Dangerous - Jasper Hale

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Two weeks passed, not a sign of the blonde boy that she'd come to rely so much on. The girl grew to look worse and worse, she looked more sick than tired by then. Tom was always there for her to, quite literally, lean on when she was too tired to keep herself up. Isaac had distanced himself slightly, but Rebecca stayed by her side, just like Emmett had. She had forgotten just how terrible it felt to be so tired, and she realized just how much she'd relied on her medication for support the past year. 

It was Wednesday, the second period of the day was literature. Alex was sitting by the window, looking out at the yard where people moved along. Rebecca was sitting next to her, she'd abandoned her place next to Mandy to be there for Alex. She didn't really pay attention to anything that was happening inside the classroom, until she felt Rebecca nudging her with her elbow. At first Alex ignored it, but she didn't stop so finally she gave in and turned around.

She could see out of the corner of her eye that Rebecca looked at her with a worried glint in her eyes, but Alex didn't register anything else than the golden eyes looking back at her in that moment. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears, but she didn't feel anything.

Jasper looked at her intensely, and quickly realized that his absence that he'd hoped would get him to feel less only made him want her even more. When he tried to read her he felt nothing, which surprised him. The girl that had felt so much just a few weeks ago, was cold.

When he regained control of his body, he moved over to one of the few free places, next to a girl with short black hair that sat in the back row on the opposite end of the classroom as Alex. He thought that her name was Mandy, but in that moment he couldn't care less. He looked at Alex again, and saw that she was still staring at the same place that he'd been standing at previously. He observed her deeply, seeing how sick she actually looked. Her skin was pale, almost translucent even. Her cheekbones were sunken and the skin around her green eyes was puffy and darkened.

When class was finally over after what felt like an eternity, Alex and Rebecca stood up and hurried out of the classroom and walking down the hallway towards the cafeteria. Jasper quickened up his pace and followed them, catching up with them soon enough. Alex looked down on her hands as she walked, but looked up when Rebecca stopped abruptly. Jasper stood in front of her, looking at her with a stern look.

"Can we talk?" Jasper said, not waiting to get to the point. Alex shook her head, dry smile on her lips.

"I'm not in the mood Jasper."

"Alex please-"

"Just... not now," Alex said, shaking her head and walking away from him with Rebecca following after looking at Jasper with furrowed brows.

"Welcome back brother, I hope it was worth it," Emmett said, walking up to the boy, hitting him on the shoulder, before moving along together with the rest of the Cullens.

Jasper followed them to their regular table in the cafeteria, sitting down with nothing in front of him. He didn't even feel like pretending anymore. He saw Emmett diverting from the four of them, moving over to Alex's table where Rebecca and Tom were seated next to her. Jasper looked around, only to see Isaac sitting at another table together with some of the jocks, laughing at something that was said. He felt angry with the boy for leaving her side when she needed him, then directed that anger at himself. 

Well, one thing was damn clear now. He'd solved the problem, Alex would never be able to look at him the same way. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Edward was snooping through his mind, but he didn't even care anymore. Everything he felt was as obvious as if he'd written it on his forehead, what's the point in hiding it?

Alex looked at the boy from over Emmett's shoulder, before focusing at the boy in front of her instead. "So, your brother's back," Alex stated, making Emmett sigh.

"Yeah, I suppose he is."

"He can go fuck himself for all I know," Tom mumbled, Becca giving him an unenthusiastic high five. Alex smiled slightly at the statement, and the fact that she actually had friends that took her side in this situation.

"Well, here's the deal Alex," Emmett started. "I think you should hear him out-"

"Emmett," Alex said, cutting him off.

"At least let me finish, Dexter," he said, glaring playfully at her. "I have no clue as to why he left, and I know that you want to know why just as much as I do. What you do with that information when you're done listening to him – that's your choice. But here's the thing, I know my brother, and I know that he wouldn't do something that would hurt you unless he had a reason for it."

Alex looked at Emmett intensely, before nodding slowly. She understood what he was saying, Jasper wasn't a bad person. He was warm and kind under that cold exterior. She once again took a glance at the boy over Emmett's shoulder, to see him looking at her too. It was a brief eye contact, but it was enough for her to make a decision.

"Fine," she said, making the three at her table turn their heads towards her.