Chapter 22

"I'm going to miss you". Kourtney said with a shaky laugh as she hugged her sister. "This has been a completely wild summer.

"I agree", Jordan said, hugging her sister close to her. "I'm going to miss you crazy girl."

Jordan hugged all of her sisters and her Aunty before turning and grabbing her carry on as they called her flight on the intercom.

"I'm already late; I'm going to get going." Jordan kissed Kathy on the head one more time before hugging the twins and running into the security check out with the hope she would catch her flight on time.

Making it by the skin of her teeth, Jordan slid into the window seat on the back of the plane and closed her eyes. The flight went by pleasantly and soon Jordan found herself heading towards campus with anxious anticipation.

She went straight to her new dorm, glad to be placed with a new roommate and hopefully one not quite as annoying as Melanie.

"Hey Jordan!" a random girl called to her as she trudged across campus. Jordan waved at her, a smile coming easy to her lips. This is it, she thought as she reached her new dorm. I can finally relax.

Jordan unlocked her new room and looked around. It appeared her new roommate had gotten to the room before she had. She walked to the room with nothing in it and smiled. It felt wonderful to have her own separate room now. She threw her suitcase down on the floor, determined to unpack when there was a knock on the door.

"Jacob?" She asked, stunned to see him standing there. He looked great. His hair was lighter, probably bleached by the sun, and his skin was darker.

"Can I come in?" He asked her, biting his bottom lip nervously.

Jordan nodded even though her insides were screaming for her to say no. She moved to the side and let him walk in. Slowly, taking her sweet time, she locked the door with shaking hands and turned around.

"How was your summer?" He asked as he took a seat on the couch in the living room. He crossed his legs and put his hands behind his head in a comfortable pose. It unnerved her: his proximity, his carefree manner.

"What do you want?" she needed him to leave her alone. Jordan didn't need people rubbing things in her face, and she definitely didn't need him doing it.

"I asked you first?" He smirked at her, daring her to say something, only because he knew she wouldn't.

"It was hell. I fucked up bad this summer. But I'm trying to get my life back to normal and if you came to rub my mistakes in my face you can leave."

He looked shocked at his outburst. She'd never talked to him like that before. It unnerved him to know she'd changed so much over the summer, but a part of him licked it too.

"Jordan, I didn't come here to rub anything in your face. I just came to talk to you."

Jordan wasn't going to cry, she was done crying. "Then why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you. I couldn't stop thinking about you this entire summer."

Jordan shook her head. She couldn't do this, not again. "Jacob", she breathed. "I love you, I'll always love you. But I can't do that to you. Remember what you told me; about me always clinging to people."

"Baby I was just angry", he started, but she shook her head.

"No", she said. "You were right. I do cling to people. I cling and I use them to make me feel better about myself. Well I need to learn to make myself happy first. Then maybe I can make someone else happy."

Jacob shook his head in understanding. "I'm proud of you." He stood up and slowly made himself over to her. He had that look on his face. The look he gave her when she would spin in circles and chant random words until she was tired. The look he gave her when she jumped only on her panties and sports bra into the school pool and yelled for him to join her.

"I love you Jordan", he said, kissing her forehead and hugging her tightly. "I'll wait for you forever."

Jordan kissed his chin, her vision blurring. "I love you too and I'm not asking you to do that."

Jacob pulled away and smiled. "It's okay, I'd wait for you even if you didn't want me to."

Jordan didn't say anything as he walked out of her dorm. She locked the dorm behind him and went back into her respected room. She finished unpacking her things and went into the front room to wait for her roommate. Jordan hoped they would be friends. And if they weren't she would live. It was time to start working on herself without others anyway.