BE-E AGGRESSIVE! (be_aggressive) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2020-04-22 21:42:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | #january 2018, jasper, jasper x jules, jules |
Who: Jules and Jasper
When: late night, Saturday, January 20th
Where: The high school, then Overlook
Status: Complete
Clad in his brand new suit, with his fresh tattoo itching a bit under his shirt, reminding him that he was extra protected now, Jasper had a fantastic time at the dance. He hadn’t expected to, since dances were generally just a thing he did to keep his girlfriend happy. But this night felt different. Jasper knew he looked good, Jules looked incredible, and he’d actually been happy to see several faces in attendance. He’d only smoked a bit of a joint in the car before they’d gone in, but by the time things were really picking up, Jasper felt like he was soaring high -- full of energy and joy. He danced a lot, not caring if it was bad or not. He didn’t even feel a flicker of jealousy when Greg Wheeler was crowned king to Jules’s queen. He clapped and whistled for them both while they were up on stage, and watched with a bright smile while they had the obligatory dance. Greg was a good guy, Jasper didn’t mind.
Even as things were winding down, he still felt awesome and not at all tired. There’d been talk of several afterparties up in Ovelrook, and he found himself actually wanting to attend this time. Jasper wanted to be around people some more, keep that party atmosphere going, maybe throw in some more serious drinking than he could accomplish at a school dance. He was having a great time and didn’t really want to stop for anything. Jasper fetched their coats from where they’d left them and made his way back to Jules with a smile. “Are we goin’ up to Overlook?” he asked. He wasn’t even sure who was having the party, but it didn’t really matter, did it? Not tonight.
Despite it being a completely normal school dance, Jules felt a little on edge. She did her best not to let it show, but it was really hard not to pay attention to every little thing Jasper did. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but knowing what she knew now about the people who had gotten hurt in the fog, she supposed she was searching for some sign that he was... different. But he seemed fine. It was like he was actually enjoying himself, which was weird, given they were at a school dance. But Jules didn't think her boyfriend having fun was something she could consider to be monster-influenced.
After a while she found it easier to relax and have fun. Jasper looked so good in his suit and it wasn't lost on Jules just how far they had come since he reluctantly attended homecoming to dance with her. And it was a really nice night. She won Winter Queen, which admittedly did sort of surprise her considering how not-Jules Cooper she had been lately. She had fun with her friends and even better? Her hands didn't burn or ache or anything. If they had started to she would have run out of the school and never looked back.
Now that the dance was ending Jules was ready to get to the real fun. She smiled when Jasper returned with their coats. "There's a party, if you want to go," she told him, reaching out for her coat. "I'm good with that, if you are. Or we can go back to my house. Whatever you want to do is cool with me."
Normally Jasper wasn’t a huge fan of Overlook parties, even if you could usually find good drugs there. Not that he got invited to a lot of them personally -- these days he was usually just tagging along with Jules. But they were always full of rich assholes who thought he was worlds beneath them. Tonight though, Jasper felt on top of the world and he wanted to go socialize some more. “Party, and then back to your house,” he said, giving Jules a grin as he handed her coat off. He slipped into his own and rummaged around in his pocket to make sure his cigarettes were still there. “If you’re good with that, of course,” Jasper added as an afterthought. She didn’t look too tired, and she hadn’t complained about her hands or anything, so he figured she would probably want to go bask in the Popular Girl glow some more too.
Jules buttoned up her coat. "I'm totally good with that. I need to show off my crown a bit more, right?" And this after party should be much better than the one she threw after homecoming. There would be no fighting with Ruby and no getting black out wasted. Although homecoming sort of pushed the two of them to admit they were together together so Jules had some good memories of it. Jules reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Did you have fun? I know I already said it, but you look freaking sexy as hell in a suit and tie." It wasn't his thing, she knew, but it meant a lot to her that he actually went out and bought one for the dance.
