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exist. “I came by to see if you wanted to head to the shooting range.”
    “Um…” Brandon hesitated as he looked over to me. “Mandy and Riley were coming over to hang out.”
    “I should’ve called, but I was heading out there to see Glenn and though t I’d come by and see if you wanted to come.  We can catch up another day,” Jesse said and I saw his body shift as if he was going to leave.
    “You should stay,” Brandon said and he looked over to me for approval. “It would give us a chance to catch up.  All of us.”
    Jesse turned to me and somehow I nodded.
    “Yeah.   You should stay.  Mandy will be here soon.” I don’t know why I encouraged him to stay, but I didn’t want to see him walk out that door.
    “Are you sure?” he asked and I could tell he was nervous by the way he shifted his weight from one foot to the next.  I nodded again and he took a few slow steps into the living room, sitting on the couch beside Brandon.  It was more than obvious he’d avoided sitting next to me.  The room was awkwardly quiet and so unlike the way it used to be.  My friends and I used to be so comfortable with each other.  That had all changed now though and I’d wished it could be different.  It should be different.  It seemed like a life time ago since Jesse left.  I’d gone to college. I’d fallen in love with someone else.  Jesse had joined the Marines and had been God knows where doing God knows what with God knows who.  We had different lives now and it didn’t matter that we’d once been in love, so deeply in love it made my stomach hurt sometimes, the fact was, that was the past and this was now. 
    I watched Jesse as discreetly as I could and I knew he was nervous.  He probably thought I was still mad at him and I knew he wouldn’t be the one to talk first.  I had to show him I was over everything that had gone down. 
    “I’m sorry I was so abrupt at the store yesterday,” I said and Jesse turned to look at me. “I was just shocked to see you.”
    “Me too.  I didn’t know you were back in Carver,” he said, but then our conversation was interrupted when there was a knock on the door.  I knew it was Mandy by the quick footsteps.  She stopped at the entrance of the living room, her mouth agape when she saw Jesse.  It was obvious Brandon had neglected to relay the news of Jesse’s homecoming to Mandy as well by the way she was staring at him, her eyes darting between him and me.  If it wasn’t already awkward enough, the way Mandy looked at us made sure everyone was aware of the tension in the air.
    “Jesse,” she whispered softly as her eyes locked on him.  I could see she was going to cry and when she finally blinked, tears spilled down her cheeks. “Jesse!” she shouted excitedly, having found her voice.  He stood up and she practically ran into his arms. “What are you doing here?” she sniffled as she wiped her eyes when she’d let him go. 
    “I came to see Brandon.”
    “Well,” she said, looking at us all with a huge smile. “This is…well…I don’t know the words, but this is awesome!  I didn’t think we’d ever see you again, Jesse.” She reached over and hugged him again. “Does Holly know you’re here?” Jesse shrugged his shoulders. “Well, Holly has to know because she’d want to see you.  We have to get together…the way it used to be!”  Her voice was chipper, but my eyes drifted slowly to Jesse and I saw he was eyeing me too.
    “Slow down, Mandy,” Brandon finally interjected. “We don’t even know how long Jesse’s in town for.”
    “Well, let’s ask him then,” she grinned, turning to Jesse. “How long are you here for?”
    “I…I haven’t decided yet,” he stuttered.
    “Then we have to get together before you leave.  I’m gonna text Holly right now,” she said, whipping out her phone and she started typing away furiously. “It’s too bad Laura’s all the way in Oklahoma.  We should all be together.