Eclipsed Secrets // Jasper Hale

An Unwanted Guest

The Cullen house had been loud long before Bella arrived.

Not loud in the human sense. No heavy footsteps, no doors slamming, no voices raised enough to carry beyond the walls. Still, the kitchen held more movement than it had in years.

Opera poured from the television in the corner, filling the open room with bright, dramatic voices while Esme rolled out pizza dough with far more enthusiasm than anyone else seemed capable of matching. Carlisle stood at the island, carefully arranging antipasti on a long white platter as though he had done it every evening of his life.

Emmett leaned over his shoulder.

"That olive is crooked."

Carlisle didn't look up. "It's an olive."

"It's ruining the composition."

"You ate three of them."

"I was correcting the composition."

Rosalie stirred a pot of sauce with the vacant expression of someone who had already mentally left the building.

"You could correct yourself out of the kitchen," she said.

Emmett smiled. "You'd miss me."

"I'd recover."

Althea sat on the marble counter a few feet away, one leg crossed over the other as she watched the chaos unfold. A wooden spoon rested beside her, though nobody had trusted her with an actual task after she had suggested that the pizza looked better without half the ingredients.

Jasper stood between her knees and the opposite counter, absently turning a basil leaf between his fingers.

Althea watched him for a moment.

"You know you're supposed to put that on the food."

"I know."

"You've been holding it for two minutes."

"I'm considering my options."

"It's basil."

"That narrows them down."

She held out her hand. "Give it to me."

Jasper lifted it slightly out of reach.

"No."

Althea stared at him. "Are you genuinely keeping a leaf from me?"

"You were stealing them earlier."

"I was helping."

"Esme disagreed."

From across the kitchen, Esme spoke without looking up. "I still disagree."

Althea sighed. "I'm being targeted in my own home."

Jasper's mouth curved. "Tragic."

She leaned closer, reaching for the basil again, but he shifted his hand at the last second. Her shoulder brushed his chest.

He looked down at her, openly amused now.

"You're enjoying this far too much."

"A little."

"Give it back."

"No."

Althea narrowed her eyes. "Jasper."

His smile deepened at her tone.

Before she could reach again, Emmett appeared beside them and snatched the leaf from Jasper's fingers.

"There," he said, tossing it into his mouth. "Problem solved."

Esme stopped rolling the dough.

Rosalie stopped stirring.