Tell Me Why You Love Me (TMWYLM) Page 14

  Jordan's laugh reverberated through my back from his lungs and he unwrapped one of his arms from my waist and pulled his body a little away from mine. "Well, if I am that much of a jerk, I wouldn't be giving you this then, would I?" He said teasingly, as he recoiled his arm around my waist and held his chest to my back.

  I looked in front of me to find he had a plate in his hand, piled high with pancakes smothered in honey and a strawberry on top.

  "It looked to me like he wanted you to taste his pancakes!"

  He set the plate on my lap before I could even try and hide the blush on my face. "What, you had a change of heart?" I asked him, teasingly.

  Jordan shrugged. "What if I did?" He asked back. I knew he had that smirk on his face without looking at him.

  I rolled my eyes with a smile on my face. "It seems to me that you want me to taste your pancakes!" A chuckle escaped my mouth and I leaned my head back against his chest and looking up at his face.

  I saw that wry smile of his and those striking emerald eyes. They glowed in a way I couldn't describe. But I know they held something I couldn't quite work out.

  "And what if I do?" He asked in his low, alluring voice and those eyes of his looking right through me and into my soul.

  My eyes widened at his reply and a blush glowed on my face. He may be teasing me, or at least it looked that way on the outside, but that look in his eyes... It made me have a sense of doubt that what he said was purely teasing material.

  "Come on, brat. The suspense is killing me!" I was snapped out of my trance by his playful voice.

  I lowered my head to see the plate in front of me. "Oh." I took the strawberry off the top pancake and set it aside, sliding the flat batter off the plate and taking a bite, making sure to not lose any of the honey.

  It didn't take me long to realise I really had missed out. The perfectly fluffy, slightly moist batter just melted in my mouth.

  Accompanied by the honey to give it a soft sweet taste, it was just phenomenal. "My god, Jordan. You made these from scratch?"

  "From scratch."

  "And on your own?"

  "My own."

  "Wow. I really misjudged you!" I turned to face him behind me and something just completely blanked my mind.

  What was I thinking just then? I couldn't remember... That look of his... It was the first time I saw it. A look of happiness...

  No, that's not quite right. It was more like... A look of longing. And those eyes. I think that any colour of eyes with that look would make somebody go blank.

  "So you like them?" He asked me, his gaze fixated on me.

  I nodded, unable to find my voice. In fact, I could barely move away from his eyes.

  I saw a gentle smile grow on his face and my heart jumped a little. "That's a relief." He stated. He blinked his eyes and then that look of longing had gone. I snapped out of my paralysis as a large hand ruffled up my hair. "I have a reputation to keep!" He joked, chuckling a little.

  His laugh was contagious and I almost mimicked it. "What, for baking pancakes?" I faced the plate in front of me again and started working my way through the rest of the first pancake still in my hand.

  "Not just 'pancakes', brat." He corrected me, his hand still resting on my head. "Super, amazing, special pancakes!" As he said those words so triumphantly, the two of us couldn't help but laugh at his words.

  "Man, Jordan. You sounded like such a goof!" I teased through my laughter. "Some advice: if you value any reputation of any kind, don't title that reputation to make you sound like a dork!"

  When I was able to control my laughter, and Jordan almost ceased his, I dug in to the plate stacked of pancakes. They were way too good to pass up, even if there were way too much for me to handle. And me saying that, is the first time in a long time. Normally, I could eat like a pig. I have to commend Jordan that he was able to give me too many pancakes than I could handle... But that didn’t mean I wouldn't eat them all! I don't care if I throw up afterwards, they are too damn good!

  I heard a chuckle from behind me and I turned to see Jordan holding a playful smirk. "You like them that much, huh? I'm surprised you're not as big as a bloody blimp!" He commented and then placing his index finger at the centre of my chest.

  "Considering how much you eat, I'm surprised you don't have any boobs, either!" He added, laughing a little.

  A blush spread across my face and I grasped his hand and pulled it away from my chest. "Even if you do make amazing pancakes, you're still a fucking jerk!" I announced to him, before I released his hand.

