Someone to Love You – Chapter 20
The day's earlier light rain had turned into a steady downpour, leading Rachel and Jesse to opt for the comfort of an afternoon spent relaxing at her house. Mindful of the temptation that being alone posed, and wanting to maintain Hiram and Leroy's continued support, they'd settled in the living room, out in full view. One or the other of the Berry men had made it a point to pop in occasionally, keeping a watchful eye on the two teens. Her fathers had been quite amazed that, over the course of several hours, they'd yet to come upon the duo in anything even resembling a compromising position.
Currently immersed in a Barbra Streisand movie marathon, Jesse and Rachel were relaxing together on the couch, his arm draped casually across her shoulder, her petite frame nestled into his side. A half-eaten bowl of popcorn was perched on his lap. As the dying strains of The Way We Were filtered through the speakers, Jesse noticed Rachel surreptitiously brushing a tear from her cheek. Leaning over, he kissed the spot gently before pulling her closer.
"That will never be us," he assured her.
Her expression was troubled.
"How can you be sure?"
"We've already been through our share of misunderstandings, as well as a major breakup. We found our way back to each other, and we're stronger for it."
"But we're still young. We might change in ways we can't even begin to imagine."
"That's true. I can't promise you that nothing will ever come between us. I expect we'll have our share of fights, and things could get strained at times. We are both overly dramatic, after all. But, deep down, where it really matters, we're fundamentally the same. We dream the same dreams. We want the same life. I firmly believe that, as long as we keep talking to each other, we'll get through anything."
"I hope you're right."
His grin was cocky, defusing any hard feelings his words might provoke.
"Have I forgotten to mention it? I'm always right."
She gave him a playful shove and he fell backwards with a theatrical flourish, causing the bowl of popcorn to go flying. As she knelt to pick up the scattered pieces, he took advantage of the opportunity to tickle her. She dissolved into a fit of high pitched giggles and squeals as he managed to find a great many sensitive spots. They were both totally oblivious to the intimacy of their position, with her lying pinned to the ground as he straddled her waist.
"Everything okay in here?"
At the sound of Leroy's voice, Jesse sprang off Rachel so fast he crashed into the coffee table, almost toppling it over. Rachel, her face suffused with colour, hastily resumed cleaning up the popcorn spill.
"Everything's fine, Dad. We just got a little clumsy, but we're taking care of it."
Leroy offered no response, causing both teens to be overtaken by a strong case of nerves. Feeling compelled to break the uncomfortable silence, Jesse was the first to speak up.
"It wasn't what it looked like, Mr. Berry. Rachel was trying to fix the mess we made, and I just couldn't resist tickling her."
The older man made his way slowly and deliberately to Jesse's side, and the latter did his level best not to flinch. Leaning down, Leroy brought his mouth close to Jesse's ear and whispered something to him that Rachel couldn't hear. She held her breath, terrified that her dad might just have uttered some dire threat. Watching Jesse carefully, her face mirrored her confusion as his expression morphed from shock to amusement.
"Thanks, Mr. Berry. I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that. By the way, Hiram wanted me to find out if the two of you will be joining us for supper."
"I really appreciate the offer, but my aunt and uncle were hoping to see Rachel today, too, and I told them we'd swing by later."
"No problem, Jesse. Drive carefully, and have her home by midnight," Leroy advised.
"Just to clarify, sir. Is that a firm deadline, or has she got a few minutes' grace?"
"No more than ten, is that understood?"
Leroy acknowledged Jesse's nod before turning to Rachel. "As for you, honey, don't forget what we talked about this morning."
Jesse's curiosity was piqued at the blush that rose to Rachel's cheeks.
"How could I?" she mumbled, her head bent as she swept the last few kernels into the bowl before rising to her feet.
Taking the dish from his daughter's outstretched hand, Leroy gave her a quick hug, clapped Jesse on the shoulder, and made his way back to the kitchen.
