Evelyn awoke the next morning to the sound of soft snores in her ear and warm breath fanning across her face. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself face to face with her aunt, who was sleeping soundly. Evelyn couldn't help but smile as she sat up, her aunt's bed creaking slightly with every motion due to its age. The hazy morning glow indicative of a partly-cloudy day shined through the curtains, filtering the room with a golden-gray light.
The previous night had been rough for Marie. Waylon Forge had been a childhood friend, and his sudden death had completely devastated Evelyn's aunt. Knowing that she didn't want to be alone, she had willingly volunteered to stay with her during the night, and she had painfully listened to Marie cry and cry until her body had finally given out and she fell asleep. After everything Marie had done for her, Evelyn was more than ready to hold her grieving aunt in her arms and rock her as she cried, just as she had done for her so many times throughout her life. She could only imagine how Bella was faring with Charlie; she knew that Waylon and Charlie had been friends for decades.
Evelyn slipped quietly out of her aunt's arms and slid out of the bed and onto the cold wood floor. She was silent as she crept out of the room, careful to make sure the door didn't creak as she shut it behind her. Marie needed as much sleep as she could get after the night she had had, and since it was Saturday, it seemed fair to let her have one day to grieve, rest, and recover.
When Evelyn walked into the kitchen, she glanced at the clock on the microwave. 7:45. Jasper hadn't said when he was going to come, so she figured that she might as well shower and get ready. If he got here while she was busy, then he would just have to wait.
She showered and dressed quickly, slipping on a white t shirt and her favorite jeans while leaving her hair down to air dry in its naturally wavy, albeit frizzy, state. When she was younger, the fact that her hair wasn't perfectly straight all the time used to make her feel insecure. Now though, she loved everything about it since it reminded her of the way her mother's hair had always looked. It was one of the only physical attributes she had inherited from her mom, and although an insignificant detail, she cherished it now as a gift.
The small bathroom was silent as Evelyn concentrated very hard on applying her mascara perfectly. She was just finishing up her left eye when a sudden knock on the bathroom door made her jump and her arm jerk, swiping mascara all up her eyelid and even into her eyebrow. She groaned in frustration, tossing her makeup on the bathroom counter a little too harshly.
"Marie, you scared the crap out of me–" Evelyn began, but she cut herself off when she realized that her aunt was, in fact, not the one who had knocked on the door. Instead, Jasper stood at the threshold with an amused grin as he took in her startled expression and the smeared makeup on her face.
Evelyn noticed his eyes flicker to her eyebrow and immediately covered it with her hand. "Jasper! What are you doing in here?"
He cocked his head, confused. "I told you I was coming to get you this morning."
She rolled her eyes. "I am aware of that. I meant, what are you doing in my house?"
He shrugged, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. Evelyn could see the muscles of his forearms even through his pale blue button up. "You didn't answer the front door, so I got curious and decided to come find you, myself."
Evelyn couldn't help but laugh at his honest innocence, shaking her head as she tuned back to the counter. She started opening drawers, rummaging through her things to find a Q-tip to fix her mascara. "Well, usually people don't just barge into someone's house when they don't answer the door. You almost gave me a heart attack, you know. And look at this!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the black streaks across the pale skin of her face.
Jasper laughed as Evelyn finally pulled out a small box of cotton swabs from a drawer. "My sincerest apologies, ma'am. Here, let me help you fix it to make it up to you." He gently pried the box from her hands, pulling a swab out and stepping further into the bathroom.
Evelyn remained perfectly still as he slowly placed his hand on the back of her head, the other with the Q-tip gently dabbing at her eye. She stared into his eyes, which were a brilliant shade of liquid gold today, as he worked, admiring both his concentration and his beauty. The bathroom was silent, the only sound being Evelyn's heart pounding like a drum in her ears. She hoped against hope that Jasper hadn't noticed the sudden irregularity.
