AN: As promised, here's Jasper's POV!
Thanks for all the reviews, favorites and alerts! I'm sorry if I didn't reply to all of the reviews. I've been pretty busy since I changed my major for like the fourth time and had to meet with my advisor a few times and take care of some other stuff. I'm hoping this is the last time I change majors! It's getting a little annoying lol
Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight
JPOV
The package on Bella's doorstep was like a vortex. No matter how many times I tried to tear my gaze away from it, my attention kept getting sucked back to the unmoving parcel as if I was half expecting it to be some ticking time bomb that would go off at any moment. I didn't have any idea what the package contained, but I knew that whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Not if it was from the psycho who is responsible for this fuckin' shit storm that I inadvertently found myself becoming involved in.
Bella was currently searching through her purse for her keys, blissfully uncaring about the unknown contents of the package. I couldn't believe that she doesn't seem to care about the fact that some fuckin' weirdo knows where she lives. I looked back up at Bella with the intent of trying to persuade her to call the cops about this. This unemotional crap she is pulling off is really starting to make me worry about her fucked up sense of self-preservation.
"Bella, I think—"
"No," she cut me off as if she knew what I was going to say, "I'll talk to the police tomorrow. I'm too tired to worry about this right now." I nodded reluctantly, not liking this at all.
I looked back at the package, feeling a weird twisting sensation in my stomach as I thought about this unknown psycho coming back tonight. He was like some predator, stalking in the shadows and bidding his time. It already immensely disturbed me that he got as close as her doorstep. But I knew that if I kept pushing for her to call the cops, I would more than likely get another ass chewing tonight.
"Alright, but give me your phone," I said suddenly.
She stared at me with her eyebrows raised, but handed her phone over to me after a slight moment of hesitation.
I almost smiled at the picture on the screen of her phone. It was of her and that friend of hers, Leeann or Lucy or something like that. They had their arms wrapped around each other's shoulders and were soaking wet from the rain, each of them wearing big goofy grins while they had apparently just jumped into a puddle sending water flying up in the air.
I tore my attention away from the picture, and continued to program my number into her phone. I made sure to call my phone from hers so that I would have her number also. This way I would at least know who was calling, that is if she ever did call.
"Now you have my number and I have yours. Call me if anything happens. And lock your doors. Okay?" I added as an afterthought. She nodded in response.
"Thanks. Goodnight Jasper." Her voice was soft, taking me a little by surprise at how civil she sounded. This hot and cold arrangement we have going on is giving me fuckin' whiplash. I turned around and walked back down the steps, heading towards where my car was parked in front of her house.
"Goodnight Darlin'," I said softly, over my shoulder, not knowing if she could even hear me.
As I got back to my car and got in, I looked back up at her house. She had already gone inside and not long after, I could see a light come on through a window which I assumed was her room. I sat there a little while longer, contemplating about this weird feeling I was experiencing a lot lately. It was a mix between me wanting to run around smiling like an idiot and singing show tunes, or me feeling like I was going to puke my guts out.
What is going on with me? This messed up feeling keeps coming back whenever Bella is involved. Normally, I wouldn't find it so strange that I felt like purging the contents of my stomach while in her presence. That's a pretty normal reaction for me as far as she is concerned. But it's the smiling part that is baffling. This feeling has been growing for the past couple of weeks, and it is seriously starting to freak me out. I shook those thoughts off as I put the keys in the ignition and started up my car.
I glanced up at her house one more time, seeing that she had turned off the light, before driving away. The farther away from her house I got, the worse this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach got. Thoughts of this psycho knowing where she lives kept circling through my head on repeat. The more I tried to force these thoughts away, the more these thoughts seemed to be screaming at me.
"Shit!" I cursed as a black cat darted in front of my car, seemingly out of nowhere.
I slammed on the brakes and watched as the cat scampered away into the night. Aren't black cats that cross your path supposed to bring bad luck or some shit like that? I snorted out loud to my thoughts. Wow. I'm actually turning into some superstitious idiot. Bella would get a kick out of this shit. She would never let me hear the end of it, that's for fuckin' sure.
I shook my head again. This whole hostility thing that has been between us for so long is completely idiotic. I remember that first day we met like it happened yesterday. I was 25 years old at the time and had been acting for about 8 years, having started when I was 17.
