Anonymous Returns

By C. L. Reid

After sixteen years Robert Singer is released from prison, and his obsession with his sister renewed. But there’s a new Anonymous in town, and his name is Jesse. Dressed in the Anonymous outfit, Jesse turns into a robber, with a sinister obsession of his own, close to home. Outside of the outfit, his deranges nature starts to take hold as people fear him, and he develops the abilities to control those scared of him.

Carrie Baxter (previously Singer) is marries to Clayton and have two children of their own. While Clayton has raised Jesse as his own son, neither of them knows the monster that lurks beneath. Carrie is about to learn the hard way how one bad decision can escalate to the unthinkable. She’s about to learn in the cruelest way possible who her son really is.

How much does Jesse really know about where he came from? Is he following in Robert’s footsteps? Will Robert once again achieve his greatest desire? And what is the lesson Carrie is about to learn?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Jan 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798369494851

C. L. Reid

Deaf-blind since childhood, C.L. Reid received a cochlear implant (CI) as an adult to help her hear, and she uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate. She and her husband have three sons. Their middle son is also deaf-blind. C.L. earned a master’s degree in writing for children and young adults at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, two of their sons, and their cats.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Jesse Baxter was a sixteen-year-old schoolboy with light brown hair and darker roots, cut short to medium-length and a little spiky, but fairly neat, and blue eyes. He was tall, skinny, and very handsome with a few muscles, and he had no idea about what happened to his mother in the past—or so anyone thought. His mother was thirty-three-year-old Carrie Baxter (previously Singer), with straight, dark brown hair to her shoulder blades, blue eyes, still short and relatively skinny, although a little extra chubbiness than when she was in school. Her husband, Clayton Baxter (Clay for short) had short, light to medium brown hair, hazel eyes, and was still a little taller than Carrie with a nice build with some muscles as opposed to the chubbiness he had when he was a teenager.

When Jesse was born, Carrie had no idea of the kind of monster he was destined to become, and Clayton had no idea what it was he was really sacrificing for this kid he always called his own. Maybe it was Robert’s genes, the incestuous nature, or even the drugs and alcohol Carrie used to take, not knowing she was pregnant. Whatever it was, Jesse Baxter was about to teach his ‘parents’ a valuable lesson. And Carrie was about to learn a valuable lesson about the importance of not keeping secrets from her kids.

Clayton had kept to his word about raising Jesse as his own and not treating him any differently, not even after their other two children came along. Chloe was twelve years old with straight, dirty-blonde hair to the top of her shoulders and light blue eyes; Tyler was ten years old with light to medium brown hair and hazel eyes, just like his dad.

Carrie had started a foundation for rape victims named ‘The Carrie Singer Foundation’; she owned it, ran it, and worked there. It was fast becoming a well-known establishment and more and more people were reaching out for help. Although she never wanted Jesse to know the truth, she recounted her story over and over again to her clients at the foundation; she said that if she can’t tell them her story, why should they tell her theirs.

Both Carrie and Clayton were in the fairly large shower of their ensuite, which also had a double basin and a toilet. They were laughing and giggling as they were washing themselves. Once all the soap was washed off they faced each other. Carrie put her arms around Clayton’s neck and he put his arms around her waist.

Have I told you lately how much I love you? Carrie asked, looking into Clayton’s eyes.

No. How much? Clayton asked with a smile on his face as he looked into Carrie’s eyes.

More than I could ever put into words.

I’ve always loved you, Carrie.

I will always love you, Clay. Carrie kissed him.

When they pulled apart, Clayton said, Our boy’s sixteen today.

I know. How time flies.

Is it going to bring back memories for you? Clayton sounded concerned.

Why would it?

The worst year of your life started just after your sixteenth birthday.

It did. But you know what? I fell for you in the same worst year of my life. That part was pretty good. Carrie smiled.

Took you long enough.

It might have taken me a while, but I got there in the end. Isn’t that all that matters?

It is, Clayton said as he kissed Carrie again.

Carrie reached over and turned the tap off and they exited the shower. They each grabbed a towel hanging up and started to dry themselves. Carrie picked up her white-gold wedding ring and her diamond encrusted white-gold engagement ring out of the ring dish on the right-hand side basin and placed them on the ring finger of her left hand. Clayton picked up his white-gold wedding band from the ring dish on the left-hand side basin and put it on the ring finger of his left hand.