"All done," he murmured, tossing the cotton swab on the counter and finally meeting Evelyn's eyes. He didn't remove his hand from her head, instead tangling his fingers softly through the slightly damp curls. Evelyn stared up at him, holding completely still as his free hand cupped her cheek. The sudden icy touch made her shiver. Jasper had felt it, and he let out a soft breath that fanned over her face. His breath was cool, reminding her of mint, and suddenly her control began to slip away. Her lips parted slightly, and she breathed in the intoxicating scent of evergreen, fresh rain, and fallen leaves that always surrounded him and reminded her of a crisp autumn day. She felt her eyelids flutter shut, and involuntarily she leaned into his chest.
A sudden gust of air in her face and the absence of Jasper's cold hands on her skin shook Evelyn from her trance. She opened her eyes and found Jasper standing against the farthest wall of her bedroom, which was across the hall from the open bathroom door. His eyes were closed, face contorted as if he were being burned. She noticed that he wasn't breathing.
"I– I'm sorry, Jasper, I didn't mean to–" He cut her off, holding up his hand.
"Evelyn, it's not your fault. Just give me a moment." His voice was strained and his fists were clenched, and Evelyn immediately shut her mouth so she wouldn't make things worse. She didn't completely understand what was wrong, but she assumed it must be something to do with the whole "vampire" thing. At least, she hoped it was that, and not that he had just really not wanted to kiss her. That would be really embarrassing.
After a few tense moments Jasper opened his eyes, looking visibly calmer and more relaxed. He inhaled slowly, wincing slightly, but then a large smile spread across his face. Evelyn could have sworn he seemed almost proud of himself.
He came closer until he was standing at in the doorway again, his smile never fading. Evelyn's brow furrowed in curiosity. "Well, that was certainly interesting."
"Are you going to tell me what that was all about or are you just gonna let me internally die of embarrassment?" She was being sarcastic, but her words couldn't have been more true.
"You're so dramatic," he retorted, offering a pale hand to her. "But yes, I already told you I would explain everything today. Now let's go before I decide that this is a bad idea and change my mind."
***
Evelyn was trying very hard to hold back her questions as Jasper drove them down a long, narrow path through the woods. She was doing her best to be patient, but the anticipation was eating her up inside. Especially after what had happened this morning.
Soon they came to the end of the road, a dirt circle surrounded by towering trees. There were no other cars and as Jasper pulled off to the side, she couldn't hold back any longer.
"Okay, why are we in the middle of the woods at the end of a dirt road?"
Jasper grinned, turning off the engine and facing her. "You are horrible at being patient, you know that?"
"I can't help it! You're being so vague and mysterious and I just want to know, already!" Evelyn whined, earning an eye roll from Jasper as they both got out of the black Mercedes and made their way to the tree line.
"Do you remember last night when I told you I didn't drive my car to Port Angeles?" He asked suddenly, his golden eyes searching hers. She nodded, intrigued. "Well, this isn't the place I wanted to show you, but to get there we have to run."
Run? "You ran all the way to Port Angeles? In half an hour?"
He nodded, holding out his hand to her once again. "Super speed, remember?"
She nodded, reaching out to take his outstretched hand. As soon as she wrapped her slender fingers around his, she felt her feet leave the ground and suddenly she found herself on his back, arms and legs wrapped around his strong body as if she were a young child. She could feel his cold skin through his clothes, and her skin erupted with goosebumps despite the warmer than usual temperature outside.
"Oh!" She gasped, and she felt his chest vibrate as he laughed. She grinned softly, loving the way he sounded when he laughed.
"Hold on tight, darlin'." And then he took off into the trees.
Evelyn felt as if they were floating; Jasper made no sound as he darted over the forest floor. It was as if he were merely gliding. The only way she knew that they were moving was by the trees flashing by them, which now only appeared as dark green blurs in her peripheral vision. Somehow, he managed to avoid all of the low-hanging branches and shrubs while still flying gracefully through the forest. She squeezed Jasper's neck tighter, her heartbeat speeding up and her lips forming a smile. The feeling of running this fast was exhilarating; never in her life had she ever thought she would experience something like this. She gasped as Jasper kept over a fallen log, launching them high into the tree canopy. She let out a scream of both fear and delight as they flew through the air, Jasper landing noiselessly one the ground as they continued to streak like lightning through the trees.
