Pathos - A Duskwood Fanfiction

Chapter 32

(Author's note: Sorry for the long wait. Had a death in the family. I apologize for the delay in updating the story, and I will respond to everyone's comments that were left in my absence when I am able to. I read every single one and they helped me through some tough emotions, so I want to thank each and every one of you for your comments and votes. I love you all. ❤️)

As Lilly turned into the Aurora front parking lot, the highbeams of her car threw the front of the bar into a brilliant tableau. It already looked as though the night was in full swing inside; dancing shadows flitted across the dimly lit windows from within as music swelled and dipped through the walls.

She was about to turn to Lilly to stammer something inane about not being ready to meet Jessy yet and could they just leave and go drink in the woods or something, when the highbeams suddenly illuminated two figures emerging from the shadows off to the side of the bar entrance. Her words of protest died before they were given life as the two people approached, and she stared mutely ahead as the one with long deep red hair and the palest skin that she had ever seen ran up towards them.

As Lilly turned off the engine, the lights died, but then the interior lights came on as the passenger side door was wrenched open at speed. Before either woman inside the car could react, Jessy was in her arms with Phil standing beside the door, watching.

"You're here," Jessy whispered, to which she could only hug the other woman tighter, and the chaos of sound that was pouring from the Aurora ahead of them seemed to dim and fall away as Jessy kissed her cheek with trembling lips.

She held Jessy as tightly as she could given the awkward angle of still being belted into her seat, and tried to ignore how frail the other woman seemed, how impossibly light she was to hold. She closed her eyes and just concentrated on the warmth pouring from Jessy's skin as they rested their heads against each other, and breathed in the gentle, clean scent of the other woman's freshly washed hair as she heard Phil take a step forward.

"Jessy," he said softly, and she felt him place a hand lightly on his sister's back. "Let's get everyone inside. It's cold out here and you're not wearing a coat."

Jessy merely hugged her tighter at this for a few moments, and then slowly and reluctantly released her hold before the two women extricated themselves out of the car.

"I bet Jake couldn't believe his luck," Jessy said with a small smile as the other woman looked her up and down, and she couldn't help the self-conscious laugh that fell from her lips in response.

"And we were having such a nice night," Phil quipped as he flung one arm around Jessy's shoulder and wrapped the other one around hers, pulling the two women in towards him as they began walking towards the Aurora. "Let's keep having one and leave him out of it."

Jessy's lips twitched in a half-smirk, and the other woman rolled her eyes at her as they walked. She had to duck her head to try and hide her grin as Lilly made a sound of irritation from behind them.

"You two are going to have to kiss and make up eventually, Phil," Lilly said in an exasperated tone, to which Phil sucked his teeth in annoyance.

"Sure," he replied sarcastically. "But only if he buys me dinner first." He looked down at her as he said this with an easy, charismatic grin and winked. His arm tightened around her shoulders and he pulled her closer so that she was right up against his chest, the warmth of his body detectable even through the coat that she was wearing.

She could smell the faint scent of cologne as the distance between them evaporated, and that is when she noticed for the first time that the crisp white button down shirt that he was wearing was open at the neck, exposing a good amount of his chest until it reached his solar plexus. She could see the stark black shadings of a large tattoo that covered the skin overlaying his pectoral muscles, a design that looked something like trees. She only realized that she was staring at his chest when he spoke, his voice low and intimate as he pressed his lips against her hair and spoke quietly.