The following story is a work of fiction and does not represent any living person. The story contains sex between two consenting adult men. If you are a minor, or it is illegal in your area to read the following story, please leave now. The author retains all rights to the story. Please do not reproduce without prior consent.
Thoughts, comments or feedback - send them my way to mr_e08@hotmail.com
And, as always, thanks to the wonderful Lisa for catching all the mistakes I make.
Enjoy,
Ethan.
------------- Chapter 26 -------------
*** JORDAN ***
Closure.
Once my father's body is buried in the ground I finally feel a bit at ease. He can now rest for eternity, and we can start the process of trying to heal, of trying to move on. What got me through today, through all of this, was that talk I had earlier with my dad. Getting everything off of my chest allowed me to be free of all the things that were bothering me. I said everything that needed to be said; I cleared the slate, and I have no regrets. Noah was right.
I thought about Noah a lot throughout the service. In a way, I was hoping he would be here. But I knew that wasn't going to happen. Brody wasn't here either. He had a work meeting he and couldn't get the time off. He was quite apologetic, but I understood. He said he would drop by later in the evening. In the end, the only person I really needed was my mom. She was there, sitting beside me, holding my hand. Or well, I was holding her hand to give her support.
The service was short. Only my Aunt Beth and eldest uncle spoke. They gave a brief eulogy, talking about my dad's childhood and what it was like growing up with him. They told funny stories of how he was mischievous as a child and would play pranks on them. It was simple and sweet.
After the funeral we all went to my uncle's house. He doesn't live too far from where my mom lives. I didn't want to go, but my aunt forced me. She said it would help spending time with the family. In the end it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. Everyone was nice and calm. No one yelled or was rude to my mom, which was good. It actually was nice to spend some time with people I didn't know all that well.
Right now I am in the car driving back home. We didn't end up staying too late; we took off soon after dinner. I am super tired.
"I'm glad today is over," I say to my mom.
"Yeah, it's been a very long day."
"All I want to do is take a nice hot shower and then crash on the couch." I am exhausted.
"How are you holding up?" my mom asks. "It's been a lot to absorb in a short period of time."
"I'm doing okay. Saying goodbye today really helped. It's still weird to think that we won't see him again, but ... I guess that'll take some time."
"It will take time, but I'm glad to hear you're okay. You've been very strong."
"I've had good help," I say pulling the car into the driveway.
"Do you want anything to eat?" my mom asks getting out of the car.
"No, I'm okay. I think I'll just have something light like cereal before going to bed."
"Okay. Just let me know if you want me to make you anything."
"Thanks Mom, but I should be ..."
I stop dead in my tracks. My eyes must be deceiving me. It can't be him. It just can't. There is no way he could be here. But he has that same messy hair, those same soft eyes, that same shy look on his face. It's him. There is no denying it.
"Noah ..."
"Hi, Jordan," he says standing up.
*** NOAH ***
I've dreamt about this reunion ever since he walked out of our apartment months ago. But I didn't think it would be like this. I saw myself running towards Jordan, his arms open as he welcomed me back. I pictured we would kiss, and at that moment all the pain in our lives would be erased. We would be back to the way we were. I never pictured instead I would be here, waiting on his doorstep, to pay my respects to his late father. The circumstances aren't ideal, but at least he's finally before my eyes.
"How are you?" I ask nervously, as I take a step towards him.
"I'm ..." He seems to be at a loss for words. He keeps blinking as if perhaps I'm some imaginary figure that will simply float away. "I'm okay. When ... when did you get here?"
"A little while ago. I came to pay my respects. I was planning on going to the funeral ... but my connecting flight was delayed ... so I came here instead."
"How long have you been waiting here?"
"Not long, just half an hour maybe."
His mom is standing there unsure of what to do. Jordan seems to realize her presence at the same time I do. "I'm sorry, Mom, this is ..." For some odd reason he trails off.
"This must be Noah. It's nice to finally meet you," she says. She steps forward and gives me a hug.
