♡
"Stay-" He said as he gently placed the keys in the palm of her hand. Ava felt the electricity course through her body. With a bit of hesitation, she agreed.
"No wait-" Ava said as she took a few big steps away from him. "We can't hang out". Jordan looked perplexed at her sudden change of behavior. "Why not- there's no harm in this" Jordan assured as he slowly walked towards her. "Somebody will see us and take a picture," she said firmly "you might be walking with a nobody but I'm walking with a pop star- I'm gonna be the one taking the shit" she added. Jordan found this strange. Ava never referred to him as such. "What are you talking about?- you're not a nobody" he argued. "Have you not seen the picture of us that has just made it onto the news?" She recalled bitterly. "Picture?- no, I haven't" he admitted. Ava pulled out her phone and looked up the photo. Jordan's eyes widened as he scanned the image. "But you can't even see your face- and you can barely see mine" he justified in a calm manner. "You act like this is normal" she muttered under her breath as she locked her phone. " It's shit that I'm already used to-" he said and shrugged. "Nobody can prove it was me".
Ava shook her head at his carefree reaction to this. "Jordan, you scare me sometimes-" Ava told him. "Why?" He asked. "You act on impulse- it just makes me wonder what you want- " she added. "I don't get what you're trying to say" he responded as he scratched the back of his head. "Like this-" she spoke gesturing to both of them. "What are you trying to do- sleep with me and keep me as your lover?" She confronted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What!?-" he said as he looked at her in disbelief. "No, of course not Ava-" he defended himself. "I don't understand you Jordan- " she confessed while shaking her head. "You want one thing- you kiss me and you want to see me- I just" she began but was cut off by Jordan shushing her softly.
"What?" She said as she was about to turn around.
"I think there's somebody over there who recognizes me-" he said as he took her hand and guided them into a small alley. "C'mere" Jordan instructed as he pulled her close to him. "What- and get another pic-" she protested but felt her breath hitch in her throat when he placed his hands on her waist and leaned in dangerously close. They heard footsteps from the distance. Jordan's body covered Ava's so perfectly. It seemed as if he was leaning against the wall by himself. Ava looked up at him waiting for him to say something. "Coast is clear" he whispered as he pulled away.
"Sorry about that, we can go somewhere private" he spoke as they walked out of the alley. Luckily, the streets were somewhat empty. Ava remained in her spot as if she didn't want to move and hoped he'd disappear. His persistence was getting annoying and she knew that eventually, she would give into him. "Ava-" Jordan called out as he took small strides towards her. Her angelic-like eyes brought him to his knees. She seemed like a lost kitten in the rain and Jordan wanted to bring her home.
Ava felt vulnerable as he approached her. The dull clouds in the sky seemed to have opened and large droplets of water poured. "Let's go back to the car" Jordan suggested as he pulled off his jacket and tried putting over her shoulders. But Ava shied away, feeling a storm coming in. Not the one that was held above their heads, but the one that would follow if she continued his game or whatever this was. The water droplets seemed to fall faster as Jordan tried to convince her to come with him. "We're going to get sick out here. C'mon" he urged gently. "I'll take you home if you want" he added. She eventually obliged and walked towards him. Ava shivered, walking in silence trying to gather her thoughts. There was too much going on inside of her. She would jolt upon feeling his hand guiding the small of her back as they made their way to the parking lot.
Sometimes, she hated herself for trusting him. Ava felt like a hypocrite for saying one thing and making a complete joke out of it when her actions didn't match. Even after the pain, humiliation and the circumstances, Ava still had a soft spot for Jordan. Upon seeing his eyes again, she felt like she had found something she had been missing all the previous years. Upon feeling his skin, she knew hers recognized it. Upon feeling his lips, she knew her walls were weakened. She didn't want to imagine what would happen to her if they made love. The thought scared her beyond belief.
♡
When they finally reached his car parked a few blocks away, their clothes were already damp. Jordan opened the passenger's side and then closed it after. He then got into the driver's seat and locked the doors. The rain had worsened and all they could hear were hard droplets hitting the rooftop of his car. Jordan placed the keys into the ignition and started the car. "No, wait-" Ava said as he was about to pull out of the parking spot. "What?-" He questioned. "Isn't it too dangerous to drive?" she asked. "Yeah, but you want to go home don't you?". "Yeah, but I want to get there alive" she answered. "We're going to be stuck here for a while-" Jordan told her as he turned off the car. "It's fine" she assured.
Silence invaded the internal space of the car as the sound of heavy rain filled their ears. Ava's phone was only about 49% and she still had to text Gracie about something. She decided to turn it off for now and placed it back inside her bag. She refused to share any kind of eye contact with him. But Jordan didn't want to spend the next hour or so not speaking. "We should at least go somewhere to stay and wait for the rain to die down". "No, thanks-, I don't want to have more pictures of me and you floating around in the media" she spoke half bitterly. "We can't stay in this car all night" he argued. "I can" she assured in a stubborn manner. "Yeah but if you need to use the bathroom, I'm pretty sure you won't do well with crouching down in front of those bushes over there" he joked and she gasped. "Look-, there's a hotel nearby and inside that hotel, there's a restaurant, I can get us a private table" he explained. "A hotel?-" she repeated, "a hotel has a lot of people". "Just trust me-, I know Boston like the back of my hand" Jordan assured.
