Chapter Forty Three

Jesse was frozen to the ground unable to move, she hated to think what must have been going through their minds right now.

“Hi Jesse” Jane said pleasantly, they had always got on but Jesse had always struggled with how proper and pretentious they were. They were both ex marines so things had always been run with much precision and control in their household. She’d always hated that they had basically forced Jason to follow in their footsteps and join the marines like he did.

At times she’d wondered what would have happened if he’d followed his true dream of architecture, Jesse had always encouraged it and she had recalled when she almost did convince him to do it, till Mom and Dad had their opinion on it.

“Hi Peter and Jane, please do come in, we’ll just go and get dressed” she said pulling Jon away and up the stairs as fast as she could.

Jon watched her throw some jeans and his soul shirt on. “You ok babe?” he asked as he did the same.

She smiled “Yeah, I will be, not the best way to tell your in-laws of your late husband that you are in another relationship huh” she commented tying her hair in a ponytail.

Jon watched her and could tell she was nervous, she had every right to be, and he bet that Jane and Peter downstairs would have the view he was the devil right now.

“You want me to come back down with you?” he asked thinking maybe she wanted to talk to them alone.

“Thanks baby for thinking of that, but I want you with me” she said taking his hand as they walked back downstairs. It was time to just stand up to them and face the barrage of questions that she was sure to follow.

They came back downstairs Jesse noticed them still watching Jon like a hawk.
“So tea just the way you like it?” she asked them

“Absolutely that would be wonderful” Jane said, Jon stood.

“My name is Jon, Jon Bongiovi” he said as the man shook his hand “Please to meet you sir and mam” he opted for the formal address.

“Pleased to meet you Jon” Peter politely replied. Jon said down and shifted nervously Jane still eyeing him.

“You’re that rock star fellow?” she asked as Jesse started to come back carrying a tray.

“Yes ma’m that would be me” he nodded quietly.

Jane laughed a little “I see what’s going on here, Jesse you’re just stretching your legs, That’s understandable, we all have needs” Jane said as Jesse poured her tea.

Jesse raised her eyebrow at Jane, the older woman with a knowing smirk on her small crinkly lips.
“Excuse me? Needs?” she asked, confused as to what exactly Jane was implying.

Jane looked at Jon and then back at Jesse “Well what I am saying is there is nothing to be ashamed about for just wanting to fill part of the gap that you have been missing since Jason died” she said. Jesse handed her tea and then Peters and sat next to Jon.

“If you are implying he is a one night stand, I am sorry to tell you he’s not, Jon and I have been seeing each other for a few weeks now” she took his hand and squeezed it and waited for the reaction, she felt him grip her own hand back.

Jane raised a questionable eyebrow at her husband. He spoke
“You can’t be serious? It’s only been six months, it’s much too soon” Peter sternly expressed.

Jon’s gaze fell to each one of them and back to Jesse who he could see was clearly a bit disturbed by the whole thing, he thought the guilt trip was a little too much especially when Jesse had already dealt with those feelings already herself at the beginning of their relationship.

“If I may” Jon spoke up, they eagerly watched his next word “I love this woman very much and she loves me, but that doesn’t mean she’s forgotten about Jason and neither have I, I know he was a big part of her life and I would never expect her to dishonour that” he genuinely expressed.

“She is dishonouring that, with jumping into bed with you, he’s only been in the ground for six months, and they were married a lot longer than that” Jane pointed out.

Jon shook his head “Who says that there is a set time to grieve and move on here? Who makes that rule, its up to the individual, we just met by accident and were drawn to each other, and I have only been divorced very recently so I was never looking for another relationship but it just happened, life just happens” he tried to explain, he could see that their grief was still very real on their faces, and that is what seemed to be the problem Jesse had moved on but they hadn’t.

Jesse’s heart swelled as he went into bat for her. “It was never planned Jane, I love Jason with my heart and soul and always will, Jon knows that, but I love Jon now, he came into my life and filled it in a different way, we do a lot for each other” she tried to explain.

“Oh I bet that you do” Jane shrewdly replied.

Jon raised his eyebrows but kept his tongue silent much to his inner will relenting.

“I’m sorry you had to see what you did, in all honestly I forgot that you were coming into town and I apologize for that, this is not how I wanted you to tell you both” she sincerely spoke.

“Or you wouldn’t have told us at all I suspect” Peter suggested as he sipped his tea.

Jesse’s eyes widened “I would of thank you, I would have never kept this from you on purpose, and you should know me better than that” she said trying to not sound as offended as she was.

Jon extended his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer.

“So then, I guess if you are just divorced then Jon, you won’t be thinking of remarrying anytime soon” Jane said pointedly.

What was with this woman, he could tell instantly that neither of them were prepared to give him a chance, he understood their slight protectiveness of Jess but they were being so unreasonable to her.

“Well Jane, Jesse and I have talked very briefly and I can’t say that it would be anytime soon, but it may be on the cards into the future, who knows” Jon said, see how you like that lady.

Jane’s eyes widened “You wouldn’t Jesse?” she asked horrified. She knew Jane had this warped idea that, especially older Marine wives if they are widowed that they remain that way as an honour to their late husbands.

Jesse nodded “If it was right, I would, I am still young Jane, I don’t want to go through life on my own”

“You don’t have to dear we are here, why don’t you move out with us” she suggested.

Jesse held back the snort; she’d rather die before that happened.

“That’s very kind but my life is here, my friends, my career and Jon” she said looking at him lovingly.

Jane and Peter exchanged glances before Peter spoke again the astute man placed his tea down on the coffee table.

“Jesse, you know we have always been concerned with your welfare, and much more so than your own parents and Jason always told us, if this happened he wanted us to take care of you, so that’s what we are offering here, we have to honour his wishes”

Jesse closed her eyes; this was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare.

“I appreciate your concern but I won’t be moving” she firmly said again.

“Well just think it over, I think you’re making a big mistake with him” Jane said honestly.

That was it; Jon had heard enough as he watched Jesse fight back tears.

"Ok Jane and Peter, I have tried to be as polite as I can possibly be, but you cant just walk in here and demand Jesse to give up her life just because she’s not sitting at Jason’s grave site crying her eyes out, she’s still grieving inside and you have no idea how she felt when we first dated, it killed her till I convinced her it wasn’t wrong, so how dare you come in here and talk down to her like this. I am sorry you lost your son but you won’t talk to her like she should be losing her life as well, I won’t stand for it” Jon sternly said.

“Well I never” Jane muttered as she looked over at Peter horrified.

“I think you should leave” Jon suggested.