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justjessame · 4 years

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A Reluctant Hero Chapter 6

Kelsey drove me to get my car later that afternoon. I’d napped, and recovered, from my hangover, but having her dad’s image creep in every time I closed my eyes was less than relaxing. While the headache, dry mouth, and threat of dehydration was behind me, I had more tension than I wanted or needed. On the other hand, no thoughts of Roger Allen made my life less irritating.

I tried very hard to NOT squirm as my friend, showing the clear evidence of JD’s grandchild growing inside of her, kept glancing at me. Finally I opened my mouth to apologize, for what, I wasn’t completely sure, but Kelsey spoke first. Keeping her eyes on the road, far more careful than her dad drove, she sighed and then started talking.

“Dad called me before you did.” Oh. OK. “He said he forgot to get your number.” Ah. I thought about his promise to call me. “And then, he interrogated me about you.”

“He what?” My mouth dropped open. I mean, I knew I found the man irresistible, but it wasn’t like I’d put my best foot forward.

Kelsey chuckled and my lips curled into a smile at the familiarity of it with her dad’s. “I told you what he does for a living,” she rolled her eyes, but kept them on the road. “His last-” she seemed to be looking for a word. “Relationship was intense.” I waited, figuring that it was my time to listen. “You were-” Again she seemed to be searching for something. “When you were in Paris,” alright, a few months prior to this last teaching stint, right around the time that I learned that Kelsey was pregnant and offered my house as refuge. I nodded, wondering what was going on. “Did you just NOT watch the news while you were gone?”

“You know I hate the news, Kels, that shit gives me anxiety.” I shook my head at the theory that everyone had to be inundated with all the horrors our world had to offer.

This time she snorted, and I realized we were close to the bar. “We’re almost to your car,” she offered, and I nodded my agreement. “This is probably a conversation that needs our full attention.”

“Stop there,” I pointed to one of my favorite restaurants. “I’ll buy us dinner and you can keep telling me what you think I should know.”

She waited until we’d been seated, gotten our drinks, and ordered before continuing. “While you were blissfully ignoring the world around you, my dad’s face was plastered all over the news. They called him a terrorist. He and-” she stopped, her eyes pinching with a memory I didn’t share. “The woman he was seeing, they were involved in the Humanichs and Hybrid situation.”

“Oh.” I HAD heard about the hybrid aliens among us, of course, and the Humanichs project and how horribly wrong it had gone was LOUDLY covered. I didn’t recall JD in the mess, but I tried to keep my mind away from those types of stories. I took a long drink of my tea. “It ended?” I meant his relationship, the intense one, and was thankful that Kelsey understood.

She nodded. “She was-is working hard to help the hybrids to integrate into our world better, become more accepted by regular people, you know?” I told her I did. “And it was a short, INTENSE situation, I think Dad realized that it moved fast and hard, and he wanted to focus on getting back to normal?” She sounded unsure and I felt the same. “When he asked me for your number, my mind went to-” she took a drink from her own glass. “I wondered if the two of you had-” again, she stopped. Ugh.

“We did NOT.” Emphatic denial, even though I WANTED to, my mind and body screamed, we hadn’t. She chuckled.

“Yeah, I realized, I’ve seen you drink, Ani,” my face burned at just how drunk I’d been the night before. “And you were WAY beyond how drunk I’ve seen you,” I raised an eyebrow at her certainty. “I nearly needed to activate a translator application on the phone, Ani. But they don’t make one for ‘drunk friend’.” That got me laughing. “Dad doesn’t show interest in just anyone, though-”

I sighed. “He found the intense woman interesting.” And I might be dramatic, but intense? Probably not.