  Well, I tried to, but the very moment I let go, Jordan held onto mine. It made me jolt a little in surprise and it didn't seem like he was going to let go.

  Fine by me. He can do what he wants, as long as it doesn't distract me from my pancakes. And, besides, ignoring sexual harassment should make him get bored of it after a while. At least, that's my theory.

  When I finally came to nothing but the strawberry, my stomach felt like it would explode. But, it was a good explode, if that makes sense.

  "Hey. Come here." I heard Jordan's voice as he forced my body to twist around so I was facing him. "You've got honey on your face."

  Something felt odd. His voice sounded so alluring and his eyes weren't leaving mine. Seeing him so close to me looking at me like he was, I felt my entire face flush and my heart skip a beat. "R-really? I'll go wash it off." I stuttered a little and was about to turn back and stand up, but Jordan stopped me.

  "No need." He whispered to me, his voice unusually close.

  It didn't take long for me to feel completely and utterly paralysed. I felt Jordan's nose brush across my cheek as his tongue came frighteningly close to my lips. He delicately licked the side of my mouth and I could only inhale a small breath, feeling an odd sensation coarse all the way through my body.

  It felt like an hour, before he drew his tongue away from my skin. He still had grip of my hand and had his fingers coiled around mine. He had his face still unusually close to mine, but not contacting my skin. "Sweet." He whispered in a low, husky voice, captivating enough to render my entire body immobile. I knew he had that smug little grin on his face without looking. Even if I wanted to look, I couldn't tear away from his deep emerald green eyes.

  We remained there in that position for some time, just gazing into each other's eyes. I couldn't move... To be honest, I didn't really want to move.

  I suddenly saw Jordan's face draw closer to mine again. His eyes narrowed with that alluring look. He drew closer and closer.

  So close, that it felt as if both our breaths were one. His lips no longer showed that smug look. We were so close that his mouth became hidden from my view, I only had his striking eyes to focus on.

  Just then, we both nearly jumped out of our skin when we heard a knock at my door. It seemed to snap both me and Jordan out of whatever we were feeling and his eyes turned shocked and almost apologetic.

  "Hey, Free! Jordan there with you?" It was Joe. "Listen, we're having a game of baseball. We were wondering if the two of you wanted to play. You wanna?" He asked us from the other side of the door, his voice slightly muted by it.

  I blinked a few seconds and tried to find my voice. "Uh, y-yeah, sure! We'll be there in a minute!" I called back to him.

  My focus gathered back to Jordan who was looking down at the floor. I swear I could see a small blush and that look in his eyes showed awkwardness. He looked kinda cute...

  I couldn't help but smile at his look. I leaned my body so my head came between the gaze he had with the carpet. "You coming?" I asked him gently.

  Almost immediately, I saw his eyes avert my gaze. "Yeah, sure." He mumbled almost shying away from me.

  My heart sank a little, recalling a similar reaction with Josh from yesterday. If I was going to repeat that awkwardness with Jordan, I don't know what I would do.

  I looked to the plate beside me and saw the strawberry. I picked it up and turned back to Jordan, still in his little awkward world.

/>   "Here." I spoke gently as I took the strawberry and put it to Jordan's lips. He automatically opened his mouth and I pushed it in, drawing my fingers away from him.

  The blush on his face grew wider and my smile did, too. Before I could see any more of his reaction, I stood up and made my way out the room, turning back before I left the doorway. "We'll meet you at the hill, 'kay?" I told him before leaving the cute 18 year old Jordan, temporarily stripped of his jerk status to be replaced with cute.

  Chapter 18

  "Free! You're up to bat!" I heard Josh yell from the sidelines.

  I looked up to him, snapping myself out of my thoughts. "Oh, 'kay!" I stood up from the grass and ran over, picking up the bat.

  Jordan joined us eventually, about 10 minutes after we started. It seemed strange to me.

  I mean, for starters; what the hell was up with earlier? What was he trying to do? He takes sexual harassment to a whole new level! But... With that reaction of his when Joe interrupted... Was that really sexual harassment? Could it have been-

  "Freesia! Hey, focus!" Craig yelled to me, waving at me. I snapped out of my thinking and tried to focus on hitting the ball.

