I really tried my best to ignore Jasper, but eventually, I fell asleep, since my night was really terrible after that nightmare. The movement of the bus and Jasper's presence made my body relax and my eyelids heavy… I don't know how long I slept, but when I opened my eyes again, the bus stopped, and I'm using Jasper's chest as a pillow….His arm is around my body, tucking me in a way that probably improved my sleep. When I lift my face, my eyes meet his — I'm still a little drowsy, so don't say anything, and he doesn't dare break our spell with words either… just drops his eyes to my lips.I snuggle closer to his warmth, leaning my hand on his chest, lowering it slightly as I support myself so that my body rises a little more. I don't break our eye contact, even though Jasper is alternating between my eyes and my lips. His hand searches for my neck, stroking all over my skin until his fingers reach my nape and brings me a delicious shiver.When Jasper finally holds my neck, I hold my
“Can I sit?” Bryan points with his head to the free seat next to me, which belongs to Jasper.I half-close my eyes and cross my arms, “No-”Well, my answer means nothing to Bryan because he sits anyway. My body immediately starts moving away, allowing us to get distant, making me lean my arm against the bus window. I turn my face, looking out at the scenery I hadn't been aware of before.“I didn't know you were going with us.” He starts, his eyes on me — I know because I can feel his gaze burning my skin. “And I don't think you knew either… if you did, I'm sure you wouldn't come.”I furrow my brows and look at him with resentment. “You think I would miss this opportunity because of you?”His eyes widen slightly, “No, that's not what I meant… It's just that since you hate me so much-”“No… I think you misunderstand.” I interrupt him slowly, keeping my attention on his expressions, “I don't hate you, Bryan. To hate someone, there has to be some kind of feeling. But I don't feel anything
“Let me say something…” Bryan says as Scarlett gets off the bus.I take my eyes off her and place them on him, who is getting up from where I should be sitting.“You should stay away from Scarlett.”“Funny you say that, when the person who harms and hurts her the most is you.” I reply sarcastically, crossing my arms so that my muscles bulge slightly at my shirt.Bryan doesn't seem to like my response, as his expression tightens.“Instead of worrying about Scarlett, why don't you spend your attention on your girlfriend Alice? She seems to have a lot of free time, since she's always blaming Scarlett for things that you're responsible for.”“I haven't done anything. What Alice does is up to her.” Bryan snorts, getting out of the seat to stand in the aisle in front of me. “And contrary to what you think, I care about Scarlett… a lot more than you can imagine.”I grit my teeth sharply, making the muscles in my jaw jump. I don't like that answer, not one bit… But why?“If you care, why did
“What?” I say out loud, then cover my mouth for almost shouting, and feel my face heat up. My cheeks are probably red as my hair.Jasper takes a few moments to understand what he's said, and his eyes widen slightly… wait, is he getting flushed…?“No, not like that.” He says quickly, swinging the key, “I want you to have my room.”“Oh…” I give a silly laugh, lowering my hand slightly, secretly amused at the way Jasper looks away and seems unable to look at me at the moment. “But you're with Bryan, aren't you? And even if you weren't, girls can't stay in the boys' room.”He finally looks back at me and puts a smug smile on his lips. “This one is exclusive, Reddy. I rented it with my own money, there's no one to share it with.”I look at the key he keeps dangling, picking it up fearfully, leaving it in my open palms… and bite my lip, unsure of what to do.When they started to sign the groups, and Alice's name was placed in room 1B, I get an extreme relief. However, my turn came, and does
Amber is approaching quickly, and when she notices me, her expression closes. Only then I realize that Jasper's hands are still on my arms, and he's holding me close to his body.What is she doing here?And why are they both out here so late…?I put my palms on his chest to discreetly push him away, but he doesn't move a single muscle. Biting the inside of my cheek, I feel a bitterness rise in my throat… I'm clearly in the way of something.Jasper's eyes are on me, even though Amber is standing next to him, looking directly into his face with eyes that shine like this starry sky. It makes my stomach twist.“I knew it was you… I wouldn't be able to mistake you for anyone else.” Amber touches his arm, entwining her fingers around the muscle in his arm, exposed by the t-shirt. And her eyes go to his hand on my skin.“What are you doing here, Amber?” Jasper rests his eyes on her, pulling his arm free of her touch, but keeping one of his hands on me.“Your team will be participating in the
The intensity of Jasper's gaze makes me hold my breath. At this point, I feel like I could do anything he wishes, but… Footsteps in the hallway give me a jolt. Familiar male voices make us both widen our eyes slightly because, jeez… aren't those the teachers?I turn the knob sharply, opening the door, which makes me stag backwards into the room and tumble to the floor. Jasper also loses his balance and falls right on top of me, backing his weight on his arms to not hurt me.But the voices are getting louder and louder….“The door…” I mutter low, pointing desperately with my head, “Close the door!”Jasper uses his leg to push the door shut with a loud thud. The voices pause for a moment, but soon they're talking again, passing by the room, completely oblivious to our fall.I breathe a sigh of relief, throwing my head back, closing my eyes while I slide my elbows across the floor and lean my back on the soft carpet. But relief doesn't last long, as I quickly realize that Jasper is still
