empathy

TWENTY-EIGHT

"What?" Anastasia glances over at him for a moment, not understanding a word he just said.  

Why? Why would she have anything to do with his alter ego plaguing his mind once more?

"It's complicated," Jasper brushes it off, regretting to have said anything as it is. "Hard to explain," he adds. "Try me."

"Our world's complicated, Anastasia. When we are turned, everything changes. We don't sleep anymore, we don't eat human food anymore and emotions intensify greatly. And I guess nature has found some way to keep itself balanced," he starts, unsure how to approach this subject. "Balanced?" she parrots confused. 

"You could say it doesn't one an infinite being roaming its ground. animals are hunted by humans, sometimes other animals. Humans die of old age but there is nothing natural to bring down vampires. There was a time when werewolves took on some but even then it was unbalanced," Jasper tries to explain. "So, nature found a way to keep us tamed."

"And what does that have to do with anything?" Anastasia frowns, her hands grabbing the cigarettes out of the pockets of her jacket. Taking one of them before grabbing the lighter out of the other pocket. 

She can see him frown at her in the corner of her eyes, clearly disapproving of what she is doing but he doesn't comment; simply letting her do as she pleases.

"In literature, there are a lot of authors or philosophers hinting at soulmates. Plato, for example, mentioned them as the other, actual half of oneself, Emily Bronte wrote it to be two people sharing the same soul," Jasper trails off. "In reality, it's a bit more complicated, difficult," he adds. 

"So, what? You're saying there's such a thing as soulmates?" Anastasia asks him, wanting nothing more than scoff in disbelief and yet, she is sitting next to a vampire feeding off animals. That wouldn't be the weirdest thing she's heard today. 

"They come in different forms. And the chances of meeting them, ever, are pretty low," Jasper confirms indirectly. "But the one thing they all have in common is that they become your world, they become your everything and they give you a reason," he means. 

"Wait. When you said different forms... what did you mean?" she interrupts him. "Emmett and Rosalie, for an instant, they complete each other. While he is childish, she is mature, while he is goofy, she is serious. He's the Yin to her Yang," he replies. "Others, are more one-sided. Less balanced, wilder or more serious but still a perfect match," Jasper ends. 

"So, the Major...?" Anastasia leaves her question unfinished, afraid of the answer. There is no way. How could that be? It's just... why her? 

"He's reacting to you because you're our mate," Jasper replies nonetheless, his eyes watching her carefully. 

For a moment she doesn't react, her focus on the cigarettes hanging between her fingers before she blows out the smoke and grinds the cigarette. Turning on her steps, she leans against the railing, her eyes taking in his features for a moment before dropping to his knees. 

"What does that mean?" 

Jasper refrains from flinching at her indifferent tone, wishing she'd at least react and not push it down. He'd rather she rejects him than her adding another board to the firewood of emotions piling inside of her. 

"It means nothing unless you want it to mean something," he points out. 

"And what does it mean to you?" her eyes meet his once more until it's his time to avert them. 

"It means that no matter how much you might hate the idea, I will protect you. And I will follow you to the end of the world because not knowing if you're safe would kill me. And it doesn't matter whether you decide you want me in your life or not, I'll be there, if not up close, then from the distance. And I know this is making you feel uncomfortable and I know I am coming by as a stalker, but I just can't live without you. So, you can protest and yell and scream but I won't ever stop protecting you, I won't ever stop making sure you're safe and I'm sorry I've failed at that so far."