Rough Hands and Kind Eyes

Ellie sat up in bed wondering what had pulled Jordan from her. She knew it wasn't car trouble. Kris wouldn't have called Jordan to come and fix his car. He would have called and asked what to do. Jordan loved his friends, but car trouble wasn't something he generally left bed at one in the morning for. Unless Kris had gotten in an accident and Jordan didn't want to tell her because he knew she'd worry?

"Maybe that's it," Ellie muttered to herself. She sighed and laid back in bed, cocooning herself in blankets.

....

Jordan sighed and walked into the bar immediately looking for the source of the issue. It wasn't hard to miss her. There she stood, standing on the bar dancing. Jordan sighed even louder and looked at Kris.

"She won't listen to any of us," Kris stated, giving him an apologetic look.

"You called me so I could get her off of a bar?" Jordan asked.

"Not just that," Kris sighed. "She's been starting fights and just been a mess since she got her. She got here drunk and hasn't stopped."

"Why do you think she'd listen to me? We haven't spoken in months and even when we did talk it wasn't friendly," Jordan stated.

"I didn't know what else to do. I'm sorry," Kris shrugged.

Jordan sighed and walked towards the bar, weaving in and out of the people staring at the girl on the bar.

"Tess," Jordan stated.

"Jordan!" Tess squealed. She was thinner, her face was sunken in. She was still beautiful, but she didn't look herself. She looked a mess.

"Get off of there," Jordan ordered.

"You come up here!" Tess smiled, continuing to dance all over bar.

"Buddy, you gotta get this girl out of here." The bartender shouted at Jordan over the music.

"Yeah, I'm trying!" Jordan replied. "Tess!"

"Do you remember this song?" Tess smiled, crawling back across the bar towards him. "We used to dance to this song all the time!"

"How about you come down off the bar and we can dance to it, okay?" Jordan bargained. He had no intentions of actually dancing with her. He just wanted her off the bar and into a cab so he could go home to his girlfriend.

"You have a girlfriend, Staal. And she doesn't like me," Tess slurred.

"Don't bring up Ellie to me," Jordan ordered. "Just get off the bar and we'll talk, okay?"

"Fine," Tess shrugged and slid off the bar and into his arms. Jordan quickly removed his arms from her waist and pulled her outside.

"What the hell are you doing, Tess?" Jordan asked.

"Having fun?" Tess suggested.

"No," Jordan replied, immediately livid with her. "What are you doing back in Pittsburgh?"

"I live here?"

"Not anymore you don't! You said you were leaving! Why are you back?" Jordan asked.

"Because I missed Pittsburgh," Tess smiled. "And I missed you."

"Why do you keep doing this, Tess?" Jordan asked. "Why do you insist on doing shit like this where I have to come and fix it?"

Tess said nothing, but she looked angry.

"I can't keep saving you, Tess! I'm not yours anymore," Jordan stated. "Okay? You can't keep calling me or having someone else call me to come and save you and clean up your messes. I'm not that guy for you anymore so you should go and find some other guy who will fall over you and save you. I'm not him anymore."

"Jordan, please." Tess cried as Jordan started to walk away. His heart leapt into his throat. Jordan knew that he shouldn't feel bad for her, but he had loved her at one point. Maybe he always would love her.

Jordan felt for her, he did.Tess and Jordan had been through a lot together and had been "together" for three years. He would always have a special place for her in his heart, despite all the bad things she'd done to him.

"Get in," Jordan ordered, turning and looking at the crying girl.

"Why?" Tess asked, rubbing her arms.

"I'll drive you home," Jordan stated.

Tess nodded and walked to his SUV, getting in. Jordan drove them in silence to Tess' apartment.

"Thank you, Jordan." Tess stated softly when he pulled up the complex.

"You're welcome," Jordan nodded.

Tess got out of the car and walked to the front doors of the building. Jordan watched and made sure she got inside all right before driving home. Jordan had made the decision to tell Ellie what had really happened tonight. He hoped that she wouldn't be angry with him. He hoped that she could understand why he had lied in the first place, and that she could forgive him.

Jordan also really hoped that Tess being back in town wouldn't be a problem. He hoped, but a part of him knew she'd always be a problem.