Hurricane ► Jasper Hale [1]

[09]

"I HAVE A date with Edward Cullen." Bella blurted out as Allison reached for another chip. The tall girl paused her movements for a second, flicking her eyes upward to shoot Bella an incredulous look.

"Way to be subtle, Bells," Allison chortled as Charlie raised his eyebrows at his daughter. The man didn't seem very phased, aside from the obvious downward tilt of his lips and the wrinkles in the corner of his eye.

"He's a little old for you, isn't he?"

"No," Bella stated as she looked to Allison for help, raising a hand and flailing it behind Charlie. "I thought you liked the Cullen's."

"He's a junior, she's a junior," Allison assisted her best friend while continuing to munch on her chips, the crunching sounds filling the pauses within the conversation.

"I thought you didn't like any of the boys in town," Charlie countered Bella's statement as he took a sip of his beer, his eyes never straying from the newspaper in front of him.

"Edward doesn't live in town," Allison pointed out, causing Charlie to give the brunette a pointed look. "Technically."

"He's right outside," Bella started, before Allison interrupted her.

"Yeah, so is Jasper. I gotta go," Allison kissed Charlie's cheek as she shrugged on her jacket; the man was growing to be a father figure to the girl. "See you in a minute, Bells."

"Bye, Allison," Charlie bid the girl a goodbye as she walked out the door.

Allison closed the front door behind her and was met with the sight of Edward standing on the doorstep, head inclined slightly to the left, the only indication that he had been listening to the previous conversation. The brunette raised her eyebrows, offering him a small smile; the two still weren't able to bond well. Allison stepped around Edward and saw Jasper leaning against Emmett's jeep. She grinned and danced around puddles until she reached him. "Hi, handsome." Allison smiled as Jasper leaned down to kiss her.

"Hello, sweetheart," Jasper greeted her as they pulled apart due to Bella and Edward leaving the house. The blonde laughed as Allison released a noise of protest, grabbing the sides of her face gently and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"So since when do vampires like baseball?" Allison asked as Jasper pulled away and ran a hand through her hair, preparing it so that he could place a baseball cap over her curls.

"America's favorite pastime," He smiled, "Plus, there's a thunderstorm coming and that's the only time we can play. You'll see why." Jasper tugged lightly on the end of the cap, his melodic laughter reaching her ears as the cap pulled over her eyes and blocked her vision.

***

"Do you want to see how we travel?" Jasper asked his mate, excitement dancing through his eyes. The vampire had been practically bouncing in the Jeep, unable to contain his excitement over something. What had held his excitement was now revealed to Allison as she stood beside the Jeep, him leaning on the vehicle in front of her.

Allison laughed at his childlike joy, nodding her head in answer. Jasper gripped the girl's thighs and hoisted her onto his back. "You better hold on tight," He laughed as Allison wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. The girl wrapped her long legs tightly around his waist for good measure. "Ready?" She gave his shoulders a squeeze in response.

And then he was running. He streaked through the dark, thick underbrush of the forest like a bullet, like a ghost. There was no sound, no evidence that his feet touched the earth. His breathing never changed, never indicated any effort. But the trees flew by at exhilarating speeds, always missing the duo by inches. Allison heard excited laughter and realized that it was her own as the cool forest air whipped against her face, flushing her cheeks.