Potion

Finale

I felt like I was in a dream. I stared into Jesse's green eyes, loving how they crinkled at the edges when he smiled. The boat drifted in the dark lake water, the sun reflecting off it's surface. Waves rocked the boat and I felt myself tilt to one side, nearly falling over before Jesse slipped his arm around my waist. I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close, feeling the heat from his muscular chest, never wanting to let go.

It was summer before our senior year. The past year I was positive my life was over. A few weeks ago I seemed to awake for no reason from my coma. Thinking back on it, the details are pretty hazy considering that I was all drugged up from the morphine. The first person I saw beside my bed was Penelope. She was yelling something at me and when I focused through my stupor enough to hear her I heard that Jesse was trying to commit suicide. I fought my way out of the hospital, ignoring the doctors requests to stay because I'd been in a coma for two weeks. I pulled the IV out of my arm, which, don't get me wrong, hurt like hell, and hopped in Penelope's car, demanding that she take me to wherever Jesse was. If I remember anything from that day, it's the way my heart lurched when I saw him standing on the tracks. I know I had barely cheated death once, but I felt like I might die again. The sight of him brought me to pieces. I tripped and stumbled my way over to him, my legs unused to walking for so long. I pulled him off the tracks just in time. The connection when my hands grabbed onto him made me realize how real this was. How real we were.

The moment I saved his life gave me a serene feeling, because he had also saved mine. He told me later about the herbs Jebari had given him and how he thought they hadn't worked. Damn straight they did. They had saved me, which explained why my doctors didn't know why I'd woken up from my slumber. Jesse didn't tell them. This made me laugh. My mom was overjoyed, and I couldn't count the number of hugs I was given on that first day. The whole day seemed to be one big hug. Penelope and I were tighter than ever, spending nights at each others houses and staying up until the crook of dawn. She made me spill everything about me and Jesse, and in return I had found out about her new crush, golden boy Aaron Jackson. Kristin was letting me do more of my own thing, not worrying so much, seeing how free and happy I was, I am. My sketches were improving, and my relationship with my mom was better than ever.

I turned in Jesse's warm arms, glancing out over the water, to my Mom, and Jesse's parents, sitting on the dock, chatting together. We'd rented it for the summer, the boat too.

I caught their eye and waved, feeling my mouth curve into a smile. God it felt good to smile. Ret peaked out from under Jesse's mom's arm, grinning at me, looking as goofy as ever in his bright orange life vest. Me and Jesse laughed at the same time, which made me laugh harder, making me snort in the process. I looked up, and just stared at him, wondering just how, how did I get lucky enough to have this boy. Jesse brushed my cheek with his hand, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. My insides were on fire. His hand was still around my waist, and he tugged me closer, letting me fit perfectly against him, my head in the space between his shoulder. His green eyes were shining, making him utterly breathtaking.

"Why'd you do it?" I blurted, unsure why my mouth had spoken without my permission.

Jesse looked down at me tilting his head to one side, showing off the contour of his jawline.

"Why did you almost walk in front of a train Jesse? Why would you ever do something so.. so stupid?" I couldn't wrap my mind around it. I furrowed my brow trying to figure this out.

Jesse smoothed his fingers over the crease in my forehead, tilting up my chin to look at him.

"I did it because I couldn't live knowing someone so priceless had died, and someone so worthless was living." I sucked in a sharp breath, wanting to slap him for saying that about himself. With the look he was giving me now, I couldn't. "You give me meaning, Willow. Over the past few weeks, you've helped me figure out who I am, what I want to go to college for. My major is going to be physics, and I hadn't realized how much I loved doing that until now. You make me want to live, to see the world and to keep going even when I want to stop." Jesse's voice held so much raw emotion, I couldn't do anything but listen.

"I did it because I love you."

I felt sparks burst in my chest, mini fireworks exploding wherever he touched me.

Jesse glanced back at the dock, and I did too, realizing we couldn't see our parents anymore, our boat had drifted too far. We looked at each other and a grin split across his face as he leaned in close enough for his nose to touch mine. My breath hitched in anticipation, my hands traveling up his bare chest to wrap around his back, feeling the muscles coil underneath my touch. He pulled me fiercely to him, his hands cupping my face gently in his hands. My heart melted into a little puddle.

Jesse leaned in, but before he could start anything, I pressed one finger to his lips.

"And I love you."

He grinned his cute crooked grin and leaned in, closing the space between us, crushing his lips to mine.

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At first I thought I couldn't do it, but you guys really helped me finish this! I hoped you loved reading it as much I loved writing it!

Keep an eye out for my next books
I have something in the works ;)

~ Audrey