Part XII: All My Love

Jessie rubbed her forehead. She had been in the attic for most of the morning. She was scanning her email. Her laptop would have complained for break times, then again laptops don't talk back. She managed to keep her mind off certain things but her heart still felt burdened. Giving in to the urge, she opened up a file on her desktop. It was a scanned photo of the night she went out with Katie. She reminisced the butterflies she felt when katie kissed her, the fear she felt and the happiness Katie gave when she came back to see her. She decided to check newspaper archives. She looked for a particular article. It was her, dancing with James while Katie looked on in pain. Tears fell. She hurriedly dried them when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

To Jessie's surprise, it was Katie.

"I thought you were my stepmother…" Jessie said still stunned.

"Well I'm not… Your brother let me in…" Katie looked at Jessie with her hands in her pockets.

"I just came here to apologize… I asked Grace where you were... I just wanted to... say to you that... if you don't want to see me again... all you have to do is tell me... personally... and then i won't bother you again..." Katie turned her gaze to floor.

"You're not bothering me..."

Jessie not knowing what else to say turned away from Katie. Katie on the other hand caught sight of Jessie's laptop… and the photo…

"Seems he's hard to forget…" Katie said trying not to break down.

"No I… I was just surfing newspaper archives..." Jessie went to her laptop closing the window.

"Yeah… He's lucky you know…"

"What?"

"You feel that much for him…" Katie said swallowing hard.

"I don't…"

"You don't?"

"I don't…"

"Then why? Why do you keep pushing me away?" Katie walked a step closer to Jessie.

"I'm not pushing you away. I just want somebody who deserves you."

"You think you don't?"

"I don't…" Jessie replied.

Katie took Jessie's hand. Jessie turned her gaze away from Katie.

"Jess… Look at me. Look at me…"

"I don't need people to tell me who I'm supposed to be with. I rely on this Jessie…" Katie placed Jessie's hand to where her heart was.

"This…"

Jessie felt Katie's heart beating. She turned to look into Katie's green eyes. They were about to shed tears.

"I can leave everything behind and be with you here in Evanston if you ask me to. I don't need the fancy loft, the adoration, or the freaking public eye! I just need you to share my life with. Just you…"

"Why Katie? Why? I HURT YOU! I'm not PERFECT!" Jessie asked as tears flowed freely in her eyes.

"But you are! TO ME! THIS hurts me more! Can't you see? I LOVE YOU!" Katie cried out holding onto Jessie's hand.

"I'm… in love… with you…" Katie said it softly her eyes not leaving Jessie's.

Katie pulled Jessie into a tight hug.

Katie never uttered those words. Jessie may not know if she ever uttered them to another person, but she felt it… She felt Katie's love with the warmth from her embrace.

"Share it with me Jessie... I don't care if it's boring… if it's hard…" Katie ran her right thumb through Jessie's left cheek.

"Tell me you feel it too… I'm not asking for anything more…" Katie locked eyes with Jessie's.

Jessie didn't answer. She looked at Katie… longingly… lovingly… She kissed Katie's lips. It seemed to soothe all the bad things Jessie has been going through. It felt right, being with Katie felt right. Katie rested her forehead against Jessie's. She grinned and held Jessie closer.

"I…" Jessie started to talk but it seemed Katie knew what she was about to say.

"I know…" Katie spoke.

Jessie smiled. They kissed again. This time more ardently.