Wow. Ellie just went right for it.
Jessie threw her head back and let out a long sigh. “Oh god…if I could go back in time, I swear…” She moved her head back down and looked at each of us before taking a deep breath. “That night when I walked in and saw Chelsea…I think a part of me knew it wasn’t Scott, but I had struggled for so long with letting myself fully trust him a hundred percent.”
“Why? Did Scott ever give you the idea that he might leave or cheat?” Ari asked.
Ellie and Jessie looked at each other.
Jessie shook her head. “No, at least not since we’ve been together. But in high school, he, um…well, long story short, he kissed me, and let me tell you, I’d been in love with him for years before that. The moment he pulled away, we looked into each other’s eyes, and I swore I thought he felt the same thing. Then, Chelsea walked by, and he pretty much just thanked me for the kiss and moved on. After we got together, he told me he had felt so scared of his feelings for me then, so he’d run away. Yes, I know we were young and all, but…”
“But…” I said, pressing her to keep talking.
“That fear was still there for me. Anyway…me running away was just me hiding from the truth. I couldn’t take being hurt like that again or seeing him with Chelsea…or seeing Chelsea, period. They were the whole reason I finished up high school early and busted my ass to get through college in record time. I hardly ever came back to Mason because I couldn’t stand the thought of seeing them together.”
Ari nodded. “Okay, I get your reasons for leaving. I really do, but not calling anyone for the past five weeks, Jess? Then, sending the postcard saying you met someone else?”
Jessie shook her head. “I didn’t mean for that to come across like it did. I meant that I had met a friend, and I did. I met Trey the first day I got there, and we connected and helped each other through the pain and hurt. I had fun with him, and yes…being with him helped me forget about Scott.”
“I take it y’all were together a lot?” Ellie asked.
Jessie closed her eyes and nodded. “Every day. He was set to go home, but he decided to stay until New Year’s…with me. He didn’t want to go home and face questions with everyone telling him how sorry they were about what had happened.”
“So, basically, you both hid like cowards,” Ari said matter-of-factly.
My mouth dropped open, and I just looked at Ari. “Ari! Oh my god!” I said.
Ari just looked at me and shrugged her shoulders. “They did.” She turned back to face Jessie. “I’m sorry, Jessie, but you left behind everyone who cares about you. For over a month, we went out of our goddamn minds, wondering where in the fuck you were. I thought Scott was going to lose everything.”
Jessie looked at Ari with a questioning look. “What do you mean?”
Ellie grabbed Ari’s arm. “Ari, maybe now is not the time—”
“No, now is the time. Scott went into a deep depression. He let his business go, and Jeff had to start taking all of Scott’s business calls. They almost lost out on a racehorse they had been trying to get for the last few months. Scott pretty much gave up on everything…but his love for you.”
I watched as the tears began to roll down Jessie’s face. I looked at Ari and shook my head.
Ari shook her head and kept talking. “I’m sorry, Jessie. You know I adore you. There isn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do for you, but what you did, not even calling anyone…it was just wrong.”
Jessie sucked in a breath of air. “I know. I know it was, but at the time, I wasn’t thinking clearly, and it was just easier to forget everything.”
Ari rolled her eyes and looked away. I reached for Jessie’s hand, and she looked at me.
I smiled. “Jessie, do you have feelings for this Trey guy?”
She shook her head and started crying. “No! I mean…yes…I care about him, and we became friends. He…he…helped me forget.”
“Okay, I understand that,” I said. “But Scott seems to think you might be in love with him, Jessie. Are you in love with him?”
She shook her head. “No. I love Scott, and we’re having a baby, and…” She broke down in tears again. “Oh my god,” she cried out as she rocked back and forth in the chair. “I let Trey touch me. I let him kiss me, and the whole time, it felt so wrong, but at the same time, it felt so right. I don’t love him…I don’t love him!” she yelled.
I glanced up at Ari and Ellie. They both had tears in their eyes. I noticed Ellie rubbing her stomach. I closed my eyes and felt sick to my stomach. The idea of finding out I was pregnant with the love of my life’s child and knowing another man had touched me…
Oh god, poor Jessie.
“Jessie…did you have sex with Trey?” I asked.
She snapped her eyes over at me. “No! I didn’t even let him give me an orgasm. I made him stop. Even though I thought Scott had cheated on me, I was still in love with him, and it felt wrong.”
Ellie took a deep breath and started to rub Jessie’s back. “Jessie, honey, take a deep breath and calm down.”