I crawled out my open window and sat under the awning where I knew Jasper already was. It must have been pretty late…or early, morning light had started to peek through the cloudy night sky.
"You haven't had a decent night's sleep since we met," he chuckled and put an arm around my shoulders as I curled up next to him.
"I can sleep when I'm dead."
He smiled and shook his head. "How'd you know I was out here, anyway?"
"Had a feeling," I shrugged. "Did you have fun?" Now that I looked closer I could see he looked a tad disheveled.
"Tossing Emmett around is always a good stress reliever."
I poked at the glob of pine sap on his shirt and smirked.
"I had to let him win once; it's boring to win every time!"
"Yeah...sure, whatever you say," I giggled. "You could've stayed inside, ya know."
"I know, I didn't want to wake you and the internet started to bore me."
"The internet bored you?!"
"I think I've seen everything online," he laughed. "Except those European travel tours you left up, is that some kind of a hint?"
"Ha, no. I was just perusing, I've always wanted to go. But I think my year long European escapade is probably out of my price range."
"Probably," he agreed. "It's overrated anyway, just a bunch of old stuff."
"But I like old stuff! You smell like dog, by the way," I mocked.
His nose wrinkled. "I know; it's driving me crazy. I think there are some of my clothes hidden in your closet or somewhere, but I didn't want to wake you up looking for them."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about those." I moved to get up but his arm held me down.
"Let's stay here awhile." The momentary sunlight caused his hand on my shoulder to sparkle. I laughed as he cringed. He moved suddenly and lay down and put his head in my lap. The fast movement made one of his joints pop loudly.
"Damnit, Emmett!" he swore, but with an amused smile.
"Did you let him win once too many?" I smirked.
"Of course not, but he did get a good one in. But just one. And I apologize for swearing in front of a lady."
"Riiiiight." I rolled my eyes. Jasper gripped his left upper arm and shoved it back into the socket. It popped loudly again. It sounded painful but he didn't seem phased.
"Uh, ew," I said and smacked him playfully on the head. "Can't you take that elsewhere?"
He grinned, sat up and licked my cheek. "But you're so comfortable!" He laid back down and his shoulder didn't pop again.
"Didn't that hurt?" I asked.
"No, not really. It was just annoying, falling out of socket and all. It'll be fine by tomorrow."
I was about to ask what the plan was for when the newborns got there the next day, but I felt my stomach growl and Jasper must have heard it.
"I'll make you breakfast," he volunteered. Apparently I had a fiancé and a personal chef all in one. And I wasn't complaining.
"If you want to," I said, not wanting him to feel obligated. "I can do it myself, too."
"I'll do it. It gives me a chance to practice what I see on the Food Network. Edward and I watch it. Lillian's about to get up and cooking for her will be a good opportunity to--"
"Suck up?" I cut in.
"I would have said "bond" instead, but either way."
He followed me back into my room through the window. I tossed a pile of my clothes (I hadn't decided if they were dirty or clean) out of the way and found some of Japer's clothes folded in the back corner of the closet. I handed them to him and he kissed my cheek.
"See you in a minute," he said before disappearing back onto the roof.
I reached the foot of the stairs just as the doorbell rang.
"Jasper!" I greeted. "So lovely to see you for the first time ever today!"
He laughed at me and I stretched up and kissed him.
"You smell much better now," I affirmed.
He grinned. "I feel so much cleaner. I just tossed those clothes in the woods…no amount of washing can ever fix them."
"As if Alice ever lets any of you wear the same thing twice."
"True." He rooted around in the refrigerator, scouting out what he could make. "I feel like trying my hand at French toast. I've seen Paula Deen make it at least a dozen times, so I feel I'm pretty much an expert."
"Have at it," I encouraged, sitting at the table. I wasn't one to discourage the cooking process, even though Paula's accent drove me crazy.
A few minutes later he had put two plates full of the toast on the table and one empty plate. He put the empty plate in front of himself.
I thanked him and dug in.
"Let's get married," he spouted randomly. He even looked like he had surprised himself.
"Uh, we are….aren't we?" I asked and held up my left hand, showing my engagement ring.
"I mean soon. Kind of soon. Not tomorrow or anything, but in the foreseeable future…maybe the next few months?" Jasper actually looked shy as the words came out of his mouth.
"You want us to pick a date?"
"Yeah, that's what I meant."
I nodded. "We can do that. When's good for you?"
He chuckled at my irony. "My schedule's pretty open for the next few centuries." He paused and looked thoughtful. "We could do it in Europe , since you want to go so badly."
"Are you planning to ditch me in Italy or something?" I laughed.
"No, not Italy, the Volturi are there and that might not end well. I could ditch you in Germany, maybe."
"At least you're honest." I kicked him under the table and he tried to look innocent as he speared a piece of my half eaten toast. He plopped it down on his empty plate a second before Grandma came in the kitchen.
She showered Jasper with greetings and thanked him profusely for breakfast. I smirked in amusement. I always wondered if she really liked him that much or if he did it on purpose. Either way, it was hysterical to watch her grin and giggle like a teenager while they chatted, Jasper being the perfect gentleman. I have no idea how he kept a straight face the whole time.
"I must say, Amanda, I was always worried about what kind of man you'd end up with…you do have unconventional taste, but I highly approve of this one," Grandma gushed as Jasper put her plate in the sink for her.
"Psh, I've always had excellent taste, you just didn't believe me until now!"
"No dear, you haven't," Grandma sighed. "Do I have to remind you about that British exchange student?"
"What?!" I laughed. "There was a British guy in Forks in my class! What was I supposed to do! It's not my fault he ended up being involved in the mafia or whatever, how was I supposed to know!"
