.constellations // jasper hale.

xvii. boötes

When I woke up I was still interlocked with Jasper, who felt like Jasper again. Waylon was asleep in the chair, I tried to move as little as possible to avoid disturbing everyone else. Jasper's arm tightened around me, subtle reminder that he was only pretending to be asleep.

"He's worried about you, as much as I am" Jasper whispered with his eyes still closed, I looked over to Waylon. His face was exhausted, even though he was asleep, he was aging quite obviously thanks to the stress. His winkles were deeper and more obvious, his skin was loose and tired. He didn't look happy, or well rested. I felt bad for having a bed whilst he slept in an armchair.
I sighed, my hands rubbed his forearms that locked me into him, "how is he?" I whispered in return.
"He's scared, stressed. But he knows you're okay."
"How're you?"
"How am I?" He chuckled, his tone mocking "you're in hospital and you want to know if I'm alright?!"
I didn't speak, I just raised my eyebrows.
"After what you've been through? after what I've put you through?" His harsh tone changed to something more bewildering; " how can you think of anyone but yourself?"

I didn't speak in sheer shock of his words; I didn't get myself like this because I was thinking of myself. I couldn't decide what I was more irritated by, how he thought he was responsible for any pain that I felt or that I could possibly ignore how this had effected everyone around me.
My body would heal, bruises fade but I didn't know what would happen to the emotional turmoil I've created.

Waylon asked to speak to me alone, before I could leave the hospital.
"Levi, what you did was so, so brave." He pushed my hair back and stroked my cheek with his thumb, "your father would be incredibly proud." His sentence made my eyes sting, memories of my father flooded and how badly I missed him. We hadn't spoken in three weeks; which wasn't rare but lately, I felt like I needed him more than ever.
"I swear when we find these men, they will pay for what they've done. Charlie and I won't rest until they're in our jail... God won't even be able to save them..." He trailed off, his eyes losing mine in his thoughts. I didn't need a vivid imagination to know what he was thinking, I agreed quite frankly. After how they treated that brunette girl, Isabella, they didn't deserve to live. Sending the major, or the police to "catch " them was a different manner however.
"We've been talking, Carlisle and I." He realigned himself, "No one thinks you should be going back to an empty house..."
My eyes widened in a small protest, my home was my home.
"We don't know when your father will be back, I hope it's soon i truly do. But you are too young to be cooped up in a house that size by yourself..."
"But I wasn't by myself." I spluttered an interruption, that I quickly regretted. I wasn't willing to talk to Waylon about the nature of my relationship with Jasper...
"Hm. Yes well, there should be an adult that's looking after you. My door is always open for you, but Carlisle has pointed out that his wife is always home, you can travel to school with his children and you wouldn't be alone whilst I'm at work." Waylon sounded sad, "Until we catch these animals I'm going to be putting in a lot of late nights... I want you to visit though." He smiled but it didn't match his eyes, I hugged him tightly. And told him "Thank you. Waylon, of course. I am so lucky to have you in my life." My heart was full of love and my eyes filed with water, we separated but my hand held onto his.
"That boy loves you, you know." He smiled a bit more convincingly.
"I know." My eyes flickered to the Cullen and Hale in the corridor talking to the doctor, Jasper wasn't what I was thinking about though. I couldn't ignore the sadness in Waylon's eyes.
"How's Charlie doing?" I asked weakly.
"He's okay... Bella is doing well. He's just waiting." He sighed out the aftermath of last evenings stress.
"Waiting for what?"
"She's very tired, she's sleeping a lot. Can't blame her though, it could have been so much worse." The state of his heart was obvious in his voice, he was crushed. He was trusted with looking out for me until my dad came home, and I had still ended up with a night in a hospital.