✔ | 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍, jasper hale

two

She glanced at what she was wearing, debating whether to change. After a minute of attempting to make up her mind, she pulled her dad's shirt off her body and changed into a fresh shirt before splashing some water on her face.

Upon reaching outside, Bella instantly sent her a smile, slightly waving at her. She returned the smile before giving her father a side hug. She faced the two older men with a smile and slightly bowed at them as a greeting.

"Good afternoon to the both of you."

"Such a polite kid you have, Elijah!" the long-haired man exclaimed in glee. "And a splitting image of you and your wife at that one!"

Elijah chuckled and looked down at her daughter adoringly. He begs to differ; however, Madelline was more like his wife. The stubbornness, the short temper, and the lack of tolerance for other people—that all came from him, if he was going to be honest.

The long-haired man extended his hand out toward her with a cheery smile. "Hi there, I'm Billy Black, and that's my boy over there, Jacob," he introduced, motioning the boy, who silently stood beside Bella, with his head.

"Pleasure to meet you and Jacob, Billy." She gently shook his hand before pulling away. The contact suddenly sent her tingles as if it were telling her something, which caused her to immediately pull back. Billy, however, remained composed and seemed to not notice her action.

A connection. Something foreign yet incredibly familiar, like a distant memory she had now completely forgotten.

"You okay?" her father whispered to her ear as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Gratefully, she sent him a small smile and curtly nodded. She decided it wasn't worth thinking about, and it's the jetlag talking. You know what they say—you're not you when you're tired and hungry. At the very moment, she was between the two.

"I have something for you," he told her. She looked up in confusion, only to see her father smirking at her knowingly before nodding toward something in front of them.

Her eyes followed where he nodded, only to freeze. There, in all its glory, stood a Volvo P1800 in black. It was beyond what Madelline had imagined; she couldn't help but beam up at her father, who chuckled at her expression before gently ushering her over to her new vehicle.

"Please, please tell me that sexy-looking car over there is for me," she asked, trying her utmost not to jump in excitement.

Elijah threw his head back as he burst out in laughter. "I did just say that I have something for you, didn't I?" he quirked an eyebrow at her jokingly.

Madelline playfully rolled her eyes at him before running over to her new baby, blowing her father a kiss as she did so. The four of them watched in amusement as she took her time encircling the car, her hands skimming every nook and cranny as if she were studying such a complex matter.

"Before anything else," Elijah started, catching her attention. "No drunk driving, young lady." He narrowed his eyes at her playfully while pointing a scolding finger at her.

"So," she drawled out as she made her way back to her side. "I could get drunk as long as I don't drive," she implied, raising her eyebrows up and down at him.

"The kid's got a point," Charlie muttered by the side while Billy hummed in agreement.

Elijah deadpanned at them before meeting his daughter's eyes with warning eyes. "No drinking unless you're with me," he said, ensuring that he got his point across clearly.

The two older men chuckled while Madelline let out a laugh before she pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you," she mumbled against his chest, tightening her arms around his waist. He only responded by hugging her as tight as he could without suffocating her and looking up to blink the tears away.

"Are you... crying?" Madelline held back a laugh when she felt him sniff, pulling away to get a clear vision of him.

Elijah snorted and looked away. "Me? No, who's crying?" he scoffed, not so discreetly wiping away a lone tear while Billy patted his thigh, holding back a laugh.

"You are!"

"You should go for a drive!" Elijah interrupted her, forcefully turning her around by her shoulders and pushing her toward her car. "You can bring Bella and Jacob along." He motioned over the two with his head.

Elijah went back to the two as Madelline grabbed herself a coat, leaving a peck on her father's cheek before pulling along Jacob and Bella, who both shared a look before smiling amusingly at her giddiness.

"Damn, my baby's all grown up."

"Come on, you just gave her a car. It's not as if she's going to go out of the country."

"Coming from you who cried when Bella started her first day in school."

༊*·˚

"Is it not weird that you only just met me and you're taking me out for a drive?"

Madelline Smith glanced at the boy in the rearview mirror. For the first time ever since she started driving the three of them, only then did she truly give her attention to him. She couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at his question.

"You make it sound like I'm taking you out on a date, Black," she lightly teased, winking at him from the rearview before focusing back on the road.

Unbeknownst to her, Jacob fought back a blush and looked outside, pursing his lips. The Smith girl was indeed straightforward when she wanted to be—too straightforward, which he found refreshing and unexpected.

Well, he does not mean to compare, but the two girls who sat before him were polar opposites. Bella was timid and had tendencies to keep to herself; Madelline was the complete opposite. Confidence dripped like honey from the girl, and she had this natural pulling factor for everyone that surrounded her. Yet, something about them seemed... so balanced.

"What was it like before you moved down here to Forks?" Jacob asked, leaning toward their seat.

"Well, I do miss the heat terribly," Madelline remarked. "Forks is not so bad. I mean, nothing ever happens here, right?" She glanced at them.

For some reason, the statement itself rubbed Madelline the wrong way. It was true, though. Nothing bad could possibly happen in Forks, right? Yes, Forks could be a bit mysterious at first glance, and the number of towering trees behind every establishment and house was a bit eerie, but she doesn't think there could be some creatures hiding behind those gigantic branches.

Right?