Once he was inside his own coat -- which didn’t match the suit at all, but whatever -- Jasper took Jules’s hand and squeezed it back, grinning at her. “I mean, you can say it as much as you want,” he assured her, amused and flattered. Jules didn’t skimp on compliments for him in general, but getting to dress up like this was rare, so it was nice to hear. And now that he had his own suit, he liked knowing it fit him well. “But yeah I had a great time. Did you, your majesty?” Jasper was teasing, but there wasn’t anything but affection in it. He walked with her toward the exit, swinging their hands a little bit between them.
"Yeah, I mean, I usually do," she said with a soft shrug. Any school related function where Jules got attention was a blast in her mind. She had always enjoyed being the center of attention. She had felt a bit anxiety ridden for a while, unsure about her hands, and Jasper, but then it had all smoothed out into a night of fun and normalcy. She just hoped it stayed that way. "It's just so weird to think that like, in four months it's prom and graduation. Then we're finished with high school for like... forever." Jules laughed a little, because duh. But it seemed to be coming so fast, and Jules was so wrapped up in everything going on that sometimes when she thought about her college applications it startled her. It almost felt like a completely different life.
“I know, right?” Jasper laughed too, shaking his head a bit. High school had felt like some sort of prison he was stuck in for the longest time, like it would never end. Lately, he didn’t mind it too much, but he was still eager to be done with it so he could move into full-time working life. So he could have some freedom and get some shit done, prove to everyone that he could do it. He was already going to prove to them he could graduate, he wanted to keep rubbing noses in his success. “Can’t fuckin’ wait,” he added, lifting Jules’s hand so he could kiss the back of it. College wasn’t on his mind, but being with Jules was, so he would just wait and see what her plans turned out to be, then adjust his own accordingly. Now wasn’t the time to talk about it though, they had to focus on having fun. When they reached his car, he opened the passenger door for Jules and gave her a teasing bow as he gestured her in. “M’lady.”
She couldn't wait either, though she was more just excited to be done with school than anything else. Jules was too caught up in what was happening around her now to worry about college and the future. She smiled when he opened the door for her and she climbed inside, tugging the bottom of her dress into the car. Tonight she was going to try really hard to continue having fun and not worry too much about anything else. Tonight she was just going to be a girlfriend having fun with her boyfriend, surrounded by friends and alcohol. That was all. As soon as Jasper got in the car Jules waited until he started the car before she reached for his hand. "You know... give me a couple of months and I bet I could get you prom king." Jules stuck her tongue out teasingly. She was mostly joking, though it was pretty funny to imagine Jasper Lucas with a prom king crown on his head. She would have been laughing her ass off at the thought a year ago, but now it was just cute to think about.
Jasper laughed heartily at that, squeezing her hand as he backed the car out of the space. “You know, if anybody could do it, it’s you,” he said, grinning at the thought. It would be ridiculous of course, and would probably piss off some football players or some shit, but Jasper thought it would be kind of hilarious. What a fitting send-off to his slacker ass high school career. “And my acceptance speech would totally have to be like, ‘she’s mine, adios bitches.’” He moved their hands like he was reading a sign, then snickered as he kissed the back of Jules’s hand. “You looked gorgeous tonight, by the way,” he added, glancing over at her warmly. Jasper had told her that about a thousand times tonight, but he thought it bore repeating again. Her dress was long and gauzy and she’d looked like a princess even before they’d put the crown on her.
Jules laughed, because she could picture it all so clear in her mind. Jasper with a crown on his head, flipping off the entire school in the process. What a fitting ending to the whole four year experience for him. And her too, if she was being honest. If not for her, Jules didn't think Jasper would even show up to prom. Her skin tingled where he pressed his lips and she squeezed his hand gently before plucking absently at her dress with her free hand. "Thanks. I wish I could just live in this dress, to be honest." It was flowy and soft and pretty and whatever, Jules loved feeling feminine. It had been a while since she took such care in her appearance. She sort of missed the days when she would spend an hour before school on her hair and makeup. Jules still did her best to look good, but so much of that stuff felt kind of silly now. "How does your tattoo feel? I mean... it's not sore or anything, right? Can you feel any of the like... magic?"
