Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.

Chapter Eleven

It was hard not to feel annoyed as Physics seemed to drag by slower than it usually did. Knowing that she had plans to spend extra time with Jasper after school left Danielle practically bouncing with excitement, but knowing that she still had a few more hours of school to suffer through before she could be with him also made her feel incredibly impatient. She watched the clock all through Physics, her eyes following the second hand as it tick tock tick'ed its way around the clock. Finally the bell rang, and she hurried off to Gym, hoping that their current badminton tournament would make the class go by at least a little faster than the previous one had.

Danielle was already in the girl's locker room and had already changed into her gym clothes by the time Bella arrived. Bella quickly made her way over, her expression eager.

"Okay," she said, opening her locker so she could stow away her books then turning an expectant look on Danielle. "Now that Edward and Jasper aren't around, I wanna hear what happened," she said.

Danielle happily launched into the story of what had happened between her and Jasper during lunch. "Well, to summarize, we argued first, then we had a very serious talk where he more or less told me he wanted to be with me but was afraid that something would go wrong. I told him that I wanted to be with him too and that my mind was made up, so there wasn't any point trying to convince me otherwise. Then we established that we are officially together, and then," Danielle paused and sighed, a dreamy smile appearing on her face. "Then we kissed," she revealed.

Bella's eyes widened with surprise. "Wow. You guys actually kissed?" Danielle nodded in confirmation. "How was it?" Bella asked curiously.

"Incredible," Danielle said wistfully.

Bella smiled, but it didn't completely reach her eyes. Danielle thought she saw something in her friend's gaze that looked a little like jealousy. "That's great, Dani," she said with a nod. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks," Danielle said. She then tilted her head curiously. "What about you and Edward? How's that going?"

Bella sighed a little, but nodded her head. "Good…I think," she said with a small shrug. "We're definitely nowhere near where you and Jasper are, but…things seem to be okay," she continued. "It's kind of like what you said about Jasper – I think Edward likes me, but he's afraid that he'll hurt me. He keeps trying to give me all these chances to change my mind about him, even though I keep telling him I'm not going to."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Sounds like he's just being extra cautious," she said. "You're still hanging out with him on Saturday?" Bella nodded. "Maybe things will change after that. Maybe some quality alone time is what you guys need to really figure out where everything is going."

"I hope so," Bella said. "I feel like we're in limbo right now, like it could go either way. I need a definite answer here, otherwise I'm going to lose my mind."

Danielle smiled sympathetically. "Hang in there, pal. If Jasper can be with me, then I don't see any reason why Edward can't be with you," she reasoned. "And if Edward has even half a brain in that head of his, he'll see that, too."

Bella just smiled gratefully in return, silently telling Danielle that she appreciated her words of encouragement.

When class started, Danielle and Bella teamed up and the badminton playing commenced. Just as had been the case since they had started this new sport, Danielle did most of the work. Bella attempted to help, but her lack of athletic skill combined with her clumsiness meant she did more damage than good. She always missed when the ball came toward her and she always seemed to find something to trip on, which was almost impressive considering they were playing on a perfectly flat surface. The icing on the cake happened when Danielle and Bella went for the ball at the same time and Bella accidently whacked her with the racket, which left her with big welt on her shoulder. Even when the final bell rang and they were finished changing back into their regular clothes, Bella was still apologizing profusely.

"I'm so, so sorry, Dani," Bella said as they grabbed their things and began making their way out of the locker room.

"Honestly, Bella, I'm fine," Danielle insisted for the twentieth time. "It's not the first time you've injured me, and I doubt it'll be the last."

Bella sighed. "Yeah, that doesn't make me feel any better," she said with a frown of guilt. "I don't care if I get a few bumps and bruises, but when my clumsiness starts affecting other people, I feel awful."

"It's not like I'm made out of glass," Danielle reminded her. "The bump will probably be gone by the morning. So stop beating yourself up about it, okay?" she said firmly.

Bella pursed her lips, but finally nodded. "Okay," she said, before finally putting an end to her apology tour.

They stepped out of the locker rooms together after that, and to Danielle's delight, she discovered that both Jasper and Edward were waiting for them. The two vampires had been talking quietly with one another, their expressions rather on the serious side, but both quickly looked to her and Bella the moment they sensed their presence. Jasper grinned broadly when he saw her, which, in turn, made Danielle grin just as widely. She hurried over to him, momentarily forgetting that Bella and Edward were even there. Jasper grabbed her hand once she was close enough, then pulled her closer so he could press a lingering kiss against her red curls. Danielle instantly felt calm and happy, and it wasn't because of Jasper's powers – just being close to him and having him touch her made everything in the world feel right again.

"Dani?" Bella said to catch her attention. Danielle shifted her attention to Bella, who was standing next to Edward and looking the tiniest bit awkward. Edward was just looking back and forth between the two of them, his expression impenetrable. "Edward and I are going to go."

"Okay," Danielle said with a nod. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Bella nodded, then after she and Edward said their goodbyes, they headed off down the hall. Danielle and Jasper watched them go, and it did not escape her notice when Bella shot what seemed like a longing look in Edward's direction as they walked side-by-side. Her friend quickly turned her eyes away, however, when Edward glanced down at her, and the two continued on.

Danielle sighed, unable to help feeling a bit bad for her friend. When she turned her gaze back to Jasper, he had a slight frown on his lips. "What do you feel?" she asked quietly, curious to know what he was sensing from her friend and his brother.

"From them?" Jasper asked. "Uncertainty, fear, longing…envy," he listed off. He stared after them for a moment longer, then looked down at her. "I think they see us being more comfortable with each other and they want that for themselves. But I know for a fact that Edward doesn't think himself ready for that yet," he explained. "He thinks it's too dangerous."

"Gee, that sounds familiar," Danielle commented, which made Jasper give her a look. She just gave him the same look in return, before sighing quietly. "Maybe we should tone down the affection in front of them a little," she suggested reluctantly. When Jasper frowned, Danielle quickly explained herself. "I don't mind you being affectionate with me one single bit. In fact, I love it," she quickly reassured him. "But I kinda feel like we're rubbing it in their faces that we can be close to each other when they obviously can't," she added with a shrug. "It makes me feel a bit like a jerk."

"I suppose I can see your point," Jasper conceded. "I'll try not to be so overzealous in front of them," he then said. "But I can't promise I'll be successful at it," he added warningly, before giving her a lopsided smile. "You make it difficult for me to keep myself in check sometimes."

His eyes gleamed for a moment and a small wave of desire washed over her, making her breath catch in her throat. Danielle unconsciously leaned closer to him, any thoughts of Edward and Bella – as well as most coherent thoughts in general – quickly vanishing from her mind. "You keep using your power on me like that and we might have bigger problems to worry about, like me having permanent brain damage," she warned breathlessly.

