Falling Down(99)

"I don't care what it is, Jace told me she's a hard woman but she's softened up a bit."
I roll my eyes. "She acts tough, but she's really a softie underneath it all… and my dad makes sure of that."
Jesse grins as he takes a drink of his beer.
"Then there's the fact that you guys wouldn't let any of us help you clean up the kitchen or dishes. I think she's pretty much fallen in love with every one of you."
"We're awesome," Xander says as he plops into the chair next to me. "She knows it, she acknowledges it, she's brilliant. Isn't that right, Regina?"
"Of course I'm brilliant."
Again, I roll my eyes. Dear God they're all sucking up to my mother and she's loving it.
I pass her a spoon.
"What's this for?"
"So you can eat up the sweetness they're pouring all over you," I tell her exasperated.
"Oh Luciana, don't be jealous."
"Yeah, Lucy, don't be jealous," Xander says.
"I'm not jealous." I'm seriously not. I just think it's ridiculous the way they're carrying on with my mother because they're actually afraid of her.
"You seem jealous to me," Ben says.
"Oh for Christ's sake."
"Luciana, language."
"Yes, mama."
They all smirk at me and I flip them the bird.
"As I was saying, I'm not jealous. I'm amused."
"Amused?" Jesse asks pulling me onto his lap.
"Mhmm. You see, it's really entertaining watching you all suck up to my mother to get on her good side because you're all terrified of her."
Sera laughs. "They so are."
"I'm not afr--" Jace is cut off when my mom motions him to her.
"Uh-huh," I snicker.
"Pathetic is what it is," Meggie says bouncing around to Falling Down's latest album my mother insisted they play for her even though she isn't a fan of hard rock.
"It's amusing and a bit… endearing that they all want to get along with my mama. It shows me that they love me so much that they want to make me happy in every aspect of my life," I say with a laugh.
"Now who's shoveling sh--sweetness?" Kennedy asks.
"Hey now," I say pretending to be affronted but I can't help but laugh, especially when Jesse starts tickling me.
He leans forward, turning my face to his, and pulling me close so our lips are a hairs breath apart. "You're so f*cking beautiful."
I blush and he smiles, running his fingers over my flushed cheeks.
"You always bring light with you wherever you go, but when you laugh, it's like rays of sunshine pouring over everyone, filling them with warmth and happiness."
I have no idea what to say to that. Jesse Kingston is waxing poetic and holy freaking hell.
"Jesse," I whisper. He presses his lips softly against mine, lingering for a few seconds, before pulling back.
"You can't know how that feels. I wish you could experience it."
"Oh, I don't know," I tell him. "I think I feel the same way when you're happy, when you get the full-on laugh. The best one is when you aren't expecting something, you get surprised and pause, then once you process it you throw your head back and laugh. The sound is full and rich and it flows through me, warming me from the inside out."
He just stares at me, his expression soft.
"Dude, hers was better than yours," Xander deadpans, blatantly eavesdropping.
I smile and Jesse smiles back. "Fucker."
"Jesse Kingston. Language!" my mother scolds.
"Yes, ma'am."
Now that I laugh at and Sera joins me. I giggle and tears start pouring down my cheeks, my stomach hurts so much that I can hardly breathe.