Disclaimer: I own nothing Degrassi...

Emma and Jay decided to drive back to her apartment for their 'deep conversation'. Emma, feeling shaky, handed her keys over to Jay. He smiled at her as he drove, taking this as a good sign, and hoping that whatever Emma felt the need to confess to him, wouldn't be too damaging.

They sat, Jay quietly waiting for Emma to begin, Emma twisting the Kleenex she was holding, telling herself that she could be this open with Jay, not because she had to, but because she could trust him to know what was in her heart and that he wouldn't use it against her.

"Do you remember that day when you came here and found me on this very floor? I was such a mess. And you could have easily been your smart ass self, but you put that all aside and picked me up. You put me back on my feet. And you never asked anything more of me than I was able to give. Do you know how special you are for doing that?" Emma asked.

Jay shrugged. "It was nothing."

Emma shook her head. "It was everything. I was blind-sided by Sean. I don't know how much you know or what Sean's take on how everything went down is. I spent eight years of my life waiting. Waiting for a proposal. Waiting for a family. Waiting for him to fulfill some of the promises he made to me. And it wasn't like it was obvious that Sean wanted out of our relationship. He kept telling me that he loved me and wanted a life with me. And I bought into that. And I settled. And I lost...everything.

"It was like he woke up one day and didn't want to be with my anymore. I got dumped and kicked out of my home. Instead of realizing what a bullet I'd dodged, I fell into some kind of depression. I cried all the time and I just didn't want to go on.

"So imagine my surprise when along comes Jay Hogart, none other than my sworn enemy, and he becomes my hero. I would have thrown myself into a relationship with you and given it my all. But not for the right reasons. So I accepted having you in my life as something casual. And then, something that I thought would never happen again, happened. I fell for you. But the hurt was still there. I was scared that if I let what we had get serious, that it wouldn't work out and I'd be alone again. I just didn't want to take the risk. I thought that I could have everything I needed with you if I just avoided the inevitable."

Jay pulled Emma into his arms, holding her tightly. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, smoothing her locks. "I want you to know that I never would have given up on you. I'm not Sean, Emma. I'm not handing you a line. I don't do that. I speak what I know and I know that I love you."

"Thank you. I love you too," she whispered. She looked up at the man holding her tenderly, remembering all of the times he'd held her body just as gently. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Let's not be too philosophical, okay Nelson?" he joked.

"When I told you that I wanted to break up Sean and Ellie, why didn't you tell Sean my devious plans?"

Jay sniffed. "I knew that you were hurting. Telling Sean would have caused a confrontation that you weren't ready for."

"But weren't you worried about what I'd do?" she asked.

"Okay, look. Sean was in love with Ellie. No matter what tricks you pulled, that wasn't going to change. You could have had Sean's body one more time, but you wouldn't have had his heart," he explained. Jay looked down, into her worried eyes. "And if he did, have your body, I really don't want to know about it."

Emma smiled slightly. "He turned me down. And you know what? I couldn't admit it then, but I think I was glad that he did. I actually think that I went home that night and realized that I was over Sean."

"Over Sean and under me?" Jay asked, smirking devilishly.

Emma beamed. She nodded her head. "Probably that's true. One more question?"

"Make it snappy, Nelson."

She bit into her bottom lip, shyly. "Can I have my ring back?"

"Maybe. One day," Jay answered, bending his head to kiss her waiting lips.

Last chapter up ahead! Hope you enjoy!