Jasper smirked, and the desire he'd just made her feel instantly disappeared. "Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" he asked.

Danielle shook her head, her thoughts beginning to function normally again. "Preferably not." She took a moment to clear her throat after that, then raised her brows at him questioningly. "So what sort of plans did you have in mind for our after-school adventure?" she asked, thinking it wise to change the subject and steer the conversation toward safer territory.

"Have you been to Bogachiel State Park yet?" he asked her. Danielle shook her head. "It's about six miles south of here. Very nice scenery and lots of open space. It'd be a perfect place to talk, if you'd like to go there," Jasper suggested.

"Sure," Danielle readily agreed. "I should probably take Bella's truck back to her house first, though," she told him. "She doesn't mind me driving it to and from school, but I don't know if she'd appreciate it if I started taking it out for joyrides just for the fun of it."

Jasper thought about it for a second, then nodded and extended his free hand toward her. "Give me the key," he urged. "I'll give it to Alice and have her take Bella's truck back. While I do that, you go ahead and go to your locker. Meet me in the woods behind the school when you're ready to go."

Danielle couldn't help but quirk an uncertain eyebrow. "Quick question," she said. "How exactly are we traveling to this park? And why do we have to meet in the woods?"

Jasper just smiled. "You'll see," he answered vaguely.

Danielle peered up at him with skepticism for a moment, then finally reached into her pocket to grab the key to Bella's truck and hand it to him. Jasper gave her one last smile, then released her hand and headed off down the hallway without another word. Danielle watched him go, suddenly hit with the distinct feeling that she was about to be in for something quite interesting indeed. Then, with a shake of her head, she finally headed off toward her locker.

By the time she had collected her backpack and her homework and was walking into the forest behind the school, five minutes had passed. She made her way carefully between the green trees of the woods, able to distantly hear the sounds of the many cars that were driving out of the school parking lot, her eyes watching the ground carefully for any roots that might try to trip her. Once she was about a dozen or so yards in, she began to search for any signs of Jasper anywhere in the forest.

"I'm over here," a familiar voice suddenly called from somewhere on her right, which made her jump in slight surprise.

Danielle turned that way and followed the sound of his voice, until she eventually found him patiently leaning against a tree. He smiled widely when he saw her, which made her heart thump against her ribs. He pushed away from the tree as she approached and walked toward her. "If you saw me come into the forest, why didn't you come to meet me?" Danielle asked curiously.

"I didn't want to startle you," Jasper said with a shrug.

Danielle nodded in understanding. "Alright, so…why are we meeting here?" she asked, glancing around at the lush, green scenery surrounding them.

"Because we're going to run to the park, but we can't exactly do that where other people can see," Jasper answered simply.

Danielle pursed her lips doubtfully. "We're running?" she asked, before glancing down at her shoes. "I mean, I don't mind getting a bit of exercise here or there, but running six miles in the woods sounds a little extreme to me," she said. "Plus, I'm not exactly dressed for a jog."

Jasper laughed, and though she very much liked the sound of his laughter, it only made her doubt increase. "Let me clarify," Jasper said once he'd stopped laughing. "I'm going to run. You are going to hold on."

Danielle looked at him with wide eyes now as she finally realized exactly what he meant to do. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, nervous butterflies filling her belly as he took a step closer. She could remember how fast they had moved earlier when he'd taken her behind the cafeteria at lunch time. Just going that small distance had been disorienting enough – she couldn't imagine them travelling for an extended period of time at a speed like that.

Jasper just smiled and extended a hand toward her. "You trust me, right?" he asked. Danielle looked at his hand, raised her gaze to his, then nodded in confirmation. "Then take my hand," he urged.

Danielle hesitated for one moment, then slowly slipped her hand into his. The next thing she knew, he had flung her onto his back as if she weighed no more than a feather, making her feel a bit like a koala hanging on to a tree. Danielle wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her firmly behind the knees, ensuring that she was anchored to his back. She ignored how wonderful he smelled and how soft his hair felt against her cheek, her eyes going wide as nervousness flooded her belly.

"It'll be strange for you at first, but you'll be alright, I promise," Jasper told her reassuringly as he looked at her over his shoulder. "Just hold on really, really tight," he advised. "And you should probably close your eyes."

Danielle tightened her arms and molded herself to his back, her heart pounding so hard with anticipation that she was almost certain he could feel it. "Ready?" Jasper asked.

Danielle nodded, and with that, he took off.

She'd never moved so fast in her entire life. Almost immediately, Danielle slammed her eyes shut and buried her face into Jasper's neck, her arms tightening to the point that she would've cut off his air supply had he still been human. The wind whipped past them, whistling loudly in her ears as Jasper raced forward like a jet that had just taken flight. She suddenly had an idea of what it must have felt like for Wile E. Coyote anytime he had strapped himself to an acme rocket to try to catch the Road Runner. In this scenario, she was the Coyote and Jasper was the rocket, and she could only hope now that when it was all said and done, she'd have much better luck with the landing than the Coyote ever had.

It could've been seconds or it could have been minutes, Danielle wasn't sure, but eventually Jasper stopped running, and to be so still again when they had just been moving so quickly made her momentarily feel weightless. For one small second, Danielle wondered if Jasper had accidently propelled them straight off the face of the planet, and wondered if when she opened her eyes, she'd find that they were floating around amongst the twinkling stars of outer space. But, finally, the sounds of tweeting birds and a rushing river reached her ears, which told her that they were still very much on Earth. Cracking an eye open, she took a look around, noticing that they were standing between the edge of the forest and the bank of a river.

"Are you alright?" Jasper asked. He sounded perfectly normal, not even the least bit exerted, as if they'd merely just been taking a leisurely stroll rather than running at incredible speeds.

Danielle slowly lifted her head and took a moment to mentally assess herself. She was slightly lightheaded, her ears were ringing a bit, and her limbs felt a little like jelly, but she still had all her body parts and she was still alive. "Yeah, I think so," she said slowly.

Jasper released his hold on her knees so that her legs were no longer clamped against his sides. She slid down to the ground and unwound her arms from his neck, but the moment her feet touched solid earth her legs gave out on her. Jasper turned so quickly she didn't even see it happen, his hands planting on her waist to keep her from falling. Danielle braced herself on his shoulders and closed her eyes, taking a few steady breaths. When she felt better she opened her eyes again, only to feel dizzy for an entirely new reason when she saw Jasper's handsome face only inches from her own.

Jasper stared down at her, his eyes searching hers. "Do you want to sit?" he asked.

