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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

   𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 the week, the Chambers sisters walked on eggshells around each other. The night of Liz's surprise party, she did not get home until around midnight and even though she told her not to wait up, Liz should have known better with Ester. The older sister could not sleep, not until she knew Liz was home safely and she was willing to stay up all night if that is what it took.

    However, when Liz walked through the front doors to see Ester sitting on the couch, a mug in her left hand and the remote control in the other, the two locked eyes intensely, the faint muttering from the television was the only thing keeping it from complete silence. Ester had wanted to jump up and embrace her sister, declare a million apologies and beg for forgiveness. But the bitter look in Liz's eyes restrained her to her seat and after what felt like forever, Liz made her way up the stairs without a word.

    The next morning, tension was still there but the silence wasn't. Ester refused to let Liz leave for school and she had called the diner stating that she was going to be late so she could have time to talk to her. Ester dismissed Danny to work, which he was more than happy to get out of something he clearly had no business in. Liz wasn't so insistent on ignoring Ester like she was the night before, so she let Ester get her apologies out of the way and though she felt the pang of hurt lingering in her chest, Liz was quick to forgive her.

    Why? Well, because Liz didn't see the point in holding a grudge over something so stupid. Ester forgot her birthday, but she pleaded her case by saying all the hours she has been putting in at the diner and the movie theater were very exhausting, as was the added stress from her school work. She was never home anymore unless first thing in the morning and then would come home very late at night. Liz knew how hard she worked and how tired she must be, so that is why Liz forgave her so quickly. It was one birthday out of the seventeen birthdays she's had. Everyone was entitled to slip up. Ester is only human, it happens to the best of people.

    Still, even though things were patched up on that end, Liz couldn't help but find herself frustrated with Ester and a part of her doesn't really understand why. Ester could sense this, things were still sensitive between them and she couldn't really figure out what was wrong. She thought they swept things under the rug. Ester even got Liz a lava lamp for her bedroom for a birthday present, an orange one that went well with her painted walls, though it wasn't the exact same color, it was still cute and Liz set it up by her bed on her night stand. But that did not change the tension between the two and neither understood why.

    Danny had been in the middle of this for days and he didn't know what to do with the two women he lived with. He was always thrilled with escaping to work every day to get away from it, clearly not understanding what looks to be like a silent fight with each other.

    Every morning they would sit at the breakfast table, in silence, with Danny occasionally trying to break it but it wouldn't last very long. Liz had just been trying to really understand why she was annoyed with her sister and in some sense, she knew the reason but something in her refused to acknowledge it, not wanting to cause any more rift between them or bring up something that will only upset them both. She has done good with keeping her anger about that under wraps, she did not want to express to her sister how upset she was about the past than she really was.

     So, the weekend was coming yet again and Liz found herself in another silent breakfast before going to school. Danny made pancakes, which she practically devoured because she was starving and Danny always makes them perfect whereas both the Chambers sisters always found a way to burn them. Liz felt her phone buzz in her pocket, the bushy blonde haired female reached into her pocket to see a text from Emmett that said: You got this, speed racer. A smiley face at the end.

    It was a reply to her earlier worried text message about the math quiz she was having today. He had texted her last night, asking how she was feeling and she openly admitted to being nervous because he was right, the next grades she got on quiz and test were essential to her being a senior next year. She managed to finally get a 76 on the practice quiz, but that's only because she took the same one over and over again. She knows she will not get nearly as good on the actual quiz because it would be completely different but the basic knowledge was still there.

    The next couple of days were weird to say the least, especially around her friends. Once Jasper and the others had dropped her off at her small surprise party, she had been bombarded with endless questions, especially from Angela and Jessica about when she suddenly started hanging out with them and what would prompt her to skip school with them. Liz felt backed into a corner because it was another thing she had to lie to them about, she had a hard time keeping the truth about her brain damage from them so adding this on was hard for her but necessary.

    She had been seriously glad Bella was there because she knew she wasn't alone. Sure, Bella was new to their small circle, but they all welcomed the Chief's daughter with open arms. Also, it turned out Bella had just learned the truth that very same day, which is why she had ditched school as well and why Edward wasn't with the rest of his siblings on their little outing. Once Angela's father said that everyone had to go home, Bella offered to take the girl home, since Liz's bike was left behind at the school, where the two talked and expressed their feelings about the whole situation.