♡
"Private table please" Jordan requested to the host as they waited to be seated. "Certainly-, right this way-" said the older gentleman in semi-elegant clothing. They received a few glances from the people already seated. Ava swallowed a few lumps in her throat from now nerve-wracking this felt. She knew she shouldn't be here but accepted the circumstances that led to this. The host sat them at a small booth seated at the end of the room where the windows have tinted a shade of black. "Can I start you guys off with any champagne, Whiskey or anything?" The host asked. " No alcohol for me thanks-"Jordan answered proudly. "Me neither" Ava added and he looked at her. "Just 2 cokes with light ice please-" Jordan said and she agreed. "Gotcha-, be right back" responded the older man as he walked away.
"You don't drink either?" Jordan initiated conversation. "No-, I never drank" Ava admitted.
"Liar-" Jordan teased and she gave him a weird look. "What do you mean?". "You did drink-"he said. "When?" Ava asked as she shook her head. "The night of your 21st birthday" he recalled.
*Flashback*
"Happy birthday baby" Jordan spoke in a gentle voice. "Thanks, Jordan," Ava said before softly clinking her flute against his. Bringing the glass back to her mouth, she took a small sip. Her eyes closed for a moment to savor this new sweet yet fizzy delight. "Oh my gosh, the bubbles tickle my nose" she pointed out and chuckled.
*Flashback over*
"It was a mere sip of champagne that you ordered-" she said and chuckled. "It was only the beginning of an unforgettable night" she muttered to herself. "Yeah" Jordan agreed.
Their conversation was cut short by the host bringing their drinks. "Here you go-" he said as he placed them on the table. "Thank you-" Jordan and Ava said in unison. "You're welcome-, One of our waiters will be with you shortly to take your orders" he responded and smiled.
The waiter arrived within a few minutes and took down their orders. He informed that their food might take 20 minutes to half an hour. Ava sighed as she took a sip of her coke. Jordan admired her soft complexion and her semi-damp curls. Her company pacified him and vice versa. Ava didn't seem to want to talk. She seemed lost in her own world occupied by her thoughts. He almost felt guilty, but deep down inside he was thankful for the rain trapping them here. His mind was restless from thinking about her so much. Ava bit her lower lip as her eyebrows furrowed, most likely from deep thought. Jordan found this extremely adorable and just wanted to lean over the table and kiss her forehead. The waiter came back with their food all too soon. Not allowing Jordan to initiate a simple conversation with her.
Ava made sure to take her time eating. She didn't eat much but ate enough to keep Jordan from questioning her well being. "Do you want any dessert?" he asked as she placed her fork down. "No-, thank you" she responded politely. " I want to go home-" she added in a monotone voice. "As much as I appreciate this-, we can't just simply hang out even as friends". "But you suggested that we'd be friends" Jordan recalled his eyes never leaving her own. "I know- but I'm sure your wife wouldn't like this". Jordan's lips formed into a tight line. "I'm allowed to have friends, she's allowed to have friends". "But am I really just a friend Jordan?" Ava scoffed crossing her arms over her chest. "You're someone special-, let's leave it at that-" he said, letting out a defeated sigh. Jordan stayed silent as he pulled out his card and placed it into the black book that contained the check. "What are you doing?" Ava questioned as he called over the waiter to collect the check. "I'm paying" he simply answered. "No, let me pay my food" Ava demanded in a stubborn manner. "You're with me-, I'm paying" Jordan responded calmly. "Relax, okay?-" he said as he playfully touched her leg under the table making her gasp. He smiled that smile that brought her to her knees.
'He still has that boyish charm' she thought to herself.
A few moments later, the waiter came back with his card and receipt. The lights of the place were dimmed. A slight golden glow illuminated the entire eatery. Music began to softly play in the background. A familiar melody echoed around the room. Ava hated the fact that she remembered exactly what the song was. She noticed Jordan close his eyes as if he was enjoying it. He began to mouth the words and smiled to himself.
'My love, I'll never find the words, my love
To tell you how I feel, my love'
The world was definitely not in her favor.
Ava excused herself to the bathroom immediately. Jordan opened his eyes to see her go.
♡
Taking slow and steady breaths, she knew that she needed to remain calm. This man was going to be the death of her. Everything seemed almost too deja vu. 'What else could this night bring?' she wondered. All she wanted to do was go home and crawl into her warm bed. Fall into a deep sleep where she could reminisce her youth alongside him. Before everything fell into shambles. Ava knew that Jordan had to catch a flight the next day. His wife must've been waiting for him at home. This night had to end early. That's all she hoped for.
♡
When she returned to the table, Jordan was on his phone. He immediately locked it when he felt the presence of another person approaching. "I think the rain is calm now-, let's go" Jordan suggested as he stood up and pushed in his chair. "Okay-" Ava agreed and forced a smile. He placed a gentle hand on the small of her back. She tensed under his touch, noticing an elderly couple admiring them. They smiled adoringly at the two. "You two are quite the pair" complimented the elderly woman. Jordan beamed a proud smile. "Sweetie, you're a doll" she added and Ava blushed. "Umm, thank you" she answered politely. " Take care now-" the older man said as they walked past them. "She's not wrong ya know?" Jordan whispered loud enough for her to hear. "Quit it-" Ava responded almost out of breath as she walked faster.
Jordan sucked in a breath admiring the view in front of him. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his name being chanted somewhere from a distance. 'What is that?-' he wondered as he continued to walk. Ava stopped for a moment to see if he was following her. "Why are you slowing down?" she asked as he stood still. They were almost close to the main entrance. Jordan quickly beckoned her over to him. "What happened?" she asked as she obliged. "Stay here-" he said as hid behind a wall and peered over.
"Uh-oh".
We have finally reached one of my most favorite parts of the story. The next few chapters are ones that I've been keeping to myself for so long. ♥︎ I can't wait for you guys to read it.
Thanks for reading!