Blood, Fire and Vampire Slayers: Jasper Hale love story Book #2

20: Blood, Fire, Vampire Slayer

Alice came in late, wobbling with the effects of alcohol, and maybe heartbreak. Réka's vampire friend had walked her back to the cabin after the barman cut her off. She felt like she was ready to vomit, but it never happened. When dawn started to break Alice shut the curtains, feeling like a caricature of Dracula; scared of the sun. A while later, someone knocked on the door and she forced herself to stand up and answer it. Jasper was standing there with a hand on the doorframe when she opened it. He lowered his eyes to his feet.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hi," she said hoarsely.

"Can I come in?" She stepped back for him to enter, falling onto the bed behind her.

"You need food," he said as he closed the door. She nodded with her cheek against the bed.

"I'm really sorry," she whispered.

"I know," said Jasper. "I'm sorry too." She sat up as he sat next to her on the bed. "I don't think you separated me and Astrid, because you were jealous. In fact, your vision came true." Alice bowed her head. Her heart was sore with emotion.

"If I could take back everything, I would," she said. "If only so that you wouldn't hate me now."

"I don't hate you," said Jasper. "And I wouldn't take it back." She looked at him, confused. Jasper shrugged. "Everything happened how it was supposed to. Astrid is happy and I want that for her. Even if I had the power to undo it, I wouldn't. Now you and I have to move on, Alice."

"I know," she said, choked up. Jasper took out the unicorn pendant.

"Astrid let me keep this," he said. "She found it on me last night."

"You're not coming home with us, are you?" Alice asked.

"Not right away," said Jasper. "I've already let Elizabeth know that I want to extend my leave and I understand if she can't keep me on as permanent staff." Alice swallowed hard, but she couldn't stop herself. She sobbed and tears welled up. Jasper sat down and pulled her into a hug. "I promise I'll come back," he said. "I promise."

"I just wanted you to know how I felt," she sobbed. "I wanted to take my last chance, before everything changed." Jasper thought he understood what she saw at the end of his fight with Sofia, the gorgon. She saw him leaving the Olympic Coven. Maybe she predicted they would never seeing each other again. He didn't know.

"Alice," he whispered. "Do you want me to kiss you?" She looked up at him with teary eyes, scarlet after all the human blood she drank at the bar.

"Only if you mean it," she whispered. He brushed her bangs to the side and kissed her forehead. She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"You're going to be okay," said Jasper, squeezing her hand. "We both are."

"I won't," Alice whispered breathlessly. "I'm not going to be okay, Jasper."

"It's going to hurt like hell," he said. "I can tell it already does. But one day it won't, and you'll learn how to be happy again."

Alice fought back more tears and he held her tight, drawing away some of her pain, just enough so she had the will to leave the room and eat. He knew from past experience that taking away too much feeling just made things worse in the end. He let go and waited for her to dry her eyes.

"I need a good meal before my fight," he said. "And you need to get your strength up. Come with me to the blood bank?"

"Okay," said Alice, nodding.

She had a shower, washing smeared makeup off her face and letting the water wash her sadness down the drain. Bella knocked on her door when she was getting dressed. Alice cracked it open and Bella presented her with a Spiel im Hinterland sword tournament t-shirt.