Love Your Enemy

I stayed away from her the following morning. I stayed away from her and everyone else; I was terrified my family would notice the change I so clearly had been through. The door till my room was closed. They knew what that meant.

That girl, Olive, she was special. I knew that much. She was my singer. Her blood sang for me and now her scent was all over the house. It could easily drive me crazy; it made it so hard to focus on the right things.

Another shape-shifter arrived during the night, Oliver. He is Olive’s uncle and caused joyful outburst from the three girls in the morning. I saw them from the windows in my room. Oliver hugged Sophia and Elizabeth but only pumped his fist with Olive’s, like a secret handshake.

Everybody had been fairly quiet after Oliver arrived; everybody doing their own business. The raised voices flowing upwards from the kitchen caught my attention quickly. Olive was fighting with her parents and… Elizabeth I assumed.

I was already halfway down the second flight of stairs when I heard Rosalie’s name being mentioned and I sped up. I feared she’d done something stupid. That she crossed some sort of line. I knew she liked the young blond girl. Rosalie has wished for a girl to pamper for as long as I’ve known her.

“What is going on?” I asked in a cautious voice as I stepped into kitchen.
Olive was facing her parents; Elizabeth was clinging onto Rosalie’s hand with a pout on her lips and tears on her cheeks. Oliver stood in the background observing. I noticed Carlisle stepping in beside me.

“Elizabeth wants to go shopping with me,” Rosalie explained.
“There is no way in hell I will let my sister go off with a leech!” Olive yelled at Rosalie.
I could see Rose’s trouble with restraining herself. I sent her a wave of calmness.
“Language, Liv,” Her mother said in an annoyed voice. “Let Lizza go with Rosalie, she will be okay.”
"Traitor,” I heard Olive whisper under her breath. “Then I’ll go with them.”
“Me too,” Oliver said. He winked at his older sister. “Need to look after the girls in a new town, sis, we don’t know what dangers lurks in the streets.”

Elenia rolled her eyes at her brother and I saw some of Olive’s personality in her mother.
“Jasper,” Carlisle spoke and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Won’t you go with them?” he asked me and cleared his throat. “To keep things calm.”
I nodded once with my eyes on Olive. She stared back at me but I couldn’t read the look in her eyes.

~~~

I ended up in a café with Olive and Oliver while Rosalie and Elizabeth were off shopping what they called cute dresses. I felt highly uncomfortable. Oliver ordered almost everything on the menu while Olive only had a coke. She was silent and looked pale. Oliver chatted with her in a carefree manner. They ignored me, which I had nothing against.

“Do you miss eating, Jasper?” Olive asked me out of the blue.
I stared at her for a split second before I answered. “I don’t know. It has been a long time since I last ate. Why are you asking?”
She shrugged. “I just wondered what the best is of not eating at all or eating as an unmannered wolf,” she jerked her head towards Oliver.
He snorted. “I like eating like a wolf, for you information, Liv.”

“Mama would have been ashamed of you the way you are eating,” She shot at him.
“It’s a good thing mama is not here then isn’t it?”
Olive rolled her eyes at him. “Stupid wolf.”
“Stupid girl,” he rolled his eyes and mocked her voice.
I smiled at their childish behavior before I answered her question. “I think you can get used to both the options, Olive.”

She smiled timidly back at me and nodded.

~~~

Rosalie and Elizabeth spent two hours shopping before they found us at the café. Oliver was tired of waiting, so was I but I couldn’t help but focus only on Olive. She was pale and was very quiet. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was ill.

“Are you guys ready to leave?” Rosalie asked us.
Oliver rose quickly. “I’ve been ready since we got here, Blondie.”
Rose glared at him. I sighed and got up as well.
“Come on Liv!” Elizabeth whined when Olive didn’t move straight away. “I want to show Mom my new dresses!”

“I’m coming. Just go ahead,” she mumbled and tightened her fingers around the edge of the table.
“Are you okay, Olive?” I asked her and stared at her with worried eyes.
She nodded. “I’m just a little dizzy.”

She rose slowly, still gripping the table. I saw her wobbling a little as she let the table go and I caught her arm quickly before she fell.
Oliver sighed as his forehead creased. “Need to go to the hospital again?”
Olive cursed under her breath. “Yeah.”
“I got you,” He said and lifted her up in his arms bridal style.

Elizabeth’s eyes grew with worry and fear and she held onto Rosalie’s hand. Oliver hadn’t walked further than a few feet before Olive asked him to stop.
“Your skin is to damn hot,” she complained. “I’ll walk.”
“Liv,” Oliver said, but trailed off when she shook her head slowly.
“Seriously, it feels like I’m on fire.”

“Livvy!” Elizabeth screamed as Olive fell to the floor.
She was unconscious but I heard her pulse as I knelt beside her. She fainted.
“She’s fatigue,” Oliver explains. “She probably forgot her meds, then she doesn’t eat anything and she gets sick.”
I nodded but stared at Olive with worry. “Do you mind if I carry her to the car?”

Oliver nodded hesitantly and took a hold of Elizabeth’s hand. Olive’s skin was burning against mine, but not as hot as the skin of a shifter. She clung to my shirt the same way she had done the night before and I held her closer.