A/N: A little note is that this chapter will have a tiny bit of third person at the end.

~I quickly realized he just wanted to get to know me—I had conflicting feelings about that and it kept me awake staring at my ceiling all of Friday night.~

CHAPTER SIX - TERROR

I was taken back by Jasper asking me to have lunch together for a few reasons. For one, he didn't eat. Two, I didn't want to have indigestion. Three, I planned to go to the library to at least avoid Jessica and her annoyingly intrusive questions. And four, I didn't want to turn him down which confused me but I refused to acknowledge what that could mean.

I pushed a piece of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear, "I actually was planning on going to the library during lunch. I already let Bella know." I waved my phone a bit to emphasize that I texted her.

"If you don't mind company, would it be alright if I accompanied you?" He quickly proposed.

If I was honest with myself, I didn't mind Jasper's company. In fact, part of me craved it. And he was actually nice to talk to. He let me vent, didn't cut me off, and even offered his own words of wisdom. He was adamant to speak to me every class last week and even sat with me all free period in the library Friday. I definitely was suspicious that the Cullens knew that I knew and Jasper was tasked with watching over me since I had the most classes with him but I quickly realized he just wanted to get to know me—I had conflicting feelings about that and it kept me awake staring at my ceiling all of Friday night. I hated myself for agreeing before the two of us walked to the library together, getting gawking stares again. I tried to avoid bumping into as many people as possible before we safely made it to a table in the desolate library.

"Are you not eating?" I asked, feigning ignorance as usual, as I pulled out an apple from my bag. There were no rules about eating in here and I had been taking full advantage of that.

Jasper's eyes pinch as he shakes his head no, "I had a big breakfast."

The lie feels like it echoes but I brush past the obvious fib, nodding in understanding before volunteering information nobody asked for, "I rarely eat breakfast. More of a coffee in the morning, lunch, a snack, dinner, and then another snack person myself."

He eyes my single apple resting on the table wearily, "Is that all you're eating for lunch?"

I giggle because the last thing Jasper should worry about is my diet. His eyes widen before a grin settles on his face.

I calm down enough to respond, "God, no. I have a sandwich in my bag. I just haven't gotten it out yet." I point at him in mock disappointment, "You distracted me."

He holds a hand over his heart, "Vega, you wound me."

"Hmph. You'll heal." I tease back, setting my water and sandwich down. It's a bit unnerving eating when he isn't. It's even more uncomfortable if he watches me eat in silence. So I pull my book out, deciding to distract myself from the ethereal man across from me that doesn't do my heart or mind any good.

I embarrassingly inhaled my sandwich and apple down at a speed normal people do not. But it's not like I'm trying to impress Jasper so I forced myself to not care.

"Alice wants to meet you."

I choke on my water, coughing violently as my eyes water and search him out.

He looks worried and amused all at once as I fight for my life both physically and mentally. Once I collect myself I try to be nonchalant, "I've already met Alice. At the grocery store."

His brows furrowed a bit, "Yes. She told me you ran off into the pouring rain with a ton of bags in hand. Lucky you didn't slip. If you waited for me I would've gladly helped you."

"It's alright." I brushed it off easily, "I didn't want to pull you away from helping your mom."

His mouth parts as a little 'ah' escapes his lips. His lips that I stare far too long at. The same lips I dreamt of ghosting my own last night. I will away the thoughts that are trying to consume me—wouldn't do any good to be feeling a certain way in front of a vampire who is an empath. The book has captured my attention once more, it's a trashy supernatural romance novel that focuses on the love between a werewolf and witch that I picked up at the bookstore when I was bored.

Right before lunch is about to end Jasper asks a question that I'm thankful I wasn't drinking water during.

"Do you believe in the supernatural?" He seems overly invested and to be fair I don't blame him when I notice his eyes on the cover of my book, a shirtless buff man with poorly edited glowing eyes and a woman in a witch hat both under a full moon.

I purse my lips and nibble on the skin inside—an absolutely terrible habit I have never broken—considering my answer. "I don't think it's impossible but I also have never met one so I can't say for sure." My face doesn't move a millimeter as I boldly lie to his face.

His eyes and face give away nothing as he hums in thought, "What if you did meet one. A supernatural creature that is?"

The bell rings but we're both headed to the same place so as we walk side by side, arms almost brushing, I answer "I would do nothing. Would cowering do me any good? Or god forbid I knew they were a supernatural creature. Asking too many questions would inevitably lead to my doom."

Both eyebrows raise on his handsome face, "Doom?"

I nod with certainty, "Mhm. Doom." I look at him, eyes wide and explain, "If I'm not supposed to know, wouldn't I be a liability to them? Or what if I have to be" I make a slicing motion across my neck, "taken care of."

Jasper's face was a mix of being horrified and amused. His gaze pierced me with concern swimming in those beautifully colored eyes. Gosh, his dazzling ability is just not fair. "You wouldn't be scared of what they were but of their safety? And potentially finding out and being…'taken care of' later?"

