Chapter eighteen
20th December
The days passed quickly and the more time i spent alone with Jasper the more he seemed to unwind and relax around me. The more he relaxed the more i fell in love with him for simply being Jasper, My Major Jasper Whitlock the charismatic southern gentleman. Not the tense and on edge Jasper Hale who had intrigued me in the icy wasteland i called home. Nothing much happened over the past week. Jasper and i would amuse ourselves in the expanses of his land, walking and talking. There were so many things i had never realised i did not know about him until now, so many little stories about his past both as a human and as a vampire that he would tell me as we walked around the fields, him sparkling in the gentle light glowing from the sun. His smile seemed to radiate its own light, it was beautiful, truly glorious. In the evenings i would have dinner, sometimes he would treat me to his fabulous culinary skills. And then once the sun had started to set we would go out and he would show me around the city and show me where he grew up, special places that seemed so ordinary that held such great sentimental value to the tall blond.
I slipped on my trainers and stepped out onto the patio area at the back of the house, a small smile dancing on my pink lips as my gaze drifted to the snow white sparkling figure lying on the grass, his eyes skimming over the aged pages of some book. Jaspers gaze shifted from the text to me and a smile spread across his perfect marble lips
"Good morning darling," He said watching me sit next to him on the grass.
"Good morning to you too kitty cat," I said with a smile. I heard a hysterical laughter erupt from behind us. It scared the living daylights from me; a hand went to my chest trying to stop my heart leaping from it. Jasper too seemed startled; he protectively pulled me to his body wrapping his arms around me, turning to growl at the laughter. That all happened in a split second.
Two people stood behind us, one male and one female and both where laughing hysterically.
"Kitty cat? Did you just hear that a human called JASPER a kitty cat!" The male howled in laughter. The woman giggled softly her delicate looking weapon of a hand covering her smiling lips. I could feel the wave of calmness Jasper sent towards them.
"Peter, Charlotte you're both early," Jasper said standing and pulling me to my feet along with him.
"Well the excitement of meeting your new friend was too much for us, but it would seem we caught you in the middle of breakfast," He said motioning to me. I saw the female, Charlotte, cringe slightly.
"Peter, the human is his friend. Remember Jasper doesn't eat Humans anymore," She said touching his arm and looking at me apologetically. Peters jaw dropped slightly as he looked to Jasper questioningly.
"Peter, Charlotte this is Elizabeth Daxon," He said pushing me forward slightly," She is a friend from Alaska," Peter stood there looking highly confused whilst Charlotte rolled her eyes at her mate...boyfriend...husband. I wasn't entirely sure what to refer to it as. Charlotte walked forwards and outstretched her hand shakily to me.
"Hello miss Daxon," She said with a smile. I could tell she was trying desperately not to breathe. "Hello. Please just call me Lizzie," I said quickly shaking her hand, not wanting to put her under too much pressure, i trusted Jasper's control but his friends seemed to be expecting a vampire here not me.
"I thought you said we were meeting Jasper's new mate?" Peter said appearing beside Charlotte. She rolled her eyes and winked at me.
"No sweety i told you we where meeting a friend of his who happened to be female. You wrongly assumed she would be his new mate and she was a vampire. So don't bundle your mistakes on me," She said seeming not amused. I grinned slightly to charlotte.
"Ah Peter you never where that bright now where you," Jasper said smirking.
"Nice to see you again too," Peter sarcastically drawled, he eyed me up warily, his crimson eyes seeming to burn into my skin. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Jasper led us all inside and to the nicely decorated living room, complete now with decorated tree.
"So when is she being turned? Or are you two going to breed like Edward and Bella did?" Peter said cheerily turning to Jasper. If it were an anime i swear jasper would have fallen over backwards.
"Why does everyone assume we are together?" I said flatly, "And also what is everyone's obsession with cross breeding?" Charlotte sniggered and grinned. I liked Charlotte; she seemed to have a cheeky and witty personality. Peter on the other hand seemed very nice, a bit brash and never thought what he was going to say through before it spewed from his mouth.
"I'll turn Lizzie only if it is necessary to, i am not going to do it just because she wants to which to my understanding she doesn't," Jasper said smiling down at me. I nodded softly.
"If it happens it happens, but i'm not going to beg to be turned. If Jasper decides to turn me in an emergency then i won't complain," I said shrugging.
The convocation continued most of the day as Jasper and his friends caught up with each other. At five o'clock i excused myself to make myself dinner. I was cutting up some veg as i noticed Charlotte next to the dining table.
"Jasper has changed a lot since i last saw him," She said as i looked to her.
"How do you mean?" I said sliding the veg into the wok. She thought for a moment before speaking.
"He seems more relaxed and well... happy. I don't know if it is not having that witch Alice around or you being here. I have a feeling it's a mixture of both," She said finally. I smiled slightly.
"You didn't like Alice?" I said questioningly.
"Not really," She said frankly, "Honestly she was way too hyper active and controlling for my liking, she was completely wrong for Jasper,"
"I see," I said smiling slightly.
"You seem very close to Jasper though," She said questioningly. I shrugged.
"In Alaska at my high school its well...erm...a bit or a charade. You see Alice appeared a few months back pretty much begging for Jasper to take her back. Her vision hadn't played out yet. So Jasper pretended i was his girlfriend and it fooled everyone, even Edward. For some reason at school thats still running even now. So my Dad believes i'm on holiday with my boyfriend. So i guess you could say me and Jasper are very close, honestly he is the best thing thats happened to me in a while," I said dishing my dinner up onto a plate and grabbing a fork. Charlotte smiled to me.
