Chapter 12: Fallacies can be Faced

Rhoda was starting to worry if she and Jesse were going through a weird phase.

Or maybe I'm just imagining things?

Last night, she couldn't help but notice that Jesse was quieter. More distant.

It couldn't be something that I said… could it?

She shook her head. All she had told him was that she still respected his decision to reject her.

Her eyes widened. Did Coco and Penny say something to him?

She shrugged off the question. Jesse seemed to get along pretty well with them. She hoped they would meet him again. Her "niece and nephew" deserved grownups that they could look up to. They were starting to grow bigger than her anyway.

But all her musings weren't shedding light on Jesse's abrupt coolness in their camaraderie.

It was like he was suddenly withdrawn.

She never thought grocery shopping would offer them a break from each other. Wednesday was her favorite day for shopping. No crowds and the shelves were stocked to the fullest.

Rhoda was in the produce section while Jesse went off to the the detergent aisle. She didn't miss the fact that he chose the aisle that was purposefully far away from hers.

Maybe I am overstaying my welcome, she thought as she stood perched on one of the vegetable stands.

She sighed and the lettuce she was holding wilted in disappointment. Had she been expecting something else in their friendship?

If I'm going to be honest with myself…

"What're you doing here?"

She froze. She would know that drawl anywhere.

Slowly, she turned around, her stomach twisting. Please, not him...

"Seems like you're done hiding."

Her lips pressed tightly together. She couldn't even deny it and he was right. Her eyes stayed down, refusing to engage. Much to her dismay, he was blocking her path to her grocery cart.

"Wow, you're not even going to say hello."

Anger roiled inside her. But maybe, maybe he could still be reasoned with.

She forced herself to look at him. "Hello, Jared."

"How're you?"

Her mouth dropped open. "How am I?" she echoed. "After what you've said to the press about me, you're going to ask me how I am?" she demanded, trying not to raise her voice.

Jared patiently sighed. "I can't talk to you. Because I don't know where you are," he replied, with an air of explaining one plus one. "So I have to talk to them. In the hopes that it will reach you."

"I've never been possessive of you! And why would you tell others those things about me?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "You were always like this, Rhoda."

She wanted him not to change the subject. But they could do that later, she'd rather confront what was he thinking now.

"What?"

"You overreact and I would have to explain why to others," pointedly gesturing at her heated stance.

Her shoulders drooped and she looked away, ashamed. The pulse in her head pounded. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down.

"I don't overreact," she gritted. She could hear him snort.

"Oh you're not? Then who was the one who was always screaming and crying?"

Something inside her cracked. The feeling of deja vu casted over her, trapped.

"You go crazy at me, then at the flip of a coin, everyone's acting like you're a trodden puppy."

She stepped back, her mind flashing to Edna. To Ash. To Jesse.

"I didn't go crazy at you. Jared, I cared!"

"If you did, you wouldn't've left."

She rapidly blinked, a lumped forming in her throat. She stepped back even more as he stepped closer.

"You really are good at getting everyone's sympathy."

She could feel his eyes on her. Her hand clutched her other arm, forming a shield between them.

"I… I didn't. They -they're my friends. They care about me-"

"You mean that detective who wanted to use you for your tooniness? Or you're co-workers who would talk behind your back?"

"She's not using me! Edna didn't even like me to be there."

"No wonder. You can be such a problem," he ticked off his fingers. "You can't do your lines right. People feel sorry for you. I'm the only one who was ever there for you and yet-"

She shrunk away, already knowing what he would say next.

"Aaugh!" she yelped as her foot moved over the edge of the vegetable stand.

Her arms windmilled as she fell back. Only to be caught by a pair of arms from behind.

XOXOXOXOXO

After his flash of insight yesterday, Jesse thought it was best to step back.

Rhoda was still grieving and he wanted to be there. But he knew he had to respect some boundaries.

Jesse walked back to their grocery cart, detergent in hand. He thought it was best to get the furthest ones first.

He passed by a pair of toon ladies who giggled.

"We've been blessed! There's two of them."

His feet stopped, glancing back at their retreating figures.

Two of them?

There were so many ways to interpret what the woman said. For some reason, his mind landed to the most absurd and he brushed it away. Even if Jared had never been with them, it felt like he was with Rhoda always-

He almost dropped his wares at the sight of them talking together.

Jesse stepped back. He didn't like it one bit. He didn't like the feeling twisting in his chest.

The right thing to do was to give them space.

But something was wrong.

Rhoda's back was turned from him, her shoulders hunched. All he could see was the gleam in Jared's eyes, similar to someone pulling out an insect's wings.

Without thinking, he strode forward.

"No wonder. You can be such a problem," he could hear Jared speak. "You can't do your lines right. People feel sorry for you. I'm the only one who was ever there for you and yet-"

Rhoda seemed to flinch at every tick of his finger.

"Aaugh!" she yelled in surprise, teetering backwards.

Jesse caught her just in time and Rhoda looked up to him in shock.

But he wasn't staring back at Rhoda. He was looking directly at Jared who was still wearing his self-satisfied smirk.

He's poison! Coco's voice warned in his memories. But Aunt Rhoda thinks he's Benny Crocker!

He glanced down at Rhoda who was still in his arms. Whether she wanted to show it or not, her eyes looked raw and wet.

When Coco said Jared made Rhoda cry, he knew there were times people cry in relationships. He would have to apologize to both Coco and Penny for giving Jared the benefit of a doubt.

"Nice of you to get my hand-me-down, Jesse."

The very air of the grocery mart misted with frost. His fist seized but yellow-gloved hands clamped down on both of his arms.

Jesse looked down on Rhoda, stunned. Why're you still protecting him?

