Selcouth • J. Hale ✓

xxxv.

chapter thirty-five.

"Karina!"

A squeal left her lips at the sound of Paul's cheer as he lifted her into his arms and spun her around.

"Paul, don't drop me!" She pleaded with a laugh before he finally set her down.

"What are you doing here so early?" Paul asked her with a questioning look.

Karina opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the sound of Emily's voice. "Karina! I've missed you!"

Karina smiled at the girl and pulled her in for a hug. "I was here yesterday." She laughed and Emily shrugged.

"Yeah but we love you here." Emily told her while linking their arms together and pulling Karina inside the house with Paul in tow.

"Karina's back!" Seth cheered and soon Karina was swarmed by the other wolves.

All gave them hugs of their own and Karina internally rolled her eyes at Embry's staring but didn't say anything as she hugged him as well. Soon enough the pack left, leaving Javier, Emily, and Karina to prepare dinner for their return.

Javier could have gone with the pack for their training in the woods, but he was still defiant when it came to being around Sam. His wolf refused to submit and no matter how many trips to the council that Sam took, they would only tell him it was because of his imprint on Alice and their soulmate bond.

Karina pulled herself up onto Emily's counter as the girl was cooking for the pack and Javier was setting the table.

"So, I hear that you haven't told Jasper yet." Emily spoke up and Karina glared at Javier from her spot, but the boy pretended not to be listening. "Don't glare." Emily scolded with a laugh as she placed the lid on the pot of food.

"What am I supposed to do?" Karina questioned her and running a hand through my hair.

"Not ignore the soulmate bond." Javier stated as he appeared in front of Karina.

"He's got a point." Emily nodded her head and Karina gave her a look. "Okay, look when Sam first tried to get with me after telling me that he broke up with Leah to be with me, I pushed him away. It was hard to feel so connected to someone that made your cousin happy, but I ignored that and pushed him away, telling him to go back to Leah."

"And eventually you came to your senses." Javier teased and Emily hit his shoulder playfully while Karina laughed.

"What I'm saying is, at some point you have to stop running. I couldn't keep ignoring the feelings that I had with Sam after getting to know him and I can see that it's killing you to be apart from Jasper." She stated softly.

Karina sighed and blinked back the tears. "I'm scared Em. If Edward's manipulation was enough to get him to leave then who's to say that Edward wouldn't do it again? Edward put himself first before his siblings, before Alice's bond with Javi, before Jasper and me. He made them believe that they could hurt us because of what happened to Bella."

"They're not soulmates though." Emily frowned, she hadn't heard this part of it all.

"They're still mates, just not soulmates." Javier explained, "What Edward doesn't get is that Alice and Jasper's last thought is to hurt us. Our blood doesn't sing to them like Bella's does to him. Soulmates can't physically hurt each other."

"But when they left, they did." Emily stated matter-of-factually.

"Words can cut a lot deeper when followed by the right actions." Karina told her and Emily nodded her head in understanding. "What I'm saying is, who's to say that Edward or anyone would make Jasper leave? Who's to say that Jasper just isn't going to ghost me again and leave me?"

"Karina." Emily spoke softly while taking her hand into her own. "You told me that on your first date with Jasper, you guys kissed, and you stated that you would become immortal if it meant spending more moments like that with him." Karina looked away from her, "You love him but you're afraid to admit it."

"I don't even know what love is!" Karina told her, pulling her hand away and jumping down from the counter. "Do I want to be near him all the time? Yes. Do I love hearing his accent when he talks to me? All the damn time. Do I love being able to make him laugh or smile despite him never doing so? My god, yes! But am I in love with him?"

Karina fell silent, not answering her own question and both Javier and Emily could see that she was struggling. Karina had never been in love before, yes she was positive that she loved Jasper, but this was something entirely different. To be in love with him was much more than just loving him.

She's only seen it when her mother looked at Charlie and her father once upon a time, but that look is now replaced with heartbreak. She sees it whenever Sam looked at Emily and she could see it when Javier and Alice were together.

But when it came to her and Jasper, Karina didn't know.

"Could you live without him?" Javier suddenly spoke up and Karina looked at him confused. "Could you tell him that you didn't want to be with him anymore? That you wanted to be human forever and marry a human? Maybe even be with Embry as that boy adores you already. Could you let him go knowing that you'd never see or spend another moment with him?"

Karina shut her eyes and tried to imagine a life where Jasper wasn't there anymore. She tried to picture the image of moving back to New York and taking over. She tried to picture herself meeting someone and falling in love with them as she had done with Jasper.

At this thought, Karina's eyes snapped open, and Javier smiled at the realization that appeared on her face. Emily could see it too and neither of them stopped Karina from grabbing her keys and booking it out of the house.

Karina popped her head back inside as she reached the door and used her ability to knock Javier onto his ass. "Don't use Embry like that, he's sweet and he's been nothing but respectful towards me. Leave his feelings towards me out of it."

And with that she left, and Emily couldn't help but laugh at Javier.

∞

Karina was beginning to second guess herself the minute that she pulled into the Cullen's driveway.

Still, she gathered whatever courage that remained and exited her car. In an instant, Jasper was opening the door and stepping outside, despite the fact that his family would be able to hear them.

"Karina, what are you doing here?" He asked her and for the first time since his return, he could feel how nervous she was. "And why are you so nervous?" Finally, they were in front of one another, and Jasper could see the fear in her eyes as she struggled to find the words. "Karina, what's wrong?"

Without another thought, Karina placed her hands on Jasper's cheeks and pulled him down to kiss her. Jasper was stunned but wrapped his arms around Karina's waist and pulled her closer to him.

Jasper was shocked by the emotions that Karina was feeling in that moment. It was like a blow to the gut as he finally could feel everything that she was feeling. He could feel the fear, the anxiety, the uncertainty, but he could also feel her happiness, her adoration, and something that shocked him as well, her love and it was all directed towards him.

Pulling apart, Karina kept her eyes closed as Jasper rested his forehead against her own. "I love you." She whispered and Jasper felt as if he could cry.

"Say it again." He pleaded and Karina let out a tearful laugh.

"I love you, Jasper Hale." She told him and finally opened her eyes to meet Jasper's gaze.

"Whitlock but you'll get used to it." Jasper teased and Karina rolled her eyes.

She remembered that while Jasper was trying to win her back, he had told her more stories of his childhood, from what he could remember since it had been so long, and he had told her how his last name was Whitlock really but went by Hale to play the role of Rosalie's twin.

"But I love you too, Karina Baxter." He told her honestly and Karina couldn't stop the smile from blossoming onto her face.

Things weren't perfect but Karina was happy.