    Liz was surprised Bella wasn't as freaked out as she had been, though she was still in kind of shock. Of course, Bella didn't have the weight of being saved by said family in an accident that killed her parents on top of everything else. Bella and Liz practically sat in the formers truck for twenty minutes continuing the discussion outside of Chambers/Black household, Liz explaining the truth about the accident, about Alice's skittish vision, about Jasper overwhelming need to save her but couldn't and about Emmett putting his own control to the test by being the one to get Liz out of the vehicle before it was caught in the explosion. Bella was astonished by all this, seeing as Liz originally thought it had been Jasper but was also confused as to why Jasper wanted to save her so badly. The Chambers female told her what Jasper explained to her and Bella understood, because it was exactly how Edward said he wasn't about to risk being around her and couldn't stand the thought of hurting her.

    The girls both agreed to talk more later, which they did, especially after Bella showed up at school the next day with Edward who had picked her up and walked to the school with his arm draped over her shoulders. Liz had just been dropped off by Danny when she saw this, her eyes wide like everyone else but a smile slowly crept on her lips, seeing as she looked across the lot to meet Jasper's gold rims, who also had forced his eyes off his adoptive brothers public display of affection in search for her, and though his face was laced with pain just like it always was at school, she didn't miss the corner of his lip arching upwards at the sight of her.

    "Liz?" The blonde was snapped out of her deep thoughts at the sound of her name, having to send a reply to Emmett and looked up from her phone to meet a questionable Danny. "What do you think?"

    "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," she admitted, not even recalling when he started speaking. "What did you say?"

    Danny let out a breathless chuckle, leaning back in his chair and ruffling his thick black hair that was not styled in any way, just the way he liked it. "I was saying that Ester and I are going to my dad's tonight for dinner and want to know if you would like to join us. My dad has been begging to see you, keeps hounding me that I still haven't brought you over since your return."

    The idea of seeing Billy again brought a warm smile to her face. He was a good man, always funny and very welcoming to Ester when Danny had brought her to meet him for the first time. Billy basically worshiped Ester for being the one to stir his son off his rebellious path that had seemed to last longer than he would have liked. Billy was more than thrilled when Ester would bring Liz along on visits and dinners, seeing as the sisters reminded him of his twin daughters, Rachel and Rebecca, who were now away at college.

    Because of the fighting going on with Ester and their parents at the time, Liz remembers the hurtful words Ester told their father when saying that she doesn't want him at the wedding and was more than happy to ask Billy to escort her down the aisle, followed by claiming he was a better father to her then Robert Chambers was.

    Okay, it was more clear than ever why Liz was so upset with her sister but she kept that to herself and focused all her attention on her future brother-in-law. "Um, yeah. Yeah, I would love to see Billy. What time?"

    "Well, I get done at the diner at five today, so me and you can meet Danny there right after." Ester offers, still trying to break this terrible silence between them. "Danny will already be over there since his shop is at the reservation and will be the one making dinner."

    Because of the recent memory that had come to her, Liz tried her best not to look so agitated at the older female, but instead nodded softly in response. "Okay. That works."

    Silence filled it yet again and Ester was more than happy to skip off to work, kissing her fiance goodbye and muttering a small one to Liz before leaving for work. The youngest Chambers sister finished off the last of her pancakes before washing off her plate and getting ready to leave. Unfortunately, she didn't make it past the threshold when Danny called to her, pausing her step by the now open door and looking back to see the taller man giving her a knowing look.

    "I wish you would talk about what's been bothering you instead of ignoring her. She's been really taking it to heart." Defending Ester has become second nature to Danny, and it only made Liz like him more knowing how much he loves and cares about her sister, feeling confident with him being the right person for her to marry, but prying has never been his strong suit. Something Liz held in common with him, actually.

    Even though she likes Danny, Liz wasn't comfortable expressing her feelings to him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

    "I think you do," Danny said, raising his brow. "I even know that it's more than the birthday situation because you wouldn't have said you've forgiven her if you truly haven't. Now I don't want to jump to conclusions, but if the reason you are so upset with Ester is for what I think they are, then you really need to sit her down and talk to her about it because she can't figure it out. She is the smartest person I know, but she is oblivious when it comes to people being upset with her, because hardly anyone ever is."

