*Jasper’s POV

  Since she wasn’t familiar with the area, I didn’t like letting her go but she insisted that she’ll be fine. Not to mention this annoying little brue. Adamant about not letting a guy past this point, g that it’s the opera house policy because there have been is of guests using the restrooms for their private time together in the past. I had no use for a restroom ever before so I had no clue about any of that.

  All the while the girl kept to make small talk obviously hoping to do something of that sort too. She expected me to flirt with her while Annabell was away. What is it with the damn womely? Before, they didn’t dare to e so close. They didn’t really feel any different, but they used to keep some sort of a safe dista seemed that when they saw Annabell by my side, they got braver and thought they could approach me or even take her pbsp;They hardly deserved to be in her presence, much less pare themselves to her. I thought, irritated.

  Annabell seemed to be taking a little too long, when the bruhat kept reminding me of her name ‘Hayley’ tagged on my arm with a suggestive smile. “e with me, let’s enjoy ourselves a little.”

  I was always trying to stay polite, not causing ruckus which would bring more attention to myself than what I normally got but who did she think she was? If anything, she could be a meal. She was nothing to me and there were no people arouher. So I just shook her hand off my sleeve and looking at her with the disdain I felt for her, like she did to unsuspeg Annabell earlier, I made myself clear. “Not. Ied.”

  The girl got restless and something didn’t feel right as she kept gng towards the corridor, my mate disappeared in before. At that moment I heard Annabell’s muffled scream. “Let me g-” It got cut off and in my mind swireled tless reasons why, while I hurried to her. One reason worse thaher. Getting closer, feeling her anger and fear with someone else’s lust, it became clear to me what was going on. Don’t you fug touate! I was furious.

  Kig the door in, I could see a guy strangling Annabell with one hand while his other hand was under her dress. Mine! Anuy was about to hit her and momentarily fetting myself I just moved to stop his hand. “Get away from her!” I growled, hardly taining myself to not shatter the bones of his hand he nearly hit Annabell with.

  “How did you…?” Gasped the guy in surprise at how fast I moved. But my mate was still in the hands of the other sdrel and notig a drop of blood on his lips, I just threw him towards the doorway. In the meantime, Annabell mao escape the other one’s hold and he was trying to sneak past me to his panion.

  He dared to y his hands on her... I pressed my forearm to his throat, pinning him to the wall. Kill him! Roared Major. With a surprise, I took a note of his swollen looked freshly broken. “y path again, and you won’t be walking away!” I warned him ahem run before I could ge my mind. Just when I turo see if she was hurt, Annabell fell to the floor. “Annabell!” I went to her but before I could touch her, she pulled away.

  My hand balled in fist. Those bastards! I stood up to take off my suit jacket, when Annabell started to panic. “I didn’t mean-!” Taking a deep breath, she seemed to calm down when I gently pced my jacket around her shoulders. “Thank you.” She smiled and I rexed a little.

  “Do you think you stand?” I asked, ed and carefully helped her to her feet. It seemed they didn’t mao really hurt her.

  “Ummm… you help me with this, please?” She relutly motioowards her chest. Bringing my attention to that the only thing keeping her dress in pce was her hand.

  I ched my jaw, growling, pissed again. “I should have killed those bastards!” They were very close to having their way with her. If I ever see them again, they will regret thinking of toug her! Annabell held her dress in pce while I fastehe thin silky ribbon on her chest.

  When her dress was ba order, Annabell rested against me. “Thank you.” She whispered. Relieved, I gently pressed her to me, stroking her back to sooth her. “I didn’t go down without a fight.” She said with a hint of pride after a while.

  Now that she was safe in my arms I couldn’t help a ugh. “You certainly did a number on them. I think one had a broken nose.”

  She frowned. “I wasn’t trying to break his nose, I wao knock him out!” She was actually pouting and I had to ugh again.

  “I guess I should watch myself around you then.” I joked, caressing her cheek.

  A tender smile pyed on her lips. “You truly are my knight…” She breathed out.

  I brought her hand to my lips. “Your carriage awaits you, my dy. I would love for you to apao dionight.”

