I Hate You, Mr. Boss-Man [18+]

027

"I don't want to be alone tonight."

The wheels slow to a stop in front of his building, headlights flashing a small gleam then nothing at all. I hadn't spoken a word since the flight back, only when he was taking a turn for my block that I spoke up. It was pretty late when we arrived in Manhattan, synchronized yawns telling us that we needed to rest the day off.

"We're here, sweetheart," Jesse murmurs, gently shaking my shoulder since I had started to drift off. He unfastens his seatbelt, quickly exiting the car before jogging over to my side to open my door. I send him a smile, unfastening my seatbelt as well, offering my hand so he can help me out of his car.

"Thank you," I mumble, pecking his cheek as he shuts the door behind me.

He sounds the alarm, wrapping my arm around his, guiding me inside the lobby to his building. "Hey, Spence," Jesse beams, waving at the bellhop with his free hand.

"Hey...long night?" Spencer greets, walking over to get the elevator for us.

"You have no idea," I sigh, detangling my arm from Jesse's, footsteps trudging into the elevator and, I lean my head against the wall, eyes fluttering shut.

"Right, before I forget," Spencer pipes up, "Sonja stopped by today, asked me to give you this. Something about it being urgent and to call her when you get the message."

"Thank you," Jesse responds, footsteps shuffling inside the elevator with me. "Have a good night."

The doors close shut, papers rustling making my eyes open, an envelope in Jesse's grasp. "What is it?" I ask, stepping closer to him to lean over and see the letter. Handwritten on thin parchment, lettering in inked calligraphy and French.

"It's a letter from Sonja," Jesse mutters, eyes scanning over every word. I didn't know he read french. "Her mother is very sick, and she asked for a few days off to go see her in Paris. Why she felt the need to ask is beyond me, I'd be a monster if I said no." Jesse shakes his head, reaching into his front pocket, fishing out his cell. "I'm gonna make a quick call."

I tuned out his conversation, not that I could understand French. My eyes boring onto the dial overhead, flicking to the first floor, second, third and, so on. Jesse lived at the very top, the last door at the end so, it took a bit to get up there. My mind wandered off to hours ago on the plane and how I was seriously crying about my feelings towards him. He didn't know that was the real reason, ten percent being Amber and Jacob but, Jesse was the real thing.

I glanced over at him, French falling from his lips and, I couldn't help but notice how attractive he sounded. I wrap his coat around myself a bit tighter, the air conditioner making goosebumps on the surface of my skin. Did he mean it...did he mean the things he said? Jesse had slowly broken down the barriers-the many layers I had built on from my father, mother, and Jacob. He was tearing them down as if I had never put anything up at all. I wanted to tell him, oh man, I'd scream it at him until I was blue in the face but I refrained. Thinking it was too heavy a conversation for a nightcap.

The doors pulled away to his floor, glancing over his shoulder at me, offering his palm to take. I smile, lacing our hands together as we walk down the hall, stopping at his door. He was still on the phone when he unlocked the door, pushing it open as he steps aside to let me through first. I shrug off his coat, folding it over the sofa before I sink onto a cushion.

"D'accord, Au revoir Sonja," Jesse hangs up his cell, eyes meeting mine from across the room-closing the door and locking it. "I gave her as much time as she needed," He mentions, slipping out of his suspenders. "I figured that'd be best."

I nod in agreement, bending down to undo the clasp on my heels. "Sounds good," I sigh, kicking off the shoes before placing them beside the sofa. "I hope her mom recovers."