Between Two Lungs

The next morning when Mae awoke, she was freezing cold. She shot up from her bed and ran over to her heater, and noticed that there was no warm air coming from it. She groaned and rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm them.

After brushing her teeth, she walked out of her room in the same clothes that she had worn before and almost did a double take. Jordan was laying down on the couch bed, looking peaceful as he slept. She had nearly forgotten that she had a house guest.

And then she remembered the night before and how she'd tried to kiss him. Mae felt her cheeks heat up, the only part of her body that wasn't cold, and scurried off to the kitchen to make some hot coffee.

A few minutes later, Jordan woke up from the sounds of Mae shuffling around. He sat up, his hair slightly disheveled, and let out a yawn. "Why is it so cold in here?" he asked, rubbing his eye gingerly.

"My heater broke," Mae answered with a shiver. "I'm really sorry about this. Maybe you should stay with Marc or something for the rest of your trip. You'll be more comfortable."

"No," he said almost instantly. When Mae shot him a strange look, he cleared his throat. "I mean, I don't want to have to burden my brother. He gets really weird about people just staying over when they weren't exclusively invited by him."

Mae nodded slowly. "I guess."

From the kitchen counter, her phone buzzed. She picked it up and read the message she had just received. It was from her mother.

Sending you a ticket to Columbus for next Thursday. See you then. I told your father you say hi.

Mae felt a vein in her forehead pop. "Fucking hell."

"What's wrong?" Jordan asked as the coffee started to brew. "Who was that?"

"My mom again," she responded. "Still pestering me about coming home for Christmas. Except this time, she's actually doing something about it and buying me a plane ticket for next Thursday. And on top of it, she told my dad that I said hi to him when I absolutely did not."

"That sucks," Jordan commented. "Wait, I get why you're worked up over your mom, but you're upset because she told your dad that you said hi?"

"My father and I don't speak to each other," Mae said flatly. "I tried to move away to New York twice. The first time, he let the air out of my tires so that I couldn't drive. And then when I was away one day, he sold my car. It was a crappy used car from the 80's, but still. And then the second time, I had a friend drive me to the bus terminal when my parents were at work so that he couldn't stop me."

"Wow," Jordan breathed. "That's sort of intense."

Mae nodded. "My family has wanted to control me ever since I was ten. Ever since--"

She stopped herself.

Jordan leaned back against the counter. "Ever since what?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, shaking her head. "It's not important."

"Is it really?" Jordan asked, walking towards her and gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Or are you lying to me so that I won't find out about your dark past?"

Mae bit her lip and avoided looking him in the eye. "Maybe a little bit of both."

Jordan let out a sigh and took hold of one of Mae's small hands. "Do you still feel weird about what happened between us last night?"

"Nothing happened," she mumbled.

Jordan laughed. "Exactly."

Mae glanced up at him. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you don't have to start acting awkward around me now," he explained. "I like you, Mae. And I want to get to know you better. I want to know everything about you...good and bad."

She pulled her hand out of Jordan's grip. "Jordan, I--"

"What is it?" he asked quietly. "You can't tell me that there isn't anything between us."

"I never said that," she whispered. "I-I just..." She paused. "There are things about me that you'll hate me for if you find out."

Jordan shook his head. "If you're going through anything this bad, then you should let me help you."

"I barely know you, Jordan."

"And I'm trying to let you," he reasoned. "I know we've just met, but don't push me away." Jordan let out a sigh. "Is it Marc?"

Mae cocked her head to the side. "Is what Marc?"

"Are you in love with him?"

"I--" Mae stopped herself, having to think for a minute. "Marc and I are...complicated."

"So, you're dating him?"

"No."

"You dated him before?"

"Not exactly."

Jordan's interest was now at an all time high. "Are you sleeping with him?"

Mae gripped the counter and stared down at the ground. "Not anymore."

"But you were," Jordan stated. "You and Marc were fuck buddies?"

"It wasn't like that, okay?" Mae hissed, running a hand through her hair in frustration. "Jesus, I've never talked to anyone about this before. Never expected that the first person I'd open up to about it was going to be Marc's younger brother."

"Tell me what happened between you two," Jordan said. "I knew that there was something from the beginning. I saw the way that Marc looked at you when he saw you and I together the last time I was here."

Mae kept her eyes glued to the ground, leaning against the counter. "It started when I moved to New York three years ago when I was eighteen," she began. "The Rangers were having this charity thing down the street from where I was staying with a friend until I could find my own place. She was seeing this guy who was friends with Marc. He introduced us, and we kind of just hit it off right away."

"Are you two still...seeing each other?" Jordan asked tentatively.

"Well," Mae nibbled on her lower lip. "Not really. Things between Marc and I were always purely physical. I'm not in love with him, if that's what you're really trying to ask me."

"Ever been in love before?"

Mae shook her head. "No. Have you?"

Jordan sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "I thought I was once a long time ago, but I was wrong."

"I think I'm incapable of love," Mae decided. "I'll probably end up being some sort of asexual old spinster who lives in a rotting cabin with a hundred cats running around the yard."

"Maybe you just haven't found the right person yet," Jordan offered.

"And maybe I never will," Mae countered. "I mean, really, I've got all this emotional baggage, who's going to want to--"

She never got to finish her sentence, because in one swift movement, Jordan's lips found their way onto hers. He held her close, kissing her deeply as his thumb gently grazed over the surface of her cheek. Mae found herself kissing him back, but placed a hand on his chest and pushed him away.

"Jordan, I...I can't," she mumbled. "I don't want this to end up like it did between me and Marc."

"You two are still friends, right?" he reasoned, keeping a hand securely on her waist. "If you can still maintain a friendship with him, what makes you think you can't maintain one with me?"

Mae felt her breath hitch in her throat as he pinned her to the counter, his hips starting to dig into hers. Breathlessly, she said, "Because I didn't get butterflies in my stomach with him like the way I am with you right now."

"Let me prove to you that this will be different," he whispered against her lips. "Please..."

He trailed kisses all the way down her neck until he reached her collarbone. He nipped gently on the skin, causing a small moan to escape Mae's lips. "Okay," she finally gasped. Jordan grinned and kissed her again as she looped her arms around his neck. He lifted her by the waist, her legs wrapping around his torso as he led her back to the couch bed.

Needless to say, the heater being broken was no longer an issue.