I Don't Love You, Like I Did Yesterday

Lex's P.O.V. (Two Days Later.)

"Shit, are you a sight for sore eyes." Jesse smiled and walked into the kitchen, obviously having let himself in with the key I gave him the day before. I had been thinking of ways to tell him I was pregnant, since I still wasn't even showing all that much and he still hadn't figured it out. I would've thought that he would, since I was sober and smoke-free for a month.

"Done unpacking yet?" I smiled over my shoulder from where I was cooking at the stove. He pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat down.

"Thank fuck." He sighed and removed his shirt, reaching into the laundry basket and taking out one of my many old Metallica shirts.

"Please, help yourself." I muttered dryly, still smiling. "Is that a new tattoo?" I questioned, turning around to admire the new colorful ink on his broad chest.

"Yeah." He grinned, shaking his dark hair out of his tired eyes. "I'm almost covered now." He looked over his sleeves and chest. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"Why didn't you just ask me?" I felt slightly offended. Jesse was the one to convince me to get my apprenticeship at a local tattoo parlor back in highschool.

He sighed and stood up, putting on my shirt.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you brought your gun and ink and shit with you." He shrugged and gave me the puppy dog eyes before peering over my shoulder.

"Whatcha makin'?" My bestfriend sniffed the air. "Omelets!" His eyes lit up and I laughed at him.

"Yup. Extra cheese." I nodded and turned back to it, chopping up some broccoli on the cutting board and tossing it in the pan. Just as I was flipping the mixture, I felt his chin on my shoulder. I glanced to the side and seen Jesse smiling.

"Is that for meeeeeeeee?" He laughed in my ear.

"Fine, I'll make you one a Ham and cheese one, alright?" I sighed, trying to play it off that I was annoyed, but with a smile. I heard him return to his seat and sigh as I flopped my food onto a plate, and started on his.

"Wanna know somethin', Lex?" I heard Jesse ask softly from the kitchen table, his chin in his palms.

"You'll probably tell me anyway..." I muttered with a shrug.

"Back when we were kids, I was... well..." Jesse sighed, shaking his head. "I was head over heals for you." My eyes widened and I gasped, turning quickly to face him. My bestfriend looked up from the table and smiled sadly at me as I set our plates down and forks next to them. I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge as I tried to register what he just told me.

"You... you were?" I asked with wide eyes as I sat down. He nodded, still smiling and looking away.

"I wanted to tell you so bad, but I was so afraid. Eventually I saw that you didn't feel that way about me when you started dating Bry the first time, so... yeah..." He said solemnly and I frowned.

"I wish you would've." I stated softly. Jesse's head shot up and it looked like he was struggling to find the words to say.

"W-what?" He shook his head in disbelief.

"I know it would've risked our friendship, but I would've chose you over him." I smiled.

"What? Why?" He scrunched up his face and I giggled.

"Cause, he was an asshole. You know how teenage girls are. They
like assholes." I shrugged and stabbed a piece of egg and cheese with my fork before stuffing it in my mouth. "But, I liked you. I knew you. You were there for me. My bestfriend. I wouldn't want anyone else backin' me up when shit hit the fan." I smiled as we ate our food.

"We'd probably have like ten kids by now." He laughed. I giggled and shook my head.

"More like demon spawn." I swallowed my food and shoveled some more into my mouth.

"And just what do you think that's gonna be?" He asked softly. I gasped and dropped my fork onto my plate, the metal clanking loudly onto the ceramic being the only sound ringing through the house. I coughed and sputtered, almost choking on the food I had somehow managed to swallow.

"How the fuck did you know?" I asked with wide eyes. He just smiled and shook his head, his dark hair falling over his forehead.

"You really think I wouldn't notice that you were knocked up? Huh?" He asked bluntly, still smiling. I chewed my bottom lip nervously. "You didn't even drink at your own wedding! You weren't even back with Ronnie for a month! And most importantly," Jesse reached across the table to grasp my hands, pride in his crystal blue eyes. "You're my bestfriend. No one is closer to me than you. What kinda friend would I be if I didn't know you were pregnant? Huh?!" He laughed and I squeezed his hands, feeling tears fall down my cheeks.

"Oh Jess..." I murmured and shook my head. Breathing out shakily, I replied. "I was so scared to tell you."

"Why? 'Ya think I'd take off or someshit?" He laughed incredulously. "It's not like I got you pregnant. Unless..." He trailed off wiggling his eyebrows. I smacked his hands and pulled mine away.