The first stage of the math contest has finally begun. With a quick glance, I can count at least a hundred candidates… a considerable number that will surely be whittled down today.According to the schedule Mr. Thompson handed out to us, this is an elimination stage. We'll be taking a twenty-question test with complex equations within an hour. Anyone who doesn't finish in time or get the minimal grade to pass will not qualify for the next round. Each question is worth five points, and it's needed at least 80.In other words, if you get more than four questions wrong… you're out.And I have to admit that this makes me a bit anxious.We're separated into four groups to take the tests. I'm in Group B, while Kevin is in Group C. The groups were drawn, so there's not much to be done.I wave at him with my hand and walk to my room, drying my hand on the sides of my pants that seem tighter than usual. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that all the clothes I packed had been replaced by othe
As expected, sharing a room with Bryan is like spending time in hell. I didn't sleep very well because of his hostility, and also because my mind kept going back to the last kiss with Scarlett.Her smell has been getting sweeter. It doesn't seem like it's changed, but still, there's something different. It's hard to explain, and even harder to resist.I close the locker with a single hand and start to straighten my team shirt, when I notice that Bryan already finished putting his uniform and is setting a wristband on his right arm now…Nathan approaches and wraps his arms around Bryan's neck, saying with a proud tone, “Here we go, the lucky wristband!”Lucky wristband?I furrow my brows and this simple reaction catches Nathan's eyes, who flashes a mischievous grin, as if he's had a wicked idea. Even though they're best friends, sometimes I feel like Nathan is ready to throw him into the fire when necessary for his own entertainment.And my perception doesn't fail because Nathan soon s
The journey was very smooth, but as Jasper had already said, his town is really in the countryside. The hours we spent on the road were long, but with the music on the radio and our silly banter, the time passed so quickly that I hardly noticed.As we drove further into the interior of the state, the denser the pine forest became. I felt anxious about being swallowed up by the green landscape, but whenever uncertainty took over my mind, I would look at Jasper, his serene countenance, his silly smile that he always gave when he noticed my eyes on him.And every time our gazes met, butterflies danced in my stomach."We're almost there..." He says, catching my eye, but he keeps his eyes fixed on the road and his hands firmly on the steering wheel, "Keep looking, Reddy... you're about to see the biggest, most beautiful lake of your life."Anticipation burns in me and, as he opens the roof of the car, the wind starts to ruffle my hair. I lean over the door, my eyes fixed on the horizon...
"It's really a shame to lose you, Miss Davis... But we understand your decision." Dean says, looking at me with a sympathetic expression. He's not an easy man to show emotion to, but I can sense that he's really sad about losing me. "You're one of the best students at this college, and you've just brought home a trophy for our institution... Come to think of it, isn't there any way to change your mind?"I give a soft smile, "I'm afraid not."He returns my smile and then scratches his gray beard, "Well, at least I tried.""Thank you for everything you've done for me." I say, with true gratitude shining in my eyes. "I'll go my own way from now on, but I'll always carry the kindness you and the teachers have shown me."I notice emotion reflecting in his eyes, wetting his eyelashes so discreetly that I hardly notice it. If it hadn't been for my even sharper senses, I wouldn't have noticed."Go on, child... I wish you the best."Now I'm the one fighting emotion as I say goodbye to him and
His words leave me stunned, or maybe it's the influence Jasper has over me that leaves my mind blank... I don't know, I just give in completely. His hot kisses down my neck, up my jaw and once again finding my lips make my entrance burn even hotter.Jasper's tongue seeks mine in a hungry intertwining as his hands move my hips again, encouraging me to ride him again. I obey, giving in to the rhythm he imposes both in the kiss and in the way I'm jerking my hips, rolling my belly, colliding our skins that meet in a hollow sound.I feel an intense pleasure creeping up on me, chilling my skin whenever the tip hits the sensitive spot inside me. And maybe this feeling is good for Jasper too, because he's moaning hoarsely and breathing heavier and heavier..."I can't stand it, Reddy..." He says suddenly, thrusting his hips up and pulling all the hard-on out of me, eliciting a grunt from me. "I've already been too passive with you."Again, I don't quite understand his words, but his movements