They walked into the decent sized walk-in wardrobe to select their clothes. Carrie chose a pair of black slacks and a red button up blouse. She also slipped on a pair of black low-heeled shoes. Clayton put on a pair of black slacks and a dark blue, button up, long-sleeve shirt, with a pair of black suede shoes.

They had a decent sized bedroom with a king-sized bed and luscious bedding, bedside tables on either side of the bed with three drawers and lamps on each of them. The walk-in wardrobe was off to the side, next to the bathroom.

Carrie went back into the bathroom and used the hair dryer on the right-hand side basin to dry her hair, then tied it up into a ponytail.

Ready? Clayton asked, leaning against the bathroom door.

Yep. You? Carrie asked, setting the hairbrush down.

I am.

Come on, Dad, Carrie said playfully and kissed him as she walked past him.

Clayton turned around and followed Carrie as she walked out the door. They walked down the upstairs hallway and past the other four bedrooms, bathroom, and toilet, then down the internal stairs.

When they reached the bottom, over to the right was the luxurious, open living-kitchen with white marble bench-tops, or counter-tops; a wide double oven; an eight-burner, wide stovetop; and dark coloured double door fridge with the freezer on the bottom. The cupboards were a light brown, wooden varnished colour with black knob-like handles; there was a vast breakfast bench, or counter, in front of the kitchen with a white marble bench-top and a darkish looking stonework for the base with black stools in front.

In the dining room was a dark brown, wooden varnished, eight seat dining table with black leather seats that had dark brown, wooden varnished legs to match the table. There was also a black table runner down the middle of the table and a white marble lazy Susan with electric salt and pepper grinders, toothpicks, and napkins.

Behind the kitchen was the large, glass sliding back door accompanied by a large, sliding screen door, leading to the backyard. And over to the side from that was a hallway that led to three extra bedrooms that were downstairs, and a separate bathroom and toilet.

Carrie and Clayton walked through to the living room, past another toilet in the wall right near the lounge room. This was a vastly spacious area. The kitchen and dining area had bone coloured tiles, but the lounge room had luscious, light grey carpet. There was a massive leather corner couch opposite the massive widescreen LCD television on the wall. There was a dark brown unit under the television that held the DVD player, and a window on the wall at the front of the house, not far from the TV.

There were also two single black leather recliner chairs and a black-legged, glass coffee table on top of a white lightly patterned rug in the middle of the lounge room. There were photographs in fancy frames strewn on the walls throughout the lounge room and on the television unit. These photos were of Carrie and Clayton when they were younger—their school formal, their wedding, their children, and family photos.

How’s the birthday man? Clayton asked Jesse as they walked into the lounge room where the three kids were waiting.

Come on, Dad. Give me a break, Jesse said, slightly smiling.

Is that a smile? Carrie asked, giving Jesse a hug. Then she said, Happy birthday, son, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Thanks, Mum, Jesse said coyly.

Who’s hungry? Clayton asked.

I think we all are, Jesse said.

Then what are we waiting for? Clayton asked in a fun sounding tone.

They all walked over to the alcove next to the laundry, near the kitchen, and into the double lock-up garage. They entered the family car—a red seven seat Toyota Landcruiser. Clayton’s dark blue Mitsubishi Lancer was parked next to it.

Clayton sat in the driver’s seat, Carrie in the passenger seat; Jesse, Chloe, and Tyler all climbed into the back seat. Clayton turned on the ignition and drove out of the garage, closing the door by remote control on the visor, and drove out the driveway. The driveway came in through one gate and up to near the front door and looped back around, with a garden-type roundabout in the middle, as the driveway headed back out the other gate. The lawn was a vibrant green grass and freshly cut, with a concrete path leading from Carrie’s front door, through the gate in the fence, up to the next door neighbour’s front door; conveniently, Sophie and her family lived next door to Carrie.

They headed in the direction of Duke’s Pizzeria, exited the car, and walked into the restaurant. They walked up to the counter and waited. A moment later, a female cashier walked up to the counter and asked, Hello, can I help you?

Yes. We have a reservation for Baxter, Clayton said.

The cashier looked on the computer for a moment and then said, Oh, here you are. Then she beckoned for the host to come over. He walked over, grabbed a tray of plates and cutlery, and walked them over to a table. They each took their seats while they waited for the rest to arrive.