"Shut up, asslicker." I remarked and took our plates to the sink. I looked up at the clock. It was almost 3 pm. "You goin' up for a nap? You looked exhausted, Jess." I frowned and turned back as I started washing the dished and wiping down the counter surrounding the sink.

"Depends." He replied.

"On What?" I breathed out, calming down and blinking away my tears from before as I rinsed our plates.

"One, you should be relaxing, not running around. Go lay down, keep your feet up. Drink lots a- HEY! Are you even listening to me?!" I blinked and muttered something thag even I didn't recognize as English in reply. I yawned and dried my hands before turning to see Jesse lift himself up onto the counter next to the sink, narrowing his eyes at me slightly as I dried my hands.

"What?" I asked, raising my eyebrows from under my bangs and pursing my lips.

"You need more rest. I know it's boring and you probably miss Ronnie," I frowned and nodded. "But if you want the little hellraiser to be healthy, you need to rest. I see you're already eating better." He smiled and put his hands together excitedly. "I can't wait! I hope it's a boy." I smiled warmly at my bestfriend's immediate acceptance of my unborn child and marriage.

"And," Jesse grinned. "Even if it isn't, you can still name it after me!" My face fell and I smacked his arm, walking off towards the living room. He jumped off the counter and followed behind me as I locked the the front door, patting Charlie on the head; who licked my hand in response and curled back up on the couch where I usually sat.

"You gonna watch the house? Good boy." I cooed at him as his tall thumped on the couch and he stretched out. Jesse patted his stomach and followed me upstairs to mine and Ronnie's bedroom.

"You miss Duke, don't you?" He asked softly as I drew the heavy curtains closed and shed my hoodie, leaving me in a white t-shirt. I turned back to see him removing his Nike's and taking his phone from his pocket and setting it on the nightstand.

"Of course." I sighed and he laid down. I took my spot on the other side of the bed as we got under the covers, revelling in the air conditioning sparing us from the California heat.

I know what your thinking, and yeah, it might appear slightly weird that I was sharing a bed with him. But I had lived with Jesse before. On the streets, in each other's homes, there really wasn't any room to bitch about having to sleep next to someone; especially when you needed someone's body heat to fall asleep in the winter.

However, this wasn't the case now. But it was nice having someone to keep you company , especially when you're completely lost in life. Ronnie wouldn't care, he knew Jesse and I would never be anything. I'd never risk what I had with him.

Mattie was another story...

"You wanna go home, don't you." He stated more than asked.

"Yeah." I nodded against the pillow and stared up at the white ceiling. "I'm tempted."

"It would kill Ronnie." He replied, looking up as well.

"That's why I'm here. And, the neighborhood ain't gettin' any better. It's no place to raise a kid." I sighed in defeat.

"I never thought I'd hear you say that." He mumbled in surprise.

"Neither did I. As much as I hate to admit it... it's too dangerous. Not for you and me... but for a kid, yeah. I dunno what the our parents were thinkin'. No good comes outta there. It's just the way it is." I muttered, depressed.

"That's not true." My eyes widened at his words.

"It ain't?" I rolled my head to look at him, he kept his in the same position.

"Fuck no." I laughed lightly and rolled my eyes. "We did. Half that kid did. You know you'll go back eventually. We all do. That kid'll always have a home there." I processed his words for a moment before speaking, the pause even more pregnant than myself.

"You think it'll work out with me and Ronnie?" I inquired seriously. Another pause came and left before he spoke.

"Honestly?" He didn't wait for me to reply before going on. "I'm not sure. There's a hell of a lot at risk, you guys clash. He fucks up a lot. You take off a lot." He shrugged. I frowned at his doubt, thinking he was done there. "But, you both love each other, more than any other crazy ass couple I've ever seen." I laughed through the tears that built up before. "You guys fight for what you want, and that happens to be each other. I think you guys can make it. Whether or not you do, is entirely up to both of you." He shrugged and I sighed happily. "But you're the smartest person I know, you can handle anything thrown your way, now you just gotta handle Ronnie." I giggled and flung myself onto his chest, my face against his cheek. I felt his arm go around my shoulders as he pulled his phone off of the nightstand with his other hand.

I kissed his cheek and smiled through my happiness. "Thank you, Jess." I rolled back off of him when I heard a clicking noise questioning him with my eyes until I seen the screen of his phone. He had taken a picture of us just now.

"Like it?" I nodded and snuggled into the pillow my head was one and closed my eyes as I heard him set his phone back on the nightstand and pull the covers up. I sighed contently.

"Perfect."