29. Lucy
CHAPTER 29
LUCY
I ’ve been staring at the door, willing him to come back, for the last ten minutes. It’s not working. Before he left, he was watching me like a hawk–or a crazy stalker. I saw him roll his eyes with each guy who approached me.
I hate how much I loved it. I love that he’s still protective about me–I mean, that’s the only reason I’ve been acting like I give a crap about any other guy at this school. I definitely don’t. It was probably immature and maybe a little mean, but every time I looked at Jordan, I saw the desire in his eyes.
I knew he still wanted me.
And of course I still want him. Is my strategy desperate? Absolutely. Did I abandon my decision to refocus on basketball when I saw him walk into this bar? Without question or hesitation. Am I sitting in a sticky booth asking myself hypothetical questions to distract myself from feeling like the air is being sucked out of this freaking room? No doubt about it.
Kya slides in next to me after freeing herself from a very handsy swimmer.
I don’t even look at her.
“What did you guys think was going to happen here?”
When she doesn’t speak, I glance over to see if she’s ignoring me or not even listening. Her eyes are glossed over as she stares off toward a blank wall.
“Earth to Kya. What was the plan?”
She doesn’t turn, but just gives a shrug. “I think we all figured this was Jordan’s knee-jerk reaction to how fast you guys were falling for each other. I know his dad and background play a part, but maybe if he saw you here and was faced with the reality of actually losing you for good, he would come to his senses. It’s a dumb reason to break up.”
I scrunch up my face and pinch the bridge of my nose.
“I mean, it’s a sound theory. But karaoke?”
She throws her hands up in defeat. “I don’t know. In movies, it’s always romantic when someone has a microphone. I’d never do it in a billion years, but belting out a love song is pretty epic.”
“That’s so stupid. It’s not going to work for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that Jordan told me on a variety of occasions that one of his biggest fears is singing in front of people.”
Kya nods. “Hmm, that’s tough. We didn’t have all the intel. We worked with what we had–which was information from Tyler that Jordan is miserable and playing terribly.”
We are two peas in a pod. “Yeah, I know the feeling. The problem is that in his head, he’s being selfless. In my humble opinion, he’s acting spineless, but it doesn’t matter what I think anymore.” I sip my drink. “Seeing me isn’t going to change what he’s convinced himself is true.”
She attempts to wrap an arm around me–a difficult feat, considering our height differences. I appreciate the gesture, though.
Then her tone shifts from apologetic to angry. I’ve never heard this from her before.
“I’m pissed at him for you, Lucy. Seeing the two of you together…it’s what I always imagined real love looked like. The friendship, the inside jokes, the obvious chemistry–re latively gross, but still cute. And if that’s not enough for someone, I don’t know what is.”
My heart constricts. Kya is such a sweet friend. She’s quiet and hard to read, but man, is she loyal. And she’s right about Jordan–it’s the type of love I imagined for myself, best friends and soulmates all in one.
I fan my eyes. Crying in a bar over a boy would be a new low. But the words come out before I can stop them. “I really thought he’d be willing to fight for all that. Fight for us. Fight for me. I guess not.”
She squeezes my shoulders. We sit there listening to terrible singers, watching people mingle and laugh. I really wish I was back in my room with a vat of popcorn and the peaceful sounds of The Office soothing me to sleep.
Just as my emotions start to come down and I’m about to get up and limp home, Kya sits up straight and smacks my arm.
“What the heck?”
Her eyes are wide, following someone across the room. Then I see him too. He’s making a beeline for the DJ. After an intense conversation with a lot of gesturing, he grabs the mic and steps onto the stage.
Kya looks at me, eyes still wide. “I wouldn’t be so sure that he’s not willing to fight for you.”
I’m tempted to pinch my arm just to be sure this is all real. Jordan is strolling to the middle of the stage, microphone in hand.
My chest is rising and falling quickly as I bite my lip. He squints, searching the crowd. His eyes stop when they meet mine. The glint of passion and mischief has returned. It’s like we’re right back in that YMCA gym.
The first notes of the song hit, and my jaw drops open. A smile erupts on his face.
“‘You’re just too good to be true! Can’t take my eyes off of you…’ ”
He knows 10 Things I Hate About You is one of my favorite rom-coms of all time. And Patrick singing to Kat? Absolutely epic.
He’s recreating that moment–humiliation included–for me.
The crowd is eating out of the palm of his hand. Everyone is cheering and singing along, but his eyes don’t leave mine. As he belts off-key and spins around the stage, he makes it clear that he’s singing directly to me.
Nearing the end of the song, he jumps off the stage and sashays my way. Damn, the man can’t sing, but he has rhythm and swag to make up for it. My friends are surrounding me, cheering him on as he walks my way.
Shouting out the final line, he tosses the microphone to Tyler, who looks like a proud dad. Jordan is now in front of me. His eyes search mine, looking for confirmation. I cock my head to the side, failing to keep the smirk off my face.
