LIMINAL || 𝙅𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙡𝙚 [1]

𝟙𝟞 | 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕦𝕤𝕙 𝕓𝕒𝕓𝕪, 𝕃𝕒 ℙ𝕦𝕤𝕙

So Jasper was hot. So what. Lots of people were hot, but that didn't mean you should like them, or try and pursue a relationship with them. And I definitely didn't want to do that with Jasper Hale. He was broody and asshole-ish and plenty arrogant when it came to school. He had mood swings, making it hard to predict if I was getting Happy Jasper or Irritated Jasper on any given day; obviously that was too much for someone to handle, and I didn't want to be the one to attempt it.

But he could also be kind and attentive, like when I broke my ankle or needed help up the stairs. And he'd supported me when talking to Chief Swan, not to mention he took care of Matthew pretty aggressively and had made it a point to deter him from getting anywhere near me during school hours. He could be funny too, with his dry sense of humor. Then there was the matter of how I felt around him, something that I couldn't really deny anymore. I'd made a fool of myself Wednesday, acting like I didn't have any sense just because he was so close to me and we were alone and he smelled so good...

I covered my now-blushing face with my hands, even though I was completely alone in my room, lying on my bed. So maybe I had a slight crush on Jasper Hale. That wouldn't be such a big deal if he wasn't a freaking empath. And if the admission of a crush to myself didn't cause me to lose all reason, but it usually did. He was way too good at picking up on feelings since I hadn't mastered how to hide them in our little practice sessions, and even if he wasn't an empath, I could be ridiculously bad at hiding my feelings from guys that didn't have supernatural abilities. At least I wouldn't have to see him for a whole week and perhaps that would help to clear my mind and sort through everything. I had plenty to do anyway, like making brownies for the weekend beach trip, packing for our trip to see our parents, and then packing a completely different set of clothes for the couple of days I'd be back in Alabama with Bethany. It would be a welcome distraction and then I'd have too much stuff going on to even think about Jasper. Hopefully.

Mercifully, Jess offered me a ride to work on Friday when Dr. Cullen had scheduled an exam to determine whether surgery was necessary or not. The crutches were getting old and my armpits would be grateful to be rid of them as much as my ankle would be grateful to not need any incisions. With new x-ray images in hand, Carlisle called me into his office to discuss the next steps of my treatment, leaving Deborah to manage the receptionist desk by herself. As always, she was none too pleased.

"It's good news all around, I think," he started just as we both sat across from each other. The chair was so comfy, it made you forget you were in a hospital. "Judging by your scan today, everything's healing cleanly. As long as there's no major complications in the next few weeks, there should be no need for any surgery. You will still need to use the crutches for longer walks, definitely during the school day. But try weaning yourself off of them at home, alright? How does that sound?"

Carlisle had a way of putting his patients at ease with a soft smile, and I was no exception. Briefly I wondered if he too might be some sort of empath, or if it was just his perfect hair. Nevertheless, I was happy as a clam in high tide at the newest assessment of my leg.

"That sounds great, actually. These things are for the birds," I patted the crutches leaning against my chair and stood to return back to my station. "Thank you for the check up, Doc."

"It's my pleasure. But Collins—"

I paused at the door and turned back to look at him, not sure what else he would want to talk about.

"It's my understanding that my son, Jasper, has been tutoring you in math for a few months. I know he can be a little...cross at times. Perhaps irksome is a better term. Either way, I just wanted to extend my gratitude for your patience. He had a lot of difficulties from his previous home carry over into his life here, and it's been an adjustment for all of us. It's nice to see his mood improving lately, so thank you."