"Janelle, are you sure about this?" Jessy asked as we drove back to my house. Full of people that I didn't really want to see right now.
"If I don't do it now, when will I Jessy? I just have to know. I have the right to know the truth." I said and jumped out of his car when we arrived.
Jessy grabbed my wrist and stopped me. "Janelle, can you please just let it go? Please?"
I stood there, shocked. Jessy was actually going to make me do nothing about this? Was he really expecting me to sit here and "Janelle, are you sure about this?" Jessy asked as we drove back to my house. Full of people that I didn't really want to see right now.
"If I don't do it now, when will I Jessy? I just have to know. I have the right to know the truth." I said and jumped out of his car when we arrived.
Jessy grabbed my wrist and stopped me. "Janelle, can you please just let it go? Please?"
I stood there, shocked. Jessy was actually going to make me do nothing about this? Was he really expecting me to sit here and ignore the fact that my life has been a lie?
"I can do this with or without you Jessy." I said and I realized that I hadn't talked to Jessy like that since we were kids. But that was only because we were kids and I was the annoying little girl he loved to tease.
"Janelle, you know what I mean." He said, taking a step closer and grabbing my wrist.
I pulled away and shook my head at him. "I don't. Because to me it sounds like you just want me to drop everything, forgive and forget, right? Well you're wrong. I need to know if my dad is Brianna's dad. I need to know. At least for my sake."
Jessy stayed quiet. I wasn't expecting him to say anything though.
"Either you help me, or I'll go through this alone." I didn't want to go through it alone. So far Jessy has been there. Every step of the way.
He stepped closer and took my shoulders in his hands. He looked me straight in the eyes and I could tell he was sorry. I wanted to look away but I couldn't.
"I won't let you go through this alone. You know that. And if you really want to know, I'll be here to help you with anything you need."
"Good." I said and Jessy slowly let my shoulders go. "We can't let Noah or Bradly know."
"I understand." He nodded and we fell silent. Then he said, "How are you going to find out if Brianna is... Well, you know.."
I nervously bit my lip. "I guess I gotta do it the old fashioned way. A piece of hair."
***
The party was soon over. People would come up to Jessy and I, hugging us and welcoming us back. I didn't think it was a big deal I had come home. Maybe my parents had done this to make me realize that if I left, a bunch of people would miss me, but honestly, I could careless.
Bradly and Noah stayed behind and Bradly came up to me first. I had tried to avoid him all afternoon, but when Jessy had to use the restroom he took his chance.
"Janelle, are you okay?" He asked.
I chuckled. Not because it was funny, but because he was expecting me to say yes. There was nothing okay with this.
"How do you think I am?" I asked and crossed my arms against my chest.
"It was just a simple-"
"Im terrific." I interrupted and began to walk away when his hand on my shoulder pulled me back, making me face Bradly again.
"Hey, this isn't my fault. I have nothing to do with this."
"I know." I said and shrugged. I knew he had nothing to do with what our parents had done, but somehow looking at him reminded me of Lucy, and I didn't want to think about her at all.
Bradly softly chucked, humorlessly. "Then why are you treating me like this? We used to be best friends."
"Yeah, used to." I said and with that I walked away. It pained me to say it, but I had to. I just could be around him or Lucy anymore. It hurt me too much.
"Hey!" He called out and I could hear him running up behind me. He grabbed my arm again and spun me around, making my body crash against his.
There was mostly no one around, but the ones that were didn't notice. The music was too loud and the lights were dimmed. He had a hand on my arm and the other around my waist, holding me in place. Our faces were only inches apart and I could feel his fresh breath hit my face. I felt disgust. I tried to look away from him to avoid any face contact. He walked and I struggled walking backwards. He opened a door and realized that we were alone in the kitchen.
"Bradly, let go of me." I said and struggled to get out of his firm grasp. I wasn't scared, just annoyed.
He pushed me against the fridge and he chuckled again.
"What? Little miss superstar is not allowed to be touched?" He said and I had never seen him like that. He was hurt, and his eyes were crazed.
"What are you talking about?" I asked and kept struggling.
"Only because you're dating the great Jessy Sky doesn't mean you are big shit, got that?" He said.
"Bradly, let me go!" I had nothing to talk to him about, or tell him how Jessy had been a huge crush. He didn't deserve to know anything anymore.
"Janelle Sky, right? Jessy and Janelle Sky. The perfect golden couple." He laughed.
"Brad-"
"No!" He yelled, interrupting me. "I'm sick of it! I'm sick of pretending to be okay with it all. The way he holds you, the way he looks at you."
"Bradly." I whispered, begging him to stop. I know where this was going to end up like. I didn't want him to ruin our friendship. If we even had one.