“Not bad. A little pitchy, though.”
I’m aware that all the eyes in the bar are on us as he grabs my hands, pulling me to my feet.
“I missed you, and I’m so sorry. Give me another chance?”
His words come out raspy.
I just nod. That’s all it takes. His hands find my face and he pulls me in for a kiss that makes my legs shaky. Yeah, I really missed him. And this.
It’s a kiss that communicates more than words ever could. In this moment, he’s fighting for me. He’s choosing me. He’s telling me that we’re worth it.
My arms are wrapped around him, and the warmth of his body feels like home. He kisses me like a sailor coming back from sea, lifting me from the ground. The entire place erupts. People are high-fiving and cheering. I hear a couple people yell that we are definitely winning both conference tournaments this year. I feel Jordan’s smile against mine, and as I gently bite his lip, his smile grows .
Pulling away slightly, he takes a breath and looks down at me. “Should we get out of here?”
Again, all I can give him is a smile and a nod.
He scoops me up like I’m made of feathers and struts confidently to the door. This move brings the house down. We end up exiting through a tunnel of screaming fans, high fives, and people taking videos.
When we finally make it through the mob, he carries me the next few blocks to our house. I don’t even try to stop him. I lay my head on his chest and bask in how much I love this man. Every few steps, I glance up to see his beaming smile.
A couple times, he catches me staring and just kisses my forehead.
We stay quiet, smiling like idiots, the whole walk back. Then he carries me up to the porch and gingerly sets me down.
The words spill out of him the second he looks at me.
“I’m sorry, Lucy. I’m sorry I hurt you and I’m sorry I let you down. I’m sorry I didn’t fight for us right away. I know I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m asking for one because you are it for me.”
His voice catches.
“It’s like I found the other half of me–the much better half. The half that brought light into the darkness. I want to take care of you as long as you’ll let me. I don’t deserve immediate forgiveness, but I’m asking if you could get there.”
I shake my head with my eyes on the ground, tears plopping onto the chipping paint of the porch. I lift my head to look at him, and my heart breaks at the earnestness on his face.
“I can’t get there…”
His face falls.
“...because I’m already there.”
“Lucy! What the heck!”
I laugh through the tears. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. ”
He shakes his head, laughing in spite of the emotional roller coaster. “Damn, I’ve missed you.”
He engulfs me in a hug, and I inhale the woodsy scent I’ve been aching to have back. With his arms around me, I feel like I’m home. It’s familiar and safe, and I really do love this guy. As I try to nestle deeper into his chest, he suddenly takes a step back.
“Oh, wait! I forgot I had a few more things to say!”
“What is this, speech and debate club? Just hold me.”
But he’s determined. He holds me an arm’s length away, then gives me a sad puppy-dog look. “‘I’m just a boy, standing in front of a girl, asking her to love him.’”
I shake my head with an aggressive eye roll. He knows how I feel about Notting Hill.
He doesn’t break character, though. He just keeps going.
“‘You complete me.’”
That is such a great line. He’s definitely been Googling.
“‘You have bewitched me, body and soul.’”
Okay, not gonna lie, that one makes my legs shaky. It also makes me want to pull him inside and resume what we started at the bar.
“What exactly is happening right now?”
“I thought you deserved more than just one epic rom-com moment.”
And I thought he couldn’t get any better.
“So, you went for the rapid-fire approach?”
He steps toward me slowly, only inches between us now. His voice is low and gravelly. “I still have one left.”
“I’m listening.”
His lips graze mine. “‘I burn for you.’”
Thank the Lord no one is watching. I reach up at the same moment he runs his hands down my sides, finding my hips. He pulls my body flush with his. We start slow and tender, but quickly escalate. I’m seeing stars as we let out all the passion we’ve both been holding in. Every emotion from the past week explodes in this singular moment.
Our breath mingles, heated and fast. He pushes me up against the door and kisses down my neck. Each nip sends tingles through my entire body. My hands run through his hair and I’m about to find his lips again when I hear whispers and laughter.
We whip around in unison to find my three roommates and Tyler grinning smugly on the sidewalk.
I feel my face glowing red with embarrassment, but everyone else is unfazed, including Jordan. He looks like he’s basking in a sea of happiness while I look like I got caught with my hand in the cookie jar. We stand there uncomfortably before Britt breaks the awkward standoff. “Glad to see you two patched things up.”
Tyler raises his eyebrows and winks. “You’re welcome.”
Then he holds up a fist, which she bumps without speaking.
I bury my head in Jordan’s chest. I’m now certain of a few things.
Number one, I’m never going to live this down.
Number two, I’m bewitched body and soul.
Number three, he completes me.
Number four, I definitely burn for him.
And number five, I have officially fallen in love with Jordan Mitchell.