Page 151 of Jesse's Girl

I look over my shoulder in confusion, suddenly not sure I’m alone.

What the hell?

I shake it off; his flight left hours ago. He never gave me back his key, so he must have come by to drop it off. Knowing he was here—even briefly—while I slept threatens to wrench my heart from my chest. I almost don’t reach for the note, but I’m too desperate for any scrap left of Jesse. I peel it off the mirror and flip it over.

Follow the clues, Buttercup.

#1: Where you kicked my ass at Mario Kart.

Brow pinched in confusion, I drift out the door, peering into the living room with my heart in my throat. When I spot another note stuck to the TV, I hurry to snatch it up.

You were such a shit. And I wanted to let you win every race just to see you light up again.

I cover my mouth with one hand and stare at Jesse’s words, trembling. The little arrow in the bottom right corner prompts me to flip it over.

#2: Where you cut my hair.

I spin around to scan the kitchen, remembering how Jesse sat patiently on the chair in the middle of the floor. My gaze falls and I round the couch, laser-focused on the note where that chair had been. I crouch down to pick it up, already drinking in his words as I slowly stand.

You were bossy as fuck. And I was so desperate for you to touch me, I couldn’t think straight.

Memories of that haircut rush back to me—the way Jesse’s body had felt like a siren song pulling me into the rocks. The way his strong hands had gripped my hips and yanked me down into his lap. The way his lips had brushed against mine as he breathed my name…

Snapping out of my trance, I flip the note to read what’s on the back.

#3: Where you made too many margaritas.

Like a shot, I’m at the kitchen counter, peeling off the next note.

You tried to seduce me that night. And it fucking worked. I was ready to take anything you’d give me.

The air falls from my lungs. I feel like I’m moving too quickly between these precious remnants of Jesse, yet time simultaneously feels like it’s slowed to a crawl. I can’t gulp his words down fast enough. I turn the note over.

#4: Where you forced me to confess everything.

My mind reels. Everything? He can’t mean last night at the wedding. I scan the apartment until my eyes snag on the wall across from the bathroom door, the little yellow note catching my attention immediately. The night we fought and he told me he wanted me. When he caged me up against that wall. I rush over.

You pushed me until I snapped. I felt like my heart was gonna hulk out of my chest.

I smile despite the tight knot in my throat. If he only knew what it had felt like for me that night. I brush my fingers across his scrawled words before I flip the note over.

#5: Where I kissed you the first time. (Fucking finally!)

I whip my head to Jesse’s bedroom door and run. When I push inside, it’s empty, save the bed my parents loaned him. As I scan for a little yellow note, I remember how he’d finally kissed me when I’d been standing just inside his… I nearly rip the door off its hinges in my desperation to find the note. And then I see it.

You told me to fuck you. And I felt like my dick was gonna hulk out of my pants.

I laugh, the sound messy and wet as the tears roll freely down my cheeks. I turn the note over in my hands, blinking hard so I can focus.

#6: Where my book took an unexpected turn.

I fly out from Jesse’s room and back to the living room.

How did I not find another note here before?

Heady confusion rushes through me as I circle the coffee table and inspect the floor. The notes I’ve collected so far are crushed in my grasp, damp with sweat and tears. What is all this? What does it mean?

It’s harder to spot, but I finally find the note tucked between two sofa cushions. I tug it free and wipe my tears away so I can read it.

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