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It wasn’t like that, and she knew it. We may have gotten lost in each other when we could, but we were adults that knew how to focus on the things that mattered. We were responsible and we…

“Oh shit,” I sat up quickly, suddenly realizing we were the opposite of responsible. “I didn’t use a condom.”

Jesse’s eyes widened with realization and she rubbed her legs together, as if the proof of my statement was running down her skin. “Oh no.”

“I don’t know what came over me. I just?—”

“Lost focus and control,” Jesse finished for me.

Fuck.

“I’m on birth control,” she sighed, “I’m not worried about getting pregnant, if that is what you’re thinking.”

“Isn’t it what you’re thinking?”

“No,” she stood from the bed and grabbed a robe, wrapping it around her as she walked toward the bathroom. “But…”

She shook her head, not finishing her sentence. Then she turned and headed into the bathroom while I threw my jeans on in a panic.

A few minutes later, she returned and I was standing in the middle of her bedroom with my hands on my hips, wanting to know what she was going to say.

“But what?” I asked, reminding her of where she left off.

“What’s the deal with Rory?”

“Excuse me?” That had been the very last thing I expected from her mouth. “What do you mean?”

“I heard that you and she have a past. That she left after you got her pregnant, and when she came back, there was no baby. Which means?—”

“It means she's a goddamn liar,” I yelled. “It's hard to get someone pregnant when you’ve never touched them.”

“But you went to prom with her.”

“Jess, that was fourteen years ago, and I took her because I felt sorry for her. We danced, I drove her home, and a few days later, she acted like we were a couple. I told her I just wanted to be friends, and after several attempts, she gave up. Or I thought she had. She left town, but not before she told her parents, who told the entire town, that I had gotten her pregnant and she had to leave. Jess I have never been with her. And even if I had, I’m not sure what happened 14 years ago matters when it comes to you and me.”

“It doesn’t,” she agreed. “And I feel silly even bringing this up. But I heard that you two may still be seeing each other, that she was seen leaving your room the other day. I know I’ve told you we couldn’t be together and I meantthat, so I really have no right to care who you?—”

“Stop!” I had heard enough. It wasn’t Jesse’s fault, because how would she know not to believe a damn thing she hears in town. But… “I have done nothing but show and tell you how much I care for you. From the moment I first saw you, I was done for. No more nights out, no more flirting and no more letting Rory get away with her shit.”

“It’s not that I…”

“No Jess, no ma’am. You know damn well it matters. The only thing I’m guilty of is not telling you every time Rory pulled some shit, but honestly, every time I’ve seen you, Rory is the last person I’m thinking of. I forget everything. You’re all I see when I’m with you.”

My fists were clenching, my jaw was ticking. I was angry, I needed space, but Jesse needed to hear me out before I left her alone. She needed to know how far I had fallen for her so she never had a reason to resort to believing anyone else but me.

“Wanna know why I was late to our first date at Wal-Mart? Because before I could read your answer to question five, I lost the binder. Or I thought I had. I retraced my steps from the station, then back to Fiddler’s, then back to the station. Captain Reed had grabbed it from Rory’s hands, and when I confronted her about it, she flipped. Acting like I was crazy. I should have told you, Jess, but once I saw you again, it no longer mattered. It wasn’t something I cared enough about.”

“Easton,” Jesse cried softly. Her arms had wrapped around her waist and she looked sick to her stomach.

“The morning after the first night we spent together, I went straight to work. I was tired, happy, and a thousand percent sure I was going to make you fall in love with me if it was the last thing I ever did. But when I walked into my room, intent on falling asleep, I didn’t even turn the light on and you know there isn’t a window. Rory was in my bed and…”

I swallowed, taking a minute to shake off how pissed I still was that she dared to cross a hard line. But now that I was talking to Jesse, realization was hitting me like it never had before.

“She did it on purpose. She knew I’d never go for it. Even before I met you, I never led her on. I never made her think that would be okay. She wasn’t drunk, and there was no misunderstanding.”

“She created a situation for Harmony Haven’s gossip mongers to chat about,” Jesse scoffed.

“Yeah,” I sighed, thankful Jesse could see it so clearly. “That’s exactly what she did.”

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