Dangerous - Jasper Hale

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
It was dead quiet in the room, and Alex didn't really know how to handle it. Emmett was looking away in another direction, while Jasper was gazing between his hands and Alex herself. The woman was uncomfortable to say the least, and by Jasper's nature, he was too.

"Okay, you know what?" Alex said, suddenly standing up. "This is not going to work. You two – talk."

"Alex-"

"No, Jasper. I can't deal with the two of you being this weird around each other. You two are my closest, and you can't go around being angry with each other if this whole thing is going to work out. I'm tired of it," she said, tugging at her red hair impatiently. Truth was, things had been strange ever since Jasper returned. Emmett refused to look at him, though he pretended like everything was all normal when he spoke to Alex even though it was painfully evident to her that he was boiling inside. Jasper was probably just scared of the confrontation, seeing as he knew exactly how Emmett felt.

"To be completely honest, I don't have much to say," Emmett said, standing up and for the first time in weeks he looked directly at Jasper. "If you hurt this girl one more time," Emmett said, placing a hand over Alex's shoulders, "I will personally kill you. But I bet you already knew that."

"I know," Jasper responded, looking tense as he clenched his jaw. "Trust me, I-"

"Never want to hurt her? Sucks for you then, because you did, three times. Last time she almost died."

"I have no reason to hurt her again."

"Reason?" Emmett huffed. "So, you had reason the other two times? Ah, now I get it," he said ironically, narrowing his eyes.

A silence settled where the two men just stared at each other, which made Alex raise her eyebrows in defeat. "Alright. That's... a start," she said, unable to think of anything to ease the tension. "Come on, you two. I love you both – you'll have to work through this at some point. You're family."

"Emmett, I can assure you," Jasper began, "that I love Alex with all of my heart."

"I don't doubt that. I'm just not sure that's enough."

"Okay, Emmett," Alex said, sighing. "I'm really glad I have you, and I'm glad you're supporting me, but you don't have to worry. This was always supposed to happen, and I'm just as much to blame as Jasper. He's here – we're all here, and there's no need to hold a grudge anymore. He has no reason to leave now – I'm like you, and I'm not going to break."

Emmett looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to say. He glanced over at Jasper who now stood right behind Alex, an expression that almost looked regretful in his eyes. He sighed, shaking his head briefly before looking up with a small smile. "Don't think I don't know that you two did the nasty. Knowing my brother waited 140 years for that, I'm pretty sure you have him wrapped around your finger by now."

Alex's face scrunched up as she listened to Emmett's uncomfortable words, not wanting to meet either of them with her gaze. She felt Jasper move from her side, and when she opened her eyes again the two of them were gone. She heard a loud slam and saw them through the window, fighting out in the garden with large smiles on their faces. She huffed with a grin, watching them for a moment before turning around.

"So, back to normal then?" Rosalie appeared beside her, looking out at her husband and Jasper bickering. Alex nodded, watching her beloved with the smile on his face, and he looked more alive by the minute. The shadows under his eyes seemed to disappear when he smiled, and it turned Alex's mouth up. "I'm glad. Emmett doesn't get mad often, but when he does..." Rosalie began, pausing for a moment. "I haven't seen him like that in many years. He really cares about you."