✓ | 𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐀, j. hale [2]

XV. Hourglass

"You knew?"

Evelyn whirled around towards the kitchen, eyes sharp as she glared at Will. "You knew he was here and you weren't going to tell me?"

Evelyn couldn't even think straight. She was so angry, so shocked, so confused... and she couldn't believe that someone who was supposed to be her friend would keep something like this from her.

"I was only trying to protect you," Will said, straightening as his sharp gaze held hers. "I didn't think he would actually be stupid enough to come back and face you after what he did."

A sudden realization made her fists clench at her sides. She was fuming. "That's why you were acting so weird earlier, wasn't it? You were afraid that he was going to get to me before you could, so you made sure that you were here first so you could have your chance with me. Oh my god, I can't even believe you right now--"

"That's not why!" Will interjected, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I literally just told you that I care about you more than probably anyone right now. I know what he did to you, Evelyn! I didn't want to see you fall back into that again."

"Do you think that I'm that stupid? I'm the one that he hurt, Will. I'm the one that's had to live with that pain for months. That doesn't just go away." She groaned, running a hand through her messy brown waves as she shook her head. "I'm not helpless and I don't need you trying to control who I see because you're afraid of how I might feel about them."

Will sighed, taking a few steps closer but stopping when she held up an exasperated hand. Instead, he lowered his voice, willing her to meet his eyes. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. And you're right, I was afraid that if you saw him you would go back to him with no questions asked. But I still don't think it's a good idea for you to let him in, Ev. I don't like this."

"Right now, I don't really care what you think," Evelyn said flatly, moving back towards the door. "But I don't think he would just show up here if it wasn't important. Something isn't right." The image of his black eyes and the bruise-colored skin beneath them flashed in her mind. She knew Jasper always kept himself fed; something must be wrong if he looked so sick right now.

"Ev--" Will started, but she ignored him. She was not partially fond of the fact that Jasper and Will would soon be in the same room, but that didn't matter very much now. She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the conversations that were ahead before she opened her front door once more.

Jasper stood with his hands clasped patiently behind his back, staring at his feet before the sound of the worn wooden door creaking open pulled his attention to Evelyn's face. Of course, he had heard everything that was said just moments before, and he was confused. He did not recognize the male voice within the house, but by the way Evelyn had been speaking to him he could tell that they were close.

"What are you doing here, Jasper?" Evelyn asked, her voice and demeanor guarded as she stared stone-faced up at him. She could see the shock in his face at the way she spoke to him, but it was quickly pushed away as his face became more serious, his eyes almost frantic.

"Evelyn, I know you have no reason to listen to me right now, but I came because Alice —"

Jasper's voice immediately cut off when he began to take in the emotional auras in the room. There was the familiar essence of Evelyn that he remembered all too well; he could feel her confusion, her anger, and surprisingly, that she still cared for him underneath all of the pain and anger that he had caused her. He hated himself for being relieved, but how could he not? After what he had said and done to her, he never dreamed that the love of his life would still manage to care about him at all.