Rough Hands and Kind Eyes

"I don't understand why you put up with it," Craig Adams stated the next morning at practice as him and Jordan skated around together.

"Put up with what?" Jordan asked, hitting a stray puck towards Fleury.

"With Tess," Craig replied. "She treats you like shit. She doesn't appreciate you, she takes advantage of you, strings you along like a fucking dog and you just accept it. I get it. She's hot, but what else does she have going for her?"

"We have fun," Jordan shrugged.

"You don't want just fun, though." Craig stated. Everyone knew that Jordan wanted to settle down, get married and have a baby early, just like Eric had. No one wanted to see him do it with Tess.

"You're right, but what if I just want to have fun right now?" Jordan asked, stopping near Fleury in net.

"Do you, though?" Craig asked.

"Does he what?" Fleury asked, standing up and grabbing his water bottle from atop the net.

"More than fun with Tess," Craig replied. Jordan sighed. He knew the whole team knew about him and Tess. They all knew that he was trying to be with her and all she wanted was to fool around.

"You don't need a girl like that," Fleury muttered. "She doesn't treat you right."

Jordan rolled his eyes. It was like this everyday. Everyday the guys gave him hell for being with Tess. They knew that she didn't treat him well and they knew that he deserved better.

"I can set you up with a nice girl. Vero is always bringing home new friends. I can see if she knows anybody," Fleury suggested. Typical Marc-Andre. Always trying to set his friends up.

"Nah," Jordan replied, shaking his head. He was convinced that he would make Tess change her mind and change her ways.

"Why not?" Craig asked. "Just see who's out there. You could like her."

"I already like someone," Jordan shrugged. "I know that you guys don't get it. I know that it seems a little wild to you, but it makes sense to me. I like Tess so I'm going to stay with her. I think she'll come around to the idea of being in a relationship with me."

"I don't think so," Craig stated. "You can't tame a girl like that."

"I don't want to tame her. I just want to be with her," Jordan stated. "I like her the way she is."

"But does she like you the way that you are?" Craig asked. There it was. The one thing Jordan didn't like to think of. He hated having to think of if Tess really liked him. Not just his body and what he could do with it. He hated having to think that there was a possibility that Tess didn't like the way he thought, and didn't appreciate him for who he was outside of bed.

"She does," Jordan mumbled. "She'll come around to being in a relationship. She will."

She had to.