CHAPTER NINE

MY JASPER

The beach was freezing when we finally got there. Bianca was shivering and cuddling into my side, whining about how cold it was. So I sat with her inside the jeep with Bella and Angela while the others suited up to surf.

Angela was talking to us about her crush on Eric, "I keep thinking Eric's going to ask me to prom, then he just... doesn't."

"You could ask him," Bella intercepted with advice, "Take control. You're a strong independent woman."

"I am?" Angela asked in a small voice.

"Bella!"

Bella and I looked over to see Jacob, Embry and another tall tanned man approaching the group. Bella smiled, "Guys, this is Jacob. Are you stalking me?"

Jacob scoffed, "You're on my rez, remember?"

Bianca squealed, "Embry!" and jumped out of my lap and into his arms. He laughed loudly and swung her around like a big brother.

"You guys know each other?" Jessica asked.

I nodded, "Bianca and I come to the beach a lot. Since we moved here."

Jacob gave me a side hug, "Yes, she's a Quileute at heart."

I scoffed, "Right."

Jacob looked at Bella then, "You surfing?"

Bella grew pale at the thought, "Definitely not."

"You guys can keep her company. Her date bailed." Jessica teased.

"What date?" Eric asked like a kicked puppy.

Jessica smirked, "She invited Edward."

Bella blushed and looked down, "To be polite."

"I think it's nice she invited him," Angela cut in, "No on ever does."

"Because Cullen's a freak," Mike cut in rudely. I frowned at him about to speak when the third tan guy laughed, "You got that right."

Embry and Jacob looked uncomfortable. Bella looked up, "You know them?"

The guy answered her sharply, "The Cullens don't come here."

Jacob shot him a look and shook his head. Bella had a thoughtful look on her face and I knew she was suspicious when she pulled Jacob aside.

I stood up and took Bianca from Embry's arms when she started whining, "But the Cullens are my friends!"

Mike laughed, "How can those freaks be your friends?"

Bianca started to cry, "Embry make them stop!"

Embry looked at Mike, "Come on man, she's a little girl."

Mike scoffed, "Whatever," and walked out to the shore.

The tall tanned guy spoke to Bianca, "How do you know them?"

I handed Bianca a red vine and answered for her, "Jasper Cullen is my boyfriend. The rest of the family is family to us. You got a problem with that?"

His face went cold, "What?"

"You heard me," I was acting brave, but inside I was panicked and fearful that these guys somehow knew about the Cullens being vampires.

"You can not seriously be with one of them!" He said incredulously.

I hitched Bianca on my hip as she chewed on her candy, "I am very serious. You shouldn't judge someone before you get to know them."

His face went dark, "If you knew what I knew, you'd understand."

"And if you knew them at all, you would too," I shot back.

That Sunday Bianca and I went to visit the Cullens. Bianca immediately raced for Jasper's legs, "Jasper! The beach men were being mean to you."

I sighed when Jasper looked at me questionably, "The Quileutes."

Jasper nodded, understanding what I meant, and crouched in front of Bianca, "Don't worry about what they said, alright? All that matters is what you know, you understand?"

Bianca nodded quietly, "Yes, Jasper."

Alice came in the room then and hugged me, "Hello Heather."

I smiled... only slightly insecure with her and Jasper's history together. "Hello Alice."

Alice then smiled down at Bianca, "Hello Bianca, would you like to come help Rose, Esme and I in the kitchen? We're making dinner for you and Heather tonight."

Bianca smiled, "Can we make pizza!"

Alice smiled, "Of course. Come on," she took Bianca's hand and they walked out of the room.

Jasper gave me a kiss on the cheek and took my hand. He pulled me up the stairs as he asked me, "So what were they saying?"

I shrugged, "It's no big deal. Jessica mentioned that Bella invited Edward and Angela mentioned that no one ever invited you guys anywhere. Mike said it was because you were freaks and some Indian guy agreed. Bianca got upset."

Jasper faltered at the top of the stairs, frozen like a statue. I tugged on his hand, "Jasper... just forget it. It's just two guys' opinions out of millions."

Jasper let out a breath he didn't need – he told me about that – and looked down at me, "You deserve better than constantly covering for me and my family."

"I'm covering for my family," I whispered back.

At school it was a sunny day. So I sat with Bella and Jess at the tables outside. Bella was looking around throughout the crowds. I knew she was looking for Edward.

I tapped her shoulder, "They're not here today, Bella."