Danielle nodded, and with that Jasper wrapped an arm around her waist and led her over to a tree trunk that had long since fallen over. He helped her sit down on the slightly damp log, then eased down next to her, sitting so close that his knee touched hers. Danielle shrugged off the backpack still hanging from her back, then ran a hand over her curls, which felt wild and frizzy from being blown about so fiercely.

"Well," Danielle said once she could locate her voice again. "That was…interesting."

Jasper smirked. "Did you enjoy it?"

Danielle gave him a look, then shook her head. "Not really," she said honestly, which made him chuckle. "I think it would've been a lot worse if I'd had my eyes open, though, so there's that."

"It was your first time. I'm sure it was disorienting," Jasper said understandingly. "Give it a few more tries. I'm certain it'll get easier after a while," he added reassuringly.

Danielle tried not to think about the fact that they'd have to run again later when it was time to go home, choosing instead to focus on the sound of the river that was flowing past them. She then began to look around, taking in the beautiful sights of the park around them. The air felt clean and fresh here, and the sounds of the river combined with the gently sound of the trees swaying in the wind was very calming. For a moment she was almost disappointed with herself for not coming here sooner, especially considering how close it was to home. But then she looked at Jasper, and she was glad to have come to such a pretty place with him.

"It's nice here," she said, feeling a bit more normal now that she'd had time to sit and collect herself.

Jasper nodded in agreement. "It can be difficult to find privacy at home, so I like to come out here to think and be by myself," he told her.

"I can see why," Danielle said with a nod. "Do you hunt here as well?" she then asked.

Jasper shook his head. "No. There's too great of a risk that humans might be nearby, which would be…catastrophic," he explained with a small wince. "We try to stick to places where humans don't normally go, so as to avoid any accidents."

Danielle had to admit that part of her was morbidly curious to see what Jasper looked like while he was hunting. But she knew, without even having to ask, he would never let her witness it. So she didn't bother asking, and instead gave him a curious look. "Where do you normally hunt, then?" she inquired.

Jasper shrugged. "We go all over," he told her. "We have to be careful not to impact the natural environment too greatly. We usually stick to areas where there's plenty of deer or elk to hunt, or where we've heard reports that there's an overpopulation of predators," he explained.

"So then where did you go hunting last weekend?" Danielle asked.

"Goat Rocks Wilderness," he answered. "There's plenty of grizzly bears up there. They're Emmett's favorite to hunt, especially when they're fresh out of hibernation," he said with a small smirk. "He finds a lot of joy in wrestling around with angry bears."

Danielle blinked in astonishment, then looked back out toward the river, her mind racing as she tried to imagine Emmett, her big, sarcastic, goofball of a friend, in a wrestling match with a grizzly bear. "That's unbelievable," she muttered with a shake of her head. Frowning with uncertainty, she turned her eyes back to Jasper. "They can't hurt you?"

Jasper shook his head. "There's very little in the world that can hurt us," he told her. "Bears, wolves, mountain lions…they may be strong, but their claws and their teeth can't penetrate our skin, which means they can't do us any real harm," he explained. "Neither can bullets or knives. Or backpacks," he added, his eyes flashing with amusement.

Danielle instantly cringed at the memory of that morning, before giving him a look. "You just had to bring it up," she muttered with a huff.

Jasper chuckled. "I couldn't resist," he said told. "It's not every day that an angry human tries to beat me up, you know."

Danielle shook her head, trying to fight back the smile that threatened to break free. There was something about Jasper being amused that was incredibly infectious, which probably was partly due to his special power. Whether he meant to influence her or not, it was still hard for her to not want to smile or laugh along with him.

"It wasn't my plan to beat you up," she said in her own defense. "It just sort of…happened."

"I'm not angry about it," Jasper assured her. He reached over and took hold of her hand, his thumb rubbing along her knuckles and his eyes peering down at their joined hands as if fascinated by the perfect way they fit together. When he looked up at her, he smiled in a way that made her nerves crackle with awareness. "I'm glad it happened actually," he admitted. "If you hadn't knocked some sense into me, we might not be sitting here together now."

Danielle sucked in a breath, then gave him a small smile. "Well, then I'll be sure to use the same tactic the next time you decide to ignore me then," she joked.

Jasper shook his head. "There won't be a next time," he said seriously, his tone laced with promise. "Ignoring you was a mistake. And that's one mistake I don't intend to make again."

Danielle smiled happily, lacing her fingers with his and squeezing his hand. "That's very good to know."

Jasper smiled back, before clearing his throat and shaking his head. "We're getting a little off track," he said. "What questions do you have for me? I'm sure there's quite a bit more you'd like to know."

Danielle nodded in confirmation, then turned on the log so that she was facing him a little more fully. Jasper did the same, but he did not let go of her hand, which was more than alright with her. "How old are you?" she asked, blurting out the first question that came to mind.

Jasper hesitated before answering. "I've been walking this earth for one hundred and sixty-two years," he revealed slowly, which made her eyes go very wide. "I lived for about twenty years as a human, like you. But I've been this, a vampire, since eighteen sixty-three," he then told her.

Danielle definitely needed a moment to let that one soak in. Jasper, her Jasper, the beautiful creature sitting in front of her who barely looked a day older than herself, was over a century and half old. She could only imagine all that he had learned and experienced in such a large amount of time, and the thought of that suddenly made her feel incredibly young and inexperienced next to him.

"Wow," Danielle finally said. "So then wait," she said as she was hit with a realization. "Your obsession with the Civil War. Is it because – ?"

"I lived through it?" Jasper interjected. "Yes," he confirmed. "I joined the Confederate Army when I was seventeen. I was technically too young to join at the time, but even when I was a human, I was very…persuasive. I lied about my age and was able to join. I spent the next few years working my way through the ranks until I was the youngest Major in the Texas army," he told her.

"Did you fight in a lot of battles?" she asked with interest.

She thought she saw something in Jasper's eyes shift at that question, though she wasn't sure why. "Yes, I've fought in many battles," he told her. "But I'd rather not discuss those right now, if you don't mind," he gently requested.

Danielle immediately nodded. "Yeah, of course," she said. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

Jasper nodded gratefully. "Thank you." He went quiet for a moment, his eyes turning down to their joined hands again as his thumb traced patterns over the top of her hand. "It doesn't bother you?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers again. He seemed a bit self-conscious all of a sudden. "Me being so…old?"

"No," Danielle said. "I think it's fascinating! I mean...just think of all the things you lived through," she said with wonderment. "You got to watch the world advance to what it is today. When you were born, there weren't cars or phones or electricity. Nothing. You got to witness all of that coming to life first hand," she said with amazement. "You lived through history changing wars. You got to experience the Roaring Twenties. You were around when men went to the moon for the first time and when Woodstock happened. Hell, you were there for Beatle Mania!" she exclaimed. Then a thought occurred to her, which made her squeeze his hand with excitement. "Please tell me you saw the Beatles in concert while they were still together," she said.

