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 Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:31 pm
Maddie sounded like she was about to cry - of course she did, and it was his fault for letting her think, for a moment, that he could be with her. Jordan made himself look at her again; she deserved that much respect. More than that. "Not really," he said, and had to pause, just to breathe. "He's already dating someone."
"I'd - if I could, Maddie," he added, and the regret in his voice was genuine.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:39 pm
"I-I," Madison stammered, then paused as what he'd actually said percolated through her brain. For a moment she looked up at him wide-eyed. He.
Oh.
A hundred possible responses fled through her mind; she batted away her old instinct, mockery and rudeness and why the <********> had she even cared? Because it was something the others had cared about, because it was a tradition. Slagging on others to elevate themselves - but this wasn't ******** high school. And this wasn't just anybody... and she'd been so, so wrong anyway.
She took a deep breath and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'm sorry, I... I understand, Jordan, I... thank you for thinking of me," she said, quietly, then half-laughed, half-sobbed. Her shoulders shook for a moment, but when she looked up again she was smiling through her tears.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:48 pm
Some of the tension bled out of Jordan's shoulders as Maddie hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her, returning the embrace. This, at least, he could do. "I'm sorry," he said again, quietly. "Whoever you end up dating, he'll be a lucky guy."
If his closest friends could accept him, could forgive him, even when he'd been an idiot - well, maybe things would be okay after all.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:51 pm
"Dude, don't.... don't apologize," she said, grinning and reaching up to swat at him before wiping away her tears. "It's not like your fault or something. Hah... you wanna know something really, really stupid? I, uh... it's actually way easier for, like, you to not want me because of that than, like... if it was another girl." She looked sheepish for a moment.
"And, y'know... same back at you. A lucky guy, for sure. Really." She sniffled again but the smile on her face had yet to fade.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:56 pm
The corner of his mouth tipped up at her admission. "I think I can understand that," he said.
"Thank you. For - accepting me," he offered. "You're one of my closest friends, you know. Like family."
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:02 pm
"W-well, yeah... you are, to me, too. Like family. Not sure what, exactly, 'cause I already told Robert he's the big brother I never had, and Ennea's the little sister, but you're definitely in there. And, like, super important. Super super important." She gave him another squeeze.
"Thanks for, um. For... telling me. And everything. It would've been so hard if everything had, like, just gone all wrong... so I'm glad..." Another sniff, another swipe at her eyes. "Even though it didn't quite work out how I was hoping, it's way better than some of the stuff I was afraid of, y'know? I want to see you and smile with you and hang out with you, not run away when I see you coming! So... I won't. Never, ever."
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:08 pm
"I'm glad too." Jordan hugged Maddie a little more tightly, then let go, though his hand lingered on her shoulder for a moment. "Want to go get some tea and cookies or something? I could use a little downtime." Just relaxing, letting the sting of what wasn't possible start to ease away.
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:10 pm
Madison took a deep breath, then released Jordan too, though one hand went up to cover the hand he'd placed on her shoulder. Just for a moment. "Yeah, sure~ are they Christmas cookies? Because I could eat about a million of those right now," she said, earnestly. "Or at least half a million."
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Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:17 pm
A small, wry smile. "Yeah. Just like Nan used to make. With happiness baked right in." He'd tell her that was literal - but when they got downstairs.
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