Series: Snapshots of the Past

Story: Crossroads

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters depicted in this story belong to NBC, WB, Aaron Sorkin, and John Wells. We're just borrowing them for some fun :)

Previously: Abbey's colleague, Alex, forced himself on her, but she managed to get away; Millie comforted Abbey; Jed returned to New Hampshire with a surprise for Abbey - a proposal to renew their wedding vows

Summary: Jed and Abbey start making plans for their vow renwal; Zoey gets back on her horse; Abbey tells Jed about Alex

Rated: R

Abbey opened her sleepy eyes. Her cozy bed sheets protected her from the chill of an early morning breeze that swept through the cracked window of the master bedroom. She cherished the peace and quiet of the very beginning of another day on the farm, before the cows began lowing outside, before streaks of golden sunlight lit the fields and filtered into the house, before the pitter-patter of the girls triggered panic that they'd walk in on her and Jed tangled in each others arms, naked in bed. It was in these pre-dawn moments that she reflected on the night before and the fun they'd had together.

Dinner, dancing, and a proposal. A proposal. She couldn't take her mind off it. So unexpected, so sweet and romantic. She knew Jed was a romantic at heart and that someday, they would likely renew their vows, but she assumed that would be a decision they made together; she never expected him to propose to her all over again. The first time, all those years ago, he'd teased that she ruined his plan, proposing to him first and catching him off-guard hours before he was set to pop the question. But last night, nothing compromised his vision. He took the lead from the second Abbey picked him up at the airport and the evening culminated in a moment she'd never forget.

She smiled at the memory just before she felt him stir beside her. Jed had his arm around her, snuggled in a spooning position with her back to his front. He'd fallen asleep like this after their lovemaking and he hadn't moved an inch, until now. His arm draped over her waist and rested casually on her belly. The room began to brighten as the darkness faded and the glass of the antique wall mirror directly across from her glowed with the first hint of the sun. She took advantage of the light and looked down at her finger and the diamond that sparkled larger than ever before.

"It's still there," Jed whispered to her, having the uncanny ability of knowing what was on her mind.

"I wanted to be sure it wasn't all a dream."

"It wasn't."

"No, I guess it wasn't." Abbey placed her hand over his. "I really do have the sweetest, kindest, most romantic husband in the world."

"You just figured that out?"

She laughed. "A sporadic reminder isn't bad."

"You deserve nothing but the best, Abbey." He nuzzled her neck and his hot breath sent a tingle down her spine.

"Jed." She squirmed.

"You're not nearly as tense as you were last night."

"I was tense?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't say anything."

"I assumed when you wanted to talk, you'd tell me. But you never did. So?"

"What?"

"Ready to talk about it now?"

"Talk about what?"

"Whatever was upsetting you last night."

Abbey knew exactly what he meant. Her shoulders had tensed from the second she had that unnerving encounter with Alex. Her muscles had spasmed and she massaged them under the spray of a hot shower before she left for the airport. She felt guilty not telling Jed all about it last night, but she didn't want to ruin his first night back in New Hampshire with news of Alex's lecherous behavior, and after he proposed, she couldn't stand to taint their perfect evening. Even now, she still couldn't bring herself to tell Jed. She was embarrassed. Ashamed even. She knew, deep down, that it wasn't her fault - she'd pushed him away, after all - but she battled the truth with the optics. How would it look to Jed? How would he react? Or worse, how would his reaction impact the way she viewed the incident and the blame she carried for allowing a friendship with a man who had feelings for her?

She stared at the mirror in front of her, still feeling his warm body right behind her.

"It'll keep," she said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's not that important. I'll tell you all about it tonight."

"Okay."

"In the meantime..."

"In the meantime..." He kissed her shoulder and the back of her neck as he slid his arm under her and pulled her closer to him. "The kids aren't up yet."

"I know."

"Hm?"

She gasped. "Mmm hmm."

Jed's bottom hand found its way to the apex of her thighs. He rubbed her there as he continued to kiss the nape of her neck. Abbey moaned and pushed herself backwards, right into his erection. He lifted her top leg to slide it over the bottom as he penetrated her with a slow thrust. She grabbed the hand holding her at the waist and laced her fingers through his as they rocked back and forth, enjoying the intimacy of a gentle climax seconds apart.