We take our seats in history, "Yeah. I mean, let's say they're something I don't have to fear. But if I find out they're hiding a pretty crazy secret I'm not supposed to know? Yikes. It smells of disaster."

"What if you wouldn't have to be taken care of. You could know everything and be fine." He asks, genuine curiosity coating his tone.

"If I could be friends with them I would. If they're not going to hurt me, why can't I?" I tilt my head to the side but before he can answer the bell rings.

The class passes in a blur and before I realize what's happening, Jasper is asking me if I'd like a ride home instead of sitting in the library until Bella finishes. I politely declined, telling him I needed to see Bella since today was Edward's first day back. He chuckles a bit and it feels like a thousand little butterflies have been set free in my stomach.

"Maybe next time?" I bashfully suggested before my brain fully caught up to my mouth.

He gives a little smile, "Yeah. Next time." It's such a vague timeframe so I'm hoping he'll let it go if I don't bring it up again.

Heading to the parking lot I nearly groaned aloud when I saw all of the melting snow, leaving nothing but slush and water in its wake. Bella beat me to the lot for once, making me question if I was moving extremely slow or if she sprinted there. I hopped in, glad she already had the heat blasting. She almost ignored my presence other than helping move my bag as her eyes caught Edward by his own car. I can hear her teeth clack as her jaw clenches and she reverses a little too fast, nearly rear ending a car behind us. My heart beats wildly as I chuckle nervously but I shut myself up as I see her eyes still locked on Edward—who has the audacity to be laughing.

I catch Jasper's eyes and can see his entire body tense, even from how far away we were. I flash a quick smile, signaling we're fine—no blood, no foul—as Bella catapults The Beast out of the parking lot.

Hours passed before Bella knocked on my door. I was already tucked comfortably under the blankets with a book in hand but I called out softly for her to come in. Her eyes were determined as she sat on the foot of the bed, "Am I crazy for being so angry with a strange boy we don't even know?"

"Well I wouldn't say crazy…because of the boy" I smirk at her, "But I do think you're crazy for reversing so aggressively without looking." I tease mercilessly.

Her mouth drops open and she smacks my legs through the blankets making me giggle and that prompts her to start laughing too. After we calm down she takes a huge breath and pushes her hair out of her face, "He's just so frustrating. Today he actually spoke normal sentences to me and even asked questions then stormed off all of a sudden when I commented on his eyes."

I loosely shrug, keeping a straight face as I tap her hand with my fingers, "Maybe he's self conscious of his eyes? If you really don't like him, just ignore him. And if he says anything offensive to you I'll hold him down while you get a good hit in." I very much didn't mean that but if it cheered Bella up then it was okay to lie a little.

She gives me a large smile before throwing herself at me, squeezing my body so hard I make fake choking noises and we both spend the rest of the night giggling and basking in each other's comforting presence before she goes back to her room. The night was quiet as no strange dreams plagued me.

I struggled the most when I was a kid trying to come to terms with the world tilting realization on where I was—who I was. I lashed out at everyone. Dad, mom, Bella, the doctors, people at school, and even myself. It got a little better after a few years and the nightmares died down but I was never normal and I was treated like a shattered glass object being held together with scotch tape.

Bella was the only person who kept trying. Who kept her behavior as normal as possible and didn't try to come at me with kiddie gloves on. She was hesitant and worried of course when she saw me having my attacks but she never tried to cage me in the house. She never tried to stop me from growing. And yeah maybe that's because she was a kid herself and I was her sister but it really helped me.

Mom on the other hand would adamantly refuse to let me out of her sight for a few years—until I was old enough to put my foot down that is. Plus mom wasn't exactly the most stable of adults so it kind of felt like I was watching her. Dad was always worried. Having not been physically around as much he felt guilty, like he wasn't doing enough.

It wasn't until I started making trips out to Forks without Bella when I was twelve that everyone seemed to calm down a little bit. And then Bella wanted to tag along with me when she was fourteen but it turned out she despised the town of Forks and so dad would always come meet us at a vacation spot we chose. I didn't mind either way, not being overly attached to Forks. I just wanted to see my dad.

It was nice being back in Forks though. I enjoyed the silence of the night the thick forests and small town brought, so unlike Arizona. I didn't love the ice but I didn't mind it as long as I didn't have to leave the house. Today was no such day however. The air bitterly blew across my exposed face and the roads looked slick with rain and ice. If this wasn't the second week of being here I would've skipped for the entire day.

I'm thankful for dad putting chains on The Beast's tires, if not I'm afraid our lives might not have been spared. I clearly jinxed us when I joked to Bella about that as we both stood on the drivers side of The Beast, neither eager to rush into the building. Well, Bella was more distracted by the Cullen and Hales than anything and I was just killing time.