  But, seriously, though. I have never seen Jordan react that way before. Not since that time when we had that fever and Miriam decided to tease him a little. But this time was a little different... Now that I think about it, aren't all his actions with me a little weird? I've never seen him treat the boys as he treats me. Teasing me, pissing me off on purpose, and then coming to the rescue in my time of need. Then again, he may just treat all girls like this. I haven't seen him with another girl before, so I don't know what I should expect...

  "Freesia!" I was brought back to reality by Jordan's panicked voice. When I realised what he was calling me for, it was too late.

  The Baseball impacted my head and I staggered back, blacking out for a few seconds. Saying it hurt was an understatement. "Fuck..." I grunted through my teeth, holding the side of my forehead and squatting.

  "Free!" The twins called to me simultaneously, but the first one to get to me was Jordan.

  "Hey, you alright? Talk to me." He held me by my shoulders and, when he did, I realised how much I was quaking. "Freesia?" His voice was soft and gentle, but it didn't help the throbbing pain from the impact.

  I heard several footsteps run towards me and I knew I was surrounded by all four boys. "I'm so sorry, Freesia." Craig apologised to me and placed his hand on my back. "I didn't mean to-"

  "It's alright." I interrupted him and opened my right eye to see a blurred vision of the boys. No doubt I was crying, the impact was hard. "You didn't use your full swing, so it's not that bad..." But as I said those words, I felt something run down the side of my face and cheek. I removed my hand from my left eye and looked to see blood all over my hand. "Shit." I whispered, feeling a little shaky.

  I suddenly felt my body rise from the ground and arms holding me in a familiar way. "You idiot, that's what you get for spacing out like that!" I looked to see Jordan carrying me bridal style, like before. "Didn't you ever get taught to 'keep your eye on the ball'?"

  My eyes narrowed and I placed my hand over my left eye again. "Sorry..." I whispered slightly gruff and sinking into Jordan's arms. "I'm sorry." I repeated.

  I was worrying the boys, I knew it. For proof, Jordan's heart rate was twice its normal rate. And if he was worried then, sure enough, the other boys would be worried, too. And I hate worrying people...

  "Joe! Josh! Get a bowl of water and two towels. Also some gauze and medical tape and scissors." I heard Jordan instruct the twins, who didn't seem to argue and were already on the job. "Craig, get some pillows, a blanket and an ice bag." I heard a 'yessir' from Craig before he left towards the villa in almost a sprint. "Let's get you patched up." The man's voice sounded so gentle and calm. But the heart beating through his chest told me that calm was the last thing he was.

  Of all the times for me to space out, I chose whilst I was up to bat. The worst possible time to space out! Thankfully, Craig's throw wasn't the strength of a professional, he is only a kid after all. But still... That didn't mean he couldn't deal any damage. It probably isn't that bad of an injury. Injuries on the head bleed a lot more than anywhere else on the body. Even a small cut can bleed immensely if inflicted on the head. I wish the pain wasn't so excruciating, though...

  I buried my face into Jordan's chest, tensing my body trying to stop my shaking. "Idiot, if you tense up, you'll only make the shaking worse." I heard his worried voice and I let off my tension as much as I could. The remaining tension was automatic for my body reacting to the pain. "You'll be alright." He reassured me, slightly tightening his grip on me.

  Even though they were simple little words, I felt a sense of relief when I heard Jordan tell me that. I felt that I could trust him...

  "Got the towels and water!" I heard Josh call, running to meet the two of us now in the living area.

  "And I have the gauze, medical tape and scissors!" Joe quickly followed suit and appeared next to his twin.

  I looked up and peered through my right eye. The twins had looks of worry in their faces and their green eyes held some pity, but only some.

  Suddenly, I felt my body drop onto the couch. "Wha-Hey!" I protested to Jordan who didn't seem the slightest teasing.

  "What was that all of a sudden?" I asked him, still holding my left eye.