He would definitely be flipping people off if given the opportunity -- he’d in fact fantasized about doing that as he walked across the graduation stage in May. It was fun to think about, even if it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Maybe it would be more satisfying if Jasper didn’t know he would continue to be stuck in this shitty little haunted town. All of that was still very up in the air and depended a lot on Jules, so he wasn’t thinking much about it yet. They still had a few months, who knew what would happen. When she asked about it, Jasper flexed his right arm a little, just to feel the soreness that was lingering in the skin. He kind of liked the feeling, and the smell of the lotion he used on it a few times a day. He would definitely be getting more ink done. “I mean it’s a little tender, yeah,” he told her, glancing over. “Starting to itch sometimes, I think it’s getting ready to peel. ... they do that, like a sunburn. But nah, it doesn’t feel like anything special. Dad said his didn’t either though, so I dunno. Who knows if it’s working for real.”
She hoped it was working. She hoped that whatever craziness was happening in the town right now was somehow repelled by the tattoo and Jasper would be okay. That was probably too easy. Wishful thinking and all that. "How many tattoos do you think you're going to have in like... five years." Jules smiled. "I think it's sexy, by the way. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I like it. Your sister got one too, right? How'd she do?" Jules thought tattoos were pretty hot, depending on where they were and what they were. But she always imagined they were painful to get too, and Jules didn't think she could do that to herself.
Jasper had no idea how powerful this symbol was, if it was at all, but considering how things had been going, every bit of possible protection was worth trying, right? It seemed to make his dad feel better that both kids had it now, so even if that was the only benefit, it was worth it. Jasper was just happy that it looked cool. “In five years? I’m gonna be covered,” he said, the tease obvious in his tone. He grinned. “Like, neck tattoos, hands, knuckles, down to my feet, even maybe one on my forehead or somethin’. That’d be sexy, right?” Jasper tossed her a glance and laughed. “Naw, I dunno. We’ll see. I do want more, but I wanna plan ‘em out well, you know? Not just random shit that looks stupid. Amelia got the same thing, yeah. She took it like a champ, but I didn’t expect anything less. She’s a tough girl now.”
Jules's brows rose with every word before her nose wrinkled at the thought of him being completely covered. There was definitely a limit, in her mind, for how many tattoos a guy should have. Or at least, as to where on his body they should be. "I get wanting to plan them out. I wonder how many people regret tattoos they have because they were impulsive, or whatever. Just please don't ever get like, skulls and bones or anything like that." Jules had seen Jasper's dad in nothing but his boxer shorts before, and she had liked the tattoos she had seen on him. Not that she would ever say that to Jasper. "How's your sister doing, by the way?" Jules glanced at Jasper, hoping she sounded totally casual about it. It was hard to just come out and be specific without invoking questions. But if Amelia was feeling tired or sick, that meant something.
She didn’t protest what he said, but Jules probably knew not to take him too seriously. Jasper personally didn’t like the head-to-toe look either. When he was naked, he wanted to look naked and not just ... weird and splotchy. He liked the level his dad was at, but Jasper wasn’t sure if he would find that many things he wanted to put on himself. Time would tell. He chuckled at Jules's request and nodded. “No skeletons of any kind, got it,” he said, grinning. It faded rather quickly as he thought about Amelia though. The question didn’t stick out to him as weird -- Jules was his girlfriend, so of course she cared how his family was, and his sister had been through a lot. “She’s okay,” he answered slowly. “I dunno, she’s been kind of worn out lately. Like she’s napping all the time. I think she might be coming down with something.” She hadn’t gotten sick as far as he knew, but sometimes the flu just kept you worn down for a while before it really kicked in. “Which like, I hope not, ‘cause it’s hard to take her to a doctor, you know?”