  A soft blush coloured her cheeks. “It would be my pleasure.” She smiled at me, making a little curtsy before linking our arms.

  Getting in the car, Annabell suddenly giggled. “Ummm… whose dinner are we talking about?”

  *

  I had reserved a table in a little restaurant for us. It was dimly lit with a gentle piano pying in the background. The pce had a seremosphere. “Are there lit dles?” Asked me Annabell quietly, as we were led through the restaurant by the staff.

  Her question surprised me but the waitress showing us to the table heard her too. However, she didn’t seem to notinabell’s sightlessness and answered before I could say anything. “Yes. As you see, we have dles oable. We lit them up at su.” She spoke politely but she was actually annoyed by Annabell’s question.

  I felt Aense up a little before she smiled. “No, I ’t.” She told the waitress. Arriving at our table, I helped Annabell in her chair while the waitress kept looking at her with a slight frown.

  “What do you mean, you ’t? It’s right in front of you.” Her annoyance leaked into her voiow and Annabell calmly faced her.

  "That may be. But I ’t see it because I'm blind." Expined Annabell.

  That momentarily shocked the girl. "Oh, I see." She said eventually, after looking at me, feeling relieved for some reason. Then she overdramatically covered her mouth smiling. "Oops, umm... sorry." She apologized but she wasn't sorry at all a after taking our orders for drinks.

  “Wiilted her head Annabell puzzled, once we were alone because I ordered a gss of red wine.

  I chuckled. “Yes. Wouldn’t it look strange if I didn’t order anything at all?”

  “Oh, hmm… When you put it that way, yes. You’re right. I didn’t think of that.” She smiled at me. “Wait…” She started but paused and her cheeks adorned a delicious pink colour, making me wonder what she thought of. “What if someone asks about ye because of the alcohol?”

  “That’s easy. In Forks, I’m officially eighteen because of school. But when I go out like this, it’s more veo cim that I’m twenty-five.” I expined. Annabell seemed to not like something about it, though.

  When I was about to ask, the waitress appeared with our drinks and wanted our orders for food. At first she didn’t even look at Annabell. She was staring at me while asking what we wao eat. When she asked that, however, Annabell escaped a giggle and the waitress gave her a nasty look. I took a deep breath and decided to ig this time, keeping my eyes on Annabell’s beautiful smiling face.

  I knew what she found funny and had to smile to myself too. If I told the waitress what I wao eat, she’d run away screaming.

  After Annabell asked for reendations, she ordered a roasted sweet potato sad with salmon. But I had to tell the waitress at least three times that I didn't want anything to eat, before she finally left again.

  Alone once more, Annabell’s smile slowly faded. “Do you… go out like this a lot?” She asked quietly. That was heavy on her mind? I had to bite back a chuckle so she wouldn’t get angry that I’m ughing at her. She was adorable.

  “Yes… and no.” My answer fused her. “I do occasionally o go out like this. But not the way you think, my love.” I reached for her hand. “When I go out in public, it’s usually for some official business. This is the first time I went on a date.” I leaned closer to her ear. “But I must admit that you’re really cute when you’re jealous.” Annabell’s heartbeat quied and lightly flustered, she took a sip of her juice.

  “...she said that she’s blind.” A distant versation caught my attention. “I dunno, looks like might be. But she’s weird. When they came, she was asking about the dles. Why would she ask if she didn’t see anything?” It was our waitress. Standing by the bar with anirl in uniform, she was talking about Annabell. I was actually curious about the same thing.

  “Hmmm…” Was the only ued response she got from her colleague.

  “Ann, how did you know there were dles when we came?” My curiosity got the best of me and I asked her.

  “I somehow feel the small fmes around the room. I was only guessing that they were dles though.” She answered thoughtfully.

  “...isn’t he an absolute hottie though?” I heard the girl again.

  “Yeah, but he is here with her. Maybe she’s blind but she’s pretty. And actually sitting at the table with him. You are at work.” Tried the other oo disce her.

  “Maybe it’s his cousin or something.” Pondered our waitress on.

  “They don’t look reted to me.” Sighed the other one.

