Chapter One was posted February 17th

Chapter Two was posted February 18th

Chapter Three

 

Two weeks later

 

Jenny hadn’t left her apartment for anything other than going to the office to pick up her laptop and to get some groceries from the store.  She holed up in her apartment, worked from home, and ate a ton of junk food.

Seth and Alex had both called, apologizing for what had happened.  She had ignored the phone both times.  That had been a week ago, and Jenny still hadn’t called either of them back. What would she say?

Wearing a pair of threadbare holey jeans and a tee shirt that one was one size too small; Jenny had her hair up in a pony tail and hadn’t bothered with make-up in days.  If she had walked out on the street, someone would have mistaken her for a bum.

Startled, Jenny heard a knock on her apartment door.  Who on earth could it be?

Looking through the peep hole, all she saw were flowers.  Thinking it must be a delivery guy at the wrong address, she opened the door.  Shocked, she couldn’t move or speak.

“Hi Jenny,” Alex said in a quiet voice.  He had dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep.  His voice was thick with emotion. “Can I come in for just a minute?”

Jenny backed up to allow him into her tiny apartment.  She felt conflicted.  Part of her was happy to see her best friend, the other part was confused over how she should feel.

“What are you doing here, Alex?”

He sighed. “Since you wouldn’t take my call, I wanted to come and apologize in person.  I brought you these,” he said, handing her the mixed bouquet.

The flowers were beautiful.  Jenny sniffed them and went into the kitchen to put them in some water.

“Thank you for the flowers.  Alex, I didn’t call because I didn’t know what to say.”

He held up a hand to stop her. “I know and I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to make things weird between us.”

Jenny shook her head.  “It isn’t that.”

He tentatively stepped closer to her.  “Then what is it?”

Jenny looked up into his warm brown eyes, filled with concern and uncertainty.  What could she say to him?  That she didn’t know what to think or how to feel?

“I don’t know, Alex.  I don’t know anything right now.  It’s why I haven’t called.”

He reached out, wanting to pull her into his arms, but not sure if he should.  He had made such a mess of things!

“I’ll go.  Again, I’m really sorry, Jenny.”

She watched him walk to the front door.  “Alex, wait.”

He turned, curious.

Jenny quickly walked over to him.  She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.  Alex returned her hug.

“It’s okay, Alex.  I know you didn’t mean for things to end the way they did.”

He swallowed.  “I think part of me did know it would end that way.  I think I wanted him to leave that day.”

Jenny looked into his eyes and saw love shining down on her.  How had she never seen it before?  Alex loved her!

“Maybe it was for the best.  I wasn’t comfortable in Seth’s world.  How could we have ever had a working relationship?”

Alex felt hope.  Was she saying what he thought she was?

“I’m still sorry Jenny.”

Jenny placed her fingers over his lips.  Feeling their warm, firm, soft texture, she was overcome with the need to feel his lips against hers.  Pushing up on her tip toes, she pulled his head down and kissed him.

Alex was surprised.  He tightened his embrace and kissed her back.  Kissing Jenny was every bit as wonderful as he had thought it would be.

Jenny gave herself up to the kiss.  Never had she felt anything like it.  She had been with guys before, but kissing Alex was better than anything she had ever felt before.

Breaking the kiss, she looked into his eyes.  “I love you, Alex.”

His eyes widened in surprise.  “Say that again.”

She smiled. “I love you.  I think I have for a long time and just didn’t realize it.”

He tenderly smiled back at her, caressing her cheek.  “I love you too.”

Pressing herself closer to him, she kissed him again.