    Danny may be quiet and a little dense at times, but he was no idiot. Liz didn't doubt for a second that he knew the truth more than Ester, mainly because Ester thought that the matter between her and her parents was over and done with. Ester knew Liz was very angry with her after the accident, blaming her for never being there and for isolating them out, but she figured since they have been so civil since her return from California that it was swept under the rug. For some reason, that made Liz's anger intensify.

    "I appreciate that you care, Danny, I do. But to be honest, it's really none of your business." Liz told the truth, though she felt a little bad talking to him like this. "This is between me and Ester."

    If his feelings were hurt, he didn't show it. "Actually, anything that upsets my fiance is my business. So whatever reason you are holding back, knock it off. You're seventeen now, you are not a child anymore. Stop acting like one. Either talk to Ester about why you are angry with her or get over it."

    Danny didn't wait for her reply, just simply went back into the house to finish getting ready for work. Liz was stunned, never had Danny talked to her like that and it kind of made her feel guilty with how she was acting. It didn't stop the anger she was feeling but it did make her realize he had a point.

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𝐋𝐈𝐙 𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐙, and for the first time ever she didn't feel like bashing her head into a table repeatedly because she didn't know anything. Astonishingly, Liz actually knew a little of what she was doing but she second guessed her answers a lot. It wasn't a long one, just a front and back assessment of what they've been learning. But she felt a little confident about the outcome. Not A or B confident, but she thinks she might have managed a C.

    The bushy blonde haired female decided to ditch lunch, not only because she was still full from the six pancakes she scarfed down this morning, but also because Jasper had asked her to meet him in the parking lot through Emmett in study hall, where he questioned her on how she did and was satisfied when she told him the truth, then he started praise himself for being the best tutor in the world and expected a present when he gets her average grade to a B. She only agreed because a part of her didn't think that was possible.

    Shockingly, Jasper was nowhere to be seen. She had figured he would be by the Jeep, but he wasn't. The parking lot was empty of students, as it normally is during school time and Liz was tempted to head back into the building when a figure caught her attention, all the way by the edge of the woods, standing extremely still but his eyes never moving from her. Liz frowned, making her way towards him with her hands shoved in her coat pockets, the chill air making her shiver. Her knee slowed her down, but when she finally approached him, she felt more relaxed than ever being in his presence.

    "If you plan on trying to convince me to ditch school again, you can forget it. I'm lucky the Vice Principal still held some sympathy for me and left me off with a warning for Monday. I don't exactly like detention."

    "If my memory serves me, you spent a lot of time in detention last year when you attempted and failed to hit Mike Newton with a soccer ball to get him to stop flirting with you but missed and hit Mr. Ramirez in the back which made him spill his coffee all over his clean shirt."

    A bright smile broke out on her face, recalling that memory. "Oh, yeah. To be honest, that was worth the double detention. Mr. Ramirez never liked me since I told him all I was interested in learning what to say in Spanish were curse words."

    Jasper's shoulders moved with his bubbling laughter, shaking his head at the beautiful girl before him. "That doesn't even surprise me."

    "It's important to learn them just in case I want to call someone a bitch or an asshole without them knowing, I can say it in a different language." Liz defended herself. Despite the fact that Mr. Ramirez refused to teach her these things, that did not stop her from learning them on her own, making her grateful for the internet yet again.

    "What if that someone you want to say these things to speaks Spanish?" Jasper inquired.

    "Easy. I just pretend I heard someone say it and I didn't know what it meant." Liz shrugged as if it was the best excuse in the world, which in her mind, it was. "I'm already dumb, so it's not hard for people to believe."

    "You're not dumb." Jasper stated sternly, his once amused smile now turned into his usual serious expression. "You have a really bad habit of putting yourself down a lot, do you know that?"

    Liz did know this, it has been pointed out by a lot of people who care about her, she just never listens and they normally just don't bother anymore. "I just... I find it easier to put myself down than to give other people the opportunity to do it to me."

    Jasper took a step forward, the two were only a foot away from one another, but it was close enough to get a reaction from Liz's heart that sped up almost as fast as she could run, or used to be able to run, that is. His once amused expression molded into a disapproving one, looking down at her since she was shorter by a couple inches.

    "I find that ridiculous. You shouldn't treat yourself so poorly because you are afraid that others are doing it to you. You'd be surprised that that fear you hold that everyone is judging you because you are academically challenged is basically made up in your own head. You criticize yourself so much that you think other people are criticizing you too."

