Jesse was searching for his keys as he was his Uber driving away. He was standing outside of his house trying not to make any noise. He opened the door slowly and left his heavy suitcase on his left. After closing and locking the door behind him he checked the time on his watch, it was 2.38 am. He was supposed to be here at least 4-5 ago but Air France Airways had a different opinion on that matter. He could barely keep his eyes open and that jet lack didn’t help at all. Even though he was exhausted, Jesse checked if all doors and windows were closed and then he noticed her. She was sound sleeping wrapped in a Hard Rock Café blanket they got from a trip in Rome with her phone in her hands.
The lights were all off but still he could see every line in Pauline’s face. A smile appeared on his lips when he realized how much he had missed her these three weeks he was away. Thoughts were fighting in his head. Should he wake her up or let her sleep there on the couch? He didn’t give it too much thought and knelt in front of his sleeping beauty and whispered softly "Hey, Paul time to wake up." Jesse said and placed his hand on her left shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes and said with the most sleepy voice she had "Hey…what time is it?" "It’s late, let’s go to bed." Jesse answered and Pauline sat up on the couch. "You’re late." She said and yawned big time after checking the time on his phone. "I know, I’ll tell you everything in the morning." He replied and put aside the blanket so she could stand up. "Okay." She said again and stood up.
Moments later they were both in bed cuddling. Jesse was holding her so close like it was for the first time and didn’t know how her touch felt like. He was always wondering how his father was doing that for more than 40 years but he never really knew how it felt until now. Now that he was holding her in his arms he knew that this moment kept him going on and on. He had missed the way her hair smells and how her skin felt under his fingertips. His eyes were getting heavier and heavier and he could feel himself getting lost in her arms as Morpheus was whispering to him goodnight.
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Pauline was watching away waving goodbye to the last guests of their small gathering. Ava sat next to her on the couch "Finaly some alone time!" she said and took the glass of wine in her hands. "I'm gonna miss this you know!" Pauline answered as she got comfier on the couch. "We can Facetime whenever you want. Exept when we're shooting." Ava joked. "Yeah, i know. So, are you going to tell me anything about the role? I mean i'm your best friend,i have the right to know." Pauline replied hoping that Ava will give in eventually and tell her but she laughed hard. "You know i can't tell you that!The only thing i can tell you is that you are going to love it!" "That's what you keep telling me for the last two months!" Pauline said with a raised voice not because she was mad but because she was so curious. "And that's what you will get for now!" Ava said laughing sarcasticly and looked at the other side of the living room where Jesse and Alex were talking.
After some seconds of silence Ava finally spoke "When are you going to tell me? I'm leaving tomorrow." Pauline looked at ehr with her eyebrow raised having no idea what she was talking about. "Tell you what?" "Oh come on! I know you and i also know him." Ava said and pointed at Jesse with her eyes. "Oh, you mean him." "Him?" Ava asked back suprised. Pauline singed as she looked at Jesse with the corner of her eye "We are going through some phase. He's so obsessed since he came back from France i don't recognize him anymore." "Yeah i notised that too. You barelly spoke tonight." Ava spoke her truth. "We don't really talk. We're both so busy i'm really wondering how the fuck we keep this family together." Pauline said and took a sip of her wine. "The first batch will be here by the end of the week and it's driving him crazy. He spend the last 10 days planning this and fucking ignoring us."
"Have you told him about this?" Ava asked. "Talk? I don't even see him. He wakes up before me and goes to sleep before me as well." "I think you're telling this to the wrong person." Ava started and stopped for a second to look at her. "I've been here since day one of this relationship and i'm your biggest fan. I'm not saying who is wrong and who is right but you must tell him how you feel. I know with you working again things are diferent and do i need to remind you that you have been through so much worse? Really i don't know where to begin! The accident? Mike? Jennifer?" "Please don't say her name!" Pauline stopped her when she heard the name of the person that made almost destroyed everything. "All i'm trying to say is that you need to talk to him. He is your fucking husband and we all know how much he loves you and the boys!" Ava answered and took a sip of the wine as well.
"Yeah, i think you're right like always. I really have no idea what i would do without you, Ava!" she said and placed her hand on her knee. Ava covered it with her own hand only seconds later. "We'll be fine. It's gonna be tough at first but you know we're something more than friends!" "I know..." Pauline answered sobbing. "Hey, what are you girls crying for?" Alex spoke as he sat on the edge of the couch and placed his arm around Ava's shoulders. Pauline quickly whipped off the tear before it roll down her cheek. Jesse sat right next to her and before he could get comfortable she moved a little closer to Ava. He saw her but never said a single word. "I have the right to get a little emotional!" Pauline answered.