"Are you ready to go?"
"I just have to run upstairs to get my purse. Be back in a minute."
True to her word, Rachel returned within seconds, her bag at her side. Slipping their jackets and shoes on, Jesse entwined his fingers with hers and led her down the walkway to his Range Rover.
Although the rain had eased to a light drizzle, the dampness of the evening discouraged lingering outside. As they approached the SUV, they both gazed longingly at its back seat, but recognized the risk involved in staying parked in the driveway for any length of time.
"Later," he murmured, as he held the door open and helped her in.
The glint in his eye was full of promise, and warmth immediately spread throughout her body. Once he'd taken the wheel and manoeuvred the vehicle onto the street, he reached for her hand and, laying it on his thigh, covered it with his own. Leaning back into the luxurious comfort of the bucket seat, she let out a long, deep breath.
"Able to relax, now?"
"Yes, finally. We survived an afternoon of my dads hovering. I can't believe how often they checked up on us."
"Hey, at least they didn't insist that they'd really been wanting to catch a few Streisand flicks themselves. They could have been sitting right by our side all day."
Rachel groaned at the thought.
"Of course, Dad had to walk in on the one moment that wasn't strictly PG."
"Well, if you hadn't been laughing so loudly…"
"If you hadn't somehow found every ticklish spot on my body…"
An odd sound came from Jesse, and Rachel realized that he was struggling to suppress a snicker.
"What is it?"
"You have no idea what your father said to me, do you?"
"No. But I have to admit that I thought he was about to threaten you somehow."
"That's what I thought, too. Imagine my surprise at it being quite the opposite."
"He praised you?"
"Hmm… I guess you could say that, in a roundabout way. He demonstrated great confidence in me."
"By…?"
He offered her a wide smirk.
"Revealing your most ticklish spot."
Rachel sputtered in disbelief.
"He wouldn't!"
"Oh, but he did."
Grinning, he shifted his hand so that his fingertips began a slow ascent up her side.
"In fact, I think I'm getting very warm," he teased.
She swatted at his palm, letting out a gasp as it grazed the edge of her breast. He, meanwhile, waged an internal battle with himself over whether to release his grip on her, or pull over and indulge the impulse that was screaming at him to wrap his arms around her, kiss her fiercely, and pick up where they'd left off the previous night. Restraint won out, for the moment at least. Placing her hand on his thigh once more, he cast a curious glance at her from the corner of his eye.
"What is it your dad wants you to remember?"
He was surprised to see a blush rise to her face yet again.
"Must be really embarrassing. Every time the subject comes up, you turn a most becoming shade of pink."
"I don't suppose we could just drop it?"
Noting Rachel's discomfort, Jesse immediately steered the SUV to the side of the road, cut the engine, and turned in his seat to face her.
"How bad is it?"
She threw up her hands and heaved a sigh of frustration.
"It's not that it's really so bad. It's just… I wish I had a woman around to talk to about stuff like this. I wish I had a mom."
Reaching over, he unhooked her seat belt and tugged gently on her coat sleeve until she scooted over to sit in his lap. Wrapping his arms comfortingly around her, he kissed the top of her head. She leaned against his chest and sniffled audibly.
"I'm so sorry that things didn't work out with Shelby."
His voice, strained and low, bore witness to the pain he still felt at the part he had played in her botched reunion with her birth mother.
"You didn't know. And I'm okay about it now – at least, most of the time. My dads have been terrific parents. But there are some things that would just be easier with a woman."
"I get it. As great as Cat is, there's tons of stuff that I wouldn't want to discuss with her."
They sat quietly for several minutes, completely at ease with the silence. He ran his fingers gently through her hair. The warmth of his touch had a soothing effect, and she began to relax.
"I'm guessing sex is involved."
A strangled groan escaped her.
"My dads made an appointment for me with our family doctor."
"Because?"