I'm surprised she knows who I am. "It's nice to meet you as well. I am so sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, dear. I'll let you guys talk," she says walking into the house.
"I can't believe you're here," Jordan says to me.
"It was a last minute plan. I should have called ... I just ... I hope you're not angry. I'll leave if that's what you want." I swallow hard, trying to clear the lump in my throat. I hope he doesn't say goodbye. Truth be told, it's what I deserve.
He pauses for a second. I can't read his face. But then his lips curl slightly, and his eyes glisten with that warmth I've seen so many times. "I'm glad you came. It's good to see you, Noah."
"It's good to see you too," I say with relief. It's been months since I've seen him, but he hasn't changed a bit. He still looks the same, those same eyes, that same smile. His hair is combed and jelled back, which is different for him. He looks all formal and proper. He looks amazing. But he also looks like a guy who has had a rough few days. How I've missed this sight. "How was the service? I thought I would be able to make it on time, but as I said, my connecting flight was delayed. I'm really sorry."
"Don't be. The fact that you came at all means a lot. You should have told me you were coming; I would have come and picked you up from the airport."
"That's why I didn't. I knew today was going to be hectic, and I didn't want to add more on to your plate."
"It would have been nothing."
"How are you doing?" I ask him. I am genuinely concerned about him.
"I'm okay. It's been difficult, but I'm getting there."
"Did you get a chance to say goodbye to your dad?"
"I did. Actually, I took your advice ... I spoke to him from my heart and I said everything that I wanted to say. And it felt right. It felt like I was finally lifting this weight off of me. It gave me closure."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"And you were right," he says looking directly at me.
"About what?"
"I told him that I love him. And then I told him that I forgive him for everything."
"That's really big of you," I say.
"It's the truth. And I have you to thank for making me realize that."
"I didn't do anything."
"You helped me sort through my thoughts when I was at my lowest; I wouldn't call that anything."
"I'm just glad I could help."
And then I hear a door shut. Jordan turns around as a man I've never seen comes into view.
"Hey, Jordan," he says walking up to us. He places his hand on Jordan's shoulder. "How are you? How was the funeral?"
Jordan's face looks blank, as if he has never seen this man before. But then he snaps back to reality. "It was fine."
"I'm sorry I missed it." He then turns to me and extends his hand. "Hi. I don't believe we've met before. I'm Brody."
So I guess Jordan does have a boyfriend after all.
*** JORDAN ***
He looks different somehow. He looks older, as if he's matured. But deep down he is still the same guy. I honestly can't believe he is standing here in front of my house. It's the last thing I expected. I know I said it would be nice if he was here, but I didn't think he would actually come. Seeing him though makes me remember all the good times we had. That anger I felt the last time I saw him, when I walked out of the apartment, is gone. I really have missed him. And to think he came all this way for me. We may not be a couple anymore, but he does care. He's a good guy.
I want to tell him I've missed him, but then I hear a door slam shut. I turn around and see Brody. Before I can even flinch, or process what I'm seeing, he walks up to me and places his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, Jordan. How are you? How was the funeral?"
"It was fine ..." I say.
"I'm sorry I missed it." Brody then sees Noah and extends his other hand out to him. "Hi. I don't believe we've met before. I'm Brody."
For a moment, I completely forgot Brody existed. I forgot I have a boyfriend. You'd think I would be happy to see him, but right now I feel the exact opposite; I wish he was far, far away from here. I shouldn't have texted him when I left my uncle's place! How do I even introduce him to Noah? How do I tell Noah I've moved on? I have no reason to feel guilty. We are in this situation because of the decisions Noah made, not me. But still I feel guilty.
"Hi, I'm Noah."
"Brody. I'd like you to meet um ... one of my ..." How do I even describe Noah? "Um ... one of my good friends, Noah. And Noah ... this is, um, this is ... my ... my boyfriend, Brody."
"It's nice to meet you, Noah," Brody says.
"Nice to meet you as well," Noah replies.
"Noah is one of my friends from university. He flew in just to be here."
"Wow, that's really nice of you," Brody says. He takes his hand off my shoulder and wraps his arm around my waist. He pulls me closer to him.
