Chapter Forty-Nine…
I felt my face turn pale as I recognised the voice declaring what they’d witnessed.
“I was coming to the classroom and I saw you and then I ran off again, I didn’t even know what to think.”
“Look, you’d better come in.” Jord told them reluctantly, knowing that with his mother here this wasn’t going to be pleasant. No doubt she had heard what the voice was claiming to have seen now and the glare on her face backed up my theory.
Anna’s reluctant figure appeared in the main room as she observed the people currently sat there. Her eyes widened when she realised Jord wasn’t alone and she glanced at me guiltily, hoping that she hadn’t dropped us in it. Yet, anyway.
She still had that power.
Jord followed her in and retook his seat next to me, avoiding everyone’s eyes as he glanced at Anna. “I guess you should sit down.” He told her, gesturing to a chair that no one tended to sit on.
The atmosphere in the room had suddenly become extremely gloomy and everyone’s face, except Audrey’s, carried the same weight of apprehension as we waited for something to happen. For someone to speak and break the increasingly awkward silence.
“May I ask, why were you and Jessica kissing in your classroom?” Audrey demanded, deciding she wasn’t going to be subject to the uncomfortable mood whilst she was practically clueless.
I averted my eyes and Jord coughed uneasily. Neither of us knew what to say to her, without sounding either crude or cheesy.
Jord and I glared at Matt simultaneously when he released a small chuckle, knowing the conundrum we’d just been placed in. Surprisingly, Audrey joined in our glaring and sent Matt a quick scowl. “Stay out of this Matt, it’s none of your business, since you’ve obviously been informed before me.”
Although the glare was aimed at Matt, the dig was at us, Jord in particular.
“Well…” I trailed off, unsure of what exactly I was supposed to tell her, with Anna still in our presence. She wasn’t in the police uniform she normally donned, so Audrey had no way of telling who she actually was, other than an acquaintance of ours.
“Well what? It doesn’t sound like nothing, by the way this girl came in blubbering about it.” Audrey scolded gesturing at Anna.
Anna flushed, something I’d never see her do when she was speaking to us before. I’d never really seen her in anything other than a professional light, however, so I shouldn’t really have been surprised. “Maybe I saw it wrong…” She muttered, her face clearly telling us she knew that was a lie, but trying to save us from the endless questions Audrey would no doubt unleash.
“Stop lying, you saw what you saw, now these two need to explain it.”
“I was upset and Jord was trying to comfort me?” Even though technically, that was the exact reasoning of his kiss, it still came out like a question.
Jord nodded eagerly. “Yeah, that was all. Jess looked really sad and I thought that maybe-”
He didn’t even have time to finish his sentence before Audrey had interrupted with an incredulous snort, however. “I didn’t think you’d need to lie to me, Jordan, my own son.”
Her face didn’t appear particularly wounded, but I knew she was trying to guilt trip him into telling her the truth. She didn’t need to even bother though, really, because everyone in the room knew she’d get it out of us eventually anyway.
“Urm.”
I still couldn’t bring myself to be the one to say it, even with the piercing gaze urging me on.
She was Jord’s mother and therefore he should be the one to tell her.
That was my reasoning anyway.
“Jess and I are together.” He blurted eventually, the weight of her stare finally making him crumble.
Nobody in the room looked at all shocked by the confession and I now wondered why we’d even been so hesitant in saying it. Anna had given Audrey all the information she needed to work out our relationship when she announced it so loudly at the door.
For a supposedly smart woman, that wasn’t a very clever move.
“For how long?” Audrey pressed further.
Now it had been said, there seemed little point in leaving out the details and the truth seemed the best way to go.
Besides, Audrey’s opinion on our relationship was not the one I was most concerned about.
She could hate me even more than she already did, but it would not change the facts. Audrey wouldn’t hand her son over to anyone because of him illegally involved with someone.
Anna was the one who held the power here.
She had the opportunity to ruin us.