  “Oh I know! He must be volunteering! Ya know, doing hings for people with handicaps and such. …e on, just look at him. There’s no way a guy like him would be seriously going out with a cripple when he have a perfectly healthy woman like me.” Gritting my teeth, I suppressed a growl.

  “Whatever rocks your boat, girl.” Dismissed her the other one ao take someone’s order.

  When Annabell’s food arrived, I didn’t spare the waitress a single look. She oher ha staring only at me again. “You know… I may be blind. But I am quite certain that I am not invisible. Could you stop staring at him? It’s rude.” Spoke Annabell without turning to her. Her voice was calm yet cold and I could feel her anger.

  The waitress frowned, measuring Annabell from head to toe for a moment and then stomped away. Smiling to myself I caressed Annabell’s cheek. How I loved my amazing mate.

  The restaurant was on a cliff with a gss wall fag East. While Annabell enjoyed her food, I was enjoying the view of the lights-filled bay under a full moon that was rising behind her.

  *

  When I waved the waitress over to ask for our bill, she didn't even try to hide a h her number on it. Looking straight at Ahis time, she pced the small piece of paper with her name and number oable right in front of me. When 'Natali' as stood oe, saw ion from Annabell, she turo me with a smile and a provocative look.

  That seriously pissed me off. Not wanting to trouble Annabell, I took the note, crumpled it in my palm and the it oable again. Then I turo look the girl in the eyes. "Thank you. We won't be needing any more service." I tried to sound casual so as not to have to expin to Annabell, why I'm angry.

  The waitress was disappointed and inhaled, ready to say something iurn. Obviously still not giving up, when Annabell beat her to it. "Please, tell the chef that the food was absolutely delicious." The waitress closed her mouth again, this time angry. Frowning, she looked at Annabell who was smiling and the girl stomped away again without another word.

  Uo suppress a chuckle, I stepped to Annabell and took her hand in mine as she stood up. Brushing a strand of hair from her cheek I cupped her fad gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. It surprised her a little and I could hear her heartbeat qui with excitement. "Miss Bck you are amazing." I plimented her, leadiowards the exit.

  "Oh, really?" She asked pyfully, while we walked out of the restaurant.

  “Yes, my beloved.” We stopped oairs and I took oep below her so we were exactly face to face. "Absolutely stunning." I put my arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her but she put a finger on my lips.

  “And you, Mr. Whitlock, are very popur today." Pointed Annabell out with a serious expression but I felt that she was only teasing me.

  That was holy an uatement. "Am I?" I pyed i but couldn’t keep from grinning.

  "She gave you her number, didn't she?” One of her eyebrows rose iion.

  "I didn't accept it." I reassured her quickly.

  "I know, darling." She smiled.

  "I couldn't care less about other womehe stro, most beautiful and most of all, the one I love, is right by my side.”

  Her eyes shoh tears of happiness as she put her arms around my neck, grabbed the bay head and kissed me.

  *Annabell’s POV

  Jasper took me to a restaurant. I was a little worried but when we walked in, its atmosphere left me at ease. It was nid quiet with a faint piano, pying in the background. There was also something else. I realized that beside the people in the room I felt something small and hot in multiple pces around us. Is this fire? The fmes were small, separated and steady. Could they be dles? I couldn’t keep from asking Jasper about it. However, the waitress taking us to our table overheard my question.

  Once she learhat I ’t see, she started to act like I was hardly there. She was even standing closer to Jasper and I sensed her barely g me when I ordered a gss of strawberry juice.

  “Yes. Wouldn’t it look strange if I didn’t order anything at all?” Chuckled Jasper when I wondered about the fact that he ordered a gss of wine. That makes sense. “Wait…” Wasn’t he posing as a highschool student, though. The ption of alcohol was restricted by the age of twenty-one by w here. Speaking of age… Oh no! I pletely fot about his present! He already wished me but I left my present for him at home. Warmth rose up my face when I remembered his question before I basically ran from my house without taking anything with me. Nothing to do about it now… I’ll give it to him wheurn. “What if someone asks about ye because of the alcohol?”