Jasper came to a stop when the trees thinned, slowing to a human-paced walk and still holding onto Evelyn. Strangely, she was the one out of breath. She rested her head on his back, his soft blond curls tickling her cheeks as she felt the sudden adrenaline rush fade. In contrast, she noticed that Jasper's breathing was perfectly normal; he didn't seem tired at all.
As they neared the end of the tree line, Evelyn could make out the bubbling of a stream or creek. She picked up her head as Jasper gently untangled her limbs from his body and set her on the moss-covered ground. Her knees wobbled and her legs shook, the adrenaline rush's effects still not completely worn off. She swayed slightly, and Jasper grabbed her elbows to steady her. She met his eyes and saw that he was suddenly concerned.
"Are you alright? Do you feel sick?"
She nodded. "I'm fine. I can't believe that you can just do that whenever you want. That's amazing!"
"I'm glad you think so, it's one of the few things I enjoy about this life." He smiled sadly, turning towards the clearing. "I come here when I want to be alone, or to think. I thought it was fitting for our purposes."
Evelyn's eyes followed his, and she felt her eyes widen at the beautiful sight in front of her. They had emerged into a meadow resting near the bank of a small stream. Yellow, blue, and purple wildflowers were scattered among the tall gold and green grasses that swayed in the light breeze. Evelyn could see various insects flitting around from flower to flower, and she could smell the sweet, fresh scent of the stream. The clouds had parted slightly, the sun's rays bathing the meadow in a soft, golden light. She pulled herself from Jasper's arms, walking forward to stand in the middle of the clearing. As she got closer to the water's edge, she noticed a wicker basket and a quilt laying on the grass. She whirled around to face Jasper, her lips turning up into a surprised smile.
"You planned a picnic?"
He shrugged, leaning up against a tree. "Alice told me that if you're taking a girl anywhere you should always make sure that there's food. It was my idea, she just helped with the details." She noticed him glance up at the sun, which had now completely broken through the clouds. He remained just out of its light, a mere shadow in the shade of the trees.
"Alice knows her stuff," Evelyn agreed. She held her hand out to him, her pale skin bright under the sun's light. He smiled softly, his long fingers moving to the collar of his shirt. Evelyn's eyebrows raised as she watched him unbutton his shirt. She felt like she had to look away, but she found that she didn't want to. She let her hand drop to her side as she studied him, suddenly aware that she had never seen him in direct sunlight before.
Jasper read her thoughts easily by her facial expressions. "There is a reason why we can't go to school on sunny days. I'm sure you've guessed that we aren't just overly obsessed with camping by now."
She nodded, a little afraid of what she was about to see. "You're not going to melt or turn into dust, are you?"
He smiled so wide that his dimples appeared, amazed at her curiosity and innocent response. Slowly, he slipped his shirt off and let it fall to the ground. Evelyn felt her breath catch in her throat, her cheeks flushing pink as she took in his sculpted torso. He reminded her of a marble statue, a Greek Adonis that should only have existed in legends. And yet, somehow, for some reason, he wanted her.
She watched as he closed his eyes and stepped forward into the sunlight. As soon as the light touched his skin, it was like he was suddenly made of millions and millions of tiny diamonds that all sparkled at the same time. Light reflected over and over across his body, making him look as if he were glittering. It was a strange phenomenon; beautiful yet terrifying, and certainly not what she would have expected to happen. She walked carefully back over to him as the clouds covered the sun once again, Jasper's skin dimming until it was the familiar pale marble she had grown used to seeing.
"Vampires sparkle in the sun? Of all things?" She asked, incredulous and intrigued. Jasper smiled, brushing a few stray strands of hair from her face before letting his hand rest on her cheek.
"It's not quite the 'burst into flames' from the myths, but it's something, I suppose."
She chuckled, placing her hand over his and leaning into his touch. "Well, I, for one, am very glad that you sparkle instead of bursting into flames. I can deal with sparkling."
