Delicate (Jasper Whitlock Hale)

Chapter 16

This is so short I'm disappointed in how it turned out, but I'm hit with writer's block right now and studying for midterms. My midterms are next week so I'm sorry if, just for the next week, the updates are slow and/or short, but I promise they'll get quicker and longer once midterms pass.

Also, a HUGE update, my rankings on this story sky-rocketed and I'm as thankful as ever. I'm in the top 2% (!!!) of stories under the jasperhale tag and the top 1% (holy shit) under the edwardcullen tag! You guys are absolutely amazing and I cannot begin to thank you enough for that.

Rosalie and Alice, always ones for the dramatics, walked in front of me, stopping me before I turned the corner on the final flight of stairs. Jasper was blocked from my view and I could hear him approach the bottom of the stairs.

"Can I see my girl now?" He questioned in a playful tone. I chuckled but waited until Alice and Rosalie stepped down the stairs before I moved around the corner. I locked eyes with Jasper as I did so and immediately felt relaxed, only still feeling the edges of excitement, yet no anxiety.

"There's no way I'm lucky enough to take you out tonight." He said, sounding almost breathless, as if it were possible for him to be breathless. I met him at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at him,

"I feel the same about you." I took his hand in mine, smiling up at him.

"Are you ready for your night out on the town, Little Wolf?" Jasper asked, kissing my forehead. I nodded,

"I'm ready if you are." He wrapped his arm around my waist and guided me out to Alice's car, opening the passenger door for me and helping me inside, making sure that my dress was all inside the car before gently closing the door. He was in the passenger seat in the same second and started the car.

"So, do I get to know where we're going?" I asked, taking his hand and looking over at him, giving him the best puppy dog eyes I could.

"Nope, but you're going to love it, I promise." Jasper said, kissing my knuckles. "You look absolutely gorgeous, by the way. You seriously took my breath away and I didn't even think that was possible." He complimented, looking over at me as he drove down the highway, leaving Forks.

"And you look handsome as ever. You gave me heart palpitations when I first saw you." I returned, ignoring the red creeping onto my cheeks and hoping the full face of makeup was enough to cover it. Jasper laughed and nodded,

"I know I did. We all heard it." He reminded me, making me groan and another flush spread across my covered face, and once again, I was just hoping he couldn't see it. "Just because I can't see the blush, doesn't mean I can't feel the flattery when I compliment you, the embarrassment you feel, or the hope you have when you hope I don't see it." Another groan fell from my lips and I looked over at him,

"Can you feel how my hope just deflated then? Can you?" I asked sarcastically, attitude lacing my voice but he could tell better than anyone that it wasn't serious.

"Yes, I can, but I'm excited to feel how you feel when you see the restaurant."

"I'm nervous right now." I admitted.

"Why are you nervous?" He asked, looking back over at me for a couple seconds before paying attention to the road again.

"First date jitters." I answered, "It's a good nervous." His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as if he was trying to understand string theory with no previous knowledge of what it was. "What's wrong?"