IT'S TRUE. I haven't written in over a year. It's pretty disgusting. But, I'm going to apologize because I really lost in faith in this story for some reason. I regret that feeling, obviously and realize that what I had with this story was something special, and I regret ever doing what I did.

So, I solemnly promise to never do such a thing again. Jasper, here's to you. 3

~THE NO LONGER DEAD MISTRO

~.~.~.~

"I mean it, Danny Jones. Never come near me again." Yes, I had said those words to him. I meant them too. I meant every single syllable, every word. I didn't want him to come near me. But it wasn't because of Marlena. It wasn't because he was just a foolish boy.

It was because I could smell him that time. I could smell him better than anyone.

His scent; almost like a fresh citrus drink, filled my nose the second he pulled open that door. I no longer felt the warmth of his body when he pulled me into that tight hug. I was intoxicated; absorbed into his aroma. That was what I was supposed to be feeling. That was the ways of a killer.

The further I sprinted away from his house, the closer I got to mine. I had to get away from him, and fast. It was beginning to rain again, a familiar feeling that I suddenly didn't mind. Drowning myself in cold water and darkness seemed like my very own life. The rain had little effect on my anymore.

I darted inside my house, the door clearly wide open. Everything was untouched. Jasper hadn't been taking care of it since my return, and small piles of dust began to gather on top of things. I slammed the door shut behind me as I entered the house, leaning against it for support.

My eyes began to burn and itch. I scratched at them as the sensation lingered. There were no tears. I winced, shutting my eyes pathetically and leaning my head against the wooden frame. My body slumped further down, until I felt myself hit the floor with a thud. I was completely and utterly alone, for the first time in a while. I was alone; and more bitter than ever.

My mouth was dry, something that I was also getting accustomed too, but not in the same way. I was thirsty- extremely so. Danny's scent had started a sort of frenzy in me that I couldn't ignore. My hands began to push me off of the floor, wanting to go out and kill. But my mind was torturing me.

Don't even think about it, Eden.

I tossed myself onto the floor once again. Grabbing the sides of my head, I started screaming into the floor. What kind of hell was this? This nightmare; why would anyone dream of immortality if it had to be like this?

They wouldn't. No one would wish for this if they knew what it was like.

I wasn't sure how long I lied on that floor. I wasn't sure how long I screamed. I did learn however that even vampires can get tired sometimes, and I finally quit and laid down in silence.

There was never a moment that I wished so much for sleep.

~.~.~.~.~

The rain stopped quickly after I got home. The sun came out, and on the nicest day of the month, I had decided to stay inside. I didn't want to go outside. Scents would overpower me; I wasn't ready for it. I knew that much.

I crawled off of the floor and brought myself to my back porch window. My cold hands pressed themselves against the window pane, staring out into the woods behind my house. My eyes darted quickly around the area, as a chill went down my spine. I could hear things better too. I could hear someone coming.

Quickly, I turned the lock on all the doors in my house. I made sure the windows were locked, and I rushed into the kitchen where I somehow found comfort in sitting on the icy tile floor. We were similar in that respect; the coldness of our surface.

At least I don't have to pay for heating, I thought bitterly.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

My ears and body suddenly perked up at those three familiar sounds. I groaned, burying my face further into my knees. "No one's home," I muttered, clearly not loud enough for anyone to hear, but just enough to satisfy my annoyance.

"Do you forget that I can hear you?" A voice from outside of my front door called.

I grunted, still upset with the thought of answering the door and having to show my tired and messy face. It was clearly a vampire. It was clearly Jasper. "I have nothing to say to you," I whispered, my voice sounding much more upset than planned. "And I'm sure you can't have anything of interest to say to me."

"Don't be so sure," he replied. "If you let me in, maybe you can just listen. If you find me uninteresting, then I give you my permission to discharge me."

Listening to Jasper's speech was soothing. His word choices were always so interesting; he was truly stuck in the past. I was a modern vampire. I could say and do whatever I well pleased, and probably blend in anywhere. Except for the glittering skin, yellow yes, and sharp teeth, I supposed.

After a moment of thinking, and knowing that Jasper would most likely find a way in, I hauled myself up and made my way over to the door. When opened, I stared at him with a bitter expression on my face. "Well, it's done. I'm officially obsessed with human blood, and I am locking myself away forever."

Jasper's eyes grew wide at my sudden confession, but he quickly regained his composure, as to not scare me. He stepped inside the house, gently shutting the door with his fingertips. He stared at me, unmoving.

"What?" I muttered, embarrassed. My eyes dropped to the floor as I suddenly felt weak in front of him, once again.

"Your necklace," Jasper said, knitting his brows together in concern. "It's missing."

I nodded, turning away from him. I slumped onto the couch, pulling my knees tightly up to my chest. I didn't really feel like talking about that. He wasn't making me feel much better.

"Sorry," he mumbled, still standing by the door. I could feel his eyes on me, however. "I was just trying to imagine where it would have gone. Rosalie said you may have lost it in the woods."

