Chapter 3

Jen woke up the next morning in Dawson's arms but she still felt cold. She turned to face him but he was staring at the ceiling, she snuggled into his chest and kissed him.

" Baby?" she asked, Dawson looked down at her and kissed her hair.

" What aren't you telling me, Jen?" he asked. She looked up at him and shook her head, trying to look innocent. " I mean it,"

" It's nothing. It's just Annabel, we have a history," Jen sighed, fiddling with her curls and trying to think how she could tell Dawson about what had happened.

" Jen, I know about your past and I don't care. You don't do drugs anymore or anything like that. You're not the same person you were in New York,"

" I know, Dawson. I just…I never told anyone before. It wasn't about drugs or anything; me and Annabel dated," sighed Jen. Dawson was silent, attempting to take in the revelation his girlfriend and just dumped on him. She looked up at him but he wouldn't look at her. " There isn't any chance you're finding this an amazing turn-on?"

" Not really. The big fantasy thing is kinda overshadowed by the lies," said Dawson. Jen moved away from him and sat up in bed. "Why didn't you tell anyone? It's not like we'd have judged you, did we judge Jack?"

" No, but the whole experience reminds me of a time when I was at my worst. I just wanted to forget about it. I'm not ashamed of what happened but Drue and Annabel…they both know so much about me. They both represent something that I don't want to admit to myself,"

" Which is what?" asked Dawson, sitting up to comfort her as silent tears ran down her cheeks.

" That I was a really bad person. Before I moved to Capeside, I was known as the party girl and the good-time girl, I hate that," she sniffed.

" But that's not who you are now. Jen, you need to realise that whatever you did in your past was left in New York. We love you even though you screwed up in the past; it's made you a stronger person. You just need to realise that," soothed Dawson as he stroked her hair.

Jen and Dawson were making coffee when Drue and Annabel entered the kitchen. Drue jumped up onto the kitchen counter and stretched his arms out above him, Annabel stood in front of him so that his legs wrapped around her waist.

" Did you sleep well?" asked Dawson, Annabel grinned and squeezed Drue's legs.

" Yep, what about you two crazy lovebirds?" smiled Drue, noticing Jen's red, swollen eyes. Dawson nodded and handed Drue a mug of coffee. " Thanks, man,"

" What's on the agenda today, Jen?" asked Annabel. Jen turned to face both her and Drue, sipping her coffee and remembering Dawson's words. Drue and Annabel were her past; this was her future; Boston, Dawson, a new life.

" Nothing. I can show you around Boston but it's a little boring compared to New York," she smiled.

" I can imagine anything would be boring compared to New York. I mean, Capeside certainly did me no favours," Drue laughed. Annabel left the confines of Drue's legs and walked over to Jen, brushing hair out of her eyes and running her fingers down her face.

" You had hair in your eyes," she smiled, her fingers lingering on Jen's cheek. Jen shivered at the thought of her relationship with Annabel but knew that it was something she couldn't go back to.

" Leave me alone," she hissed. Annabel looked startled and backed away, looking confusedly up at Drue. Jen walked over to Dawson and manoeuvred herself into his arms.

" What's the matter, Jen?" asked Drue. " You just not as fun as you used to be, no more playing around for you?"

" No, Drue. I love Dawson now,"

" Okay, we'll see how long that lasts. You know you've only ever loved Annabel," smiled Drue, curling Annabel's hair around his fingers.

" No, Drue. I was upset and confused and you forced us together. Look, I think you'd better leave," she sighed, rubbing her eyes.

" Fine, I just thought it would be nice to see a few old friends,"

" You have no friends here, Drue. We weren't friends in New York and we're not friends now. Why are you doing this? Why are you being so cruel?" begged Jen, not understanding how Drue could become almost human during the last year of high school yet be so spiteful now. Drue looked at Jen, his face almost softening at her question, his gaze went from Jen to Dawson to Annabel and back to Jen.

" You're so stupid, Lindley. I love you, I always have. You just keep trying to ignore it so you don't have to do anything about it,"