“And look how well that worked out,” she rolled her eyes. “I told him that you’re normally pretty even keeled. Normally.” Her red lips quirked on one side. “Then there’s the fact that you gave me-” she gestured to herself, the dark hair, nose ring and very big bump. “His only child a place to stay when he and my mom were going through their various crap.” She shrugged, faking a nonchalance at the estrangement that she and her parents went through in waves. “It was just weird hearing him show active interest in-” her smirk change to a look of ruefulness. “Then again, when we first got to know one another, I kind of thought-” I stopped fiddling with my silverware and looked up to see her studying me. “You’re older than me, and settled, and smart.” My head tilted wondering where she was going with the ‘compliments’. “You both have tastes that run toward outdoorsy, but refined, and-” She bit her lip and I still didn’t say anything. “If you aren’t into him, I get it, but if you ARE interested in my dad, I think the two of you wouldn’t be a HORRIBLE idea.”

My mouth dropped open again. Seriously, the Richters were going to turn me into a mouth breather. “Are you saying-” my mouth had gone dry again. Another twist of lust at the simple thought of JD making my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth. Taking another deep pull from my glass, I tried again. “Are you suggesting that your dad and me-” nope I couldn’t say it, not to Kelsey, it was too weird.

“If you’re grossed out by it-” I shook my head, thinking that it was the complete opposite, but still very fucking strange. “I mean, I know I sounded freaked out this morning.”

I snorted and nearly choked on the drink I’d hazarded to take. “Just a bit.” Sarcasm dripped from me at how ‘freaked out’ she’d sounded.

Her lips twisted again. “Yeah well, I’m knocked up, hormones on HIGH, and you and Dad didn’t answer your freaking phones for HOURS.” We stopped talking long enough to have our food served and as she took up her fork, she shot me a look. “You were completely trashed when I talked to you. Dad isn’t the type to take advantage, BUT no one answering made me wonder if he was investigating your corpse.”

“And then his ‘occupied’ comment helped loads,” I shook my head as I took my first bite. “He’s a handful isn’t he?”

Kelsey laughed around her own bite. Chewing carefully and swallowing, she grinned across the table at me. “Oh you have no idea.” Then nearly forced me to require the Heimlich maneuver when she added, “yet.”

#JD Richter x OFC #eventual smut #After the Series #Extant

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betterwiththepen · 7 years

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Jesse sat behind me in History. He would put sticky notes in my hair, that simply said “Hi.”

We had grown up together, Jesse and I. Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts is where we called home, and we went to a small high school just outside of the city limits. On our way home every day, we would walk together, and cross the bridge of flowers which bloomed in the warm weather, filling the air with the sweet aroma of gardenias and lilies.

I was no older than 12 when Jesse told me he loved me. He made a promise to me, to my innocent heart, that if we weren’t married at 43, we should wed. I thought it was the most serious and intense thing anyone had ever said to me, so I scrawled it all into my diary and stowed it away behind my bed.

Jesse didn’t have to know that I loved him too then.

“Hayley,” Jesse asked me at his 13th birthday party.

“Yeah?”

“Who do you have a crush on?” His voice spoke sweetly. We were still young then, wearing GAP sweatshirts and sneakers with our folded up jeans. His eyes were bright as usual, and I smiled.

“Nobody,” I said. Friends swirled around us, faces dirtied with ice cream cake and sipping on cola. It was a 13 year old’s dream, and Jesse was living it. Everyone loved him, with his freckles and pretty eyes and charismatic smile.

“That’s a lie,” He said, and grinned.

“No it’s not,” I was defiant. Elizabeth Palmer sat down next to him. They were “dating,” meaning they held hands and talked on the phone. My jealousy ate me alive, because Jesse was my best friend, not her boyfriend.

Late that night, we all strolled over to the playground next to the middle school. It was technically trespassing, yes, but we were kids. I got on the swings and kicked my feet up, Jesse pushed Elizabeth down the slide.

They “broke up” that night, because Elizabeth thought he should date me instead. I never told him I knew, because Devin Harris told me.

Devin Harris and I briefly dated when we were 14, and Jesse didn’t speak to me until it was over. He said Devin was a jerk, and no good for me.

“I can’t believe you dated Devin Harris for three whole months.”

“We didn’t break up because he’s a scumbag, Jesse, we just realized we were better off as friends.”