Jasper smiled a bit, then shook his head. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but going to concerts wasn't exactly on my list of priorities back then," he told her.

Danielle gaped at him with incredulity. "So you didn't see the Beatles?" Jasper shook his head. "What about Janis Joplin? Freddy Mercury? The Doors? Elvis?"

"No to all, I'm afraid," Jasper answered, which made Danielle shake her head with disappointment. "In theory, going to a concert sounds like a good idea. But when you're a vampire whose trying very hard to not harm humans, it's behooves one's self not to attend functions where they might find themselves packed in confined spaces with thousands of excited humans," he explained.

Danielle immediately made a sound of understanding. "That makes a lot of sense actually." Jasper smiled at her and nodded. "Okay," Danielle said next, taking a moment to think about what she wanted to ask him next. "So I know that you can control emotions and that you run ridiculously fast," she said. "What else can you do?"

"Well, I'm very strong," he told her.

"How strong?" Danielle countered.

Jasper looked at the trees surrounding them. "I could uproot one of these trees and throw it across that river if I wanted to," he told her, which made her look at the large, old trees with amazement. Part of her wanted to ask him to do it, just because she wanted to see it, but then she remembered that other people could be around and that it wouldn't be a good idea if they saw Jasper throwing trees around. "I've picked up cars. I've smashed through buildings. I've thrown boulders," Jasper continued. "Humans don't possess even a fraction of the strength that vampires do, which is why I have to be very careful with you," he told her seriously, his expression going a bit grave. "It would be very easy for me to seriously injure you, or worse. I have to always make sure I'm completely in control of everything that I do when I'm with you."

Danielle nodded her understanding, then reached up with her free hand and touched his cheek. Jasper's eyes closed, a tiny sigh if contentment escaping his perfect lips. "I've already said it, but I'll say it again. I trust you, Jasper," she told him. "And I know you won't hurt me."

Jasper just nodded silently, his eyes staying closed as he leaned into her hand. Danielle started to pull her hand away, but froze when Jasper reached up to place his hand over hers, leaving her with no choice but to keep it on his cheek. "Let me enjoy this a moment longer," he said. "You have no idea how wonderful it feels to be touched by you."

Danielle smiled, feeling her heart skip a beat. "Actually, I think I do have an idea," she said quietly. "I'd imagine it feels just as good as when you touch me."

Jasper finally opened his eyes, and when she saw the smoldering look in his eyes, her breath immediately caught in her throat. She thought he might kiss her again, but instead, he just cleared his throat and gently took her hand off his cheek. Now both of his hands were holding both of hers. "Ask me another question," he encouraged.

Danielle nodded slowly, then forced herself to focus so she could think of something else to ask him. "You and Rosalie aren't really twins, are you?"

"No," Jasper confirmed. "It was Carlisle's idea to try to pass us off as twins. He thought it would make our story more believable."

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "Speaking of Carlisle, how long have you been with the Cullen's for now?" she asked.

"Since nineteen fifty," he answered. "I was in the south for a very long time. I eventually became very discontent with my life there and ended up leaving in the late nineteen thirties," he began to explain. "I started to travel around in search of a better way of life, moving from place to place and slowly working my way north. About ten years later, I finally ran into Alice in Philadelphia. She told me about the Cullen's and how she had seen us joining Carlisle and the others. We spent the next few years searching for them, until we finally found them. We've been with Carlisle and the others ever since."

"She saw you joining the Cullen's?" Danielle repeated uncertainly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Alice has visions of the future," Jasper revealed, which made her brows shoot up to her hairline. "They aren't exact, and they are subject to change, but it's a useful talent nonetheless," he said. "It's kept us protected for a very long time now."

"Wow," Danielle said, stunned. "Visions of the future." Jasper nodded. "Just out of curiosity, has she had any visions about me?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

Jasper got that same look in his eye, the one that he had gotten when she'd asked him about his participation in battle. It seemed like this was another question he didn't want to answer. "Perhaps one or two," he answered evasively.

Danielle quirked a brow. "And I don't suppose you want to tell me about them, do you?" she asked.

Jasper shook his head. "Not at the moment, no," he confessed.

Danielle was burning with curiosity now, eager to know what Alice had seen. But It was clear Jasper wasn't going to tell her anything – not today anyway – so she decided to drop the subject for the time being.

They sat there in silence for a moment, until a new question came to Danielle's mind, one that she wasn't entirely sure she actually wanted to know the answer to. Finally, she decided to just ask. "So…you and Alice travelled together for a while?" she asked, which made Jasper nod in confirmation. "And you guys were never…you know…together?" she pried hesitantly.

Jasper smiled, then shook his head. "No," he answered. "Alice is a very great friend to me and she's helped me in many ways. But that's the extent of our relationship," he explained. "She is very much a sister to me."

Danielle felt a little relieved to hear it, but there was more she wanted to know. "What about when you were a human?" she asked. "Were you married then?" She hoped he would say no, but told herself not to be surprised if he said yes. Back then, people married much earlier than they did now. And even if he had had a wife, it wouldn't change anything between them now.

But Jasper shook his head again. "My memories from my time as a human are rather hazy at this point, but I do remember that I did not have a wife."

Now Danielle finally relaxed, comforted by the knowledge that Jasper had never had a wife. He quirked a brow at her, and she had a feeling he could sense how happy she felt to hear that answer. It made her blush, which made him smirk. "So what else is there to cover?" she asked quickly to change the subject.

"You tell me," he said, still smirking. "You're the one asking the questions."

"Hmmm," Danielle hummed, taking a few moments to consider everything they had talked about so far. "What about all those vampire myths?" she asked. "Are y'all allergic to garlic and crucifixes and holy water?"

Jasper looked like he was fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Completely fake," he told her.

"And what about sunlight?" Danielle asked. "What happens when you're in the sun?"

"We don't burn, if that's what you're alluding to," he answered pointedly.

"I know that already," she countered. "But I also know that something happens, otherwise you wouldn't have skipped school when it was sunny out at the beginning of the week," she said knowingly. "So what happens?"

Jasper sighed and glanced up toward the sky, where the sun was completely hidden behind a thick blanket of grey clouds. "If we're in the sun, our skin sort of…sparkles," he finally told her.

Of everything he could have possibly told her, that was the last thing she was expecting. "You sparkle?" she asked with a quirked brow. Jasper nodded. "Like what, a disco ball?"

"Not quite," Jasper said. "It looks a bit like we're made out of millions of tiny diamonds," he corrected, which had her making a sound of wonderment. "There's a reason why we try to stick to places like Forks. Living in places where the sun doesn't come out very much makes it easier to keep up the façade of being a normal family."