    "I don't criticize myself," Liz defended. It only earned a knowing look from the male before her which she huffed in annoyance. "Okay, maybe I do a little. It's a habit. Making fun of the fact that I'm, as you so politely put it, 'academically challenged' is the only way to keep others from doing it to me."

    "Has anyone ever made fun of you for this?"

    Liz opened her mouth to say yes but paused, thinking back hard, trying to remember a time in her life where someone called her out for not understanding something in class or if someone made fun of her for not understanding a topic being discussed with her friends or with family. The more she thought about it, the more she realized no one has ever really spoken badly about her. She is not a hated person, she is not picked on in school, people tend to like her and her friends have never once made her feel like she was an idiot because she mostly did it to herself. If she didn't understand something, she would normally nod along and pretend like she did, keeping her confusion to herself and hating herself for not knowing it. She was her own bully. She brought herself down and made herself feel lesser than who she was.

   When her eyes met his once more, she looked surprised and overwhelmed at this strange revelation. Jasper could tell her entire mood change by the way she frowned, her mind most likely going over every memory she had to find a logical response to his question. But she couldn't, he realized this and it only made him take another step forward, being as cautious as he always is in her presence.

    "You see... no one thinks you are dumb or incompetent. You've allowed your mind to believe they do because you believe those things about yourself."

    Though Liz understood he wasn't trying to make her feel bad, she couldn't help the embarrassment that creeped up on her. "Okay, Hale, since when did you become my therapist?"

    "I'm not trying to be. I just don't think you should think so low of yourself. You are amazing and brilliant whether you believe it or not. Everyone has their struggles. You struggle with grades and math whereas I struggle with not killing someone at the sight of their blood."

    Despite the seriousness in his tone, Liz couldn't hold back the chuckle that escaped her lips. She immediately tried to cover it up by slapping her hand over her mouth but that only contained the others. She sobered quickly and gave Jasper an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh at that. Just the fact that you are comparing your control to drink blood over me failing a couple classes is nowhere near the same thing."

    "Maybe not the dangers but the struggles that go behind both of them are." Jasper spoke calmly, not at all affected by her laughing fit, if anything he was amused by it.

    Liz knew his words were true but doubted them heavily, her mind reeling with all the failed tests she was forced to get her parents to sign as a kid, how she was kept from recess because she 'forgot' to do her homework when really she just didn't know how to so she just chose not too. How she was nearly kicked off the track team for failing another math test which ended up in her parents wanting to cheer her up, making their way onto the busy Highway 19 road late in the afternoon that November Thursday.

    Liz's curls fell over her blue eyes and she didn't bother to brush them back, knowing with the wind it was pointless. "Okay, maybe I am my own worst enemy. But it's hard not to be. It's hard not to feel stupid all the time. Making fun of myself just became a habit over the years to make myself feel better."

    "Do you feel better?"

    Liz was surprised how quick her response was. "No."

     "You should never feel that way about yourself and I will make sure I break you out of that habit, I don't care how long it takes." Jasper said in determination, causing the corner of his lip to pull back into that familiar smirk Liz has grown used to. He had grabbed her hand and to his surprise, she didn't shudder at his touch like he expected her to. Liz was surprised by the contact but then settled her hand into his, giving a sheepish smile.

    "Something is telling me you didn't ask me out here to listen to me talk down on myself."

    Jasper chuckled and shook his head. "No, I didn't. Actually, I much prefer it out here then in there, been trying to convince the others or at least Alice to sit out here with me during lunch. But they kind of insist we try to act as normal as possible."

    "I'll sit out here with you," Liz offered.

     Jasper gazed at her in adoration before shaking his head. "No, that's not why I asked you out here either. I was wondering if you had plans tomorrow night?"

    Liz had opened her mouth to answer, but then paused, his words taking a second to sink in before she really understood what he meant. "Wait... are you— are you asking me out...?"

    "On a date," he finished for her in amusement, but also a bit nervous. Jasper has been out of practice with asking a woman on a date. It has been decades really and normally his kind didn't really go out on dates. Normally you just find your mate and then you want to spend the rest of your eternal life together. It was different with Liz... she was human and he wanted to do things right with her in the way she deserved. So he took a deep breath and tried again. "Yes. Let me try that again. Would you like to go on a date with me, Liz Chambers?"

