Love Without You by Jennifer Smith Page B

potatoes and they sat and drank wine and ate. The one thing they did that was so unexpected for her was that they laughed, a lot. More than she thought she had ever laughed before. She was supposed to be depressed but instead she was having a terrific time. Maybe it was the wine, but wherever it was it felt good and free. Josh walked her home that night and watched the moon over the ocean sparkle and dance on the water. It was breathtakingly beautiful and so peaceful. Jessica felt a peace that she hadn't felt in years and she knew then that Ben was gone and that she didn’t need him for her life to be complete. She could do it on her own.

Chapter 3 - Life Goes On!
    The weeks went by quickly and so did life and she didn't shrink up and die. The hurt she got over and it was replaced by a wall that Ben would never come in contact with again. It was three weeks before she ran into Josh again. He had been working out of town and she had been busy at work. Their paths just never met up. But tonight Josh knocked on her door and invited her to a cook out at his house, just some friends and family, some she already knew. She was tired of staying at home so she agreed to go.

At 7:00 she found herself surrounded by people she didn't know and loving every minute of it. They were funny and she really had a good time. The food was great and the whole evening was terrific. She couldn’t believe how much she enjoyed it and to think she almost didn't go because she was by herself. She stayed till late and helped Josh clean up and then he walked her home. The lights on the water glimmered like fire flies and the waves lapped at the edge of the sand sending spray up on you just enough to get your feet wet. It was the perfect night and Josh took her hand as they walked down the beach. She thanked him for a wonderful evening and promised to get in touch with him over the weekend. He kissed her hand as he released her and she went into the house and closed the door. What was she thinking? It had to have been the amount of wine she drank or the evening or something strange. She knew she couldn’t or shouldn't be falling for Josh, it was way too soon. But her hand seemed to burn where he had laid the kiss and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like.
    Life could be hectic sometimes. Deadlines were coming due and Jessica had to work a lot of late nights to keep caught up at work. There were lots of nights she burned the midnight oil till much too late and paid for it the next day. But she kept up and she loved what she did so she didn’t mind a little extra work. Besides what else did she have to do? It was one of these nights when she heard a knock on her door. Startled she peaked out and saw Josh standing there. She opened the door and he apologized for the time but he said he had been coming home and saw her light on and wanted to make sure she was all right. He took his hand and adjusted a piece of hair that had fallen across her face, a simple act of kindness that brought a hot searing flash with it. She caught his hand as it came down he bent down and kissed her. He didn't apologize and neither did she. It was the best kiss she had ever had and she wanted more. But, she knew better, she didn't want Josh to be a rebound lover. She coveted the friendship they had and if she ever wanted more it would be better to go real slow. That kiss would linger on her lips a long time just as the thought of Josh would be there.
    After that they saw more of each other but not a lot. They still had their own lives to lead and once or twice a week they would get together and have dinner or share a bottle of wine. Once they went to a movie and they went shopping a few times but nothing earth shaking was happening, till Christmas. At Christmas everything seemed to change for the better. They started spending more time with each other and going out a lot more. They became closer and talked continuously about everything. They were almost inseparable