"Wow," Danielle said. "Will you show me sometime?" she asked eagerly.

Jasper nodded. "The next time the weather is nice, I'll let you see what I look like." Danielle smiled happily, hoping she wouldn't have to wait too long for another sunny day. "There's one more vampire myth you have asked me about," Jasper pointed out. "Aren't you going to ask me if a sleep in a coffin?" he then inquired, his head tilting curiously.

"I already know you don't, because Bella told me you don't sleep," Danielle said, which made him nod slowly. "Is it annoying, though? Not being able to sleep?" she asked.

Jasper shrugged a shoulder. "I've gotten used to it. Though in recent months it has become a bit more tedious than usual," he confessed. "I believe that it's due in large part to the fact that I now spend my nights counting the minutes until I can see you again."

Danielle instantly grinned, her cheeks flushing pink in response to his words. "You miss me that much when we're not together?"

"I believe the word miss is a serious understatement," Jasper told her honestly.

Danielle couldn't stop her heart from swelling with adoration for the vampire sitting in front of her in response to his statement. She knew that Jasper had felt it, too, because his eyes went a shade darker as he released one of her hands and gently caressed her cheek. "You're making it very hard not to kiss you right now," he told her, his voice going a bit gravelly.

Her lips instantly tingled at the thought of having his lips on hers again. "And you're trying not to kiss me because…?" she asked.

"We're supposed to be talking right now, remember?" he reminded her. "And if I kiss you, I can't guarantee I'll be able to stop kissing you." Danielle just sucked in a deep breath, her eyes dropping down to his lips for a moment. Jasper exhaled heavily, then dropped his hand from her face so that he could grab her hand again. "Keep asking me questions," he instructed.

It took her a few seconds to get her brain back on track and to push past the overwhelming urge to kiss him. Once she could think clearly again, she realized she hadn't asked him a very important question and gave him a curious look. "You know what you haven't told me about? You haven't told me how you were turned into a vampire."

In an instant, the yearning look in Jasper's eyes disappeared and his expression became very grim. She could tell that she had breached another topic that he was not comfortable discussing. "And I'd rather not tell you about that," he told her with a firm shake of his head. "Not today, anyway."

Danielle pressed her lips together, but nodded in understanding. "Alright," she agreed, wondering if his reluctance to tell her about his transition into vampirism meant that something very bad had happened to him. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case, simply because she didn't want to think about anything bad happening to Jasper.

Another silence passed between them, but it wasn't a particularly comfortable one. Jasper stared down at their clasped hands, his lips pulled down into a bit of a frown, which led her to assume that her question had dredged up old memories that Jasper didn't particularly like to reflect on. Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then released it heavily. The mood around them felt very solemn now, and she wanted to change that. They had been having a nice conversation so far, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"So if vampires are real, what else is out there?" she asked him to change the subject.

Jasper shifted his gaze up to hers, his brows furrowing together. "What do you mean?"

"Well, like…are there leprechauns just running loose over in Ireland?" she asked him.

Jasper seemed taken aback by her question, then smirked a bit, the somberness in his eyes quickly shifting to one of amusement. He seemed to understand that she was trying to lighten the mood. "It's possible, I suppose. Though if they are real, I've never seen one."

"What about the Loch Ness Monster?" Danielle asked next.

"I think a drunken Scotsman fabricated that one," Jasper answered with a shake of his head.

Danielle smirked, then raised her brows. "How about Big Foot?"

"That one actually is real," he said, which made her look at him with surprise. "Big Foot was Emmett, before he shaved all of his fur off," he then told her.

Danielle immediately burst out laughing, which made Jasper laugh too. "Oh my god!" she said between laughs. "You know I'm gonna have to call him Big Foot from here on out, right?"

"I hope you do," Jasper said with a hearty chuckle. They laughed a little bit longer, but eventually sobered up again. They were both still grinning with amusement, though. "Any other mythical creatures you'd like me to debunk?" he asked.

Danielle suddenly thought about Jacob Black and the stories he'd told Bella about his people. Her grin faded into a look of uncertainty. "Werewolves?" she asked hesitantly.

Jasper's grin faded, too. "I'm afraid those are not a myth," he said seriously.

Danielle gulped. "So now would probably be a bad time to mention that I used to have a crippling fear of werewolves when I was a kid, huh?"

Jasper smiled reassuringly and squeezed her hands. "You don't have to worry about that, Danielle," he said. "I've been around for a very long time and I have never once encountered a werewolf. Most of them are extinct by now, from what I understand. Besides, if there were any around these parts in particular, rest assured that those wolves wouldn't be coming after you. Vampires are their enemies, not humans."

Danielle frowned at that, her heart jumping with fear at the thought of a werewolf trying to attack Jasper. "Yeah, that doesn't make me feel much better. I don't want any werewolves going after you either," she said in a worried tone.

"Like I said, there's nothing to worry about," he repeated. "There aren't any around here. There haven't been for a very long time, and I doubt there will be any time soon."

Danielle looked at him for a long moment, trying to determine if he was telling her the truth or if he was just saying that so she wouldn't worry. After finally deciding that Jasper wasn't lying to her, she sighed and nodded her head. "Alright," she conceded. "If you say it's not an issue, then I believe you."

"Good." Jasper then tilted his head curiously. "This crippling childhood fear…was it exclusively for werewolves, or did it extend to vampires, as well?" he asked.

Danielle shook her head. "I was actually never afraid of vampires," she admitted honestly.

"And you're still not now?" he asked next hesitantly. "Not even after everything I've told you?"

Danielle smiled and shook her head again. "I mean, is it a little crazy to find out that my ridiculously good-looking vampire boyfriend is a one hundred and sixty-two year old Civil War veteran and is also super fast, super strong, and has special, emotion-controlling powers? Yeah, it is," she admitted with a nod. "But that certainly doesn't make me afraid of you."

Jasper seemed slightly relieved, but he also looked very curious about something. "You called me your boyfriend," he pointed out, and it sounded like he was kind of weirded out by that.

Danielle frowned. "Should I not?" she asked unsurely.

"You can," Jasper said, which made her instantly relax. "It's just…a little strange," he then admitted. "I've never been anyone's boyfriend before," he said, the word 'boyfriend' coming out uncertainly, as if it was a foreign word he wasn't entirely sure how to pronounce.

"Well. I've never been anyone's girlfriend before," she confessed. "So we're in the same boat."

Jasper quirked a disbelieving brow. "I find that very hard to believe," he said. When Danielle just shrugged, he scoffed and shook his head. "Were the males in your previous school blind, or were they just imbeciles?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh, they were definitely idiots," Danielle confirmed. "Some of them tried to date me, but I just was never really interested enough to be with any of them," she explained. "You're the only one I've ever really wanted to be with, Jasper," she admitted with a shrug and a small smile.