"So Jess how is Hampton Water doing?" Ava tried to change the subject. "We didn't have the chance to talk about it tonight, sorry about that." Alex added sortly and now everyone was looking at him. "It's good. It's been very busy. I'm trying to find an office somewhere but that's hard. You know at least finding employees was somehow easier than i thought." Jesse answered all exited that finally the idea of was coming to life. "I found a graphic design company that did the logo and the website which turned better than i thought. I made an Instagram account and now the first batch will arrive from France by the end of the week." Jesse continued while he was looking at Ava and Alex almost ignoring Pauline.
"That's huge! We're sorry that we'll miss that." Alex said feeling how exited he must be. "Nah, don't mention it! We'll visit you when everything is up and running, right Paul?" Jesse said and turned to face her. "Yeah, sure!" she answered back with a shade of sarcasm in her voice as she finished the remaining wine. She placed the glass on the coffee table in front of her and stood up. "I'm going to the bathroom." she said and vanished. Jesse looked at her and then at Ava and Alex. "I should go too." "Yeah you should Jesse." Ava said back and crossed her arms as she saw Jesse running to catch up her best friend.
Pauline was about the enter the bathroom when Jesse grabbed her arm and stopped her. "What the fuck was that Paul?" he asked a little angry. "What are you talking about?" she replied innocently. "Don't play dumb with me!" he replied fast. Pauline was looking at him, his eyes were open wide and she knew well enough that he was pissed. "This is not the place or the time to have this conversation, now if you excume me i need to pee." "Really? I thought that bathroom idea was a lie." Jesse said as he crossed his arms and lean back on the wall on the other side of the bathroom door. "What's supposed to mean?" Pauline asked him and closed the door. "I think you know. You've been avoiding me for days now and you're asking me?" "Oh yeah like you've been a perfect husband for the last weeks!" she slapped hard on him.
"Oh right i'm the problem here like always. The easy way is always to blame me for working 12 hours every day!" "I'm working too if you remember when i go back home to my kids i want my fucking husband to be there too not 1.000 fucking miles away!" she screamed pointing her finger on him. "Yeah right running daddy's business is very hard especially when someone else is running it for you!" Jesse yelled. "At least i'm not taking Daddy's money!" she answered looking him dead in the eyes. When the words came out of her mouth her eyes opened wide as she realized what she had just said. Jesse shallowed hard trying not to let his love for her turn into hate. "I'm so happy that you married a guy who uses his father's money." he said with a heart broken voice. "You know the distance between the Earth and the Sun is about 93 million miles. The distance between your heart and mine is 7 inches. Yet somehow the Sun feels closer to me in this moment than you." he added without making any eye contact with her and walked away.
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Jesse was driving late at night. The rain was not helping him at all. He checked the time on the clock in the car, it was 2.05 am and he was late. He was trying to go there as soon as possible but he was not used to staying late at this hour. He took a left turn in the Newark Port. He was driving so slow and the rain was falling hard on the front windscreen making things even worse for him. Jesse was watching the trucks waiting to load or unload their cargos from the ship that just had arrived. With that ship from France came the very first batch of Hampton Water. He stopped the car where he could have a clear view to the trucks coming out of the cargo ship.
He drunk a sip of filter coffee he made at home about 2 hours ago. He took the phone in his hand and started checking some news and stories on Instagram hoping that will make the time fly by quickly. He soend a good 40 minutes watching TikToks when his phone rung "Jesse Bongiovi?" the man on the other line of the phone asked as soon as Jesse answered it. "Yes, you must me Lucas right?" "Yep, where are you? I'm driving a grey Mercendes-Benz truck." Lucas said as he got off the ship. "Yeah i can see you Lucas!" "Yeah i can see you too man. I'll go there left and meet you there." "Okay see you there."Jesse said and hung up the phone. He started the engine of the car and followed the truck. His heart beating fast as he was getting closer.
They found an openening before the West exit of the port and stopped there. Jesse opened the door and he got off his car. The rain was still going but that didn't sto him at all. The driver got off the truck as well and met Jesse on the back. "Welcome man!" Jesse said and shook hands with Lucas. "Thank you! So where am i taking those boxes?" he asked Jesse as he opened the door of the truck and showing him about 200 boxes full of wine. Jesse's eyes opened wide as he saw them and than moment the rain didn'e bother him at all. "I'll text you the adress it's not far from here." "Good, you want a box?" Lucas asked him and looked inside. "Yeah, sure man!" Lucas smiled and climbed the few stairs and lifted the first box he found. He carefully placed it of the edge of the truck's floor and in front of Jesse. "Oh, i almost forgot." Jesse started and searched for an envelope from his wet jacket. When he found it he handed over to Lucas who wasted no time and opened it. It took him a while to count all of the 50$ dollar bills he found inside.
