“The story itself. Transparent. For all to see.”
Jesse cleared his voice. He was the exact opposite of transparent. “It’s too much, Chloe. Th-thank you.” The intimacy of the gift drew him even more to her. “It’s the coolest gift I’ve ever received. I feel undeserving.”
“Don’t we all? Isn’t that what Christmas is about?” She pressed her hand to his leg. “Merry Christmas, Jesse.”
“Merry Christmas, Chloe.” Taking her hand, he pulled her to him.
“Merry Christmas, Jesse.”
The touch of her bow lips shot love—no, not love, affection—into his heart. But she was changing him. Any more moments like this and he’d lose control. His kiss was a shallow response to the depth and pleasure her gift stirred in him.
When he broke away, she tapped her head to his. “This is getting complicated.”
“Thanks to you,” he said, slipping his hand around her neck and kissing her again.
“Maybe after the movie we can—”
“Chloe, we...” Jesse set the frame back in the box. He was twisted. Divided. Torn. Bursting to be free, to love, yet still anchored to fear. “I don’t know... I guess... I’m just...”
“If you tell me whatever you’re fighting to hide, maybe I can help. Maybe it’s not as bad as you think.”
Jesse stood, pacing to the fireplace, into the glow of the Christmas lights, and back again. Okay, okay, tell her. Just... do it.
“In the box where you saw Hamilton’s letter there was something else. Something far less pleasant.”
She picked up her plate and cradled it in her lap, watching, waiting.
“I feel rather numb about it all... it’s the past... but also it haunts my present and, I fear, my future.”
“One of those things you can never entirely shake.”
“Exactly.”
“I get that, Jesse. I do.” Chloe thoughtfully stirred her chicken and rice, taking a small bite, gazing toward the fireplace. “Just when I think I’m free from the past, it rises from the dead to mock me.”
Returning to his seat beside her, Jesse took up his plate, his stomach rumbling, though his appetite evaded him.
“We’d dated for a year,” he said.
“Ah, it’s always a love story, isn’t it? Not one like the movies, but a real life one. Painful. Sad.”
“How long did you date your sad love story?”
“Three years. Three stupid years,” she said.
“We met in class my senior year at MIT. She was brilliant, witty, gorgeous—”
“Of course.”
“—and crazy.” He gave Chloe a pressed smile. “But oh, we were... hot and heavy.”
“Oh my gosh, same here. We met on set.”
“Naturally.” Jesse slipped a bit of chicken into his mouth.
“He was gorgeous, talented, charming. I mean, wow. I couldn’tbelieve he noticed me. But he was a bit loco, and I don’t mean in a good way.”
“My brother tried to warn me. We were going too fast.”