The incredulity in Jasper's eyes instantly turned into genuine confusion. "Why me?" he asked with interest, as if he still couldn't fully understand what it was that she saw in him.

Danielle squeezed his hands. "Well, for starters, you're a great guy and you're smart and you make me laugh. It doesn't hurt that you're absolutely gorgeous, either," she added with an appreciative look. "I can't seem to find one thing wrong with you…aside from your terrible taste in music, of course," she said with a teasing smile. Jasper just gave her a look in return. "All joking aside, though," Danielle continued, her expression more serious now. "I feel more comfortable with you than I do with anyone else. Being with you just feels…right." Danielle smiled at him, her eyes shining with adoration. "No one has ever made me feel as happy as you do, Jasper. I'm completely, one hundred percent, head over heels for you."

Jasper stared back at her in silence, his gaze intense as he processed everything she had said to him. He finally gulped and then raised a hand to her face again, his thumb gently tracing the line of her cheekbone. "What did I do to deserve you?" he mused aloud.

Danielle smiled at him as she leaned into his touch. "That's funny," she said quietly. "I keep asking myself the same question about you."

Jasper smiled a bit, but his gaze didn't lose an ounce of its intensity. "Someday, I'll sit you down and try to find the proper words to explain to you just how much you mean to me," he told her seriously. "But right now, I feel like I might actually implode if I don't kiss you," he said, his darkened gaze dropping to her lips.

Danielle's heart leapt up into her throat. "So kiss me then," she urged.

Jasper didn't need to be told twice. He leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss that instantly made her toes curl. She made a sound of pleasure and slid her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling into his soft, blonde hair as he slanted his mouth over hers and kissed her a bit harder. A shiver raced down her spine as Jasper moaned, his lips moving with more urgency as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, until she was pressed against his solid chest. A wave of hunger and desire suddenly crashed into her, making her gasp in surprise. He took advantage of the moment and deepened the kiss, his cold tongue brushing over her bottom lip before seeking hers out hungrily. Danielle whimpered as fire raged through her, feeling overwhelmed by the onslaught of feelings that Jasper had brought to life within. Jasper growled in answer, his hands sliding into her hair as his mouth claimed hers possessively.

Suddenly Jasper was gone, and the abrupt loss of contact made Danielle immediately fall over and land on the ground with a small 'oof'. She was so dazed from their fiery kiss that she could only blink in confusion, having no idea what had just happened or why she was now sitting on the cold, wet dirt. Finally, she was able to think straight again and looked around, wondering just where Jasper had gone to and why he had disappeared so unexpectedly. She soon spotted him right by the edge of this forest, standing with his back to her and his hands braced against a tree trunk.

"Jasper?" she called uncertainly.

"Just…give me a moment," he said back, his voice sounding unsteady.

Danielle pressed her lips together, ignoring how swollen they felt from Jasper's kiss, then slowly climbed to her feet again. She brushed the dirt off of her pants, then ran a hand through her hair to get it back in order, just knowing it was probably sticking out in every which direction. She glanced toward Jasper again, who still had his back to her, then turned to walk closer to the river, thinking it might be good for him if she gave him as much space as possible.

Once she was standing on the bank of the river, she wrapped her arms around herself, watching the water rush by. She started to lean down and grab a small rock to throw into the water, but when she caught a glimpse of some fish swimming just under the surface, she changed her mind, thinking it would be a little mean if she were to accidently knock one of those poor, unsuspecting fish out. Instead, she turned her eyes upward, watching the trees sway in the wind. The cool breeze felt good against her heated skin, made it easier to think straight.

A hand on her back made her jump a bit. She glanced over to see that Jasper was standing next to her again, though she hadn't even heard him approaching. She half expected his eyes to be dark, but they were that usual, pretty amber color that they always were. And currently, as he peered back at her, they were full of apology.

"I'm sorry," he said with a heavy sigh. "I let myself get too carried away. I needed to step away and…collect myself." He frowned with uncertainty, his eyes filled with worry. "Are you angry?"

Danielle sighed and gave him a small smile. "If I were angry, you'd feel it," she said pointedly. Jasper nodded, but still seemed a bit unconvinced. Danielle turned to face him and grabbed both of his hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "This is all still very new, Jasper. I'm not expecting you to be completely alright with being close to me right off the bat," she told him. "If we need to slow things down a bit, then that's totally fine."

Her reassuring words seemed to placate him. "Thank you for understanding," he said.

"Of course," Danielle said with a nod and a smile.

Jasper looked at her for another moment, then used his grip on her hands to pull her closer. He didn't kiss her again, but he did wrap his arms around her and hug her securely to his chest. Danielle sighed and slid her arms around this waist leaning into his embrace acceptingly and resting her head against his strong chest. It was a bit unnerving not to hear a heartbeat underneath her ear, but she felt so safe and so content in his arms that she quickly forgot to care. When Jasper kissed the top of her head and then rested his chin there, she smiled contentedly to herself.

"Is this okay?" Danielle asked, just to make sure.

Jasper tightened his arms around her just a little, as if he was afraid she might try to pull away. "Yes," he answered immediately. "I'm perfectly in control now," he assured her.

They stood that way for a long while, just holding one another in content silence as they listened to the sound of the river trickling by only feet away. Eventually Jasper lifted his chin from her head, which made Danielle pull her head away from his chest so she could peer up at him.

"We've been out here for a while," Jasper pointed out. "Are you ready to go home, or do you want to stay a little longer?"

She knew, without even having to think about it, that she wasn't ready to say goodbye to Jasper yet. Not with how wonderfully everything was going. "Let's stay a little longer," she encouraged. "After all, I've never been here before," she added, glancing pointedly at the nearby forest. "Why don't we explore a bit?"

Jasper seemed pleased with the fact that she wasn't ready to go yet. "Sounds like a wonderful idea."

They shared a smile, then finally let go of one another and stepped out of the comfortable embrace they'd been sharing. Jasper grabbed her hand and linked his fingers with hers. They walked back toward the tree line, pausing by the log they'd sat on earlier to collect her backpack, then disappeared down the winding path that led back into the forest.

They stayed at the park for another hour or so, just walking around hand in hand and talking comfortably with another as they took in the beautiful scenery. Eventually, however, it began to drizzle, the first warning of a quickly approaching storm, which made them finally decide to call it a day.

As unhappy as she was to know that her afternoon with Jasper was coming to an end, she was even less thrilled when she remembered just how they would be traveling back to her house. As she once again climbed onto Jasper's back and wrapped her limbs around him in a vice grip, she told herself that it would be easier the second time around, that she'd be able to handle it better now that she knew exactly what to expect. But, unfortunately, that didn't end up being the case. As Jasper shot off like a rocket again, she instantly tensed and buried her face into his neck again, feeling like she was on an impossibly fast rollercoaster. She clung to Jasper for dear life, concentrating on breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth, refusing to open her eyes. She could have sang with relief when they finally stopped.

