Tempting /A Jordan Knight fanfic ✔️

Chapter 14: I Smell Like Cherries

That night's shower was one of the best I could remember having in a long time.

Coming out of my bedroom for my nightly glass of water before bed, I felt all clean and satisfied and comfy wrapped in my cotton pajamas and fuzzy socks. Although I said goodbye to Gabe tonight and learned Mel was leaving at the end of the week, I still managed to feel good.

There really wasn't anything a great shower couldn't cure.

Then, I spotted Jordan moping on the couch and all of those good feelings melted away with my smile.

I really should start keeping water bottles in my room.

"Oh. Sorry."

My footing reversed back towards my bedroom to make a quick escape.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to go."

I stopped my traveling feet as I saw the sadness in his stare and the bags under his eyes that matched the color of the drink in his hand.

I knew he wasn't, but I asked anyway because it was the polite thing to do. "Are you okay?"

His eyes left mine as the last word tipped from my tongue, and I knew from that slight gesture that I was right. He wasn't okay. I could never look anyone in the eyes when they asked me if I was okay if I was the exact opposite. Lying was easier when you didn't have to look at anybody to do it.

"I assume you heard?"

"I did. I'm sorry."

Jordan creased his forehead as his eyes swept back up to me. "Why are you sorry?"

I froze. My tongue locked up as did my brain, the two refusing to communicate with each other to spit out a logical answer. Why was I sorry? Why did I say that?

"Um, just-just because I know fights are hard."

"Yeah." Jordan paused, his expression turning thoughtful. "But what's that saying? Fighting with your partner proves that you care?"

I gave a tiny shrug. "I never really believed that."

"No?"

"No. I think showing that you care proves that you care."

A line of worry snagged through Jordan's stare, and I realized that's not what he wanted to hear right now. "And Mel, she does care," I added. "She's always showed it in odd ways, but she does. I can tell."

He gave a humorless chuckle that knocked against my bones and took a sip from his glass, his stare far off and frenzied. My heart went out to him. It really did. Mel wasn't an easy person to know or to love, but she was worth it all.

Walking a little closer to him, I caught his eye.

"Mel's never been a big gesture kind of person or even a small gesture kind of person. She shows that she cares by being there, by showing up when it counts and standing by your side no matter what. By opening her home to her sister indefinitely without a second thought."

Jordan nodded, thumbing his bottom lip in thought. "Yeah. You're right. All of that's true. Except if work is involved."

I took in a breath to respond when my mind drew a big fat blank. Falling into a quiet laugh, I replied, "You might have me there."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. In the weeks I'd known Jordan, I'd come to know him as a self-assured, tenacious, silly man. Tonight, between what I'd heard from the fight and the defeated look in his eyes I saw now, I felt like I was meeting a different man entirely. One that was shaken and lashed with flaws like the rest of us.