“Friends, sure. Friends with benefits, I bet he wants. He’s such a sleaze.”

“Would you cool it?”

“Cool it. Hah.”

I rolled my eyes, and he sat back and glared at me.

I shook my head, and changed the TV channel to watch a movie.

Jesse’s dad, a proud family man, was never home. He was always on a business trip. We later understood that Jesse’s parents stayed together for him, because…well they didn’t want him to grow up without his father. Ironically enough, he did anyway.

My family was normal enough, with the occasional spat and falling out, so Jesse liked to frequent my house. Jesse’s mother would listen to the radio all night and pick her favorites and write them down. Jesse would have to go get her the records once a week. She worked days in the grocer, organizing and managing. In those days, that was more than enough to pay the bills.

When we were 15, Jesse was asked out by Olga Farris. He went on one date with her, and then I never heard any more about it.

“How was your date with Olga? She’s beautiful, and so your type, and..”

“We didn’t click,” he said, absentmindedly flicking through a copy of that month’s Rolling Stone.

“You didn’t click?” I was surprised. How was it possible that the prettiest girl I had ever seen didn’t click with Jesse. He shrugged, and popped his gum between his teeth. I shook my head, and elected to not push him any further.

We drifted apart and came together again many times throughout our adolescence.

One night in particular, when Jesse and I had stolen liquor from his father’s cupboard, we snuck out to the bridge and sat and drank.

“Hails,” He spoke, and his breath smelled of Jack Daniel’s. We were 16 now, and things were different. I had gone through puberty, and so had he. We could pass for adults if we tried.

His auburn hair was illuminated by the street-lamps brilliantly, and he smiled like he’d never smiled before.

“Yes?” I asked, and sipped out of the bottle of peach schnapps.

“Do you think my dad is always on a business trip for a reason? And why I’m an only child?” He propped himself up on his knee, and looked at me sweetly.

“Jesse, you’re drunk, don’t overthink it.” I shook my head, and leaned back from him.

“I have another question for you.”

“Shoot,” I sat up, and met his eyes.

“Is there something wrong with me, that I haven’t had a girlfriend?”

“No, nothing wrong with you. You just haven’t pursued anybody. Boys are usually the court-ers, not the courted.” I was amazed with what a sad drunk he was.

“Is it because everyone thinks I’m in love with you?” He asked, and I was taken 100 feet back with the statement.

“I didn’t know everyone thought so?”

He put down the bottle of JD and leaned forward to me.

“I’ve told you so before. Did you not believe me?”

“Jesse, you’re drunk, should you really…”

“So are you.”

I admittedly was. I had that warm, fuzzy feeling in my gut for an hour or so now.

“That doesn’t change the fact you shouldn’t…” He pressed his lips to mine in a kiss. His hand touched my face, and thumb across my jaw.

I gripped his side, and I pulled us closer together. Hands shifted around each other’s bodies, and the occasional whimper or gasp escaped one of our lips. The only thing that broke us apart was approaching voices, and the pitter patter of a dog’s feet on the pavement.

I hid the schnapps under my shirt, and Jesse nearly broke the bottle of JD as he flung it behind the street lamp.

We sat, straight faced, looking away from each other until they passed. Jesse promptly jumped up, took the schnapps from me, and sprinted home. We didn’t speak for weeks after that.

One day, in history, a tap came on my shoulder.

“Hey, do you have the notes from..”

I whipped around quickly to him.

“Notes from when, Jesse.” His face dropped. My heart was twisting in my chest, and I looked at him waiting for him to fix it.

“Last week. Hayley?” I felt my eyes fill with tears. “I’m sorry.”

“Yes, I do.” I looked down, and then met his glance again. “I understand.”

I gave him the notes, and we didn’t really talk for a while.

Elizabeth Palmer and I sat at lunch, quiet one day. Things were never quite as they should be between us, I figured she just hated me because I was me.

“Did you and Jesse Chandler have sex?”

“What? No, oh my god. Where would you get that?”

