Sweet Torment/A Jordan Knight Fanfic (18+)✔️

34

Chapter Thirty-Four

"Good morning, sleepy bear!" My sister's loud voice cut through my magical dream where Jordan punched out some drunk asshole and then ravished me properly for the rest of the night.

"Blurgh." It was supposed to be a word, but I wasn't sure which one. My mouth was dry and my words were garbled from whiskey, drama, and sleep. I rolled over and pulled the pillow over my head to block out the sunlight.

"Today's the day you're getting Jordan back!" she exclaimed with enthusiasm.

I grabbed the pillow off of my head and threw it in her direction. "You're downright insane."

She giggled. "You missed. And you're hungover."

"That's what happens when you keep shoving your shots at me."

"I told you last night and I stand firmly by it. You needed them more than I did."

"Be that as it may, I kind of hate you this morning."

"You'll get over it." She stood from her bed and stretched. "Let's hit Denny's for a greasy breakfast and then find Jordan."

"Let's not hit Denny's and let's not find Jordan. Let's just go home."

She walked over and sat on the edge of my bed. "I just want you to be happy, Emily." Her voice was soft.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I'll admit it was rough when you were with him. But I've never seen you as happy as you were when Jordan was standing next to you. You had this glow about you, this radiance. And I haven't seen that since the day you moved in with us."

I sighed. "I was happy with Jordan, as brief as it was. But it's in the past. Too much time has passed."

"He showed up when you needed him last night."

"But he left. We've been over this."

She leaned back on the headboard and crossed her feet in front of her. "Why are you fighting this?"

"Why are you pressing this?" I countered. "You don't even know him."

"You're right. But clearly you do, and clearly you still love him."

"What makes you say that?"

"You were nearly attacked last night, Emily. But you didn't fall apart. You didn't freak out like you should have. Instead, you calmly found me and asked me if we could leave, but that glow was back. That radiance. I knew the second I saw you that something important changed in the ten minutes I left you to dance with that stranger. And when you told me that Jordan had shown up, I knew that was why."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

There was no arguing with Kaylee once she thought she was right, so I didn't answer.

But she'd given me an awful lot to think about.

Thankfully she dropped it and we walked back to the bar to pick up her car. On the ride home, though, the questions started again.

And she wasn't subtle or tactful.

"Tell me again why you aren't hunting down that man and thanking him with your body?"

"Jeez, Kaylee."

"Well?"

I stared out the window and watched the California landscape rush past. The cloudless sky was a clear and vibrant blue, and the mountains hovered out in the distance.

"I can't get my heart broken again," I whispered.

"Isn't he worth the risk?"

I didn't respond to my sister, and she finally turned up the radio and let it go. I knew it was just for the moment and it would be short-lived, but I appreciated the time to think things through on my own without her badgering.

She wanted me to be happy, and I wanted that, too.

But I hadn't known real, true happiness for a long time, and I seemed to be getting by just fine.

***

The house was silent when we arrived home. Madi was at school and Kevin was at work.

I finally called Lincoln.

"Emily," he boomed warmly.

"Lincoln Mathers." I forced my enthusiasm to match his.

"Come in next week for an interview," he said. "It's just a formality. The job is yours if you want it."

"I need it. I'm ready to get out of my sister's hair."

"That sweet niece of yours is going to miss you."

"I'll miss her, too. How are the kids?"

"Bailee is getting a sassy little mouth on her, and Jackson is climbing everything."

"Sounds about right. How's Alexis?"

"She needs a lunch date with you soon."

"Well when I'm permanently in the city, maybe we can have lunch dates more often."

"She'd love that."

"So would I."

"Email Sierra," he said, referring to his secretary, "to set up a meeting."

"Consider it done, Mr. Mathers."

He chuckled. "See you next week."

Once I had my job prospect lined up, it was time to look for a place to live.

I scoured the internet for an apartment, but there were so many choices that I became both overwhelmed and confused almost immediately.

I emailed an old college friend who was now a realtor. She replied almost immediately, and we exchanged phone numbers and set up a meeting for the same day as my interview at MTC.

I took a deep breath. I was finally taking my life back.