"So? You haven't said." Jed finished his shower that morning with Abbey in the bathroom after her own shower, combing the tangles out of her wet tresses.

"Said what?"

"If you want a big church wedding with a Catholic mass or something more intimate here at the farm."

"We're already married, hon. It's not a wedding; it's a vow renewal."

"Semantics."

Abbey paused for a beat. "What would you say if I said neither?"

"What do you mean neither?"

"I don't want a church ceremony or a farm ceremony."

"You already said you'd marry again, sweet knees. I'm going to hold you to that."

"Of course I'm going to marry you again, but so soon after Liz's wedding, I'm burnt out on the bells and whistles."

"The bells and whistles are the best part!" Jed loved any excuse to put on the monkey suit. A fancy ceremony and black-tie reception would be ideal in his book.

"What do you think about eloping? Just the two of us?"

"Interesting idea."

"We could go away for our anniversary, maybe leave the country, and do it ourselves without all the hoopla."

"Keep talking."

She smiled fondly at the memories as she went on. "Maybe go back to London? Or Paris or Nice? Maybe Venice? Tuscany? All those places we used to visit as newlyweds when you were in grad school."

"And you want us to keep it a secret until afterwards?"

"Exactly. If we don't tell them, they can't weigh in and try to convince us to stay here and host a big celebration."

"I love how you think, Mrs. Bartlet." He rinsed the lather, then turned off the water. Abbey opened the curtain and handed him a towel to dry off. "One thing though. What about the girls?"

"That's the only part I hadn't figured out yet. They'll be crushed if we don't include them."

"Abigail, we are not taking our daughters on our anniversary trip."

"I know, I know. We just have to find a way to include them when we get back."

"IF we come back..." He raised a brow. "Who knows, we might discover we like being on our own, in a foreign country, with just each other to rely on."

"We already lived that chapter of our lives."

Jed tossed his towel aside, grabbed Abbey at the waist, and pulled her toward him. "We're older and wiser now. Think about it, Abbey, no children, no parenting, no responsibilities..."

"Jed, you're still wet!"

"Yeah, give a moment and you will be too."

Abbey laughed. "There's something so wrong with you."

"You love it," he said seductively, pushing the top of her terry cloth robe off her naked body. It fell to the floor and pooled at her feet.

"I really do."

"We'll buy a vineyard in the Italian countryside..." He brought his lips close.

"Where we'll renew our vows," she finished for him before they kissed.

"Now you're talking," Jed mumbled softly.

Abbey guided him toward the wall. His back against it, she lowered herself to the ground in front of him, the robe between her knees and the cold, wet tile. Jed gasped with pleasure at the touch of her hand, the way she curled her fingers and delicately gloved his erection. When her warm mouth engulfed him, he breathed even harder and had to reach for the knob to steady himself.

Weekdays in Washington were tough, but the Bartlets lived for these reunion weekends.

"I'm ready for a nap." Jed yawned. It was 9 a.m., but he was already dragging.

"I'm not surprised with the amount of energy you've exerted today."

"I've got plenty more in case you're still a little randy."

"You don't think twice is enough for one morning?"

"The word 'enough' doesn't exist in my vocabulary, particularly when it comes to you."

"Jed."

"I'm just saying, if you wanted to go again, I'm ready."

"You said you wanted a nap."

"I'll muddle through."

Abbey scoffed. "Just what a woman wants to hear."

"Don't challenge me, hot pants, or I'll take you again, right here on the kitchen table."

"You're full of promises."

A hot breakfast was the perfect starter to that busy Saturday morning. Abbey made blueberry muffins while Jed scrambled some eggs. Cooking together was one of the highlights of Jed's visits home. Growing up, his mother prepared all the family's meals by herself. The one time Jed offered to keep her company in the kitchen, his father sternly ordered him to take out the trash and return to his homework. It was a woman's job, he'd said. Jed didn't buy it, but arguing with the great John Bartlet would have led to discipline for him and a confrontation between his parents later. He spared his mother the grief, dutily obeyed his father, and he never brought it up again.

It wasn't until he met Abbey that he learned his way around a kitchen. Abbey taught him to appreciate the true art of cooking and often joked that he was now better at it than she was. They had different tastes and different styles - Abbey preferred healthy, nutritious meals while Jed was the king of comfort foods, the spicier the better. That morning, he reached for some hot sauce and just as quickly as his hand touched the bottle, Abbey pulled it away.

