Deaf Defying Love (COMPLETE)

Chapter 45

"If I had a nickel, for every time you make me smile I'd be a rich man." Jasper said, laying on his towel.

The sand between my toes was enough to warm me up after playing in the ocean for who knows how long. The sun was beating down on us, and I'm fairly sure I'll get some color after this trip. Yay!

My phone made my backpack pocket vibrate, and I held up one finger to Jasper. "Hold that thought," Reeling in my index finger I took out my phone and put a hand above it to help me see the screen. "Elizabeth!" I spoke out loud, whether I meant to or not when I saw her text.

"Whose Elizabeth?" Jasper seemed skeptical. For some reason that got on my nerves a bit. "Whose Abbie?" His face went blank at my sudden outburst, and I ignored it as I turned my attention to my phone. It wasn't his fault, he didn't know who she was fair and square. It also wasn't fair of me to say that to him.

For all I know, Abbie could just be his cousin or something that I didn't need to think about.  "Sorry... I don't know where that came from."  I tried to apologize, but he was playing with the sand between his fingers. He didn't reply.  Reaching over I put my hand on his shoulder, making him look at me.

"You're fine. Check your phone, it seemed important."

Sighing, I unlocked my phone. Why do I do that sometimes? Just have a random outburst of emotion, and make others feel bad to be around me.  I feel like a horrible person when I do that.

Hi Abira! How's your boyfriend? Just kidding! Remember he may be cute but that doesn't mean anything compared to substance.

Her and herself trying to help me. Tsk, tsk. Putting my phone in my lap I tapped Jasper again, getting his attention. "Jasper I really am sorry. It's not my business to ask. Could you pose for a picture for my friend?" I held my phone up in one hand and gave it a wiggle. His eyes lightened a little bit. "You're  okay, I'm just not used to that from you. What friend?"

"Her name's Elizabeth, she taught me how to sign as a kid. Can you snap a picture?"

"Better yet, does she have FaceTime?" He asked and I nodded. Unlocking my phone again because for whatever reason it shuts off on its own, why do phones do that? I hit 'call' on her contact. Her face appeared on my phone and I waved, and told Jasper to wait where he was for a second.

"Hi Elizabeth! I read what you said about you know who," I signed and Jasper probably didn't know what we were talking about by the look on his face. "And?" She seemed intrigued. "Well I thought you could see the guy," I stopped signing and called Jasper over.

Flipping my screen sideways, it merged us both into the picture. Elizabeth smiled brightly at him and waved. "He knows some sign if you want to talk to him," I said. Elizabeth nodded and looked at Jasper. "You're the one who kissed her?"

"Oh my gosh, Elizabeth!" I signed rapidly. Elizabeth shrugged, and looked at Jasper who ran a hand through his wet hair. "Uh, yes, we did." Jasper looked at me when he signed for reassurance but spoke as well as he did. The whole time he looked at me, like 'what did you tell her?' I almost wanted to laugh.

"I'll be right back, I've got to grab something from the oven!" Elizabeth scurried off screen and Jasper gave me his full attention. Or more like I gave him mine. "Care to explain?" He looked like he was going to burst out laughing, but serious at the same time.

"Well uh, I've always relied on Elizabeth and well I told her, and she wanted to meet you I guess and uh-" I shut up and set my phone on the towel for a moment. "I'm not mad. I was just surprised about how open she was about asking!"

"Oh," Before we could continue talking, Elizabeth came back on screen. "So, tell me about yourself, Jasper." She leaned forward like we were in a conference. Yeesh she was more blunt than my parents! "Uh my name is Jasper Runt, I'm seventeen and I met sweet pea here at school." He gestured to me and I guess caught on that she could read lips by the way he just started talking instead of signing.

"Runt, eh?" Elizabeth started talking too, and shrugged her shoulders a few times up and down. "Let me guess; That's funny?" Jasper rolled his eyes but Elizabeth shook her head. "No I just feel like I know that name from somewhere... Your first name is Jasper, last name Runt?" She seemed very in tune to asking about this.

"Yes mam." He nodded at her, and she smiled. "Slipped my mind, but I could've sworn I knew that name. Do you know a girl named Lucinda?" Elizabeth glanced down at whatever strange food she pulled from the oven, and popped one in her mouth.

"Can't say that I do."

"Oh well, whatever. Abira could I speak to you alone for a moment?" Elizabeth went back to signing. I nodded and turned the phone to me, so we were 'alone'. "Yes?" She looked down at her hands for a moment and then raised them. "He's a keeper."

"Uh, thank you? A keeper for what?" I asked in sign, while Jasper clearly saw it was a private conversation and had turned to his own cell phone. "For you! Abira you deserve a good guy, and he seems like it. And boy he's cute! I swear that name is familiar, I'll try to find some of that out.I have a student coming soon, I'll call or text you when I can." Before I could retort her saying that Jasper was for me, she hung up.

"Uh, so that's my ASL teacher!" I laughed nervously about that, seeing how blunt she it. "She seems interesting," Jasper said.

"Yeah....That's Elizabeth for you! Sorry about her and the... Subject." I dropped my phone back into my backpack so I could focus on Jasper. He went quiet, looking at his phone for a second, even though it was turned off. "You don't have to answer, but did you feel like you needed to confide in somebody about what happened like it was a problem?"

Now it was my turn to be quiet. Fiddling with the sand between my fingers, picking it up and letting it fall let me think. Did I need to do that? I really did spill everything to her, and what I thought about everything. Running my sand-free hand through my hair, I continued to think and bit my lip.

"Not like it was a problem. But yeah I felt like I should talk about it with somebody, and I didn't think you would want to." Honesty came off my tongue harder than it should've. Usually it just comes out but that was harder for me to say. Jasper nodded, looking like he understood. "I wanted to talk to you about it but I thought the same thing. That you wouldn't want to."

"So, we both want to talk about it?" Just to be clear if he wanted to, then I was going to. I was too nervous to bring it up on my own earlier. His nod was the only answer he gave. "Could we? May we? Should we? I don't know how to ask that sort of thing." He was just as nervous about it was I was.

"Yeah... Could we talk after I change into my clothes?"

"Sure, come on." He helped me to my feet and we both started getting our things together. This could be a long conversation.