Chapter 17: The fear of getting hurt again

Liz Prescott lie on her bed at night, brooding. Was Charlie really the right guy for her? Should she really get serious with him? Should she really go to the next level with him? Liz knew that that wouldn't be so bad, because Charlie was indeed good to her, and cared about her so very much. But what about Jesse? Did she really have any feelings for him anymore?

The answer was obviously yes, if the question was keeping her awake at night, slowly killing her. The more her gut told her she was devoted to Jesse, the more she tried to run away from the thought and distract her with Charlie. Charlie was like a drug, like...ecstasy. People took MDMA to keep them temporary happy and high. That's what Liz did every time she kissed Charlie, or even saw him. She was becoming an escapist!
"Liz, Liz Prescott!" a voice whispered in the darkness.

Quickly, Liz sprang up. "Who's there!" she demanded.

"Over here!" the voice came from the window. Liz could notice a figure managing to climb in...Oh, God, she had forgotten to lock the window!

Liz quickly sped to the window, ready to take charge at whoever it was. She had seen those horror/suspense movies when some thirty year old man broke into a teenage girl's window, kidnapped the girl, raped her, and left it up to the parents and the police to find out the mystery. And the protagonist, normally a detective, would find an extreme twist at the end.

But the source of the voice was no kidnapper. It was Jesse Tuck. "Jesse!" Liz breathed in awe.

Jesse smiled in the moonlight, and then climbed all the way in, letting himself rest on the floor. "Heya, Prescott!"

Liz felt tears fall on her cheeks. Happy tears, warm tears. Tears of joy and bliss. "I missed you," she whispered.

Jesse was confused. Wasn't Liz in love with Charlie! "I missed you too."

Liz suddenly grabbed Jesse, and gave him a long, passionate hug, the let go.

Now Jesse was crying. "I just came here to tell you something..." he said.

"Jesse, I love you!" Liz exclaimed, "And please, just...I want us to start over. I want us to be together again!"

Jesse suddenly felt awful. Here she was, telling her she loved him, and he was to tell her that he was leaving forever! So should he tell her?

"Jesse, you know I love you!" Liz said after Jesse didn't say anything.

"I know," Jesse whispered. "I...I love you too."

Liz quickly kissed Jesse impetuously. He was Jesse, her Jesse, and he was finally here, in her own bedroom at night.

After the long kiss, Jesse decided to break it to her. As much as he loved her, he needed to tell her the truth. No, not the full truth about him, but you know what I mean. "Liz, my family and I are leaving tomorrow morning sharp."

Liz broke into sudden sobs. "No! No...no...you can't, Jesse! You...can't!"

Warm tears spilled like rain from Jesse's eyes, soaking his hopes and dreams. Then, he had an idea. "Liz, come with me!"

After a long silence of thinking, Liz shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, but I'm staying here."

Jesse felt very, very disappointed.

"I'm gonna go back to my prep school...I'm gonna go to Yale...I'm gonna graduate from Yale and then go become a historian!"

She wanted to be a historian? Well she was looking at history now, because Jesse Tuck was living history.

"I'm sorry Liz, but they're my family."

"I have a family too." Liz snapped.

Jesse shrugged. "Well, I better go."

"Jesse, can't you ask your family if you can all stay?"

Jesse knew they couldn't. The townspeople were already getting suspicious of the Tucks. "Sorry," he said.

"Why not!" Liz insisted, "Jesse, are you hiding something from me!"

Oh, how easy would it be if Jesse could simply tell her his secret! If he did, Liz would understand, and she might even drink from the spring herself to leave with him, to marry him, and become a Tuck!

But he couldn't tell. The last time he told someone his secret, it didn't turn out so well. He ended up getting hurt. He couldn't risk getting his heart broken now, when his heart had finally been healed! "I'm sorry, Liz. There are secrets I have to keep."

Liz looked angrier than ever. Oh, how cute she was when she was angry! "Jesse Tuck, if you're keeping secrets from me, if you prefer not to be honest with me, then fine. Just remember that all I ever wanted was your love!"

"What about Charlie?" Jesse blurted.

"Charlie! I thought I loved him, but I don't. You're the only one that I love, Jesse. You're the only one."

That sounded so romantic...especially in the moonlight...but Jesse had to make his decision. "It's getting late, Liz. I'm gonna have to leave." he said, and then gave Liz a kiss. A nice, soft kiss.

"When would you be back?" Liz asked, hopefully.

Jesse didn't answer, and Liz knew. Her lover, Jesse Tuck, was never to come back to Treegap, Connecticut ever again. She knew she would burst out in tears again, but she tried to hold it.

"Bye," Jesse whispered.

When Liz didn't answer, Jesse climbed out the window, and back onto the ground, and ran off.

Five minutes after Jesse's departure, Liz whispered in the thick darkness, "I love you, Jesse Tuck."