Ashes [Jasper Hale] [2]

07 ; give love a try

"--she's right," Bella spoke as I neared the table, sitting down next to Tyler. "We had a hiker in just Saturday who saw the bear, too, Angela. He said it was huge and black and just outside of town, didn't he, Mike?"

I froze up completely, heart racing, all color leaking from my face as I allowed the tray to drop from my hands.

Sam.

Thankfully, the tray was barely two centimeters off the table, but it still clattered loudly, making Tyler glance at me, catching the way my eyes were wider than ever, looking concerned.

There was a moment of silence. Every pair of eyes at the table turned to stare at Bella in shock. The new girl, Katie, had her mouth hanging open like she'd just witnessed an explosion. Nobody moved.

"Mike?" she muttered, looking mortified. "Remember the guy with the bear story?"

"S-sure."

"Bulls," I immediately spoke. "No bears that big." I waved off, not looking at anyone. 

Mike recovered at my words. "Well, there was a guy who said he saw a huge black bear right at the trailhead - bigger than a grizzly," he confirmed.

"Hmph." Lauren turned to Jessica, her shoulders stiff, and changed the subject. "Did you hear back from USC?" she asked.

Everyone else looked away from Bella, too, except for Mike and Angela. Tyler looked at me in concern again, and I simply shook my head.

I fished out my phone, about to text Sam and tell him to try and be more discreet about his furry problem, when I dropped my phone, terrified from the sudden vibration and the unfamiliar song.

JARED THE MAN CAMERON read on the screen, and I sighed in frustration. 

"Is he for real?" I muttered as I grabbed my phone, picking up.

"ASHLEY!" he called, excitement filling his voice. Jared was a generally excited guy, almost always happy and cheerful and excited with his tone always matching his bubbly personality. But his tone at that moment was even happier than usual.

"Jared?"

"I FOUND MY IMPRINT!" I felt a smile spreading over my face.

"That's terrific, Jared! I'm so happy!" I called, standing up and excusing myself from the table. "Who is she?"

"A girl from my class, Kim, she's always been there and I've never given her a second glance, and all of a sudden she turned to ask me out and everything looked different, you know? I felt..." I could hear the smile in his voice, "I felt like everything was perfect, like she's the sun or something, and everything was about her and she was perfect."

"So what did you do?" I asked, and he sighed.

"I ran off."

"You what?"

"I ran off."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Jared Cameron," I spoke up as I turned on my heel and walked back to my table. "You complete idiot with no sense of sensitivity what-so-ever. You get back there right now."

"I can't."

"Then I'm coming."

"For real?"

"Yes, Jared." I sighed. "Somebody needs to take care of your love life, and your brothers are too thick headed, like yourself, to do anything about it."

"You are as offensive as your boyfriend."

I frowned as I picked up my bag, "my boyfriend is not offensive."

"No, he just insults me and my di--"

"Dude, keep it between you and him," I sighed. "I don't want to hear."

"Whatever Ash," Jared laughed. 

"I'm on my way." I stated. "And just so we're clear, you owe me lunch."

►

At first glance, Kim could've been tucked away as a plain girl, but once given a second glance, everything that made her plain suddenly became everything pretty about her.

The thing making me notice it, was the way Jared looked at her like she was the only that mattered in the whole wide world.

Her face was kind of wide, most of it from her cheekbones, with small bright honey colored eyes. Her nose and mouth were both broad, but her lips also had a perfect shape, like Kylie Jenner paid to have. 

The thing about Kim was that next to her bright and small eyes, she had long and natural eyelashes that reached to her cheek, making each blink look like magic.

"Oh my God, I have to do her make-up!" I squealed.

"No." Jared stopped me.

"But--"

"No."

I frowned, and Kim looked between the two of us. 

"Kim," I turned with a smile. "I'm Ashley, and you have to let me do your make-up for your date with Jared."

"Date?" she wondered, surprised. "I thought... you didn't want to go out with me."

"What made you think that?" Jared asked, confused.

"Well, you ran off after I asked you out."

"I told you that you're an idiot," I mumbled, and suddenly Paul and Embry joined us.

"What's going on?" the two wondered as they neared us, Paul's arm sneaking around my waist as he pulled me closer to him, kissing my cheek.  I turned my head to him, him pressing our lips together. We quickly broke of the kiss, turning back to Jared and Kim.

"Jared's in loooove," I cooed.

"Love-love?" Paul asked, implying.

"Yeah."

"Jared has an imprint," Embry sung mockingly, too low for Kim to hear, but loud  enough for Jared with his wolf hearing to hear it.

"Would you all shut up?" he shot at us. "I'm asking her out."

"You go Jared!" we cheered.

"Yeah, if Paul managed to get Ashley you can do it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the two of us turned to Embry.

"Well." He paused, "you're you, and you're funny, and pretty and nice. And Paul is annoying, and always hungry, and annoying."

"You said annoying twice," I pointed out.

"Well, he's very annoying."

"Dude, shut up!"

"And I mean, Jared and Kim are both nice, and sweet and everything. They're pretty much in the same league, I have no idea why you're with Paul though."

The two of us frowned. "Mi'lady," Paul spoke. "May I chase and beat up Embry?"

"Why, yes, m'lord."

"You're so cute together," Embry made smooching noises, and then Paul released me, the two of them starting to run off.

I had to stiffle a laugh as Embry dragged Paul into a puddle of mud, shoving his face first into it before scrambling off further away, and by the time I turned back to Jared and Kim he was kissing her forehead, hugging her close to him.

I looked at the two of them smiling at each other, and I knew then.

Even if I didn't get a happy ending, ever, love deserved one more try, because just looking at Sam and Emily, and now Jared and Kim, I knew that love was real.

And I guess that some people get their chance in love, before it's taken away.

But looking at them, I knew that I was okay with that. I was okay with the pain. I just knew that I'd feel it one last time with Paul, before letting go of it all.

I was okay with it, if only for the look of happiness in my friend's eyes.