    For the first time since Freshman year, Liz was being asked out on a date and it wasn't by Mike Newton. The way her stomach twisted into knots and fluttered like butterflies, she never wanted to read too much into her and Jasper's relationship because she wasn't sure what it was. They went from strangers to annoying acquaintances to something so much more than Liz ever imagined.

    So with that, she grinned. "I would love to."

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𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 to the small red house, only to see Danny's black truck parked outside next to what Liz could only assume was Billy's. The two sisters rode in silence, mostly because Liz was trying not to throw up and also because Ester knew better than to start a conversation.

    The ride was easier than anticipated, mostly because Liz may have taken half a xanax before getting in. It calms her nerves slightly but it wasn't enough to make her tired like normal.

    Danny's voice replayed in her head over and over again from this morning and as she wanted to start a conversation with Ester, she didn't know how. It was awkward, and Liz didn't do well with awkward. Random, however, she had mastered since she was old enough to talk. So she stuck with it, waiting for Ester to turn off the engine before sharing her news.

    "I'm going on a date tomorrow."

    The oldest Chambers sister turned to the blonde with a surprised look, both from her words and the fact that she sparked a conversation to begin with. It took her a second to shake out of her shock state before responding. "Well, that's definitely a surprise. With who?"

    Liz brushed the pieces of hair that fell out of her bun behind her ear and blushed fully, remembering her conversation with Jasper at lunch only a couple hours ago. "Jasper Hale."

    Ester beamed at the news. "See, I knew the other day wasn't just a friendly hang out. You are blushing so hard!"

    "I am not!" Liz said, pushing her sister playfully and covered her cheeks with the sleeve that she balled in her fist.

    Ester only giggled at her shyness, remembering the last time she went on a first date was with her ex-boyfriend in Freshman year but that was it. "You so are! So, tell me, where is he taking you?"

   Liz sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. He just asked me out for tomorrow and then said he will pick me up at five."

    "Oh come on, he didn't give you any indication on where you are going?" Ester pestered, needing details of this mystery date. "Did he at least tell you if you should dress nice or not?"

    "No, he just said it was a surprise. And also, I always dress nice, so I wouldn't know what that means anyway."

    Ester giggled and the two sisters happily made their way towards the Black household where Ester entered, not even bothering to knock. That was new to Liz but she didn't question it, especially when she saw Jake sitting on the couch watching TV. His eyes flicked over to the door opening and grinned, tossing the remote to the side and going to give the Chambers sisters hugs.

    "Finally! I thought you both would never get here," he says as he pulled Liz in and patted her head. She swatted his hand away but accepted the embrace, wishing she had spent more time with him lately as she does miss his company.

    "Wow, Jake, didn't know you'd miss us so much." Liz said with a grin. Jake just rolled his eyes.

    "Hardly. Danny just refused to serve dinner until you got here and I'm starving!" He informs, earning a hit from both women which he whined about before leading them to the kitchen. "Daniel! Your future wife and sister-in-law have finally arrived! Can we please eat now?"

    "Will you shut up and set the table?" Danny yelled to his brother, who just huffed but did as he was told.

    Liz noticed Danny taking what looked like pork chops out of the oven first before her eyes trailed down to Billy, a bright smile on her face. The older gentleman looked up at the two, Ester leaning down to kiss his cheek before he turned to Liz, his bright humble smile never fading.

    "Liz, it's good to see you." Billy said, the curly haired blonde couldn't help but launch herself into his embrace, holding the older man tightly as possible. She hadn't realized how much she missed him until she saw him.

    "You too, Billy. I really missed you." She said into his shoulder. Billy patted her back and she felt him nodded against her shoulder.

    "I missed you too, kid."

    When they pulled away, Danny announced dinner was ready and everyone gathered around the small table with an extra two chairs pulled for Liz and Ester. Everything went great, Liz talked about school and how she thinks she might have gotten her first C on a math quiz in a very long time. She also went on about how she was adjusting well, but stated how she missed California. Despite it being a place for her to escape and recuperate, she did have a couple good days with her grandmother, which are the parts she chose to talk about. Like how, despite being in a full leg cast at the time, her grandmother dragged her to the beach and how she swore she saw what could have been Ryan Reynolds stunt double at a fancy Italian restaurant.

    Dinner went by in a blur, full of laughs and Jake's lame attempts at jokes. Danny was thrilled to see Liz making an effort with Ester and couldn't help but send Liz a grateful smile in the middle, which she knew immediately what it meant and returned it with a nod.