"Hey!"

"You're going to develop an ulcer."

"Not from a little bit of hot sauce."

"You don't need it." She returned the jar.

"I don't need a lot of things I eat anyway." He grabbed it again, this time without interference. He set it on the table, along with a stack of five plates that he separated and placed by each chair.

It was on the fifth plate that Abbey interrupted. "Jed?"

"Yeah?" It hit him then. One plate too many. "Oh."

"I still do it too."

"Yeah," he said as he returned the dish. "I'm taking Zoey riding after breakfast."

"She's not going to want to go. I tried multiple times."

"She'll do it for me."

Abbey had to admit he was right. Zoey adored her father and would do anything he told her to. "Don't push her."

"I won't. I'm just going to encourage her...strongly."

"Honey, I'm serious. That fall off Ruby really rattled her."

"It's been months, Abbey. It's time she got back to it. She was much happier when she was riding." He looked up at his wife. "Want to come with us?"

"I can't. I need to hit the market. Liz and Doug are joining us for dinner."

"They are?"

"I'm going to invite them."

"They may have other plans."

"Doubtful. They don't do much but work these days."

"Even so, what makes you think they'll accept?"

"Why wouldn't they? Liz misses us as much as we miss her. She'll jump at the chance for a nice family dinner..." She was on her way past him with a tray of muffins when she stopped to add, "and we're all going to be on our best behavior."

"You know I can't control my sarcasm with Doug."

"You can and you will."

"Excuse me, are you ordering me around? Not saying I don't like it, but..."

"Jed."

"Yeah, okay," Jed agreed. He saw Liz so rarely these days, the last thing he wanted was to argue the merits of her marriage to Doug.

"We'll make it a quick dinner."

"Is she ever going to visit us without Doug?"

"He's her husband now. She may come by without him from time to time, but we need to accept that the majority of the time we see her, she'll be with him. He's our son-in-law now."

"Don't remind me."

"You'll learn to like him."

"Until I do, can I still make fun of him in private?"

Abbey chuckled. "Knock yourself out."

Four months ago, on a cold December night, the Bartlet girls snuck out of the house for a moonlit ride. It was something they'd only done once or twice before, but it had been fun and a little exciting to gallop into the woods after dark. That night started out like the others. They bundled themselves up and headed to the barn. A pregnant Liz decided not to ride, but she didn't want to leave her sisters outside alone, so she went with them and watched from the sidelines.

She was the one who heard it first, the footstep behind the trees. She turned around and scanned the woods, but didn't see anything. She thought it might be a wild animal, maybe a bear. For a split second, she even wondered if it was a person, someone hiding on the property, maybe inside the barn. "What's wrong?" Ellie had asked her. Liz said nothing. She dismissed the sound and shouted down her fears, excusing it as a product of her overactive imagination. But then it happened again and this time, all three girls heard it. The rustling sound behind them was accompanied by a deep breath that didn't sound like an animal. Even more chilling, it sounded like a person.

Zoey craned her neck and Ruby, the pony she was riding, bucked and bolted in the opposite direction. Zoey fell hard to the ground and the last thing she remembered was Liz screaming her name. The fallout was a blurry mess to her, but somehow, the 7-year-old ended up in the emergency room with her mother. Doctors prodded at her bruised ribs, x-rays were taken, machines beeped, and she was scared. And just like that, the hobby that brought her so much joy was gone. Weeks after winning a ribbon for her exceptional equestrian skills, she walked away from the sport. At first, she was hesitant to admit it. She even asked Liz to lie for her when she took her to a riding lesson that Zoey refused to participate. But Abbey caught on, eventually, and she and Jed agreed not to confront her until some time had passed. Today, the time was right, Jed had decided.

After their family breakfast, he took Zoey outside and led her to the barn. The little girl was dressed in khaki pants, a yellow shirt, and her black riding hat. She followed her father and tried desperately to hide her apprehension. She worshipped Jed. He was her king since the day she was born. She'd never seen him scared, not a day of her life. She wanted to be just like him, as courageous and strong as he was; what's more, she didn't want to disappoint him. If he wanted her to go for a ride, she would mentally prepare herself to do it. At least, that's what she kept wishing. When they arrived at the barn, Jed took Ruby out of her stall and Zoey backed away.

