My Black Eye (Emmi's POV)

I walked into Mrs. Rollins' class, trying to ignore Jasper's stares. 

"Ms. Loveridge, please take off your sunglasses," Mrs. Rollins said. 

"Okay." I braved the stares and sharp intakes of breath as they saw my black eye. When Mrs. Rollins turned around she gasped. 

"Emerald, go to the nurse straight away," she said. 

"Okay," I replied clearly annoyed. 

"I can take her," Jasper volunteered. 

"Go ahead."

When we were out in the hallway he couldn't help his curiosity and asked: "Emmi, who did that to you?" 

"Why do you even care?" 

I couldn't even look at him, I was so ashamed. 

"Because I care about you," he answered. 

I stopped walking. 

"Why do you care?" I asked, tears in my eyes. 

"Because I'm in love with you," he confessed. 

"No, you can't-" he cut me off by kissing me.

Our kisses were shy at first, then deepened. When we finally pulled away we were both panting. 

"That was-" Jasper started and I finished by saying...

"Amazing."

"Yeah."

"It can't happen again, Jasper. Romani laws are very strict about women dating/marrying nonRomani's," I tried to explain. 

"What?" he looked so hurt. 

"I'm in love with you too, but we can't. My community would shun me, I wouldn't be able to see my twin brother, or my little sister. I can't just leave them, Jasper," tears filling my eyes, finally I couldn't hold it back any longer and I began to cry. He pulled me into a hug, and we just stood there for awhile. Then we walked hand in hand to the nurse's office.