Not Your Average Fairytale

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

            The group stood crowded around the door, which swung open to reveal a tall guy about their age leaning lazily against the door frame. Wearing a solid dark tee shirt with jeans and aviators, he was certainly attractive, with dirty blonde hair and chiseled features.

            “Bella,” he drawled in way of greeting, flashing her a dazzling smile she glared in reply to. “Aren’t you going to let me in?”

            The group broke up as they all moved back into the living room. Arabella gestured for him to enter, which he did, and she followed behind him as they filed into the different chairs.

            Jasper remained standing. “May I go see her?” he asked.

            He was polite by all standards, but something about him rubbed Wynter the wrong way. He was a little too confident, bordering on arrogant. He walked up the stairs without waiting for a reply.

            “It’s like he thinks he owns the house or something,” Arabella grumbled under her breath.

            It was bad enough that Jasper was a character, but even worse that he had to come to her house. Goodness knows how long he would have to stay here until the stories were done with.

            Thinking of her own story, she grimaced to think of what she now had in store for her. Her thoughts were interrupted by heavy footsteps coming down the stairs.

            “She’s as beautiful as ever,” Jasper said as he entered the room, mostly addressing Arabella, who shot him a dirty look. “Oh, now there’s no need to be jealous.”

            He smirked, and Ashleigh feared for a moment that Arabella might actually punch him. Finally, she took a long, deep breath to calm herself before addressing the group.

            “Well, we might as well text the number,” she suggested. Wynter typed out a short message, and everyone waited anxiously for a reply.

            The room was tense with the addition of Jasper, and Baylor struggled to find something to say. “Hey, I’m Baylor,” he introduced himself, offering a hand to the newcomer.

            “Everett,” the boy chimed in, raising his hand in greeting.

            “Ashleigh,” she added, mimicking the gesture.

            “And I’m Wynter,” the final girl finished with a sharp nod.

            “You already know I’m Jasper,” he replied, flashing another one of his smiles. “It’s nice to meet everyone.”

            “So I hear you already know who you are?” Baylor asked once the silence had returned for several minutes.

            “Of course,” Jasper answered, leaning back against the wall. “My story’s already started.”

            “So do you have a tattoo or something?” Ashleigh spoke up.

            Smirking, he pushed himself off the wall and effortlessly tugged the shirt off. Wynter raised her eyebrows, and Arabella made a sound of protest as he revealed his toned body.

            Turning around, they saw the outline of a hand mirror on his shoulder. It was simply a black silhouette, but it was very elegant for its design. Seeing it on Rosalyn asleep had been one thing, but seeing it on the shoulder of someone alive brought it to reality.