Rogue Queen

Chapter 6

Waking up actually refreshed feels so foreign to me, and for just a second I completely forgot about last nights events. If it wasn't for Jasper's scent still faintly present on the empty space next to me I might have believed I dreamt the whole thing. Getting out of bed carefully, I pull my curtains open nearly blinding myself.

The house is unusually quiet for it being this late in the morning. Not that I'm complaining it's just different. My muscles don't buckle or cramp as I make my way down the stairs listening to the quiet clanking coming from the kitchen.

Peaking around the doorframe of the kitchen, I watch Jasper moving around effortlessly preparing some sort of pasta dish. No one else is in the house providing me with zero excuses to get out of here, but it's time we this over with anyway.

"Good morning." Jasper's smooth voice startles me from my thoughts. His greeting wouldn't have been so shocking had his back not been facing me. Turning around he places a plate on the kitchen island in front of one of the stools.

"Morning." I play with my fingers behind my back unsure of where to start. Our relationship has been based on knee jerk reactions with little to no actually thought process behind it. We take what we get and ignore what should be done because of a plethora of emotions.

"How are you feeling." He slides a glass of water across to me as I sit down on the stool in front of him. He's quite cool and collected, but than again he always is. Maybe last night wasn't as troublesome as I had made it out to be.

"Better than I have all week." I admit cowardly taking a sip of water while keeping my gaze on the counter top. "How are you doing?" Wanting to know whether he has felt the same effects I have has been eating away at me. Has he felt the same aches, burning, and exhaustion as me? What about the constant state of isolation and fatigue?

"I felt it all too. I've just had a longer time to get accustomed to it." My relief of not being alone or crazy is drowned out by my silent fear that Jasper's been tortured by his knowledge for so long. "Although finding you writhing on the floor in pain was the most agonizing experience I've lived through." He didn't need to add that coming from him that means a lot considering all he's lived through, but with the mood already gloomy I push that thought to the back.

"I'm sorry." I frown looking back down into my cup.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." He grabs the pot beside him scooping pasta onto the plate in front of me. I have so many questions, but pasta for breakfast? Glancing over his shoulder I read the time displayed on the stove. Well I suppose eating pasta at two in the afternoon isn't odd at all. That explains why no one else is still in the house. "You eat and I'll explain everything." He crosses his arms over his chest leaning them on the counter. Sounds like a pretty good bargain to me.

"Start from the beginning." If we are going to sit down and lay it all out on the table I want to go in order at least. Taking a bite of the  cheesy pasta, I widen my eyes in surprise at how delicious it is. It's not that I thought because he is a guy he can't cook, but he's still pretty young so I figured he wasn't phenomenal at it. I suppose this isn't the first time he's proved my assumptions wrong.

"I found out on my eighteen birthday." He sighs, and I think back to the party he abandoned. It makes much more sense now. "I was on my way to Black Moon when I caught your scent. At first I didn't realize it was you because the scent had morphed into something sweeter, but I trailed it until I found you sitting by the river. You had your feet dangling over the edge splashing into the water, and your hair was blowing in the wind." He stops a slight smile takes over his face remembering the day.

It angers me that I don't remember any of that day other than the awkward party that followed. He has that first memory of us, but I can't reminisce with him.