"In the mafia or whatever?" Jasper smirked.
I kicked him under the table again.
"You're going to hurt yourself doing that," he sneered.
"Don't hurt Jasper!" Grandma patted him on the head. I rolled my eyes at the irony. As if I could hurt him. The only thing in the immediate future that could hurt him was bloodthirsty, crazed, newborn vampires. My stomach flipped as the thought crossed my mind. I tried to mentally change subjects. Me freaking out wouldn't do anything to help me or him.
"I'm off to La Push for the day," Grandma chirped and headed for the door. "And Amanda, if you keep abusing Jasper I'm afraid I'll have to take him away from you!"
"Um, ew," was the only response I could think of.
She frolicked out the door with more energy than anyone should have before noon, much less a seventy something year old woman, not knowing that her whole weekend had been planned to keep her safe down in La Push and away from the incoming vampires.
"I won't always be here to save you when she hurls herself at you," I rolled my eyes at Jasper.
"I can't help myself, it's too funny."
I moved my leg to kick him again, but he stood up and was behind me in less than a second.
"Nice try," he laughed and kissed the top of my head.
I followed him into the living room and sat on the couch by him.
"We're so boring," I mused, trying to quell the unwelcome worrying I felt coming on. "It's like we're both old farts."
Of course I couldn't fool him.
"You don't have anything to worry about," he insisted patiently.
"I know, I'm worried about anything; I'm worried about you."
He chuckled, which took me slightly off guard. "I'm about as close to indestructible as anything can get. Out of the two of us, I'm not the breakable one."
"Yeah, but out of the two of us I'm not the one fighting vampires in the morning."
"No, you're not. I've seen to that." He sensed I was about to ask what the plan was so he continued. "I'm picking you up early tomorrow, around daybreak…whenever Alice sees when that is, then I'm driving you and Esme to a campsite in the mountains about thirty miles away. That dog, Quil, was it?"
I nodded.
"He's following us there to cover the scent there and then in the camp. God knows no one will stick their nose close enough to that trail to care who was there. Then after it's all over, Esme will carry you back to the meadow. It's pretty simple, really."
I nodded and leaned into his shoulder. I didn't really like the phrase "when it's all over."
"If you're not careful and you get hurt I'm afraid I'll have to kill you," I warned.
"I'll keep that in mind," he grinned. "And I'm terrified to disobey."
"Damn straight!" I said with gusto. "I miss Emmett. I haven't had anyone to verbally joust with and I'm going insane! You're too mellow and courteous to participate in verbal jousting."
"Emmett misses you too, he misses having someone to pick on. Believe it or not, Rosalie isn't really into short jokes."
"Shocking."
Jasper flung his head back onto the cushion and groaned. "Edward and Bella are trying to send me into cardiac arrest…or make my head explode. Actually, my head exploding would be more preferable than dealing with them."
"Oh, God," I said, only imagining what emotions the tortured couple was radiating.
"It's like constant mood swing," Jasper explained, shaking his head back and forth. "Bella goes from frozen with worrying to being quite amorous and then back again. Edward's the same way, but he'd never admit it."
I snorted. "Little innocent Bella and Saint Edward. Who would have thought?"
"I wish I didn't. Weren't we talking about a wedding before?" he changed subjects randomly.
"I do believe so. But I'm all about eloping in, like, London or somewhere."
He laughed. "I doubt eloping's going to work out."
"Yeah, and it would really hurt Grandma's feelings if she wasn't there. Maybe just a really small thing then or something. I don't know. I never thought I'd get married so I haven't really thought about it."
Jasper's phone rang. He answered it and hung up in a second.
"Alice is on her way over," he explained.
I wrinkled my nose, realizing that she had probably seen my elopement suggestion.
A second later the front door flung open, making me jump.
"Amanda!" Alice greeted enthusiastically, enveloping me in a frigid hug. "I just wanted to come over to assure you everything'll be fine tomorrow."
I glanced down at the bag she was carrying.
"While I was over….." she began, "I thought I might as well bring over some bridal magazines. You know, give you some ideas."
"Um, okay…" I said, knowing that it really wasn't an option. Alice did have good taste, though. We both knew I'd probably like what she picked out, as long as it wasn't too flamboyant and girly.
"I'm going to hunt!" Jasper exclaimed and darted out the door, leaving me all alone with a very hyper Alice.
"Not yet! I have something to give Amanda and you have to be here!"
Jasper sat back down and looked confused as Alice rummaged in her bag and pulled out a small box. She handed it to me with a big grin. I opened it to reveal a bracelet made of polished red stones.
"Thanks, Alice, it's pretty," I said as I put it on.
Her grin got bigger. "You don't know what the stone is, do you?"
I shook my head.
"It's Jasper, silly!!" she laughed. Jasper and I joined in.
"I swear, since I've known you people, I've gotten more jewelry in the past 6 months than in my whole life."
"Even more than from your mafia ex-boyfriend?" Jasper chuckled. I swatted him on the shoulder.
I groaned. "Shut up, that only lasted like 2 months. Then he got deported or something."
"Or something?" he laughed harder. In a demonstration of my maturity, I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Enough of this chit chat, we have business to attend to!" Alice exclaimed and straightened her pile of magazines.
"I'm going hunting," Jasper said quickly. He kissed my cheek lightly and whispered, "I'll be back soon."
Alice grinned devilishly. "I heard something about Europe…don't get alarmed, I know you don't want flamboyance and lots of people. So, I was thinking this."
She began to discuss some places she thought I'd like, some fabrics, some flowers. I tried to stay attentive but eventually glazed over. It was going to be a long afternoon.