Naturally, it was pouring rain. Wouldn’t want this to be easy at all. He stared at Bella’s house, glanced at the neighbors on either side. Kevin was probably with Traci and Mrs. Clayton’s house was dark. No one would see him. Then he shifted his gaze to Bella’s bedroom window. She was in there. Snuggled under her blankets. Alone.
But not for long.
He swiped his wet hair out of his eyes and headed directly across the lawn toward her bedroom. He was through going to the front door, asking her to let him in. Enough already. She was going to listen to him. She was going to believe him. And he damn well wasn’t going to leave until she did.
He smiled as he lifted her window, glad that it was still unlocked. The last time they’d stayed at her house, he’d noticed that the lock was faulty and had been going to replace it for her. Now he was grateful that he hadn’t.
The wood window frame, still soaked from the previous storm, screeched a little as it slid up and Jesse winced. He paused, looked over his shoulder and noticed a light come on in at Mrs. Clayton’s. Of course it couldn’t have been Kevin who’d heard him. Had to be the neighbor he hadn’t met. If she looked out and saw him climbing through a window, she’d be calling the cops any second now.
No time to waste.
He climbed in, hit his shin on the windowsill and muffled the curse that flew from his mouth. On the bed, Bella stirred beneath her blankets and turned so that the dim light of the rainy night fell across her features. Jesse’s chest tightened. He loved her more than he’d ever thought it was possible to love anyone.
The room was small and filled with shadows. But he didn’t need to see to know where his destination was.
Walking quietly toward the bed, he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto the floor with a sodden splat. Shaking his head, he sat down beside her, laid one hand on her hip and whispered, “Bella. Bella, wake up.”
She turned toward him with a slow, languid movement, opened her eyes sleepily and stared up at him. A second passed before she blinked and said, “Jesse?”
“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked wryly.
“No, and I wasn’t expecting you, either.” She scooted back from him, but Jesse wasn’t going to lose his momentum now.
He reached out, grabbed her and pulled her to him.
“You’re soaking wet!”
“It’s raining outside.”
“How did you get in here?” She was squirming, trying to get free of him, but Jesse only tightened his hold on her.
“Climbed through your window.” He looked down into her eyes. “You really need to get that latch fixed.”
“Apparently.”
“Look, Bella, Mrs. Clayton saw me climbing in, I think, so I’ve gotta talk fast, because she’s probably calling the cops to report a break-and-entry.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”
“You see what I’m willing to do for you?” He asked the question with a wide grin. He was soaking wet, cold down to the bone and yet he hadn’t felt so warm in days. Just having her here, beside him, made everything all right. Still smiling, he said, “I’m probably going to get arrested, so now you have to listen to me.”
“Jesse, you’re crazy.”
“Probably.”
She swung her hair back from her face and looked up at him, eyes shining. “Why are you doing all this? Why do you keep trying?”
“Because you’re worth it,” he told her, his voice deep and low. “You’re worth anything.”
“Jesse, I want to believe you, I really do.”
“Because you love me,” he said, tracing the pads of his thumbs across her cheekbones. “Why won’t you admit it?”
Her eyes closed and a single tear slid from beneath her eyelid. He kissed it away.
“I can’t. If I do, you’ll break my heart again,” she said, her voice almost lost in the steady patter of the rain falling outside.
Jesse’s own heart ached at the misery in her voice and at the knowledge that he’d caused her so much pain. But he could fix that. He would make it his personal mission to see to it that she never cried again.
“No more tears, Bella. You’re killing me.”
“I can’t seem to stop,” she admitted, lifting her gaze to look at him again.
“God, I love you so much.” He cupped her face in his palms and let his gaze move over her features hungrily. Like a man starved and finally given a feast, he couldn’t seem to get his fill of her. “I swear I’ll never make you cry again.”
She actually laughed at that. “Oh, Jesse, you can’t make that kind of promise.”
The tightness in his chest eased a little. She wasn’t trying to escape from him anymore. She wasn’t trying to push him away. That was a start, anyway.
“I will promise it, though.” He met her gaze and held it. “Believe me, Bella. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you smile. Making sure you never doubt again how much I love you.”
She chewed at her bottom lip and drew one shaky breath.
Reaching into his slacks pocket, he pulled out the box he’d been carrying all day. He’d gone shopping at Kevin’s place that morning right after he left Bella. He flipped the red velvet lid back, displaying the ring that had made him think of Bella the moment he saw it.
“Jesse…”
He reached for her left hand and though she was trembling slightly, she didn’t pull away. Slowly, he slid the ring onto her finger and held it in place while they both stared down at it, shining in the darkness.
“It’s a yellow diamond,” he said, “and when I saw it at Kevin’s I thought of you. Those yellow shirts you wear. The way you love the sun. The brightness I feel in the world when I’m with you.”
She lifted her free hand and covered her mouth while her eyes drenched and spilled over.
“Now see, I’ve already broken my promise and made you cry again,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss her forehead with a gentle reverence.
“Doesn’t count,” she whispered. “Tears of happiness don’t count.”
He smiled and relief washed over him. He was forgiven.
“I love you, Bella. I want to marry you. Have babies with you. Build a life together.”
She pulled in another shuddering breath, lifted her gaze to his and said, “I want that, too, Jesse. I love you so much.”
“Finally,” he said, a wide grin on his face. “You’re going to have to say that a lot, you know. Don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing it.”