-Blake-
"Can I ask you something?" I spoke slowly.
Jordan looked at me shortly and continued painting. "Depends..."
"Just that... Why didn't you call the cops the second you spotted me here?" I asked.
Jordan looked down at his palette. At first, I thought he wasn't going to answer, but then he peeked at me again. "I should have, right?" he chuckled. "Any normal person would have."
He continued painting, and it seemed like he wasn't going to continue.
"But why?" I asked. "It's been bugging me."
He shrugged. "Is it weird if I say that I had the feeling I shouldn't? It took me a while to even understand what I was seeing... A man, in my balcony, on the third floor, where it should be impossible to climb to... I thought I had lost my mind or I was being pranked or something."
"I get that," I laughed lightly. "It must've been extremely weird."
"Extremely doesn't even cut it," Jordan smiled. "But why I didn't call the cops... You know I'm afraid of people, and when I saw you... I didn't panic. You are the first person I could look at without getting too overwhelmed. I didn't care about the rest of it. You could've been a murderer and I didn't really care."
"That's... that's actually making me uneasy," I told him truthfully.
"I wanted you to come back. I... I had this weird feeling you would come back. I can't really explain it," he said with a frown. "Why did you come back? That wasn't too smart."
"When I realized you didn't call the cops, I had to come back," I smirked. "I was dying to know why you didn't do that."
"Well, there you have it. I was so desperate for..." he trailed off, and a moment later, he added with a quieter tone, "...change."
"Fair enough," I said. "Maybe it was fate, then."
"I don't know if I believe in fate."
"How else can you explain this?" I chuckled.
He stared at me for a tiny moment, before he looked away with a small smile on his lips. I looked at the door he had left open for me, wondering what had made him trust me so much. Was it really desperation?
"So. We've known each other for a few weeks now," I spoke, looking at him again. "Do you have any regrets?"
"No," he said shortly.
"Good," I said.
"Do you have regrets?" he asked with a careful voice.
"No," I smiled.
The only regret I had was the fact I had to leave him for a couple of weeks. Neither of us had talked about it, even though it was already four days ago when I told him about it. He was tiptoeing around the subject so perfectly I didn't have the heart to bring it up. I knew I had to bring it up, if not today, tomorrow.
Tomorrow sounds better... I decided. I didn't want to ruin this peaceful night.
"Are you hungry?" Jordan asked as he started putting his paints away.
I snapped out of my thoughts and checked the time. It was almost eight already. "I have enough food. I'm not letting you spend a dime on me anymore. You guys have it rough enough as it is," I told him. He looked like he was about to object, so I stopped him right there. "Please. I mean it."
He stared at me as long as his nerves let him, before letting out a sigh and turning away. "Fine, fine... Are you still staying, or...?"
"Of course," I said.
Jordan went to get something to eat, and I sat down on one of the chairs, turning to admire the view. It was spectacular, to say the least. For a second, maybe two, I felt almost anxious. I had stayed in this neighborhood for what, four weeks now? That was a long time for me. I wasn't used to this, but I still had no regrets.
I turned to look inside, hoping to see Jordan, but he was still in his kitchen. I was about to ask what he was going to eat when I heard a silent creak somewhere close by. My heart skipped a beat and I froze still. It sounded like someone had opened a door or a window somewhere below me! Thank God they did so before I opened my mouth! I had completely forgotten to be careful not to be heard or seen. I couldn't believe it!
I listened to the sounds around me, but I couldn't hear any footsteps or anything else out of the ordinary. I could only hear Jordan. A part of me expected someone to come to his door and ask what was going on. Oh, I was a fool for letting my guard down. Thankfully, nothing bad happened, and I started to relax. Maybe I had imagined the noise. Maybe it was just a tree whining in the light wind. Nonetheless, I had to make sure I kept my voice down from now on.
I waited until Jordan finished eating, but we didn't have much time to chat before his mother called him. I listened quietly while Jordan told her about his day – not mentioning me of course – just enjoying the fact I had something so amazing to look at. I had never felt anything like that about another person before. It was almost weird how hard I fell for him the second I saw him.
Once Jordan hung up, we only had a couple of minutes left before he had to start reading something, so it was about time I left.
"So. I'll see you tomorrow," I said quietly when he came closer to the wall.
He had a sad look on his face when he peered at me. "I hope so," he said softly.
"I will come back," I said reassuringly. "I'm not in a hurry to leave just yet."
"But you are leaving," he said, and I could tell by the sound of his voice he had hoped I had forgotten my plan.
"It's just for a week or two," I said, stepping closer to the wall.
"...okay."
"Jordan..." I sighed. "I'm doing it, so I can spend the winter here."
He didn't reply at first. He turned to look at his clock and took his time before he looked at me again. "I don't want to talk about it now," he said shortly.