  "Stay still. And don't get so hysterical, I only set you down." He explained to me.

  Wait, he set me down? I gave him a quizzical look. "It felt like you threw me down..." I confessed to him under my breath.

  His look said it all. Those emerald eyes of his were full of concern. He didn't have to say anything for me to realise that me feeling like I was thrown, was only psychological. Meaning the injury may be a little worse than I thought.

  I watched through my right eye as the twins came over and set the equipment on either side of Jordan before stepping away and giving Jordan some space. "Call mom. She should be getting out of work, soon. Tell her what's happened and make sure she knows to keep Kyle out of this."

  What? Why keep Kyle out of this? ... Something told me I shouldn't ask, so I didn't. Although I was really wanting to.

  The twins immediately went to the phone in the kitchen and rang Miriam, whilst Jordan knelt in front of me.

  "Move your hand." He spoke gently, slightly brushing it off my head. As my hand left the injury, blood began dripping down my face even more. "Stay still." He whispered as he dipped one of the towels in the water, wringing it so it was left damp. "This may sting a little, but just bear with it if you can." He explained as he pressed the cloth onto the wound, making me wince a little.

  He dabbed it for a moment and then took the dry towel and placed it there with some pressure. At the same time, he used the wet towel to wipe away the blood from the rest of my face.

  I stayed silent, but that didn't mean my brain was. Even though I had this pounding pain, I couldn't stop thinking about Jordan's actions around me. When he sees me in pain, his personality completely changes. He turns into this... ‘Knight in shining armour’. But when it's just normal Jordan, he takes the piss out of me and acts like a jerk. I honestly don't understand him at all...

  "What's with that solemn look?" I heard Jordan ask me, still holding the towel against my head. "You're not dizzy, are you?"

  I smiled weakly and tried to find my voice. "No... I was just thinking about something. It's nothing."

  "If it gives you that look, it's not 'nothing'. And you shouldn't be thinking. That's what got you in this mess in the first place! Give thinking a rest for a while!" Jordan's voice never changed from that gentleness, even when he scolded me... As if he couldn't bring it in himself to be angry or stern with me.

  After a while, Craig showed up with some feather pillows and a blanket, setting them at one end of the couch, and an ice bag that he placed next to me. Jordan had removed the towel from my head and I realised the bleeding had almost sto
pped. He took a cotton pad and placed it over the wound and then wrapped gauze around my head.

  As he was securing the gauze with medical tape, I decided to break the heavy silence in the room. "Y'know..." I started, seeing I had caught Jordan's attention by a swift glance to my eyes. "You seem to be used to doing this kind of thing."

  I heard Jordan laugh slightly as he snipped the medical tape off the roll, pressing it onto the gauze so it would stick. "Naturally. I had to care for the twins and Craig on my own most of the time. Between the three of them, I ended up tending to some kind of injury practically every week!"

  "Oh, makes sense!" I giggled a little at his explanation. I could see the three boys getting into all sorts of accidents. They were the types to end up falling and fighting with each other... But I couldn't picture Jordan like that at all.

  Now that I think about it... There really is a lot I don't know about him. He's practically a complete mystery to me. All I know about him is that he reads, cooks, hates Kyle, the background about his 5th birthday, and that he used to be the responsible one when he was a kid... Looking at it all in the bigger picture that is Jordan, that really isn't a lot. Am I really that kept in the dark?

  "There, done." I heard Jordan’s soft voice and he stood up. "Lie down." He ordered me. I saw no reason to argue, so I did and Josh and Joe both placed pillows behind my head to support it enough. "You should try and rest, if you can. It'll make it more bearable and stop you from over-thinking again!" Jordan partially teased as he threw the blanket over me and turned to the twins. "Did you reach her?" He asked them.

  They both nodded and answered simultaneously. "Yeah, she'll be home in about half an hour. And dad won't be home until late tonight, so she said to not worry about him."

  Jordan nodded to the boys, a relieved smile on his face. "Good..." He turned to look at me and stroked my hair. "If you start feeling any throbbing or swelling, put that ice bag on your head, okay?"