×Calm. Quiet. Some friendly encouragements here and there...No need to panic. It wouldn't help the situation, and it wouldn't help Jessi at all. If he showed how worried he really was, the panic and anxiety would only worsen her mental state."You don't have close friends here in Cali?" he asked casually, sitting hunched over, waiting for her to finish packing."Not really. No." Jessi kept her back to him as she paced in the other room. She was tidying up her personal belongings on the divan to distract herself."Any relatives? Family friends?""My Uncle Pete and Aunt Marin," she called out from the other room. With the door wide open, she put on a white sweater, and then some pants. "Is this okay?" She turned to look at him and pointed to her jeans."Yeah. Why?"Well, to be fair, she'd look good in anything. Even a dirty potato sack wouldn't distract people from her naturally pretty face. "Or should I just wear a dress so they wouldn't have to ask me to take off my pants in th

×"Just come back here, hon. You don't need that job. It's safer here. For you. For us.""I know, Mom." Jessi sighed and stood by the door. Some hesitation still lingered in the back of her head, but the worry and impatience in her mother's frail voice ultimately defeated her stubborn logic.Considering the emotional rollercoaster she was going through, her recent hospitalization, and the growing number of positive cases here in California, leaving Los Angeles to live the small-town life again sounded much smarter—not a setback at all if she wanted to make it to her next birthday.Sure. The treatment worked. The medical staff did their best, helping her and the other infected patients recover fast after the strict hospital confinement. But it didn't mean she was already out of the woods. Reports of reinfection had been spreading all over the news. Meaning, her full recovery from the dreaded viral disease would not guarantee immunity from reinfection. And worse: there were no approved

× 10:39PM × "Hey, Joss. Congrats!" "Thanks, man. Grab some drinks. Just gonna say hi to the guys." "Heard there's already a season four in the making?" "Don't get too excited." Jenson exchanged smirks with a heavyset guy in plaid as he walked past the busy pool table. The other guy must be a reporter or a good friend of one of the producers. Partly disguised by her face mask, Jessi reclined and watched the amicable exchange. She sat alone at a table for two, waiting on the sidelines, just minding her own business. Everybody else seemed busy mingling and whiling the night away with booze, chit-chatting about their lives, Road to Valhalla updates, the news, and practically everything under the sun. Darren left her side half an hour ago to catch up with Kara, his blonde co-star and the leading lady in their TV show. For the past two hours, Jenson and Darren got busy catching up with co-workers. Mostly members of the production team. Two of the producers also showed up.

×A nauseating mix of worry, pity, and shock pooled deep in her gut. What he said just halted her breathing. Her guess was not far from the truth at all.But how did his mother die in that psychiatric facility? Nobody told her that Mrs. Roiz had been critically ill. And Darren didn't mention anything over the phone."I'm sorry." Jessi sat close to her tightlipped boss. "Sorry about your mom."Would he mind if she hugged him again? How should she console him? By apologizing for not knowing anything about his mother's condition?The shock gradually turned into pure sympathy for his emotional state. She should've been more attentive to him. She should've asked if he wanted company, before she let him step out of his truck to see his mom. Jessi swore inwardly. She'd stupidly assumed it was just a random visit. "Is that why you... Why d'you have bloodstains on your shirt?""It's her blood." Jenson snuffled and kept his head down. His left hand clutched the bloodstained sleeve of his sweatsh

×Try as she might, the ongoing debate in her head just wouldn't stop. It kept her up for another hour. Jessi tried to stay quiet.They shouldn't be in the same bed, alone in her bedroom, his arms holding her still and keeping her from leaving the bed. They shouldn't be together. Period.From what she'd heard from Darren, Jenson was officially a single man now. Free to meet and date new people. Do whatever he wanted. But the fact that he never said anything about his breakup with Charmaine...It spoke volumes. Perhaps his bosses told him to keep the news out of the limelight. To protect his and Charm's privacy. After all, one important aspect of Jenson Roiz 101: his private life stays private. Same thing with his mom. He didn't even say how she ended up confined in a psychiatric facility. Until tonight.Was it a matter of trust? Maybe. Jessi turned to face him. Her arm stayed wrapped around him as she matched his stare under the faint lamplight. “I'm sorry about your mom.”"I know.""