Author's Note: And so the story continues! As we said in a previous comment, this isn't going to be some rosey, lovey-dovey story of just ups all the time - we aim to make it reflect life as it is, and should be. A rollercoaster. We try to intersperse positive with the challenges, but life is about challenge. Jess is about challenge.
Anyone following the story now should be clear on the fact that Jessica is far from a perfect character (as is really anone we write). That's what makes them fun! ;)
That aside, we hope you enjoy the continuation. Things are going to be heating up - both challenges and otherwise - as we move forward.
That being said, we don't have as much time to write right now - so we're squeezing it in whenever possible and dividing it fairly between three stories!
--------
It was later at night, and Jessica was lying in the small room that had once been her childhood bedroom. That fucking asshole. And Lee. And...everything. Shit. Her hand hurt like fire. She glared at it. Shouldn't have done that. Now I don't even have a damn phone. I'm such a fucking...mess.
She wiped her cheeks and caught her reflection in the small mirror. Her cheeks seemed as red as her hair.
Shit. I really look awful.
She sat up and removed her earrings. One of them had a bent wire and she grimaced. Damnit. Her glance fastened to the two half-full yellow pill bottles where she'd put them on the table. Fucking Martin. '
Maybe you need medication
'. She swallowed. She raised one of the pill bottles and glared at the white '
Celexa
'-slip around the container. Then tossed it in the drawer, followed by the second bottle, this one marked '
Cabatrol
'. She shut the drawer firmly.
Fuck.
A knock at her door.
"Go away." She called.
The door opened.
"
Lee, get-
" She swallowed when she saw Adam. "Oh. Hey."
"Hey." He was carrying a tray with a mug and a plate with some pastries and bagels. "Mom made this."
"Yeah? Well,
fuck her
, I don't want it."
He put the tray down next to her bed and sat in the small chair. "Look, mom's sorry. I spoke to her. She overreacted -
obviously.
"
She sat up in her bed, arms crossed, and glared at the tray. Though damn, that does smell good.
"Seems like overreaction might be something you have in common."
"Yeah? Well....yeah. Maybe." She cleared her throat. "You might be right." She took a bite of one of the bagels. It was made with cream cheese - her favorite. "
Fukfh.
" She muttered through a mouthful of bagel and swallowed. "...I'm such a mess."
"You'll do fine. Forget that guy." He inched closer to her bed and reached out to pat her knee. "His loss, right?" He repeated something she remembered saying when arriving.
"Yeah...it's just..." She inhaled deeply and looked out the window. "Pretty sure he had a point. At least
part
of what he said was true."
"Like what?"
"Like..." her stomach felt cold. "Like I've never really...
done anything
. Except for parties or travel around. I'm really pretty...
shitty
. And now..." she glanced at her own reflection. "I'm not even that pretty either, looks like."
He stepped forward. Before she could react, he was kissing her - full on the lips. Her eyes widened in shock, and she hesitated before responding.
He was young of course, but his kissing was definitely getting better.
"Adam...Isn't...Lee home?" She wondered, a bit out of breath when they finally pulled apart.
"No. Late shift." He smiled. "She asked me to look in on you - and after you, while she was gone."
"I'm pretty sure your mom didn't mean
french-kiss me
, dude." She touched her lip with her tongue and smiled.
"Yeah, well - I'm trying a few things." He sat down on her bed. "Getting you to cheer up."
She smiled. "Look... I'm...
okay.
Sort of. Seriously. It was just...a rough talk. Fuck." She eyed him. "You don't know what he did. Lee doesn't either."
Adam shrugged. "If he pissed you off, I'm sure you had your reasons."
"Yeah. He...fucked three different chicks at the same time. While we were together."
"Oh. Shit."
"On...our bed."
His eyes widened. "Fuck."
"Kinda flipped." She shrugged. "But...I don't regret it. Not now. Christ. What an asshole. Wasted four years of my life with him." It all seemed so...silly and unimportant now. All the nice clothes, all the expensive stuff she'd been gifted. It was all gone. What she had were memories - and those were certainly nice, but they wouldn't put a roof over her head.
"I'm sure mom'll apologize tomorrow."
She sighed. "It's..fine, Adam. I've done worse to her, and I've not always apologized. Honestly...it's kinda nice to have her bitching like that in error to...sorta even things out." She forced a small smile and patted his leg.
"Well...you want me to take you to the other jobs tomorrow?"
"Honestly?" She shook her head. "Nah. If they want me at the Roadside, I'll take that. I don't need anything...fancy now. Just something to get me some money in my pocket. That'll do as well as anything else. They seemed pretty cool."
"Gotcha. You...wanna watch a movie?"
She eyed him dubiously "Looking for another blowjob so soon?" She teased.
"What?
No!
I just meant...-"
She started laughing and slapped his leg. "Kidding, kidding! You're still too easy." She leaned in and kissed his nose. "Thanks, but you know what? That...resting idea seemed a pretty good one. I think I'll see if I can get some shut-eye. Just...get this shit-feeling away, y'know?"
He nodded. "Let me know if you need anything."
Jess grinned, feeling a flood of affection for her nephew and ruffling his hair. "Sure, kiddo. Thanks." She grew more serious. "Seriously, Adam. Thank you. I appreciate what you're doing. What you have been doing. Hell, if you weren't my nephew..." She grinned "..let's just say I wouldn't kick you out of bed right now."
"Like you are now?" He smiled, though there was some tension in it.
"Yeaaaaaaah..." She sighed. "I'm gonna try to...figure this shit out."
Adam rose and flicked off the light before closing the door.
Unfortunately, Jess wasn't able to figure anything out.
In fact, after the door closed, she lay in bed and thought back on the years she'd spent with Martin. She found herself twisting and turning for hours, wishing she'd have taken Adam up on the offer of a movie. At least then she could have lost herself in something.
*****
Adam was back at Jess's door at about 9 PM. His mom would still be at her shift for at least another 3 hours. He didn't know why he'd interrupted his watching of the season 2-episode of
The Wire
he'd been looking forward to - but he'd been unable to focus.
Aunt Jess
. Calling him 'kiddo' like that. Walking the line between teasing him on one hand, treating him like a man on one hand, and a teenage nephew on the other. He remembered taking charge in the kitchen - as well as the couch when they'd been watching a movie.
In his room, he'd managed to convince himself that what she might need was someone to be with her. Show her that she was loved, despite what that asshole had done.
And she told me I didn't have to be shy.
He knocked faintly on the door.
No response.
He opened the door a crack and peeked in. Jessica lay in a heap on the bed, her blanket kicked into a pile at the foot of the bed. She wore a pair of red lace panties and a matching bra visible through the thin white top.
She moved her head when he entered.
"
Wha
" She mumbled, half-sleepy but also with her face swollen red and still-visible signs of crying. "Oh, hey." She put a fist to her mouth, hiding a yawn. "Something...up?"