Jed glanced down at her and his heart melted. She used to hide behind her parents when she was a toddler and scared of something in sight, but he hadn't seen that look in years. Zoey was fearless and brave, unfazed by things that usually scared her sisters.

He knelt down in front of her. "I know you can do this, but you need to know that too."

"I do."

"You don't have to put on a show for me, Zoey."

"I'm not."

"If you're scared, even a little, I want us to talk about it."

Zoey thought about it for a moment, then replied, "I'm not scared, not even a little. I wanna do it."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay." Jed walked the Ruby out of the barn with Zoey just behind them. "I'm going to be right here, okay?"

"Okay."

He lifted her up and put her on the pony and Zoey immediately took the reins.

Abbey spotted her from the house and looked on with pride as she watched Zoey take charge of Ruby. The wind blew through her fine, strawberry hair, her ponytail bounced behind her. She didn't look frightened or uncomfortable; she looked like her old self, the same Zoey who used to beg and plead to spend every free weekend riding, the one who loved to compete at equestrian shows and dedicated her allowance to a display box for her very first ribbon. She was riding again and there was no better sight than seeing her doing it so confidently.

If anyone could get Zoey back on her horse, of course it would be Jed, Abbey thought as she left the house and approached her husband.

"Hey."

"Hey," Jed greeted her with a quick smile before turning his attention back to Zoey. "Isn't she great?"

"As great as her father," Abbey replied, her heart swelling with love for him. "I have to hand it to you, you were right about getting her out there again."

"It's not too late to join her."

Abbey dismissed the idea. "Not today."

"Why not? You could get changed and on the horse in 10 minutes."

"You just want to leer at me in my jodhpurs."

"You're my wife; I'm allowed to leer."

Lost in their conversation, they didn't notice the clouds moving in with the gust of wind that followed. The rumble of thunder caused Ruby's ears to sway back and forth. She was anxious, trembling. She leaned back, scaring Zoey. The little girl grabbed on tight, concerned that she would fall all over again. It was the strike of lightning that alerted Jed and Abbey. They both looked to see Ruby escalating and Zoey frozen with fear.

"We're here, Zo. Calm her down," Abbey called out as she took a few steps toward them.

Her mother's presence reassured Zoey. She calmed herself, then pulled on the reins and petted the pony softly. "It's okay, Ruby. It's okay."

Ruby eventually settled and Abbey breathed a sigh of relief. "I think that's enough for today."

"Yeah, Mom's right. Let's get Ruby back to the barn before it starts pouring."

Zoey didn't argue. She may have taken the first step, but she knew she wasn't ready to go back to riding. She couldn't wait to get off her pony, so when Jed extended his arms to help her dismount, she practically jumped into his embrace. Then, she put on a brave face for her father.

"I wasn't scared, Daddy!" she said. "It was fun!"

"You never get scared, do you?"

"Uh uh!"

"That's my girl!"

Jed raced her to the house while Abbey returned Ruby to the barn.

Grocery shopping used to be a task that Jed enjoyed. He always took the girls with him and without fail, they predictably splintered off the second they walked into the store. Ellie sprinted toward the snack aisle, Zoey stayed with her father and rode on the front of the cart, and Liz headed to the checkout lane to browse the latest issue of Cosmo, Seventeen, and Vogue while her father shopped. The girls had conspired and mastered a plan. All three would wait until Jed approached the checkout and began unloading the cart. Like clockwork, they'd casually drop their own items on the belt, Zoey and Ellie first, then Liz so her magazine could cover and conceal her sisters' items. Jed was wise to their game, but he pretended to be shocked when the clerk rang up the things the girls snuck by him. He'd make a big show of giving in to make them happy. Their smiles as they returned to the car was his reward for feigning ignorance and allowing the manipulation to continue with every shopping trip they took.

It was a different story with Abbey. The girls quickly learned that when she was in charge of the shopping, they wouldn't get their way.

"I don't understand what you have against Oreos!" Ellie grumbled that afternoon as she and her mother carried two large brown paper bags to the kitchen.

Jed sat at the kitchen table, his glasses perched on his nose from reading the paper. He looked up over the rims with a grin when Abbey and Ellie marched in.

