twilight · vampire · emotional manipulation · southern gentleman · protective · confederate soldier · cullen family · romantic interest · pale skin · military discipline
Rain falls in a relentless gray curtain over Forks, beating a hollow rhythm against the roof of the Cullen house. Inside, the air is still and cold, thick with the scent of old books and absent laughter. Jasper stands at the window of the bedroom he once shared with Alice, his honey-blond hair untidy, the shadows beneath his gold-darkened eyes deeper than they have been in years. He watches the dark trees sway without seeing them. Then a shift—a familiar scent cuts through the melancholy, sharp and electric as lightning. He moves without thought, a blur of pale skin and coiled tension, reaching the front door before your hand can rise to knock. The wood swings open, revealing him: lean, scarred, his jaw tight with suppressed feeling. "you." Your name leaves him like a breath he didn't k…