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CHAPTER FOUR: STONY GROUND

FROM THEIR LAST MEETING, Jesse had been seeing a lot more of Ms Cullen. On the street, in the store, hell he'd swear she's started to collect the kids just to see him at Forks high school. Not that he was complaining.

With Friday quickly approaching him, Jesse was starting to freak out that he had nothing planned for his brunette beauty. So being the calm collected man he is, Jesse went straight to Alice Cullen after class. What? Don't look at him like that. She knows more about Esme than he does and let's face it; he's kinda desperate.

So once the first final period rang out, Jesse dashed out of the classroom. Dodging the students like parking cones, he eventually made it to the locker area, catching Alice just as she shut the locker door.

"Pixie cut! You got a minute?" he asked her, panting slightly from the jog down.

"Sure Mr Blake, what's up?" Alice inquired, smiling at his nickname for her as she sent Jasper off with the rest of her siblings.

Awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, Jesse courteously replied," How do I say this?" taking in a deep breath he rushed out the sentence, his face slightly flushed.

Alice had a look of confusion on her face," Sorry, what?"

" I need help planning a date with your mother."

" Oh, well, luckily for you, I have a way with these things." the girl giggled, almost like she already knew what would happen.

The pair went over the plan as they strolled, settling Jesse's mind a bit. Now he just had to figure out what a delphinium was.

Before he knew it, Thursday morning had rolled around, which only meant one thing. He had to call Esme. Throughout the week, Jesse had been perfecting every detail of their evening, clearing out a small patch in the wild-flower field on the opposite side of the vast forest engulfing the town.

With his coffee sitting on the countertop untouched, Jesse stared down at his cell, hesitating to press the call button. The voice that haunted his mind emerged again, planting seeds of doubt.

"Just call her already, or are you, man, enough to Jesse?" it taunted as he rubbed his temples in an attempt to rid the demon.

"I am, I'm man enough," Jesse whispered to himself.

"Then do it!" it hissed," Unless you think it would be an accident?"

Slamming his fist against the wall, Jesse growled out a response," That wasn't my fault," shutting up the beast inside.

He took in multiple breaths, shaking his head again when pictures of Grace and little Kelly entered his peripheral vision. Turning on the tap, he splashed the cool liquid against his rough face, again and again, and again until the pictures disappeared. Jesse quickly grabbed the towel from the drawer handles to dry his face, heaving deep breaths in the process.

Glancing over at his cell, Jesse hastily picked it up and hit the call button, anxiously waiting for the line to answer.

"Hello?"

"Howdy, Esme, how you doing?"

Once he informed her of the night he had planned, Jesse looked up at the clock, astonished as it read 10:42 am. He was late for class. Extremely late. He quickly said his goodbyes and bolted out of the house. Throughout the entire day, Jesse couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness and excitement that was built up inside his stomach.

Now was the moment of truth. Coming home from work Friday evening, Jesse dumped his bag and coat on the sofa, kicked off his shoes, and headed straight to the bathroom. Once he had showered, Jesse faced the ever daunting task of shaving. Even after the decades of doing the weekly job, Jesse always managed to cut himself, but today the gods seemed to be on his side. Spraying some semi-fancy colon across his chest, Jesse went onto stage two: outfit.

That too consisted of a shirt, blazer, and pants from the Salvation Army. He took one last look in the mirror, flattening down his hair before he left to collect his date.

Walking up the laneway took no time at all, and soon Jesse was at the Cullen's front door. Switching the flowers he had gotten her to his left hand, he rang the doorbell, surprised when it wasn't Esme that answered.

" So you're the man taking my sister out tonight?" the blonde-haired man questioned Jesse, hands crossed over his chest.

"Eh... Yes sir. Jesse Blake sir." Jesse held out his hand to the man, holding back a flinch at how cold it was.

The man released Jesse's hand fairly quickly as his face changed from a look of intimidation to kindness," Carlisle Cullen, though I'm sure Esme told you about me already."

"Yeah, she mentioned you," Jesse responded, scratching the back of his neck.

"Carlisle! Who are you talking to?"

Looking through glass panels on either side of the door, Jesse was in awe as Esme glided down the stairs like an angel. Adorned in a heavy, deep red, winter dress, her golden eyes glowed against the darkness of her curled hair. This woman was a goddess in the flesh.

Picking up his jaw from the floor, Jesse gifted her the flowers, unable to get rid of the smile covering his face. Bidding their goodbyes to Carlisle, Jesse and Esme began on their stroll through the woods.

" So, where are we going?" Esme inquired, stars shining brightly above them as they walked along the lantern-lit pathway.

"Well, if I told you, I'm afraid I'd have to kill you, ma'am." Jesse quipped, smirking even more when Esme turned to him in bewilderment, shifting realization.

"Not funny, Jesse," she giggled, playfully running ahead.

Following in her game, Jesse caught up with Esme rather swiftly and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to keep her warm. 

" Come on, it was a bit funny," he smirked, retracting his arm as he motioned Esme to stay put, disappearing behind a wall of ivy.

Pushing his hand through the shrubbery, Jesse motioned her forward with his pointer finger, holding the dangling plant open like a door, " Oh, thank you," Esme smiled, holding onto his hand as he escorted her to the archway.

To say she was shocked would be the understatement of the year. Upon entering through the ivy, Esme was met by a candlelit table made out of a tree stump, surrounded by wildflowers and plants. It was like something out of a fairy tale.

"This is amazing! Did you do all this?" she asked him, blushing like a schoolgirl.

Running his hands through his hair, Jesse sheepishly responded," Well, Alice did most of the work, I just cleared out the path and made the table-" but was cut off by strawberry lips.

"I love it. This has to be my new favorite place in the whole world," she twirled around to admire the scenery more, hypnotizing Jesse with each spin.

"I'm glad you like it," a silence fell between them as they sat down at the table," you look beautiful," Jesse blurted out, visible reddening.

"Aren't you the flatterer," Esme teased back, swooshing her wine around in the glass.

"Us Blakes are known for our southern chivalry."

"Well, aren't I lucky you decided to live in this northern town then?" she brushed her leg against his, flashing an alluring smile at him.

They sat and chatted for hours about how Jesse first moved from Texas after his house burned in a wildfire, how Esme became an interior designer, and about life in general. Then, they were six bottles of beer in.

"You know," Jesse began, lying on the stony ground," It still surprises me someone ain't snatched you up yet,"

Looking up at the winter stars, he turned his head to face Esme.

"Maybe you'll be the first?" she responded hopefully, staring back into his eyes.

Above them, stars collided, Jesse, making the first move as he leaned in towards Esme. Time stood still as they locked lips, a kiss made of true love, that seemed to last forever.

That right there, was the best thing that could have ever happened to Jesse Blake.

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1378 words

Author's note: THE DATE HAS HAPPENED! THE DATE HAS HAPPENED! also happy new year x

*The_lost_flower*