I let my discovery mature in my head before school started again.
But today, the sun is out, and the Cullens are nowhere to be found. Way to be subtle.
I can see Bella getting agitated, trying to take sneaky glances around the campus for them. I would have told her, but I'm afraid she'd think I'm mad.
"They're not here," Jessica says. "Whenever the sun comes out, their parents yank 'em out for camping and hiking. Tried it on my parents, not even close."
Bella deflates a little, and I send her a smile before continuing with my drawing.
Of course, it's Jasper. Apparently, the discovery that he is most likely some sort of blood-sucking demon hasn't swayed my feelings toward him. Curious. Maybe I don't have survival instincts.
But if he wanted to hurt me, he would have already. He's had plenty of chances. Maybe that's why it doesn't faze me?
Oh, who knows. I guess we'll see once I'm face to face with him again. Cause goodness knows sun doesn't last in Forks.
Bella insists I come with her to Port Angeles, as Angela and Jessica are going shopping for prom dresses. I'd never be caught dead in one, but sense that's not the reason she wants to go.
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Sure enough, after less than an hour of dress after dress, Bella finally owns up that she just wants to go to a bookshop.
We agree to meet them at the restaurant we spoke about, and leave. Thank goodness.
Bella is oddly silent, and I get the feeling she is slowly making her way to the same conclusion I reached.
"Jordan?" She asks.
"Yeah?"
"Those men who knocked on the window, you looked like you knew them," she says.
"I know their kind. Not them personally. There was a lot of them around the boxing rings," I say.
"Well, I definitely feel safer with you here," she says.
I smile and follow her up to a nice old bookshop run by a Quilete man. It's full of books I would love to read.
I notice his eyes follow mainly me around the shop, and I frown. Bella gets her book and walks toward the doors. I go to follow, but the man catches my eye.
"Be careful," he says, a heavy tone behind it.
"I will be," I reply.
Trying to brush off the weirdness of that encounter, I follow Bella down the bookshop stairs and into the streets.
It's dark now, and the rain has come back. It isn't hard, but strong enough to remind you it is there.
Two figures appear at the bottom of the alleyway, spot us, and start walking up.
I turn Bella around and walk another way. But it takes us into a large parking lot, where the two men link up with a bigger group.
They're the ones from the dress shop.
My adrenaline is starting to spike. I unintentionally push Bella behind me as they gather around us closely.
"You're the pretty girls from the dress shop, ain't ya?"
"Very pretty."
A hand reaches out to drag Bella away from me, but I grab it and yank it backwards, making the man yelp in pain.
"Oho! A fierce one. Well, I'll take her."
A particularly large man comes over, and before I notice, I've evaluated every part of his stance and formulated a strategy against him.
"Bella, once I've broken his nose, call Charlie would you," I say evenly.
"Jordan, don't-"
Too late. I've moved two steps away from her and hammered two punches into his abdomen and face.
He falls back, grunting and groaning. That would have hurt if I hadn't of bust my hands open time and time again as a boxer in Phoenix. Guess it does have some pros.
"Now?" Bella asks.
"I haven't broken his nose yet."
He comes hurtling back at us, and I wait until he's in front of me, then aim three rapid punches to his jaw and nose.
His lip busts, spraying the ground with blood. The other men aren't coming near, instead choosing to watch their friend get beaten up.
"You little bitch!" He spits.
A car comes screeching around the corner and halts a foot from us. But I don't pay attention to it. This douchebag has too much of my focus.
And while his mates jumped, he hasn't taken his eyes from me. I wait, bouncing on my toes.
He takes the bait and rushes me.
"Jordan, come on!" Bella yells.
My arm shoots out one last time, and my fist makes contact with his nose. A satisfying crunch sounds in the dark, and he crumples.
Blood pours from his nose, some of it splattered on my knuckles. He scrambles to run away, followed by a few of his mates.
I turn to the car and recognise it as Edward's silver Volvo from school. Except he's not the only one here.
Jasper is staring after the man, a look of pure rage painted onto his usually tranquil features.
He's shaking again, like he's fighting with something.
I quickly walk over and place my hand on his chest. "Jasper, it's fine. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?" He asks tensely.
"Yeah. Don't worry, there isn't a scratch on me," I say.
His eyes dart down to the blood on my hand, then back up. There's more tension in his body.
I swiftly wipe it on a tissue from my pocket and toss it away. "Come on, let's go."
His arm winds around my waist and gently pulls me to the back seats. As soon as we're in, Edward jerks the car forward, startling the remaining frat boys, then speeds out in a way that makes me question his ability to drive.
"We should go back there and rip those guys heads off!" Edward says, griping the steering wheel way too tight.
"N-no, you shouldn't," Bella says.
"You don't know what those lowlifes were thinking," he spits.
"And you do?" Bella asks.
I smile. She's a sharp girl, Eddie. Keep that in mind.
"Can we talk about something else?" He asks. "Distract me so I won't turn around."
"Erm," Bella fumbles for words. "You should put your seat belt on."
Edward laughs. "You should put your seat belt on."
It's then I realise, I am not wearing a seat belt. The only thing keeping me from flying through the windscreen this whole time has been Jasper's hand looped around my waist.
The muscle in his jaw is pushing against his skin from tension, and his chest is rising and falling shakily.
"Jasper, it's alright," I say, and carefully touch my fingers to his tense chest.
He relaxes under my hand and pulls me closer. "I'm happy you're alright."
My thoughts are racing in the back of my mind. On the one side, I know now for certain he's capable of killing me with less than a twitch. On the other, it's Jasper. The same person who saved my life in the parking lot, and came to my house because I asked him, then stayed with me through a very painful hospital visit. I don't think being a vampire changes that.
I finally decide it doesn't. I don't care what he is. It's the who I care about.
"You're tense," Jasper notes.
"Sorry. I'm just thinking," I say.
"About?"
"Things," I say.
He chuckles. "Alright then."
I snuggle into his side, laying my head on his shoulder. He turns to stone for a moment, then softens. When he doesn't object, I relax into him.