Rachel hesitated before answering, waiting to see if he'd be able to reach the same conclusion she had without having it spelled out. As she watched him, his eyes widened as comprehension dawned.
"They want you to be covered. In case we get caught up in the moment... or I forget the condom… or it breaks."
"Yeah."
Her response was barely more than a sigh. He grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced her to look at him.
"You realize what this means, right? They took you seriously last night. They took us seriously. They understood what I was saying – well, what I implied without actually saying. I know it was massively uncomfortable for you to be talking to your dads about your sex life…"
"Something I don't even truly have yet," she interjected.
He lifted an eyebrow suggestively.
"That's easily remedied," he assured her.
Her stomach fluttered, and her heart hammered loudly in her chest as the full import of his words sank in. Desire flared deep within her, and she reached for his face to bring him closer. Surprisingly, he resisted.
"Not here. Not now. Epic romance, remember?"
"How long are you going to torture me with that?"
His answering grin was shameless.
"As long as I can get away with it."
He was surprised at the wicked gleam that appeared in her eyes.
"Doesn't mean I have to make it easy for you," she countered.
Before he could fully process her words, her lips were on his. The kiss was anything but chaste, as she thrust her tongue in his mouth, firmly and forcefully. After only a few seconds she withdrew it and began to alternately suck and nibble on his sensitive bottom lip. Her actions had a predictable effect on him, and she felt him growing harder. Needing to increase their contact, she pulled away slightly to reposition herself, swinging one leg over his so that she knelt in front of him, her knees straddling his thighs. He wasted no time in taking advantage of her new position, tightening his grip around her waist and drawing her even closer. Her dress rose up and she gasped audibly as his arousal pressed against her core, the sensations causing her to arch into him. Almost of its own volition, her body began to move, intensifying the delicious friction. He groaned.
"How did you get so damn good at this?" he wondered aloud.
"Instinct. And the help of an excellent teacher," she whispered in his ear.
"Let me teach you a few more things, then," he murmured seductively.
His hands skimmed up her ribcage, coming to rest lightly on the side of her breasts. His fingertips grazed her nipples, and he smiled in satisfaction as he felt them harden under his touch. Once again, he noted the absence of a particular undergarment.
"You seem to have picked up a new habit lately."
She adopted her most innocent look.
"Which is?"
He smirked at her.
"Leaving some of your clothes at home."
Only the faintest of blushes coloured her cheeks this time.
"Oh. That. It's pretty selective. I only do it for you. Should I stop?"
"Don't you dare."
His voice was a low growl, and his gaze, when it caught hers, was dark with lust. His fingers moved to undo the top button of her dress, followed quickly by the second. As he pushed the fabric aside, his eyes were drawn to the small purple mark, clearly visible. Bending his head, he lay a soft kiss on the bruise, before glancing up at her through his lashes. The question was unspoken, the response equally wordless. She could feel the upward curve of his lips against her skin as his mouth shifted slightly, coming to rest tantalizingly close to her right nipple. Just as he had before, he began to nip and tug at her sensitive skin. She tangled her fingers in his hair as waves of longing coursed through her. His handiwork complete, he allowed his tongue to flick teasingly across her hardened peak before leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses from her chest to her collarbone.
Their breathing became laboured and their pulses pounded as desire overwhelmed them both. Jesse was just about to slip Rachel's dress off her shoulders when the bright lights of a passing car illuminated the inside of the SUV, stopping them in their tracks. They froze, the interruption serving to instantly cool their overheated libidos. Leaning his forehead against hers, he heaved a sigh.
"I'm sorry. I got carried away."
She placed a gentle palm on the side of his face.
"I wasn't objecting."
"But I promised you…"
"Epic romance. I know. But there's nothing to say we can't have some fun until that moment comes, right?"
Her mischievous grin caused his heart to race.
How did I ever get so lucky?
"I think I can agree to that. But it'll have to wait."
He winked at her. She thrust her bottom lip into a pout.
