Love After You

Chapter 6

Jess slammed the bedroom door behind her, pacing back and forth as Emily's words raced through her head.

She didn't belong here.

Not anymore.

Not without Adam.

Why did she come tonight?

Grace always treated her well. All his family did. But she wasn't family anymore, not really. She had turned into the odd piece in the jigsaw puzzle—the part that didn't fit the whole picture. When Adam was alive, she fit in, nice and snug next to his side, but now that he was gone, her piece sat separate, alone, not fully connecting with everyone else.

There was a light knock at the door. "Jess?" Jake's voice asked softly on the other side. "Are you okay?"

She walked slowly to the door, standing in front of it as she nibbled her bottom lip nervously. "I'm fine, Jake. Go back to the party."

"Jess," he said her name in a low, knowing voice, "I know you. I know you're not fine."

"Please, just go back down stairs. Go back to Emily." She said her name a bit more angrily than she intended. "I just need a minute."

She placed her hand on the door, feeling the sturdiness underneath her palm, which helped ground her. She felt like she was spinning, like everything was spinning. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the hard surface.

"I told her to go." He announced.

Jess opened her eyes. That surprised her. Taking a step back, she opened the door and found Jake directly outside, barely a breath between them.

"Why did you do that?"

He shook his head slightly, barely even moving at all. But Jess noticed it. "Because you mean more to me than she does."

For a second, Jess stopped everything. She stopped breathing. Stopping moving. Most importantly, she stopped thinking. All she could focus on was his grey eyes as they regarded her, so piercing and breath-taking that she couldn't believe she hadn't noticed how completely beautiful they were before now.

As if waking from a spell, Jake diverted his gaze down, and her world spun back into focus. "I didn't like the way she spoke to you. You didn't deserve that." He added.

Jess walked back into her room, keeping the door open for him to follow. He did, and he shut the door behind them so they could speak freely without being overheard.

"But she's right," she whispered. "I don't belong in this family without him."

He walked to her, taking hold of her arms with his strong hands. "Of course you do, Jess. Don't you ever say that. You are family; everyone loves you. Emily is just cruel sometimes."

"Why did she say it?" She asked, tears shimmering in her eyes.

His eyes briefly swept up and down her body before he swallowed. "She was jealous of you."

"Of me?" She asked, confusion clear on her face. "Why?"

"Because of how great you look tonight."

Jess looked down at herself. She wore a tight red dress. Her boobs were a little bit pushed up, but that was because of the character she was dressed up as more than anything else. "I just put this together quickly; I didn't think it was inappropriate. It's Halloween, for god's sake. People walk around wearing next to nothing sometimes. Do you think I should change?"

"No." He said sternly. He took a second, and his tone was softer when he spoke next. "No, Jess, forget about her. She's just jealous."

Jess continued speaking as if he hadn't said anything. "Emily was wearing that cat suit. She looked amazing. I couldn't pull off a leather cat suit like that."