"I love you, too, Will."
~~~~~~~
If a face could literally split from a smile, then Clarise knew she would have needed stitches from the wide, happy grin she had on as she stepped into Jessa's office.
"Someone's had a fantastic weekend," Jessa commented with an answering grin.
She nodded enthusiastically. "It started on Friday night."
"What happened on Friday night?"
She raised her left hand in response. A solitaire diamond on a platinum band that must have cost a fortune based on its size was glittering on her ring finger.
Jessa squealed in delight as she ran to her friend and engulfed her in a tight bear hug. "So Will proposed last Friday? How?"
"I'll tell you guys about it over lunch so —"
"What's going on here?" Ray asked.
They turned to the door to find not only Ray but Victor and Mark Reed, their new writer, staring at them with curiosity.
"We heard squealing and …" Victor's eyes grew wide and whooped himself. "Oh, my God! Congratulations, Clarise!" He hurried to give her a bear hug as well.
In no time, all the staff at Lifestyle by Design were surrounding her to offer their congratulations.
"We should celebrate this," Ray said. "I have a meeting this afternoon so we'll do it tomorrow. Elena, could you organise some drinks and cakes for us in the boardroom from four-thirty onwards for tomorrow afternoon, please?"
To Clarise, he said, "invite Will and whomever else you want, Clarise."
Clarise's eyes were misty. The people at her work were her other family and Ray was not only a terrific boss but a great friend. "Thank you, Ray. Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?"
Ray laughed as he hugged her. "It's a pleasure. You deserve at least that."
~~~~~~~
"Hi, Faye," Victor said as Faye blew them kisses. He watched her settle on a chair before grabbing Clarise's left wrist and lifting it for Faye to see. "I'd like to introduce you to Clarise's engagement ring."
Faye shrieked and threw her arms around her best friend. "Congratulations, darling. I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you, Faye."
"So tell us, Clarise, how did Will propose?" Jessa urged.
Clarise told them.
"So he's had the ring for a month but hadn't planned on proposing last Friday?" Jessa asked in wonder as Clarise related Will's proposal.
"No," Clarise laughed. "He had booked an overnight trip for us this weekend and he was going to do it then. But the perfect time presented itself last Friday. So this weekend would be more of an engagement celebration instead."
"Would you have preferred that he waited instead of doing it in his kitchen?"
"No, it was wonderful," Clarise said dreamily. "By the way, Faye, we're having drinks at work tomorrow afternoon from four-thirty for my engagement. Would you like to come?"
"Oh, yay! Yes, I'd love to. I'll be there just after five."
"Jess, could you ask Rob too?"
"Sure, I'll ask him."
"Everything okay with the two of you?"
"Yes …" Jessa wasn't able to hide the hesitation in her voice.
"But?" Victor prompted softly.
Jessa sighed. "He's been really sweet and we had a fantastic weekend, but for some reason, I feel like there's a bit of a distance between us that wasn't there before."
"How so?"
"There were moments when I thought he was holding something back and he seemed … sad."
"Have you asked him about it?"
"I tried asking him a few times if there was anything wrong but his answer was always a big smile and a no."
"Maybe he's just stressed with work or something," Clarise suggested.
"Maybe." Jessa hoped that was all it was.
~~~~~~~
"Congratulations, Will. I'm really happy for you." Rob gave Will a man-hug as they joined the celebrations at Lifestyle by Design's boardroom.
"Thanks, Rob."
"Have you set a date yet?"
"No, not yet. We're thinking in about six months, though. I don't want to wait longer than that."
"Impatient, are you?" Rob chuckled.
"You know how it is." Will grinned.
Rob looked at Jessa wistfully. "Not really. You already have your girl, I don't."
"What do you mean? You and Jessa are back together, right? Indefinitely?"
"Yeah."
"So, then, you have your girl."
Rob shrugged. "I hope so."
Will frowned. "You hope so? I don't understand."
Rob gave Will a forlorn smile in response.
Will looked around to make sure no one was listening in to their conversation. "Have you been fighting?"
"No."
"So what's going on, Rob?"
Rob sighed as he threw another longing look at Jessa who was busy chatting with other people. "She doesn't love me, Will. Knowing that kills me even though we're together. And it makes me scared she could change her mind about us at any moment."
Will stared at Rob with his mouth open, wondering if his friend was drunk or something.
"But look," Rob said as he squared his shoulders, "I'm still happy I have this chance to make her fall for me. I intend to do just that. I'm not giving up on her."
"What makes you think she doesn't love you?" Will was at a total loss. From what he'd heard from Clarise, Jessa had already fallen for Rob. So what was Rob talking about?
Before Rob could answer, Ray joined them with more cold beer.
~~~~~~~
"Good morning, Jess," Clarise greeted from the doorway.
"Good morning, soon-to-be-Mrs.-Matthews."
Clarise smiled. "Are you free for lunch today?"
"Not until one-thirty. I have an appointment."
"I can wait."
"Okay. One-thirty then. What's up?" Jessa asked curiously. There seemed to be a serious purpose for this lunch rather than just a casual get-together.