"It's not that I have anything against them per se; it's what they do to your teeth."

"My teeth couldn't be more healthy!"

"And I want to keep it that way."

"Another successful shopping trip, I see," Jed quipped as he folded his paper and rose to his feet.

"Dad, will you talk to her?"

"Sorry, princess. I don't interfere when your mom's in doctor mode."

"Then I should tell her about the secret bag of cookies you have stashed behind the salt in the pantry."

Abbey glared at her husband.

"It's only for emergencies," Jed explained to her before turning to Ellie. "You're in big trouble, missy. Ratting out your own father is not cool."

"Will you talk to her? It's spring break. If I'm going to have people over, they expect junk food."

"I don't remember you asking to have people over?"

"Can I have people over?"

"When?" Abbey asked.

"Tomorrow night."

"Who?"

"Emma and Lucy for a slumber party. Is that okay?"

"Yes," Abbey told her. "And I'll make a nice fruit and veggie spread."

"Mom!"

"All right, all right, make a shopping list and I'll take you back to the store tomorrow for a couple of snacks. But I'll tell you now, that'll be it until summer."

"Can Dad take me instead?" The sneaky blonde had a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

"Don't push your luck."

"It was worth a shot."

She flashed a thankful smile, then turned and sprinted upstairs while Jed helped Abbey put the rest of the groceries away.

"You agreed to a Sunday night slumber party?" Jed questioned.

"Sure. It's spring break."

"Not for us."

"You sleep through anything."

"Yeah, but you don't. And you're in the OR before dawn on Mondays. Are you in clinic this week?"

"No."

"So you're in the OR?"

"I was thinking about taking the day off."

"Really?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's just that you always say you can't take a day off on the spur of the moment. Patients have to be bumped and on Mondays, surgeries get bumped."

"Well then, they get bumped. That's what happens."

That didn't sound like Abbey at all. Jed looked at her, his face creased with lines of worry.

"Abbey, what's going on?"

Abbey paused then, a box cereal in her hand. Her eyes met his and she said, "I can't get into it now."

"Why?" Jed took the box from her and put it in the pantry.

"I want us to enjoy dinner without anything getting in the way."

"What would get in the way?" he asked. "You're scaring me here."

"I'm sorry, honey. I don't mean to scare you. It's not that serious. It's just a longer conversation and I'd like to have it tonight when it's just us. Okay?"

"You're all right?"

"I promise." She kissed his cheek. "Now, let's come up with neutral topics of conversation to welcome our new son-in-law to the family."

Confused about the way she sidestepped the question once again, Jed swallowed his objection and moved on. This was a discussion they'd revisit later.

From the time she was a little girl, Elizabeth Bartlet dreamed of the day she could return home with her husband and spend an evening with her parents as an adult, an equal of sorts. That day was finally here and it was a sobering realization that she wasn't an equal. She was still a little girl in their eyes and she likely would be for the rest of her life. As she and Doug parked the car on the gravel drive and made their way up the walk and toward the porch steps, she slowed her stride.

"Liz?" Doug turned behind him to see his wife training. He called out to her when he stopped just short of the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong...yet. I want tonight to be perfect and I'm afraid it's not going to be."

"Why, because of me?"

"Not just you. But when you and my father are in the same room, there's this tension between you. I can't stand it; it makes me queasy. Every time."

"What can I do? He picks on me about everything."

"He doesn't mean to. He's nice..."

"To you and your sisters, yeah..."

"To everyone. He's a good man, Doug, if you'd just get to know him."

"He won't let me get to know him."

"Then let him get to know you. The real you. Don't get snarky with him. Lose the smartass comebacks and treat him like you treat your own father. He'll respond to that."

Inside the farmhouse, Jed snuck a peek out of the side window. Oh, how he was dreading this evening. He couldn't stand Doug and having to bite his tongue over dinner made him want to vomit. He'd never understand what Liz saw in him and he'd given up trying. He watched their body language, saw Liz's hand gestures, those very gestures she always used when she spoke about something with conviction.

"Jed, stop snooping," Abbey admonished him.

"She's telling him to be more respectful of us."

"How do you know?"

"A father knows."

"Maybe it'll be a new beginning."

"Assuming he listens and follows through."