"Anyway, I should get going; you're probably tired from the long day. I'll ... I'll talk to you later I guess," Noah says.
I can't just let him leave. He just got here. There is so much I want to say to him. But I can't with Brody here. "Hang on, Noah. Um, Brody would you mind giving us a second?" I know it isn't the nicest thing to say, but I need a moment.
"Of course," he says moving his arm from my waist. "I'll be inside."
"Thanks." I wait until Brody shuts the door. "We just started dating —" I feel like I need to explain myself, but Noah cuts me off.
"It's fine, Jordan. You have every right to move on. He seems like a nice guy."
"Yeah ..." I feel really guilty. I can't even finish that sentence. Change the topic. "How long are you here for?"
"I leave on Thursday."
"Thursday!? You're barely here for two days. Why so soon?" I ask.
"I'm going to take the bus to visit Jenn."
"Oh, I see. We should talk before you go." I can't just let him go without spending some time with him.
"That would be nice. Perhaps we can grab lunch tomorrow."
"Sure, that sounds good. Where are you staying?"
"I booked a room at a hotel nearby."
"A hotel? Why? You should stay here."
He looks surprised when I say that, as if the notion is bizarre. "I don't want to impose."
"Don't be ridiculous. You're more than welcome to stay here. We have a guest room you can use." I know it could be weird having my ex stay over, but he came all this way. It's the least I can do for him.
"Next time perhaps. I already checked in and left my stuff at the hotel."
"Oh. Yeah, next time I guess. Do you need a ride back to the hotel then?"
"Nope. I can walk. It's only about half an hour."
"The least I can do is drop you off. Just give me a second; I really want to change out of these clothes. Come in."
He looks hesitant. "I'll wait here."
"Dude, my mom won't rob you. Come in."
"Okay."
We walk into my house. I show Noah into the kitchen.
"Noah, make yourself at home. I'll be down in a few minutes."
"Take your time," Noah says.
"Hey, Jordan, can I talk to you for a second?" Brody asks getting up from the kitchen table.
"Sure."
He follows me upstairs. We walk into my room and close the door behind us. Before I even get the chance to say a word Brody starts speaking.
"That's him, isn't it? Your former boyfriend."
He definitely is intuitive. "It is."
"Seemed like it. Why is he here? I thought you guys didn't talk anymore."
"We don't ... or well, we didn't. He called me when my dad died ... and it was the first time we spoke in months. He came to pay his respects. I didn't know he was coming."
"He just showed up unannounced?" Brody asks. "That's kind of rude of him."
"No ... it's not that simple. When I spoke to him I mentioned the funeral, and I did say he was welcome to come." I lie. I don't tell Brody that I actually said it would be nice if he were here. I can't imagine Brody would like that.
"Why? I thought you'd moved on?"
"I have ... we both have. I think he is just trying to make amends for how things ended, nothing more."
"Are you sure that's it? I wouldn't fly so far just to see a former boyfriend."
Perhaps. I don't know. The thought crossed my mind. "Of course not."
"Really?"
"He's a friend, that's all. Plus, he's actually going to visit his other friend. He decided to stop here along the way, and then go on. Trust me, this doesn't mean anything." I honestly don't know what this means.
"I trust you. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
*** NOAH ***
Could this day get any more bizarre? Here I am walking into Jordan's house! In the kitchen are his mom and his boyfriend. I honestly would never have even dreamed this would be happening. The world is a strange place. After showing me to the kitchen Jordan excuses himself. Brody goes upstairs with him. I'm pretty sure I know what they're going to talk about. So that leaves me alone in the kitchen with his mom.
"Would you like anything to eat? You must be hungry," his mom asks me.
"I'm alright, thank you ma'am."
"Are you sure? Would you like a sandwich, or something else?"
She is sweet. "I'm okay." I actually am really hungry.
"When was the last time you ate?" she asks.
"I had a sandwich on the plane."
"And how long ago was that?"
"Around four, five hours ago I think."
