DEAN:

My eyes keep drifting over to Jessie's legs as her boots click against the sidewalk. God, she looks hot as hell. Why does she have to look hot as hell? It's not like this would be easier if she were in jeans or sweats, but at least then I wouldn't have to curse at myself internally every five seconds.

We cross the path leading to the sandy ramp at the end of Ocean Park Boulevard. Jessie motions for me to wait while she removes her boots. Now I know she's playing with me. Sure, logically she wouldn't want to walk through the sand in high heels, but I'm not really seeing things logically right now. All I'm seeing are Jessie's long, bare legs standing out against the inky darkness surrounding us. Trying to maintain self control, I look anywhere but at her. That palm tree up ahead is suddenly extremely fascinating.

While I did manage to talk her into riding to the beach in the same car with me, she was quiet the entire time, fiddling with her fingers in her lap and constantly staring out the window. I know she thinks my last letter meant that I was moving on, but in reality I just wanted her to be the one to make the next move. The relentless pursuit was killing me. I couldn't keep putting myself out there with no results. I guess I owe Jamie now since he managed to do what I couldn't in the last few weeks. If I don't fuck it up, that is.

"So, you said before that you were planning to come talk to me?" I start.

Swinging the boots at her side, Jessie stares ahead at the water crashing against the sand several yards in front of us. The lampposts lining the pier to our right are the only things illuminating our path. Although her face is in shadows, I can tell she's wrestling with her next words. "That was before I read your last note."

Cursing our timing, and my stupid lack of elaboration, I try to explain. "Jess, I wasn't saying that I was done with us, just that I was done pushing. There was no point in pursuing you when it was clear you didn't want to hear anything I had to say. I figured I'd back off and let you do things your way."

"My way?" I have her attention now, and I'm not too sure I want it judging by the fire in her eyes. Her whole body seems to vibrate with anger and I square my body to hers so that I can be prepared for whatever is coming. "Sorry that I wasn't going to let you accuse me of screwing around with my trainer, then fall into your arms when you said 'Oops, my bad' like it was no big deal."

Nodding, I kick at the sand. "I deserve that. I jumped to conclusions and instead of letting you explain, I just acted like an asshole. I take full responsibility for that."

"Yeah, well—wait, what?" She cuts off her own protests mid-sentence and looks at me in wide-eyed confusion.

Coughing to hide my laugh, I go on. "There's no point in pretending I didn't act like a total dick. Because I did. I knew it even as the words were coming out, but I couldn't stop them. You do that to me, Jessie. You make me nuts sometimes."

"Oh, well thank you," she says sarcastically.

"It's true. You get inside my head and make me absolutely fucking crazy half the time. I'm not saying I don't love it for the most part, because I do. You keep me on my toes, and you actually make me feel. I'd rather argue with you than have a normal conversation with any other girl. But sometimes, I get carried away. I feel too much all at once and I just don't know what to do with that. So, I lash out. Like the night in the hall. I was ready to come and tell you that I loved you and I couldn't stand being without you anymore, but when I show up you're with another guy."

I hold up my hand to stop her because I can see her mouth opening as she's getting ready to defend herself. "I know now that nothing was going on. But then? All I saw was red."

"Dean, you should've known I'd never move on that quickly."

"True. But in the heat of the moment, I wasn't thinking. I'm sure you can understand. Or did you forget a certain confrontation about my friend, Liv?"

In the faint lighting I can't see if the shade of her complexion has changed, but I know she's embarrassed by the way she dips her head low and averts her eyes. "Okay, so I get it. Doesn't mean I have to like it," she finally confesses.

"Don't you see, though? We keep doing these stupid things to each other because neither of us knows how to handle all these feelings, all this emotion. I think it's going to take time, on both ends, to learn how to keep the jealousy in check and trust first rather than jump to conclusions. But I'm willing to work on that because I can't spend another minute without you. Are you?"

She starts pacing a small circle and I place my hands on her waist so that she has no choice but to look me in the eye. "Jessie, it's a simple question."

"I know," she whispers. "I just don't want us to say these mean, hurtful things to each other anymore. The jealousy is one thing, but when things get out of hand, you can't automatically take it to that level." Stepping into me, she places her cool palm on my stubbled cheek. "You have no idea how much those words hurt, coming from you. I love you, Dean. I will always love you, and I will always want to work things out. Unless you make me feel like I'm not worthy of you. I will never, ever let anyone make me feel…less. Not again."

I suck in a deep breath because I'd love to kick myself in the balls for making her feel like that, even for a second. "Jessie…baby, I am so sorry. In a million years I'll never be able to show or tell you just how sorry I am for that night. For any time I ever made you think you were anything but perfect, because in my eyes you are. Well, perfect for me, that is. Flaws and all. You're it for me." I rest my forehead against hers and take her face in my hands, dragging my thumb across her trembling bottom lip.

"I'm sorry, too. We both know I'm lightyears from perfect. I've got more than my share of things to work on. But I promise, for you, for us, I'll do what I need to do to make this work. Because I can't stand being without you either."

I cut off her last word with my lips, stealing her breath. The connection is like a cool rain after a years-long drought. It's everything I've been missing, and the only thing that could kickstart my battered heart. Her long, slender fingers rake through my hair and I groan into her mouth when she tugs on the overgrown ends.

