♡
The next couple of weeks for Jordan were rather gloomy and stressful. With the new tour coming up and promo stuff going on, he was overwhelmed with everything. He was working but also thinking about his marriage, his kids and Ava. Oftentimes he wanted to be alone and asked to be every time they had breaks or free time. Joey had a general idea of where the problems stemmed from but never confronted him about it. "You alright man?" Joey asked as they sat inside a lounge of a building they had a meeting in. "Yeah, I'm just thinking about tour" Jordan responded and shrugged. "Just tour ?" Joey repeated and pursed his lips. "Yeah Joe, just tour " Jordan answered feeling annoyed. "But you love to tour, you love seeing the fans, what's really got you so upset J?". "I appreciate your interest in my problems but I really don't want to talk about them "Jordan said and stood up but patted his knee before walking away. Joey eyed him suspiciously and shook his head. "Shouldn't have put yourself in a situation to lose her in the first place J ," he told himself.
♡
Ava was a mess herself. She started to guard her emotions even though Leo had shown strong interest in her. "Ava" the voice pulled her out of a trance as she faced the man who demanded her heart. "Huh?" she responded and cleared her throat. "Where did you go just now?" Leo asked as he caressed her face and smiled adoringly. 'With Jordan' she answered in her head. "Nothing, I'm just a little worn out from today" she replied while faking a smile. "Care to stay over? We can make hot chocolate and I can go into town to get us some dinner?" he offered and kissed her forehead. Ava swallowed hard and nodded without saying a word. "Be right back darling" he murmured against her cheek as he kissed her goodbye. The pet name left a bad taste in her mouth but she nodded and smiled. When he shut the door, she let out a loud sob and covered her mouth to stifle it. No matter where or who she was with, Jordan was invading her heart. 'Screw the day you came back into my life' she thought to herself and bit her lip hard. 'Fuck the day you asked me to be yours' she added. The sound of her phone ringing scared the living shit out of her. "Hello?!" she answered it, her tone lethal and irritated. "Well, hello to you sweetheart"responded the person on the other end. "What do you want?" Ava said recognizing the voice. "Just wanted to see how you were, and to tell you that we're leaving on tour in a few days or less". "And I care why?" she responded and rolled her eyes. "Oh boy, you're hurtin' aren't ya?" he interrupted. "Joey, I'm fine, I don't care" Ava insisted, feeling frustrated. "If it makes you feel any better, he's hurtin' too, like a lot-" . "If you only called me to update me on somebody's life that I don't give a shit about, you just might've called the wrong number". "One of you needs to swallow your pride before it's too late, I only want you two to be happy". Ava sighed, "I appreciate it Joey but I don't see myself fighting for somebody who isn't mine". "Time will tell" Joey responded and let out a sigh himself. "I love you okay? Don't forget to call me tomorrow. Take care of yourself Ava, be gentle with your heart" .
The line went dead.
Ava locked her phone and placed it in her bag. Her mind wandered back to that last time she saw Jordan. How he was kissing her and confessing his feelings, the way he held her close to him. It was all beginning to cloud her mind as it had been for the past few weeks. The only thing that helped was that she was leaving on a work trip with Leo soon and that meant that her focus would be away from Jordan. 'He doesn't deserve me' Ava told herself and shook her head.
She occupied herself by reviewing some of the paperwork that Leo had given her at the beginning of the week. After about half an hour, the sound of a key unlocking the door rang in her ears. It was Leo, holding a tray of drinks and a large paper bag. "I thought you were tired, figured you might've taken a nap before I returned " he spoke as he closed the door behind him. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to get a head start" she answered and forced a smile. "Aw, well maybe after you eat , you can take a nap and " he suggested, she nodded in agreement.
"So what did you bring ?" Ava asked as she stood from the couch and walked over to him. She looked at the bag closely and gasped to herself. It was from the same fast food burger place that her and Jordan liked when they were dating. Before Leo responded, she grabbed one of the drinks and popped in a plastic straw and took a small sip. "You know what, I'm just going to take a nap and then eat, if that's alright with you" she told him. "Yeah of course, you know where the guest room is, actually, let me go get you a few more blankets and I'll call you when the room is ready" Leo responded and disappeared into the other room. She let out a sigh of relief and bit her lip.
