𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇 | J.H

ELEVEN

Edward stayed with Bella that night, and Jasper had volunteered to stay with Eleanor. To which she didn't protest.

He sat in her desk chair as she fired questions at him from her bed.

"So you don't actually drink human blood."

"No." Jasper fiddled with a pen he had found on Eleanor's desk, "Well I used to, but Carlisle showed me and my 'siblings' how to live a humane vegetarian lifestyle - we only drink animal blood."

"So if you really wanted to you could kill me right now?"

Jasper lifted his eyes to her, jokingly menacing as he stood from the chair, his signature smirk on his face.

"Easily." He slowly made his way to her, moving as if he were stalking his prey. "Are you scared?"

"I think you forget - I don't get scared, or feel anything for that matter."

"Oh I beg to differ - you can't lie to me about those things," He was the end of her bed now, "I feel every little thing you feel."

He stopped the predator act, a wide smile on his face as he recognized the faint aura of nervousness and excitement radiating from her as he had approached her.

Eleanor had an excellent poker face, it faltered, however, when she realised that he was right. He could feel the way her heart fluttered and chest tightened as he neared her - she herself had only just noticed these feelings. She wasn't too good with them anymore, they felt foreign to her. She was glad they were still subtle, her numbness underlying but present giving her composure she wouldn't usually have.

Jasper sat at the end of the bed, watching her squirm slightly. He decided to change the subject.

"You know, you never did reveal you're secrets. How did you fight off the intruder?"

It was a question she had been avoiding all night.
But, if she could tell anyone, it was Jasper.

"There's something inside me." She avoided his eyes as she spoke reluctantly, "It rises up and grows until it bursts and just explodes out of me. It happened the night in the woods as well. It just threw him off of me, then I-"

Eleanor hesitated - she'd sound absolutely insane if she mentioned the reoccurring shadow.

"I went downstairs and waited for Bella. You know the rest."

Jasper could tell she has withholding something, but didn't want to push her. He trusted her enough to tell him if it was important.

"Well what's the link between tonight and the night in the woods?"

"I suppose I was emotional - in the woods I was very angry, and tonight I was panicking - a lot."

Jasper spent a few seconds in thought, the thought of her panicking and vulnerable made a possessive breed of anger rise in him. He had never come across anything like Eleanor in his long life - it was new to him just as this world was new to Eleanor.

"Maybe we should work on controlling it - I'll help as best as I can."

Eleanor smiled, her eyelids became heavy as she yawned, "That sounds good."

She was tired, and for the first time since the accident, she welcomed the feeling. Maybe it was Jasper's presence - he made her feel safe.

He chuckled as she succumbed to her exhaustion, watching the worries melt from her face - as much as she denied worrying. He moved himself up the bed, so he lay beside her.

"Anything for you darlin'."