BAD REP(73)

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.  “So, um, can we make this quick?  Because I'm super tired.”  And suddenly super horny, but he didn't need to know that.  Jordan turned around to look at me.  He clasped his hands on the top of his head, and stared at me for a moment as though he were trying to work something out.

“What did I do?” he asked, taking me by surprise.  I blinked.  Once, twice, three times.

“Huh?” I asked, dumbfounded.  Jordan sighed and started clicking his tongue ring again.

“I asked, what the hell did I do?  I thought...I don't know...that we had something.” He sounded so vulnerable and more than a little hurt.  I know my mouth gaped open.  Was he for real?  After blatantly blowing me off and jumping cock first back into things with Olivia, he had the audacity to come to my damn apartment in the middle of the night to ask what he did?!

My face started to flush and I felt my temper rise.  Jordan clearly didn't realize the dangerous waters he was swimming in.  He took a step toward me, dropping his arms to his sides, hooking his fingers into his belt loops as he regarded me with an aching tenderness that would have made my toes curl had I not wanted to bash his freaking head in.

“Please, Mays.  I'm miserable here.  Tell me what I can do!” he pleaded with me and I finally lost it.  I shoved him in the middle of his chest.  He stumbled back and looked at me in shock.

“What the hell, Maysie?” he demanded, furrowing his brow.

“You f*cking bastard!” I yelled, letting loose all of my anger, my humiliation, my gut wrenching sadness at being shoved aside for Olivia Peer.  I let it all out in those three words.

I shoved him again, feeling the urge to hurt him.  “How can you stand there and ask me something like that after EVERYTHING?” I was being loud.  I knew my neighbors were probably getting an ear full through our paper thin walls.  But at that moment, I didn't care.

Jordan held his hands up, trying to stop me.  “Why are you so mad at me?  I'm in the dark here.” He sounded genuinely perplexed, but I was passed hearing any of it.  I took a threatening step toward him and got right into his face.

“Why am I mad?  Are you stupid?  Or just blind?  Maybe it's the fact that I've been branded the college whore after hooking up with you?  Or maybe it's the fact that you went right back to Olivia after telling me...” I drew in a shaky breath, my anger starting to fizzle out and being replaced with the overwhelming need to cry.

I bit my lip to stop the tears and squeezed my eyes shut.  “You text me telling me that you want to talk.  I text back. And then I hear nothing.  And then the whole time I'm dealing with the fact that most of my sisters now hate my guts and everyone is talking about what a skank I am.  You've been miserable?  Give me a damn break.”  I couldn't stop the traitorous tears that escaped behind my closed eyelids.

I furiously wiped them away, hating the show of weakness in front of Jordan.  I bowed my head refusing to look at him.  There was absolute silence between us.  I was acutely aware of Jordan's breathing and my heart pounded in my chest so hard that I was surprised it didn't come flying out and smack him in the face.

Then I felt his hands on my upper arms.  His thumbs caressed my bare skin and I loathed how much I loved it.  He tilted my chin so that I was looking at him.  His eyes were sad as he stared down at me.  “Maysie, I had no idea...” I barked out a laugh.

“Have you been living under a rock?”  Jordan frowned.

“No, Garrett's house, actually.  I haven't been back to my place but to get some clothes and books for class.  I've been purposefully staying away from the house.”

“But, what about Olivia then?” I couldn't help the bitterness that was obvious in my question.  Jordan cupped my cheek and stared me straight in the eye.

“I broke up with Olivia the night of the mixer,” he told me quietly.  My heart stopped.  That couldn't be true!

“But she told me you were together.  And she stayed with you that night...” My voice trailed off.  I was completely confused.

Jordan wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and tugged me closer.  Our chests pressed against each other and our faces were less than an inch apart.  I looked up at him, not knowing exactly what was happening.  “She was lying, Mays.  I haven't talked to Olivia in over two weeks.  And I don't know where she stayed that night, but it sure as hell wasn't with me.  After I texted you, I headed to Garrett's house.  That's where I've been staying ever since.  So I had no idea all of this was going on.  I have barely talked to any of my brothers, so I didn't know shit was being said about you.  But I swear to god, that crap ends now!”  His face turned red and his nostrils flared.  I knew he meant it.