Their Heart Search: Bethany & Jordan's Story (Search Series) (9 page)

He was alone. Tai was working, relatively speaking he was happy, but his proposal was somewhat forced. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to marry Tai, but he was assured that they were meant to be, so he proposed. A knock at the door interrupted his trip to the buried depths of his heart as he searched for answers. 

“Meredith?” What was Tai’s mom doing there? She had been visiting him a lot. They’ve been having a ton of conversations, ones that led him to use the ring she gave him and propose to her daughter, but now he was confused. 

“Up for some company?” She winked and slowly untied her long trench coat revealing that she was wearing nothing.

Jordan blinked back his surprise as she entered his apartment. He was being pushed towards his bedroom. He tried to protest, but had no words. “I want you, Jordan, for one night. Before you commit to my daughter.” Jordan gulped. Was she being for real? But he didn’t stop her and willingly he fell into bed with his fiancée’s mother. 

“Fuck!” he hissed. 

“What Jordan? Tell me, Hun, what’s wrong?” She smiled sweetly. Jordan scrubbed his hands over his face. 

“What are we doing, Meredith? You wanted me to propose to Tai, I did and now this?” He was confused how he allowed for this. Sex with Tai’s mother, he was a moron, a fucking moron. 

“It’s okay, Jordan, Tai won’t know. I know you love her, but she’ll be busy with wedding stuff. I can keep you warm till your wedding.” He was shocked, but he didn’t protest. He kissed her and for the second time that night had sex with Meredith Coretti, his fiancée’s mother.

“That’s how it started,” he finished. 

“That’s low. I can’t believe she did that to her own daughter.” Bethany’s voice raised. 

“Not her. What we did. I was at fault as well. I should’ve stopped it and didn’t.” 

“You’ve blamed yourself for the whole thing, haven’t you?” Jordan just shrugged. 

“Why did you ask for the ring back?” she questioned. 

“I shouldn’t have, especially the way I did. I knew Tai was hurting. I just couldn’t risk her finding out where it came from. I gave it back to Meredith the next day, and that’s when I found out about the divorce. If I had known Tai just found out, I wouldn’t have done it then, but I just couldn’t go on pretending like we were destined for this fairy tale wedding and marriage.” He closed his eyes, guilt grabbing a hold of him again. Guilt he still held on to as a reminder of mistakes he would never repeat. 

“I understand,” she said standing up and walking towards his stuff. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, amused.

“Moving you back in.” She winked wheeling his suitcase towards his room. Before standing, Jordan exhaled in relief. He wasn’t being kicked out, that was a plus. He shot up from the couch and raced towards where she had paused with his bag.

“Sleep in with me tonight?” he whispered in her ear. She just nodded in reply.

Bethany

While she disagreed with what Jordan did, she didn’t see that man before her. Instead, she saw a man full of guilt desperately trying to right the wrong. “Jordan,” she whispered as he laid next her in his bed. 

“Hmmm…” he responded. 

“I understand.” She felt his lips touch her shoulder. The relief pouring off of him. Jordan had learned from the past. Jordan was trying and she needed to try as well. “I’ll try, Jordan. I just need a little more time,” she whispered as she began to doze off in his arms. 

“I love you, Bethany Donald,” he whispered against the skin of her neck. Bethany tensed. She didn’t respond. Jordan’s breathing evened out. Her eyes filled with tears. She loved him too, she just wasn’t ready. She was still broken, she was still…she really didn’t know. Damn, Raiden! Why hadn’t Raiden proposed to Tai yet? It made her nervous. And then of course there was Kai Lukas.

“Kai!” She called once they were dismissed. He turned towards her and just shook his head before walking away. 

“I can’t believe he didn’t choose dark night,” Raiden spoke coming up behind her as Kai walked away. Bethany shrugged at his words. 

“I need to go,” she said hastily. She didn’t feel right and she feared…well, she feared what would now be the worst. 

Raiden grabbed her hand and spun her around. They hadn’t talked since that night. Bethany hadn’t been able to face him after she slept with Kai. “Are you okay, Bethany?”

She just nodded. “I’m sorry about three weeks ago, Beth.” 

“I know,” she said twisting away from him. She couldn’t do this, not now at least.

Was Jordan really her answer? Could he really be the one to cure her broken heart? She’d never know if she didn’t try, but she didn’t know how.