She heard her phone vibrate and went to check if it was Gracie. Pulling out of her bag, Ava saw a message from the man she had been trying to get out of her head for the past few weeks.
Jordan: I miss you. Please let me see you, we need to talk.
She scoffed and decided to turn off her phone. At that moment, she heard Leo calling her from the guest room and immediately followed the voice. "There you are" he said as she walked into the room. He has turned off the lights, all but leaving a small candle on the bedside table. "I hope you get a good rest, I'll still be up by the time you wake up" he told her as she took off her shoes and crawled under the covers. "Thank you Leo" Ava said, feeling very appreciative for him. "Anytime darling" he said and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Ava closed her eyes as his lips pressed to her temple and felt a twinge of guilt as he pulled away. When he closed the door, silence filled the room. She pressed her face against the cold soft pillow all while closing her eyes and attempting to fall into slumber.
♡
The next day, Ava refused to stay any longer to have breakfast and instead, drove herself home. She had to pack within the next few days because her flight to Los Angeles was on Thursday of that week. As she pulled into her street, from her peripheral vision, she sensed a figure standing near her house but didn't really care to see who it was. After pulling into the driveway to park, she got out of the car and locked it before making her way towards the front door. "Yo!" announced a familiar voice from a distance. Almost immediately, she turned around to see who it was and she rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here Jordan?" she bitterly questioned the man who was tormenting her dreams the night before. He looked so "I wanted to make sure you were ok" he answered as his eyes softened.
'God she was so beautiful in the morning '
"I am, can't you see?" she responded and shrugged her shoulders. It took Jordan a few minutes to realize that she was carrying a small black gym bag with clothes in her hand. "You didn't sleep here last night?" he questioned while staring at the bag. Ava smirked, pondering what answer she should give him. "What's it to ya?" she said and chuckled to herself. Jordan didn't feel like playing games so early in the morning, especially when he wanted to know who's place Ava had stayed over the night before. His jaw clenched at the thought of her staying with that one guy who's been trying to get into her pants for a while now. "C'mon I'm not playing games, where did you spend the night" he demanded, his eyes growing darker. "I'm not your wife, don't ask me for explanations that don't concern you " she responded and crossed her arms over her chest. "You know they always concern me" he answered softly, waiting for her eyes to meet his. " I have to go inside," Ava responded before pausing for a moment. She bit her lip and sighed, "Do you want to come in?". The words left her mouth before she even knew it. Ava had no clue why she said that but part of her wanted to be with him and bask in his company. When he didn't respond, she murmured a "forget it" and turned on her heel to walk towards her porch. "You really want me to come in?" he asks as he approaches her. "No-, just- just forget it, go home please" she answered while shaking her head. Jordan sort of had an understanding of why she was being like this but he had to spend time with her before the tour started. "Ava" he called out and waited for her to turn around. When she felt a gentle tug on her arm, she gasped because for some reason, his touch always did something to her.
Before he could say anything, his phone started ringing. He groaned and tried to shut it off but made a mistake by answering it and putting it on speaker in the process. The voice of a woman, Ava assumed was his spouse filled their ears. "Just go please" Ava said as tears began to well in her eyes.
"Damn it" Jordan cursed to himself as he watched her bolt through the front door and close it.
Behind the door, Ava was on the edge of sobbing. It was just a stupid cycle, of him trying to get close and her trying to push away. She debated opening the door but instead forced herself to walk up the stairs and into her room to take a nap. She needed to sleep before she changed her mind and invited him inside.
Feeling defeated, Jordan walked back to his car with a heavy heart. How on earth was he going to do this? How was he going to prove to Ava that he's all in for her?
♡
Ava woke up a few hours later, it was now 12:20 pm and she decided to take a shower. Once dressed, she made herself coffee and ate a piece of coffee cake to go along with it. She retrieved 1 large olive green suitcase from one the storage room to start her packing.