"I need to talk to you about something."
"Everything okay?" She hated having to wait, especially when it sounded important.
"Yeah," Clarise responded with a genuine smile.
She relaxed. "Okay. I guess I'll have to wait to know what this is about."
~~~~~~~
"How do you really feel about Rob, Jess?" Clarise bit daintily into her sandwich but her eyes bore on Jessa.
"You already know the answer to that. Why are you asking?"
"I'll get to that." Clarise's smile took away her unease.
"I love him, Clarise," she said simply.
Clarise let out a sigh and leaned back on her chair. "And you haven't told him yet, have you?"
"No. I've wanted to say it a few times but the timing didn't seem right."
"Has he told you how he feels about you?"
"No. He's told me before that he'd started to care for me but that's not an 'I love you'. I guess that's one big reason why I haven't told him I love him. I want him to say it first. But I might have to wait awhile. I don't think he's there yet," she said gloomily.
Clarise shook her head in amusement and exasperation.
"What?"
"It's time the two of you told each other how you really feel."
Jessa searched Clarise's face for clues. Her friend appeared to know something she didn't. "How do you think he feels about me?" she mumbled.
"By the sounds of it, he's in love with you. But I'm sure you'd rather hear it from him."
"How do you know? Did he say something to you?" She didn't want to fully give in to the joy blossoming in her heart. Clarise could be wrong.
"Not to me, no. Yesterday during drinks at work, Will was speaking to him."
"And what did he say?"
"He said knowing you don't love him kills him. And that he's scared you'll change your mind about your relationship with him."
"What?" Joy was replaced by an aching pressure on her chest. Her mind played the images of Rob looking mournful and morose
, especially when he thought she wasn't looking. Was that why he had been distant? Tears pooled in her eyes. It hurt her that he was hurting. It hurt her even more that the reason why was because he didn't think she loved him.
"You okay?" Clarise asked as she handed her a tissue.
"Why would he think I don't love him?" she whimpered.
"I don't know. Maybe the same reason you don't think he loves you. Because you haven't said it to each other yet."
She nodded but she sensed it was more than that. She started seeing Rob's sad looks after they got back together, right after she came home from her dinner with James and he was waiting on the steps for her … Oh, no.
She buried her face in her hands, mortified at herself for not explaining to him the situation with James. Even though Rob hadn't brought it up, she should have.
"Jess?" Clarise stroked her back soothingly.
"He must have thought I willingly went on a date with someone else when we were on a break. I even took James's flowers to my apartment and looked for a vase while he was watching like I didn't care how he felt. Oh, Clarise. I'm so, so terrible!"
"Come on, Jess. That's not true. You were hurting, too, that time. There was so much going on in your head then."
"I need to see him tonight. He needs to know the truth."
CHAPTER TWENTY
Jessa pressed Rob's buzzer but there was no answer. She should have called first. He mentioned he had one of those after-work business development drinks with a client tonight but since it was a Wednesday, she thought it would be short. But it could have extended to dinner.
It was funny how they still didn't have keys to each other's apartments. There hadn't been a need because they always went home together whenever they stayed at each other's place. She made a mental note to resolve that issue.
She pulled out her phone and rang his number. She hoped he wasn't too far away and that he wouldn't mind coming home earlier than he'd planned.
"Jess," he answered. She could hear he was in a bar.
"Hi, Rob. Am I interrupting something?"
"No. You're not an interruption." The background noise lessened. He must have moved to a more quiet spot.
"What time will you be home tonight?"
"I'm not sure. I'm playing it by ear. The guys I'm having drinks with don't look like they're ready to go home yet. Why?"
"I was wondering if we could talk tonight."
There was a few seconds of silence before Rob responded. "Okay. Give me about fifteen minutes then I'll leave. I'll see you at your place."
"I'm outside your building."
"Right now?"
"Yes. I thought you'd be home already."
"Okay. I'll say goodbye to the guys now and be there in ten minutes."
There he is! Jessa's heart skipped a beat as she saw Rob approach from the street. The man she loved, coming home.
She frowned when she noticed he wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked anxious. She wondered if he had a bad day at work. Well, she wanted to make him feel good tonight. Her heart galloped in anticipation.
She gave him a dazzling smile as he got closer. "Hi!"
"Hi," he responded, his face losing some of his apprehension.
When he was within reach, she threw her arms around him and kissed him thoroughly. They were both panting afterwards.
"Wow," Rob said breathlessly. "Maybe we should always meet down here from now on."
~~~~~~~
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Rob asked as he sat on the couch and pulled Jessa next to him. He was surprised when she snuggled closer and burrowed her face in his neck. Not that he didn't want that, but he had the impression they were up for some serious discussion.
He was keen to know what she wanted to bring up. She made him nervous when she said she wanted to talk. They were seeing each other tomorrow but she turned up unannounced wanting to talk - tonight, not tomorrow. He might be new to this commitment stuff but even he knew this was going to be no ordinary conversation. He was preparing himself to beg and grovel if she was thinking of doing something unthinkable - like breaking up with him. But her amorous gestures had him relaxing.
