The Edge

The heartbreak kid

Summary: Alice and Jasper's short vacation doesn't go exactly how she planned.

Three Days Later

Alice wrapped her arms around her body as her dark eyes scanned the sights outside of the window. The day was overcast. It was perfect for being out on the streets, strolling around the city, shopping, people-watching, and talking. But despite the perfection of the day, she knew that they would not go outdoors, not for a while anyway. They would not stroll around the city, or shop or people watch, but they would talk.

Jasper was in the shower, but he would soon be out, and when he was dressed he would walk over to her and put his hand on her shoulder and ask her to sit. They would talk then, and Alice was dreading it because she already knew what he was going to say. And, despite knowing, she would have to be still and let him get through it nonetheless, because even though she had lived the conversation already, he hadn't, and he deserved to be able to speak the words and have her listen to him.

She had felt that something was amiss for a while, had known that something was bothering him, but she had had no visions as to where those feelings would lead them because Jasper had not decided to do anything about the feelings.

At least he hadn't decided on anything until half an hour before, as he stepped under the spray of the shower.

An hour before that they had been making love, the gentle weight of his body had been on top of her, and he had been inside of her, and her hands gripped him as his hips moved in way that had become almost second nature to her. But, despite the familiarity of his body, and his scent, the brush of his hair against her fingers, and the feel of his lips against her skin, something had been different, something had been wrong.

They had been as close as it was possible for two people to be. They had been embracing each other the same way they had millions of times in the past. Yet she had never felt farther away from him.

Her fingers had squeezed his arms as they so often did, and her hips had arched, and his head had fallen against her shoulder as his hips strained forward, and they crashed into orgasm one after the other. But, when it was over, a terrible feeling of loss had washed over Alice instead of the feelings of contentment and warmth that she was used to after having been with Jasper, and she knew that things were about to change.

Jasper had then wrapped his arms around her, and she had rolled into his body, holding him closely as his arms flexed, tightening his hold on her as she buried her face in his neck and he buried his face in her hair.

They held each other like that for a long time, maybe close to half an hour, and then Jasper kissed her forehead, and her cheeks, and finally her lips before he shifted, and slipped off of the bed.

He had moved towards the bathroom then, and she had pulled a robe out of her suitcase and put it on before walking towards the window. As she settled in front of the window, her fingers falling away from the secured sash around her waist, images and sounds began to flood her brain, and it had taken all that she had to remain standing.

Alice remained still as she heard Jasper exit the washroom, and when she felt his arms wrap around her waist and his chin rest on her shoulder, she could not control the shiver that ran through her body.

"Let's sit," Jasper said softly, lifting his hand to Alice's free shoulder, resting it there for a second before he moved it down her arm, rubbing it tenderly for a moment before he pulled back from her.

Alice nodded, allowing him to take her hand.

It was time to talk.

"Do you hate me?" Alice asked, her voice cracking, as the softly spoken words escaped her lips.