"There is rice, chicken, noodles ... the fridge is full with food people brought over. What would you like?"
Might as well eat. "Whatever you have is fine."
"Okay." She starts to take stuff out of the fridge. "It was very sweet of you to come today."
"It was nothing," I say.
"I know Jordan appreciates it."
"He's a good guy. You've done a great job raising him."
"Thank you. But, I didn't do it on my own," she says putting the plate into the microwave. "He's had good friends like you."
"Thank you. Can I ask ... how did you know who I am?" I am really curious.
She smiles. "Jordan once showed me a picture of the two of you together. It was this black and white photo. It's actually how he came out to me. He was sitting right where you are. He handed me the picture and I read the message on the back. I'll never forget that moment, or that image."
How odd is that. Both of our moms found out we're gay by seeing that photo. But the reaction was clearly different for both of them.
"When he showed you that picture ... do you remember what you said to him?"
"I do. I said to him: `You two look perfect together'."
What a remarkably different reaction. If only my mom had said the same thing. Hearing Jordan's mom say that makes me feel happy, yet sad at the same time. A bittersweet feeling. I'm happy that she is such a wonderful mom for Jordan, but sad that I couldn't get the same love from my own mom.
"That's really sweet of you," I say.
She pulls out the plate from the microwave and places it in front of me. "Here you go, dear. If you want anything else, please feel free to take whatever you want. Treat this as your own home. I'm just going to go change my clothes."
"Thank you."
When she gets to the door she turns back. "For what it's worth, I still think you two look perfect together."
Her words catch me off guard. What did she mean by that? Is she still rooting for us? Perhaps she isn't a fan of Team Brody. I don't get the chance to ask her. She goes upstairs to change, leaving me alone in the kitchen.
I pull out my phone to text Jenn. I messaged her this morning asking if I could visit this week and spend a few days with her. She was surprised, but said yes. I figured I would spend a short time here then take the bus to see Jenn. It takes 12 hours, and the ticket was only 25 bucks or so. I didn't tell Jenn I was going to visit Jordan first. I told her I was going hiking with my brother's family and would be out all day. I know that may sound stupid, but I didn't tell her because I didn't want her to try to convince me not to come. I know what I am doing is a bit rash, and not sensible, and I didn't want her to point that out. Though, I know Jenn, and she probably wouldn't have said anything.
"So, Jordan has a boyfriend." I message her.
It doesn't take her long to respond back. She usually has her phone with her.
"How do you know?"
"I met him. Brody. Seems like a nice guy."
"You met him? How?"
"I'm sitting in Jordan's kitchen." That ought to give her a shock. And it does.
She doesn't text back. She calls. I'm not surprised.
"Hiya, Jenn," I say casually.
"What the hell is going on? Where are you?"
"Jordan's house."
"How the hell did you get there!?"
"I flew here this morning. I came for the funeral."
"What? Why didn't you tell me you were going? You told me you were going hiking!"
"Yeah ... It all happened so fast. My dad called, and then I was looking at tickets —"
She cuts me off. "Wait, your dad called? I'm so confused. Start from the beginning."
"Okay. My dad called last night. He apologized and said he accepts me."
"Holy shit that is huge! That is fantastic!" she yells.
"Yeah, I was completely shocked. He asked me to come home."
"Wow. What did you say?"
"I said I couldn't come back until my mom changed her mind too."
"That makes sense. But at least one of your parents supports you now! That's huge."
"Yeah. He asked how he could help, and I told him about Jordan's dad. I asked him if he would pay for my ticket to go to the funeral and then to visit you, and he agreed."
"Why didn't you tell me any of this when we talked in the morning?"
"A lot was going on, and I had no time; I had to get to the airport so I figured I would wait."
"I'm so going to yell at you later about that, but I'm going to leave that for now. More importantly, you're at Jordan's house! What did he say when he saw you?"
"He was surprised. My plan was to go to the funeral, but my stupid connecting flight was delayed and I missed everything. So I came to his house instead. Of course he wasn't home. So I waited."
