All We Know (Paul LaHote)

Chapter One

THIS IS BOOK TWO TO TURNING TABLES. PLEASE READ THAT FIRST

"Happy birthday to you." Jacob and Billy finished off in a terribly off-key tone. Jazmine laughed and sat up in her bed with a huge smile.

"Thank you guys." Jazmine smiled softly. Billy placed a gift bag at the end of her bed and she blew him a kiss.

"Happy birthday Jaz, I'll make your pancakes now," Billy promised. Jake gave her a small nod and a barely there smile before following their father out of Jazmine's room.

She took a deep breath and covered her face with her hands before lowering the blanket she'd pulled up over her naked chest.

"Do you think he saw me?" Paul asked and made his way back up onto the bed. In his panic, he had just rolled off the bed and hoped for the best.

"If he had, you'd be dead." Jazmine reminded him before reaching for the gift bag at the end of her bed. She smiled softly when she found two presents and wondered if Jake had actually cared enough or if her dad had bought two.

"Open them." Paul urged and Jazmine smiled before unwrapping the presents. The first was a long jewellery box and she looked up at Paul before opening the box carefully.

Lying in the box was a chain with a thin wedding band hanging off it. The diamond sparkled in the soft light and Jazmine covered her mouth while tears welled in her eyes.

"It's my mom's wedding ring." Jazmine ran her hand over what she thought was a leather band but it was a different material, stretchy.

"I would recommend you take it off before phasing but just in case you lose your cool, it won't break," Paul told her and Jazmine looked up.

"You knew?" She asked and Paul nodded.

"He asked me for the measurements of your neck. Your dad put a lot of thought into this." Paul smiled.

Her next present was in quite a bigger box and she lifted the lid carefully and smiled. It was a carving of a tree and the detail was so intricate that Jazmine was in awe of Jake's skill.

The tree began with her name carved into the base of the tree along with Paul's. There was a small picture of the two going to junior prom together and Jazmine ran her thumb over it.

The other places on the tree had been filled in with her ancestor's names. It was clear Jake had put a lot into this present and she smiled before looking up to Paul

"Why do they always try their best to make my present look stupid?" Paul asked and Jazmine laughed before shrugging.

"I thought Jake hated me." She breathed carefully and put the tree back into its box.

"Jake could never hate you," Paul promised. Jazmine grinned and placed the box to the side before stretching.

"My dad is gonna call me any minute now." She warned and Paul rolled his eyes.

"I'll go home, get changed and grab your present." He told her and started getting dressed.

"See you later, baby." She smiled and got up herself.

"Happy birthday Jaz." Paul kissed her softly before ducking out the window

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"You know if you're gonna stay over I'd rather you came in the front door." Jazmine coughed and forced herself not to choke on the orange juice she was drinking.

"Sorry?" Paul asked. He was standing in the doorway that Billy had just opened and he was staring at Jazmine, dumbstruck.

"It's only polite boy, I'd rather that than watch you climb in her window." Paul turned to Jazmine but she finally lost it and began to laugh.