Death Row

2 months

Authors note: LMAO! I HAVE done it wrong. The execution was supposed to be in December. Oh well.

It was mid November and as Arsenal didn't have a fixture for the next two weeks, Jordan jetted back to her homeland. She needed to be there, more than ever.

Things didn't seem to be right.

Jordan drove to her families house. She had solved the argument with her mother just before she had arrived. Apologising, even if you weren't in the wrong, was the quickest way to extinguish Mama Costello's flames.

There were several cars parked on the drive way.
Two of them were her parents. Yet Mallory, Christen, Tierna, Rose, Lindsey, Sam, Tobin and Fernando all had their vehicles parked there as well.

There wasn't even space for Jordan to park on the gravel, so she parked on the main road, the rush of adrenaline already starting to come into action.
Jordan didn't even take her suitcase out.
She knew things weren't going to end well.

Knocking on the door, it didn't take long for someone to open it.
It was Britt who was the first person Jordan saw.

The teen had tear stained trails running from underneath her eye to nearly her chin, eyes appearing bloodshot to say the least.
"Britt, what's going on?" Jordan was anxious to know what happened with her baby sister.
"They know." She sniffed and Jordan's heart sunk.

Just for a moment, Jordan considered turning on her heel and leaving.
However she knew she had to woman up.

The least she could do was explain herself.

It didn't take long. As soon as Jordan entered the living room where everyone else was gathered, she heard Mal hysterically scream "You said he only had a year!".

That was true.

Jordan remained quiet though, choosing to scan the other faces. From her teammates looks of sympathy, to her families clear anger and Fernando's signature smirks.
"Well..." it was Christen who spoke up. "What do you have to say?"
Jordan instantly faced Fernando. "How do you know?"
Her ex smirked. "You told me, babe."

Cristína shook her head. "I don't know why you broke up with him. He's a good guy."

Jordan spotted Mal's face turn pale and Jordan knew she had to get straight to the bottom of everything .

"When did I tell you Fernando?" She replied in an equally sickly sweet tone which made her former lover cringe.
"I...uh after a party." He said.

Jordan instantly turned around to everyone else. "That's explains it." She concluded. "I was obviously intoxicated and told you."
Jordan clapped her hands and looked around the room. "I don't know what else you all want."

"Why you didn't tell us?!" Rose snapped. At the same time Mal quietly murmured "Why you stayed with him."
The question from her best friend made Jordan extremely embarrassed so she decided to answer Lavelle's and probably everyone else's  burning question.
"First, I was-I still am shocked about this whole thing. I mean not many people have a loved one on death row do they? Second of all, I know you guys would just feel bad for me. Permanently. No matter what you say, you guys will always view me differently. You can't change that. It's human nature I guess."

Tobin nodded. "Very fair point." Lindsey appeared annoyed. "Tobin, you're supposed to be on our side!"

This seemed to annoy the older midfielder. "Geez, can't we cut the kid some slack? Her dad's going to die soon and you're all sitting there, arrows poised. After the Olympics, you all blamed her! She was the only reason we stood a chance in the final while you lot relied on your arrogance! Well, reality check! People have other shit going on in their lives besides the team! What ever happened to 'treat people the way you want to be treated'? You never know what someone might be going through ."

Her teammates said no more and Jordan wished she could hug Heath although she knew the 32-year old was probably still upset with her as well.
Now it was her families turn to speak.
Turning to Fernando, Jordan's stepdad asked "So Jordan, why did Mal ask why you stayed with Fernando for so long?"
The boxer butted in. "She's jealous." He smugly said as Jordan had to watch the other USWNT players hold Mal back.
Glaring at Fernando, Francisco repeated his question. "So was as I was saying, why did Mal want to know why you stayed with Fernando for so long?"

Jordan shrugged. "Ask Mal." Was all she said and now everyone was looking at Pugh.
"Because he treated her like shit." She spat out.
Jordan's mum gasped and Fernando once again looked proud. "Told you she's jealous." The boxer looked to Mal. "You probably got her to break up with me." He sneered.

Jordan had enough. "Oh, so you cheating on me isn't a reason why I should leave?"
EVERYONE was now glaring at Fernando.
Including his ex-girlfriend's mum.
"You didn't hear me out." He tried to justify but his cheeks were burning red.
"That's not it." Mal's voice was becoming louder in confidence with each word. "What about the fact that you control what she wears? That you always talk about her friends badly? What about this?"

Her phone was now out and playing a recording.
"Remember to obey what I tell you. We both know who's in charge of this relationship and it's not you. What I want, happens understood?"

The recording ended and barley anyone could even stomach to look at Gonzalez. "What?" He appeared annoyed. "Just laying some rules down."
Mal ignored him, it was best to do so. Instead she looked to Jordan, her eyes now glistening with tears.
"So..." her voice was barley audible "why did you stay with him?".

"I broke up with him after that." Jordan tried to point out to her parents.
Tierna shook her head. "What was the point if you were just going to take him back?".
Jordan could find herself blushing. "I needed...the uh physical side of a relationship."

"Jordan, no te crié así." Her mother muttered and Jordan felt all the guilt in the world. No matter what Fernando had done, she was the real villain. The person who had covered up everything and could only seem to make people upset or angry. Ever since her dad was sentenced to death, everything had turned upside down.

Looking to Fernando she muttered "Aren't you happy now? I've broken up with you and now you have a new chick and I'm a crazy psycho. Everyone knows you're the lucky one to escape from the burning ship I am."

Jordan heard everyone begin to protest but she ignored them. All she did was hug Xabi, ruffle Matteo's hair and kiss Britt's head before leaving.

Jordan hadn't even arranged an appointment for this month. You know what? Fuck it. She wasn't going . Because each time she visited, it become harder for reality to sink in. To let go.
Because by the time she turned 22, she wasn't going to have a dad.