Warrior || Jasper Hale {1}

Chapter 6

Ellie shuffled around her house, trying to get her things together for school. She was running behind this morning compared to usual. She wasn't worried though. It just meant she had to drive slightly over the speed limit to get there.

She wasn't completely sure what had happened to make her miss her first alarm. All she knew was she was in a small amount of pain. That thought did worry her. The tiny trickle of nerves she felt tickling her body was exactly what she had felt before she had to move to California where she'd been thrown head first into some supernatural drama. She only hoped she could make it through the day without any problems.

Those hopes were thrown out the window, however, when Ellie finally stepped out onto her porch and found Jasper Hale sitting on her steps.

"Is there a reason you're here, or do you just not care about any warnings I issue?" she asked, lifting a brow at the blond vampire.

"I wanted to see if you were interested in riding to school with me," he answered calmly.

Ellie thought about it for a moment. She wouldn't mind not having to drive, and if she needed to leave quickly, she could still do so. The cons would be spending time with Jasper which, if she really thought about it, wasn't so much of a con as just plain dangerous for both of them. Ellie could live with a little danger though, couldn't she? It was just a ride to school, not a marriage proposal.

"Sure."

The word flew from her mouth before she talked herself out of it.

"You're really saying yes?" he questioned. He'd fully expected her to say no even with Alice's approval.

"Don't give me a chance to change my mind," she stated, walking passed him to go to his car.

Standing, he sped by her to reach the passenger door first which he opened for her.

Ellie allowed a small smile to tug at the corners of her lips, "Thank you, Jasper."

"My pleasure, ma'am," he winked, causing a light blush to color her cheeks.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. She shouldn't be blushing so much because of a vampire. It was like he reminded her of hot, summer nights in Texas when she'd pop in to her favorite line dancing locale.

"So what made you want to deal with me this fine morning?" she asked, taking small glimpses at his profile as he drove the car.

"I can't offer a lovely lady a ride because I want to?" he quirked, his lips tilting to one side.

"Of course you can," she laughed, "I assume Alice told you I would say yes?"

"She did," he smiled, allowing his eyes to drift to her for a moment.

"Would you have still tried even if she'd told you I'd say no?"

The question leaving her mouth before she had a chance to think about it.

"I like to think I would have," he answered, not deterred by the question.

"Good," she said, digging her teeth into her bottom lip. "Because I'm really glad you tried."

Ellie wasn't certain she'd ever seen a smile quite so big ever light up a face like the smile that was currently resting on Jasper Hale's lips. It warmed her insides in ways that terrified her.

If Ellie thought the staring and whispers were bad on her first day of school, they couldn't hold a candle to the staring and whispers that were occupying the student body as she exited Jasper's vehicle.

"Do you ever get used to it?" she asked the pale blond at her side.

"You learn to ignore it," he replied, taking in her closed off features and getting a good read of her feelings. "Are you okay?"