books just to have a pie thrown in my face
Being tripped in the cafeteria, and spilling my lunch all over the floor.
Delivering pizzas to one of their many parties, only to be treated as a burden and being quickly shoed away without a tip.
"Jasper we're here" Seth announces from the driver's seat, interrupting my thoughts.
"Thanks" I choke out a reply through my sobs and awkwardly stumble my way out of the vehicle.
Bursting through the front door I run towards the bathroom hoping to avoid Sam and Emily until I can calm myself down a little more.
"Jasper, is that you?" I hear Emily call from upstairs.
Rather than answering I pick up my speed. Once I reach the wash room I shut and lock the door. When I turn around I am met with the compassionate gaze of molten silver eyes.
"Oh Jasper…" I don't speak as I back away from the mirror where such familiar eyes of that girl Alice are staring back at me.
I can't handle this. I think as I leave the bathroom and run right into Emily, tears still streaming down my face. Hardly a second goes by before Emily wraps her arms around me, allowing me to cry into her shoulder as we sink to the ground.
I desperately clutch the back of her dress and cry into her shoulder. She gently shushes me as she slowly rubs my back and after awhile she starts to sing to me in a language I cannot understand.
Perhaps it's Quileute?
Whatever it is, it's soothing and I sag into her a little more. Once my sobs quiet Emily pulls me up and we walk over to the couch. When I'm settled she leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of tea.
I gratefully take the mug and bring it to my nose inhaling the herbal aroma floating from the cup and immediately identifying it as chamomile. Blowing on the hot drink I take a small sip to clear my throat and then turn my attention back to Emily.
"You knew" I say, my question sounding more like a statement. There is no accusation in my voice, just acceptance.
"Yes" she softly replies.
"Was Tony ever mean to you?" I ask.
"No, not necessarily mean, more like disrespectful. He looked down on Sam and me because I took care of the home while Sam worked as a mechanic rather than having some big multimillion dollar job. He had this air of superiority about him where he would constantly resist us as authority figures. If we told him to do something, he'd do the opposite. He was spoiled, rude, selfish…" she abruptly stops and shakes her head as if ridding herself of the memory.
"The change… it was hard on him at first because Tony was so dependent on his looks to get his way and to make friends. Once he was separated from the morons he went to school with he started to realize that people did not like him for who he was but rather for what he looked like and how much money he had. I think that was a big wake up call. The more time he spent in isolation with us the nicer he became. The final step was when he renounced the name Tony and asked to be called Edward. The change I saw in him was like night and day" she smiles fondly at the thought.
"He was so lonely though Jasper. His dad was hardly around as it was, but once he saw Edward's condition he completely abandoned the boy leaving him in our care. He had no one his age to relate to and talk to. None of his so called friends even gave much of an effort to see him. In fact, they quickly gave up on him within a few days. As corny as this sounds you really did light up his life when you were brought here. He loves you, you know?"
"I just, I can't! What if he changes back? What if he becomes Tony again?"
"Come let me show you something."
Setting our tea mugs down on the coffee table we both stand from the couch and she gently takes my hand and leads me through the first floor of the house, towards the back.
The door is a big mirror, and for a moment I don't notice a handle until Emily opens it. I am awestruck with what I see before me as I step into the room behind Emily.
"This wasn't here before I, I mean we, left. Was it?"
"Nope" she says with a smirk.
"Why?" I whisper.
"He knows you like to swim" she squeezes my shoulder then walks out the room leaving me to my thoughts.
Although he may be 'Edward' now there still seems to be remnants of 'Tony' in him in terms his desire for extravagant things. It would be insulting to simply call what lays before me a pool, this looks more like a paradise. The size isn't too large where it could be considered overwhelming but it isn't small either, it's perfect for doing laps or just lounging around. There's even a freaking hot tub attached to the side of it!
What really sets this 'pool' apart from all others is waterslide.
Elegant looking black iron railings line the side of the steep stone staircase that leads to the slide. The wall surrounding the slide is decorated with stones of various shades of black and grey. The darker stones set on both sides of the slide have a gentle stream of water running down them, resembling a very tame waterfall. Lastly, plants sit in various places on the wall giving the whole area a more natural and outdoor like vibe.
I can see myself spending hours here.
All the walls surrounding this room are actually made of glass giving whoever is in here a perfect view of the forest and also allows a lot of natural light to flood the room.
Taking a closer look at the glass, I notice it has an odd reflection to it; this is definitely two-way glass.
This is an absolutely genius design for an indoor swimming area because you can see out towards the forest and into the house without being seen.
Walking over to the water's edge I kneel down to feel how warm the water is.
"It's heated." I say to myself, surprised that someone like Tony would go and do something like this for me.
Emily's words come back to my mind as I stare at the pool.
He was so lonely… His dad was hardly around… He had no one his age to relate to and talk to… He loves you…
Standing here before the pool I hear the truth of her words. But could I do it? Could I love Tony? I had thought that I was falling in love with Edward, but now that I know he's Tony, does that change how I feel?
Can I forget everything him and his friends did to me?
I wonder as I shed my shoes and jump into the water. Not bothering to remove my sweatpants or shirt. I swim, for the first time in years, letting my thoughts drift as I allow myself to calm down.
AN: Sorry about the long wait. Please let me know what you think.