Worn out and tired. Did that mean something? Maybe Amelia was just getting sick, like Jasper said. That didn't mean Jasper was inadvertently doing something to her. But it was difficult not to try and connect everything, knowing what she knew now. "Yeah, it seems like you'd have to find a doctor who knew about... this stuff." Jules flashed him an apologetic smile. "Hopefully it's just something that she can shake off with rest and stuff like that. I mean, it is cold season and all that. Your dad is feeling okay too?" Jules turned her gaze back to the window, like he might be able to see the reasons behind her questions if he saw into her eyes. Silly, but she couldn't help but be a little paranoid.
Asking about parents was a step up from asking about siblings for some reason -- Jasper didn’t give a fuck how Jules’s mom was doing, for example. But Gavin hadn’t been a bitch to Jules either, so maybe that made a difference. “Uh, he’s all right, I guess,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “He seemed okay when we went to Bangor earlier this week. Working a lot, as always. ... and I feel great, so whatever it is, I guess it’s not contagious.” He rubbed his thumb over Jules’s hand a bit and thought that was probably a good thing, because they’d been kissing on the dance floor. And every other time they saw each other. He didn’t want to get Jules sick too. “How’re you feeling?” it occurred to him to ask then. Jasper glanced over at Jules’s profile. “With your uh, hands and everything.” He squeezed it gently.
Jules nodded, trying to ignore the tiny pang in her chest. Did he feel great because of how his sister and dad felt? For a moment Jules thought about reaching out to Carson, telling him that Jasper's sister wasn't feeling great. But she felt like a mental conversation might distract her from Jasper. It was fine. She could "talk" to the others later that night, when she was alone. "I feel fine," Jules told him, turning her attention back to Jasper. "My hands don't hurt right now. Nic gave me some stuff to help with the pain, and I think it's been helping. Nothing weird has happened since the school." And her dream, but that didn't feel like something she could tell Jasper about. "I feel like if I'm not thinking about it, it won't happen. Almost like my brain triggers it on and off." She chuckled, knowing that wasn't really how it worked. Not that she knew how it really worked.
“That’s kinda good though right?” Jasper posed, aiming for optimism. They were almost to Overlook now, and he didn’t want to drag her down by reminding her of shitty shit. They were about to get fun drunk and party some more, he didn’t want Jules to mope. She looked too gorgeous and she was too queenly for that. “But cool then, let’s not think about it.” Jasper glanced over with a smile. “Or anything bad or dark or whatever, let’s just have fun.” Of course as soon as he said that, he blanked on coming up with a subject change. He’d already told her she looked gorgeous, he’d asked if she was okay, he didn’t want to talk about the dream stuff or dwell on the other crazy things that were happening to her ... “So when’s prom again? Do I have to get another suit or can I just like ... wear a different shirt? I dunno all the etiquette and shit.”
Jules was more than happy to not talk about things. Bad things, anyway. She was afraid if she did then she might slip up. It wasn't that Jules was trying to hide things, or keep things from Jasper. She was trying to help him. She was just afraid he might not understand if she told him what she suspected. And he was in a good mood. Jules didn't want to ruin that tonight. Once she knew the full story, once she knew how to help him, she would tell him everything. His question about prom prompted Jules to clear her throat and she smiled over at him. "Um... the end of May? I don't think there's a date yet. And prom is like... fancy. Tuxedo." Her smile widened. "Most guys just rent one. It's cheaper, and how many times are they going to need a tux anyway. I only wear my dresses once... usually. But I definitely need a new one for prom. It's prom. And you're going to look really sexy in a tux. Like, just thinking about it makes me all hot."
