Chapter 43: Chapter 43

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They pulled over outside a small hotel a few blocks away from the psychiatric facility.

It looked decent enough for a multimillionaire like him, but Jenson didn't even budge in his seat. He just stared at the dashboard, his gaze blank.

Her chest ached at how he looked stuck in a daze more than anything else. "You okay?" she sighed. Obviously he wasn't, but she just wanted him to talk to her. Sure, she was used to seeing him stressed out—just not in this way.

Intoxicated. Confounded. Quiet. Too quiet.

Why wouldn't he just talk to her? The scenes in her head was already leading her thoughts down a pessimistic road. She really wanted to ask about his mother. To ask if anything happened back in the facility.

But he probably wouldn't tell her much. Right now he definitely looked like he'd rather be alone. All night.

She couldn't help thinking he was someone who carried grudges, hard feelings, and a lot of secrets—deep, dark secrets he would take with him to the grave. Then again, she could just be exaggerating things. "Hey." Jessi pulled the hand brake.

The rain pelted onto the roof, hitting the tinted windshield and the rest of his pickup truck while they parked outside the hotel Darren mentioned.

Jenson didn't reply. He sat back and clenched his mouth shut, legs spread apart. He wouldn't even look at her. The seat belt restrained him as he stayed completely still, looking like he had no plans to step out of the vehicle. The mindless look in his eyes showed both confusion and shock.

Perhaps his silence wasn't calmness at all. Would he check into the hotel? Or would he prefer to go back to his house?

"Wanna go home now?"

"No."

Right. Just like Darren said.

"That's the hotel. Right there." Jessi leaned in and pointed to the tall building facing them.

"I'm not goin' in there," Jenson murmured flatly, his voice hoarse. His brows and lips creased again.

"Okay. Where d'you wanna go?"

No response.

She held in a sigh. His prolonged reticence just made her clasp the steering wheel. "Back to your office?"

"No."

Okay... But where? "Um... What about Darren's place? Want me to call him?"

"No."

Fine. Okay. Maybe she just had to wait, then try asking him again a few minutes later. "It's pouring." Jessi frowned at the deluge of midnight rainfall blurring her view of the road ahead. She wasn't sleepy yet, but the loud noises was starting to irritate her. "Let's wait for it to calm down. Back in my place. That okay?"

"Sure." Jenson didn't say anything else and barely blinked, just staring at the windshield as if the rain and soft moonlight glow amused him.

"Okay." She waited for him to speak again. But she got nothing. She pushed down the hand brake and drove off. "My place."

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They arrived at her apartment an hour later. With bated hopes, Jessi stayed quiet, unbuckled her seat belt, and waited for him to get out of the vehicle.

Once the rain dwindled down, Jenson stepped out the front seat and stood beside his truck. He sighed but didn't say anything.

She tried not to react when he stayed frozen on the spot. They were in the dim parking area beside the apartment complex, but someone out here still might recognize him. Not a good way to end this night's events. "Joss, the rain's just gonna get worse."

He took a tentative few steps towards the apartment's backdoor. Then he turned to regard her. "Can I come up?"

"Obviously," she muttered, ignoring the impulse to roll her eyes. The storm resumed the downpour, but he looked like he couldn't care less. "Hurry up. You're getting wet." She grabbed his damp forearm to lead him towards the dimly lit back entrance.

Her hand slipped along his wet skin. Her grip slid down his wrist while he lagged behind her. They walked across the narrow hallway in silence, face, clothes and shoes all wet. But her thick hoodie kept her hair and dress dry.

They rode the small elevator alone. Jenson still wouldn't talk to her. Like he'd rather sleep it off than tell her what happened that made him lose his temper outside that facility.

Okay. Patience. Maybe she just had to wait.

Maybe he'd be in the mood to talk about it in the morning.

She'd rather let him sleep over and use her bedroom for the night, than let him leave by himself in his truck. No way was she letting him drive home—or anywhere—while under the influence. "Use my bed. I'll take the couch," she said.

They stepped inside her small apartment unit. Jessi turned on the lights while he sat on her cheap couch—much cheaper than the four-piece set in his living room. She stared at him, just waiting for a reply.

To her frustration, he just gazed at the ceiling, resting his head on the backrest.

Well, for now she had to stay patient. Be understanding of his situation. He must be dealing with a terrible combination of stress, heartbreak, shock, and something else. Something more serious than she could imagine.

She hadn't seen him this intoxicated, stressed out, and just emotionally disturbed that he couldn't even keep up a normal conversation.  "You want coffee? Some clothes?" Jessi sat beside him on the couch as she watched his fist clench on his thigh.

Damp spots had darkened his gray sweatshirt. The thin cloth almost matched the color of his pants. His hair looked fairly tousled, and his baggy eyes reminded her of their recent trip to Canada. They stayed there for work: a few weeks of filming and promotions.

She expected that the congratulatory party with his friends would help him forget about his ever-hectic life for a moment. That it would help him unwind. But tonight clearly didn't meet her expectations, and she silently prayed for him to start talking to her again.

It wasn't like she could just ply him with more booze to make him feel better. He'd already drunk more than enough. "Coffee?" she asked in a chipper tone.

"No thanks."

"Okay. What d'you want?"

"Beer," he mumbled, his eyes distractedly focusing on his fist.

She made a face. "Really?" She bought canned beers during her last grocery run.

Did he even like cheap beer?

It sparked a memory in her head. That morning they met for the first time, him dressed in a plain shirt, wrinkled jeans...somewhat disguised by his thick beard and a baseball cap. He was so chatty that day. Upbeat. Almost overly polite and jovial.