Jordan

His phone was ringing and he knew who it would most likely be. He sighed at his sleeping beauty next to him before leaving her to answer the call. 

“Morning, Meredith.” 

“What the hell, Jordan?” she screamed at him. 

Damn, it was way too early for this. “What are you talking about?” 

“She’s staying, you’re staying. And if that isn’t bad enough, you’re just going to let another man have her.” Jordan groaned in frustration. 

“You spoke with Tai, that’s good,” he replied. 

“Jordan, don’t change the subject! Why aren’t you fighting for her?” Meredith hissed. 

“Because I don’t love her!” Jordan yelled back. It wasn’t completely true he did love Tai. Just not in the way Meredith thought or wanted. 

“Oh Jordan, baby, how can you say that? Think of what we could have if you and Tai married.” Jordan shook his head at her words to process them. Was she really suggesting they could continue their affair if he married Tai? He had nothing for her, so he just hung up and tossed his phone onto the coffee table.

She called back, but he didn’t answer. It took five times before she got the hint that he was done. 

He leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. It wasn’t long before he felt the presence of the one he loved. He opened his eyes to find her leaning over the back of the couch staring down at him. “Bad morning?” she asked. 

He chuckled, “You could say that. Beautiful, we’re both off today, could we maybe go somewhere and just hang out?” 

She nodded and kissed his forehead. He loved her. He told her last night, although he wasn’t sure if she heard him. He was going to address it though. “Beautiful, last night…” She placed her finger over his mouth silencing him. 

“I heard, I can’t yet, but I like knowing how you feel. I have demons, too. I just hope I get the chance to explain them before you leave.” He shifted on the couch so he was sitting up and looking deep into her eyes. 

“Why would I leave? I. Love. You.” She shrugged. 

“You might,” she sighed before heading into her room. Jordan wasn’t sure what she was holding back, but it couldn’t be any worse than sleeping with your fiancée’s mother.

Bethany

Their day out was nice. It was peaceful. Bethany was enjoying herself. She really liked Jordan’s company. They were sitting on a blanket, his hand was resting casually on top of hers. She was still thinking about his ‘I love you.’ Truth was, she loved him, too. She just couldn’t admit that to anyone but herself for now.

“You’re really quiet, beautiful,” he said, straightening up from his half laying position.

“Sorry, was thinking about a lot of things. Tai’s worried,” she replied. Bethany and Jordan had talked about the affair, but not the other part of the conversation. The part where Tai asked her if Raiden had changed his mind.

“What about exactly?” he asked and she sighed. She didn’t want to tell him Tai was worried. She wanted to move forward with him, but with Raiden stalling she just couldn’t.

“Tai’s worried that Raiden has changed his mind,” she finally got out.

“She’s only worried because of what happened to us. This is my fault. Her insecurities are my fucking fault.” He jumped up and took a swing at the nearest tree. Bethany was taken back.

“No, it’s Raiden’s, for stalling,” she retorted.

“Yes, but she wouldn’t have reason to have that kind of doubt, if I hadn’t done what I did.” He knelt in front of her and cupped her cheeks placing a light kiss against her lips.

She sighed, she couldn’t argue with him, because in all likelihood Jordan was right. His light kiss reminded her of what she wanted so badly, but couldn’t have, not yet at least.

“Maybe an intervention is in order,” she thought out loud.

“Hmmm…that’s an idea,” he responded, taking a seat next to her again and lounging back. Damn, he was sexy in all the right ways. He smiled at her and her heart skipped a beat.

“I’ll talk to Raiden and you talk to Tai,” she continued trying to pull her stare from his body.

“That might seem odd to them,” he answered, taking another strawberry from the basket they had packed. She watched him carefully wishing this was a date. Wishing that at the end of the day they would be curled up in her bed with no clothes on. “Shit,” she muttered.

“What is it, beautiful?” The concern look now etched on his face made her cringe. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

“Nothing. I agree about it being strange, but I’ve known Raiden my whole life and even though you and Tai didn’t work out, there is a connection that only you two have.” He didn’t argue with her. Nor did he question about her changing the subject back to Raiden and Tai. She liked that he never pushed her.

He was getting bolder in his moves. Saying ‘I love you.’ The light kiss on her lips, it was all nice, and it was Jordan’s way of saying ‘I care. I’m not leaving. It’ll work out.’ It was also his way of moving things forward while allowing her to have her space and somewhat guard her heart, she was failing miserably though at that.