“Well you two were real close, and then you just…stopped talking.” She almost looked pleased with herself.

“I’m not going to get into it. But I can honestly tell you we didn’t sleep together.”

“Do you love him?”

I felt my stomach backflip into my throat.

“He’s my best friend, Elizabeth. Nothing more.”

I heard myself lie so convincingly, it shocked me into believing it.

Not for long, however.

Months passed, and things were weird. Repressing feelings for your childhood best friend wasn’t a good look, nor did it really help your relationship grow. We avoided each other, except for when his mom would ask about me or mine about him, and we would talk like it was all normal.

We both knew it wasn’t normal.

In any respect of the word.

This especially peaked after junior year wrapped up. Jesse’s birthday was in October, so he couldn't drive yet. We still travelled on foot, walking to school in silence in the mornings. One hot June night, when my air conditioner was broken, I stared at the ceiling fan with disdain. Then, I swore I heard something.

“Hayley. Pssst, Hayley. Wake up! It’s only 2. My dad, Hails. Come on…” His voice trailed off. I sat up and looked to my window. There he was, my best friend, perched on my roof.

“Jesse, what the hell?” I crawled out of bed, and opened the window. “What are you doing here?”

“Come out to the bridge with me. I need somebody, Hayley.”

I was baffled by the statement, and closed my curtain. I changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and my sneakers. I pulled the curtain back, and he still sat, patiently. I crawled out the open window, onto the roof.

“It’s really easy to get down from here, I promise.” He hopped down from the tree-branch touching the roof, and then stuck his hand out for me. He helped me off the branch, and then I grabbed my bike. We took off into town, and I watched his face twist and contort with every thought he had. We were 17 then, and he hadn’t called me out in the dead of the night in what felt like years. My heart twisted, worrying what was wrong.

“Jesse.” I stopped, and turned to him.

“Hails?”

“What’s going on?”

His face dropped, and I knew that it wasn’t good.

“My dad. He…he left.” His eyes were filled with tears.

“He left? Just…gone?” I was lost.

“He and my mom were arguing tonight, and he packed a suitcase and…left.” He wiped tears, evidently, and leaned up against the streetlight.

“Jesse,” I tried, and he shook his head.

“This was going to happen eventually, wasn’t it?” The bridge was in view, and in full bloom. I urged Jesse along, so we could stop somewhere away from traffic. He pushed his bike to the edge of the bridge, and then sat down on the ground. I sat down across from him, and brushed my hair out of my eyes. His bangs fell in his eyes, and I brushed them away, too. His eyes were watery, and desperate. I shifted next to him, and wrapped my arms around him. He put his head in my shoulder and didn’t say anything for a while. We watched the sun come up from there, and soon realized that we needed to go home.

“I can’t leave my mom alone today.”

“I know,” I sighed. I took his face in my hands and kissed his cheek. He smiled gently, and then shook it off. He rode off, without another word, and I sat there until 8, when my dad woke me from a slumber.

“Kiddo, what are you doing?”

I looked up, and smiled. He was baffled, and maybe a little angry, but once I explained what was happening, he understood. He put my bike in the back of his pickup, and drove me home.

The rest of that summer I saw Jesse once, maybe twice. He didn’t want to leave his mother alone, for she was falling apart.

Diane Chandler checked into a mental hospital in August of that year, because she felt she had lost control and couldn’t live a lie.

Jesse got a job shortly after, and worked the rest of the summer away. With Mr. Chandler nowhere to be found, and Jesse on his own, he grew up fast. He shopped for himself and the pets, and lived on his own for months until someone (my guess was Olga Farris’s mother) called social services and ushered him off to live with his aunt in Massapequa, on Long Island.

My heart broken, and Jesse living the life of a stranger, the only thing I could do was reach out.

I looked up his aunt, a Mrs. Delilah Chandler-Bowes, and rung the home phone.

“Hello?” A sweet young woman’s voice answered. I could only assume it was his cousin Mila, because she sounded too young to be his aunt.

