Lorraine’s breath caught, his direct question catching her off-guard. The ointment slipped from her hand and rolled away, completely forgotten.

“Jesse,” she whispered. “You can’t just… you can’t call yourself my boyfriend to a stranger, carry me out of there, and then ask me this like you’re inviting me for coffee. My heart can’t handle this back-and-forth. I need something steady. I need to know… why?”

He leaned a little closer, his eyes flicking to her lips ...