A tuxedo? That sounded expensive and uncomfortable, even renting one. What was it, a wedding? Damn. Jasper couldn’t really complain about anything that turned his girl on, though, so he would rent one if it would make her happy and horny. “Like once, when you get married, I always thought,” he answered her rhetorical question with a bit of a laugh. “Guess I just figured I’d never go to prom. It’s kinda bullshit that guys get to rent their tuxes but chicks always have to buy new dresses, isn’t it? Like are there dress rental places?” Jasper snorted a bit and shook his head. “But yeah, okay. I’ll wear a tux if it gets you wet.” He gave her a sly grin as he turned up the street that led to Overlook. “Which house are we goin’ to again?”
Jules couldn't help but look appalled. "Dress rentals? Oh my god. No. Never." She shuddered, literally, at the thought of renting her prom dress. "Part of the fun is finding the perfect dress. They're not all super expensive or anything. And not every wedding is a tuxedo kind of wedding. Sometimes there are weddings with really nice suits and stuff. Like, I want a beach wedding someday, and it makes no sense to wear formal tuxedos on the beach. I guess you could? But I want something more... beachy." Jules shrugged and then leaned across the console to nuzzle his jaw. "You could wear just about anything and get me wet. But you dress up real nice too." Jules nipped at his jawline before settling back in her seat and pointing ahead. "Second house on the left. Where are the cars are." She loved that the party was already in full swing. Being fashionably late was still her thing, when it wasn't her party. "I think Ashton's parents are in Portland so there's probably plenty of alcohol."
Jasper was only briefly disappointed that he hadn’t come up with some ingenious idea for a business. If Jules would never rent a prom dress, most other girls probably wouldn’t either. Oh well. Then she started talking about weddings, and something sweet fluttered in his chest. A beach wedding -- on a warm beach, not any of the beaches around Point Pleasant -- sounded really nice, actually. More casual, the smell of the ocean, sand under his feet, and Jules in a wedding dress. The nuzzle and nip she gave him sent happy tingles all down through his body, and Jasper was tempted to just keep driving to Jules’s house. There were quite a few cars already though, and he did want to party some more. He could ravish her and daydream about their wedding later. With a sublimely happy smile on his face, he pulled up to the curb to claim it as a parking spot. “Fuck yeah, plenty of alcohol,” he murmured as he put the car into park. Jasper turned in his seat and reached out to cup one hand behind Jules’s neck to pull her in close. “C’mere first.” He kissed her soft and slow, his chest full of feeling.
For as long as she could remember Jules fantasized about a beach wedding. She never really had a thought in mind as to who might be waiting for her at the end of the aisle, but lately it definitely looked like Jasper. It was something she wasn't planning on happening for a really long time, at least not until after college, but she liked to think about it happening someday. They really needed to get through whatever this badness was first. Jules smiled against his lips before returning his kiss, one hand gripping his coat gently to keep him close. "Don't drink too much or you'll have me driving your car," she warned with a murmur when they finally parted.
Especially lately, Jasper felt like they would totally get married eventually. They were going to make it, and eventually put all this shit behind them, and live happily ever after. He liked the way she held onto him while they kissed, and had the sense that she was feeling that same sort of loving pressure in her chest that he was. Her warning made him grin, and he shook his head a little. “Not allowed,” he murmured back, only halfway teasing. Jasper hated anybody but him to drive his car, but if it had to happen, he would trust Jules to do it. “Promise I won’t though, I got plans for you later.” He dropped his hand to pinch-tickle at Jules’s side, then gave her a cheeseball wink. Jasper reached for the door to climb out, already anticipating getting inside around all the people again.
It was so easy to just let go of some of her earlier thoughts. She could always reach out to Carson and the others later. But she was seventeen, and it was winter formal and she was at a party with her boyfriend. She was going to have fun for a while. And it was fun. So many people were there, even people who hadn't shown up at the dance. There was music, and alcohol and food all over the damn place, and her friends were there, which was just a perfect storm of fun.