"Okay."
"Just... promise me you'll come tomorrow," he said, sounding almost desperate.
"Of course I will come," I said, hoping that this time he believed me. Maybe he did since he nodded and gave me a small smile.
"Good," he muttered and checked the time again. "I need to..."
"Sure," I nodded, returning his smile. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
With a heavy heart, I turned my back on him and walked to the railing. I climbed over it and used the rope to get down on the roof below, placing my feet carefully on the tiles. I looked around to make sure the windows were closed and started sneaking past them, peering through each and every one of them to make sure the coast was clear. The noise I heard was still haunting me, but there was no one around. The house seemed almost empty. According to Jordan, Mr. Simmons and Joyce were still at work and Jamie was at a friend's house for the night. I only had to worry about Mrs. Simmons, but she was nowhere to be seen.
I made my way down, and sneaked towards the forest, thinking how lucky I had actually been since I still hadn't gotten caught. Two weeks. That was a lot of windows I had passed by, and a lot of tiles I had scraped with my boots. Not to mention the times I didn't have the rope to help me stay quiet.
When I entered the forest, I turned to look back at the house. At that moment, I knew I would get caught. There was no other option. I would make a mistake. I would make too loud noises. I would be seen. A neighbor would spot me, or someone would step into one of the rooms I was just passing by. It was just a matter of time.
I felt sad, but I still had a smile on my lips. That wasn't going to stop me from coming to see Jordan every single night. The only thing I dreaded was that once I was caught, I wouldn't be able to see him anymore.
-Julia-
"Okay, honey, sleep well!" I told Jordan before he hung up. "Let's see now," I muttered to myself, and turned the lights off in my study, before exiting the room. I walked downstairs, and to the door that led in our backyard, pulling a jacket on me on my way.
Then, as quietly as I could, I opened the door and stepped out. It was dark, but thankfully, it wasn't raining. I was as careful as a human possibly could, when I stepped behind a tall bush, trying to blend in with the shadows.
And, just as I had assumed, I saw movement up on the roof of our patio. I didn't see him completely since I was too close to the house, so the edge was hiding him well, but I could tell it was him.
What on earth are you doing with my son, Mr. Smith...?
I had so many questions I couldn't even keep up with them. How, why, when, where?
How did he get up on the balcony without anyone noticing him? How did he know where to find Jordan? How did they even meet? Why was he visiting my son behind my back? Why wasn't Jordan telling me about him? Why was he sneaking around our house? When did it all start, and where did the two of them meet?
I was just a big old question mark. I needed answers, but I didn't know if I should confront Jordan about him just yet. I had kept an eye on them the best I could – which honestly wasn't much – and yet, nothing made sense. Especially the fact that Jordan was talking with him. The couple of times I had sneaked to take a look through the hatch on his door, he seemed to be enjoying the conversation he had with that mysterious man.
Mr. Smith climbed down from the roof and sneaked towards the forest. I hesitated for a moment before I stepped out of my hiding place. I hesitated for a lot longer, before I decided to follow him. My curiosity was killing me. I was hoping Jordan would've told me about him, but days had already passed, and he still acted like he wasn't having a guest every evening without anyone knowing. In my house. It was about time I got some answers.
I carefully headed to the place I had seen the young man disappear. Once I reached it, I looked around for a moment, before I started climbing. I couldn't move fast in the darkness, and my hands and clothes were getting dirty really fast when I crawled upwards on the hill. I didn't have the stamina for climbing, but thankfully, it was over soon enough. I stopped behind some bushes and saw a hint of light up ahead. I frowned, and made my way closer, trying to be as silent as I could.
Is he... camping?
I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I was close enough to the source of the light. There was a tent, illuminated by a small lantern, and Mr. Smith was sitting right next to it, eating some bread. I wanted to go closer, but I had some sense of self-preservation, so I decided to stay in my hideout. I watched him for a while, before he turned off the lantern, and went into his tent. I waited for a while longer, but he didn't come out again.
Why was he camping there? What was going on? I had now more questions than before and not a single answer. The whole thing was so remarkably weird I had no idea what to think. I had to ask Jordan about this. Tomorrow. No matter how wonderful it was that Jordan had opened up to someone, I couldn't just turn a blind eye to the fact there was a stranger seeing my son. Whatever their relationship may be. Jordan wasn't well, so I had to make sure Mr. Smith wasn't taking advantage of it.
So far, he hadn't done anything wrong while I had kept an eye on them. They just talked, and Mr. Smith seemed to respect Jordan's rules and boundaries. Sometimes they spent long periods of time without exchanging a word. I didn't want to believe the man was evil, but I had to be absolutely sure about it.
I stood up and turned around. I found my way back down to our house without any incidents, and when I stepped inside, I had already decided to confront Jordan the next day. I couldn't postpone it any longer.
