“What do you mean? I won’t hold it against him if he snaps every once in a while. We all do,” I explain.
“No, I mean maybe take into consideration how much something bothers him by the way he handles it.”
“Oh. Right,” I mutter. “Yeah, I know.”
“Yeah.” She gets quiet when Maureen comes in the room.
I know what Addison means; maybe I do need to consider Jesse’s feelings on this. He’s just worried about me because he cares that much.
I head outside to go see where he got to. Finding him in the garage, it looks like he’s grabbing bags of dog food. Or maybe it’s something for the deer feeder. I don’t know, it doesn’t matter.
“Hey,” I mutter.
He turns his head my way. “What’s up?”
“We can’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“This.” I gesture between us. “I don’t want to fight with you.”
He shakes his head. “You know I’m just trying to help you, right?”
“By telling me I can’t do something? Like I’m still the eighteen-year-old girl you knew?”
“I’m not—” He stops, pushing a hand through his hair. “I just don’t want you to have to do it alone. I’m trying to help you, Ella.”
“And I’m telling you I can handle it.” My voice slightly shaking. I really hate confrontation like this.
Jesse steps closer, his eyes softening. “I just—Ella, I want to be there for you. Can you not see that?”
“Of course I do. But that doesn’t mean you have to doeverything for me. I need you to have some faith and trust in me.”
He doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he nods slowly, his jaw tightening again. “Okay,” he says.
We stand in silence for a moment before he gets back to whatever he’s doing. The tension still feels hot, even though it shouldn’t anymore.
Chapter 19
Ella
Jesse and I are in the airport; he’s keeping me company until I board my flight. He seems to be a little better about this whole driving-back-from-Texas thing.
I’ve also come to realize my feelings for him are definitely still there. Seeing how much he genuinely cares about me through all this stirred everything back up inside me. My plan is to tell him I love him before I get on this plane. So when I am gone for these few days, he has something to hold onto.
The way he’s gripping my thigh with his hand as he sits beside me reminds me how much he desires physical touch. That was always a love language high on his list. His other leg bounces every few seconds, showcasing his nerves as well.
“Is this how you act when you’re waiting for clients to get on or off their flight?” I tease.
His gaze is cold, he doesn’t even tease a smile.
I sigh. “Honey, why are yousoworried about this?” I sit up in the seat.
“Because. I just am.” He looks away.
“Why?”
“Because, Ella.”