"We're good." Lucas simply answered and put the envelope full of money on the pocket on the back of his jeans. "Take care Jesse!" Lucas said as Jesse lifted the box and closed the door. "Thank you Lucas! Drive safe!" he said as he walking back to his car as fast as he could. Jesse quickly placed the box on the backseat and jumped in the driver's seat. He searched for some tissues and found some. He looked at him self in the front mirror and he could not recall a moment that he was so wet and yet so happy. He checked the time on phone and texted Lucas the adress for the delivery. Once that was done he started the engine's car and drove away. The ride back home was as hard as it was he thought it wll be. The rain never stopped and he was driving slow on the highway.
He could not wait this ride back home to end. He wanted so badly to go home and see what his dream is made of. And yet he knew that he will not be alone at home. Scenes of him and her fighting were flashing by his mind as he was listening to a Imagine Dragons song on the radio. He was hurt by the words she choose to speak than night in Ava's. She's the one who is wrong this time he thought. She must apologize to him and to his suprise she haven't done that yet. Instead she was more distand. He will wait for her say the right words and then he will think of he will forgive her. In a point of view the words she spoke were right, he was using his father's money but only to create something for them and not for his own pleasure.
With that in mind he parked the car on their driveway after almost 1,5 hour drive from Newark's Port. He quickly grabbed his phone, his coffee and car keys. Jesse checked the time and it was almost 4.00 am and then he realized how tired he was. He left the box in the car and he will get after a must needed sleep. He unlock the door of this home and lock it again after he got in. He walked in the kicthen and left the stainless steel tubler he got from Starbucks in the sink. Then he walk up the stairs and looked at PJ and Kevin who were in deep sleep and snorring a little, he smiled and closed the door without making any voice. Jesse opened the door of the maser bedroom and then notised all the drops tht were on the floor from his clothes. "Fuck!" he said with low voice. "You should take a shower." Pauline said as she sat up on the bed and turned on the light on the night stand next to her. "Jesus! You sceared me Pauline" he said suprised that she was awake at this hour.
Water drops were still falling down on the carpet making it wet. "Sorry..." she said with a sleepy voice. Jesse looked at her and walked to the bathroom without responding to her. He quickly got undressed and left the wet clothes on the bathroom floor. Hot water was running to his entire body as he heard the door open and she walked in. "What are you doing here?" he asked her. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay." Pauline replied as she was resting her body on the sink watching him. "As you can see i'm pretty good. Now could you please leave? I want to take a shower alone in peace." Jesse replied as purred body wash on his sponge. "Alright." she answered simply realizing he was not on the mood for talking about how the delivery went. She walked out of the bathroom and sat on the bed waiting for him.
Time was passing by and he was still in the bathroom. It's been more than 25 minutes now and she was getting worried. Even though they were not in the best place she could not deny that she still cares about him to death. She got up and knocked on the door since he wanted to be alone she thought it will be better than walking in. No repsonce. "Jesse?" she asked waiting for an answer but she didn't get it. She knocked again harder than the last time. "Are you okay in there?" Pauline said again as she could hear the water running from the shower. All afraid that something bad was going on inside she opened the door.
There she found him sitting insode the shower with his legs crossed. She run to his side and notised that he was crying. "Babe, what happend?" she asked as she knelt down next to him. Jesse looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Do you still love me?" he dropped the bomb and looked into her hazel eyes. "What? Of course and i do, you don't have to question that!" she replied. "Then why don't you show it anymore?" "I do, but you keep pushing me away." Pauline answered and sat next to him but outside of the shower. "I'm not pushing you away! All i know is that we don't talk anymore like we used to." "You have to understand that i'm working too and i take care of the kids by myself the last months and i'm so tired and you're not helping me at all." she said and looked at him. "Right, so you keep blaming me that we got here." "I'm not blaming you Jesse!" she said fast. "Yes, you are! You knew things will get though and you're only blaming me but it does not work like that." he answered while he looked eyes with her.
"You're diferent since you start working and i don't know why. You are so bossy to me, to the kids. You just got a little power in your hands and that changed you so fucking much and turned you into a person i barely recongise anymore." Jesse added what he wanted to say for so long now and it felt good taking that off from his chest. "Is that really what you think of me?" "The woman i married will never say that i used my Dad's money." he said without thinking. Pauline was looking at her feet feeling ashamed of herself.
"Okay, you're right i'm really sorry about that and i shouldn't have said that! But you need to be in shoes for once!" "I tried! Have you tried to be in my shoes? Watching my wife being sick of my presence? Do you have any idea how that feels like?" Jesse slapped back at her. "You didn't even apologize to me for what you said that night. You did it now because i brought it up!Do ypu have any idea how that hurt me? Hearing my own wife saying those words? Do you think you will get away with everything just because you are the mother of my children? I believe you must think what you really want from me before it's too late." Jesse said and stood up from the shower floor and wore his underwear. "Before it's too late for what?" Pauline answered back as she stood up as well. Jesse turned and met her gaze as he replied "For us."
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