Flashback
"Stupid fuckin' alarm clock!" I cursed, as I ran into the bathroom and swiped some shaving cream across my chin before grabbing my razor. In my haste, I managed to nick myself at least a dozen times. This was just great! The day of my audition for Blue Skies, and my alarm clock decides to malfunction. If I get there on time it will be a fucking miracle!
Ignoring the razor burn I was currently sporting, I grabbed my toothbrush and proceeded to brush my teeth hurriedly, before running back into my room to grab my keys that were on my dresser. I had just gotten to the bottom of the stairs when I realized I was only wearing my boxers.
"Dammit!" I cursed again while running back up the stairs, taking two at a time, to get dressed. As soon as I had my shirt over my head and my pants zipped up, I ran back down the stairs and out to my car.
As soon as I was in my car and had it started, I was zooming out of the driveway. The tires squealed as I shot out of there, startling some birds in a nearby tree into taking flight. I looked at the clock and pressed harder on the gas when I saw the time.
As soon as I was at the studio, I sped into the parking lot and parked, not caring that my car was practically sideways across three spots. I didn't have time to correct my parking job.
I ran into the studio, not stopping until I was near where I needed to be for my audition. Leaning against a wall, I bent over at the waist and put my hands on my knees in an effort to control my breathing. I don't know how long I stood there trying to cool down, when a small hand touched my arm. I looked up to see a small girl with spiky black hair standing in front of me with a big smile. She held out the cup of coffee that she had in her hand.
"Here, it looks like you could use a cup," she said cheerfully. I smiled in appreciation before taking the coffee from her.
"I'm Alice," she said, after I had taken a few sips of the steaming hot drink.
"Jasper Whitlock," I introduced in a drawl. She giggled and nodded.
"Yeah I know," she said simply. "By the way, you have dried toothpaste all over your mouth." I groaned at this, causing her to giggle again. I looked at my watch and sighed in relief when I saw I had some time to spare before my audition. At least my crazy driving got me here in enough time to get cleaned up.
"Do you know where the bathroom is?" I asked hopefully. She nodded and pointed to the right.
"It's down that hallway." I smiled and thanked her before heading in that direction.
That's when I saw her. I had known that Bella Swan would be auditioning for this show also, but it was still shocking to see her right in front of me. I had always thought she was an amazing actress, not to mention how fuck hot she is. When I was younger, she had even been my celebrity crush. And now here she is, right in front of me. My feet seemed to take on a life of their own as they led me in her direction. I was completely lost in my thoughts about Bella Swan, when I suddenly collided with the actress herself, sending her sprawling to the ground. My coffee slipped out of my hand and much to my horror, it spilled all over her.
"Shit! I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, completely mortified with this new turn of events. I reached a hand down to help her up but she ignored it and jumped back to her feet. The glare she sent me made me want to run for the hills.
"Fuck! This better come off! Watch where you're going next time!" She hissed, appraising the damage done to her dress. She then looked up at my face and her chocolate eyes locked onto mine. I had to mentally shake myself to get away from the inappropriate direction my thoughts had taken.
"Look, I'm sorry. I was running late so I was in a hurry-" I started to say, trying to come up with an excuse for running into her that wouldn't make me seem like some weirdo, but she cut me off.
"Not my problem. And FYI, when you are auditioning for a part in a show, movie, or whatever, you are supposed to get there early so this kind of thing doesn't happen!" She waved a hand angrily over the stain.
"I know what to do for an audition," I said, coming to my own defense and unable to control the hard tone my voice had suddenly taken.
"Obviously not," she snapped at me. We glared at one another before she turned and stormed away from me. Well, that encounter didn't go as I had expected…
End of flashback
After that first encounter, the two of us have been constantly at each other's throats. It's so fuckin' stupid when I think about it, but my pride and her stubbornness are the catalysts of so many of our fights.
I can't believe I let her get to me like this. No one else seems to have this effect on me. Maybe that's because no one else seems to have the balls to tear me down a notch, well except for my twin Rosalie. I swear those two would become close if this hostility between our two groups of friends would diminish. My friends have no reason to hate Bella like they do, except for this stupid grudge we have going on. They seem to feel like they would be betraying me if they were nice to Bella.
I beat my hands against the steering wheel when I realized I was still stopped where that damn cat had run in front of my car. What the fuck is wrong with me? I just know that it doesn't feel right to leave Bella alone when that psycho seems to know where she lives. I groaned and rubbed my hands over my face before turning the car around and heading back towards her house.
