Selcouth • J. Hale ✓

xviii.

chapter eighteen.

Karina didn't know what to expect when she woke up, maybe Bella, Charlie, Jasper, and her mother to be by her side, but definitely not her father who was fast asleep in the chair beside her bed with her mom in the one next to him.

Her eyes looked around the room before they landed on Jasper, his eyes were closed, and she suspected that he was just faking it since she knew that they didn't sleep.

"You're awake." Karina's eyes snap to her mother's waking face and Karina could see that she hadn't slept much. "My baby." Aurora cried as she placed her hand on Karina's cheek softly. "I'm so sorry." She apologized and Karina knew that she knew, there was no point in lying to her when she knew about what the Cullen's were.

Suddenly her father woke up and his eyes watered at the sight of Karina, "Oh princess."

Karina smiled softly at her dad. "Hi daddy."

The man placed a soft kiss to Karina's forehead and Karina could feel the teardrop fall on her head. "You scared us." He told her and Karina gave him an apologetic smile. "Do you remember what happened?"

Karina shook her head, lying to them both but she knew that she would have nightmares for a while. "No." Aurora and Andrew shared a look, they didn't know if they should tell her, and Karina could see the hesitance. "Tell me."

"You ran off on your own, attempting to find Bella. You booked a flight and found her in Phoenix where you somehow knew she would be." Aurora told her and immediately Karina knew it was a cover up. "You found her and tried to convince her to come back, but while you two were talking, you guys were attacked by some guys. You protected Bella but she was hurt pretty bad too."

"I didn't want anything to happen to her." Karina whispered, pretending to remember.

"I think you should come home." Andrew spoke up and Karina narrowed her eyes at him. "This is the second time that you've been in the hospital since you've left."

"That place isn't home." Karina told him softly. "Not without mom. I have friends here, an actual life and for once I'm happy." She explained to him, placing her hand on top of his clenched one. "Don't take that from me."

Andrew sighed and knew that he wouldn't do that to Karina, not again. "Fine, but can I at least see you for the summer?"

"We'll talk about it." Karina told him and he nodded his head. "How long was I out for?" Karina asked her parents.

"A week." Her father told her, and Karina didn't miss the sad look that appeared on his face. "We were so worried."

"I'm sorry." Karina apologized but both her parents shook their heads at her.

"We'll be right back." Aurora told her before placing a kiss on her forehead and gestured for Andrew to follow her out of the room.

Once they were gone, Karina looked over to Jasper. "Are you going to keep pretending to be asleep or are you going to come over here?"

Jasper's eyes snapped open, and Karina smiled at the sight of them. "Why are you smiling? You should be angry with me."

"What?" Karina frowned and watched as Jasper sat in the seat that her mother was once sitting in. "Why would I be angry with you?"

Jasper looked at her disbelief and tried to feel if she was kidding, but he too found that his ability wasn't working on her. He couldn't feel her emotions but the look of pure confusion on her face and in her eyes told him that she was being serious.

"Karina, you're in here because of me." He told her and now Karina was really confused.

"I'm sorry, did I miss the part where you kidnapped me and fought with me? Did I miss the part where you kicked me across the room, stabbed me in the stomach, and then planned on killing me?" She asked him and Jasper's jaw clenched. "I'm clearly lost on where in your mind, you think that you caused this."

"Karina, we think that James found out about you because of the people in town." Jasper told her and took her hand into his own. He caressed her knuckles softly, "Because they've been talking about you and Bella, about how you're both friends with us suddenly."

Karina raised an eyebrow at him, "Okay yeah? It's not a secret Jasper that we're all friends and now you and I are dating." Karina told him and squeezed his hand. "I was nothing more than bait, more leverage for James to get Bella. He didn't want me, I'm here because I snapped at him and protected Bella. That's the only reason. This was all a game to James, I'm sure that he would sooner mess with Bella than do what he did to me, had I not intervened."

"How did you stand up against James?" Jasper asked her suddenly and Karina's eyes glossed over slightly as he looked at her expectantly.

Karina was pulled into the memory of that night, and she could recall that feeling of needing to protect Bella. There was just this overwhelming feeling that sent her body into overdrive, she didn't question it then and she didn't have the strength to do it now. She can remember how her body felt like it was on fire as she kicked James away from her and Bella, and how powerful she felt in that moment.

"I don't know." Karina told him while keeping her eyes on their intertwined hands. "I just knew that I had to protect her."

"You could have been killed." Jasper told her and was shocked to find that Karina wasn't even fazed.

"I know that, but Bella was the target. I wasn't. I wasn't going to just stand there and let her be attacked in front of me." She told him softly, "I knew the risks and I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

Jasper sighed and shook his head at her, "Please don't."

Karina rolled her eyes at him, a smile playing on her lips. "I make no promises." Karina then attempted to move over, "Now please hold me."

"As you wish ma'lady." He told her and helped Karina move before she ended up hurting herself.

Once there was enough room for Jasper, he kicked off his shoes and did as Karina had asked him. Lying there in his arms made Karina feel at ease, her body was alive and on fire from his touch, but she loved the feeling.

Jasper placed a kiss on Karina's temple and smiled when Karina sighed in content while snuggling closer to him.

Eventually, Karina's breathing evened out and Jasper only tightened his hold on her. "I promise to protect you, Karina, always."