  “That’s easy. In Forks, I’m officially eighteen because of school. But when I go out like this, it’s more veo cim that I’m twenty-five.” Expined Jasper simply. When he goes out like this? Does he go out with girls a lot? Before I gathered the ce to ask him, our waitress pced something oable before me. Must be my drink. I thought, realizing, she was once again standing closer to Jasper and not looking at me.

  The girl before, wanted his attention all to herself too. Not to mention Catelyn… I bit my lip. Just then the waitress spoke. Obviously turowards Jasper only, yet again. “What would you like to eat?” She asked, sounding as if herself to him and I nearly burst out ughing. Imagining her rea if she khat nothing on the menu could please his appetite, a giggle escaped me and I felt her scrutinizing look on me.

  I could tell she wao seo hell and bastead of naming the options of food I could order after I asked for the chef’s reendations. Feeling Jasper’s eyes ohe eime though, I preteo not notibsp;I wonder how she keeps her job like this.

  Once alone in silence again, my thoughts kept returning to what he said about going out until I asked him. “When I go out in public, it’s usually for some official business. This is the first time I went on a date.” Expined Jasper, taking my hand in his. Then he leao me and his breath brushed my ear when he quietly spoke. “But I must admit that you’re really cute when you’re jealous.” My breath got stu my throat and feeling my cheeks heat up, I took a sip of my drink. Although the cold sweet liquid didn’t help at all to calm my rapidly beati.

  “Ann, how did you know there were dles when we came?” He asked out of the blue.

  “I somehow feel the small fmes around the room. I was only guessing that they were dles though.” I admitted, thinking about that I seemed to beore sensitive to the element of fire. Could it be because of my power? It was still awakening. cluding that it might have something to do with me beieen today I focused oiny fmes, attempting to t them.

  “...Oh, I know!...” Maybe it was because I was being familiar with her voice that it stood out from the quiet versations throughout the room when she excimed, pulling my attention. “...no way…with a cripple…healthy woman like me…” She was too far away for me to hear her well but I uood more than enough from the little I caught. She isn’t really wrong about that. Crossed my mind, w if it would e to bother Jasper at some point and he’d ge his mind about me.

  If I heard her, he must have too but I didn’t notiy rea from him at all. When the girl brought my food though, it seemed that he was pletely ign her. She acted the same way as earlier, fag only Jasper. She most likely wao offer him something again and I felt my ahat I suppressed, after hearing what she said before, rising. “You know… I may be blind. But I am quite certain that I am not invisible. Could you stop staring at him? It’s rude.”

  I felt her eyes on me before she stomped away. When she did, Jasper gently touched my cheek and my anger was o be found. Giving him a small smile I pushed my s aside for now. The food was delicious.

  *

  When the waitress brought our bill, for a ge, she stared at me a while before turning to Jasper. There was a strange faint rustling of paper wheold her that we wouldn’t need anything. That paper…that wasn’t the bill. I couldn’t help a smile when I realized what just happened. He turned her down... Yet she wouldn’t leave. Not giving her space to respond, I faced her. "Please, tell the chef that the food was absolutely delicious." She didn’t say anything anymore a.

  Jasper chuckled as we stood from the table and came to my side. He brushed my hair from my fad his hand stopped on my cheek. Lost in its gentle warmth, it surprised me when his lips caressed mine. He formally plimented me while we walked out of the restaurant and I teased him about it a little. Outside oairs he stopped and moved in front of me. “Absolutely stunning.” He decred and embraced me, leaning in for a kiss.

  I wasn’t doeasing him though. With my finger on his mouth I stopped him. Was he uhe impression that I didn’t notice just because he stayed quiet about it again? “And you, Mr Whitlock, are very popur today.” I tried to say it like I was scolding him but couldn’t fool him.

  “Am I?” He challenged me.

  “She gave you her number, didn’t she?” I pointed out and was curious about his rea.

  “I didn’t accept it.” He replied without hesitation. No excuses… He was pletely ho with me.

  “I know, darling.” I smiled at him.

  "I couldn't care less about other womehe stro, most beautiful and most of all, the one I love, is right by my side.” fessed Jasper and uo tain my happiness, I embraced him back, pulling him into a kiss.