Jules probably had more to drink than she should have, but Jasper was driving so she didn't think too much about it. Even if he ended up getting drunk too, her house was only a couple streets away so they could walk if they had to. They were there for a few hours before Jules started feeling like it was time to go. It was late now and she was feeling pleasantly horny and ready to have Jasper all to herself for a while. Maybe she could even get him to stay the night, since it was the weekend and her mom was probably asleep by now. With that thought in mind, Jules slipped away from a few of her girlfriends to find Jasper. When she found him she slipped her arms around him from behind. Her heels made her a couple inches taller, so it didn't take much effort to press her lips to his ear. "Ready to go?"
Jasper had an intensely good time at the party, even without drinking too much more than he already had at the dance. He didn’t feel like he needed it, or to bum a joint off of anyone. He was mingling and laughing along with people he usually avoided, dancing to music he usually hated, and just soaking in the social vibe. He might have questioned it if it didn’t all feel so fucking good. But eventually it was getting late and he still wanted to spend some quality time with Jules. He was caught up talking to some guys he hardly knew when she appeared at his side and kissed him. He smiled and turned toward her, the guys around him already forgotten. “Yeah, if you are,” he said, one hand moving to rest on her waist. They’d left their coats in one of the bedrooms, and Jasper started in that direction with Jules. As they walked, his stomach started to feel strange, tensing up like anxiety was starting to descend on him. His smile faded as he tried to place the feeling.
Her mom would be sleeping, and Jason was probably awake, but he never bothered her when she came home, especially if Jasper was with her. So she was eager to get home and drag Jasper to her bedroom. Pushing open the door to the bedroom where they had ditched their coats earlier, Jules began to dig through the large pile on top of the bed to find hers and Jasper's. At least no one was in here making out on top of them all. Although that would have probably been pretty funny to walk in on. "I think I might be a little drunk," she admitted with a bit of a laugh catching in her throat as she flung a couple of coats to the ground beside her to keep searching. "But don't let that stop you from taking advantage."
For a moment Jasper wondered if he was going to be sick, if it was the alcohol fucking with him or something. It wasn’t that kind of queasiness though. It was ... fear. An animalistic heightening of senses, and the paranoid feeling that he was in danger. It was just like that early morning when he’d woken up feeling like someone was after him, someone powerful wished him harm. Jasper’s hands went cold and clammy as he watched Jules dig through coats, his heart picking up speed as adrenaline started to flow. Unlike that morning, it wasn’t some anonymous threat. Faces flashed through his mind in quick succession, faces and names -- Carson Durand, Nic Castell, Neil Wainscott, and -- Jasper’s entire body went cold and he felt his hands curl into fists at his sides. “It’s you,” he breathed through numb lips. He didn’t have room in his mind to question how he knew these things, where this was coming from, Jasper just knew that he knew. It was them who were the threat to him, it was the fucking people having the dreams, it was Jules and the men she was psychically linked to. Plotting against him. He advanced on Jules and took hold of her arm to straighten her up, his eyes wide and a little wild as he stared at her. “It’s you,” he repeated, louder this time but still full of disbelief. “It’s all of you.”
Jules was just about to declare that she had found her coat when Jasper took her arm. She clutched her coat with her other hand and looked up at him, one brow furrowing with mild amusement and confusion. "All of me... what? Are you sure you're okay to drive?" Jules was kind of drunk, but she didn't think Jasper had done much drinking once they got to the party. The alcohol was sort of impairing her thought process, because it took her a moment to notice the crazed look in his eyes. It was a little disconcerting, especially since she didn't know what he was talking about. "What's wrong?"