"I think I like this look on you," she murmurs against my lips.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," I tell her as I slide my hands up from her waist to the chilled skin of her torso exposed by the cropped shirt she's wearing. A shiver works its way through her body and she presses herself closer to me. I manage not to drag her down to the sand, only because it's still early and there are a few stragglers wandering the beach and bike path not far from us. With every ounce of willpower I can scrape together, I tear my lips from hers and place a kiss just below her ear as I ask, "Your place or mine?"

Her choked laugh is cut off by a stifled moan when I nip the sensitive flesh of her neck with my teeth. "Yours," she hisses, capturing my mouth once again with hers. "Now."

JESSIE:

My first thought upon waking up in the morning is, where the hell am I? The second thought is, why am I naked? Then it all comes back to me and I snuggle deeper under the covers with an impossibly stupid, sleepy grin on my face. The heavy arm draped over my lower back pulls me tighter to the warm body next to me and I sigh happily.

Last night, after Dean and I left the beach, it was a blur of clothes and skin and sensations that I had been seriously missing for quite a while. Neither of us seemed content to wait, or to stop once we started, which meant we didn't actually get to sleep until some time in the early morning hours. Remembering this, I look around for my phone and find it on the floor under the rumpled black skirt that was torn off and tossed aside.

Tapping the home button, I see that it's almost noon. I groan in frustration because that means I missed the gym. That's probably what at least one of my five missed calls and three voicemails are about. Dialing in to my voicemail I tap in my passcode and lay back down as the first message plays:

"Lucy you got some 'splaining to do! Where the heck did you take my car, ya hoe? I know you're probably busy banging your boyfriend's brains out with all that makeup sex, but come on!"

I cringe because I completely forgot that I left Kelsey's car in the parking lot at the Chinese restaurant last night. She's probably going to kill me when I get home.

Jamie's voice is the next one I hear:

"J, don't worry. I got Christina to give me a ride to pick up Kelsey's car this morning. Stay wherever you are for as long as you need to! Don't forget, I'm totally the more awesome twin. Love ya."

I cover my mouth to suppress a giggle so that I don't wake Dean. Jamie will never let me forget this one. Which just means I have to top him somehow. I try to think of ways I can beat him out for awesome-twin-status when the final message plays:

"Hey Jessie. It's Landon. You didn't make it to the gym this morning, so I couldn't ask you this then. And, well, I figured I'd ask now. So, yeah. I was just wondering if you had any plans for tonight? I know what you said before but… well, I was hoping you might change your mind and go to dinner with me. Ah, man, I can't believe I just asked you that on your voicemail. You know what? Delete this and pretend you didn't hear it. I'll just swing by your place later so we can talk face to face. Bye Jessie."

Well, shit. Doesn't that just suck. I really thought I made myself clear with the whole just friends thing. This makes things all sorts of awkward. As I bite my thumb nail, I feel Dean shift behind me. Clenching my eyes closed, I wait for him to say something, but pray that he won't.

"I guess it's time to have a talk with trainer-guy and let him know that we're back together, huh?"

Double shit. He totally heard that last voicemail. I hesitate because even though we talked things through last night, I'm not sure how to approach this situation. I don't realize I've been holding my breath until he turns me over onto my back and I let it out in a whoosh as he hovers over me.

"Jessie, it's okay."

My brows shoot up in disbelief. "It's okay? Just like that, no big deal? A guy asks me out, on Valentine's Day no less, and you're just fine with that?"

He smirks and lowers his mouth to my jaw. "He didn't know, and it's not like you're going to tell him yes, right? Plus, I can't exactly blame him for wanting a chance with you." His lips burn a path from my neck down to my collar bone. He plants a wet kiss in the hollow of my throat and continues the journey south. "How could anyone see you day in and day out…," his teeth nip at the sensitive skin between my breasts, "…and not want the opportunity to do what I'm about to do to you?"

Oh, sweet baby Jesus. That's it. I officially can't breathe. I'm on Mars, no, Mercury. There's no air. I'm going to suffocate. But do I care? Hell to the no. Not as long as his mouth keeps doing the ungodly things it's currently doing to my overly sensitized body.

"Dean," I manage to squeak out the single word as I thread my fingers through his hair. Then all speech becomes impossible. My body clenches tight as a bowstring and releases at an agonizingly slow pace, starting in my center and rippling out to my fingers and toes. My hands drop limply to the bed at my sides and I struggle to catch my breath as Dean kisses his way up my torso.

When his lips reach mine again, I mumble weakly, "If this is how you react when a guy asks me out, I might need to dust off my flirting skills and start putting them to use."

His arm snakes around me and before I realize what he's doing, our positions are reversed and I'm splayed out on his chest. I feel a sharp sting on my backside and am flabbergasted when I realize what he just did.

"Did you seriously just slap my ass?!" I ask, astonished.

"Only because you like to use that smart mouth of yours to mess with me. Don't lie, you know you liked it. Just a little." I'm no match for that cocky grin, and he's kind of right. Though I'll never admit that to him. Instead, I shut him up the only way I know how.

We don't actually make it out of his room until some time after one, wasting half the day in bed. Totally worth it.