"So he came home and saw you sitting on his doorstep?"
"Yeah, pretty much. He was speechless, but he was happy to see me. We barely spoke for like two minutes and then his boyfriend showed up."
"Fuck, what bad timing!"
"I'm guessing you knew about him," I say.
"I did. I'm sorry I didn't tell you ... I figured it would upset you. Plus I didn't know you were going to go visit Jordan!"
"Hey, someone is coming back down. I'll call you later, okay?"
"You better!"
"Bye."
As I put my phone away Brody walks into the kitchen. Great, just the guy I wanted to see. We make small talk. He asks me what I am studying, where I live. I ask him about his job, what he does. It's the most awkward few minutes of my life. I'm hoping Brody is a douche. But unfortunately, he's not. He's a nice guy. Dammit.
*** JORDAN ***
My current boyfriend and my former boyfriend are sitting downstairs talking. How messed up is that? No seriously. Not even in my wildest dreams would I have ever imagined that those two would be meeting each other. This really is the weirdest day ever! To think, only a few hours ago I said goodbye to my dad, and now this.
Before I go downstairs I look in the mirror. Take a deep breath, I tell myself, exhale. This is all going to be okay. Noah is here as a friend, and Brody seems okay with it all. No need to get worked up, or stressed out. As long as I don't say anything stupid. Who am I kidding? This is probably going to be weird. Yet, when I walk downstairs it all seems normal. Noah and Brody are talking amicably. Noah is actually chatty, which is really strange for him.
"Hey, sorry about that," I say leaning against the kitchen counter. "I just wanted to get out of that suit."
"No worries," Noah says.
"You looked good in it," Brody says.
"Thanks. So what were you two talking about?" I ask.
"Nothing much. I was just telling Brody about school and how we met in English class."
"Right, that was some class. I still can't believe what you told me about zit face."
"Zit face? That's kind of a mean name," Brody says.
"I know. But we never said it to his face," I say.
"Who is he?" Brody asks.
"He's this guy from our English class," Noah says. "He had really bad acne. He would sit in class and pick at it all day. But I saw him a few weeks ago and it was all gone. I didn't even recognize him."
"And of course this smart guy," I say pointing to Noah, "didn't take a picture!"
"And as I told you, I'm not a creepy stalker," Noah responds.
"Just look him up on Facebook," Brody says.
"You're a genius! We know his first name, shouldn't be too hard to find," I say.
Noah pulls out his phone and starts to search. "Found him!" He hands the phone over to me.
"Wow. I never would have thought that was him. He looks completely different."
"He's cute. Who is the guy next to him?" Brody asks.
"His boyfriend," Noah says.
"They're a cute couple," I say passing the phone back to Noah.
"So, how did you two meet?" Noah asks us.
I look towards Brody. I would rather he answer.
"We met at a bar close to where I work. Jordan was there one night with a friend and we made eye contact. We talked a bit and we sort of clicked ... and here we are."
"Nice. How long have you been dating?"
"Uh, not that long, about two weeks now. What about you, are you seeing someone right now?" Brody asks.
Why did he have to bring that up? Seems a bit inappropriate, but Noah did start the conversation. Truth be told, I am curious.
"Um, no, not at the moment. I'm enjoying the single life."
"Cool," is all Brody says in response.
"You good to go?" Noah says to me.
"Yeah. You sure you don't want to stay? You came all this way, I feel bad."
"I am. I've actually been up since three this morning my time, so I'm pretty tired now."
"Okay. Brody, I'll be back in about five minutes, if that's okay? I'm just going to drop Noah off at his hotel. Why don't you try finding something to watch on Netflix in the meantime."
"Sure. It was nice meeting you Noah," Brody says extending his hand out.
"It was nice meeting you too," Noah responds, shaking Brody's hand.
We walk out and hop into the car. He gives me the hotel name and the address.
"Dude, that's not a half an hour walk. It's more like an hour!"
"It only took me that much when I walked to your place."
Noah always did walk fast. "Well, I guess it's those long legs of yours."
