AMOUR

Chapter 12.

DENVER

"She fucking loves traveling. Not the touristy thing where you visit different countries and stuff. Well that too actually, but she loves the journey. From car rides to flights to trains and buses and what not. She loves to just look out of the window. If she's in the mood, she'll even sing along whatever plays on the radio. 

Oh and her love for skies. Be it the starry night sky or a colourful sunset or even just clouds, she loves all of it. 

And the way her eyes sparkle when she sees delicious food. It could be a $100 pastry or a $5 pizza, she'll love them both the same. 

And her smile, gosh. Its easy to make her happy you know. She'll laugh at your smallest joke and smile at whatever you say because she never wants the other person to feel bad. Even if laughing at poor jokes makes her look stupid." He pauses and frowns for a second before continuing.

"Under all these smiles, there's pain. She has done so much for people just wanting a little love and care in return but she didn't even get that. She just wants to be loved. She just wants to be good enough and she is good enough. Hell she is more than that. Way more. But she doesn't believe it. She has been hurt so much that she just won't get it that she is fucking perfect. In every damn way." He sighs as he looks at brown liquid circling in his glass.

I sigh and rub a hand over my face because honestly I have no fucking clue of what to say next. What he just said is true and pure and I cannot even be jealous right now about how much he knows Roya because all this just makes me think how good he is for her.

When I came to visit Roya today at her apartment to check on her after last night, I found Jordan sitting on the couch, drunk as fuck. He came to talk to her but she was at work and so he searched for alcohol and is now sitting in front of me, venting out whatever has him worked up.

"What's stopping you?" I find myself asking him the question that I always wanted to ask since I saw the look in his eyes.

"Huh?" He's not drunk anymore and he looks up at me in confusion. The glossy redness in his eyes almost gone.

"What's stopping you from making her yours? You lover her. I know you do. So what's stopping you?" I ask in genuine curiosity. Not my usual cocky tone but just me.

He furrows his brows and looks away like he's battling to decide if he can trust me or not. Then something turns in his mind as he looks back at me and says "I don't deserve her."

"She loves you." I don't know why I just said that but its true. She does love him.

He chuckles lightly, finishes the last of his whiskey, places the glass on the coffee table, looks at me, smiles and says, "She loves you too."

The moment he says this, I find myself smiling. Not because I never knew this, but because him agreeing to it makes my egoistic self happier.

"We need to take care of her. She forgets she needs love too in between caring for everyone else" he continues and I nod in agreement.

"So we'll have to act civil with each other?" I ask amused.

"We can try, I'm not sure we can do that for long" he replies returning my smirk with his.

We hear a door close and we both know that Its Roya entering her house. As she makes her way to us she smiles in amusement and confusion. I guess looking at two egoistic people sitting together comfortably is kind of amusing.

"Hello people-who-don't-live-in-this-house." She says in amusement.

 We chuckle and I open my arms to hug her still sitting and she returns it.

She then moves towards Jordan but as soon as she goes near him she sniffs him and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion looking at Jordan's expressions who looks mortified like a deer caught in the woods.

"You fucking smoked," she says.

Uh oh.

Jordan looks at me as if I have a solution to this and I just shrug at him.

He looks back at her in worry and regret.

"Ughh I can't believe this!" she groans and heads to her room.

Jordan runs a hand through his already disheveled hair and motions me to follow her.

Wait. Shouldn't he go talk to her? As if reading my thoughts he says "she won't talk to me for a solid day at least. Maybe longer if I piss her off even more. Go." He motions towards her room with his head.

I nod and head towards her room.

I knock and open the door after hearing a muffled 'go awayyy'

Roya is just lying on the bed with her head stuffed in the pillows, her espresso waves falling everywhere. I sit on one corner of the bed and pull her by her ankles only for her to glare at me when she sits up.

"WHAT?!" She asks in all her feistiness.

"Heyyy, don't be mad at me. I did nothing." I raise my hands in surrender.

She huffs and plops down on the bed again.

"Do you smoke?" She asks after a minute of silence.

"Umm yes and no?" I say trying to find the right words.

She looks at me and raises an eyebrow asking me to elaborate and I can't help but feel disappointed in myself right now.

"Used to. Now I just vape sometimes. Mostly at parties. Not a lot." I say in short sentences with hesitation clear as fuck in my voice.

"Goddd what is wrong with this generation." She rubs her hand on her face and then stops immediately.

"Fuck. My eyeliner!" She frowns and gets up to look in the mirror and I chuckle but shut up when her reflection glares at me. Oooof.

"C'mere" I motion for her to come closer and she stands in between my legs.

Fucking. Gorgeous.

"I won't smoke again. Anything. And neither will Jordan. I promise." I find myself saying.

Her eyes light up and I know its because she cares about everyone but I feel something in my veins and I smile thinking I made her eyes light up.

She squeezes me in a bear hug and I fall back on the bed. Both of us laughing at our foolishness and I can't help but stare at her. She stops laughing and looks at me. I move her hair out of her face and tuck them behind her ear and she smiles like this isn't affecting her. Like she doesn't notice how I want to kiss her so badly right now. But I know she does, I can feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest, her heavy breathing syncing with mine.

"Freshen up and come out. Talk to him, he regrets it you know. Plus there's McDonald's in the kitchen." I smirk at her and she squeals rushing to her washroom.

I chuckle and go out to see what Jordan's doing and see him sitting on the sofa where I left him with his eyes closed and furrowed brows.

"You're not smoking again. Anything." I say and sit down in my previous seat on the couch.

"About time." He says and nods.

And I look up at him in confusion because I honestly thought it would take more to convince him to leave smoking.

He realizes and smiles a little looking at Roya's bedroom door saying "I don't wanna disappoint her. Ever. She's more important than some cancer sticks."

I nod and sigh in relief. She definitely is important.