     "Liz, you have to come back to the beach with the guys and me. We usually have bonfires there one Saturdays. You could bring a friend, like Angela or Bella..." Jake trailed off after mentioning the Chief's daughter's name which caused Liz to smirk.

    "Jacob Black, are you trying to use me to get to my new pretty brunette friend?" Liz asked, crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk.

    Jake shrugged innocently but his face was turning red. "Use is such a harsh word..." he says, which Liz's only response was through a dinner roll at his head, which he caught and ate. That earned laughs around the table but Jacob shook his head. "No, but I'm serious. You should definitely come. We're having one tomorrow."

    "Oh, Liz can't tomorrow. She's got a hot date." Ester mentions, giving her little sister a wink which only was met with a shocked glare. All three of them were surprised, turning to Liz whose face was turning red, already regretting telling Ester about the date.

    "You have a date tomorrow?" asked Billy.

    Normally this is where Liz would deny, deny, deny, but she knew a part of her couldn't lie to Billy. So, with a face as red as a tomato and an evil vengeful plan to get back at Ester later, she nodded her head slowly. "Kind of, yeah."

    "Well, this is news," Danny laughed, becoming interested in this now. "Who's the lucky guy?"

    Thankfully before Liz could answer, a pounding on the door interrupted them and she sank into her chair gratefully. She sent daggers at her sister who innocently ate her green beans like she did nothing wrong. As Danny got up to get the door, Liz elbowed Ester in her side, causing her to choke on her food. Billy looked at her worriedly.

    "You alright?"

    Ester nodded reassuringly and then glared at her sister who only smirked and ate more of her mash potatoes. Attention was brought to the door when Danny's voice got a little louder. "Right now is not a good time. You need to come back later."

    "I'm busy later, I got patrol tonight. Look, Sam just needs Billy to sign these papers—"

    Liz froze in place. She recognized that voice. She grew up with that voice. Her heart stopped as she looked over at the door to see Danny trying to block the way but was unsuccessful as the visitor pushed passed him, looking around the small room before his eyes fell on the group, stopping when they landed on her.

     So many emotions hit Liz all at once at this moment, it felt like she walked straight into a wall. Staring into the eyes of her ex best friend, someone who she loved and trusted her whole life, someone who has done nothing but betray her in every way possible, she felt like she could burst into tears and punch her hand through a wall at the same time. The thing about all her pent up anger causes unwanted tears, but she was desperate to keep them at bay.

    "Paul, what can I do for you?" Billy broke the awkward tension, knowing the history between the two. Hell, everyone did, but Billy was the only one who truly understood.

    Paul, who was astonished to see the girl who he has let down multiple times sitting here in front of him, needed a couple of seconds to get over his initial shock and longing to go give his best friend a hug before he shook his head and cleared his throat, forcing his gaze from the blonde towards one of his elders and clenched his jaw.

    "Sam sent me, said you left these at the shop and he needs them signed and mailed out to the dealer tomorrow." He said, holding up the papers in his hand. Billy nodded and gestured for them.

     Liz was no longer eating, staring hard at the ground. Silence fell between the once laughing group and the small house felt like it was getting smaller. Liz was trying hard to keep herself from lashing out, but her blood was pulsing and she didn't want to look at him. It wasn't until he stole a glance over his shoulder at her that she couldn't handle it. She scooted out of her chair, causing it to creek against the floor and she stood up, moving towards the door.

     "Liz, where are you going?" Ester called as she reached the door but Liz refused to look back.

    "I need air." Is all she says, leaving without another word. She walked out until she was by Ester's SUV and leaned against the door, crossing arms and taking long steady breaths.

     Facing Paul again was not something she ever really wanted to do. She chose months ago to forget about him. She blocked him out of her life. She promised herself she will never let him in, she will move on from the hope of him coming around. Not after everything that has happened. She couldn't have him in her life and she didn't want him in her life anymore. Not someone who could do what he did. Not someone so heartless.

     And yet you still wear his bracelet. A voice in her head said. Liz looked down at her wrist and frowned at the Disney charm bracelet she has had since she was twelve. He had saved his money, all the spare change and dollar bills given to him for birthday presents to buy this cheap bracelet from a thrift store. He found a way to get her this bracelet and he had done it on her birthday ever since to add a new charm.

