| "Dammit.." I muttered and swam to the platform and pulled my soaking wet body up the ladder and on to it. I shook the water out of my hair and sat down behind her crossing my feet in front of hers and wrapping my arms around hers. I rested my chin on her shoulder and rocked her, kissing the back of her head and her shoulder. "Jess..please..don't cry.." I soothed as she shook in my arms. I heard her, softly sobbing and trying to control her breathing. "Shhh..baby please.." My heart was breaking to hear her cry like that, it was the first time I'd seen her unable to control it to just a few tears. "Jess...talk to me...please.." I said softly. She rubbed her eyes with her small fists, keeping her head down. "Jess?" I called softly and waited. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I moved her wet hair off her neck and around her shoulder, then kissed her there. I held her and rocked a while longer as her breathing slowed. "Jess..please.." I urged again. She kept her head down as she began to speak. "Taylor..I am going to be fine. I can't handle being treated like I am a breakable piece of glass. I have never been responsible for anything but my own bag of bones since my grandmother died. I have never been more busy or more happy in my life. I just need time to get used to it, that's all. In another week I will be so back to normal you won't remember this stupid episode my body has decided to inflict on me. And I don't want you to be worried and not getting enough sleep when you are gone next week, just because of me. I'd feel guilty and I wouldn't sleep either." she said. "Jess...you know how I feel about you. I can't bear the thought of a life without you in it. And as much as Zac picks on you, he loves you too. You don't look like you feel well Jess, and we are worried. I love you, Jessie. Please don't cry anymore, baby..." I said softly and kept rocking her. "Tay..I'm sorry I worried you. I really am. I was just angry. It's frustrating when you re used to giving your body commands that it will obey instantly and then all of a sudden it won't. I will be fine by the time you get home." she said. |
| TAYLOR: "Alright Jess. But you still have to keep your promise. If you still feel like this when I get back you MUST see a doctor." I said. "I will, Tay. I will. PLEASE, let's just have a normal, relaxing day. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want to stay here and swim, lie in the sun...anything we can do here. I just want to be with you. You're leaving again so soon...and we still have to get Wattley home in the morning. Please?" she urged. "Yes, Jessie..as long as you relax and are here with me. I will miss you so much. We can do anything you want today.." I whispered in her ear and rocked her again, relieved that she had calmed down. She held on to my arms around her as I held her tightly and kissed her neck again. We sat like that for a long time, looking out over the water. |
| ZAC: Robin and I walked quietly, hand in hand down the trail toward the lake. We couldn't see anything, but I heard my brother calling out to Jessie. I was surprised that he had to call to her more than once. Robin and I looked at each other and walked a little faster. As we rounded the last bend in the trail, I could see Jess, standing at the end of the dock in her bathing suit. How the hell could she change that fast? Then I saw that Tay was quickly gathering up clothes that she must have scattered on her way down. Damn! He called her again and she glanced back at him and dove in. Taylor dropped everything instantly and ran to the end of the dock, kicking off his shoes. When she came back up, he called to her again, but she ducked under and swam farther out. Shit! I stopped Robin and pulled her back out of Tay and Jessie's view, not that they'd notice us right now, but staying where we could see what was happening. Taylor jumped in still wearing all his clothes and started after her. He came out of the water and I heard him call her again. "Jessie..please.." We watched silently as she swam to the platform and pulled herself up, sitting right down in the middle of it and hugging her knees to her chest. She lowered her head to her kness and stayed there, shaking. Robin and I exchanged worried glances. Neither one of us had ever seen Jess lose it like this except when it came to Eric, but no one ever faulted her for that. We turned back to watch what else would happen. Taylor swam to the dock and pulled himself up, shaking the water out of his hair, before planting himself right behind Jessie and wrapping himself completely around her. He sat there and rocked her like that for a few minutes and we could tell that he was still trying to get her to talk to him. He kissed her head, neck and shoulders and held her to him so tightly that I was almost overcome with emotion. I looked at Robin and squeezed her hand as she fought back a few tears of her own. We kept watching until we saw Jess rub her eyes and could see that Taylor was talking to her and getting a response. His lips stopped moving and I could see that Jessie had relaxed into Taylor's embrace. "They're okay, Robin. Let's go.." I said. She nodded and wiped her eyes, then took my hand as we started back up the trail to our campsite, in total silence. When we arrived back I sat down on the table top, resting my feet on the bench. Robin planted herself between my feet, leaned back on me and sighed heavily. |
| "What?" I asked. "Just catching my breath, that was almost too hard to watch.." she said. "Yeah...I know." I agreed. "Zac?" "Hmm?" "How is that possible? That they are so intense and completely in tune with each other? Taylor didn't really have to say anything to calm her down, I watched same as you...I also felt like we shouldn't have even been standing there this morning, when we got up...and all they were doing was just sitting there, looking at the fire. It's scary and makes me envious all at the same time.." she said and looked up at me. I brushed her hair back from her face and smiled. "I dunno, Robin. But I know what you mean...Tay and Jess are different, it was like they connected the moment they saw each other. But I'd like to feel that way about someone..." I said, my voice getting lower, "I'd like that someone to be you.." She turned to me and held me tightly. Then she pulled back and looked at me with clear green eyes and kissed me, cupping my face in her hands. "I'd like that too, Zac. I want that someone to be you..." |