"I didn't lose it in the woods," I cursed beneath my breath. "I've been wearing that necklace for months, and there's no way it would have fallen off like that."

Jasper smiled at my ironic statement. "Well, wherever it is, I'm sure you'll find it."

I shut my eyes again, already growing tired of this conversation. "Can we talk about something else?"

Jasper said nothing. He quietly made his way to a chair opposite me. I still hid my face from him, but knew that he was looking at me. His gaze was kind, ungrudging. He never treated me badly; not once. I had blamed him for getting stuck down there. He had wanted to save me. I was wrong about everything. "Jasper, I'm sorry," I whispered, finally locking eyes with him. "I was furious at you and your family for what happened to me. It wasn't your fault, though."

A sad expression etched itself across his face. The sun hit his face momentarily, allowing him to shimmer. I cocked my head to the side slowly, realizing how rare a moment like this was. It brought a smile to my face; seeing him in his true form. I rarely ever did. "I would recommend not smiling too much," he said gently. "You could just stand in a mirror and see something quite similar."

"I'm not sure about that," I laughed. "You seem to look prettier than I'm sure I do right now." We both smiled at this statement, before a darker tone took over his expression.

"I never wanted this to happen to you," he said firmly. "You were always radiating; I knew that from the moment I met you. You haven't lost your charm, Eden. Yet, looking at you makes me furious. I'm upset that I could not save you. I understand if you cannot forgive me-"

I stood up quickly, causing him to instantly stop talking. "Jasper Hale," I said quickly, not even knowing where the words were coming from. "Jasper Whitlock, you have saved me more than you will ever know. Things changed the day I met you, but that was not avoidable. And now I have to live with what has happened. I could be a killer; a sinner. But I know that I will be better off with you. I know that as long as I have you for guidance that I will be okay." My breath was nonexistent, but I felt like it was running short. Bad habits, I supposed. "I never want to hear you apologize for what happened again. Ever."

His eyes were glued to the floor. I looked at him, almost menacingly, wanting him to understand what I meant. Everything I said was true. I had a change of heart as of late, and no longer put my blame on them. I just wanted to be free of that prison; that was all that I wanted.

I hadn't even noticed Jasper standing up. He was about a foot away from me. His chest was lifting heavily up and down; another bad habit. We no longer had hearts, but when we grew nervous, we could convince ourselves that our chests hurt. "You forgive me then," he said, his voice cracking. His curly golden hair was being combed out by his shaking fingers, until finally he lifted his head. His eyes were intense; almost frightening.

I shrunk back a little. I had imagined him to be more relieved at my confession than he was acting now. He seemed indescribably stressed from my statements, but I still nodded. "Of course I forgive you," I managed to say. "Were you listening to anything I was saying?"

Jasper and I stood in silence for what could have been an hour. I was lost in his hesitant gaze. We looked at one another knowingly. He knew what I felt. He knew that I was alright with the Cullens, but not with my state of being. There was nothing to be done, however. We both knew that. To try and make things a bit more relaxed, I offered a small smile. I'm not sure how well it worked though, because Jasper suddenly looked furious.

He stepped closer towards me, his hands grabbing my shoulders. I thought I was about to scream; a feeling I never got around Jasper. Was he going to kill me? How would he do that? I had no idea what was going on, but I knew that I was worried for a split second.

Until I felt him close the gap. I lifted my shoulders up in surprise, when I felt that sudden sensation. His cold lips met mine, an imaginary line of ice suddenly forming between us. I could feel him flattering beneath me. Quickly, I was grabbing him by the arms to keep him upright. He was kissing me again; and he was still in pain. Pain, because he knew there was someone else in his life. We both knew it.

I didn't know what to do. I shut my eyes after the kiss continued; still holding him up. I imagined him crumbling to the floor if I didn't, and I would have done anything to keep kissing him. I felt him press against me, urging me to continue what was already being done. I didn't break away for a second, and the thought never came to my mind.

I didn't feel like I was cheating on Danny. Things with Jasper were different. We were friends, rightly so. He seemed to understand me better than I understood myself, and for that I was grateful. Danny- what was it? What was that feeling be brought me? Lust, over love? He had said he loved me. He was in awe; that was it. Danny Jones did not know me anymore. He could not love what I had become. He had mocked me about it the first time I met him, and I regret ever putting my faith in him.

I began to scare myself. Could I trust Danny Jones?

My mind did not linger on that thought for long. Jasper was urgently trying to bring my closer to him. Each kiss barely had a second between it for breath. I felt my head spinning, or so I imagined it. His arms wrapped themselves around me, giving me more comfort than any bed could have after being in that cave for three months. His hands found my hair, and ran themselves through it. I could barely move anything but my lips; I was frozen like my skin.

He could have kissed me for seconds, but I'm sure it was longer. It felt longer. Our lips continued to meet, over and over again. We were both weak around each other; one thing a vampire should never be.

Jasper Hale and I were destined to destroy one another.