Inside, the soft glow of the desk lamp illuminated the neat lines of Carlisle offline. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with medical journals, patient files, and some family keepsakes, a mixture of his professional and personal worlds. The quiet hum of the house seemed to echo through the room as Carlisle strode towards his desk to sit in the dim light.
Jasper sat on the edge of an armchair, hands clasped together tightly, fingers twisting anxiously. He refused to meet look up at Carlisle for fear his quickly fraying emotions would betray the charade. His eyes fixed on the floor as if he could find solace in the smooth wood beneath him. His shoulders were tense, every movement an act of trying to remain composed.
Carlisle veered from his desk and instead sat on the couch next to his clearly nervous boy, studying him with a soft yet penetrating gaze. His voice, when it came, was calm, gentle, an attempt to meet Jasper where he was, without pushing too hard.
"Jasper, you've always been one to shoulder your burdens alone, I know that. But you don't have to do this. Not here, not with me."
Jasper's lips parted for a moment, but no words came. He swallowed, eyes darting toward the window briefly, then down again. His usual calm was wavering, his control slipping with each passing second.
Carlisle sighed lightly, folding his hands in his lap. "I can tell something's wrong, son. You've been unusually distant, and your answers... well, they've been short and clipped. You are usually quite forthcoming with information when you have done wrong. I'm not angry, I just want to understand what's going on."
Jasper remained silent. His eyes flicked toward the door, as if considering escaping, but the door was a barrier he couldn't seem to reach.
"Jasper," Carlisle's voice grew firmer, though still warm, "Please look at me."
For a moment, there was no response. Then, slowly, Jasper lifted his gaze, but only just enough to meet Carlisle's eyes. A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes before he quickly lowered them again.
"Whatever has happened, you don't have to hide it from me," Carlisle continued. His tone was kind but insistent, coaxing. "If there's something happening that's troubling you, I need to know. You're part of this family. And I trust you."
Jasper's breath hitched. He exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling with the effort of holding something back. "It's… it's not what you think," he muttered, voice strained.
Carlisle's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm not sure what to think yet. But I do know this, whatever happened with Alice and the human is bothering you more than you're letting on. Why is that?"
Jasper stiffened but didn't respond.
"Jasper, I know you struggle to keep in control whenever Alice is involved, but you know she is perfectly capable of defending herself against a human."
At this declaration, Jasper looked further away. A shudder seemed to ripple through his shoulders. As if a light had been turned on, Carlisle finally had an inkling as to what might be the underlying problem.
"Jasper," he said. "I expect you to look at me while I am talking to you."
Carlisle waited patiently for compliance before continuing.
"I am going to ask you a question, and I expect you to be completely truthful with me. Do you understand?"
Jasper nodded.
Carlisle pressed gently. "Are you covering for Alice?"
At the sound of her name, Jasper's gaze snapped downward, his face flushing as his lips parted in hesitation. He clenched his jaw, avoiding Carlisle's eyes with a determination that only heightened the unspoken truth hanging between them.
Carlisle's voice softened further, his understanding wrapping around the silence. "Jasper, if there's something I need to know, if Alice made a mistake, or if you're taking responsibility for something she did, we can work through this together. But I need you to trust me. I need you to talk to me."
Jasper's lips pressed into a thin line, and his hands curled into fists, his knuckles white. He shifted in his chair, as though trying to distance himself from the conversation. His breathing became shallow, and the longer the silence stretched, the more it seemed to weigh on him.
Carlisle waited patiently, allowing the silence to settle between them. Finally, when it seemed as if Jasper could not hold it in any longer, the words came out in a near whisper, as though he were admitting something painful.
"I… she… I made her promise to let me…"
Jasper's gaze remained locked to the floor. His throat worked in an attempt to speak, but no words came. His shoulders slumped, defeated.
Carlisle exhaled slowly, his voice steady but firm. "I think it's time we bring Alice into this. It isn't your job to protect her from the consequences of her actions."
Jasper finally allowed himself a glance at Carlisle, his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and helplessness. "I just did not want her to get into any trouble…"
Carlisle nodded, understanding but resolute. "I know. But protecting someone doesn't always mean covering for them, Jasper."
Jasper's eyes shimmered with unspoken emotion, and Carlisle, sensing the weight in his silence, stood up slowly, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
"I'll call Alice. You don't have to say anything else right now." He gave Jasper a moment to nod before moving toward the phone on his desk.
"Please Carlisle, I just didn't want her to get in trouble… I can't bear it… Not when fighting gets…"
Carlisle stopped and turned slowly back towards his son. "Really Jasper, do you think me so cruel that I would take a strap to Alice for defending herself against an unwanted advance?"
"I couldn't risk it sir… I couldn't bear it…"
A tense moment of silence pierced the stale air between the two vampires before Carlisle finished his trek to the desk.
As Carlisle dialed Alice's number, the tension in the room was palpable, but so was the unspoken relief that they were finally going to face the truth together.