“Just after I was kidnapped.”
“When did you plan on telling me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who else knows?”
“Everyone one in this room, plus Grace.”
“Do you realise what a stupid decision it was to engage in something like this?”
This was one of the generic questions I had been expecting and it was obviously aimed at Jord rather than me. Audrey couldn’t care less about my education.
“It’s my own decision.” Jord retorted, not willing to admit that it probably was an idiotic choice to have made and that he was no doubt regretting it now as he glanced at Anna, who had still stayed silent, deciding to listen rather than interfere, trying to read her emotionless face and decide whether his short career had come to an end already. “I love Jess, I wasn’t going to not act on that after so long. I saw her kidnapped, mother. What else did you expect me to do?”
“Not this.” She stated, her voice cold as she scowled at me. “You’re risking not just your job, but your life as well. You could get arrested for this.”
Anna shrunk down into her seat and I noticed Matt giving her a meaningful look. He was trying to make her listen and understand, rather than judge as she probably was doing.
“You have no idea.” Jord mumbled, just loud enough for me, and apparently his mother’s sharp hearing to pick up on.
“Why? Because this girl has the power to ruin you already? Is she another one of your students?” Audrey inquired, grimacing.
“She’s a police officer.” Jord admitted wanly.
Audrey’s face was a picture of shock, finally giving the reaction that had been expected when we revealed our intimacy. “You let yourself be caught by a police officer?” She reiterated, her voice become angrier with each word that slipped out of her mouth. “Could you be any more stupid?”
I didn’t dare speak up, give her the information that I considered Anna a friend, because at the moment, was she my friend? This lying was surely something she considered a betrayal and betrayal was likely to make her be irrational. By the time she’d gotten over that, it would more than definitely be too late.
“I didn’t mean for it to happen!” Jord exclaimed, his temper rising quickly. He wasn’t about to be blamed for this misfortune. The blame could be given to either of us. Even if it had been Jord that kissed me…
“Well it did. Now what will you do about it?”
“Isn’t that for me to decide?” Anna finally spoke, causing everyone to turn their attention to her and hold their breath with anxiety. She was right, it was her decision. Our fate currently hung in the balance, and she was the one that could tip it.
Audrey looked like she was going to snap something in her anger, but held her tongue knowing it wasn’t likely to provoke a good response from the police woman she didn’t even know.
“Jessica,” Anna began, addressing me directly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
I knew that question had been coming. It was always the first one.
Why didn’t you tell me?
Even an idiot should be able to work that one out, even in the situation. Because it risked too much. The danger was too big in the first place, so this was surely understandable. The more people that knew, the more chance the secret had of being spilled.
And, Anna was in a position of law. She was supposed to be upholding it. Why would she break it just for a couple of people she was supposed to be investigating? One having been previously investigated for assault and the other’s parents being held for dealing drugs.
“Because I was scared of being caught.” Sounded like a better way of justification, rather than the other reasons I’d just conjured up mentally. Both were true. The fear of being caught probably outweighed the others.
“Well, look how far that got you.” Audrey announced, shooting daggers at me in particular.
She was right though, I gambled on my feelings with Jord, letting each other give in, even though we knew she shouldn’t.
This wasn’t a game of chance, though, and the odds were stacked way against us.
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Whoops, long wait for this chapter and not even a long or good one :( I completely rushed this and I haven't proof read, so beware of mistakes.
I just want to get back to reading my book! When I was on holiday, I read A Game Of Thrones, completely amazing, so now I've got the rest of the series and I need to finish them! I'm half way through the second book, which I started yesterday, so updates might be slow for a while, just until I've finished them.
They are amazing books though! I recommend them to everyone! And for people who have read them, who are your favourite characters? I don't want any spoilers from beyond the first book, but I LOVE Jon Snow <3 He's great.
And surprisingly, Tyrion Lannister as well. He's pretty awesome.
Hope this chapter was a little bit okay and thanks for the votes and comments!