After several minutes, Carrie looked over at the counter and saw Sophie Ward (previously Jameson), hair still frizzy like it used to be, reaching the middle of her back when she wore her hair out, with aqua eyes. She was with a short, blonde-haired and blue-eyed man named Toby Ward—her second husband.

Sophie had four sons from her previous marriage to a guy named Daniel Carter. Joshua (Josh for short) was fourteen years old with short and neatly cut jet black hair and blue eyes. Next was Lucas (Luke for short), eleven years old with jet black, scruffy hair and blue eyes. Then, there were the twins Mitchell (Mitch for short) and Michael (Mike for short). They were eight years old and identical with jet black, lightly messy hair and brown eyes.

Daniel wasn’t a nice man and he was abusive, particularly toward Sophie. Eventually, he left her for another woman not long after the twins were born, and he decided he didn’t want the kids anymore, so she hadn’t seen him since they divorced. Sophie changed her kids’ names to Ward, along with her own, after she and Toby married, about six years ago.

When Carrie looked up and saw Sophie and Toby at the counter, she waved to them. Sophie smiled at her and they walked toward the table.

Hey, Sophie said, kissing Carrie on the cheek.

Hey, Carrie said in return.

Happy birthday, big man, Sophie said as she gave Jesse a kiss on the cheek as well.

Awww … thanks Aunt Sophie, Jesse said, rubbing his cheek.

I still remember the day you were born, Sophie said, sitting down.

Lucky for me, I don’t, Jesse joked.

A moment later, a waiter brought over three pizza trays with various pizzas. Another moment later, another waiter brought over several jugs of varying soft drinks. Everyone poured a drink while eating the pizza, more arriving, as well as pasta dishes and garlic bread. There was a lot of chatter amongst themselves.

After they finished eating their food, they sat back for a moment as the waiters appeared to take away the dirty plates, trays, and bowls and then reappeared to wipe down the table. Eventually a waiter appeared, carrying a beautifully decorated cake with sixteen candles on top. As she got closer, everyone burst into song, singing Happy Birthday, and Clayton led them in three cheers of Hip Hip Hooray! Jesse closed his eyes, made a silent wish, and blew out the candles, everyone clapping.

He picked up the knife as Carrie removed the candles and started to cut the cake into slices. While he was cutting the cake, he asked, You made it, didn’t you Dad?

I did, Clayton replied.

I didn’t think mum would have made it, Jesse joked as he started to place each slice on a plate.

Hey. I could have made it, Carrie chimed in.

Nah … you couldn’t, Jesse said as he licked his fingers.

You really couldn’t. Sorry Carrie, Sophie said laughing as they started to pass plates around.

Sorry babe. Majority rules, Clayton said as he kissed her hand.

I can cook, you know, Carrie said in defense.

Of course you can, Clayton said as he passed a plate to Carrie.

Maybe not, Jesse joked as he took a bite of cake.

Nice family I got here, Carrie said, smirking.

Just eat your cake, Clayton said, taking a bite of his cake.

They sat there eating their pieces of cake and drinking the rest of their drinks. While they sat there eating, they were talking, joking, and laughing. Jesse kept looking around at the people at the table as he occasionally joined in the conversations. As he looked around at them, he settled on his mother. Poor Carrie, she had no idea of what kind of person her firstborn was about to become. Then again, even Jesse wasn’t really sure of what he was capable of. At least, not yet. They’d all find that out the hard way.

When they finished, a waiter brought the cake box over and the bill. Carrie put the cake back in the box, while Clayton paid the bill. The waiter walked off to the till with his credit card to charge it. A moment later, he returned with the credit card and receipt.

They stood up and walked out the door and over to their cars. They entered their vehicles and drove toward their homes.

Have a good night, mate? Clayton asked Jesse, looking at him in the rear-view mirror as he asked.

Yes, I did. Thank you, Mum and Dad, Jesse said.

Anytime, mate, Clayton said.

Clayton drove the car into the garage and closed the roller door with the remote on the visor. He turned off the ignition and they exited the car. He pressed the button on the key fob to lock the car and they walked through the door from the garage into the house. Jesse turned and looked at his parents and said, I’m a little tired. I might go up to bed.

Sure. Night, Carrie said.

Night, mate, Clayton said.

Goodnight, Jesse said as he headed toward the stairs.