His thoughts darkened and if he couldn't wish him pain, he knew exactly what would vex him.

"Hand-me-down?" He regarded him down his nose. "I'm her upgrade next to you."

Righting her up, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her. He ignored the tickling brush of her whiskers. The jolt when their lips touched.

Then it was over.

"Let's go, honey," he said, leading her away from the shocked and furious Jared.

XOXOXOXOX

She didn't want to think about it.

Rhoda sat ramrod straight throughout the car ride on the way home.

She firmly shut out the thoughts flying inside her head. Her parents had died in a car crash. She didn't want to distract Jesse from driving for whatever possessed him to kiss her for show.

By the time his car parked inside his garage, Rhoda got out. They weren't able to shop a thing, their cart abandoned behind Jared. Jesse followed her inside the house.

"What was that about?!" she asked, the moment he closed the door.

His face remained unexpressive. "I know Jared. He's relishing his hold on you. So I got back at him."

"By forcing a kiss on me?!"

His impassive eyes flickered. He paused.

"You don't know Jared, I do! He's going to smear you to the press! He's going to-" She stopped, her eyes widening.

"I dragged you into my mess." A lump formed in her throat at what she had cost him. Ash had been in Jared's libel list. She didn't want Jesse to be next.

This is all my fault.

Jesse stepped closer. "Rhoda, I don't care what he'll say."

"I dragged you into my mess," she repeated, distractedly running a hand over her hair and rabbit ears.

No wonder, Jared's voice retorted in her head. You can be such a problem.

"This is a mistake."

"What?"

Her hand gestured around. "Staying here with you has been a mistake."

"Rhoda, wait."

She turned to him, remembering their kiss. Her chest hurt. It must be so lucky to be like you and not feel a thing. Maybe Jared was right. People pitied her so much that they would stoop so low on her behalf.

He made to hold her hand, but hesitated. "You don't have to go."

She exhaled, stepping back. They had crossed a line. He had crossed a line. She turned to go to the guest room.

As soon as she shut the door, her breathing became fast and heavy. She leaned against the wall, trying to rein in her hyperventilation.

Calm down. Please, calm down.

She teared, finally releasing sobs she couldn't show in the grocery mart.

If you cared, you wouldn't've left, Jared corrected inside her head.

She curled against the wall, her shoulders shaking. She pressed her ears against her leaking eyes.

I'm so sorry.

She didn't know to whom she was apologizing. To Jesse, who felt obligated to get back at Jared? For not letting him punch him?

She couldn't. Jared was still the guy in her memories who laughed at little things. Who once pronounced "bon appetit" wrong. Who treated her like a gentleman when she wasn't in the mood.

To herself, for having a meltdown again?

She looked at her trembling hands, wondering where had all her progress gone to. I thought I'm okay. I was doing okay. She remembered all the times she had been happy for the last couple of weeks. They all felt far away now.

Or to Jared, for letting him down?

She knew Jared had his faults. So why was everything her fault?

Maybe she never really cared.

Tears dropped down her lap as she muffled her sobs.

But I did care, Jared! Why can't you see that? Her hands clenched. Everything I did, I did it for you.

She sat there in a daze, her mind going around like a broken record through their arguments. What he would say. What she would've said. Round and round like a merry-go-round. A mess that she couldn't fix, so she left. What kind of a person was she?

Her head ached until she couldn't take it anymore.

She packed up what she could, just going through the motions.

He's relishing his hold on you, Jesse had said.

Rhoda tiredly frowned. Her hands found the dress Aurelius made for her, causing her heart to stop momentarily.

He's going to the event.

The Maroon Cartoon Anniversary Ball. Three days away. She almost forgot that she had to go, being one of its top stars.

The investors. The superiors. Everyone would be there, she thought. Her mind wondered in horror how she would be in front of them once Jared would try to talk to her again.

If she would cause a scene, she would get in worse trouble with Maroon.

She bit her lip. Didn't Maroon said she would probably let me go?

Her hands stuffed the dress into the suitcase and shut it. She didn't want to think. She didn't want to think what would happen. Or how she had acted in the grocery mart. Or that Jesse had used her to get back at Jared.

Or her current emotional state after seeing him.

When she got out of the guest room, Jesse was still waiting for her downstairs.

As soon as she stepped down the stairs, he knelt down to her eye level. She avoided his gaze.

"Rhoda, I..." He made to touch her, but stopped. She didn't think his hesitance was necessary. It was clear to her that he wasn't attracted to her in any way.

"I'm sorry for what I did."

She didn't know how to respond. Jared had cut her with so many words. But it was Jesse that she didn't feel like immediately forgiving.

"Can you take care of Jacques for me?" She wondered what kind of a person was she to use him back. "I promise I'll come back for him."

When she got out of Jesse's house, Jacques followed her.

"No, Jacques. Stay."

Jacques whined, romping along her side. Rhoda cupped his face.

"You need to stay with Jesse."

He nosed her tummy, whimpering.

"Oh Jacques, you know I'm not really fit to be with a dog. Not right now." She ruffled his fur. "I tried and it didn't work out." Her last words made her glance back at the house, wondering if she was still talking about being with a dog.

I'm over you. I should be over you.

Jacques circled her and wagged his tail, waiting for her to lead the way. Rhoda steeled herself for what she had to do next.

"Jacques, go! Just go to Jesse and stop following me, you hear me?! Go!"

He lowered himself, whining. Rhoda bit back the hurt that she was going to inflict them both.

"Bad dog! Just GO!"

Whimpering, he scampered back to the house.

She rubbed her eyes, walking away from Faded Lines Street.

It would be three more days before she had to face Jared again.

Coffee, her mind begged.

This time, she obeyed.