The Rise of Lydia Rowe ↠ Jasper Hale (ON HOLD)

[1.24] perfect

ON THE NIGHT OF FORKS HIGH SCHOOL'S JUNIOR-SENIOR PROM, Lydia ran down the stairs at the sound of the doorbell. She beat her mothers to the door, smiling up at her boyfriend. "Hi," she said. 

"Hello darlin'," Jasper said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. 

"Mom, Mama, we're going!" Lydia called out. 

"Be back before curfew!" Johanna called back. 

"Will do!" Lydia said before shutting the door and following Jasper off of her front porch.

"Nice jacket," Jasper commented, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. 

"Thanks," Lydia said, beaming up at him. She adjusted the sleeves of Jasper's jacket, the material paired with her sweater and jeans enough to keep her warm wherever they were going. "It's my boyfriend's." 

She let Jasper lead her to his bike, taking the helmet that had become unofficially hers. He insisted on fastening it for her, which made her roll her eyes but let him. They got onto the bike, Lydia's arms wrapping automatically around Jasper's midsection.  

"So, where are we headed?" Lydia asked, placing her chin on top of Jasper's shoulder. 

"It's a surprise," Jasper told her, starting the bike. 

"It's always a surprise," she muttered, though she couldn't help the smile that came across her features. 

They rode for about fifteen minutes, passing the Cullen house a little ways in. Lydia smiled, knowing now exactly where Jasper was taking her. 

So much better than prom. 

Jasper stopped once they reached their destination, getting off and helping Lydia off as well. She took her helmet off, leaving it on the seat of the bike before following Jasper further into the clearing. She smiled at the sight of the picnic set up in the field of wildflowers where they'd first hung out what felt like ages ago. 

"What do you think?" Jasper asked softly, wrapping an arm around her waist. 

She looked up at him, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her boyfriend. "It's perfect," she murmured. 

After eating the meal Jasper had packed for her, the couple laid on the blanket, staring up at the stars above them, their hands joined between them. 

"So, what are you doing after graduation?" Lydia asked him, turning her head to the side to take in Jasper's profile. Her staring was short-lived, as he soon turned his head to face her. "College?" 

"I figured I'd wait," Jasper said softly, his thumb rubbing against the back of Lydia's hand. 

"For what?" Lydia asked. 

"For you to graduate," he told her. "So we could go together." 

Lydia turned her face back up toward the sky, though she knew Jasper caught her blush and her smile. "My moms always told me never to follow a boyfriend to college," she said. 

"I'd be the one following," Jasper told her with a soft laugh. 

"That's true," Lydia mused. She smiled at the thought of them going to college together. Getting an apartment, spending mornings and nights together. Maybe Gwen would be there, too, if they ended up at the same college, or they could visit each other on the weekends. She pictured her future, one with Jasper, the rest of the Cullens, Gwen, Lydia's mothers. It was a dream-like image, and she wanted to reach out and grasp it before it floated away the way dreams tended to do. 

"What'll you major in?" Lydia asked him. 

"Maybe English literature," he said. "I haven't tried that one yet. You?" 

Lydia thought about it for a moment. "I think psychology." She'd been thinking more and more about her college major, since she was almost finished with her junior year of high school and needed to get a move on with college applications. "Maybe I'll figure out a way to cheat your gift," she teased, looking at him again. 

He smiled softly at her, his gaze studying her face for a moment. "I love you," he murmured, just loud enough for Lydia to catch. 

Lydia's heart skipped a beat, and she knew he heard it. It was the first time those three words had come out of his mouth, and already, the same words were on the tip of Lydia's tongue. Maybe it was too fast, too soon to throw out those words, but she didn't care. "I love you, too," she whispered. "So two broken people from completely different worlds found each other and fell in love." She smiled to herself. "How Shakespearean of us."  

Jasper kissed her, his cold hand a comfort against her warm cheek. She couldn't help but smile into the kiss. When he pulled away, he kept his hand against her cheek, smiling softly at her. "I'm not sure what part of my past made the universe think I could ever deserve someone as incredible as you." His thumb rubbed gently against her brow. "Everything that came before, it's like they were all stepping stones. I think a part of me knew from the moment I met you that you were where my life was always meant to lead." 

Lydia smiled up at him, kissing him again. 

Like I said, she thought to herself. Perfect. 

✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧ 

[author's note: and that's that on act one! i just want to take this time to thank everyone who has read, commented, and voted for this story. i've had so much fun writing this first part, and i know i'm going to have just as much (if not more) fun writing the next part. every time i get a notification about a vote or a comment, it fills me with so much joy. thank you guys so much, i love you all, and i hope you've enjoyed the first part of lydia's story. it's only the beginning <3]