Love & Lies

Chapter Twenty-six

Nearly crushing the emerald box on her lap with her grip, Jessie was completely confused by why she was feeling nervous by the minute as their approach to Jordan's parents' home became closer and closer.  You're never going to see these people again, she told herself.  Even with that in mind, it's not like you are ever rude to anybody.

Seeming to feel her sense of uneasiness, Jordan glanced at her direction at a red light.  "Babe, everything okay?  You're so quiet today," he commented.

While that was true, it was only because Jessie's mind kept roaming since they had hit the highway.  Jordan had been cruising half-listening to some news channel on the radio giving Jessie the opportunity to be left alone with her thoughts.  She hadn't heard from Brendan so she had assumed he and his brother were in Italy.  Although Jenny's promised selfie never came through, she knew she and Jake arrived to the UK safely because her parents called to inform her that Jackson was safe in their care and seemed okay despite a long flight.  

Now that Thanksgiving really was becoming a reality, Jessie realized that this was the home stretch.  She was still committed to coming clean right before she flew home but kept playing out all the possible endings; while she mostly in the past kept imagining his negative reaction, it never dawned on her until he reached for hand as traffic slowed going over some bridge what if he didn't care.  

"Yes, I'm just tired," she lied.

"Are you worried about Jackson?" he asked, giving ahead a quick glance to make sure the light didn't turn green yet.

Knowing he would question Jackson's disappearance, Jessie just told him a friend agreed to take him while she was away.  "No, I know he's in good hands," she answered honestly.  

And when he did take her hand in that moment in traffic, even though her heart still fluttered for her physical attraction, she was now one hundred certain she could never see them going anywhere even if he accepted her for who she was.  While she did know she could just break up with him for that reason without telling him who she was, she would feel guilty knowing how duped he would feel when he one day learned he had been dating Jessie J the entire time.  Even if things had been rocky a few times, Jessie's intentions never were to hurt anybody intentionally or deceitfully.

"My parents love you already," he threw out there as if trying to cool any stray nerves she had about meeting them.  "In fact, my family is really excited to meet you."

Those very words confirmed for her that she could not leave for home without telling him she was Jessie J.  She may not have known his family from a hole in the wall, but she would hate herself for also deluding innocent people that did nothing but welcome her into their home.

"I am looking forward to meeting them as well," she answered.  

Jordan continued with traffic before making a right turn on a residential block.  "And you didn't have to go out of your way to bring anything," he assured her.  "The bottle of wine is from both of us."

Jessie nodded.  "I know, but I would not feel right about going empty-handed myself," she replied taking in the view of rows of ranch-style homes.

Not saying another word, Jordan let her win and continued through the stop sign at the end of the block.  Within minutes, he finally as pulling into a long, paved driveway next to a yellow colonial-style home with pilgrim figures and gel-clinging turkeys on the front window.  "I see my brother is here already," he remarked as he noticed the red sedan ahead of him.  

Once the key was out of the ignition, Jessie began to make her way out of the car as Jordan grabbed the bagged wine bottle from behind the driver seat.  To Jessie's surprise, the area seemed pretty quiet for a holiday but she assumed like anything else, not everybody was home and families probably gathered at different times to eat.  Besides, it was still early making it three hours before Jordan said they would be ready to sit down and eat.