Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Jessie knew she could not stay in the room forever– actually she could, by it was going to be weird. She walked to the living room slowly, dreading seeing Gracie with her arms around Theo again.

Gracie was still there and they were laughing about something. It stung but Jessie knew she had no hold over Theo. And even if she did, was she going to stop him from being with his friend? When he looked so genuinely happy?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, pasted a smile on her face and said lightly, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Gracie and Theo turned towards her with smiles on their faces and shook their heads quickly, clearly wanting to go back to their conversation.

"I was thinking of making lunch. Anything you'd want to have?", she asked, the smile still in place.

"You can cook?", Theo asked with mock shock, a playful smile playing around his lips.

"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Gracie. You're not worthy enough for my cooking", she joked, smiling genuinely this time around.

"You hurt me", Theo said dramatically, making both women burst into laughter.

"Surprise me", Gracie told Jessie when they stopped laughing.

Jessie nodded and went to the kitchen. She had always loved how open Theo's kitchen was to the living room but now she despised it. She could hear their soft laughter and Gracie's teasing words thrown at Theo.

At that instant, Jessie knew she was going to have to leave Theo. She felt like she had been encroaching his space but he was good-natured to say it to her clearly.

She hated feeling like a burden. She had felt like that for more than half of her life. She was twenty two, for crying out loud! She was supposed to be doing something productive with her life, not crying over a worthless man and pining over a clearly taken one.

Starting tomorrow, she was going to take her life into her hands. She was strong and she was going to prove that to herself.

Jessie settled on making carbonara pasta. And midway, Theo and Gracie walked to the kitchen offering their help. She refused graciously (hehe) and kept working on her own.

Her mind was walking a mile a minute (do they even say this shit? Idk) and they were just going to distract her.

A few moments later, Jessie was done with the food. She knew the carbonara was more of a brunch or heavy breakfast meal, but the only stuff Theo had in his fridge was breakfast stuff.

"This is good", Gracie said, placing her hand on Theo's shoulder. They were sitting at the dining table, Theo at the head and Gracie and Jessie at each side of him.

Jessie looked at Gracie's hand pointedly before gracing her comment with a response which was a simple smile.

Theo was uncomfortable. There was a slight tension and he didn't know how to smoothen things out. Gracie was his best friend, they had known each other for years and she had been there for him when he needed someone. But Jessie... Jessie was the girl he knew he could fall in love with; the girl with whom he was on the verge of falling in love with.

But he was distrustful and so was she. That was a match made in hell and bound for doom right?

He was confused and he knew Jessie was too. So he sought her eyes and offered a small reassuring smile as if to say I'm still here. You got me. She returned it and it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

After eating, Jessie excused herself and Theo went to work. He had a deadline to meet and he had barely started any of the work. So he did not need any distractions.

Gracie was on the couch in the living room, scrolling through her phone, feeling bored and left out. She decided to go and see Jessie.

Jessie heard a knock on the door and muttered a "Come in", convinced it was Theo who was on the other side.

To her greatest surprise, Gracie opened the door and got in. She had a tentative smile on her face.

Jessie closed the book she was reading and smiled back, wondering why the hell Gracie was here in the same room with her.

"Hey Jessie", Gracie said, then asked, "Can I sit?"

Jessie nodded dumbly and gestured towards the bed.

Gracie made small talk for a few moments, talking about stuff Jessie was not interested in. Then she finally spit out what she had intended to.

"How and why are you staying with Theo? Don't you have a home? I'm not trying to offend you. I'm just curious"

Jessie smiled thinly. She had had this problem with some of the people who were attracted to Patrick. They kept on asking her how she had managed to snag him when she wasn't even that pretty.

"He's helping me. I'm leaving soon, don't bother", Jessie replied. She was not going to serve this girl her backstory just like that.

"You like him though", Gracie observed, looking keenly at Jessie.

"Yeah, and you do too", Jessie replied, not missing a beat.

"Like? Please. I've loved Theo for over five years now. He's my best friend", the brunette scoffed, waving her short but manicured fingers around.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jessie wanted to know.

"I– I don't want you getting your hopes up. I'm not a bitch but I love Theo and if you're not a bitch to fight for those you love, then do you really love them?", She asked rhetorically.

"Anyways, Jessie, I've known Theo way longer than you have. So keep the idea of both of you together out of your mind", Gracie concluded, then went out of the room as quietly as she had come in.

Jessie sighed and fell face down on the bed. What was it with drama chasing her? All she wanted was a chill and peaceful life, and maybe someone she lived and who lived her by her side. But it seemed like date liked messing with her.

She sighed again and headed to the bathroom to take a long shower to clear her thoughts.

***

The next day, Jessie had made up her mind to tell Theo about her decision. She came out of the room, dreading seeing Gracie draped all over Theo.

But to her greatest surprise, Gracie was no where to be found as Theo made breakfast. She let out a sigh of relief, then cleared her throat softly to let Theo know she was there.

Theo lifted his head with a soft smile and greeted, "Hey sleepyhead. Had a good night?"

"Yeah and you?", Jessie answered, sitting on one of the bar stools in the kitchen, wincing a bit when her ankle hurt.

"Good", was all Theo said and continued with the breakfast.

"Where's Gracie?", Jessie asked after a small silence.

"She left earlier this morning. Had something urgent to take care of"

"Oh". The rest of the time was silent, until they started eating.

"Theo, I've been thinking", Jessie confessed.

"That's never good", he teased, earning a smile.

"Shut up", Jessie said mock sternly, the she went on with what she was saying.

"Theo, I want to move out. I feel like I've been a burden to you. I– I just want to–"

"Hold on a minute", Theo interrupted. "Did I ever make you feel like you were a burden? Like you were unwanted?"

"No but–"

"Then why would you think like that. I love your company. And I don't think you're a burden or whatsoever"

"Theo, I can't stay here forever"

"Why not?"

"Because I can't bear to see you acting all lovey dovey with your girlfriend dammit!", Jessie exploded, leaving both of them wide-eyed.

"My girlfriend?"

"Gracie"

"You think Gracie's my girlfriend? That's hilarious"

"If you're done mocking me, can I leave now?"

"I... like you Jessie. And those words are not enough to convey the depth of my feeling. I'm half in love other you and I don't even know when or how it happened. All I know is, you telling me you want to leave is making a deep hole to form in my heart. So stop it from spreading. Stay, please"

Jessie was at a loss for what to say. She felt exactly the same way he was feeling but how could she express it? Fear was clawing at her insides. Fear of being rejected, like she had been countless of times before.