She looked at me as Jessica elaborated, "Whenever the weather's nice, the Cullens disappear."

"They just... ditch?" Bella asked.

Jessica closed her eyes as she tilted her head towards the sun, "No, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen yank 'em out for hiking and camping and stuff. I tried the idea out on my parents. Not even close."

Angela came over and sat beside me and Bella with a shocked buy happy and awe struck expression on her face, "I'm going to the prom with Eric! I just asked him, I took control!"

Bella smiled and I put a hand on her shoulder, "Congrats, Angela."

Angela peered at Bella, "Are you sure you have to go out of town?"

Bella nodded 'sadly', "It's a family thing."

"Oh my god," Jessica cut in, "we need to hit the stores in Port Angeles before the good dresses get cleaned out."

"Port Angeles?" Bella perked up, interested, "Mind if I come?"

"Uh... yeah," Angela stood as the bell rang, "I need your opinion."

Bella looked over at me while I hitched the strap of my bag on my shoulder, "Are you coming?"

I shook my head, "Already got my dress with Alice and Rosalie."

I nibbled on the baked Alaska that Bianca helped the girls make. Bianca was playing video games with Emmett in the game room. Jasper tweaked my ear to get my attention.

When I looked at him he smiled at me and held his hand out. I gave him my hand and he tugged me to follow behind him. I followed him up the stairs until we got to the top. But instead of going to a sitting room on the left side, we turned right.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

Jasper gave me a gentle smirk but said nothing. He pulled me behind him until we got to a room I'd never been in before. Inside, it was big. The walls were painted a dark green with white trimming. There was a brown leather couch pushed against the wall. The floor around it was covered in leather bound books of varying sizes in piles. There was a book case on the other side filled with old history books surrounding a flat screen TV. On the farthest wall there was a balcony and the doors were slightly open.

I stepped into the room and looked around, taking in the titles of the history books. I noticed an acoustic guitar in the corner. I looked back at Jasper who was still standing, anxious, in the door way. "This is your room."

Jasper nodded.

"I'm never been in here before," I laughed to myself, "We've been dating months and I never noticed that I've never been in your room before."

Jasper smiled slowly, "We are not the most conventional couple out there. You'll have to bare with me, Heather, because I don't know how to go about this."

I looked around and slowly sat on the couch, "No bed."

Jasper stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Since we don't sleep, we don't need beds."

I laughed to myself, "Good point."

I laid my head on Jasper's shoulder, "Has there ever been a couple like us before? Human and vampire?"

Jasper put an arm around me back, "Not that I've ever heard. We don't have any idea what to expect from this."

I played with his fingers and nodded into his shirt, "What do you want to come out of this?"

Jasper kissed my forehead, "What do you mean, darling?"

I sighed, "I know it's early... and we have time, but... what kind of future do we have if I don't become like you?"

I felt Jasper still underneath my head. And he was so quiet. I almost regretted ever bringing the subject up. Jasper was nineteen. I had time to think if I really did want to become a vampire.

Jasper pulled away from me. I felt cold without him, much colder than his skin. He stood, walking towards the balcony doors, "That isn't something we need to talk about, Heather."

I stuttered slightly, "I know we haven't been together long. I know I'm probably jumping to the conclusions that we'll be together forever.. but I can't imagine a future without you in it. And the only way I can see you in my future forever is me... becoming a vampire."

Jasper looked at me incredulously, "You want to become a monster?"

I stood quietly, "You're not a monster, Jasper. You are Jasper Whitlock Cullen."

He looked away from me, at war with himself, "You don't know how hard it was. When you're new. The thirst is uncontrollable. It's consuming. Almost too hard to resist..."

I stood behind him, and put a hand on his arm, "But you resist everyday. When you were new, you had the wrong people leading you through it. But now you have the Cullens and Carlisle. You have to have faith in yourself."

I maneuvered around him so I stood in front of him. I put a hand on his cheek and tugged his face to look at me. I knew if he honestly didn't want to look at me then I wouldn't be strong enough to make him. But he allowed me to pull his face closer to mine. "Jasper, you don't know how proud of you we all are. How proud of you I am. You don't give yourself enough credit. If I become a vampire, I'll be so lucky to have you there to guide me."

Jasper closed his eyes and sighed. I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his chest, "Just believe in yourself Jasper. I do."

I felt him slowly wrap his arms around my back. I sighed into his chest, "You're my Jasper."

Trust me, those last three words are going to be really important throughout this series. So keep those in mind.

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