feelings of jealousy?

"Sure, come in," called Jake from the shower.

Abbie slowly walked into the bathroom. The steam had fogged up the mirrors, and the room smelled like soap. The soap was nothing out of the ordinary, though Abbie didn't know what brand it was. Abbie smiled when she realized that she recognized the smell because it's what Jake usually smelled like.

"That was something, huh?" she said from outside the shower.

Jake peeked his head out, his hair lathered in shampoo, his eyes mostly squinted closed to keep the suds out. "Oh, hey. Yeah, that was wild."

"I mean, but kind of fun, right?"

"Definitely fun," said Jake.

There was a silence between them that suggested there might be more to talk about. There was always more they could talk about. They had said a few things at dinner the night before, and similar questions and thoughts were once again on Abbie's mind.

"Jake," said Abbie.

"Yeah?"

She paused. Do I really want to say this? she thought.

"Abbie? You okay?" Jake leaned out of the shower again. His hair was rinsed, and he was able to see her more clearly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just --" She stopped. "No, I'll say it. I always want to be honest."

Jake stepped out of the shower, picked up a towel, and began to dry off.

"I don't know why, but something about all ... that ... was weird to me." Abbie gestured back into the other room.

"Tell me about it. She was super weird."

"Besides that, though." Abbie paused again, unsure how to continue. "Okay, this is going to sound, I don't know, whatever. But ... while we were in there, I got kind of jealous of Kelsey."

Jake stopped drying himself and looked at Abbie. "You did?"

"I did."

"Because I was being physical with her?"

Abbie nodded. "I think so."

Jake looked at her, his eyes sincere. "Okay. Um ... Okay." He stopped, looked away, and then looked back to her. "If we're being honest, I was pretty jealous of those guys from the party last night."

"You were?"

"So there's like a kind of jealousy where you totally don't have what someone else has, and you just feel like an outsider or maybe worry that you're not good enough for whatever it is."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Abbie stood closer to him. She glanced down at the floor where water was pooling around Jake's feet. He hadn't finishing drying himself, and his legs were still wet. Abbie idly touched the puddle with her toes. She looked back up at Jake.

"And then there's the kind where you're at the same party, but you wonder if you're even supposed to be there."

Abbie nodded. "That's what I felt just now."

"You were there. You were part of it. But it didn't feel right?"

"I guess so," she said.

"Were you worried that I'd like her more than you?" Jake asked.

Abbie shook her head. But then she stopped and said, "I didn't think of it that way, but maybe? I mean, she's so tall and thin and she's got a great ass."

"Those guys were so muscular, and that one guy apparently had a really big --"

Abbie hit Jake lightly on the chest to stop him. "Come on, you think I care about Stefan's cock?"

"You think I care about Kelsey's ass?"

There was a silence again. Abbie looked down once more, touching the puddle of water with her toes. She smiled and laughed a little. "Okay, but it's normal to feel jealous sometimes. Right?"

"It is absolutely and completely normal," said Jake.

"Normal to see a guy you like with another girl and feel confused?"

Jake nodded. "Normal." She called me a guy she likes.

"And it's totally normal to go on a weekend excursion with that guy, and then fuck other people pretty much any chance you get?"

Jake laughed. "Um, yeah, sure. Normal as blueberry pie."

Abbie looked at him curiously. "Blueberry pie is normal?"

"I have no idea. I've literally never eaten it."

"Me neither," Abbie replied. She looked down again, and touched the water on the floor with her toes again. "But you're still here."

"What?" said Jake.

She looked up at him. "You're still here. I'm still here. I don't care about Stefan and you don't care about Kelsey and I don't care about the balcony and you don't care about the elevator because you're still here and I'm still here."

Jake nodded. "I'm still here."

"Me too. I'm still here." Abbie stretched upward and kissed Jake lightly, but sweetly.