Us ○ Jasper Hale 1

New Girl, New Problems

"You can't just run away!" Rosalie explodes on Edward as I hug Jasper from behind, resting my head between his shoulder blades, his arms over mine as he rubs my arms.

"I need time away." Edward sighs.

"Just drain her and be done with it! We've all done it!" Rosalie protests.

"I'm not killing another person." Edward growls, Rosalie hissing right back.

"Enough." Carlisle's voice interrupts and the two of them back up, the first round of a boxing match over as they prepare for the next.

"Rosalie, try to understand where your brother is coming from." Carlisle speaks and I move so I'm under Jasper's arm now.

"Edward, would you care to explain?" He adds in his ever comforting fatherly tone.

"Bella, she's my blood singer... I wanted to kill every single person in that room, just to drain her... I'm going to Denali. I'll be there a month or so."

"A month!? Are you stupid!?" Rosalie screams.

"Do you have to go?" Esme asks quietly and Edward looks to her then at Rosalie.

"I'll be back before you know it." He reasons as everyone falls silent.

'It's okay to go Edward.' I think to him, knowing any spoken words will cause Rosalie to scream some more. 'I'll keep an eye on her. See what she's thinking. I'll keep it contained.'

"Do you realize how unbelievable this is!? We're letting some-some human control our family!!" Rosalie bursts, "How is that fair!?"

"You can't pick and choose, Rosalie." I interject softly and she falls silent, everyone's gaze snapping over to me, making me smile sheepishly.

"You're different." She says sternly, pointing at me.

"No, they're both human-"

"She's practically saving Jasper!" Rosalie cuts Edward off heatedly.

"She's good for him - all of us! She's not ripping this family apart!" Rosalie protests.

"You can't change my mind. It's already made up." Edward ends the useless argument before zipping out of the room. I take a deep breath and Jasper moves me so I'm leaning my back against his chest. He wraps his arms around me, resting them on my shoulders as I put my thumbs in his pocket. A couple minutes later, Edward walks back in and looks around.

Esme is the first to advance, giving him a big hug. He pats her back and she lets go. Carlisle shakes his hand and pats his shoulder, Alice gives him a hug and tells him she'll see him soon. I walk out of Jasper's embrace and wrap my arms around Edward's neck. He wraps his arms around me too.

"Keep your word." He says so quietly I almost didn't catch it. Jasper walks up, one hand on my lower back and shaking Edward's hand with the other. Emmett brings him into a hug and Rosalie huffs and blurs out of the kitchen and into her room. Emmett zips after her and the rest of us watch as Edward leaves.

"Come on. I'll get you home." Jasper speaks up first and I nod.

"I'll see you tomorrow Esme, Carlisle." I smile and give both of them bittersweet hugs.

"You're part of the family too, Thea, we just want you to know that." Esme says and I grab her hand, smiling to her. I send everyone one last smile before walking out of the house, Jasper following behind me. He opens the car door for me and we make our way to my house.

"My mom should be home by now." I mumble and I could feel his eyes on me. "She's been stressed for a while so..." I suck my teeth with a sigh as I run my hand through my hair.

"I'm sorry." He breathes out and takes my hand in his. I run my hand down my face as Jasper pulls into my driveway.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" He asks and I look to my lap and then up at him again, nodding. "Then I'll be back soon." I thank him, pecking him on the cheek. I climb out of the car and watch him speed off before walking up to my house and opening the door. I walk in and my mom is in the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of wine.

"Hey Honey!" She slurs and I bid her a hello. "How was school?" She giggles.

"Good, nothing much happened." I answer.

"And your boyfriend?" She asks, a smile on her lips but hidden fury behind her eyes. She always brings him up in the intention to find a flaw and yell at me to break up with him, though I always smile at the thought of my Jasper.

"I don't feel like arguing. Maybe tomorrow?" I offer before walking past her.

"He gives me a bad vibe!!" She calls after me. "I don't like him!" But she's tripping over her own words.

"Then it's a good thing you're not the one dating him!" I shout back and close my bedroom door, locking it. This used to be my brother's room but since he moved out, I moved into this one and my old, smaller room is now the guest room. I collapse onto my bed, kicking my shoes off and staring up at my ceiling, I could feel my heart beating and the rise and fall of my chest with every breath. The way my body temperature fluctuates and the way I blink and sleep. All things Jasper doesn't have. All things Vampires don't have. All things I'll lose.

I hear a knock at my window, making me jump out of my thoughts. Shooting out of my state of surprise I rush to the window and open it for Jasper to climb through, a duffle bag with him. I close and lock the window behind him, shutting the blinds.

"What were you thinking about?" He asks as I fall back on my bed, Jasper sitting next to me, running his hands through my hair.

"My 21st birthday." I mumble.

"Your 21st birthday, huh." He repeats and lays down, so I scoot closer and lay my head on his chest. "What about it?" He asks and I smile, holding his freezing hand in mine.

"Everything about it." I whisper, resting my chin on his chest to look him in the eye.

My eyes flicker down to his lips and I trace them with a feather light touch. I pull down his bottom lip and he shows me his fangs. I glide my thumb over them and I could feel Jasper unintentionally showing me his nervousness. I pull away again and he's left with an erratic mix of emotion.

"Does it hurt?" I ask for the millionth time.

"It will be the most painful experience you will ever endure." He tells me, once again. I take a deep breath and snuggle into him some more. "Talk to me." He urges and I draw shapes in his chest.

"I'm scared." I answer in a matter of fact tone, "Of leaving my family and letting you down." I elaborate, "What if I can't do it...? Or what if I can't help you as one of you, the way I help you as a human?" Jasper starts plays with the end of my hair.

"I don't have the answers to those questions." He answers honestly, "No one does. I can't tell you it's going to be okay because it is a hard life to live. I'm also not sayin' you have to force yourself into anythin'... that bein' said, I hope you do what feels right." He says and I smile calmly before sitting up and grabbing my back pack, taking out my homework.

"Being with you..." I pause and look back at him, "Being by your side... That's what feels right." I answer, making him smile and sit up, kissing my temple.