We finally arrived after the some-what delayed lift. Luckily there isn't much traffic in Carmel. Not if you compare it to Brooklyn anyway. I approached the Mission Academy slowly, taking my time.

How do you strike up a conversation when the last time you saw the listener, you'd had your tongue in another guys throat?

And even though it wasn't even my fault, it was still pretty embarrassing. I mean, Jesse the guy I'd pledged my undying love to, now thought I was getting with the guy he had a fist fight with. Over me.

I felt my cheeks heat up as I hurried down the silent hall-way into the one place I was almost certain to find him. The Rectory.

I ran towards it and gave a timid knock on the old oak door. It swung open almost immediately. Revealing a very shocked looking Jesse. I felt my own breath catch at the sight of him.

He eyed me quietly, like he was waiting for me to take the first move. I took a deep breath and let it out again hopelessly. He hated me. I just new it.

"We need to talk." I informed him tensely. I was just hoping now he'd give me a chance to explain.

I watched as he lifted an ink black eye brow. His eyes were like the dark clouds before a storm. I gulped, he was so pissed. I could see it.

But he just nodded and gestured for me to come inside. Not that he looked very happy about it. My heart raced as I stepped inside the threshold. Neat piles of books littered the plain little room. There was no bed or bathroom. Then I reminded myself. He didn't need them, because he was dead. I walked over to the far corner of the room and picked up a little bronzed picture frame. It had a faded black and white portrait inside. I couldn't quite make it out. It looked like a girl but………..

"You said we needed to talk." came Jesse's impatient voice from behind me. He took the photo out of my hands and threw it onto the floor. I met his blazing gaze defiantly. The way I would have before I realised he was perfect for me. Before I fell in l………

"Yes." I replied annoyed at having to think about what I was going to say. I took one last look at the forgotten frame before returning my gaze to his.

"About yesterday." I continued.

"I don't know what you mean. If you wish to align yourself with such a…."

"Jesse, listen to me. Yesterday was a mistake. Paul kissed me and then you materialised and…well, you left before I could explain. It was just Paul being a jerk as usual. I swear it didn't mean anything." I searched his eyes to try and tell what he was thinking. Probably how much of an idiot I was for letting Paul get that close without hitting him. But his expression was blank as usual.

"If that is true what you just said, then why is it that you was out there alone with him anyway?" he asked, his voice verging on disbelief. I sighed impatiently.

"Mom made me walk to school. He came up behind me." I missed out the bit where I made him crash his car into the nearby trees.

"Look Jesse. I never meant to hurt you. And if I'd ever known he was going to pull something like that then I would have been out of there. I hate him. You should know that by now."

"Why would it matter to me even if you didn't hate him?" he asked acidly. I felt a twang of pain at that. He must have seen he'd upset me, since his tone softened as he said:

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. I'm glad you came to explain it all to me." He reached out to push some stray strands of hair behind my ear. But what surprised me was as he did so, his hand stayed there, on my cheek. He looked down at me, and for a split second I thought he was going to kiss me. I really did. He was just standing there looking down at me and………………

"I'm sorry for more than I can say. I shouldn't have left you like that. I took advantage of you and....." that snapped me out of my daze. Taken advantage of me? When. He can't mean when he kissed me. But I could tell that he did. Mean the kiss. The one in the graveyard after I'd told him I loved him.

I was so shocked at this that I blurted out:

"What on earth are you talking about Jesse? I love you." As soon as I said it I felt like stuffing it back into my mouth. But it was too late. I could already see the shock naked on his face.

"You do?" he whispered. How he'd missed me saying that I don't know. I mean I had told him like a split second before he'd grabbed me.

"Yes." I whispered back. I would have said more, but at that exact moment his lips swooped down stopping all my thoughts.