Chapter 25
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)
The next morning i woke up to find James, tommy, josh, and Brandon all sitting on the floor of my room in a tight circle.
There was a phone on the ground in the middle of them.
I wiped my eyes without saying anything.
Suddenly someone said something; even though they were far away, the phone was on speaker so i could hear everything.
"Hello?"
I knew that voice. My voice caught in my throat and i covered my mouth to keep from screaming.
I quickly closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep, feeling someone's eyes fixed on me.
"Yeah, hi," i heard josh mutter into the phone. The three other boys muttered something incoherent into the phone also, then Ross spoke again.
"Erm... Who is this?"
"Oh, you don't know who we are?" tommy asked. I could just imagine his eyes flashing with anger.
"We're Carly's brothers," James muttered.
I heard Ross take a deep breath and dared to open one eye slightly to glance at the boys.
Their heads were all pressed against each other, and they were leaned in so close to the phone on the floor that i was surprised that they weren't toppling forward from being top heavy.
"Look, ok, i wasn't cheating on Jordan, it--"
"Do you know how much you hurt her?!" Brandon shouted, cutting Ross off.
I heard Ross's voice catch in his throat and almost sobbed. "I know," he whispered after a moment.
"She loved you," josh whispered.
"I love her still!" Ross shouted.
"Oh yeah, and that's why you cheated on her!" Brandon shouted.
"How dare you hurt her!! No one hurts my little Jordan! NO ONE!" tommy cried.
How did they think i would sleep through this?
"It wasn't my fault!" Ross shouted.
"Oh? Ok, well even if it WAS true that you weren't cheating on her, that girl was kissing you against your will--" James's voice was rising with the second.
"That was exactly it!" Ross shouted.
"Then why didn't you fight?! Can you honestly say that you werent kissing that girl back?!" James shouted.
Ross was silent.
"That's what i thought," James whispered.
"Just stay away from Jordan," Brandon said quietly.
"No, I'm not going to stay away from her! I love Jordan!" Ross shouted.
"Yeah right!" tommy shouted. "Stay away from Jordan!" and he threw the phone at the wall, making it crumble to pieces.
I didn't know what to do.
The four of them had just told Ross to back away from me.
If i confronted them now, who knew what they'd say.
But if i didn't, what then?
They all quickly got up and walked robotically out the door, making me miss my opportunity.
I covered my face with my hands and felt my heart break once again.
Later that day i left a note on the counter saying that i had gone out for a ride on Greyson. I didn't know when I'd be back.
I just needed some time to think... To be alone.
I hopped on Greyson's back, clothed in my PJs still and not caring to put on any safety gear except my helmet and boots.
We cantered away into the woods again, this time finding another clearing that was smaller, but it had grass coating the ground instead of red dirt.
I slid off of Greyson's back and jumped into a tree overlooking the clearing, and situated myself comfortably.
So many thoughts rushed through my mind at the same time that i was overwhelmed. I clutched at my head and willed myself not to think so much, but failed.
My head swirled and i slipped out of the tree, hitting the soft ground with a thud.
Ross, Ross, Ross, Ross, ross, Ross, Ross, Ross...all that was going through my mind now. I buried my face in my hands and my body shook with sobs.
I felt my heart break repeatedly each time i thought of a new memory with ross, sending a searing pain through my chest and consuming me.
I barely noticed that my phone was ringing until Greyson nudged me with his nose and bit my phone.
I picked it up and answered without thinking.
I sniffled. "Hel- hello?"
"You answered!!"
I screamed. "No! I'm hanging up now!"
"No Jordan please--" Ross started.
"I thought you were supposed to be staying away from me now?!" i shouted.
"They told you about that?" i could tell he was shocked.
"No, i heard them when they were talking to you."
"How much did you hear?" Ross asked suspiciously.
"Everything!" i screamed.
"Ok, ok, chill, i was just wondering," Ross said.
"Oh, you want me to CHILL?!" i screamed. "Ross, you broke my heart a thousand times over! Do NOT tell me to chill!!!!"
"I didn't mean it like that, i--"
"Goodbye, Ross," i whispered.
Then i hung up.
I hugged my knees and let the tears roll down my cheeks. He didn't care. No one cared. He broke my heart into a thousand pieces and now wanted me to CHILL.
A sob wracked my body.
He didnt care whether or not i was heartbroken or not. Heck, i doubt hed even care if i freaking died!
No one cared how i felt.
no one cared how i was doing right now.
no one cared at all.
The next day i woke up to find Brandon's face inches from mine.
"Wake up beautiful! You have to show the new help around," he smirked.
"What?" i muttered groggily.
"We hired some people to help run this place! So each member of our family is showing around one person. You're showing... Micah everything!"
"I don't want to," i moaned, pulling my pillow over my face. After my day in the forest i felt a lot better, but not enough to show someone around the freaking property all day. "Why can't you just take him with your person?" i mumbled.
"'Cause everyone has to participate! Moms's idea!" he glanced at the door. "Come on! Everyone's waiting downstairs for you."
"Ugh FINE! Give me ten minutes though." Brandon skipped back downstairs and left me sulking in my bed.
I slowly got up and went to my closet: all that was clean was a bright yellow crop shirt with a giant R5 sign printed onto it, a white tank top and a pair of short light turquoise shorts.
I groaned and threw everything on.
Funny how it all fit together and matched perfectly.
I brushed my hair slowly, then walked downstairs, my legs stiff.
I got to the bottom of the staircase and stood there.
Tommy noticed me and motioned me over to him. "Jord, this is Micah!" he pointed at the guy he was talking to. Micah flashed me a smile and my jaw dropped.
I had been imagining some overweight old person who was deathly in need of a shave, and here was Micah, who looked about seventeen.
He had black hair that was cut kind of like Justin bieber's old hairdo, except shorter and cuter. He had glittering brown eyes and a couple of little moles and acne scattered across his face, but it didn't make him any less beautiful.
I smiled and shot tommy a glance. He smirked and gave me a knowing look, then walked away.
"Hi, I'm Jordan!" i said, reaching for his hand.
"I'm Micah," he smiled, shook my hand, then kind of started flopping his hands around.
"I'm told I'm going to be showing you around today?" i asked dreamily.
"Yep! I guess so at least!" he laughed. He had an amazing laugh.
"So... What am i showing you exactly?" i asked, playing with a ring on my finger.
"Erm..." he flipped his hair and laughed. "I don't know! You're the boss!!!"
"This boss doesn't really know what she's doing..." i muttered under my breath. Micah heard me and laughed.
I shot him a smile.
I started thinking.
Maybe I could move on from Ross. Just Maybe.