In the midst of her choosing her clothes, she heard a faint knock at the door. "What the?" she said to herself and then went to see who it was. Peering through the peephole, she smiled and unlocked the door to open it. It was Joey, carrying a tray of coffee and what looked like some desserts. "Hey you!" He greeted with a huge grin. "Hi Joey, oh my gosh I missed you'' Ava answered as she ushered him inside. "Missed you too! Thought you might've wanted coffee " he responded as he placed the tray down in one of the tables nearby. " I just had some but you know I could always go for more" she said and smiled. Ava was delighted that he was here, she missed him so very dearly. "How have you been doll?" He asked her as they got themselves situated in one of her couches. She let out a shaky breath and forced out a smile. "Not well huh?" he continued as he watched her with careful eyes. "I don't know" she spoke " I really don't know Joey". "Does this have something to do with J?" He asked. " No of course not" she lied and bit her lip. Not wanting to tell him that Jordan was on her front porch a few hours earlier. "That's a load of bull and you know that'' he responded almost immediately. "You tell me, does it even matter ? I'm still being stupid as per usual, I mean after what he did to me- I thought I was done with him" she admitted and shook her head. "
This conversation felt like deja vu.
" Ava, it's not 1992 now, we're adults not kids anymore" Joey reassured. Ava nodded in agreement but then spoke again. "It's not that Joey, I know the past is the past and everything that's there, stays there". Joey offered a small smile of comfort. " That's great that you understand, so what's holding you back?" He asked. "You love him don't you?" He added. Her silence said it all. "He's married now " she began and he sighed. "And god, I'm so grateful he is" she added and his eyes widened. "Wait a minute, you're telling me that you're glad he's married?!" He repeated in disbelief. " it's what's holding me back". Tears began to form in her eyes. "If it wasn't for that, I would've probably fallen for him again and worse " she admitted. "I would've probably given my everything to him again" she continued. Joey's gaze turned soft. "I would've let him make love to me already". " Have you guys gotten that opportunity before?" . She nodded in silence. " so many, too many Joey". He smiled , encouraging her to go on. "They always seemed to be planned out perfectly, the setting, the emotions- but not in my head". "But-" he urged her to continue. " I couldn't do it, I wouldn't let it happen , no matter how much I wanted it , needed it, it's that fact that holds me back". "He loves you Ava, I know Jordan, since we were kids" Joey spoke. "I tell ya, The kid back then was in love with you"- The man doesn't even wear his own wedding ring for god sakes". "That doesn't matter , some men don't like wearing rings, some don't even like wearing their wedding rings , that's their choice. A silver, gold on black band on a finger doesn't define love" she argued. Joey could tell that she was about to collapse in tears. He pulled her into his arms and held her.
"Everything will fall into place Ava, you'll see" he whispered softly and kissed the top of her head. "
"Joey, I feel bad, I don't want you to feel like you have to check in on me, you have your own life I-" she was cut off. "Ava, I'm not here because I feel like I have to be, I'm here because I want to be here, I want you to be happy".
"Thanks Joey, I love you. But I think that my story with Jordan is over, he made his pick already" she responded as they pulled away.
"Have you forgotten that you had a ring too?" He recalled referring to the promise ring Jordan gave her. "Yeah, a ring that I threw at him for being a jerk" she scoffed. "Okay okay- that was a bad thing to bring up" he said as he held her tighter. "Enough of Jordan, let's talk about anything you want, maybe watch a movie or how about a nice walk " he began to suggest a list of things they could do.
"Actually, I have to pack first" she responded and pulled away slowly. " Pack? You're going on a vacation or visiting some folks back home?" He questioned as his eyebrows furrowed. "No, it's just a business trip for work" she explained and shrugged. "Oh , how long will you be gone?" He continued. "Just about a week or two" she answered. "When do you leave?" Joey asked. " This Thursday ". "We leave for tour on Friday" Joey commented. "Tour? Already?" She questioned as she cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, well no- it's promo stuff , the last bit of it" Joey clarified and smiled. "You better call me, you know I need you, and you're the only person besides my daughter who can make my shit days better" Ava told him and smiled as Joey took her hand and kissed it.
"It's a promise, just like the old days huh?"
Ava was so thankful she still had Joey to help her heal the internal wounds that Jordan inflicted.
This chapter is shorter than I wanted it to be but hey, it's better than not updating anything. The next ones are gonna be SO good. College has been consuming my life and my mental health has been struggling. But writing is still something that helps me express myself and disappear from reality for a while. Next week, I have spring break which means that I could possibly update a few chapters ! c,:
I wonder what's in store for Jordan and Ava.
Your feedback always means the world to me ♥︎ Thanks a bunches for reading lovelies.