Chapter Seventy

Jane’s face was pale with horror as she watched her Daughter in law stand up to her. Peter raised his eyebrow at his wife.
“You gave her all the photos back? You really did that?” he asked.

Jane looked flustered as tried to defend herself “I was just in shock” she stuttered seeing the looks on both her husbands and son’s face.

Jason just shook his head. He was disgusted in his parents behaviour and could see that Jesse was angry and in every right. God knows he had to try hard here, maybe if he took her side he’d have a chance in still showing her he still loved her.

“Mom, I can’t believe you did that to her, after everything we have discussed if this ever happened, I told you I wanted Jesse to move on, and she did” he said. “I don’t have to like it but I’ve accepted that it’s happened.” He said managing a small smile at Jesse who was still standing defiantly in the room. She looked every bit as the confident classy woman that he’d missed so much for the last six months.

“Well... I... Jason you got to know it was so hard to see her with anyone else but yourself” Jane tried to reason looking at her husband for back up but he stayed silent on the matter.

“Hard for you? Do you know how much I tormented myself when I first started dating Jon? How hard it was to BE with another man apart from the one I was used to for the last five years or so” Jesse asked. She was ridiculous acting like it was her own personal grief all time and not taking into account Jesse’s feelings. She was acting as though she’d damn near cheated on Jason.

Jane managed a small laugh “I’m sure he more than made up for it”

“That’s it, get out of my house until you have the decency to respect my life, you should of just been happy that your son was still alive, but no you had to bring the petty comments back into it. So get out, Jason can visit you at your place until we work out our own arrangements” she said pointing at the door.

The room fell silent until Peter spoke up “You’re going to let her speak to us like that son?” he asked Jason as he stood.

Jason nodded “I think its best if you leave so Jesse and I can talk, we’ve still got a lot to sort out” he said quietly. Jane just shook her head and stood grabbing her purse and coat.

“If you think that’s best Jason, you call us later ok” she said as they made their way out the door. She turned at looked back at Jesse, ice in her eyes.

“Goodbye Jesse” she said before the both left.

Jesse just stood there in shock as they left; she’d never spoken to any of them like she just had. But enough had been enough and they crossed the line here and before with their treatment of Jon. He’d never deserved any of the coldness they’d given him. He was the innocent party in all of this.

Jason closed the door and came to stand in front of Jesse who was visibly upset. He placed his arms on hers and rubbed them gently.

“You ok?” he asked concerned.

She nodded “I’m sorry Jason but the way that they keep making me out to be some kind of bad person for all of this and I’ve had enough. You know I’ve always liked your parents but this has just been a little too much” she admitted.

He nodded “I know baby, its ok. They’re just still trying to adjust to all this. It’s a lot to take in, for all of us” he said taking her hands in his.

She looked up into familiar eyes once again. She saw the expected gleam in his eyes and her heart sank.

“Jason, we need to talk, and seriously this time” she said leading him to the couch to sit down. She needed to tell him how it was going to be.

“Honey, I know that this has been a huge shock, and honestly having you home is so wonderful, and this is going to be so hard for me to say” she said pausing.

“I am going to marry Jon Jason, I love him, I love you, but I’ve fallen out of love with you, and I’m so sorry” she said gently as she stroked his hand in hers.

The look in his eyes made her heart break, she hated to do this but she was in love with Jon and she needed to move on and dissolve the marriage with him. Things had changed too much in six months. Her relationship with his parents, and her feelings for him, she’d come to realize finally just were not as strong as they had used to be. She’d been forced to slam that door shut unexpectedly in her heart, and she wasn’t going to open it again. Not now that she had Jon.

He sat there feeling at a loss. Truthfully he had expected that she would stay with Jon now, but a small glimmer of hope when they had kissed had made her think that they may have had a small chance of repairing the past but now her words cut through him like ice. The woman that he loved had moved on and she still wanted to leave him behind. It was lost cause and he was deluding himself if he thought he could win her back.

“Ok” was all he could muster. “If you didn’t have Jon do you think it would have been different?” he asked.

Jesse sighed “Probably Jason, but I can’t say for sure” she admitted as she looked at the ground. “Does this mean that I’m still married to you?” she asked.

He nodded “I have no idea Jesse, I need to go and see my lawyer, we probably both should” he said looking around the house he once called home but now it just seemed so different.

She nodded “I still have your life insurance policy money that was paid out when you died, but we can sort it all out with the lawyer. I’m so sorry Jason, I know this is probably not what you expected or want, and I’ll always love you, you know that right” she said taking his hand.

He nodded as he brought her hand to his lips “I know Jesse, and I am happy you found someone else to make you happy you deserve it” Jason said.

They both stared at each other for the longest moment, both recollecting memories about what once was but now it was no more. Jason wanted nothing more than to touch her and hold her again, but it had gone so wrong before but this time the look in her eyes drew him in. He placed his lips on hers ever so gently.

Jesse closed her eyes as familiar lips fell on hers and she remembered the past again just for a moment. He felt so safe, just like he always had. Her hands slid to his cheek as she kissed him back for a moment and pulled away. Pressing her forehead against his and looking into those deep eyes.

“I’ll always love you Jason, always” she said.

He smiled as tears pricked at the corner of his eyes and pulled apart standing from her. He had to leave now or he never would. She’d made her decision and he respected her too much to let her go. He gathered some of his things in a sports bag and headed out the door, looking back at he smiled and just simply said.

“Goodbye Jess, I’ll be in touch” before closing it behind him.

Jesse’s cheeks became wet with tears as she felt part of her life again walk away again. She wanted this, she didn’t love him the way she loved Jon so it was never going to be fair to him to lead him on. And like Jason was, he was a strong man and always respected her to not make this harder than it already was.

She jumped when her pocket vibrated and pulled out her phone managing a small smile when she saw it was Jon.

“Hey” she managed to say.

“Hi baby, you ok?” he asked noticing her quiet tone hoping she had been ok. He’d been worried all day about her.

She leaned back into the couch “Yeah I am now, Jason just left” she said.

“Left? As in for good?” Jon asked confused.

“Yep. I told him it was over once and for all, we’ll deal with each other with our lawyers and sort the house out and some other things. I think now I’m still officially married to him though, but we’ll work through all that” she said.

Jon smiled with relief deep down he knew she had chosen him, and she’d said it but having Jason around still had made him uneasy for some reason.
“Well there is no rush to get married baby, I just wanted to show you I was serious about ya, that’s all” he said.

“I know Jon, and we will. How did the kids and Dot go?” she asked knowing he’d probably had a rough day as well.

“They are good, well most of them, Jesse is still a little disgruntled but I’m going to take him out tomorrow, have some man on man time” he said.

“Sounds like fun, oh god, Steph still needs to come and work with me, we’ll get that set up, I’ll probably go back into the office Friday, that’s if she still wants to.” she said. She’d completely forgot about it with everything that had been happening.

“Wants to? God, Jess, she’s dying to” he laughed “she understands though, its ok” he said.

She sank back further into the couch and twirled her hair with a small smile playing on her lips “So what are you doing now?” she asked hopefully. She was more than ready for her pizza night that Jon promised.

He chuckled “Well I was ringing to see what the state of play was, and if you ok, but now I know you’re all alone in that big place of yours, I’m going to pick up that pizza and wine, and bring it to you, how does that sound?”

“Like a plan” she said grinning.