“Hi, this is Hayley Desmond. Is this the household of Delilah Bowes?”

The girl paused, and then spoke again, softly.

“You’re Hayley?” She was hushed, as if my call was a secret.

“I assume I’m speaking to Mila?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, you are. Uh, did you want to talk to Jesse, because he…” She went quiet again. “He’s mentioned you a lot. I would guess he’s anxiously awaiting your call.” She pressed the phone to her shirt, and called his name. A hasty set of footsteps could be heard hitting the ground in the distance. I heard Jesse’s voice for the first time in what was nearly a year.

“It’s Hayley Desmond?” He sounded in disbelief.

The phone was soon transferred hands, and then I heard him speak directly to me. My eyes filled up with tears before he even said anything heart wrenching.

“Hayley.” His voice sounded deeper, and more matured.

“Jesse, I..I didn’t know you’re aunt’s name until now…I wanted to speak to you months ago, but you know..I….wow. How are you?” I heard myself stumbling.

“It’s okay, Hayley. I understand. I’m okay. You know, not great, but it’s a living. I like my Aunt Delilah, and Mila and her brother Andrew are all right. School sucks though. I…I miss you, Hayley, and I miss the bridge, and Pickles and Peanut.”

“I have Pickles and Peanut. I couldn’t let them take them to the shelter. They’re well, and getting along with Frances, believe it or not.” Pickles was Jesse’s act, and Peanut was his dog. Frances was my dog, and they were getting along well. I wasn’t lying.

“That makes me very happy. My pets are with my heart, in Massachusetts. What a thought.” He laughed, sadly, and cleared his throat. “So, how’s senior year. Am I missed?” He joked.

“Terrible, and yes. Everyone in Shelburne has their left back tire painted black in mourning.”

“Well I have to go back today.” He laughed, and I tried to laugh with him but my chest felt like it was closing in.

“I don’t even know what to say, Jesse. I never considered..I never considered this.” I felt my voice getting caught in my throat.

“The way it all went? Yeah, me neither. I’m gonna graduate though, and that’s all that really matters right now. What day is your graduation? I’ll come up, and then you can come down with me for mine.”

“Mine is the 20th of June. What day is yours?”

“The 23rd. That’s an adequate amount of time, I think.”

I went quiet for a minute.

“I always thought we would be getting our diplomas together in that dumb little school.” I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see it.

He cleared his throat, and then laughed.

“Me too.” His voice sounded soft, and regretful.

“Hey, Jesse?” I rushed.

“Yes?” he sounded off guard.

“I love you.” My words spilled like a glass knocked off the table.

“I love you too, Hails. You know that.”

We spoke for about an hour after that, and Jesse planned to drive to Massachusetts on the 19th.

I got off the phone and cried for a little while. The wait for the 19th felt like a million years.

When it finally rolled around, I spent all day anxiously awaiting a call.

My father walked into my room around 1:25 in the afternoon

“Hayley? You’re needed.”

I got up, and started out of my room in a near sprint. I could have taken the door off its handles I was so excited. Turning the corner to the glass window outside the front room I saw him.

He was taller now, and had let his hair grow in. It was auburn curls cascading to his jaw. My dad stood, speaking with him as if nothing had changed. I froze for a moment, trying not to go in and cause a scene. He turned around by chance just as I wiped tears from my eyes. I walked into the office, finally, and he scooped me up in a hug. I cried into his shoulder, which was a solid shoulder now with muscle. He smelled of his cologne, and a laugh escaped his chest. We didn’t separate for nearly a whole minute. Once we did, my now bloodshot eyes met his bright ones. He smiled, and at that moment, I understood what it meant to love and be loved. To have that mutual connection. It was beautiful, and deep. Soon, it was the way it used to be.

On graduation day, he cheered obnoxiously loud from the bleachers. I laughed, and ruined the photo op.

Mom wasn’t too thrilled about that, but I figured she would get over it.

On the 22nd, Jesse and I made the trip to Massapequa for his graduation.

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