Once I was in front of her house, I put the car in park and turned it off. I glanced back up at her house, coming to the conclusion that I would just drive off once the sun started coming up, that way she wouldn't even know I was here. I was starting to feel like some fuckin' creep, sitting here outside her house at night.
I shook those thoughts off as I laid my head against the headrest and closed my eyes as they started getting heavier. I would only sleep for a few minutes…
I heard a tap on my window and jumped, intent on kicking some stalker ass, before I realized it was just a very confused Bella standing outside my car. I internally cringed at being caught outside her house, but rolled the window down none the less. The bright light from the morning sun momentarily blinded me as I blinked the sleep from my eyes.
"Jasper, you're not stalking me now, are you?" There was a hint of amusement in her voice. "Because you'll have to wait in line." I tensed when she said this. How could she joke about something this serious?
"I'm not stalking you!" I snapped.
Her eyes widened and she took a step back. I groaned and dropped my head back on the headrest, staring at the ceiling of the car. I didn't mean to snap at her, but I hadn't gotten much sleep last night and a car seat really isn't the most comfortable place to spend a night, so I was a little irritable this morning apparently. I wasn't going to admit all of this to her though. She didn't need to know that I spent the whole night outside her house. I turned to face her again.
"Look, I'm sorry I yelled at you. I've had a pretty shitty night." She nodded slowly.
"But, what are you doing here?" She asked cautiously, as if afraid of setting me off.
I hesitated and tried to come up with something to tell her. I could tell her the partial truth I guess… I sighed and ran a hand through my hair out of frustration.
"I was worried about you after you got that package last night, so I wanted to stop by this morning to see if you were okay."
Her face portrayed her shock as her eyes popped comically wide and her mouth gaped open. I looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught.
"You. Were. Worried," she said slowly, as if she was trying the words out on her tongue. Her eyebrows knitted together like she was unable to understand the words in that order. I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck, avoiding eye contact.
I was sure that if I looked back at her she would be giving me that mocking expression I'm so accustomed to seeing on her face. But, when I looked back at her it was my turn to be surprised. She was smiling at me, but not in the derogatory way she normally would. It was a genuine smile directed at me.
"Thanks for caring," she said sincerely, "although, it wasn't really necessary. Everything turned out alright—"
"Yeah but I didn't know that last night. The person who sent you that note could have come back," I said reasonably.
I was still feeling uneasy about this whole thing and I didn't like the fact that she was acting so blasé about this. Didn't she understand that this person was seemingly dangerous?
She shrugged in response to my concern, not seeming to care that some creep was at her house last night. I scrutinized her face carefully and saw that even though she was brushing this off as nothing, her eyes gave her away. I have always been pretty good at reading people and I could detect the unease and slight fear she was trying to hide from me. Before I could say anything though, she spoke up.
"Well, why don't you come in? I was just about to make some breakfast." She looked over my face carefully. "Are you hungry?" It was then that my stomach gave an embarrassing rumble, effectively answering her question for me. She laughed, making me smile in return.
"I'll take that as a yes," she said with a smile.
This friendliness between the two of us was still so weird. Wasn't it just yesterday that I threw a snail down her shirt? I wanted to face palm myself with that memory. I don't even know why I was acting that way last night. I just remembered Bella leaning closer to Mike as if she wanted to kiss him, subsequently causing some unpleasant feeling to rise to the surface within me. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought it was jealousy. Nah, that couldn't be it. Why in the name of all things holy would I be jealous of Mike? That thought was amazingly laughable. No, jealousy couldn't be it.
I was brought back to the present by the clearing of a throat. I looked up to see an amused looking Bella staring at me with her eyebrows raised.
"For a moment there I thought I lost you. Mind filling me in on what you were thinking about so intensely that it caused you to zone out like that?"
"Snails." I blurted without thinking.
Apparently that wasn't what she thought I would say because she released a very unladylike snort, before she slapped her hand over her mouth as if she could somehow shove that snort back where it came from. She shook her head and laughed, snort-free this time.
"Yeah, well I don't think I'll be able to have dinner there with a straight face from now on." She shook her head and laughed again. "I should probably be more pissed off at you, but I'm starting to find the whole thing funny. Poor Mike though." She laughed as I scowled at the mention of Mike. What the fuck? Why am I scowling? I shook that thought off, like I've been doing a lot lately, and followed Bella to her front door.
