Page 109 of Jesse

“No,” I say. Rushing towards the next door and pulling it open.

This. This is what I need. I go in and the sound of Jesse’s shoes slapping on the shiny black floors echoes in my head like bad omen.

I go over to the closet and open it up just as he comes sliding to a stop in front of his bedroom door.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asks, all out of breath. Which is kinda sexy.

And it’s so inappropriate that I think this, but I can’t help it. This man… he just does it for me. When I fell for him back when I was eighteen, I fell all the way to the bottom.

“You know what?” I say, whirring around to face him as I hold the closet door open.

“What?” he says. He’s got a very serious, worried look on his face. And hey, I do not blame him one bit. His family is psycho with a capital S sounding P.

“I don’t want to get back up.”

He juts his head back a little. “What?”

“When I fell for you, Jesse Boston, I fell hard. And it hurt. I’m not gonna lie. It fuckin’ hurt. And taking a chance on you is a huge risk. And people are gonna ask me, “Why, Emma? Why are you doing this?” And you know what I’m gonna say?”

He swallows. “What?”

“I’m gonna say we’re just that couple, you know.”

He cracks a smile.

“We’re that couple that comes from two totally crazy families. In two totally different ways. Let’s just make that clear now. That’s how I’m gonna start it. Every time people ask me why I chose Jesse Boston I’m gonna say “We’re two very different people. But it works and you know why it works?””

He’s smiling big now and I feel a little better. “Why,” he asks, crossing his arms and leaning against his bedroom door.

“Because I’m in charge.”

He chuckles. “Is that right?”

“That’s right. These people?” I point up with a finger. “Fucking. Nuts. OK? Nuts with a capital N. And I’m not gonna let you stay here one more second. You’re coming home with me.”

Zach has appeared in the doorway now too.

“You,” I say, snapping my fingers at Zach. “Pack your shit, buddy. You’re coming too.”

“Wait? What?” Zach says.

“Pack. Your. Shit. You can’t live here. None of you can live here.” I say that because Joey has now appeared too. “You don’t live here, right?” I ask him.

“Fuck no,” he says.

“See,” I point at Joey. “Listen to me, Jesse. You can’t choose your family. But you can choose to walk away from them. Any time you want. But let me also make this very clear. You don’t have a choice. I’m packing your shit and you’re moving in with me. That’s the end of it so if you have objections, then I suggest you keep that crap to yourself, OK? Because I don’t want to hear them. This place is a… a… a fucking shit show of a nightmare. I don’t know how any of you are sane. But from now on,” I point to Zach again. “You have dinner in Key West on the first and third Saturdays of every month. You can come too,” I offer to Joey. “But… whatever. I’m gonna assume you have some sane people on your side already, because you had the good sense to get out early. But you two?” I point to Jesse and Zach. “Key West. Every other fucking Saturday until the day you die. Because this is not what a family looks like.”

Jesse walks towards me and I suck in a deep breath of air. I don’t care what he says. He’s coming with me. He’s leaving this life behind. He’s not staying here.

“Emma Dumas,” he says. Reaching up to gently place his hands on my cheeks.

“Jesse Boston.”

“You had me at ‘I’m in charge.’” And then he leans in and his lips touch mine. His kiss is soft. And filled with something new. Something I never felt with him before now.

Trust.

And everything I just saw, and all the weird confusing things that come along for the ride by loving this man, disappear.