Bloody Mary // J. Hale

Deer in Headlights

Jasper began to focus on her emotions, tuning into the subtle fluctuations of her anxiety. It was easy to feel the tension radiating from her. He sent out waves of calmness and security, wrapping her in a cocoon of tranquillity. Slowly, he felt her unease begin to fade, her heartbeat steadying. The quiet hum of the car filled the silence, while the trees blurred past them in a green haze as he drove.

Jenna had given him her address—a house near the outskirts of town, one of the last before the forest.

From the corner of his eye, Jasper saw her leaning against the window, her dark hair casting shadows across her face. She wasn't paying much attention to where they were going, her mind clearly lost in thought, replaying the events of the day. She seemed oblivious to the fact that he had taken a detour, guiding the car away from the main road and deeper into the back streets, where the trees grew denser and the traffic disappeared entirely.

He could feel her slipping further into the calmness he'd fed her, unaware of how carefully he was controlling the atmosphere in the car. It gave him time—time to figure out his next move.

Jasper's mind raced, calculating his next move, his next words. He had to tread carefully, especially now that she was calm, under his influence. A simple question, a nudge—just enough to find out what she knew. He glanced at her again, still leaning against the window, lost in thought, unaware of the detour he had taken.

He softened his voice, making sure it was gentle, almost casual.

"That was a pretty intense scene back there. You seemed... shaken up. Did you see it happen?"

Jenna blinked, the calmness Jasper had woven around her still holding her in its grip, but there was something different now. Her gaze drifted away from the window, her eyes flickering with unease.

"Not really... I wasn't  paying much attention," she said slowly, her voice uncertain, as if she wasn't sure how to put her thoughts into words.

"You know, it was lucky Edward was so close to Bella when it all happened," Jasper said, testing her reaction.

Jenna blinked and turned to look at him, her face thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess so," she replied, her tone distant. "He must've been nearby. I wasn't really paying attention, but... he probably just acted fast when he saw the car."

Jasper studied her for the slightest flicker of hesitation, any indication that she might have seen more than she was letting on. But there was nothing—no trace of fear or realization in her emotions. She wasn't lying, just trying to make sense of what had happened in the way any normal person would.

He felt it then—a wash of relief spreading through him, loosening the tension that had gripped him since the accident. She hadn't seen anything. Jenna's mind had already filled in the gaps, coming to a logical conclusion that explained away Edward's impossible speed. She hadn't pieced it together.

Jasper let out the air he had been holding, his shoulders dropping. His family's secret was still safe. He didn't have to get rid of her.

"Yeah, Edward's always been quick on his feet," Jasper said, keeping his tone light. "He's got good instincts."

Jenna nodded absently, clearly satisfied with her own conclusion. Whatever had been bothering her, it had nothing to do with their world. Jasper sensed it—her focus was somewhere else, far removed from the danger he had imagined.

She is no threat, for now.

While Jenna's response about Edward had calmed his immediate fear, there was still something off about her—something that kept nagging at him. He had felt her anxiety, that fixation she'd had during the accident. It wasn't normal shock or confusion. It was sharper, more personal. And it wasn't tied to the accident, but what?