*****
Ever since I learned about Mr. Smith, I hadn't gotten much sleep. The worst part was that I didn't know if I was doing the right thing by letting the situation continue. If I just knew how it all started, and why Jordan felt the need to hide it from me, maybe then I could find some peace.
Or then I would be jailed for murder. No one hurts my children without consequences. But since Jordan seemed happier when Mr. Smith was around, and I trusted his judgment, I didn't want to believe that there was something bad going on. I only wanted to know what was going on.
I knew my husband would've freaked out and chased Mr. Smith away with a gun if I told him, so I had kept it as a secret. He didn't need to know, not yet anyway. I had kept an eye on my daughters as well, but neither of them seemed to know about Mr. Smith either. They weren't that good at acting, so I would've noticed if they knew.
I was going to confront Jordan in the morning when I would call him, but then I figured I should do it in the evening. Jordan could get anxious about it and ruin his day because of it, and I didn't want that. I hated his obsession about time just as much as he did, but what kind of a mother would I be, if I pushed him out of balance just because I wanted answers. He was getting better already, so I didn't want to ruin his progress.
Waiting for the evening was agonizing, and I had a hard time focusing on my work. The time went by slowly, and all I could think of were the questions I had for Jordan. I had so many of them I didn't even know where to start.
I had to push those thoughts aside when I sat down behind my desk after having a quick lunch. I had to make three phone calls, one of which I didn't enjoy at all.
"Hi, this is Julia Simmons calling," I spoke, when someone picked up at the other end. "I would like to –"
"Oh, it's you again..." the lady at the other end sighed. "Let me guess, you need more time?"
It was so embarrassing to beg for more time to pay a bill that was only three hundred dollars. I didn't have even that in my bank account, and since my husband used the last he had on our utility bill, we couldn't pay for electricity. The original bill was five hundred and forty dollars, but I had managed to pay part of it already.
"Please, I only need six days. Then I can pay it," I pleaded.
"Look, as much as I want to help you, I can't. This is the third time you've asked for more time for this bill alone!"
"Please – just a couple of more days!"
"No, ma'am. You were supposed to pay it four days ago. The new bill is due next week, so I can't give you any more time. You have until tomorrow to pay," she spoke with an uninterested voice.
They were coming to cut off our electricity, and she didn't even care.
"I'm begging you," I said, and tried to explain her the situation, but she didn't listen.
"Mom?" I saw Joyce at my door.
"Give me a second, honey," I told her hastily and turned my attention back to the uncaring lady. "We can't lose our electricity! My son isn't well, and –"
"Mom, hang up," Joyce said and walked to my desk.
"Joy, please –"
Joy sighed and hit the end button of my desk phone.
"Joy!"
"I'll pay it," she said and took the bill from my desk. "This one, right?"
"You'll do no such thing!" I gasped and got up on my feet, trying to take it back, but she stepped away from me.
"Call them back and tell them it's been taken care of," Joy said and marched out of my study without looking back.
I could only stare at her. What kind of a mother...?
I sat back down, stared at the phone for a moment, biting my teeth together. The relief and self-hate washed over me, and I had to take a moment to keep myself from bursting to tears. I was stronger than that. I was a failure as a mother and a company owner, but I would not cry. I didn't have time for that.
I turned to look after Joy, but she was long gone now. That girl had a heart of gold, they all had. I hated myself for letting her pay it, but I would pay her back the moment I had enough to do so.
I called the company again and told them they would have their money before I hung up and went to find Joy. She was in her room, getting ready for work.
"Thank you, darling," I said quietly. "You'll get your money back next week."
"You don't need to pay me back," she said. "This is my home too, I want to pay for my share."
"I'd be damned if I let you do that! It is enough that you do your chores around the house!" I objected.
"Denise is doing the house-keeping," Joy chuckled. "There's not many chores for me to do. Besides, wasn't this the plan? I take a year off from school to work and help out with the bills and stuff."
"The plan was for you to save up for college, not pay our bills," I told her and sat down on the edge of her bed.
"I can spare a couple of hundred now and then," she smiled and sat down next to me. "Don't worry about it. If we lose power, I can't watch TV or use my laptop, so I'm doing this for me as well."
"All right," I said, and hugged her. "I am paying it back though."
"Sure, sure," she said with a sigh. "But don't stress about it. I don't need it back right away."
"All right," I said and stood up. "I need to get back to work."
"I need to leave as well," she spoke, and together we exited her room.
"Have fun at work, sweetheart," I said and watched her walk down the stairs.
Once she was out of the house, I turned my gaze to the third floor. If only Jordan were in good enough condition, so we could sell the house... I shook that thought out of my head. He needed a lot more time, and I would fight until the very end so he could have that time and a home here with us. We just had to manage.
Somehow...