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“Jess. Hear me. I’m saying I love you.”
You could hear a pin drop. Like literally, its as if Natalie and Sandy have ceased to breathe. Jess looks up at me and those eyes are calm and self assured. A lot of grunt for a woman who’s currently hiding under a side table.
Her mouth works as her face falls. She shakes her head.
“I’m not lying Jess! I swear! I usually walk away from the bed the next morning barely remembering the chick’s name! I was surprised that I wanted to get back into bed with you… And my brain didn’t automatically turn to the next conquest.”
“Not a great time to remind me of that.”
“Alright, shit!” I slam my fist into the carpet. “I know I was a beast to you. I freaked. I get it. But I need you to understand I’m totally opening up to you right now. I couldn’t say these things if I didn’t mean them.”
“I don’t know that. I don’t know anything.”
“Jess. I can’t get De Haverland without you.”
Now she laughs. “Oh, really? You need my help to get him? I find that very difficult to believe. You’ve got plenty of lawyers and lackeys. You don’t need me, and you never did.”
“Jess!” My voice wails a bit and I’m ashamed of myself. “I didn’t know I needed you until right now! I was scared of everyone pulling apart my little lie, but I was even more scared for you… And Alex.”
“What about Alex?” Jess stares at me coldly.
I sigh, letting my shoulders slump.
“If I did my usual playgirl thing, he’d get hurt. I couldn’t let that happen. If the whole story was going to go to hell, I didn’t want you guys caught in it. I’m sorry Jess. Please accept my apology. I’m not asking you to love me—okay, I’m hoping—but I need you to understand.”
When she looks up at me again, I see a flicker of something in her eyes. I think it might be love and scuttle forward eagerly.
She shuffles back. I stop, face falling and the lump in my chest striking my heart.
“Jess?”
“You just want me back for your little game.” She looks at me briefly, then back at the floor. “Your worried about your reputation. You care more about what the papers say about you than what I think.”
“No, Jess. It’s not like that.”
“How do I know, huh?” She turns those green eyes on to me and speaks with a respectable amount of venom. “I don’t know a goddamn thing right now, except that I’m never going to trust you again. I don’t know what your motives are. I can’t risk Alex—or myself.”
An idea begins to dawn. I sit up quickly, locking eyes with Natalie.
“Where’s Alex?”
“None of your business.” Sandy snaps. I look back at Natalie.
“Please?”
Her scowl softens slightly. Just a little. She looks over at the table where there’s a coloring book and some pencils.
“He was here.” Natalie says softly. “I took him to play group so Jess could cry in peace.”
I don’t wait. I just bolt out the door. I hurry to the nearest play center and there he is, the perfect cherub. He grins at me as I approach and I think to myself, I think I’m in love double time. I never really had the patience for kids, but this guy is cool.
He hurries out of the ball pit and runs over to me. When he hugs me with his little arms and reaches up to take my hand I melt completely.
“Where are we going, Auntie Ashley?”
Auntie Ashley. Oh, dear god. This just gets cuter and cuter.
“Back to see your other Auntie. You remember the song we’ve been practicing?”
