“So how was your trip?” Pacey asked casting a glance in Jen’s direction as he drove her home from the train station.

"Horrible." Jen grumbled, still remembering her parents’ terse goodbyes to her at the train station.

He reached for her hand and squeezed it lightly. "At least you're home now."

"Yeah," she smiled. "And...Grams decided to stay one more night in New York. So, we have the house to ourselves."

"Why Lindley, are you trying to entice me with your wanton ways?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Do you need to be enticed?" she asked skeptically.

He smirked. "No."

"Didn't think so." She squeezed his hand. "I imagine my bed will be a hell of a lot more comfortable than the truck," she said referring to their last rendezvous.

He smiled. "Yes but the truck leads to creativity."

"True, but I think we're ready for the luxury of a mattress and the space to...maneuver."

"That'd be helpful," he chuckled. He glanced at her again. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." She smiled thinly, trying to fight back the waves of guilt she felt over her time with Henry. "It would have been nice to have you there when I was facing down my parents."

"I wish I could have been there."

"Yeah," she shrugged and looked out the window. "It wasn't too bad."

"That's good to hear."

"So how'd the Police Ball go?"

He exhaled sharply. "It didn't."

"It didn't?"

"Joey and I ended up not going."

"Why not?" Jen gave him a confused look. "I thought your Dad said it was mandatory."

"It was but we had...car trouble," he lied. "By the time the truck started it was too late to go so I just dropped Joey back off at home."

"Oh," she nodded. "Doesn't surprise me with this heap of junk." She patted the dashboard affectionately. "So what else did ya do while I was gone?"

He shrugged pulling into her driveway. "Nothing much, helped Andie set up her house for Christmas but really nothing out of the ordinary."

"So you just sat at home pining away for me?" She batted her eyelashes at him.

He smiled. "Yep."

She blinked. "Oh." Images of her weekend with Henry played through her mind. While she was spending time with her ex and being kissed--who was she kidding--kissing her ex, he was here thinking of her. The guilt seemed to know no end.

"Well, Lucy, you're home," Pacey announced as he stopped the car in front of her house.

"Thanks for picking me up, Pace." She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I know I just invited you over since Grams is out of town..." she winced, hating how trite she sounded. "But, do you think I can offer you a rain check?"

He nodded. "Um, yeah, sure."

She climbed out of the truck and went around to his side. He rolled down the window for her and she reached in and pulled him by the collar, "I want a proper kiss goodbye first," she murmured before capturing his lips with hers. She tried to ignore the nagging in the back of her mind that insisted Pacey couldn't make her feel the way Henry did.

"Mmm...it's been far too long since we've done that," he said pulling away after a while.

She nodded and slowly opened her eyes. The love he felt for her was shining so obviously in his eyes, she wanted to rip out her hair for relief from the agony it was causing her. "Pacey, I love you."

The words were out before she'd even had the chance to think them, let alone analyze the impact they'd have or the fact that they were a lie.

He smiled all of his worries suddenly put at ease as he felt a great sense of relief and he leaned forward giving her another kiss. “I love you too.” He reached his hand out and brushed his thumb gently against the smooth skin of her cheek.

She bit her lip, wanting to run to her room and bury her face in her pillow to cry over the whole mess she'd created. "I'll call you, okay?" she told him.

He nodded again pulling his arm back in and shifting the car into drive, a cheesy grin on his face. “Yeah, sure.”

"Bye Pace." She stepped back as he pulled out and watched him drive away. Oh Lord, had she screwed up this time. There was no way to fix this. And Henry was calling her in a few hours. She hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Stupid, stupid, stupid."

Joey opened the front door to the Potter Bed and Breakfast, a cheerful smile on her face, expecting to find the couple scheduled to inhabit room four. Instead, Pacey swept in, grabbing her around the waist in a bear hug. He lifted her off the ground and twirled her around the room.

"Have I told you how brilliant you are lately, Potter?"

"No, not lately." She laughed, "What put you in such a good mood?"

"She said it. Today. After I dropped her off from the train station," Pacey said with a smile setting her back down.

"Wow, she did?" Her smile faltered for a moment and then she had it firmly back in place. "Pacey, that's great!"

He couldn't stop grinning. "I know. You were right. I had nothing to worry about."

"So she doesn't know Henry's in town?"

"I doubt it. She probably would have told me if she knew."

"You should probably warn her then," She smiled and stepped further away from him. "So, why are you here with me, instead of macking on your girlfriend?"

He shrugged. "I guess she's tired from her trip. She's going to call me later."

She sighed and watched him, a sad smile slowing growing on her face. "She loves you."

"Kind of hard to believe, huh?"

She shook her head, "No...not at all. Just kind of...ironic. I guess."

He raised an eyebrow. "Ironic?"

She shifted her weight, "Well, yeah. The way you moved on from Andie to me and now to Jen. One after the other we all fell in love with you." She skirted her eyes away from his. "And then, not to mention the whole sex-pact thing last year."

His eyes clouded and he rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "You know what? I should go."

"Yeah, okay. And we've got some guests coming in any minute now." She groaned inwardly, the last thing she wanted to do was scare him away. "Or...Bodie and Alex are making gingerbread cookies in the kitchen. Maybe you'd like to join them? I'm sure Alex would love to spend some time with his Uncle Pacey."

"Nah, I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Pacey, you're family. You can't intrude."

He laughed. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "besides, I'm not helping them, so I wont be in the vicinity to be annoyed by you."

He smirked. "So you say, but you know you can't resist me, Potter."

The corner of her mouth curved up in a sly smile. "Right, Pace. I just so want to jump your bones."

He smiled. "Glad you're finally admitting it."

She rolled her eyes and turned away, heading to the back of the house to check on room four. Using the time to regain her composure. "Make sure you hang up your coat, slob."

"Yes, mistress."