Keesha looked around her apartment, studying the decor. She decided it was too much and walked to the candles, blowing them out. She then decided it wasn't enough and went over to the lamp, setting it on the low setting. "Music...no music....what is wrong with you?" she chastised herself.

'It's just dinner. A simple dinner. We've had plenty of dinners..." She looked down at her dress. "I need to change..." she decided.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

Keesha quickly took the unlit candles and tossed them into a drawer.

"Just a dinner." she reminded herself as she walked over to the door. She cleared her throat, smoothed her dress and opened the door.

"Hi." She smiled softly.

"Good evening. You look stunning."

"Thank you."

Jax handed her the bouquet of flowers and Keesha thanked him again, moving out of the way so he could pass.

"You have perfect timing, I just finished dinner." She closed the door.

"You cooked it yourself?" Jax glanced down the main hallway, realizing that her bedroom had to be near...

"Of course. If I wasn't planning on cooking, I could have just taken you out....I'll go put these in water, and you can have a seat in here..." she stood in the doorway of the dining room.

Jax walked over, gliding past her and taking her hand. He led her in with him. "Wow. Where do I start." He looked at the food laid out on the table.

"Wherever you want. You're the guest."

A sparkle entered Jax's eyes and he took the flowers from Keesha.

"What are you doing?" she asked cautiously as she looked into his eyes once more.

"Starting where I want..."

Keesha gasped as Jax yanked her against his body. She felt her heart begin to race as they stared into each others eyes. Jax tightened his grip around her waist, bending and placing a small kiss on her lips. Keesha's eyes fluttered closed and she returned his kiss softly.

She reached up, cupping his face in her hands as he deepened their kiss, his tongue stroking against hers slowly. She took control, kissing him so fiercely he groaned against her mouth.

The kiss broke at the ringing sound in Jax's pocket. "I should get this...it could be Jerry," he mumbled.

Keesha thanked Jerry silently, letting Jax go and backing away. She had to remember not to let things get too far, not until things were clearer. Mainly in her own heart.

She took the flowers and left the room.

"Jax," he answered his cellular.

"Hi."

"Dad." Jax rolled his eyes. He should have known.

"I heard that Bridget came by. How are you doing Son?"

"Oh you know...I've been better."

"Why don't you come by, we're having your favorite for dinner."

"Nah. I think I'll go out somewhere. Be myself. Thanks though...in fact, I think I'll turn the phone off...uh huh....."Jax looked over as Keesha stood in the room with him once more. "...right....no, I won't...I know Dad, stay away from Bridget...right....bye." he hung up. "Sorry."

"No problem. I say we eat before everything gets cold."

Keesha walked over to Jax, sitting on her couch in the living room. "For you."

"Thank you." he took the glass of red wine, drinking from it.

"Can I ask you something?" Keesha sat next to him.

"Of course." Jax turned to look into her eyes.

"When you said that it was important to Jerry that you learn not to trust the wrong people, and then you told me today that you trusted me not to hurt you the way you've been hurt before...I gathered you meant with what happened with..."

"Bridget. Yes. My family paid her and she left. I think I told you that."

"You did. So basically, you were taught not to trust...a woman who said she loved you?"

"Basically."

"But you tried anyway. You loved Bridget..."

"I thought I loved Bridget..."

"Enough to plan to spend the rest of your life with her, right?" "Yes." Jax cleared his throat.

"But...you told me at Mrs. Sellers that you have always felt alone. That would have to include with her...unless I misunderstood you."

Jax sighed, leaning back and taking another drink of wine.

"Never mind. Sorry."

"Keesha, I think I was trying to...beat something. No matter what Jerry tried to teach me, I saw how much my parents love each other...you should see them, I have never seen anyone so perfect for each other, and I'm not just saying that because they're my parents...it's really true. I saw that, and I know that I want that for myself...or as close as I can get. I believed that Bridget loved me, or I wanted to believe it. And I had strong feelings for her, I thought I was in love with her. I just figured that the...emptiness I felt when I was with her...well to be honest I didn't figure it at all. I just pushed it into the back of my mind and ignored it. And after she left, I couldn't ignore it anymore...then I found out why she left...then I met you and everything changed. There was no emptiness there. None for me to just ignore. And when she came last night..."

"Bridget came?" Keesha felt her heart stop, and she didn't even know why.

"Yes. She was in my apartment when I got back from dinner with you."

"Oh." Keesha looked down. "I..."

"What?"

Keesha looked at Jax again. She took a breath. She needed to tell him when something bothered her, he had said, so..."Did that bring up past feelings for you?"

"I'm not in love with Bridget."

"I didn't say you were, I just think that it must have brought up something."

"It did. It showed me again how easy it was to feel empty with someone in the room. Now can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why does this bother you?"

"It doesn't...not really....just that...Jax, how do you know you're not still trying."

"With you?"

"Yes."

"Wow. You're blunt." Jax smiled.

"Not that I think you want to marry me or whatever..." she clairifed. "I just mean, how do either of us know that you're not just trying to prove Jerry wrong."

"Well, first off, you've never told me you're in love with me. So technically..."

"That's not funny."

"Maybe. Keesha, what happened with you and Cameron?"

"He was controlling to a point that I couldn't ignore it anymore, even for my mother."

"Controlling how?"

"Controlling."

Jax shrugged. "Fair enough. And you've had a problem with people trying to control you for a long time, and that includes me, or so you think."

"Sometimes...but..."

"But sometimes you realize, hopefully, that is not the case. Yet, how do I know that I'm not just one in a line of men that eventually you'll get rid of because you feel I get to a point."

"Because you're not..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at him. "Exactly. Apples. Oranges."

"Fair enough." she smiled. She leaned over, kissing him softly.

And as they kissed, Jax realized there was in fact something that he was ignoring. Something that came to the forefront the moment he said it. He pulled away, staring into Keesha's eyes.

How did he know he wouldn't just wind up one in a line of men she got rid of because of her fear of being controlled.

Jax broke eye contact, his breath catching in his throat.

"What?" Keesha whispered.

Jax looked up at her again. "Nothing." he lied, leaning over and kissing her again.

Shani