"So what are you and Jesse doing for Valentine's Day?" Jen asked, peering at Amy from behind her open locker door while she pulled the books needed for her assignments out to stuff into her bag.
"I don't know. I mean, he asked but I didn't know what to tell him." Amy shrugged, not having been in much of a mood for Valentine's Day this year. She wasn't in much of a mood for any sappy holiday really so close to her mother's death.
Jen scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You mean he actually asked you what you wanted to do? Guys are so clueless."
"Yeah, but I don't really blame him. I've been kind of avoiding him lately. I just never know what to say to him. It's been kind of awkward since…"
"Oh… right. Well, you guys are at least getting together right? Maybe he's going to surprise you." Jen spoke up a little hopefully, a spark of excitement flashing in her eyes as she perked up.
"I guess we'll find out." Amy's brow rose when she saw Jesse come around the corner behind Jen, causing the other girl to stand straighter and turn around to look at him.
"We still on for tonight?" Jesse asked, adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder and looking a little hesitant as if expecting Amy to have changed her mind.
"Yeah, yeah definitely. Seven?" Amy answered with a bright smile, nodding as Jesse visibly relaxed and reciprocated her grin.
"Okay, great. I'll see you tonight." He leaned in to leave a parting kiss on Amy's cheek before heading out to catch his bus.
"Did you see his face? Totally has a surprise planned," Jen practically squealed, making Amy just laugh and shake her head before walking with Jen to catch her own bus home.
"Where are you headed?" Ty asked on his way from the loft to the house for dinner, looking Amy up and down when he ran into her at the front walk all dressed up.
"It's Valentine's Day, I have a date with Jesse," she informed him rather cooly, turning her eyes toward the driveway to see the headlights from Jesse's Jeep making their way down.
"Yeah? Where's Richie Rich taking you?"
Amy shot him a reproachful look, pursing her lips and folding her arms to her chest. "That's none of your business." She turned away from him.
Ty raised his arms in surrender, taking a few steps back toward the house. "All right, fine. Have a good night," he told her, walking up to the porch but stopping to turn and watch Amy climb into the Jeep. He smiled at her, she at him, but Ty could tell her smile wasn't as genuine and even forced as Jesse leaned over to kiss her. It was a short kiss, made that way by Amy ending it to reach for her seat belt and shooting a glance out of her window. As Ty watched he could tell she wasn't really into going out with Jesse, whether it was because of the spoiled kid himself or this day in particular or just the fact she'd rather remain home. Ty just shook his head after Jesse made the loop around the driveway to head back out, wondering how long it would be before Amy was searching for a way out.
"More bubbly?" Jesse asked, holding up the half-empty bottle of sparking cider, pouring some into Amy's champagne glass when she nodded and held it steady for him.
As it turned out, Jesse did have a bit of a romantic surprise for them in the basement of the Stanton house. Though she was pretty sure the housekeepers prepared the food, Jesse had taken the time to set everything up on the floor in front of the massive plasma screen television. He laid out blankets like a picnic, turned down the lights and lit the room with delicious smelling candles. He even set up the home theater with one of Amy's favorite movies to watch when they were through eating.
"This was really nice. Thank you." Truth be told, Amy hadn't been too enthusiastic about going out tonight with Jesse, thinking they'd have ended up at some party at his friend's place or get sucked into the one Ashley was throwing outside in the rec room of Briar Ridge's massive stable. While she still felt ill at ease spending alone time with Jesse after being so distant since getting out of the hospital, knew the ice needed to be broken again somehow.
She took a sip of the sweet carbonated liquid then reached for a chocolate-covered strawberry as Jesse sat the bottle aside. "Well the night's not over yet. We still have that movie to watch." He smiled, moving the container of strawberries onto the coffee table behind them then grabbing the remote and starting the movie.
Amy propped pillows behind her, leaning back against the table as Jesse did the same beside of her. Her eyes were on the screen, watching the opening credits fade in but started to feel so awkward and self-conscious sitting there in the quiet with Jesse. Her eyes lowered from the television and slid over to take a peek at him, turning to look at him directly when he did the same. They exchange a shy smile when their eyes met, Amy moving hers back to the screen before Jesse was easing himself closer and draping his arm across her shoulders. Amy watched him, not moving into or away from him but waiting to see what else he did. She used to be so comfortable curling up against him on the couch, but now it just felt so strange to her.
"I love this movie," she commented, trying to break the silence.
"I know," Jesse replied, making Amy turn to look at him again when she felt his eyes on her.
He took that as his cue to lean in and press their lips together, not wasting any time in putting some fire behind the kiss. Amy moved her mouth with his, but when she felt him start to lean into her, leaned away. Jesse's hand slid over her thigh, his fingers dipping inside of her legs making Amy tense and reach down to push it away.
"Jesse…" she started, trying to tell him this wasn't how this night was going to go, but he pressed, moving his hand from her thigh to her stomach, pushing it beneath her shirt and up her body toward her chest.
"Jesse, stop it," Amy protested, being more firm in her attempt to push him away from her.
"Come on, Amy. It's Valentine's Day," he murmured against her lips then tilted his head to get to her neck where he began sucking on her skin.
"I said stop it. It's not happening," she said more firmly, using more force to push him away. This time Jesse backed off, looking at her with an expression of disbelief as he wiped his mouth.
"You know, there are a hundred girls out there who would have killed themselves to be in your place tonight," he snapped rather rudely as Amy scrambled to her feet.
She shot him an annoyed, yet hurt, look. "So then go find one of them," she shot back, running up the stairs and snatching her coat from the closet by the door.
Amy ran outside before she even bothered to put her coat on, fighting tears as she jogged down the fronts steps to Briar Ridge's driveway. She paused hearing the sounds of the party coming from the stable, taking the moment to pull on her coat as she contemplated finding someone there to ask for a ride home. But then decided she didn't want to have to explain about Jesse and took to just walking herself home. With any luck someone would pass by and offer her a ride. The road between Briar Ridge and Heartland wasn't well traveled, but at least anyone who did travel it would be someone Amy knew and probably kind enough to pick her up.