Life ✶ Jasper Hale

Chapter Twenty Three: Now, We Wait

Svetlana

The bright rays of the rising sun, start to wake me up somewhere in California. The grey light, streaking across the cloudless sky. When I become fully awake, I realize Jasper's hand is still around mine. I glance at the dashboard to find out, I've only been asleep for five hours.

Damn, I could have slept longer.

I look over at Jasper, his eyes finding mine immediately. "Sleep well, darlin'?"

I slide my hand from his, rubbing my eyes and stretching in my seat. "It wasn't the best sleep I've had, but it wasn't the worst, either." A yawn escapes me as I finish.

I turn, looking at the two in the backseat to see that Bella's also awake, leaning against Alice. Bella's emotions are blends of blues, and purples; sadness, and dread are her most prominent, though. Her sad, chocolate eyes meet mine and I can tell that she's been up for a while; dark circles have formed under her eyes. She isn't in the mood for conversation, so I turn back around. I'd ease her mood, but I know she wouldn't like it—she almost hates when I do it.

I let out a sigh, wondering if this is what it was like for my parents. Constant driving, in danger, worried about what's to come next. Worried for Bella, Charlie, the Cullens, Sebastian, and even myself. I've only had a little taste of what they went through for years, and I already hate it. I've never had to handle this severe of a situation before. If it weren't for the Cullens, I'm not sure Bella and I would have made it out of Forks alive.

What if this becomes my life? Is this going to be the new normal? I am already beginning to miss things. I miss my bed, Sebastian, the woods, and believe it or not, I even miss school... I just miss normalcy. Not that my life was normal in the first place, but it was at least, a tiny bit predictable. Now, it's a mess and unstable. The shit could hit the fan at any given moment. What if this is my new normal?

I wish I could be with Edward and them, so I could have a chance at fighting the bastard. But, I'd most likely get hurt going against a vampire. I should have fought with Emmett when I had the chance. I bet I would have learned a few techniques that would help in this unfortunate situation.

How am I supposed to prepare for this now?

Just as my emotions start spinning with aggravation, Jasper's cool, hand grabs my thigh, controlling my mood—I instantly begin to relax. I flash him a grateful smile. I seriously love this man. I lean my head back on the headrest, placing my hand on his, and watch the scenery fly by, trying to figure how I got so lucky to have him as my Kindred.

The four of us remain silent, until I ask if we can stop at the gas station so Bella and I can go to the restroom and get something to snack on. Alice tells us it will be okay if we do, since we are still a few hours from Phoenix.

The sun is higher in the clear sky when we pull into the parking lot, meaning that the vampires have to stay in the car. Alice quickly hands me a wad of cash, then Bella and I step out of the car. I quickly fall into step beside her, highly aware of our surroundings. The bell on the door rings as I pull it open. There is a middle aged woman behind the counter, who greets us with a warm smile.

Once we finish in the bathroom, we walk to the freezers. "How long did you sleep?" I open one of the freezer doors, pulling out a Cherry Pepsi for me, and a Vanilla Coke for Bella.