"Are you sure I can't persuade you otherwise?"
"I'm quite certain you could persuade me of just about anything. But there's someplace we need to be."
Reluctantly, Rachel eased herself off Jesse's lap. Straightening her dress, she refastened one of the two buttons, then settled back into the passenger seat once more. Jesse, having put the Range Rover in gear and steered the vehicle back onto the road, reached into his jacket pocket and plucked out his iPod.
"Pick something we can sing along to," he requested.
She was more than happy to oblige. Scrolling through his various playlists, she picked one that had been among her favourites when they'd been dating the first time around. As a most familiar melody wafted from the speakers, Jesse smiled at her choice, and soon they were harmonizing to Let It Be Me.
Several duets later, they were just reaching the end of All I Ask of You when Rachel felt the car begin to slow. Glancing out the window, she expected to be surrounded by trees, with Drew and Cat's sprawling ranch-style bungalow looming ahead of her. Instead, she found herself staring at an unfamiliar street front. Puzzled, she cast a quizzical gaze at Jesse.
"Where are we?"
"Clearly on one of the less popular streets in Lima if a life-long resident such as yourself doesn't recognize it."
She looked out the window once more, trying to orient herself.
"It's vaguely familiar. But what I really meant was, why aren't we at your aunt and uncle's place?"
"I thought you might be getting hungry, so I'm planning on buying you dinner."
Her expression reflected her unresolved confusion.
"Oh. We're not eating with Drew and Cat?"
"No."
He paused a moment before continuing, giving her nothing further to go on. His tone was teasing as he posed a simple question.
"Disappointed?"
"Not at all," she assured him. "Just surprised. And a bit worried. You told my dads…"
"That we'd be heading to la casa St. James later. Which we will be. I have no intention of getting us in trouble with your parents."
"Good."
Her fears allayed, she felt free to indulge her curiosity.
"So, where are you taking me?"
"There."
He pointed to a rather run-down brick building a few feet ahead. She eyed him uncertainly.
"Is it safe to eat in that place?"
Chuckling softly, he withheld his answer until he'd guided the Range Rover into the nearest parking spot.
"Don't be fooled by the exterior. The food is top-notch, according to Cat, and you know how discriminating she is. Apparently, the chef and most of his staff apprenticed in some of China's five star eateries. Plus, she confirmed that there are plenty of vegan options on the menu."
"Okay, I'll take her word for it. But I wasn't just asking if the food would be edible. I was also worried that someone we know might see us."
"I think the risk is pretty slim. It looks like a hole in the wall, but it's actually quite high end. I can't really picture anyone from McKinley hanging out here. If it makes you too nervous, though, we can just go to Drew's. I'm sure we could scrounge something from the fridge."
"It sounds very appealing, and I'd love to try it with you. Let's do it!"
He was out of the vehicle and at her side in a flash, holding her door open and offering her his hand as she stepped down to the curb.
"You're being such a gentleman," she observed.
"You deserve nothing less," he insisted.
Lacing his fingers with hers, Jesse led her towards the restaurant's entrance. As they stepped inside, a multitude of delectable aromas drifted towards them, causing Rachel's mouth to water. Scanning her tastefully decorated surroundings, she was relieved to note the decidedly small number of customers, none of whom she recognized. Jesse squeezed her hand as the maître d' glanced up, acknowledging their presence.
"Mr. St. James. The table you requested is ready. Follow me, please."
They were escorted to a booth in the far corner of the room, which had been set for two. A crystal vase held a bouquet of exquisite red roses, and the lit candle in the centre of the table emitted a warm glow. Once they'd both taken their seats, Rachel's happiness bubbled over.
"Jesse, it's beautiful. When did you arrange all of this?"
"This morning. I take it everything meets with your approval?"
"Well, I can't vouch for the food yet, but if it tastes as good as it smells, it'll be delicious. Everything else is perfect."
"Just like you."