Carrie walked over to the fridge, opened it, and placed the cake container in the fridge while Chloe and Tyler also said good night and headed up to bed. After Carrie closed the fridge door, she turned around to see Clayton staring at her.

What? Carrie asked, smiling.

I just like looking at you, Clayton said as he walked over to Carrie.

Just so you know, I can cook, Carrie said quietly as Clayton brushed a loose hair from her face.

Whatever you say, Clayton said as he kissed her.

Carrie playfully shoved him back and said, You can’t just butter me up with a kiss you know.

Sure I can, Clayton said as he stepped forward again and started to kiss Carrie once more.

You’re right. You can, Carrie said when they broke apart.

Clayton grabbed Carrie’s hand and they both walked up the stairs, down the hallway, and into their bedroom. Carrie closed the door and they both walked over to their bed, kissing as they lay down.

*     *     *

In the morning, Jesse got out of his bed and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. He walked in and closed the door. There was a decent sized shower recess, and a white basin with black drawers below it and a double mirror cabinet above it. There was also an oval shaped free standing white bathtub next to the shower recess. Next to the basin were several towel racks with towels hanging on them. The toilet was in a separate room right next to the bathroom.

Jesse removed his white singlet and black boxer shorts and tossed them into one of the three dirty laundry hampers against the wall. He then turned on the water and stepped into the shower. He stood under the water for a little while before he started to wash himself. When he finished, he turned the water off and then exited the shower recess. He grabbed one of the towels, dried himself off, then wrapped the towel around his waist. He wiped the fog off the mirror above the basin, grabbed his own toothbrush from the three in the holder, and brushed his teeth.

When he was finished, he rinsed off his toothbrush and placed it back in the holder. He used his index finger and thumb to slightly touch the pink toothbrush next to his, before turning and walking out of the bathroom. He walked back down the hallway to his bedroom, closed the door behind him, and dropped the towel.

He had a queen-sized bed with blue coloured bedding, bedside tables on both sides of his bed, and a walk-in wardrobe. There was a duchess, or dresser, with a mirror at the back and a few bits and pieces, such as a deodorant can, a cologne bottle, a bottle of hair gel, a comb, and a hairbrush strewn across the top. On the next wall was a large sliding window with a security screen and next to that was a desk beside a bookcase, then a cabinet with trophies for various sporting events.

Jesse dressed in his school uniform: a pair of freshly pressed light to medium grey long pants with a white, button up, short-sleeved shirt and a blue tie with two diagonal gold stripes at the bottom. He placed the tie around his neck and put on his black polished shoes. He walked over to his duchess, picked up the comb, and slightly brushed his hair. Then he walked over to his desk. He bent down and picked up his black over-the-shoulder school bag leaning up against the edge of the desk. He put it on his shoulder and walked out the door, closing it behind him.

He walked down the hallway and down the stairs. As he reached the kitchen, he sat the bag on one of the black bar stools on his side of the breakfast bench, while Clayton was dishing up the pancakes he’d made for breakfast. Carrie had just finished setting the table. Clayton was dressed in a suit and tie, ready for work, and Carrie was dressed in a smart casual blouse and skirt, ready for her work.

Chloe and Tyler were already sitting at the table and they were dressed in their school uniforms. Chloe was dressed in a green polo shirt with white stripes on the collar and a white palm tree on the left breast as well as a green netball skirt to the bottom of her thighs. Tyler was dressed in the same green polo shirt, but he was also wearing a green pair of shorts to just above his knees with white stripes on the bottom of the legs. They were both wearing white socks and joggers.

Clayton came around to the other side of the kitchen bench and said, Here, as he reached out to start tying up Jesse’s tie. When he finished, he said, There you go, buddy.

Thanks C—Dad, Jesse said.

What’s that? Clayton asked.

What? Jesse asked, nervously.

The C—Dad?

I didn’t even realise. I—I’m sorry.

You were about to call me Clayton, weren’t you?

Yeah … sorry. It was just a slip. I am sorry, Dad.

It’s all good. You’re forgiven. Now, sit down and dig in, Clayton said as Carrie placed the last plate on the table and started to pour a glass of orange juice for each person.

Carrie, Clayton, and Jesse had just sat down at the dining table and started to eat their pancakes when Jesse’s mobile phone made a dinging noise for a message. He pulled it out and read the message.

It’s from Nanna. She’s sorry she missed me last night. She gets back from the Bahamas next week, Jesse said.

