Pieces

Adrian was contemplating not going to school the next day as her alarm clock was ringing.

She slammed her fist down on it the same time a knock sounded on her door.

She groaned as she got out of the bed and walked to the front door.

If her instincts were correct, and she knew they were, she knew who was standing on the other side of the door.

Jasper Hale stood there, smiling innocently.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Adrian didn't say a word, but moved from the doorway so he could come in.

She walked into the kitchen and busied herself making a bowl of cereal.

"Are you alright?" he asked, watching her quickly consume the bowl of Cocoa Pebbles.

"I'm fine, alright. Thanks for asking. Not a whole lotta people care anymore." Adrian replied quietly.

Jasper looked at her thoughtfully. "You parents?"

"Mom died when I was four. Dad split a year ago."

"No siblings?" Jasper asked.

"Only child."

They were silent now, Jasper not wanting to ask anything more and Adrian not wanting to answer.

Finally, Adrian finished the bowl of cereal and walked into her bedroom to get dressed.

Jasper waited while she took a shower and went into the garage.

He took the diary and put it in his coat pocket before returning to Adrian's living room.

She was just coming out of the bathroom.

All she had was towel on, which was slowly sliding down by the second.

Her wet, dark, blonde hair was hanging down her back.

Jasper swallowed the venom that pooled in his mouth and gripped the edge of the kitchen counter he was leaning on.

Adrian turned slightly to face him and the towel came down completely.

"I'm not exactly a modest person."

Jasper smiled barely as she turned to walk to her bedroom.

Maybe his family had been right.

But in all fairness, she walked out of her bathroom naked. Even that would have brought about some reaction even in Carlisle.

Jasper sighed and waited for Adrian to finish getting dressed.

Adrian felt better with Jasper around.

She couldn't explain it but it was as if she was safer and maybe a little more vulnerable.

She could tell he cared for her.

That much was obvious.

She was by herself for her fifth period Study Hall so she decided to go off campus with Jasper for lunch in Port Angeles.

They went to an Italian restaurant on the edge of town: Bella Via.

Jasper held the door open for her and held her seat out too, something she wasn't really used to.

"What are you ordering?" he asked without picking up the menu.

Adrian skimmed the menu and settled for stuffed chicken breast, Alfredo pasta, and garlic bread.

The waitress, a girl by the name of Abby, wouldn't take her eyes off Jasper every time she came over. Finally, Adrian had enough.

She grabbed the waitress' hand as she was turning to walk away.

"Listen, sweetheart, I know you're trying to pave your way through college and all. I'm not discouraging you from that at all. But let me tell you something and I'll say it only once: do not ever look at my boyfriend again. Do you understand me? If I'm ordering something, you look at me. Not him."

Abby looked rather terrified but quickly scampered off to get the check.

Jasper looked at her with amazement in his eyes. "Did you mean that?"

Adrian laughed and it seemed like a foreign concept to Jasper. A wonderfully brilliant foreign concept.

He would do anything to hear her laugh again.

"You know your eyes are the most brilliant brown I've ever seen." Jasper said thoughtfully.

"Thank you." she replied meekly.

No one ever told her anything like that before.

She smiled just barely again and Jasper was happy.