"I don't get it Janelle. I met you first! I was the one and only who ever noticed you! Now that superstar comes home and tells you he likes you, you fall for it." He shook his head.
"You met me first," I slowly said and barely as a whisper. "But he stole my heart first."
He shook me. "No!"
"Jessy!" I yelled. If only the music wasn't so loud, maybe he could hear me.
"Janelle, I love you! It's me! He can never love you like I do!"
"Bradly, please stop." I said and tried again to struggle free.
"Janelle, please!"
"You're hurting me!" I said. He loosened his grip but it was still too strong.
Jessy ran in through the door and instantly saw Bradly pushing me against the fridge, shaking me, and yelling over and over how much he loved me. Jessy didn't think twice about it. He ran towards us and pulled Bradly off of me. Bradly stumbled to the floor and Jessy pulled me into a hug. He caressed my hair and back. I had never been so happy to have Jessy holding me like that.
"I think you should go home Bradly." Jessy said and he pushed me gently behind him.
"Why? Why should I? So you can have Janelle to yourself and mess with her until you get bored and go for a model chick?"
Bradly was drunk. Or drugged. He would never act like this. He would never do that to hurt me. At least I think he wouldn't.
"Bradly, leave." Jessy's jaw clenched and barely spoke above a whisper to him now. His muscles were flexing and I could tell that he was ready to throw Bradly a punch.
"Jessy, don't!" I said and placed my hand over his wrist.
He calmed down but his face was still stiff.
Noah then walked in and he could easily feel the tension. "What's going on?" He asked and one look at Jessy was a tell all.
"Noah, can you please take Bradly home?" I asked and Noah noticed my panicked voice. He nodded his head and slowly walked over to Bradly.
"Come on man." Noah said and gently reached over to grab Bradly's arm when Bradly threw a punch. Noah dodged it, thankfully. "Hey man! I mean no harm, at all."
"Bradly, just leave with Noah." I suggested.
Bradly turned on me. "You're not the boss of me."
It hurt. The way his eyes looked at me with so much hatred. I had caused this. I was the reason why my best friend and boyfriend were fighting. Then there was Noah. Who I didn't know what he was to me now.
"Jessy, just do it." Noah said and I knew what he meant by 'it'.
"Janelle?"
"Do it." I agreed. There was no other way.
Jessy stepped foward and even though Noah had suggested it, I knew Jessy had enjoyed that. When Jessy's fist hit Bradly's cheek he fell to the ground, instantly passed out. Seeing him on the floor hurt me. But what he had just done to me was not right. At all.
Jessy shook off the pain in his kuckles and took my hand. He walked out of the kitchen and I didn't bother to glance back at Noah who was picking up Bradly from the floor.
Noah took Bradly out from the back door and drove him home and made sure Lucy would take care of him. At around 10 pm the rest of the people left and only Jessy's parents stayed behind. We said our goodnights and they went into the dinning room with my parents for some coffee and to have their adult talk. Which only meant one thing, they were going to talk about my relationship with Jessy.
Jessy locked the door behind him and I sat on my bed. I didn't look at him as he walked around me and walked into my bathroom. He didn't close the door. I heard the sink running. I stood up and walked towards him. He was splashing water on his face.
"I'm sorry about Bradly." I said and he shook his head.
"It wasn't like you wanted it to happen." He replied and we fell silent again.
He turned off the water and stood infront of me by the door frame. He slid an arm under my waist and laced his fingers through mine with his left hand. He slowly walked back in my room and began to rock from side to side. I let my frown turn into a small smile.
"There's no music." I stated the obvious.
"You're my music." He said and grinned.
I playfully slapped his shoulder. "That was stupid." I said but he knew I had liked it. He knew I was a sucker for sappy and romantic stuff.
He swayed and walked foward, making me walk backwards and then reached down. Music started playing. It was John Mayer's Gravity.
We swayed from side to side to the beat. The light of the room was shut off so the environment around me felt peace, calm, relaxed. That was one of the things I liked most about Jessy. Whenever there was something crazy or stressing going on in my life, he knew how to make me forget about it and just laugh. And tonight I wanted to forget. Forget everything that happened with Bradly.
'Oh Gravity, is working against me.'
I rested my head in the nape of his neck and throughout the song, he pulled me away from him and would spin me around two to four times. I laughed and he grinned. He pulled me back into his arms and kissed the top of my head. Slowly kissing down my face and hesitating above my lips. He was teasing me. He knew I hated whenever he teased me.
I got on my tippy toes and reached to kiss him. I could feel his lips turn into a smile against mine. That was no fair. I quickly pulled away and rested my head on his chest again.
He chuckled and I could hear his chest rumbling under my ear. I closed my eyes and took in the sound of his chuckle.