     Liz gently brushed her fingers over the charms, sighing as she could feel her chest tighten. Her head snapped around when she heard footsteps approaching, a part of her thinking it was Ester or even Jake, but was surprised to see Paul. His face gave away nothing and that somehow made Liz even more angry, that she wasn't even able to tell what he was thinking, she used to always be so good at that. Oh, how things change.

     The two stood there, just staring at each other like strangers. Technically they were. Both have gone through something life changing, but neither knows the true extent of it or how the other have suffered because of it. Paul's eyes trailed her, inspecting her and landed on her knee brace. He knew about her injury but always forgot about it until he saw her. It is hard for him to imagine the girl who has spent her whole life running for sport could barely walk without a limp.

     After a couple seconds of awkward silence later, Paul came out here with a purpose. So finally, he worked up his courage to talk to his best friend for months. "Hey."

     "Hey?" Liz repeated in disbelief. "Hey?! Are you fucking serious?"

     "What?"

     It took everything in her not to slap him. "Go fuck your self, Paul." She hissed, about to make her way in but was stopped when a hand grabbed her arm. She pushed him back, but he barely budged. Maybe the rumors of him being on steroids were true.

     "Liz, can we please just talk?" He pleaded. Sam wasn't here to stop him, but this time Sam wasn't the problem. His actions in the past were.

     "You wanna talk? About what? Huh? What could you and I possibly have to talk about?"

     Paul didn't realize how hard this was going to be. "Did you read my letter?"

     "The letter? You mean the one Danny gave me the day I came home? The one that I shredded and threw away?" Liz asked. "Is that the letter you're talking about?"

     "You didn't even read it?" Paul's voice raised, a bit annoyed that he had spent two days straight trying to work out what to say and she didn't even read it before throwing it away.

     "I don't read letters from dead people." Liz hissed, her heart picking up. If there was ever a moment she wished she was with Jasper and he was able to use his empath abilities on her, now would be the best time because she felt like she might explode

     Her words were like a slap in the face and his anger was suddenly starting to match hers. "Liz, can you just stop being selfish for five minutes and just listen—"

     "I'm being selfish?!" She yelled, her voice echoing in the trees. "How the hell am I being selfish, Paul? You stopped talking to me! You pushed me away first! You are the one who went off with Sam and came back a completely different person! You are the one who didn't come visit me in the hospital after the accident!"

    Her voice cracked as she screamed each word at him, each one laced with venom and each one breaking her heart and tearing her down more and more. Paul recoiled, the anger he was forming diminished into shame. To make things worse, a tear slipped past her lids and she cursed herself for letting him see her cry. But she refused to back down.

     "Y-You are the one who didn't come to the funeral, not even after I begged and pleaded for you too. I told you after all those things you said to me, after you pushed me away that none of it would have mattered because I needed you. You didn't want to be there, you didn't want to pay your respect to the people who practically helped raise you. You weren't there for me when I needed you the most. I needed you... I needed my best friend and you weren't there!"

     Paul flinched and he turned his head, biting his tongue and looked down. He really did not know what he expected with trying to reach out to her... things might have been easier if she had read his letter, but maybe a part of him expected her not to read it. He knew her too well.

     Liz felt another tear fall but she quickly wiped it away with her sleeve and sniffed, trying her best to regain her composure. When he still didn't say anything, she took a small step forward and looked him dead in the eye.

     "I meant what I said on that voicemail. You are dead to me." Without saying another word, she moved past him, about to head back to the house when he stopped her once again.

      "If that's true, then why do you still wear the bracelet?"

     Liz looked down at the bracelet, the thing she only took off if she was taking a shower. A part of her didn't want to, but she didn't have any choice. He was right. She clung to this bracelet because it was the only thing that really reminded her of the friendship she had cherished for so long. But she needed to let him go... so unclasping the latch, the rattling of the metal clapping together before she dropped it to the ground in front of his feet, leaving him to stare at it as she went back inside without another word.

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This chapter is all over the place! It's not the best and it's super long too, but I wanted to get a Jasper and Liz moment and also keep the confrontation between Liz and Paul as well all in the same.

You guys basically got a little bit of what the fall out between her and Paul was. It's going to be explained in depth more, I plan on doing a flashback but not until like the beginning of New Moon.

Also, Jasper refusing to let Liz talk poorly about herself is everything to me! And he asked her out! Ahhh I love my babies!! What did you guys think? Let me know!