The Definition Of Love (Book 1) [Gxg]

Chapter 25

"Those eyes?"
"Fake."
Those two lines kept running in Jordan Moores' mind. Again and again. They didn't leave him alone. They tortured him as he slept and tried to indulge into the tranquility of rest. Nope. No tranquility there. When had his mind ever been at peace?  After 'the incident' of course.  Before, he'd been a happy man. Very happy. Carefree. He even used to wear a smirk, that everyone used to describe as everlasting. But it had vanished now. Blown away with the wind that had seemingly carried the ashes of his wife.

Grief built up on lies. Wasn't it usually happiness built up on lies? And didn't this fake happiness usually bring grief. If it worked like that shouldn't the realization that his grief was unneeded, bring him happiness?

This is how Jordan's mind worked. In unnecessary loops. Loops that just made him more confused and introverted. Well introverted towards everyone except Haley.

Haley!

At the thought of her, his eyes shot open. He'd hit her. Crap! Crap! Crap! He leapt out of the massage chair. He rushed to the closed door of her room. No knocking. Nothing. He was in too much of a hurry. He swung the door open. And when he entered he was ashamed that he'd forgotten his manners.

Linda and Haley were sitting next to each other, Haley's laptop on her lap and ice cream on Linda's. Linda's face was turned towards Haley's and they were gazing into each other's eyes.

'So much love,' he thought, 'Only if Haley realized.'

He shook his head to bring him out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat, looking down.

"Oh um... Mr. Moores..." Linda stammered.

"No no, no explanation needed, I've shipped you too since forever," Jordan brushed off.

"But how did you guess now? We could have just been..." Haley started.

"Looking into each other's eyes, one melting into the other? Holding hands? Breathing as one?"

"Umm yeah..."

Jordan laughed at her innocence.

"Sweetheart, I don't have the patience to argue about this matter right now. I need to talk to you, please."

He emphasized the please, and suddenly his eyes seemed to be brooding. And this amused demeanor seemed to crack.

"Haley," Linda whispered, turning towards her, "I've got to go home too. I've to tell my parents..."

Haley smiled and stroked Linda's cheek, not being able to help herself, as she nodded in understanding. Her eyes became dazed, as they do every time she looks at Linda.

"See you later Li," she muttered, half-biting her lip, making her words almost unintelligible.

Linda looked towards the doorway, Mr. Moores, had disappeared. He'd probably gone back downstairs.

She looked at Haley and pecked her on the lips, both smiling as their lips came into contact.

"See you soon," Haley, said holding Linda's hands.

"Of course, Amara," Linda replied, smirking and making Haley blush.

Once Linda had walked out, Haley walked towards her dad. He was waiting patiently in the kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee.

Urgh coffee. Haley hated coffee.

"Thanks for being so cool with this dad."

"It isn't like this is weird sweetheart, it's just lo..." he stopped himself, "Anyways, would you like anything to drink?"

"No thanks dad. So... do you want to tell me what happened with Ms.Ross? Are you ready yet?"

"First... Haley I'm sorry... so sorry... for hitting you," he muttered looking down. His tone was genuinely apologetic, and his eyes revealed that he was ashamed.

"Daddy it's okay... you were stressed... it wasn't your fault."

Jordan cracked a small smile.

"So now... Ms. Ross?"

"Oh yeah... um..." he took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suck all the oxygen in the room.

Haley took his hand and stroked his knuckles with her thumbs. She smiled encouragingly, internally bracing herself for horrible news.

Jordan's meticulously styled hair, finally lost its shape. It fell forward, falling onto his face, matting with the tears that had suddenly appeared in his eyes. He looked down at his hands, tugging at a ring... his wedding ring. He always fiddled with his ring when he was nervous. He'd never taken its off.

"You can do it dad... tell me."

He strained his vocal chords to push the words out. They seemed to be stuck in his larynx, rebelling against his desperate tries. The tears started rushing down faster and his breathing got heavier.

And with the remaining strength he had, he heaved the mutineering words out of his mouth, "Daniella... Daniella Ross... that's not her real name... she changed it... it used to be... K..K," he stammered.

Haley squeezed his hands tightly.

"Daniella Ross is Kira Moores. Daniella is my wife. Daniella is my Kira."

Haley's eyes widened. He inhaled sharply. And maybe Jordan had used all the oxygen in the room, for she was not able to find any at the moment. How many ever breaths she took. How many ever times she tried to inhale, it wasn't enough. She ringed her right wrist with her left fingers, holding so tightly that her palm became red from the disrupted blood flow. Her dad hid his face in his palms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Haley couldn't believe his words, but she realized that somehow she'd always known this. Somewhere in the back of her mind she'd suspected it. Her smile. Her words! That's where she'd heard them before. Kira used to say them. Her mother used to say them to her. But how? But why? She didn't understand and she didn't know if she ever would. Her brain was taking too long to process even this little bit of information she didn't know if she'd be able to handle anymore. She looked at her father and stroked his back lightly.

"Daddy.... how? Daddy did she tell you? How did she escape death daddy? Those lifeless eyes..."

"Fake," her dad replied coldly, "Those lifeless eyes were all acting."

"But why?"

"I ran out before she could explain Haley. I couldn't understand anything. My brain had stopped working. I couldn't listen to her rectify her actions when I couldn't even comprehend what she had actually done. Everything was so confusing..." he sobbed more.

"It's okay daddy... we'll figure this out... I don't know how... but we will."

Definition #25: Love is both the confusion and the remedy.