Her heart swelled at the depth of emotion in his voice. Reaching across the table, she placed her hands in his, and he drew them to his lips, kissing each one in turn. Suddenly, unexpectedly, her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. Concern was etched on Jesse's face.
"Rach? Is something wrong?"
"No. Nothing's wrong. Everything is so right…"
"Then why are you about to cry?"
She offered him a weak smile.
"I can't remember the last time I was this happy… the last time someone treated me as if I mattered… as if I was special and interesting and worth caring about…"
Rising from his seat, he moved to the other side of the booth and slid in beside her, wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her close. With great tenderness, he tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. As a tear spilled over, his thumb caressed her cheek, gently wiping the wetness away.
"You are all those things to me, and more."
A sardonic smirk ghosted across her face as she considered the irony of the situation.
"After everything we went through… after the way we ended… I never could have dreamt, back then, that you'd be the one person capable of easing all the pain I'd carried inside for so long. And yet, that's what you've done. It's what you do, whenever we text or talk or spend time together. You make me feel whole, Jesse, and that's uncharted territory for me."
"It is for me, too. But even back then, I did dream that you'd be a part of my life again someday. I was so empty without you, and for months, that hope was all I had to hold on to. That night, when you answered my text, I knew I had a shot. And now, thanks to luck, or fate, or destiny – whatever you want to call it – here you are. In my arms. Exactly where you belong."
Staring down at her, he found himself getting lost in her expressive brown eyes. Instinctively, his head inclined towards hers, and her lips parted in anticipation. Their mouths met and clung, tasting and teasing in a way that had already become second nature to them both. As he moved to deepen the kiss, he suddenly felt her every muscle tense. Pulling away just enough to read her expression, he bit back the question he'd been about to ask as she placed a finger to her lips in warning, wordlessly begging him for silence. It only took a moment for him to understand what had prompted her reaction. From somewhere uncomfortably close, he heard a disturbingly familiar voice.
"Why did you drag me here, Brit?"
"I came here with my parents once, and I thought the food was great. Besides, don't you get tired of eating at Breadstix all the time?"
"Are you kidding? They give you unlimited breadsticks. And they don't look down their noses at you like that snotty guy at the front door did. I swear he muttered something under his breath about a dress code."
Jesse had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing at the outrage in Santana's tone. As he and Rachel slouched down in the booth in an effort to keep from being spotted, he reached for her purse, extracted a pen, and scribbled Are there two cheerleaders in the booth behind us? on the closest napkin. Signalling discretely to their server, Jesse handed him the note and groaned inwardly at the young man's affirmative nod.
"We're trapped," he whispered, so softly that no one but Rachel could possibly have heard.
Grabbing the napkin, she responded in writing.
Let's hope the waiter annoys her some more, and she leaves soon.
Maybe I could bribe him into spilling something on her precious uniform.
You are so bad.
He winked at her, and she grinned in return. In spite of the less than ideal situation they currently found themselves in, they chose to take advantage of the chance they'd been given to sit quietly, content to simply be in each other's company. Nestled in Jesse's nurturing embrace, Rachel closed her eyes and managed to tune the two Cheerios out – until the moment Santana's voice rose in obvious frustration.
"Honestly, Brit, I don't see why you're pushing this. Can't you just leave it alone?"
"It's because you're my friend, San. I want you to be happy. Even if I don't get it."
"What's not to get? Finn's the quarterback. I'm a cheerleader."
Rachel's eyes shot open as Santana's words caught her full attention.
"So? Puck's on the team, too, and he's into you."
"That's getting a little old. Besides, Puck's not terribly discriminating. Anything with a pulse will do."
"Uh, San? You're not much different."
"True. But in some weird kind of way, Finn makes me want to be more selective."
"Oh my God. You're falling for him. I thought it was just a one-night stand."
"I did, too. But it seems that taking a guy's virginity is an oddly bonding experience…"