"Hey, don't hate me because you're a turtle," he says.
"Turtles are awesome!" I say laughing.
"Brody seems like a really nice guy," he says.
"He is. But don't worry, you're allowed to hate him; it's understandable."
"I don't hate him!" he says shocked.
"Of course you don't." I say sarcastically.
"I really don't! Wait, if I were to date another guy, would you automatically hate him?" he asks.
"Probably."
"Even if he was a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and he won for eradicating world hunger?"
"All the more reason to hate him," I say laughing. Interesting, he said date a guy and not a girl. Should I take that to mean something?
"And I can see you're still just as evil."
We talk about nonsense the rest of the way there. It is a short drive, only ten minutes.
"Alright, here you are, my man."
"Thanks for the lift."
"No problem. What time do you want to meet for lunch tomorrow?"
"Let's say one? I know you like to sleep in."
"I'll have you know I usually wake up at seven in the morning now."
"You do not," he says.
"It's true! Ever since I've been here I've become an old man like you. I go to bed early and get up early."
"Jordan, you're forgetting that we used to live together. I used to have to yell at you for half an hour to get you up, and you still wouldn't get up before noon."
"I've changed."
"I'll have to see it to believe it."
"Fair point. Change of plans. I'll pick you up for breakfast tomorrow. Let's say eight o'clock."
"If you can get up that early, then that's fine with me."
"Challenge on. And what do I get if I win?"
"What do you want?" Noah asks.
"Hmm. Not sure. I'll have to think about it."
"Go ahead, waste your time. You're going to lose."
"We'll see. Afterwards, I'll show you around town."
"Sure, sounds good. Have a good night."
"You too."
*** NOAH ***
I walk into my hotel room, yank off my shoes, rip off my socks, and throw them all on the floor. I'm tired and don't care. I'll pick them up later. I throw myself onto the bed. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come. Seeing Jordan and talking to him, has been amazing. I've missed him more than I even knew. But he's moved on. I had my shot, and I missed it. I should have spoken to Jenn. She would have at least told me about Brody, and I wouldn't have made a fool of myself!
After a while I get up and take a nice hot shower. It helps calm me down. When I get out I call Jenn. I'm sure she is itching to hear from me.
"Hey!" she yells loudly in my ear.
"Hey. What's up?"
"Where are you?"
"Hotel."
"Oh. How was your night?"
"It was okay. I didn't spend too long at Jordan's place. Brody was there, so I felt like I should leave. It was a bit awkward having him around."
"Yeah, I bet. How is he?"
"Brody? He's unfortunately a nice guy."
"That's too bad. But he's no competition for you I'm sure."
"This isn't a competition."
"Of course it is! Aren't you going to tell Jordan?" she asks me.
"Tell him what?" I ask. I know what she means.
"About coming out to your parents!"
"What's the point?"
"What do you mean what's the point? Isn't that why you went there?"
"I came to pay my respects."
"Yeah. And ..."
"And he has a boyfriend."
"So?" she asks.
"So, he's moved on."
"Yeah, but they're just dating. They're not married. This is your shot at getting back together. You both clearly still care about each other."
"You were the one who told me to wait," I say.
"I did, but things have changed. You said your dad accepts you now."
"My mom doesn't."
"So? It's not like you're going to go back into the closet. I thought you went there to tell Jordan."
I sigh. "I came here as a friend ... but yes, I did. I thought maybe ... but ... he's moved on. It wouldn't be fair of me now to make him pick again."
"Don't you think he has the right to know?"
Does he? I guess in some ways he does. But then we aren't a couple, so maybe he doesn't. I don't know how to answer the question, so I avoid it. "Right now I need to figure out my own life. Do I move back in with my parents, or do I just not try? Will going back even help fix things with my mom?"
"Well, if I were you, I know I wouldn't go back. I couldn't live with someone who feels that way about me ... but then again I know you're not as hot-headed as me. The thing is, if you're there, and she sees how happy you are being gay ... maybe she will change her mind."
"Maybe. But I don't know."
