jasper | part two

chapter five

(unedited)

The hot afternoon sun warmed my body as the breeze gently tickled my exposed skin, luckily I had slipped slopped and slapped earlier – I had no desire to look like a nice ripe tomato the following day.

Julianna, Joanna and I sat side by side on matching tanning chairs whilst David and Jules splashed childishly with their boogie boards, attempting to surf amateur waves. As I sipped on my cruiser I couldn't help but glance over at Ariel and Tanner who were busy trying to build a sand castle. I felt something hideous flower inside my chest as I saw them laugh and frolic in the sand – it was heavy and uncomfortably suffocating.

Not because I was so in love with Tanner and regretted 'dumping' him but because Ariel was so young; too young for the future promised.

I sighed and drew my eyes away from the two lovebirds.

"Fuck," Joanna groaned, lifting up her floppy sunhat with a hand. "See that group of hunks over there? The one in the middle – blue board shorts – he's an absolute ten."

I squinted my eyes, trying to focus on the so-called ten. I involuntarily shrugged as my eyes looked him up and down – yeah he may have had muscles on top of his muscles and a sharp jawline but he looked like a prissy little fuck boy. I wasn't about that life. My heart had once fluttered for men like him but as time went on and my life got more and more fucked up I realized men like him could only make it worse – fuck, the one I had hooked up with was gay.

"You should go talk to him," I muttered with a yawn – the sun was warming me up in all the right places; I couldn't help but close my eyes. "It's not every day you see a ten."

Joanna raised a brow. "Are you not seeing the ten I see? I am just soaked from looking, there's no way I could just lay down and act like I didn't just see that."

"Shhhh... Joanna you know she's saving herself for Mr Sex on a stick," Julianna snorted an amused smile on her face. "Now go on and chase after your lover boy."

Joanna giggled and jumped up from her seat – her little black bikini clung to her like a second skin. She swung her hips and dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder; the poor guys didn't know what was coming for them.

I raised myself off the tanning chair to look at Julianna, "Mr Sex on a Stick?"

"Just a nickname," she shrugged with an innocent smile.

My eyes narrowed instantly, "For whom?"

There were no important men in my life, I made sure of it. All of a sudden my eye happened to twitch...must have been a speck of sand. Deep, deep down I knew what she was going to say and deeper down a part of me swooned. I ignored it.

"Oh you know...just a special someone whom happens to teach you art, outside of art school. I'm sure his lessons are rewarding," A sly smirk played on her lips whilst a demonic look took fire in her eyes.

I huffed and sent her a necessary glare. "I'm not sleeping with him!"

He didn't like me like that and vice versa. 

Her smile widened. "Oh of course," She grasped both hands to her chest. "You would never! How improper!" She wailed, the sarcasm almost suffocating.

I crossed my arms and pouted like a child. "I can't believe you."

She just snorted.

"Lauren!" Ariel called out before I was able to wrap my hands around Julianna's neck. She and Tanner jogged up to me both with big smiles on their faces - ugh. The smile plastered on my face was just as fake as theirs was real.

I didn't mean to be salty but this was the only 'vacation' I would get all year and I had to spend it with my pregnant, teenage sister and her new lover boy. This was meant to be time spent with my friends, not time spent babysitting my sister and gagging over her petty relationship with a guy that used to be all over me.

I wasn't jealous that she now had Tanner's attention, as much as it seemed that I was. It was just something different that I'd have to get used to and I wasn't too keen on different.

"We were going to head back early – we want to watch a movie because bloody Tanner," she nudged him in the side and he grinned down at her with a sparkle in his eyes, oh god, 'hasn't seen transformers! Can you believe it?"

"Wow, really?" I placed a hand on my chest mockingly – they were too preoccupied with each other to notice. "Sure thing, just don't pig out on snacks – I think David said he was planning on cooking up a mean dessert."

Julianna shot me a questionable glance as they walked away.

"What?" I muttered, readjusting the floppy hat on my head.

"They're getting together and it's pissing you off," She commented. "I thought you didn't like Tanner."

I wriggled uncomfortably in the chair. "I don't like Tanner."

"I know!" She clapped her hands together as if she had discovered the meaning of life. "You just want what they have."

"No, I don't," I snorted – my eyes looking anywhere but her calculating face.

"No, hear me out," she said, sitting up straight. "I know for a fact that you don't like Tanner and at first it confused me because frankly, he's hot A.F – but that was before this thing you have with Jasper started."

She held up a hand before I could interrupt her, "We all know you're in denial Lauren – god just the way that you look at him is enough. You want Jasper to treat you how Tanner did when he had his little puppy love for you."

I let it sink in. I sighed and looked down at my hands.

"I don't know," I mumbled. 

Perhaps, maybe I found Jasper attractive. Scratch that, I knew I found him attractive but to want anything more than to just look would be forbidden. Just less than a few months ago he was promised to my mother! 

The mere thought gave me the creeps - I could not, would not hook up with a man that once hooked up with my mother. 

Juliana almost looked sorry for me, a small frown marred her face. 

"He was engaged to my mother for god sakes!" I exclaimed. "It's wrong on so many levels." 

She itched her chin in thought. "It's only weird because it's not common or what traditionally happens - they never actually got married meaning you guys were never bound together by law. So it's not like he was ever your step-dad by law or anything." She tried to assure me. 

"Look, Lauren," her lips hardened. "You know how much I dislike getting deep and all that, but don't let society or other peoples beliefs control your life and what you want - you want that ass? Bloody go for it. Who fucking cares what people think, or what your damned mother thinks. If she really cared she wouldn't have cheated on him in the first place. You're a strong, independent woman. It doesn't just mean that you need no man, it also means that you have the guts to get what you want. Having a man doesn't make you dependent - you need to get that out of your bloody head." 

I let out a breath. "Fuck that was pretty deep." 

She grinned. "I know, now go get yourself some booty." 

My fingers itched to grab my phone and text Jasper, but I knew it was something that I had to do in person - if I could find the balls to do it. 

A/N: hey... I don't really have much to say. I hope you enjoyed the chapter! :D