Love & Lies

Chapter Thirty-two

Jessie absenty-mindedly scooted to the edge of the couch pretty sure after a long day she was officially hearing things.  "What could you all possibly have lied about?  That my entire time in New York has been the pilot episode of a newly relaunched Candid Camera?" Jessie joked, resorting to nervous laughter as Lauren did not partake.

"I'm being serious," Lauren interjected softly.  "I know you think you are the worst person in the world for not telling us about continuing to see Jordan, which we will get to in a minute, but Jenny kind of knew what was going on."

"Wh-what?" Jessie stammered as her green eyes bulged.  How was that even remotely possible? she screamed from the inside.  The only person that knew about Jordan after the first date was -

 "Brendan!" she nearly yelled causing Lauren to flinch.  "He lied to me!  He didn't know the whole story, but was the only one that had an idea about Jordan before our first or whatever number break-up it was.  He swore he wouldn't tell anybody, but I guess I forgot for a second that he was my bodyguard under Jenny's watch."

Sighing, Lauren waved both hands downward in hopes to calm her friend's increasing outburst.  "No, Jess, listen carefully please.  Brendan never told Jenny about Jordan or even hinted you were seeing somebody.  I didn't even know about you continuing a relationship with Jordan until the cab ride here.  This is all my fault for being so vague," she apologized.  "Why don't I start from the top?"

Immediately feeling like an idiot for accusing Brendan of being disloyal, Jessie backed down and fell back into her spot of the couch.  "I apologize, Lauren.  Please do," Jessie calmly insisted.

"Brendan didn't take that Twitter photo lightly even when all seemed in the clear," Lauren began.  "And then he always felt like somebody was following you both whenever he accompanied you anywhere though he never noticed the same person around.  Without telling Jenny anything about Jordan, he just urged for increased security without worrying you but the best she could do on short notice was send a couple of extra hands once in a while to monitor your building in the middle of the night.  They saw nothing suspicious, though. "

Jessie remained relaxed and did not see their actions as an invasion of privacy, but as people who truly cared about her safety and well-being.  "And after all that, I really fucked up big time," she remarked, remembering all the times Brendan always seemed to be looking over his shoulder or asking her if she really was going to be alright alone.  "Jenny was so good about making all these arrangements for me to live here and be safe, but I just had to jeopardize it all thanks to lust."

"Why are you being so hard on yourself?" Lauren asked.  "Of course I cannot guarantee Jenny's reaction, but she is not going to hate you.  You can't forget that nobody can ever hide anything from Jenny.  Her own family couldn't even throw her a surprise 30th birthday party without her finding out every detail.  Before you continue to beat yourself up, though, please tell me everything."

Sighing, Jessie began from taking Jordan back all the way to her trip to Jordan's apartment that night.  "Wait, did you hit your head?" Lauren nearly shrieked.  "Oh, my God.  Jess, you may need medical attention.  What if it's a concussion?"

Jessie mimicked Lauren's earlier move of grabbing her hand stopping her from rising.  "I guess I fainted.  I feel much better now with just a slight headache, but I can take something for it later," she insisted.

Without another word, Lauren got up much to Jessie's protest nearing the phone hanging on the wall by the piled luggage.  "No, Lauren, please don't call-" she protested when Lauren completely passed the phone and crouched down by a small piece of luggage.