Page 28 of Four Simple Rules
Yes. I feel weird letting curse words pass over my tongue. It’s just not something I’ve ever felt comfortable doing. So, I’ve never said them before.
“Mhhmm,” he hums with a chuckle. “So, how are your plants?”
I blink several times, letting his question settle in—my plants. I’ve left them for two days. I’m usually on a schedule with them. Instead, I had to leave them with Nikki while I was away. Thankfully, I had vacation time saved up so I could come here at the last minute.
“Erm, they should be fine.” I take another plate and quickly dry it off.
His question worms its way into my brain. I carefully set the plate with the others and drag my phone out. I log into my university employee portal and view the 24/7 cameras we have available. I blow out a breath when the temperature is correct, and the plants are dripping with moisture. Turning on my toes, I return to the sink and pick up my towel.
“So, how did our parents meet exactly?” I ask through the silence.
“They were neighbors. They knew each other,” Jesse says, handing me another clean dish to dry.
“Well, I know that, Einstein. I mean, how did all this happen? And why?”
“I’ll answer those if you answer more questions of mine,” he offers, reaching into the empty sink and pulling the drain.
“Okay,” I say with reluctance.
“Your dad is a hero, Tulip,” he says, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the counter. “He rescued us that night…” His lips curl in, and he sucks in a breath.
“When he...”
“Yeah. When he pointed his handgun at my stomach and fired.” I pale at his words, imagining what he went through in those seconds as the barrel of the gun pointed in his direction. Shaking his head, he runs a hand down his face. “Sorry, Tulip. I’ve had a lot of time to process the event with my therapist, and it just kind of slips out now. I’ve dealt with it for ten years, and sometimes it’s easier to say what he did to me out loud than to keep it in.”
“And I only found out a few hours ago,” I murmur, rubbing my fingers up and down my shorts.
Guilt slams into me rapidly, nearly taking the breath from my lungs. He suffered so much. And where was I? In Illinois with my aunt, hiding from everyone that had hurt me. Was I a coward? Probably. But every emotion I had was real.
“Sorry, you didn’t know…” Jesse trails off. “I could have really used my best friend’s company back then.” His voice softens, almost as if he didn’t want me to hear what he had to say.
“You ran me off. Didn’t Posey or Nat show up to kiss your wounds?” I scoff, crossing my arms. My face falls when a pained expression crosses his face. “I’m sorry. That was a crappy thing to say…”
“It wasn’t, though. It’s the truth. No one showed up to visit me. Only Rhett. After my dad did that shit… I understood who my real friends were. None of them cared about me when I was in the hospital. None of them called to see if I was okay…” Pain laces every word he says. “Only him. And if I hadn’t been a douche canoe, maybe you would have been around.”
“Even if I hated you, I would have been on the first flight home,” I whisper sincerely because it’s the truth.“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t my dad tell me?” Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, imagining the pain he must have gone through all alone with no one to support him. Only Rhett showed up to visit him. His mother and my dad were there, but where was the rest of his support system?
The second I knew his life was in danger, I’d have raced to his side, ensuring he was okay. Jesse had been there for me a million times as a kid, helping me through my anxiety and depression. He helped me when my dad was nowhere to be found. So, of course, even if I hated his guts, I would have been on the next red-eye home.
“It’s okay, Tulip,” he murmurs. “I know you would have been, but I didn’t want to drag you away from your new-found life. You looked so happy at your aunt’s house that I didn’t want to stress you out and pull you away. I wanted time to heal. Time for you to heal. I just…” A heavy sigh rocks through him. “If I hadn’t been such a fucking prick, maybe you would have been here. I have no one else to blame but myself.” Disgust rolls off his words, and he shakes his head. He’s clearly been beating himself black and blue after that fateful day in the halls of Brighton High.
It's in his slumped shoulders and tear-filled eyes. Jesse regrets everything that happened when he unexpectedly sent me on my way with his hurtful words and actions.
I nibble my lip, digesting his words. He’s right. If he hadn’t run me off, I would have been by his side. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened at all. He would have had my room as his sanctuary to get away from his father.
“To answer your question, your dad must have heard my father break down the front door or his shouts. I’ve never asked him. But he came running over and took my dad down after the first shot. He called 9-1-1, and he saved my life.” Mist forms in his eyes when he talks about my father. “And the rest is history. He started showing up at the hospital. He talked to the cops and explained what he saw. My father got convicted and sent to prison. And my mom got all the support she needed from your father. He let us move in here until we got back on our feet.”
“You lived here?” I ask in a small voice, processing all the information he’s thrown at me.
“For a few months, yeah. I healed quickly after I was discharged from the hospital. Then, I went off to school.” He shakes his head a little. “Sorry, Tulip. That’s probably a lot to take in.”
“Yeah,” I clear my throat.
It was a lot to take in. He’s been through hell and back. And me? I ran because the boy I fell in love with didn’t see me. Not really. What would have happened if I had been here to protect him? Would my room have been sanctuary enough?
“Um, I’m going to head to bed. It’s been a long day.” I awkwardly point in the direction of my room with a tight smile.
“Of course,” he says with a little nod. “See you tomorrow, Tulip.”
