Mourning Doves • J.H

Chapter 7

IT WAS late at night when Bella and Dove left the bookstore. Everything was dark and the little lights that were around were dim. The girls huddled together as they walked past an alley, an eery feeling coming over both of them. Dove and Bella heard cheers and jeers behind them, and deduced that it was same guys from earlier, and now they were following them.

They had finally caught up to Dove and Bella, and decided to speak up.

"Saw you in the store, babe." Although only one spoke up, Bella and Dove were soon surround by more of them.

"Hello."

"Aw, what a pretty little lady."

"It's my girls."

Dove felt a surge of anger and tried to shove past them, but even these men drunk could overpower her.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Come get a drink with us!"

"Yeah, you should hand out with us, come on!"

One tried to grab her hand and she slapped them away, Bella shrinking into herself.

"Don't touch me." Dove sneered. Another one thought he'd get lucky and tried to grab her hair, but a silver car sped up towards them, stopping a few inches from the men and the girls. The driver side opened and Bella and Dove saw Edward stand up, stepping from the car slightly.

"Get in the car." He said, and Dove and Bells wasted no time, getting into the back as they noticed Jasper in the passenger seat.

Both girls watched as Edward managed to intimidate the guys, causing them to scatter a little before he got back in the drivers seat, driving towards the guys, causing them to trip over their own feet as they tried to get sway, then sped into traffic.

Dove looked over to Jasper, who looked ahead, his jaw and fists clenched. She suddenly felt a wave of calmness, but both Jasper and Edward looked angry still. Murderous even.

"I should go back there and rip those guys' heads off." Edward mumbled

"No, you shouldn't." Bella stated

"You definitely shouldn't." Dove added

"You don't know the bike, repulsive things they were thinking."

"Or feeling." Jasper spoke up. Both girls looked at Edward and Jasper with wide eyes.

"And you both do?"

"It's not hard to guess." Edward backtracked, his hands tightening on the steering wheel, "Can you talk about something else? Distract me so I won't turn around."

Bella and Dove looked at each other, wondering what to say before Bella looked over to Edward, leaning towards him a little.

"You should put your seat belt on." She said, causing Jasper and Edward to laugh.

"You should put your seatbelt on." He repeated, still laughing. Bella sat back in the seat, looking over to Dove who was look at the pair in-front of her, wondering what the hell was so goddamn funny.

Dove and Bella finally made their way to the restaurant, finding Angela and Jessica just coming out.

"Hey." Bella said as herself, Edward, Dove and Jasper met them at the steps outside the restaurant. Dove looked on edge as she stood beside Jasper, no matter how many times he tried to calm her, it didn't last.

"Where were you?" Angela asked, "We left messages."

"Yeah, we waited, but we were like, starving, so we.."

"I'm sorry we kept the girls from dinner, we just sort of ran into each other and got talking." Edward charmed Angela and Jessica.

"We didn't see time passing by so quickly." Jasper added, grinning at them. Angela and Jessica really had no chance.

Angela and Jessica smiled, "No, we totally understand, I mean, it happens, right..." Jessica looked over to Angela, "We were, just leaving, yeah, just leaving."

They walked past before turning back to Dove and Bella, "You wanna..?"

"I think we should make sure they get something to eat." Edward stated before looking to Bella, "If you'd like?" Both Bella and Dove nodded and once the girls said goodbye, the four of them entered the restaurant, the giggles of Jessica long behind them.

The got separated into pairs, as the restaurant was nearly full and only had two tables, at opposite sides of the building, so Edward and Bella went off to one side as Jasper lead Dove to the other table. It was quiet between them for a while after Dove ordered her food, Jasper claiming he wasn't hungry. Dove tried to keep quiet, but all these instances were eating her alive.

"How did you both know where me and Bella were?" She asked, breaking the ice between them. Jasper didn't answer straight away as the waitress came by and placed Dove's food in-front of her and walked away after asking if anything else was needed - there wasn't.

"I didn't." He replied after the waitress left. Dove sighed, she was fed up of all these questioned that gave her answers that didn't really answer what she asked. She stood and went to grab her jacket and bag when Jasper gripped her wrist, she gasped at the coldness and turned her head to look at him, "Please don't leave." He whispered.

Dove slowly sat back down, her eyes never leaving his.

"Are you and Edward following us?" She asked him, using the fork to play with her food.

Jasper chuckled and shook his head, the chuckle wasn't one of amusement, "You have to understand that I feel very protective of you, Dove." Dove furrowed her eyebrows.

"So, you were following us?"

"I was trying to keep a distance from you, unless you needed me or my help, and then I felt what those low-lives were feeling." He sneered, but Dove stopped him when she realised what he said.

"You felt what they were feeling?" She questioned, "You can feel what people feel?"

He looked up at her from the table, and slowly nodded, "Everyone in this room, I can feel what they're feeling, even project what I want them to feel, but with you, it doesn't last. I can feel what you feel, and I can manipulate it, but it doesn't last with you, you're a hard one to control." He laughed sarcastically.

He leaned closer to her, pointing over to a couple at a table a few feet away from them.

"She's feeling lust, she wants to sleep with him, as he's also feeling lust, but not for her." He explained, tilting his head slightly, "It grows more when the waiter comes by the table." He smirked, looking over to Dove who snorted.

She stared at him before saying, "Tell me what I'm feeling.."

He smiles as he stares at her, "You're feeling curious, because you want to know more about me, Edward, all if us. You're also scared, you're probably still thinking about what happened, correct?" She nodded wearily, "But you're also happy?" He questioned, furrowing his eyebrows as he didn't understand why she would be happy.

"Why?" He questioned

She smiled bashfully.

"Because you're here." She admitted, "I feel happy, and now, safe."

Jasper was about to tell her that she shouldn't feel safe with someone who could kill her, probably everyone else within this building, in just over a minute. But instead, he just smiled at her, watching her as she ate.

Maybe, just maybe, he could do this.