The Temporary Roomie (It Happened in Nashville 2)

Henry is beaming, but I am slowly deflating. His words have kicked me in the stomach.

This isn’t Drew’s baby. No, this child belongs to a man who had no interest in seeing me in all my glory.

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Henry misinterprets my sudden emotions. “Oh sweet thing, don’t cry. Drew loves you just as you are.” Henry chuckles happily, but I can’t handle it anymore. I pull my hand from his and wipe my tears with the back of my hand.

At that same moment, Drew comes back in the front door. “You ready to roll, Jessie? The car is all—” He stops talking when I quickly push the chair out and stand.

“Sorry! I have something in my eye. I think it’s a bug! Don’t worry about me! I’ll be fine. I just need to…” My voice cracks on a sob. “Get the bug out!” I move as fast as my feet will carry me back to the bedroom.

I blink at the empty hallway Jessie just raced down then turn my eyes to Henry. He looks just as stunned as me. “I’m guessing it wasn’t a bug?”

Henry shakes his head. “I have no idea. We were having a little heart-to-heart and then the next thing I know, she’s crying and running off. Oh, Drew, I’m so sorry. I don’t know…”

I hold up my hand and shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure it wasn’t you, but I better go check on her.”

“Yes, please do. And let me know if she needs anything.”

I smile and nod before heading down the hallway. Even before I reach out and touch the doorknob, I can feel Jessie’s mood. It’s intense and blazing through the door. I gingerly crack the door open, and it abruptly slams back in my face. Whoa. This is serious.

“Don’t come in here—I’m mad at you!”

Mad at me? I was gone for two minutes. What could have possibly happened in that time?

I look down the hallway and find Richard and Henry peeking around the corner. I smile and give them a thumbs-up, even though I’m sure Jessie and I look insane. I turn the handle again and feel the resistance of her pushing against the door (thankfully, it doesn’t have a lock), and with a happy-go-lucky-everything-is-fine smile on my face for the Greens, I shove my way through. Jessie finally relents and moves away from the door to go pace by the window.

“I said I didn’t want you to come in.” Her voice sounds wobbly, and I’m almost 100% sure this is why she doesn’t want me in here. Jessie is not one to cry in front of anyone.

“Why are you mad at me?” I ask in a tender voice that only seems to ignite her fury deeper.

Jessie whips around, and I see tear stains on her cheeks. She takes a soft pillow off the bed and chucks it at my head, making a face like she’s pitching in the World Series. I look down at the pillow by my feet.

“What was that for?”

She does it again with another pillow. The determination in her eyes is sharp and focused. Her blonde ponytail swings like a sassy pendulum as she finds anything soft within her reach and chucks it at me. “For being you!”

Okay I’m lost. I can’t even begin to know what’s happening right now. “Will you stop throwing things at—” WHAM. A circular throw pillow hits my face. “Okay, enough.” I lean down and pick up a pillow, chucking it at her this time.

She gasps and her jaw drops. “You just hit a pregnant woman!”

“Yeah, and I’ll do it again.” I toss one of the big pillows she threw at me right into her face. It springs off dramatically, and her eyes slant dangerously.

She picks it up and throws it at me harder. I throw another one even harder. Before I know it, she’s lunging at me with a king-sized pillow, I’m coming at her with a softer version, and we collide somewhere in the middle, pillows whamming into each other at epic speeds. (Don’t worry, I keep my projectiles aimed at her head and butt. Baby is safe).

“Jessie. Tell me why you’re mad at me,” I say while taking a blow to my back.

“I’m always mad at you!!” she says, with a hit so powerful the pillow splits open and feathers go flying.

“Why?!” Our voices are raised, and I’m sure Henry and Richard can hear all of this.

“Because, Drew! I didn’t want to get swept up again! I wanted to find someone tolerable. A partner. Someone to eat the other half of my dinner so I don’t have too much left over the next day. And then YOU showed up and ruined everything!” She’s still hitting me with a pillow, but she’s also crying. Feathers are sticking to her eyelashes.

I stop fighting and my hands fall down to my sides. “Are you swept up in me?”

She half laughs, half cries. She looks like she’s in physical pain. “Of course I am! You’re an expert-level sweeper! Look at you…and your dimples”—she pokes one—“and your biceps”—she pokes those too—“and your abs”—poke. “But dammit if it’s not what’s underneath all that that really kills me. Your heart is like gold, Drew—pure gold. And you’re funny, and thoughtful, and I want to talk to you all the time, and you terrify me!”

I raise and lower my hands with a sad smile. “You terrify me too, Jessie.” I step toward her, and she steps away, not ready to play nice yet.