Danielle gave Jasper a sour look as she climbed down from his back to stand on her own two feet. Her legs were wobbly again, which meant he had to keep supportive hands on her waist to keep her from buckling to the ground.

"Next time we go somewhere together, we're driving," she said firmly, trying to ignore the queasiness in her stomach.

Jasper smirked, looking as though he was trying hard to hide his own amusement. "You sure you don't want to try to get used to running?" he asked with just the tiniest hint of teasing.

"Positive," she said, making sure to stress how serious she was about her dislike of running.

Jasper laughed, then nodded in agreement. "Alright, we'll put running in the back burner for now," he told her. "Can you walk? Or do you need another moment?"

Danielle quickly assessed herself, then nodded. "I'm good now."

Jasper released her waist, grabbed her hand, and then they set off. She realized as they emerged from the forest they'd just been in that they were at the end of her street. They walked quickly toward her house, their clothes beginning to feel damp as the raindrops grew fatter and began to fall quicker. They finally reached her porch and hurried up the stairs, so that they were under the protective covering of the roof and out of the rain. Danielle didn't immediately go to the door, though. Instead, she looked across the street, her gaze bypassing Bella's red truck, which had been returned to its usual spot at the curb, and instead landing on a familiar Volvo. Edward's car was still parked in the driveway of the Swan house, though she couldn't tell if Edward and Bella were still inside, or if they had gone into the house.

"They're talking," Jasper said, his eyes following her gaze.

Danielle nodded, then finally turned and went to the front door to unlock it. She opened the door and tossed her backpack inside, before turning back to Jasper. "Do you wanna come inside for a bit?" she asked. "My mom won't be home for a few more hours."

Jasper looked into the house as he considered her offer, before he eventually shook his head. "I'd better not," he gently declined. "I think I've tested my limits enough for one day."

Danielle forced herself not to feel disappointed and nodded in understanding. "Alright. Any chance you'll come to pick me up for school tomorrow?" she then asked hopefully. She didn't want to have to wait until she arrived at school to see him again – she wanted to see him as quickly as possible.

"Actually, you need to drive Bella's truck to school tomorrow," Jasper told her. "But I can ride with Edward in the morning when he comes to get Bella, then you and I can take the truck together if you'd like," he then offered.

Danielle made a face of curiosity. "Why do I need to drive Bella's truck tomorrow?" she asked.

"Because Edward and I are leaving school early tomorrow," he revealed. "And if you both ride with us, you won't have any way to get home after we've left."

Danielle's frown of disappointment was immediate. "Wait, what?" she asked, not liking the sound of Jasper leaving early one single bit. "Why are you leaving early?"

Jasper smirked, though, looking amused by her reaction. "We're going hunting for the night," he said. "Just in case you've forgotten, you and I are going to a dance on Saturday," he reminded her. "It seems like a wise idea to do a bit of extra hunting, that way my thirst won't get in the way of what I hope will be a very delightful evening."

The dance. It had been such a strange couple of days that Danielle had completely forgotten about the Spring Fling, though she wasn't sure how she had forgotten considering it was all anyone at the school could talk about. "Of course. The dance. Duh," she said, smacking herself lightly on the forehead. "How could I forget? I bought a dress and everything."

"Did you now?" Jasper asked, his brows lifting. He smirked a bit, his eyes lighting with interest. "Any chance you'll tell me what said dress looks like?"

Danielle smiled sweetly and shook her head. "Nope," she denied. "I think I'll just let you be surprised."

Jasper sighed. "Very well, then," he said with defeat. "I suppose I can wait."

"I'm sure you'll survive," Danielle said with a chuckle.

Jasper smiled at her for a moment, then stepped closer. "I should go now, while I've still got the willpower to do so." Jasper grabbed her hand, then raised it to his lips to press a lingering kiss to her knuckles, his eyes peering intently into hers over the top of her hand. She would have preferred to feel his lips against her own, but after that little moment at the park, she knew it was probably for the better that he didn't kiss her. "Have a good night tonight, Danielle," he said.

Danielle honestly couldn't imagine how she wouldn't have a good night. "You too, Jasper," she said breathlessly, unconsciously leaning into him as his gaze continued to hold hers.

"I'll see you in the morning," Jasper then said.

Danielle nodded, then, as Jasper finally, reluctantly, released her hand, she stepped through the open doorway into her house. She took her time shutting the door, closing it slowly so that she could look at Jasper's handsome face for as long as possible. He stood there smiling back at her, clearly in no rush to leave while she was still within sight, raising a large, pale hand to wave at her in parting. Finally, with one last goodbye, Danielle shut the door. In the second it took her to move to the peephole and look through it, Jasper was already gone.

It wasn't just a good night for Danielle after that – it was a fantastic night.

Homework was a challenge, simply because she kept losing focus and frequently caught herself doodling the letters J & D and drawing hearts around them. When she finally finished, though, she spent the rest of the time until her mother came home blaring every love song she'd ever known, using various household objects as microphones to belt out the slower tunes, then dancing around like a maniac to the faster paced ones. Even when Lynne finally came home from work, Danielle still couldn't reign in her happiness. She greeted her mother at the door with a big hug and a loud smooch on the cheek, then ushered her into the kitchen, where she'd already set out a plate of dinner and a glass of wine for her mother to enjoy.

They sat down for dinner, where Danielle did most of the talking. She chatted away about anything that came to mind, practically bouncing in her seat as she rapidly jumped from topic to topic. Lynne tried to keep up with the conversation, but spent most of the time laughing at Danielle's enthusiasm and eyeing her with curiosity, as if trying to figure out just what exactly had put her in such a good mood.

When dinner was over and it was time to clean the kitchen, Danielle insisted on taking care of the dirty dishes and turned on the music again, smiling widely and singing along with the songs that floated through the speakers of the kitchen radio. Lynne apparently couldn't hold back her questions any longer, however, and turned down the radio before coming to stand next to Danielle, who was washing dishes at the sink. When Danielle looked over at her, Lynne was giving her a knowing look.

"Alright, Dani," she said. "What in the world has gotten into you tonight? I have never seen you act like this! What are you so happy about?" she demanded to know.

Danielle tried to hold back her smile, but failed. "I suppose if I just told you it had been a really good day you wouldn't accept that as an answer, would you?" she asked in return.

"Absolutely not," Lynne confirmed.

