Chapter 40. I'll Take Care of You

Calm. Quiet. Some friendly encouragement 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