Evolution

Chapter Twenty Nine: Snake

"I was good at car racing" He revealed

"Car racing?" I repeated, stunned by his revelation. I could not imagine him horse riding, but I could definitely imagine him behind the wheel of a modified import that shot out flames

"I started out young, climbed my way up the rankings. Before I was 15 I'd competed in over a hundred races, mostly taking out 1st and 2nd"

My fingertips were fiddling with the mane in between my hands. I couldn't brush anymore. I was far too focused on what Jesse was saying.

"I was 21 when I finally found a sponsor and then..." He looked down, breaking our gaze. His hands were on the horse, creating long strokes against his neck "I got cocky and a week before my big race, I had an accident that nearly killed me"

My breathing halted, my eyes un-blinking. He lifted his gaze back up "I broke my leg in two different places, I had a fractured skull, internal bleeding, I was in an induced coma for 3 weeks"

"Wow" I mumbled, stunned

"It was in hospital that I met Tricia, she'd just had her appendix out" He scoffed "Just one mistake after the next I suppose" He sighed, half grumbling as his expression lightened again

I gave a snicker "We all make mistakes, some of us are just better at it than others"

Jesse's smile returned, the air settling around us again. He understood what hardships meant, it was refreshing. Jesse had experienced near death, and I supposed that was why he was as optimistic as he was now. It was why he was always trying to persuade me into being more hopeful.

Jesse gave a long sigh

"Talon seems persistent on you, he tried to come and see you when Ronan came back up"

"Tried?" My fingers returned to brushing out knots

"I talked him out of it"

"Thanks" I appreciated

"He isn't the only one persistent on you either"

My heart jumped in my chest, nervous of his words. I looked up at him, unsure as I narrowed my eyes

"Ronan" He answered my stare.
Unexpectedly my heart fell a little, disappointed

I blew out a breath of air, calming my rigid lungs "It doesn't really matter how persistent they are, I can barely stand near them let alone think of them in any other way. It's like that with any man now thanks to Talon"

Jesse's eyebrows pulled together in the middle, as though he was confused

"What?" I questioned

He hesitated, and then continued with an unreadable expression "In the boiler room... the way you explain your negative experiences now, why didn't you punch me in the face when I did what I did?" He spoke, his eyes narrow as I dropped my head

Heat rushed to my face. I was having trouble understanding why I hadn't punched him too. On the contrary, I had thought of the complete opposite of punching him. And that wasn't the only time. I dropped my face as far down as possible, afraid he'd notice the colour in my cheeks change

"You haven't.. you haven't been like the others have, Ronan, Talon, Mason..." I didn't want to sound vain, but it was my only understanding "I guess I don't really know.."

Jesse wasn't fighting for my affection like the others were, they were being pushy, they were being abrupt and making very obvious moves, all of which Jesse was not. He seemed barely interested in me most times. 

"You know that I would never throw myself at you the way Ronan does, or force myself on you the way I assume Talon has.." There was something dark inside his voice, something that fell flat and angry at his own assumptions