"Do you still want to talk about something?" he murmured in her hair as he ran soft strokes up and down her back.
"Yes," Jessa replied. She leaned back and gazed at him with those captivating hazel eyes. "You know when you said you won't be happy being in a long-distance relationship?"
He froze. "Yeah?" he replied warily. Where is this leading to?
"Well, I was thinking that after August when you go back to Melbourne, we could alternate visiting each other every weekend. I know that's still not ideal, we still won't see each other during the week. But at least we'll be spending the weekends together."
"No, that's not gonna work for me, Jess."
Her face fell.
"Hey," he said softly as his heart twinged at her reaction. He gave her a tender kiss before continuing. "What I meant was I have an even better plan."
"What's your plan?"
"I'm moving back here."
Jessa gaped at him, her eyes alive with excitement. "Are you serious?"
"Damn serious."
"But what about your business?"
"I have a great team in Melbourne and they've proven to me just how capable they are. I don't need to be there everyday. I can manage them from here. And it gives me the perfect opportunity to grow my Sydney base."
"Yes, that makes sense. You're the perfect person to tap into the Sydney market so that's a smart, strategic move."
He frowned and cupped her face, ensuring she looked him straight in the eye. "Baby, you do know the main reason I'm moving back here is because of you and not my business, right?"
A radiant smile with a hint of bashfulness formed on Jessa's beautiful face. "Really?"
"Really. I'd go crazy with frustration without you for five straight days, week after week. I'd miss you so damn much." He brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Me too. I'm glad your plan is much better than mine."
His heart was so full he couldn't help his next words. "I love you, Jess."
He saw Jessa gasp and he hurried to release the pressure on her before she decided she wasn't ready for that. "You don't have to respond to that. I know you care for me but I also know that's a big statement you're not ready to say. I'm just happy we're together."
Jessa shifted so she could stare more intently at him. "And what makes you say that?"
He was nonplussed. Did he say something wrong? He didn't want her to run away because he might be moving too fast especially when it was obvious she wasn't as into him as he was with her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, what makes you think I don't love you?"
His face registered confusion. Now what did that mean? Did she mean she loved him? His heart raced at the thought but logic didn't support it.
"Well, I'm new to this love thing but I'm assuming people in love pretty much react similarly to situations."
"Hmm," Jessa was noncommittal but her stance indicated she was waiting for him to continue.
"You really want me to say how I know you don't love me?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yes."
God, this is cruel, but okay. "Firstly, I know you care. We've already shared a lot of things together," he started in a quiet tone. "When we had our break, I couldn't believe I agreed to it. I didn't want to date anyone else and I certainly didn't want you to date anyone else. If I knew you were going out with that James guy, I would have done everything I could to stop you. But I didn't know until I called Clarise that night because you weren't answering my calls."
He took a deep breath to steady himself. That pain from his heart that travelled all over his body was back again. His palms tingled with it.
"When you told me you saw Andrea kiss me and yet you still went home, I questioned whether you'd really mind so much if you lost me. The fact that you went out on a date with someone else the day after you s
aw my ex kiss me, and let this man give you roses, and let him kiss you, that's when I knew you don't love me."
Saying those last words out loud to Jessa was equivalent to twisting a knife in his own heart.
Jessa felt a hundred, laser-sharp claws rip her heart at hearing Rob say those last words with such conviction. Her hands fell to her lap and her eyes burned with hot, stingy tears. She tried to speak, to explain to him the truth, but the big lumps in her throat choked back the words. All that managed to come out were the soft sobs she couldn't hold back.
"Hey, sweetheart, it's okay," Rob crooned as he pulled her to his lap and rocked her.
"No, it's … not. I … hurt you," she blubbered between laboured gulps of air.
"Shh. It's okay. I can handle it as long as you're with me."
"No, it's … not okay. I … love you," she sobbed against his neck.
Rob squeezed his eyes tightly. "I know you don't love me, Jess. Not yet. It's okay for now. Please, just give us time. That's all I ask."
She whipped her face up to look at Rob. "What?"
"I said just give us time."
"I said I love you." Her sobs quietened down but her tears continued to fall.
Rob gaped at her. "What?"
A smile slowly formed on her lips. "You heard me."
"Say it again," he demanded.
"I love you, Rob," she said, sincerity pouring out of her eyes with her tears.
"Oh, Jess," he whispered and kissed her with love, reverence and unrestrained passion that took her breath away. Literally.
She pulled back. "Baby, I can't breath," she giggled. "My nose is blocked. I need a tissue." She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and moved to get out of his lap.
Rob held her back, stood up and carried her in his arms. "There's a box in the bedroom." He strode there purposefully, planting soft kisses on her face along the way.
Jessa gently blew her nose and wiped her eyes as Rob caressed her hair away from her face. When she was done, Rob resumed to kiss her with such hunger she almost forgot she wasn't done clearing things up with him.
"Baby, let's finish our talk first," she rasped. "I need to explain about James and Andrea."
Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2) Page 15
