Intrigue
by Laura Spudzmom
Chapter 16
Gathering her in his arms, he carried her to the couch and sat. “Tell me.”
Her voice was small, quiet. “I woke up and he…he was here.”
Jasper worked to keep the tension from his body and voice. “What’d he do?”
Small fingers toyed with the pocket on his T. “Nothing really. For the longest time, after I switched on the lamp, he just stared.”
“And then…?”
“He apologized, told me he lied when he left, told me…” Her voice choked on fresh tears.
Jasper rocked her, nose buried in her hair, lips placing soft kisses. “Shhh, don’t cry sweet girl. You break my heart when you cry…”
Eventually, she calmed. “Jasper?”
“Yeah, baby doll?”
“Do you love me?
His eyes closed and he tightened his hold. “More than you’ll ever know. I told ya that.”
She looked up, whiskey-hued eyes meeting red. “He said…he said he loved me too.”
As much as it pained him, he told the truth. “He does.”
She laid her head against his chest, right over the dead heart that belonged to her now, and always would.
Her voice was a whisper. “What do I do now?”
He swallowed the pain that question evoked. “Only you can answer that, sugar.”
“I know.”
Before he could stop them, the words passed his lips. “Do you love him?”
Moments passed before she answered, but when she did, it was a knife to his heart. “Yes. . . but I don’t trust him.”
What could he say to that? He didn’t know, so he held her. And when she fell asleep, he laid her in her bed, placed a gentle kiss to her lips, and left to watch the sun rise.
Gathering her in his arms, he carried her to the couch and sat. “Tell me.”
Her voice was small, quiet. “I woke up and he…he was here.”
Jasper worked to keep the tension from his body and voice. “What’d he do?”
Small fingers toyed with the pocket on his T. “Nothing really. For the longest time, after I switched on the lamp, he just stared.”
“And then…?”
“He apologized, told me he lied when he left, told me…” Her voice choked on fresh tears.
Jasper rocked her, nose buried in her hair, lips placing soft kisses. “Shhh, don’t cry sweet girl. You break my heart when you cry…”
Eventually, she calmed. “Jasper?”
“Yeah, baby doll?”
“Do you love me?
His eyes closed and he tightened his hold. “More than you’ll ever know. I told ya that.”
She looked up, whiskey-hued eyes meeting red. “He said…he said he loved me too.”
As much as it pained him, he told the truth. “He does.”
She laid her head against his chest, right over the dead heart that belonged to her now, and always would.
Her voice was a whisper. “What do I do now?”
He swallowed the pain that question evoked. “Only you can answer that, sugar.”
“I know.”
Before he could stop them, the words passed his lips. “Do you love him?”
Moments passed before she answered, but when she did, it was a knife to his heart. “Yes. . . but I don’t trust him.”
What could he say to that? He didn’t know, so he held her. And when she fell asleep, he laid her in her bed, placed a gentle kiss to her lips, and left to watch the sun rise.
DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.