Just The Way It Is - Sequel to That's Ma Name (Edited)

Chapter 4

"Do you want to go for a walk?" I asked Jessie, nervously.

"Um, sure," she replied.

I told her I'd be right back and went back into my room with my suitcase. I pulled on my Superdry hoody and skinny fit jeans before placing white canvas shoes on my feet. I didn't believe in converse anymore. Or vans. They always ripped on me at work in the studio.

After what smelt like I had fallen into the new bottle of aftershave I bought at duty free, I grabbed my phone and went back into the living room to get Jessie.

We walked quietly round to the forest which was right beside the lake. It only took us about ten minutes to walk there. It was kind of awkward if truth be told. Soon we reached the caretakers shack which housed vending machines outside under a cute little canopy.

"Would you like a drink?" I asked Jessie.

"Um, a coke please," she smiled. I got her the coke and selected water for myself. This struck up a conversation with Jessie, finally.

"You on a strict, sugar free diet?" She smirked.

"No, but healthy is good sometimes, specially when I'm trying to work hard," I smirked back.

"What have you been doing then?" She asked. Her fun expression hardened into something a little more serious with her question.

"Working hard, you know, keeping busy. I enrolled in another class. I'm now qualified to teach dance as well as just perform it. And I helped with New York fashion week about a month ago," I told her, leaning awkwardly on the vending machine. "Yourself?"

"I-I've been given some, er, time off work," she stammered.

"Ah, unwinding then?"

"You could say that."

This didn't feel right. It didn't feel like me and Jessie. It worried me. Perhaps she's moved on, changed. I don't know I just didn't like it.

"Do you want to keep going?" I asked, referring to the forest walk.

"Yeah," Jessie responded.

Good. Walking gave me the time to think of something to say, because I had to say something. I needed and wanted to say something. I just couldn't deal with the woman I loved being short and cold and vague with me.

"Careful, it gets a little uneven here," I informed Jessie as we came to a rocky little part of the trail. I subconsciously grabbed her hand laced our fingers together. Jessie had froze up which allowed me to realise what I had just done. I pulled my hand away from hers and apologised. She tooled like she was deliberating something before she spoke.

"No, it's okay, sorry," she mumbled, slowly lacing our fingers again.

We walked the trail a little further before the rocks and probably her thoughts began to get the better of Jessie. She was losing her footing and tripping over a few small rocks which I managed to keep her stable before her foot got caught below a root and she went over on her ankle.

"Ouch," she squeaked.

"Jessie! Are you okay?" I fussed, immediately getting down beside her.

"Yeah, just my ankle," she breathed. I lifted her to the side of the path before insisting I take a look at her foot. I carefully took off her shoe and sock being careful not to hurt her. It didn't look too badly injured, just slightly swollen.

"I think it's just a sprain," I told Jessie. "Do you want to rest a bit?" She nodded in reply. I took a seat beside her. Giving her some of my water before taking her hand in mine. For a minute the pair of us just looked at our hands before I decided I should say something.

"You know, I really did miss you," I stated softly before I began to run my thumb over the back if Jessie's hand.

"Yeah, me too. More than anything," Jessie revealed.

"It was stupid of me to just up and leave like that. It was very inconsiderate of me. I'm sorry," I continued.

Jessie looked into my eyes. I seen the first glimmer of how my departure had effected her.

"I'm sorry what I put you through Jessie. It wasn't fair and I was only thinking about myself. I was only thinking about my feelings and now how it could affect you. I was selfish and self centered. And even though at the time I thought I was doing the right thing, I can see how how destructive it was. I didn't mean to hurt you like that Jessie. I'm sorry," I confessed, I hoped my facial expression conveyed how sorry I truly was.

Jessie told me that it was the case as her expression softened a little before she began to speak . "It's okay."

"No it's not. I was irresponsible. And to make matters worse I was a complete manic to think that I could come back and pick things up where we left off. I really am sorry," I continued.

"We can," Jessie stated. I looked at her incredulously. "What we had was real. What we have is real. No amount of distance will be able to change that."

Jessie pushed her lips onto mine in a close kiss. Now this felt like me and Jessie, our mouths moving so in sync. After we parted for air I put Jessie's sock and shoe back on before I helped her up. We hadn't made it round the trail too far so we decided to go back the way we came. Just as I turned around my foot caught the same branch as Jessie's did. She caught me before I fell and our eyes met. I smirked before our lips met once more. This time in a much more heated rush. I felt everything that had went on in the last year or so vanish. It was just myself and Jessie. Our lips colliding in a careless mess. I was just happy it was finally me and her again.