"How do you do that?" I lowly spoke, afraid to miss a word John Mayer was singing.
"What?" He asked, lowly too.
I looked up at him and his eyes had never looked sweeter than now. "This."
He looked confused but mixed it with a smile. "What exactly is 'this'?"
"Make everything feel better when just a few mintues I felt, broken." I said and stared at him as he thought about it. He looked perfect. And I couldn't believe he was all mine.
"It's just a Sky thing." He said and winked.
I shook my head. Not even Noah could make me feel better with a joke whenever I felt sad or down.
"It's a Jessy thing." I corrected and we stared into each other's eyes for a while. It felt like an eternity, and somehow I would be okay with it. To have his eyes look at mine like that forever. I loved getting lost in his eyes.
He let go of my waist and hand and cupped my face in his hands. Never breaking the stare. "I want you to know something Janelle." I didn't answer, I just stared back into his eyes. He already knew he had my full attention. "I would never, never, leave you for anyone else."
If he had told me that earlier, or any other moment I wouldn't believe him. But the way he had started to slow dance with me, the way he looked at me, the way he held me, not only made me fall in love with him all over, it made me believe every single word he said. I could tell he was being honest. He wouldn't leave me for another.
"You're free to choose anyone you want." I said, because even though I wanted him to myself, I didn't want him to ever feel like he had to be with me. If he was with me, it would be because he wanted to. Because he loved me.
"Not anymore Janelle." He slowly shook his head. "I could never."
It made me feel good. It was what I had always wanted. To have him say that. That he couldn't see himself with anyone but me. Ever.
"I love you." He said and leaned foward.
I closed my eyes. "I love you." I whispered back and I smiled against his lips.
Give Me Love by Ed Sheeran was next on my ipod. I smiled. Memories from the cabin came back to my mind. So did Kiss Me.
I could tell that he also remembered because he pulled back and winked at me. I let out a giggle and in one swift move he picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist.
"Let's relive the cabin." He said as he broke the kiss and kissed my cheeks and down my jawline.
****
I woke up around 10 am. I always did. It was like a body clock. I slowly opened my eye lids and was thankful that the curtains were closed, that way the sun didn't go into my eyes. I tried to get up but something around my waist wouldn't let me. I looked down and saw an arm. I looked at Jessy who was completely passed out next to me. I smiled. He looked like the little boy I had once first liked.
I layed back down and turned my body towards him. I freely lifted my hand and caressed his jawline with my finger. His perfect jaw. He felt my touch and shifted in his sleep. I laughed and played with his hair instead. It was so soft. I've always liked his hair.
Around fifteen minutes had passed and he began to stir awake. I smiled as he struggled to open his eye lids. He saw me and his lips instantly turned into a smile. He tightened his grip around my waist and I leaned foward to give him a small peck on the lips.
"I could get used to this." He said in a croaky voice.
I giggled a bit. "So could I."
We layed in bed for about another half hour until we decided to get up. I put on his shirt and he put on his jeans. He pulled me into a hug.
"You look so sexy in that shirt." He said and I shoved him.
"Oh, shut up." I said and he laughed.
I opened my door and peeked. My parent's room door was open. Either they were downstairs and awake, or they weren't home.
I walked down the hall and Jessy stayed in my room. Just in case.
I walked past John's room but he wasn't there. I walked downstairs and read a note that was on the kitchen counter.
"Be back at Four. Love, Mom.'
It wasn't that strange for them to randomly get up and leave me here. It was just strange that they had decided to do that the day after I had come back home.
"Clear!" I yelled, letting Jessy know he could come downstairs.
Thirty seconds later he walked in the kitchen with his shirt off and I instantly regretted not giving him his shirt back. I couldn't seem to look at anything but him. Why was he so perfect?
He laughed.
"What?" I asked as I poured some milk into my cereal.
"Nothing." He said with a grin. Great, he had caught me.
"Shut it." I said and tried not to laugh.
We ate breakfast in a nice silence. Occasionally we would make small talk, but honestly, we were both avoiding to bring up the DNA subject.
"I texted Brianna today." I said.
Jessy's eyes were on me but I didn't look at him. My eyes were focused down on my cereal.
"What'd she say?" He asked after a minute of silence.
"She wants to meet me."
"I'm coming." I knew he was going to say that.
"Jessy, I-" I began.
"I'm coming." He repeated and that was that.
I washed the dishes and he dried them. We walked back upstairs and we each took a shower, seperately, and I changed clothes. Jessy went back to his house to get ready. Brianna wanted to meet us at a restaurant for lunch around noon. I had decided to let her know what I was going to do. I wasn't going to keep any secrets from her. I hated secrets.
Jessy met me outside and without a word I got in his car and we made our way to meet Brianna.