That’s nice of her, Carrie said, taking a sip of orange juice and looking at Clayton.

Did she say anything else? Clayton asked, taking a bite of pancakes.

She wished me a happy birthday and hopes to see us again soon, Jesse replied.

When they finished eating, Carrie stood up and cleaned up the benches and the dishes, and put the dishwasher on to wash.

I gotta go. I’ll see you tonight, Clayton said as he kissed Carrie.

See you tonight, Carrie said as Clayton walked toward the garage door. Come on, kids. I’ll get you to school so I can go to work myself, Carrie said, beckoning for the kids to follow her.

Jesse picked up his bag off the stool and he, Chloe, and Tyler followed Carrie out to the garage and they hopped into the Landcruiser. Carrie drove them out of the garage and headed for Old Pine State School (the high school was right next door). Jesse generally walked up to his school from the primary school.

As Carrie pulled up to the drop off area, she turned to face the kids as they opened their doors and she said, Have a good day, kids.

Thanks, Mum, Chloe and Tyler both said as they exited the car.

Have a good day too, son, Carrie said to Jesse.

Thanks, Mum, Jesse said, slightly smiling as he stepped out of the car, putting his schoolbag over his shoulder.

He watched as Chloe and Tyler walked into their school and Carrie drove off. He then turned and started to walk toward the high school. It only took a few minutes before he arrived at the lower entrance. He walked into the school and straight to the courtyard in the centre of the school grounds. There he met up with two of his mates—Nathan who had short, bright blonde hair and light blue eyes, and Corey who had extremely short black hair and green eyes.

Jesse walked up to them and with their right hands up a bit, they each briefly clasped Jesse’s hand as they greeted each other. A minute later, a pretty girl with blonde hair to the top of her shoulders with a black material headband and nice blue eyes walked up to the group. She was dressed in the female version of the Old Pine High School uniform which consisted of a white button-up blouse, a blue tie with two diagonal gold stripes at the bottom of the tie, and a blue pleated skirt to her knees. She was also wearing a pair of white socks and polished black shoes.

Hi, Jesse, she said coyly.

Hey, Dana, Jesse said.

Hey, guys, Dana said to the other boys, barely taking her eyes off Jesse. Then she said, Happy Birthday for yesterday.

Thank you. But you already said it yesterday. At school.

Oh … right … sorry. Dana looked down.

Jesse looked to Nathan and Corey and they looked at him with smiles on their faces. Jesse looked back at Dana and said, It’s all good. You don’t need to apologise.

Thank you, Dana said, slightly smiling at Jesse. Then she said, I’ll see you in class, as she turned and walked away.

Nathan and Corey both looked at Jesse and they started to laugh. Jesse looked over at them and simply asked, What? while slightly chuckling himself.

Think you’ve got a fan, Nathan joked.

Yeah but that’s only one amongst many, Corey joked as well.

That’s why I got girls, not girlfriends. Jesse laughed as Nathan and Corey gave Jesse a high five.

The bell rang and it was time to head to class. They went their separate ways. Jesse entered his classroom and sat next to the window so he could look out. He was the kind of guy that all the girls wanted to be with and all the guys wanted to be. And he knew that, frequently using it to his advantage, particularly so that he could get what he wanted, when he wanted it. However, Carrie and Clayton were totally oblivious to all this.

When it came to lunch time, Jesse joined his mates in the courtyard again and they ate their lunch while joking and laughing with each other. While they were eating, Joshua Ward walked up to them and asked, Hey Jesse, can I join you guys?

Why? Jesse asked, looking at Nathan and Corey, then back to Joshua.

We’re mates, aren’t we? Joshua asked.

Not really, Jesse laughed as he stepped forward. Then, he asked, What makes you think we’re mates?

Oh okay, Joshua said with his head hanging down as he turned around to start to walk away.

Look, Josh, Jesse said and Joshua turned to look at him. Then, he said, We’re not friends, we’re cousins. But you’re also only fourteen. We’re sixteen. It’s good to hang out, but not all the time. You understand, don’t you?

I understand, Joshua said, deflated, as he turned and started to walk back into the school. Jesse turned to look at Nathan and Corey. They laughed and continued to eat their lunches until the bell rang and they started to walk back to class.

