Kisses and Other Necessities

《 kisses and forever 》（3）

dear all, i'm very very very sorry for the super late update but if you've been waiting patiently for this, thank you so much! the last part is finally here! the first half is about jessica and jake and the second part contains snippets of flora and sean's life, as you requested. i sincerely hope you enjoy reading the 11.5k words below, and please be kind to one another. happy reading!

∞

Fortunately for Jake, this time they made up right away. Jessica was only staying for a week, and neither of them wanted to waste a minute on not having sex, so they did, and they did again. It didn't solve anything aside from sexual frustration. She would still leave and he was still going to feel like shit afterward.

But for the time being, they procrastinated. Relishing each other, his tiny apartment was their home at the edge of the world.

A few days later, as her visit drew close to the end, Jessica visited Jaylan. Sitting at a table she shared with Jake, his parents, and Dylan, she swiveled her head around and marveled over the décor. "I love what you did with the place," she said, and Jake tried to get over the fact that this was the first time she visited. Such a significant piece of him, and she'd been so absent.

"And the atmosphere!" she went on. "It's one of those bars where you can dress up and potentially meet someone, but it's also not weird at all to sit down and gather with family. When you drop by alone on a bad day, this place comforts you."

"You're spot on with your observations." Dylan's eyebrows raised. He judged people not on their appearances, but whether they "got it." "I say the same thing when I tell people about this place. We don't want to be like some of the 'trendy' nightclubs downtown with a wannabe chic clientele."

Jake added, "You're not supposed to feel self-conscious here, even if you're a newcomer."

Jake's dad grinned at him from across the table. Even though he'd recovered fully from a minor stroke, Jake still found himself checking for symptoms of slurred speech whenever his dad began to talk. "I'm sure Jake makes everyone feel welcomed."

It was a compliment on his amicable personality, but Jake could see Dylan stifling a smirk as he agreed, saying, "Oh, absolutely. Jake is friendly. He accepts everyone without condition."

He wanted to kick Dylan under the table. Thanks for bringing that up in front of Jessica. That was no way to treat a bro, even if it was meant as a small payback for the one-star review he elicited.

Jessica chose not to dwell on the subject. "I know the bars you're talking about. They ignore you and you feel like they disapprove of you if you're not dressed hip enough." Her eyes ran over the heavy wooden doors, oak panels, and Chesterfield leather sofa, and finally the array of malts placed behind the bar. "It's cozy here but the décor is impressive. It creates this relaxed but sophisticated ambiance, and I'm especially in love with the lighting arrangements. I trust you helped them with the design, Mrs. Lancaster?"

"How could I not?" his mom said, smiling.

"My mom designed everything," Jake said, his chest filling up with pride. "We've had a lot of help along the way, watching this baby grow up. Sean paid for the sound system, even though he kept saying he wouldn't invest." He'd insisted that it was a gift, and it just so happened that the sound equipment was the most costly part of the setup. "Flora did the advertising for us. As you know, word of mouth is the best endorsement, and she's social media queen. We also have a live guitar night where we support indie musicians who are just starting out. Janet's played here a few times, too."

Unable to stop talking, he realized how eager he was for Jessica to like it here. He pointed to the carbonara she was having. "How do you like the food?"