This Thing Called Life

IF-Part 24

Jordan's POV:

He hears calls of his name as he pushes through the crowd of people on his way out of the house. He knew better than anyone when something was going on with his sister. Could he have waited for a better time to call her out? Maybe so, but seeing her behavior these past few weeks was enough to cause concern.

Call it a twin sense or something, but the weeks leading up to the game, he'd known something wasn't right. She probably doesn't even realize it, but she has these tells that give her away every single time. They were easy to miss if you didn't know what to look for, but over the last few years he's learned to pay attention.

He blames Billy Baker for her feeling as if she had to suffer in silence. Going unseen no matter how much you begged for someone to notice tended to do that to a person.

The confirmation that she hadn't even told Spencer had been his last straw.

He could admit that he'd been skeptical of Spencer at first with how close they had gotten so fast. But, that all changed one fateful afternoon before Thanksgiving.

They had been stuck in their little bubble those first few weeks after that party at Darnell's house. So up until that point, he'd only caught small glimpses of their dynamic from time to time.

It wasn't until they all went out that his eyes were truly opened.

She'd had his undivided attention throughout the entire time. He seemed to know exactly what she needed before she could even open her mouth to say it.

Then, there were the small things, how he opened the door for her, or the way he wordlessly guided her away from the part of the sidewalk closest to the street as she rambled on about something. He had also caught him ordering extra food knowing she would end up stealing it from his plate.

It was then that he'd seen the look in his eyes. He'd thought no one else was paying attention, but he had caught it.

That look had been one he recognized all too well. It was the same way he looked at Simone right before he told her he loved her for the first time. She had teased him about it for days after.

Since then he's warmed up considerably towards him.

"You want to tell me what the hell that was?" Simone asks out of breath as she catches up to him

He stays quiet for a few minutes trying to put his thoughts together. He hadn't meant to blow up the way he did, but seeing Andre made the restlessness he's felt reach its tipping point.

"Something is going on with her Simone" he says finally looking over at her

"I know" she admits quietly while leaning her head against his shoulder

"She won't talk to me, to you, or even Spencer. This feels like last time all over again and I don't want it to reach the point of her completely shutting down. She's been doing so well, and I don't want to see her go back to that place"

"Jordan..."

"I should have finished it that night. If I had, she probably wouldn't be feeling like this and maybe...maybe she would have finally found some peace"

"What peace would any of us have known with you in jail? You and I both know that's exactly where you would have been had you finished what you started that night."

There's truth in what she's saying, but it's not what he wanted to hear right now.

"You don't get it" he shakes his head vehemently

"What am I not getting babe? She's still here with us!"

"Is she really? Because there's no way you can sit here and say that a part of her didn't die that night and every day after."