Her eyes left his face, instead choosing to roam over his exposed chest and arms. With a frown that Jasper had known would come, she noticed hundred of tiny crescent moons covering his arms, neck, and chest, just barely visible to the human eye. Without thinking, she pressed her fingertips against his icy cold skin, tracing the patterns that looked strangely similar to bite marks. She felt him stiffen from her touch, but he didn't move.
"What happened to you?" She breathed, her eyes scanning his exposed torso up and down.
He pressed his lips into a hard line, breaking away from her and walking towards the picnic blanket. Evelyn followed close behind, sinking down next to him when he sat on the quilt by the stream.
"I haven't always been with Carlisle, or lived this 'vegetarian' lifestyle. The beginning of my vampire life was not pleasant."
Evelyn's heart broke hearing the pain in his voice. "When did it happen? Who were you before?"
Jasper's eyes were far away as he spoke. "I was born in 1844 in Houston. My name was Jasper Whitlock, back then. I ended up joining the Confederate Army before I was of age because of my persuasion and charisma skills, and when I was 19 I was the youngest major in the Texas cavalry."
Jasper shook his head sadly. "I know what you must think of me. But I didn't particularly want to join the army. But back then, where I was from, it was expected for every young man to fight for the cause. My father made it very clear that I would be disowned if I did not do so. I didn't understand why we were fighting to keep human beings as slaves, and I didn't want to, but I also didn't want to lose my family." He sighed as he gazed into the trees. "It was cowardly, I know, but it's my biggest regret."
Evelyn placed a hand on his arm in an attempt to comfort him. "It's okay, I understand. I can't imagine what it must have been like back then."
He offered her a small smile before continuing his story. "I was riding back to Galveston when I encountered the vampire who changed me. Maria." He visibly darkened when he spoke her name. "She saw that I was a soldier and that I would be able to help her acquire territory all across the South and Southwest United States. Vampires are different there; territorial feuds are a constant way of life. Maria was assembling a newborn army to accomplish this, and she needed me to train them."
"What do you mean by newborn?"
"That's what we call the newly changed of our kind. They're extremely strong and fast, but completely controlled by bloodlust. The bites are all from them, since our venom is the only thing that can scar our skin. That's where my gift came in: I'm what you would call an empath. I can feel and manipulate the emotions of those around me."
Evelyn's eyes widened. "You can feel other people's emotions? Have you felt mine this whole time?" Her unspoken question: have you been manipulating my emotions?
He nodded. "You're a little different, though. I can feel your emotions, but for some reason I'm unable to manipulate them like other people's. At first it was frustrating, but now I know that what I sense from you is truly your own."
"Can all of your family do that?"
"No, not all of our kind has gifts. People who are gifted have something unique to them. Carlisle thinks that when we change, we bring the strongest part of ourselves with us. For me, it was my ability to persuade people. Rosalie is extremely beautiful, Emmett is stronger than a normal vampire, that kind of thing. Alice can see visions of the future, and Edward can read minds."
"Edward can what?" Jasper watched as Evelyn's mouth opened in horror.
"It's unfortunate, but yes. With me, Alice, and Edward present, nobody in my family has any privacy."
Evelyn shook her head slowly, a strange knot in her stomach. "I don't know whether to be fascinated or totally embarrassed." She remembered how she would occasionally daydream about Jasper in English, then cringed. Edward probably thought she was insane.
Jasper laughed lightly, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "Probably both. But as I was saying..."
Evelyn listened intently to the rest of Jasper's haunting story. Her heart ached for him when she heard that Maria had forced him to dispose of the newborns, knowing full well that he could feel their emotions. She knew that this existence had deeply affected him; she couldn't help but be happy that he wasn't that person anymore. When he told her about how Alice found him and became is closest friend, she felt herself smiling because she knew that Alice had been the perfect person to lift him out of his depression.
"So, after we found Carlisle I've been living as a vegetarian ever since. I'm the newest to the practice, and unfortunately the temptation is still strong for me at times."
