The Rise of Lydia Rowe ↠ Jasper Hale (ON HOLD)

[2.03] gone

"I guess we weren't," he said, his words reaching into her chest and catching her heart in a vice grip. He finally met her eyes, gold gazing into brown. "I'm not good for you, Lydia. We..." He closed his eyes for a moment. "We were kidding ourselves by thinking this could work. A vampire and a human—it never would have turned out well. This... this is for the best." 

"Best for who?" Lydia stared at him, the grip on her heart tightening. "I love you, Jasper," she whispered. 

"I love you, too," he murmured. "That's why I'm doing this." 

She felt a lump forming in her throat, threatening to make her crumble to the ground. She swallowed hard, refusing to let herself fall apart in front of him. "That's it?" she asked, her voice a thousand times quieter as her anger slipped away into heartbreak. "We're just... done?" 

Jasper only nodded, which hurt more. 

Unsure how to react, she let out a bitter laugh. She dug her nails harder into her palms, hard enough to leave distinct indents in her skin. "Well," she said. "I can't say this is how I thought it would end." 

Old age. A freak tragedy. Lydia turning into a vampire and spending the rest of eternity with him. Those were the futures she'd envisioned. But not this. 

Never this. 

"I'm sorry, Lydia," Jasper murmured. 

Lydia shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm human. That—that I don't belong in your world." She took a deep breath, feeling her world break apart all around her. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you." 

Jasper's face fell. He took a step toward her, moving a little closer when she didn't move away. He pressed one last, lingering kiss to her forehead. "You were more than I could ever deserve, Lydia," he whispered against her hair. He moved a step away, still within arm's reach as he took in the sight of the girl he loved—the girl whose heart he was in the process of breaking. "Promise me you'll be safe. Please." 

As if waking up from a dreadful sleep, Lydia's gaze hardened into a glare. She shoved at his chest, moving away when he didn't move an inch. "Fuck you, Jasper Hale." When he stayed where he was, not making any move to leave, she snapped, "Just go! Leave! That's what you want!" 

It took a second, but Jasper relented. He walked back down the porch steps, then disappeared into the forest in a blur. When he was gone, Lydia crumbled. She fell to her knees, a sob escaping her mouth. She let the tears fall unhindered, the vice grip on her heart crushing it in its fist. 

It's over. 

It's over. 

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Lydia's mothers came home from their date night to an empty house. "Lydia?" Tracy called, setting her purse down on the counter. "Are you home?" 

Noticing that the back door was cracked open, Johanna and Tracy went out to the back porch. They found Lydia sitting with her back against the railing, her face buried between her knees as she shook softly. Johanna hurried to her daughter, worry filling her as she knelt down next to Lydia. "Honey, what's wrong?" 

Lydia's sobs grew quieter as she lifted her head to look at her mom. Her face was red and wet with tears, her eyes bloodshot. Her hair was a mess around her face, strands falling from her ponytail and sticking to her wet cheeks. "He's gone," she whispered, her voice as broken as she looked. 

"Who is, baby?" Tracy asked, kneeling down on the other side of her daughter's trembling form. 

"Jasper," Lydia gasped, struggling to get the name out. "He left. They all left." 

"Oh, honey," Johanna whispered. 

"He just left," Lydia whimpered. "How could he leave—just like that?" 

Johanna pulled her daughter into her arms, her heart breaking with every painful sob that Lydia let out. Tracy wrapped a blanket around Lydia, hugging Lydia as well. 

Lydia fell apart in her mothers' arms, wondering what she'd done to deserve the tragedy her life had once again become. 

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧ 

After a while, Lydia calmed down enough to walk back into the house. She sat on her bed, having just convinced her mothers she was okay enough for them to retire for the night. She wiped her wet face, tears falling like a broken faucet no matter what she did. 

She sniffled, going to her dresser and getting out pajamas. She had to stifle a sob as she took out an oversized t-shirt—she'd stolen it from Jasper a few weeks before. She hugged it to her chest, before taking a deep breath and going into her bathroom to take a shower. 

After what felt like forever under the hot water, Lydia got out, forcing herself to go through her usual night routine. She combed her hair with shaking hands before setting the comb down, staring at herself in the mirror. 

Pull it together, she scolded herself. He's one boy. Don't let him leaving break you. 

But it was already too late. 

Lydia went back into her room, sitting back on her bed. She frowned as her watery gaze landed on a folded piece of paper on her nightstand. 

She took it, unfolding it slowly. She recognized the cursive handwriting immediately. 

Lydia,

I'm truly sorry it had to end this way. I understand it may take time, but please, move on from us. Live a full, happy life. Fall in love again. Start a family. Forget we ever existed. 

I love you, even if right now it seems like I don't. 

Yours,
Rosalie

Lydia covered her mouth as a sob tried to escape. Her tears came back full-force, falling down her cheeks again. She closed her eyes tightly, pulling her comforter back and tucking herself into her bed. She cried herself to sleep that night, not just for the boy she'd loved and lost, but for his family, too. 

It's really over.

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

[author's note: i was gonna make y'all wait for this next part but i figured y'all could have two updates in one day. y'know. as a treat. enjoy the heartbreak—it gets worse before it gets better ;)]