"Look, I understand you want things to settle down ... but you have a good opportunity right now to get back together with Jordan; don't let it pass you by. You may not get another one. Jordan just started dating Brody, they're a new couple. If they stay together longer, Jordan may never leave him."
"You're right."
We talk for a good hour. She yells at me for not telling her about my plan. I just listen. No point in interrupting her. We also talk more about what my dad said. We also plan what we will do when I visit her. I really do love Jenn.
Around midnight, I turn off the lights to go to bed. I am almost asleep when my phone buzzes. I lean over assuming it is Jenn. But it isn't. It's Jordan.
"Figured out what I want if I win. See you tomorrow!"
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day.
—
I barely slept at all last night. I just kept tossing and turning. I had way too much on my mind. I kept thinking about if I should tell Jordan, or if I should keep quiet. I couldn't make up my mind. I kept changing my decision. But after thinking about it for hours, I finally figured it out.
I am already up when my phone rings. Jordan calls at 7:30 in the morning. I guess he does wake up early.
"Hey," I say picking up the phone.
"Yo, yo, yo! Look who's up!"
"And how many times did you hit the snooze button?"
"Zero. I didn't even turn my alarm on."
"That's impressive. Perhaps you have changed."
"Told you. Now I get to claim my prize."
"And what do you want?" I ask.
"Pack your stuff. You're staying at my place tonight."
Not this again. "Jordan —"
He cuts me off. "You agreed to the terms, and clearly I won. I'm not taking no for an answer."
"Won't Brody mind?"
"He'll be fine. Besides, I thought you wanted us to be friends?" he asks me.
"Of course I do. You know that."
"So then why can't you stay at a friend's place for the night?"
It's a bit more complicated than that. He's my ex! But, I'm not going to argue with him. "I guess I can."
"Then that settles that. Be there in five. See ya!"
I quickly pack my things and head down to the lobby. By the time I check out Jordan is already here. I make my way outside and throw my stuff into his car.
"Well, I guess you win. I just checked out."
"Perfect. You won't regret this decision. Now, where do you want to go to eat?" he asks.
"Ah, whatever you suggest; you're the expert."
"Um ... I dunno, it's all food. You're the guest, you decide."
"I don't know what's good in the area; you're the one who lives here," I say.
"Pick something and I'll search on my phone."
"Clearly you're still as indecisive about food as before."
"Some virtues never change," he says with a smile.
I laugh. "Virtue, sure. Um ... how about a breakfast place like Cora's or something?"
"Sure, why not! There is actually a restaurant close by. See, I can be decisive!"
"Of course you can."
It doesn't take us long to get to the restaurant. We settle in and order.
"So, what are you up to these days?" he asks me.
"Um, nothing much. I'm looking for a summer job, but haven't found anything yet. I think I started looking too late."
"Yeah, you have to start right in April. But you'll find something; it's a big city. How are your niece and nephew doing? Are you spending time with them?"
"I am. I was just at my brother's place the other day. It's good to spend time with them; they're growing up so quickly! Here." I show him a picture of the two monsters.
"Aw, they're cute. They look so big now!"
"They are. How are things with you? I remember you saying you got a job as a waiter at a restaurant," I say.
"Yeah I did, it's not too far from here actually. I'm just trying to make some money before school starts."
"Makes sense. When do you go back to work?"
"I have the week off, and it's paid. I told my manager about my dad, and he gave me the time off."
"That was nice of him. It's good to have a few days off to grieve."
"It is. Did I tell you that John called me?"
"No, you didn't. Have you guys spoken since that night at the bar?" John had stormed out when he learned of the whole Samantha debacle. That was back in January.
"Not really. I tried that one time, but he didn't say much. And since then we hadn't spoken. But he heard about my dad and called to offer his condolences. It was nice of him. We talked for a bit. I said we should meet up when school starts, and he agreed. I'm hoping this can maybe lead to us patching things up."
"That would be great."
"Yeah, it would. John was a good friend; I don't want to lose him. Just like I don't want to lose you again."
Say what now?
End of Chapter 26.
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