"Is that why you looked so angry with me on my first day of school?"
Jasper frowned, remembering that day very clearly. "I wasn't angry with you; I wanted to kill you, Evelyn. The smell of your blood, for whatever reason, is extremely appealing to me. It was almost impossible to resist. It's called 'la tua cantante'. It means that you're my singer, or that your blood sings to me."
"Does that happen often?"
"Not that I know of. Emmett says it happened for him twice, and Bella is to Edward what you are to me. I've been alive for 161 years and you are the first that I've found."
"If it's so bad, how can you stand to be around me so much? How can you stand to touch me?" She looked to their entwined hands for a brief moment before her eyes flickered up to his again.
"Trust me, it's not without difficulty. But I care for you, Evelyn, and I think that seems to help, at least a little bit. Like this morning, for instance. When you got that close to me it overwhelmed my senses and scared me, but then when I calmed down I realized it wasn't so bad. I think that the more I'm around you, the more I can control it."
"So that's really the reason why you ran away from me?"
Jasper frowned, looking confused. "Yes. What other reason is there?"
"Well I guess I just thought... well, never mind. I won't get too close to you again. I don't want to make it harder on you." She averted her eyes, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
Jasper was silent for a moment, studying her face. Finally, after considering all of the possible outcomes and judging his self control, he placed both of his hands on her cheeks and gently turned her face towards him. "Close your eyes," he whispered, his eyes soft.
Evelyn obeyed, her eyes fluttering shut as she focused on the feel of his chilled skin on hers. She felt him tuck her hair behind her ears, and she knew that he had leaned closer when she felt his breath on her nose.
"Hold still," he breathed, and she did her best, but the pounding of her heart in her ears made it hard to tell. Her whole body was tingling, alive with anticipation. She held her breath when she felt Jasper just centimeters from her face.
She had imagined this moment probably a hundred times, but none of those visions could compare to the feelings she got when Jasper's lips met hers. His lips, like the rest of his skin, were cold, but they felt unimaginably pleasant on her own. He kissed her softly first, their lips barely touching, almost as if he were asking for permission. When she didn't lean away, Jasper deepened the kiss, moving one of his hands to her waist as he pulled her closer.
Evelyn couldn't hold herself back any longer; she leaned into his cold chest, looping her arms around his neck and losing herself in the feel of his hands on her body. She could tell he was growing more confident as he had pulled her nearly into his lap, his strong hands moving from her sides down to her thighs. His fingertips dug into her skin as her hands curled through his hair, their kiss becoming more frenzied by the second. She felt his grip on her tighten, his mouth capturing hers over and over with increased intensity, and she couldn't help the soft moan that fell from her lips like a whisper.
Just as suddenly as this morning, Evelyn found herself alone again in a flash of cold wind. Breathless, she opened her eyes to see Jasper on the edge of the clearing again, his eyes closed and his body tense. Unlike this morning, though, he had a wide grin on his face that showed off the dimples that she loved so much.
"Sorry," Evelyn said, but she knew that she wasn't. She hadn't kissed very many people in her short life, but she knew that what she had just experienced was something else entirely. She could have never imagined the emotions that just being with Jasper made her feel.
Jasper's smile widened as he opened his eyes, finally relaxed. In a flash he was next to her again, pulling her to her feet and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You're not," he countered, raising his eyebrows. He could feel the flush of her skin even through her clothes, and her heart had not slowed down.
Evelyn shook her head, biting her lip. "I'm not," she agreed. "Are you okay?"
"It's getting easier. Like I said, my feelings for you help a little. We just have to be careful. I can't lose you, not now."
"We will be. I trust you," she told him, leaning forward to rest her head against his chest. She felt his strong arms tighten around her, and she instantly felt safe, truly safe, for the first time in a long time.
As Jasper rested his chin on Evelyn's hair, slowly breathing to get used to her scent, he knew in that moment that there was no turning back for him, now. Evelyn had him wrapped around her fingertips, and he knew that he would do anything to keep her safe.