Alone Together (Jasper Hale)

32: stranger.

Jasper tucked the loose strands of hair behind Alice's ear with a small smile on his face.

As much as he loved Sage, right now it felt so right to be beside Alice as the moonlit shown on his diamond skin. The waves crashed against the shore of their house on the coast of a Greek island. It's been months since he'd seen his actual mate but for some reason he was happier. There was still a lingering guilt that bubbled inside of him but Alice easily dispelled any of those feelings whenever he felt down. The soft feel of he lips against his cold skin put him at ease.

"I'll be back." Jasper tenderly placed a kiss on her forehead as he rose from the bed. She hummed in response as she rolled over and pulled the sheets of the bed over her naked body. Jasper himself grabbed the shirt he'd toss off the chair and the pants that were discarded by the door. He slipped on his shoes as he took himself out for his usual evening stroll. He enjoyed Alice's company and appreciated the fact she gave him the space to shift through his mind. Often times, his experiences with Sage would plague his mind. Part of him felt like their time together was a distant memory; one that almost felt like a dream that never happened. One he honestly wished he forgot. As badly as he loved her, the memories of her face contorted in upset and anger always floated back into his head. It was hard to love someone who hated your every being and rarely gave you the chance to make up for his mistakes.

It was never enough for her. The life they lived. Even when they abruptly moved away from his coven and followed the small lead of her creator, it wasn't enough. He spent most nights in Paris strolling along the streets in his own thoughts; much like this evening. He'd pass a few vampires here and there but none had the intent to attack or cause him any problems. They were just vampires who fed on people here and there but much like the city; they were in love with their counterparts. They were content with each other and living on for the rest of their afterlife. He'd met a few of them an even grown acquainted to the ones that would approach them. Often times he'd spot one from a mile away and they'd turn their cheek or simply nod at his direction. It was surprisingly to him the number of nomads that would pass through the city. He grew accustomed to lying to her about how many vampires he'd approach in hopes to find her creator or even other trying to find something that related to it. The city was vast and there was only so much one vampire could do. Instead of fixing the relationship, she had obsessed over trying to find someone she could barely even describe. Let alone a man she never really had a relationship with. 

Jasper had grown envious of the couples that surrounded him in the city of love as he continued to help his mate. He'd always come back to an annoyed Sage, who couldn't even bare to look at him. Unlike Alice.... Alice accepted every fiber of his being and all the mistakes he made. Being around her only made him understand just how wrong Sage and him were together. The decision to leave was after months of contemplation and angst between two people who ended up despising each other. The Bella incident just tipped the scale of his decision.

As his toes buried in the sand of the beaches, he briefly wondered what Sage was up to. Because even despite the large rift between them; he still cared for her well being.

🎈

I shoved my hands in my pockets as I continued down the dark and desolate roads. It had taken me a couple days to head back into Forks, a town I had grown accustomed to. There was truly no real reason for me to stay anymore. After dropping Laurent off at the Denali coven and seeing how happy he looked with Irina; it sent me down an impending sadness. There was barely an attachment in the town. I was clinging onto memories I thought I finally could let go of. It was late night when I crossed the border towards the old house. I could hear the howls of the shapeshifters not too far from me but I had no intention of riling them up anymore. Despite my immortality, I grew restless. Traveling down by myself took more out of me than I could realize.