"And assuming you get the smirk off your face."

"I don't smirk."

"You smirk, Jed. Don't do it tonight. Let's have a nice dinner."

"As long as Doug doesn't cross the line..."

"And if he does, exercise a little restraint."

"I make no promises."

Abbey opened the front door to greet them. "Lizzie?"

"Mom." Liz hugged her mother and stepped inside. "As if I didn't just see you last week."

"A week is too long between visits, baby doll."

"Mrs. Bartlet," Doug said.

"You're part of the family now, Doug. You can call me Abbey."

Jed felt his limbs tense with that suggestion. He gave a tight smile and shook Doug's hand.

"I hate him."

"You do not hate him."

"Want to bet me I hate him?" Jed circled around the bedroom after the Westins left later that night. He unbuttoned his shirt, took off his pants, folded them over and tossed them aside.

"He's young and stupid," Abbey said from the bathroom, where she unpinned her hair and brushed out her auburn tresses in preparation for bed.

"No, Abbey. I was young a stupid. His stupidity is organic. It's not going to change as he ages." He pulled down the covers. "All that crap about not having yet found his calling. You're about to be a father, dumbass. That means you take whatever job comes your way to support your family."

"He did take a job. Two, as a matter of fact. So he's quitting one. It's only until he graduates college. They'll be fine."

"HE graduates college. What about Liz? She's never going back?"

"It's too late to have this conversation again."

"I'm just saying, they can't afford to be picky about jobs."

Abbey reappeared from the bathroom, rubbing her hands together to blend the lotion she'd just poured into her palm. "He could always work for you."

"Absolutely not! He'd add nothing to the office and he'd distract Liz."

"You've got me there."

Jed held out his hands so that Abbey could massage the remnants of lotion into his skin. "Speaking of distractions, you've been avoiding telling me something all day."

"I guess I have."

"You said you'd tell me tonight. I'm listening now." He was curious and he wasn't going to let her skirt the issue a third time. His stare remained fixed on her as she let go of his hands. "Abbey?"

"Give me a second. I have to get my mind going in that direction again."

"What direction is that?"

Another pause and she saw Jed grow impatient. She finally admitted, "You were right about Alex. He made a pass at me."

"He what?"

"Don't make me say it again."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. I took care of it."

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's over. We're no longer friends. I made it clear, in no uncertain terms."

"What did he do?"

"If I tell you, I want us to have a discussion about it. I don't want you to fly off the handle. Deal?"

"I have to promise you what my reaction will be before you'll tell me what that creep did to you?" Jed shook his head. "Abbey..."

"I know..." she relented. "That's not fair."

"No, it's not."

"He tried to kiss me," she blurted out.

Jed clenched his fist at his side. "I'm going to kill him!"

"I pushed him away."

"I'm still going to kill him!"

"Jed, stop. This kind of thing doesn't help."

"What kind of thing?"

"Your response. I'm trying to hold it together and you're not making it any easier."

"You're telling me that another man tried to kiss you. Excuse me for being alarmed."

"It's fine to be alarmed."

"Then what isn't 'fine'?"

"I don't know. I just can't..."

There was a tremble in her voice.

"Abbey, what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." She meant it too. Alex pushed himself on her, but Abbey hadn't completely processed it yet. The encounter shook her and she couldn't explain why.

"Hey." Jed approached her. He placed his firm and gentle hands on her upper arms and looked her in the eyes. "It's me. You can tell me anything."

"I know."

"Do you?"

"Yes, I truly do."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, he didn't. I'm fine, Jed, I swear it. I just want to forget about it. Our friendship is over and I feel like such a fool."

"You're not a fool for trusting someone."

"I should have listened to you. You called it from the start."

"Only because I know how the male mind works, especially in the company of such a beautiful woman." He pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry. I wish I'd been wrong."

"I wish you had been too."

Enveloped in his embrace, Abbey felt safe and sound. Eventually, she'd have to tell him that Alex made more than a pass, that he'd violated her personal space and put his hands on her, even used force to prevent her resistance. She minimized the encounter, told Jed only the bare minimum. But the truth was, seeing Alex like that and feeling his strong arms on her body, affected her more than she let on. She was terrified of seeing him again and she prayed that if she did, she wouldn't be alone.

TBC