Once again, Jesse sat in the classroom next to the window, looking out at the school grounds as he ignored the teacher. The teacher continued the class, totally aware of this. They’d had discussions in the past surrounding Jesse’s ignorance when it came to schooling, even including the school principal and counsellor. Although he didn’t pay too much attention to his teachers, Jesse wasn’t doing too bad in school; in fact, he was still getting good grades—he was extremely intelligent.

The final bell rang for the end of school and Jesse grabbed his bag, shoved it over his shoulder, and walked out of the classroom. The teacher beckoned Jesse to come over to her desk.

Jesse. Can you come over here please? she asked.

Sure, Mrs Harris, Jesse said as he started to walk over to her desk.

Jesse, do I need to emphasise the importance of schooling? If you are going to attend school, you at least need to put in the work.

I don’t need to do anything. Jesse turned around to walk out the door.

This insolence— Jesse stopped with his back still facing her, —isn’t going to get you anywhere. You realise that, right?

Jesse laughed a little and then he slowly turned around to face her. Then, he calmly said, I don’t really care. The only reason I’m at school is because it’s what my mother wants. If I had it my way, I wouldn’t be here. You can take your advice and your criticism and shove it, Jesse finished then turned around and walked toward the door, stopped, and turned around to face the teacher again. I may not pay attention in class, but I’m also not failing. Maybe you need to figure out why that is before attempting to lecture me. He turned and continued walking away from the classroom, while Mrs Harris watched him go.

As he walked toward the bottom part of the school to head toward the primary school to meet Chloe and Tyler and wait for Carrie to pick them up, Dana ran up to Jesse.

Hey, you, she said as she looped her arm with his.

Hey, Dana, Jesse said, slightly smiling.

Would you like to hang out?

Sure. But I’m meeting my brother and sister. My mum’s picking us up.

Well, mind if I tag along? Dana sounded a little sheepish.

Actually, on second thought, is anyone at your place? Jesse stopped and stared at Dana.

No. Not for a while. Why?

How about we hang out at your place?

Would your mum be okay with that? Dana asked nervously.

Yeah, I’ll just text her, Jesse said as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and started writing a text message. Once he sent it, he put his phone back in his pocket, looked at Dana, and said, I’m all yours, with a smile on his face.

Okay. Let’s go, Dana said, also smiling.

They walked out through the side entrance to the school and headed to Dana’s house. She walked up and unlocked the front door, and they walked inside. They walked past the lounge room and into the kitchen. She walked over to the fridge and asked, Would you like a drink?

Sure. What you got?

Cola, lemonade, and water.

A cola sounds good. Thanks, Jesse said, looking at the back of Dana’s neck. She could feel his warm breath as he moved closer to her. She slightly smiled as she turned around with two cans of cola and handed one to Jesse. He said, Thanks, as he opened the can and took a big mouthful. Dana opened her can and Jesse watched as she took a mouthful out of her can.

Would you like to make yourself more comfortable? Dana asked.

How? Jesse asked as he stepped closer to Dana and their faces were only inches apart.

In the lounge room? Dana asked, looking into Jesse’s eyes, her heart beating faster.

Sure, Jesse said as he stepped back and turned around, drinking his cola.

Dana let out a nervous breath then took in another breath as she followed Jesse out of the kitchen and into the lounge room, and sat on the couch beside him. Her heart was racing even more than before; this was what she always wanted. She’d had a crush on Jesse for so long, she thought she’d never have the opportunity to date him. She was also different than the kind of person Jesse normally hung out with. She hadn’t been all that ‘intimate’ with anyone before, at least not past the point of kissing and hugging. That’s how she wanted her relationships to be, at least until she felt ready to take the next step.

Jesse turned to face her and just stared at Dana for a minute. She also turned to face him, nervously staring back. He took a mouthful of cola and then sat his can on the coffee table next to him. He then grabbed the can from Dana and sat it next to his can on the same coffee table. He faced her yet again for a moment, then leant in slowly and kissed her, putting his hands on her hips. She kissed him back, her hands on his shoulders.

As they were kissing, he became a bit more forceful and then pushed Dana against the side of the couch as they continued kissing. He started to put his right hand under her shirt and her eyes opened wide and she pulled her head away from his and said, Jesse … stop. Jesse stopped and looked at her. Please … get off me? Dana asked and Jesse leaned back down and started to kiss her again. Dana shoved him extremely hard, put her feet on his