I’d forgotten Gunner had mentioned that he was going to come by and pick up a horse today.
He slowly nodded and started walking toward me. “About what?”
“If I’m doing the right thing,” I said as I watched him take a seat across from me.
He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Talk to me, Scott.”
I let a small laugh come out as I shook my head. “He had the fucking nerve to call me and tell me he’s coming here…to fight for her. That motherfucker. She’s pregnant with my child, and he thinks he’s going to take her from me.”
“What are you planning on doing?” Gunner asked.
I looked over at him. “I’m going to let her make the decision on her own. I’m not going to force her into anything…even if it kills me in the end. I won’t hurt her again…ever.”
“She loves you. You have to know that.”
“I do,” I said as my voice cracked.
“Don’t just give up on her, Scott. Don’t push her away again by thinking that what you’re doing is helping her because it might end up hurting her. She needs to know that you will fight for her and your child. Don’t let this prick just come walking in here, so he can try to convince her what happened on the island is worth walking away from the love of her life. From what Ellie and Heather told me, Jessie is scared to death that you’ll walk away from her again. She is filled with guilt about what she did with this character. Don’t let her think, even for a minute, that you’re pushing her away. Because she just might find her way back into this guy’s arms.” Gunner raised his eyebrow.
I stood up and thought about how sad she’d looked when we pulled up to Aaron’s and then when I didn’t go lay down with her. She’d looked almost…devastated.
“Where is she now?” Gunner asked.
“Sleeping.” I thought about how she must have felt as she walked back to the bedroom alone. I turned and looked at Gunner.
He stood up. “When will he be here?”
“Not sure. I’m assuming he’s on his way.”
Gunner walked up to me and put his hands on my shoulders as he looked me in the eyes. “Go to her, Scott, right now. Don’t even let that fucker put a single doubt in her mind. Ellie truly believes that Jessie only cares for Trey as a friend. Don’t push her away.”
I thought about Jessie telling me about the day Trey had touched her…kissed her body in places where only I should be kissing. I felt the anger build up inside me, but then I remembered her telling him to stop, telling him she loved me and how it’d felt wrong. She thought I’d cheated, and she hadn’t given up on our love.
I won’t give up on our love either.
“Sorry, Gun…but I have to leave you to fend for yourself.” I turned and walked away from Gunner.
I started to make my way back up to the house. I found myself jogging, and then I burst into a full-on run. I ran up the back steps and into the house. I stopped and took a minute or two to catch my breath. That was when I heard Jessie talking to someone. I slowly walked down the hall that led to my room and stopped to listen.
“I’m not really sure why you felt the need to come here, Trey. No…there is nothing to talk about. I care about you, I won’t deny that, but only as a friend. At first, I was confused because that day…that day, I think a part of you captured my heart, but it was for all the wrong reasons. I wanted you to make me forget about the pain and hurt I was feeling. We weren’t going to make love, Trey. We were going to fuck the hurt away.”
I closed my eyes as I listened to her talk about that day. I balled my hands into fists, and I wanted to hit the wall.
“I love him…from the very beginning, I told you that I loved him. I never gave you any reason to think I didn’t love him. Yes, I know. Okay.”
Fuck! What are they talking about?
“Meet me at Willow Creek Café at seven thirty. That gives me thirty minutes to meet you. I need to let Scott know. Yes, I will.”
She’s going to meet him? I leaned my head up against the wall and tried to take deep breaths. Why is she going to meet him?
“Yes, that’s the place. Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can find Scott and let him know. See you in a few.”
I turned and quickly walked to my office where I sat down behind my desk. I felt like I was going to throw up. When Jessie walked in, I stood and walked over to her. I pulled her to me and kissed the living shit out of her. She instantly brought her hands up and pulled on my hair as she let out a sweet, long moan.
God, I love her so much. Please don’t leave me, Jessie. Please.
I was just about to say something to her when she said, “Scott…please make love to me.”