The complete opposite of how he looked right now.

Jessi frowned and smothered a sigh with the back of her hand. She got up from the couch, fully intending to raid her small fridge. If he really wanted another drink to calm down, then fine. One beer might break his silence. "Okay. I'll get you some."

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Not even half an hour later, he easily swigged his second beer, sitting alone on her couch just sprawled on the thick cushion, passing the time with her.

She tried keeping an eye on him while checking her emails. She almost forgot to look for cheap plane tickets. Jessi sat on the floor with her laptop on her thighs and the couch right behind her. His thigh was touching her upper back. It seemed he'd rather drink himself to sleep than talk to her about his problems.

So she let him be. Fine if he didn't want to share anything. She wouldn't force him, or convince him to disclose things he didn't want to discuss with her. Boundaries. Personal matters.

He didn't owe her a tell-all. They were good friends. Sure. But nothing more than that. She respected his privacy as much as he respected hers.

"I'll leave the country again. In a month or so."

Her hands froze on her keyboard. Jessi stopped scrolling through an airline's website when her breathing halted. "Really?" She clicked on a link to scan another list of budget airfare, trying to act casual so he would keep talking. "You're going somewhere for work?"

"No. To decompress."

"Oh. Okay."

He was going on a vacation? At last...

"But where?"

"Not sure."

Perhaps... Did he plan on going to Beijing? Maybe he wanted to go after Charmaine to try to reconcile with her. The two were clearly having a rough year. But maybe they would make up eventually. It didn't sound unlikely.

Considering his weighty past with Charm and their previous engagement, perhaps they just needed a little break. Rough patches plagued almost every relationship. The two might find their way back into each other's arms after a good few months of separation.

Therefore, time to move on with her life. Jessi tried to keep still, shoving the discouraging thoughts to the back of her mind. Well, it must be the sign she'd been waiting for—her big cue.

Time to quit as his personal assistant. Forget about having a career in Hollywood. It just wasn't working out. Besides, working for him for another year would only give Charmaine another reason to hate her.

Jessi muffled a sigh with her palm, sad that she would be jobless again. Fortunately for her, she could ask Kel for help with finding a new job. Maybe Kel would help her get a contract with a modeling agency in a few months or so. Or doing freelance work again as a makeup artist might be the better option.

"Take the bed. I'm still busy with something."

"Been drinking since four," Jenson mumbled with a prolonged sigh. "I'm still fucking sober."

"I beg to differ."

He grunted, sitting hunched over with his phone, ignoring her reply.

"You ready for bed?" She glanced behind to check his face.

Just his flushed complexion and heavy-lidded gaze were enough to make her think he was one drink away from an alcohol-induced coma. Yet the guy seemed coherent for the most part. "Define 'ready'," Jenson murmured, his smirk stretching his lips. It disappeared sooner than she could come up with a witty retort.

"I'm serious. Take the bed. I'll sleep here."

"Can I hug you?"

She stopped typing and stared at her laptop screen. She turned around to regard him.

Was it a half-meant joke? The dead serious look on his stubbled face and his knitted brows said otherwise. Jenson put his forearms on his knees and gripped the beer can, just crushing it with his bare hand.

The anxiety formed painful knots in her gut. She took a deep breath, her nerves paralyzing her on the floor. But she wouldn't walk out on him.

He just badly needed a friend right now.

"Yeah." She put her laptop away when he kept staring at her. His glistening eyes pained her heart, immediately tearing down her emotional barriers. "Of course."

Jenson pulled her in for a hug when she sat beside him.

It caught her off-guard. The firmness of his embrace. His warmth. The hurt and sadness in his voice. She could no longer focus on anything else.

His nose and soft lips touched her cheek now. His arms held her tight against his torso. They just stayed in an embrace for a while. He stayed quiet.

Like her. She didn't want to pull away yet. She wanted him to feel comfortable. Maybe then she could convince him to talk it out. Coax him bit by bit. Reassure him that he could trust her with his secrets. "You feelin' any better?" Jessi stroked his back, his firm arms just stiff around her back.

The tension in his muscles wouldn't fade, and his lengthy silence said enough.

"Want a blanket? I'll get you clean clothes. Okay?"

"Can I stay for a bit?" Jenson muttered before he finally let go of her.

"Yeah. Use the bedroom, like I said." She pointed to her bedroom door.

"Really?"

"Sure."

He cleared his throat and rubbed his eyes, his voice still gruff. Shit. His eyes, cheeks, and nose all looked pinkish now. He was actually crying. But why?

"You can't drive. The storm's not goin' anywhere."

"Looks like it." He sniffled.

"Get some sleep."

"Sorry. If I..."

Jessi winced at the thunderous noises interrupting their conversation. The rain wouldn't stop pouring, tapping onto the windows incessantly. "It's fine."

"I just..."

"No. It's fine." She used a friendlier, calmer tone, her heart beating faster in anticipation.

"Thanks."

"Sure."

He no longer seem dazed. Maybe he was now in the mood to answer some questions.

By some luck, she would get at least one definite answer from him before he fell asleep in her bed by himself. "What happened?"

"The head nurse called, when I was talking to Kara back in the bar." His voice faltered. His hands wouldn't stop fidgeting. "The nurse from the facility."

"Oh. What did they say?"

"She told me that, um..." Clenching his fist again, Jenson sniveled and averted his gaze, then itched his stubble. He fell silent again before letting out a heavy sigh. "Mamma just died."

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