It happened before I could even blink. The screeching of tires, the screams of terror, and the body like marble slamming into my own. A gasp I couldn't control flies out of me as I flinch then all I see is fire, red eyes full of hate and fear, and forearms covered in bite marks. I force the images away, feeling the lingering pain and disgust as I register what happened. Solid, strong, arms are engulfing my entire figure and forcing my head to be tucked against a hard chest. The body holding mine is taught, like a bowstring being pulled too tight, and it was also completely still.

It was when I finally moved my head, my eyes meeting obsidian that I knew a major part of the series just happened but I totally forgot about it, having lost track of time. The green van that was moments away from taking Bella and I to the other side was narrowly missing us. And it was all thanks to Jasper and Edward. Well, my eyes peeked at the indent near Edward–mainly Edward. Jasper had done well to completely remove our bodies from between the vehicles, throwing us in front of The Beast. His body shielded mine from all the shattered glass.

Sound came rushing back into my ears all at once. The piercing screams of some students, the murmurs of others, someone begging for someone else to call 911…it was all a lot. Jasper didn't let me go but helped me stand up at least. Bella was staring at Edward in utter shock, clearly unable to believe whatever the fuck just happened—not that I blamed her. I only wasn't freaking out because I already knew what they were.

I was so distracted by my own thoughts I didn't notice—which says a lot because I didn't even have to stop the images from appearing—Jasper trying to get my attention until his hands grabbed my cheeks and forced me to look him in the eyes. "Vega!" His voice is strained and full of distress. My own distress and worry skyrocket as I'm brought back to his obsidian eyes. Am I bleeding? My hands flap around my body, touching and rubbing and hoping I don't feel the wetness of blood. I don't feel hurt. I'm standing fine. Anxiety claws at my chest. What if I'm just in shock?

No, I'm fine. Jasper's icy hands were bringing my reasoning back. If I was bleeding, Jasper would've probably already drained me dry. I gasp as I heave in a mouthful of air, the burning in my lungs fading slightly. But his eyes were so dark. Was Bella bleeding?

I try to whip my head to look at Bella, only for Jasper to hold me still, "Vega, you need to go to the hospital. You're in shock."

He was right. I was in shock but now I'm worried about Bella. I swallow, "I'm fine. Is Bella okay?"

Jasper's face pinches, "You are not fine."

I bring my hands up, fingers nervously ghosting his hands still placed on cheeks, "Mm. You saved me." I have a genuine, thankful smile on my face as I whisper "Thank you."

Then the ambulance shows up and someone is yelling that Tyler is bleeding and I suddenly feel nauseous. Images too fast for my eyes to stay on cloud my vision. Newer modeled cars. iPhone 14s. My Nintendo switch. All things now foreign to me. But then the spinning stops and the only image left is of shattered glass, crumpled metal, blood—too much—and empty brown eyes staring at me.

And I promptly shoved Jasper's hands off me as I threw myself to the side to heave up my morning coffee. My entire body was shaking and I could barely stand on my own, now using The Beast to support my weight. Cold, hard, arms catch me as I fall. The memories are too much and it feels like I'm swimming in a dark sea during a storm. Leaving me to hear the whispered conversation, "Jasper you have to let her go. She needs to go to the hospital and you need to leave." It's a female voice. And it sounds like twinkling bells. I can't hold on anymore and the dark tidal waves take me under, drowning me.

Jasper had never felt such unadulterated terror in his life. Until his entire family saw Tyler Crowley's van careening toward the Swan sisters. If he had a heart it would have stopped from fear alone. He was moving before his mind caught up, cradling Vega's small body against his own, and throwing them in front of the truck—out of harm's way of the van. Her small gasp was all he heard before he was beside himself with worry when she wasn't responding. He could smell the blood of the human driver but his entire being was hyper focused on Vega. It was something he would've been more interested in if he had the time to think about it but he didn't. Her eyes despondent and her skin ghastly pale. When she did blink at him, her eyes focusing, she immediately flailed her hands feeling around her body for injury. Then she was too worried about Bella to worry about herself.

But then she smiled and thanked him and Jasper felt so, so warm. He knew it was the wrong time to be feeling such things but he couldn't help it. The ambulances arrived and somehow bad became worse as he was suffocating in agony, Vega's entire being was leaking grief and despair. She shoved his hands away before vomiting as secretively as she could in front of the truck. Her body was swaying as she clung to the truck to hold her up and Jasper was catching her as soon as she lost the strength to stay up herself.

"Vega. Vega!" He was calling to her but her eyes were unfocused and then they were fluttering closed. Alice's hands were grabbing at his and it was only then that he noticed he wasn't paying attention to how hard he was squeezing in his panicked state. His emotions were volatile as Alice told him to let her take Vega. He nearly snarled but his eyes took in the human who was shallowly breathing in his arms and reluctantly handed her over. Being told he had to leave didn't sit well but he knew Alice was right. His control was already being pushed further than normal. He only lasted this long because his entire focus was Vega. He was practically dragged to the Jeep by Emmett who promised they could go close to the hospital after Jasper hunted something.

A/N:

As long as I am consistent with my updates they will be done on Sunday's after today!

Hope you all enjoyed reading (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)