Jasper looks at me with such intensity that he steals my breath.His hands are trailing gently up my arm, his fingers rubbing so softly that my skin shivers. And when his husky voice reaches my ears, I shudder completely..."Are you sure you want this...? Maybe you don't know the weight of your words."I bite my lip, holding our eye contact."Yes, I'm sure..." I notice his eyes lower to my lips, and his breathing becomes short, "I want to be with you, Jasper... No matter what."He places his hand on the back of my neck, stroking my jaw with his thumb, alternating his gaze between my eyes and my parted lips. Taking care not to touch the wound caused by Alice, with the discreet bandage he himself put on me, Jasper pulls my face even closer to his, making our breaths one.And with a simple brush of his lips, he gives me a light kiss, almost as if he's experiencing the sensation of touching them, even though it's already so familiar. His tongue rubs against my mouth, but never quite enter
Even though it wasn't my first time in Jasper's house, it still felt like it.I don't remember if I was surprised by its size or if I was more concerned with giving myself over completely to the sensations it caused in me and I didn't understand. I don't know if I got attached to the details, to the glass walls that don't prevent the full moon from entering and illuminating us. It's almost as if he wasn't afraid of it... so different from me that, ever since I got here, I've been cowering in a dark, secluded corner.With a blanket around my shoulders, I search for warmth, but it doesn't fully warm me because I'm still shivering, with thin snarls escaping my lips, even though I fight so hard to suppress them.Jasper is in the kitchen, making us something to eat. I said I wasn't hungry, but he insisted on making something, since I haven't eaten anything decent all day. I considered accompanying him to the kitchen, but my legs are too weak to support this body of mine. And I confess, I'm
I take a deep breath before opening the door to my room. Now that I'm really so close to returning to reality, it feels like a small eternity has passed, not just seven days. And now I'm faced with this strange familiarity, a feeling of not belonging, of no longer fitting in here.But I gather my courage and turn the knob, opening the door, smelling the familiar scent of my perfume mixed with Lily's. I finally enter the room. And when I finally enter the room, I'm greeted by a sudden hug from my friend that almost makes us fall over. I let my laughter echo as I hold onto the door, feeling her firm and warm embrace... I confess, Lily is certainly the only thing I've missed in this place."Letty! Argh, I've missed you so much!" She squeezes me even tighter, pressing our cheeks together, "Tell me everything! Tell me every detail! Where's the medal? I need to see it!""You don't even know if I won..." I giggle, and she suddenly pulls away, holding me by the arms."But I have no doubt that
It's amazing how a single week can seem so long, so frantic, and change an entire life.Seven days have passed since we arrived here in search of victory in the competitions. And today, with the gold medals around our necks, we returned to our city, to the campus I've made my home. On this bus, which drives calmly along the long roads, we expected to be celebrating our victories. But there is nothing but a deep silence, a discomfort that hangs in the air, suffocating me...All because Alice remains in hospital.The girls who were with Alice and ran away when things got complicated have isolated themselves in the back seats, without the courage to look at me directly or talk to anyone else. In fact, they seem to be afraid of me. Well, I can't blame them, I really was responsible for the incident, for the rumors that spread like wildfire. And although I haven't been directly accused of doing it, I know that it will only be a matter of time before those girls say what happened.But who w
I watch that scene with genuine surprise and awe. What I imagined I had seen at the beginning of our story is actually happening right before my eyes. The face of a wolf slowly begins to take shape, just as its muscles peel away, moving under the skin, just as I remember mine doing.Slowly, the tall, strong body leaning forward transforms, tearing even the pants it was wearing. His skin is covered in a black fur, so dark that it robs me of air. Before my eyes, Jasper transforms into a wolf so majestic and large that, inevitably, I shrink as far as I can into the bathtub, hugging my trembling body to the point where my chin quivers.Sitting on his hind legs, Jasper — or this wolf — stares at me with those bright yellow eyes. He doesn't move, not a single muscle... all I can notice is his chest rising and falling with his calm breathing.And I don't sense any hostility in him, in his gaze that seems almost... understandable?I'm still trembling while I slowly approach, resting my breast
I open my eyes, my eyelids heavy... No, actually my whole body is heavy, but it seems to sink into the warm, cozy water. Gradually, my vision gets used to it and blurs, and the scenery that has become familiar over the last week unfolds before me. I blink a few times, the light bothering me, then my eyes go down to my body submerged in the tub... and Jasper's hands rubbing my arms.I move my gaze to him, slowly, almost sleepily... my thoughts are still searching for order, I'm still trying to understand what's going on and, above all, when I got back to the hotel. So I open my strangely parched lips and try to say something, but my throat is dry, and my voice won't come out.“It's okay, Reddy...” Jasper brings his wet hand up to my face, rubbing his thumb over my cheek, as if wiping away a stain. “It's all right now.”I clear my throat, trying to swallow down the knot that's formed preventing me from expressing these doubts, and then I struggle to say, in a thin, flawed voice, “What..