She didn’t know what he was talking about ... or she was pretending she didn’t. Jasper’s chest was starting to heave as his breathing accelerated, and he felt hot tears sting the backs of his eyes. Betrayal and anger ran hot through him and his grip tightened on Jules’s arm. How could she? How dare she? “Don’t play fucking stupid,” he hissed at her. “I know what you’re up to, with those assholes. It’s you, you’re all plotting something, planning something against us. Against me. How could you, Jules? You’d better fuckin’ tell me everything, right fucking now.” His volume rose with every sentence, until he was practically yelling in her face. The lightswitch-flip of emotion didn’t strike him as strange or extreme -- he was being gentle in comparison to how he felt in that moment. She’d betrayed him. He loved her with everything he had, and she was planning to hurt him, while smiling in his face the entire time. Jasper didn’t want to believe it, but the absolute certainty was overwhelming.
Any lingering amusement faded as soon as his fingers tightened on her arm. For a brief moment she recalled the last time he had grabbed her arm, shortly before dragging her out of his room and throwing her out of his house. He hadn't had any bad mood swings since then, as far as she knew. The look in his eyes now sobered her up almost immediately and Jules felt her heart start to beat wildly in her chest. She didn't need to ask what he was talking about anymore, because she knew. Instinctively, she knew exactly who and what he meant. But how? It seemed to have come on suddenly, unless he had been pretending all night, but Jules didn't think that was true. She knew him. She would have known if he was faking his good mood. Jules flinched at the swift volume of his voice and she reached up to try and pry his hand from her arm. "Stop yelling." Her voice was calm, even if it shook a little. If she stayed calm, maybe she could calm him down too. "I'm not plotting anything, Jasper. There's something wrong with you. I'm just trying to fix it before it gets worse."
Jasper’s hand just got tighter in response to Jules’s prying fingers, digging in with bruising strength. His other hand was fisted at his side, and he was incredibly tempted to smash it right into her face. Traitorous bitch. He was barely even hearing her, the calm having no effect on him whatsoever. His blue eyes were practically blazing, full of rage and hurt, tears trembling on his lower lashes. What Jules said only confirmed what he already knew. “So you are up to something,” he growled. “I fuckin’ knew it, you fucking liar. Tell me. What’s the plan, huh?” He gave her a rough little shake. “What are you and those motherfuckers going to do? Tell me!” Whatever it was, some deep instinct in him knew it was going to be bad. It felt like an existential threat, like if he didn’t stop it somehow, he was going to die. Jasper wasn’t going to let that happen.
For a second she thought about screaming, but she didn't think anyone would hear her with the music downstairs, and honestly, she didn't think Jasper would really hurt her, despite how rough his hand was wrapped around her arm. Being manhandled and called a liar sparked some anger inside her gut, but it was overwhelmed by the desire to calm him down and make him understand that he wasn't in danger. At least not from her. Being shaken after having had so much to drink made her head swim and she reached up to press her hands hard against his chest to try and get him to let her go. "Stop," she demanded, trying to ignore the nausea swimming around in her stomach. "Just listen to me! There's no plan. We're just trying to figure out what happened to you. And to Bash's mom, and... and everyone else who got hurt in the fog. You're not yourself, Jasper."
That all sounded so nice and innocent, didn’t it? But Jasper felt like he knew better. There was nothing innocent about his girlfriend, whom he trusted, conspiring with three grown men to ‘help’ him. After he was out of the picture, were they all going to fuck her too? “Bullshit!” he snapped, shaking her again, harder this time. Jasper lifted his other arm and brought it down swiftly against her arms to stop her weak incessant pushing so he could yank her in closer to him. Before he made the conscious decision to do it, his hand moved to grab her throat as he put his face close to hers. It was something he’d done countless times during sex, but there was nothing sexy about it now, more pressure on Jules’s windpipe than he’d ever risked before. “You don’t know my self,” he breathed, eyes still boring into her like he could melt a hole through her skull. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. You wanna get rid of me? I’ll make it easy for you -- we’re done. You stay the fuck away from me and my family, or I’ll fucking kill you first. Then I’ll kill all your goddamn little brain buddies. Understand?” Jasper released Jules all at once, giving her a shove toward the coat bed before he turned on his heel to stalk out of the room.