"Hold up!" Bella exclaimed, wearing a disbelieving expression. "Are you actually telling me that you went skydiving?" She asked incredulously.
We were currently sitting in her kitchen, eating the French toast and bacon she had made. That girl can seriously cook, I'll give her that. We had been talking about inconsequential things, from our favorite colors to how we got into the acting biz. I had told her about how I began acting at the age of 17 when I was a junior in high school. She got a kick out of me telling her that I played the lead role in "Robin Hood," which subsequently led to a scout from Julliard approaching me which in turn got me my full ride to the performing arts school so I could pursue a drama major.
The little bit of information about the play had her teasing me about those god awful tights I was forced to wear for my part of "Robin Hood." Occasionally during our conversation, we would tease each other, letting our usual way of interacting with the other shine through, but it seemed more lighthearted and good-natured than it had been in the past.
The more we talked, the more I realized that it was surprisingly easy to talk to her. There were no awkward pauses, like there used to be, once we had started talking of our interests. Surprisingly we found that we had a few things in common.
For instance, just now I told her of my love for extreme sports, which shockingly she seems to share. After inquiring about what kind of stunts I liked to do, I told her the story of my 18th birthday when my high school friends, Peter and Garrett, took me to go skydiving. I had been in my hometown in Texas at the time and the view of the mountain tops from up high in the sky was fuckin' incredible.
I remembered getting an amazing view of the striking purplish-red color to the mountains that I was accustomed to seeing during the early morning, along with the rising sun on the horizon. Bella had been enthralled by my account of this experience, and listened with rapt attention as I described the feeling of panic I experienced as I looked down on the ground, which just so happened to be 13,000 feet below us, as I mentally prepared myself to jump out of the plane.
As I talked, I recalled the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I took that jump with the guy who was attached to me, after all no one without a skydiving license could do anything other than tandem jumping. She listened to me as I recounted the rapid drop that sent my stomach up into my throat, and then the tugging sensation I experience once the chute was released. She seemed enraptured by my description of the scenic descent once the parachute had been deployed, as I remembered the way the trees and mountains seemed to grow larger as the ground came closer. Once I was finished, she stared at me with that shocked expression on her face.
"Skydiving? Seriously? You?" She didn't seem to be able to form a complete sentence. I feigned a hurt expression as I nodded.
"What, you don't think I have what it takes?" My voice sounded just as saddened as my expression surely looked. I mentally patted myself on the back for my brilliant acting skills, while bowing for an imaginary audience.
"No! You just don't seem like…I mean…I didn't…"
I mentally sniggered as she backtracked over her words thinking she had actually offended me, probably trying to get back to the carefree conversation we had been having. She stopped babbling when she saw the grin that was spreading across my face, causing her to slap my arm and huff.
"Jerk," she muttered, but she couldn't control the twitch of her lips as she fought not to smile. "I've never done something that extreme. I mean, I've gone cliff diving and bungee jumping, but I've never jumped from 13,000 feet." She shook her head, wearing an awed look. I smiled slightly at her wistful expression.
"I could take you," I said suddenly. Whoa! Where did that come from? She looked shocked before she gave me a skeptical expression.
"Trying to get me that far up in the air so you can push me out of a plane without the parachute?" She asked with a serious tone. I rolled my eyes and laughed at her display.
"You caught me," I held up my hands as she slapped me playfully in the arm again. "Just kidding," I laughed. "But seriously, I have a license in skydiving now. If you wanted to go, you wouldn't have to be strapped to some strange instructor. I could jump with you." She gave me such a bright smile that I couldn't help but return it.
"Seriously?" She asked excitedly. I nodded causing her smile to widen.
"Yup," I said casually, popping the 'p'.
I don't know where this easy alliance was coming from, but I found that I actually like it. It was nice talking to her like this, without all the insults thrown into the mix. I just wondered if it would last…
AN: I actually had a different ending planned for this chapter, but it somehow changed as I was writing…I swear this story has a life of its own sometimes! :O
So, do any of you have any ideas about what's in the package? I'm interested in hearing what you think will be in it…
Anyways, thanks for reading! Sorry for the wait. I was having some serious writer's block. The next chapter shouldn't take so long because I already have it all planned out. And I'll try to get right on updating ITSVHNTLI (That's a long abbreviation lol). I've been experiencing some writer's block with that story as well though…
Also, I have the first chapter of my new story posted for anyone who is interested.
Please review! :)