"You like him don't you?" She said, her lips curling into a grin. I almost choked on my noodles as i turned to look at her. I chewed my lip slightly a sighed.
"Honestly like would be an understatement, I adore him. There is no point to getting up without Jasper here," I said dryly, she chuckled.
"You could attempt to sound happy about it," She said with a smile. I forked more food into my mouth.
"Don't get me wrong, Jasper is obviously perfectly aware of my feelings. It just almost as if he is purposefully avoiding them," I said sighing. She chuckled.
"You're not aware he's courting you are you?" She said tilting her head sideways.
"What?" I said blinking. She sat up straight with a smile.
"Courtship is the traditional dating period before engagement and marriage. During a courtship, a couple dates to get to know each other and decide if there will be an engagement. Usually courtship is a public affair, done in public and with family approval," She said slowly and clearly. I almost spat out my food.
"So school...the jewellery...the party...my dad...the picnics..." I stammered, "Wait engagement...marriage..." I could feel my head spinning, "Jasper...he likes me?" Charlotte laughed gently and nodded.
"Jasper is still very old fashioned. He likes things done properly. I guess he never thought you weren't aware of what everything meant. Things must be very different now days," She said as i finished my food, "But he does obviously really like you, he's never acted like this since I've known him. Maria was well...eh...anyway Alice...she didn't leave much room for negotiation,"
"I see. Eh...thanks for telling me Charlotte," I said weakly, slowly allowing my brain to process this as i cleaned the dishes.
We joined the two men back in the living room and my face instantly turned red at the site of Jasper.
"You ok Lizzie?" He said as i nervously sat down next to him.
"Fine," I said glancing at a smiling Charlotte. He followed my line of sight and then chuckled.
"What did you do Charlotte?" He said in playful accusation.
"Nothing, all we did was talk," She said with a grin whilst curling up next to Peter. Well she was correct, we did just talk. Its just what we talked about that freaked me out. Marriage meant forever and children. Children and forever meant three days of burning agony becoming one of them. It was just a lot to take in. For Jasper i would become a vampire, for amaranth. Immortal love.
I went to bed at three am at Jasper's orders and he followed me up, and Peter was childish making cat calls after us. I also heard him being told off by Charlotte, and quite harshly by the sound of it.
"So what do you think of them?" Jasper asked as i came out of the bathroom in my short silky nightgown.
"Peter and Charlotte?" I questioned climbing into bed, "They're quite full on but i like them. They seem very friendly and they obviously think very highly of you," Jasper chuckled as he joined me on the bed.
"It's given them a whole new outlook on humans. They've never really interacted with humans other than hunting before so maybe they'll be converted by the end of it," He seemed hopeful, being a vegetarian according to him had changed his world. He no longer had to deal with the emotions and pain of a dying person. Animals emotions where apparently less complex and easier to ignore.
"You're staying in here all night aren't you," I said with a grin, "Worried Peter'll get slightly peckish in the night or something?" He shifted uncomfortably.
"I...i just don't want anything to happen to you," He said seeming honestly concerned. I chuckled slightly and leaned over to him and ran my fingers through his hair hearing the pleasing rumble from his throat i enjoyed so much.
"You worry so much Jazz," I whispered, if he was courting me like Charlotte said i was going to make the most of his affection, "You need to relax," He looked at me with his eyes half shut making that amazing purring noise and chuckled closing the gap between us, wrapping his arms around my quilted waist.
"Make me relax then," He growled softly. I raised an eyebrow at him.
"How do you ex mmmhgmmmhm," I started to say before i was cut off by a pair of ice cold lips on mine, i melted into it, remaining very still but allowing my lips to move against his.
"Relaxed yet," I muttered drowsily as he pulled away. He grinned at me, his amber eyes sparkling.
"Sleep now my darling," He whispered as i rested my head on his cool chest almost automatically falling asleep.
JUST GUNNA STAND THERE AND WATCH ME BURN WELL ITS ALRIGHT BECAUSE...
I awoke to my phone singing annoyingly, and even more unpleasantly Jasper was not where i left him. I grumbled and grabbed my phone flicking it open.
"Yes Rosalie?" I groaned yawning.
"Wow you're still in bed? Its like 10 am there isn't it?" She said chuckling, "Had a good night did you?" My eyes shot open then.
"WHAT? 10am? And no...Peter and Charlotte arrived yesterday so i didn't go to bed till like gone three...i guess my insomnia is going away," I said yawning again.
"They came early? How'd they react to you?" She said and i could hear the smirk in her voice.
"Peter thought i was Jasper's breakfast. But Charlotte seems to accept it...hey how come none of you ever told me Jasper was freaking courting me!" I said accusingly.
"AW DAMN YOU WIN!" I heard Emmett in the background.
"Pay up then idiot," I heard Edward.
"You were betting on me!" I hissed angrily.
"I had nothing to do with it," Rosalie said in defence, "And come on Lizzie! Don't tell me you've only just noticed Jasper has feelings for you, you have to have seen the way he looks at you,"
"What? I didn't notice! Charlotte told me!" I said hysterically, "What looks?" She laughed softly.
"Calm down! Well i have to go! Talk to you later ok Lizzie!" Rosalie said.
"Alright Bye!"