Danielle nodded, then turned off the water and dried her hands on a towel. She then turned to face Lynne, figuring she might as well just go ahead and tell her mother the good news. "Remember how I told you things with Jasper were complicated? And how we were kind of not getting along?" she asked. Lynne nodded at once. "Well, today we had a really, really long talk about everything."

Lynne's brows shot up, her gaze turning expectant. "And?" she prompted eagerly.

"And…Jasper is now officially my boyfriend," Danielle revealed with a huge grin.

Lynne clasped her hands together, then squealed with excitement. "Oh, honey!" she exclaimed, before pulling Danielle in for a tight hug. Danielle hugged her back just as tightly, unable to help laughing happily as they swayed side to side for a moment. "That's so wonderful!" Lynne said, pulling back and bracing her hands on Danielle's shoulders. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Mom," Danielle said, her face almost beginning to hurt from smiling so much.

Lynne patted her shoulders, then crossed her arms over her chest. "I should have known this had something to do with Jasper," she commented with a shake of her head. "Well? Don't hold back!" she then urged. "Tell me what happened!"

Danielle hesitated as she tried to think of what she should tell her mother. Obviously telling her that Jasper was a vampire was completely out of the question, but she didn't want to stray too far from the truth, otherwise she'd wind up getting caught in a lie at some point or another.

"It started when Jasper and I kinda had a disagreement this morning," she finally said, leaving out the fact that she'd attempted to smack him around a little. "He's been a little difficult recently, so I got angry with him and gave him a piece of my mind. At lunch, he finally pulled me aside and basically just spilled his guts. He said that he cared about me a lot, but was afraid to move our relationship past friendship because he was worried he'd mess things up and lose me. I then told him I was crazy about him and that I wanted to be with him and that I wasn't gonna let him push me away just because he was scared. Then we decided that we were going to give things a shot," she summarized.

None of what she had said was a lie, but it certainly wasn't the whole truth either. Lynne remained none the wiser that Danielle was omitting information, however, and nodded in understanding. "See? I told you," she said with a smile. "You two just needed to talk! Communication is the key to everything," she repeated, referring got he advice shed given Danielle earlier that week.

"You were right. It is," Danielle agreed.

"So everything is good now?" Lynne asked for clarification. "You've worked out all of those complications that were bugging you?"

Danielle nodded. "Yeah. Everything is good. More than good, actually," she said reassuringly.

Lynne suddenly smiled wickedly and wagged her eyebrows. "Did he kiss you?"

Danielle blushed at once. "Mom!"

"What?" Lynne said, holding her hands up in defense. "It's just a question!" She paused, then wagged her brows again. "So did he?" she persisted.

Danielle shook her head in exasperation, but finally caved and told her the truth. "Yes, he did," she revealed, a smile stretching across her lips again. "And it was amazing."

"Were there fireworks?" Lynne asked with a smile.

"Fireworks, angel choirs, marching bands, confetti…the whole nine yards," Danielle confirmed, her expression going a bit dreamy as she remembered the two incredible kisses they'd shared. Danielle sighed happily, certain she looked just as sappy and love-struck as she felt. "I'm so happy, Mom," she said. "Jasper is just so sweet and wonderful and amazing. He's honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me. I just…feel like I'm in a dream or something. I can't believe I got this lucky."

Lynne suddenly had a calculating look in her eye as she peered at Danielle. Her eyes searched Danielle's face for a long few seconds, as if she was looking for some hidden message somewhere. Finally, her eyes lit with realization. "Oh my goodness, Dani. I know that look that's in your eyes right now," she said, before grinning broadly. "You love him, don't you?"

The question hit her like a punch to the gut, bringing her dreamy thoughts to an abrupt halt. Danielle's eyes went wide and her jaw dropped, her heart launching itself upward into her throat. "What?" she asked incredulously. "What makes you say that?"

"Because I'm your mother, and I know you better than you know yourself," Lynne stated matter-of-factly. "You're glowing, and you've got that tell-tale sparkle in your eye," she pointed out. "And like I've said before, I see the way you look at Jasper. That, combined with everything you just said, well...all signs point to love," she said matter-of-factly.

Danielle shook her head though, feeling overwhelmed all of a sudden. She couldn't really love Jasper, could she? She cared about him very deeply, there was no doubt about that. But love? That was a whole new ballgame.

"But we only just got together!" Danielle reminded Lynne. "And I've only known him for a few months! I can't love Jasper," she insisted. "It's too soon, isn't it?"

"Says who?" Lynne asked pointedly. "I knew I loved your father after our first date together, and I'd only known him for a week at that point," she revealed. "Granted, things with him didn't turn out so well in the end," she admitted with a slight cringe. "But I very much loved him at the time, and there was nothing I could do about that. My heart chose him."

Danielle took a moment to let that sink in, then shook her head. "I've never been in love before, though," she reminded her mother. "How do I even know what it feels like?" she questioned with uncertainty

"Trust me," Lynne countered with light laugh. "You'll know."

Danielle didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't even try.

Lynne stuck around to chat with her for a little while longer, congratulating her again and rejoicing over young love, until she eventually headed off to change out of her work clothes and take a quick shower. Once Danielle was alone, she let out a long breath and went to stand by the window, staring distractedly at the raindrops pattering against the cool glass.

Her mother's words rang in her ears, making her brows furrow with contemplation. Was it true? Was it possible that her mother could have picked up on feelings that even Danielle hadn't yet realized herself? She felt like if she had been in love she would have known it, but then again, she supposed it was possible that she wouldn't have known, too. After all, she hadn't been lying when she had told her mother that she didn't know what it felt like to be in love. She knew what it felt like to care for someone, and she certainly knew what is felt like to love a friend or a family member. But loving someone and being in love with someone were two very different things, and at the end of the day, being in love with someone was unexplored territory for Danielle.

So could it be? Was it possible that her mother was right?

Danielle spent the rest of the night thinking long and hard about Jasper and the way she felt about him. There was no denying that he made her happier than she ever thought she could be. She spent almost every waking moment thinking about him, and almost every sleeping moment dreaming about him. He could send her heart racing with one look or touch, and when he kissed her, well…there were hardly any words to describe it. They were compatible in just about every single way, and the transition of going from being just friends to something much more had felt so easy and natural, it was like they had been meant to be together. And as she thought about past crushes and compared them to how she felt about Jasper, she quickly realized there was no comparison at all. Her feelings for Jasper were far deeper and infinitely stronger than anything she had ever felt before. He had quickly become one of the most important people in her life. And try as she might, she simply couldn't imagine a life that didn't have Jasper in it, nor did she want to.

As the night wore on, realization began to slowly creep into her mind. And by the time she was lying in bed and attempting to go to sleep, she could no longer deny, or ignore, what her heart was suddenly screaming at her.

She was falling in love with Jasper Hale.

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