Her head snapped back when he shook her again but Jules didn't have a lot of time to push him away before his hand was around her throat. It had always held a slightly erotic connotation, because Jasper had only ever done it when they were having sex. But now it hurt and scared her and Jules grabbed his wrists, tears filling her eyes. She couldn't even deny what he was saying, although she tried. What was happening? How had the night turned so quickly? When Jules fell against the bed she pushed away from it almost immediately, ignoring the way she could still feel his fingertips pressing into her throat. Her heels made it hard to run after him so she pulled them off, dropping them to the floor on her way out of the room. "Jasper," she yelled, racing off down the hall to grab his arm. She didn't care if it made him angrier. She didn't care. She would fucking fight him if she had to. There was no way she was letting him leave thinking she wanted to hurt him. They had been through too much. "Stop. Please just calm down and listen. I'll tell you everything, I swear, but you have to listen. I'm scared for you. Please stop."
Jasper heard her thumping footsteps coming and tensed, half expecting something heavy to crash down on his head. Like now that she knew he was onto her, she would strike out to get the job done. The way she called his name didn’t sound violent though, just desperate. He didn’t want to stop, he didn’t want to listen, he knew she was lying and she meant him and the others harm, all four of them did, and Jules just wanted him calm so they could strike. Keep him lured into a false sense of security, keep his fucking trust. He jerked his arm out of her grasp and whirled around on her, barely registering her words. “Fuck you Jules!” he spat at her, unmindful of all the other people in the house. Most of them were downstairs partying, but who knew who was in the rooms around them. Feeling absolutely unhinged now, Jasper shoved her into the wall next to them, just wanting her to stop talking and leave him alone before he really hurt her. “Traitor bitch!”
She wished they weren't at a party. She wished she was stronger, so she could grab him and force him to listen to her. The entire situation felt insane. This couldn't actually be happening. Why would he think she was after him? Jules couldn't even begin to work everything out in her mind. Not with how much she had been drinking, and how desperate she was to keep him from leaving. Jules had inhaled sharply when he pushed her, but she didn't reach for him again, folding her arms around herself instead. If someone came by and saw him hurting her, everything would take an even worse turn. "Please," Jules whispered, her chest hitching with emotion. "Just stop and think about what you're saying." She almost said it was crazy, but Jules knew not to go there again. And maybe he knew something, but it wasn't the full story at all. "Please, let's just go somewhere and talk and I'll tell you what's going on."
“I can’t believe I didn’t see it before ... how could you?” Jasper said, his voice strained with his own tsunami of emotions. Hot angry tears kept trickling and he swiped his arm over his eyes. “Fuck ... fuck! Just leave me the fuck alone.” He turned and tried to walk away again, hoping she would let him this time in spite of the urge he had to strangle her. Jasper wasn’t capable of stopping and listening at the moment, everything hurt too much and made him feel like a fool. There was plenty of fear there too, beating at the back of his brain and making him feel hunted and like he needed to get away. Far away ... but he would feel better just not being at this crowded party anymore. He didn’t feel like he could calm down at all, it was all too raw and overwhelming. He just needed to escape.
The urge to grab him again was strong, so Jules dug her nails into her arms to keep them to herself. Something was very wrong and it was clear he wasn't going to listen. Maybe this was just a mood. Some weird shift in his mind. Maybe in the morning he would wake up and call her. She wanted to tell him about the dreams, about what they thought might be happening. But if she had to wait until he slept this off and came to his senses again, she would. Jules hated being rational. She wanted to run after him and beg him not to go, but all she could think about was the crazed look of fury in his eyes when he grabbed her throat. If something else was affecting him, Jules couldn't risk that again. What if he choked her next time? Tears burned behind her eyes and she watched him go. "I love you," she called after him, ignoring the way her voice cracked. At least he would hear that, even if he didn't believe her. The night had taken an awful turn and she still wasn't sure how it happened. All Jules knew now was that she was running out of time to help him.