Act Your Age

#Taylor#

While I was skating, after Ronni left me to my thoughts, I realized... I'm a jerk. Seriously. I'm just a bad guy. I was still shocked Ronni had any feelings for me when I had always been so mean to her. I momentarily let her depression divert my attention from the pressing topic at hand: I might have gotten her fired. I probably skated for a half an hour, thinking about what I should do, when it dawned on me. The guys were probably going to need the ice soon, and I couldn't bear to be around Jordan after the huge mess I had just made.

I went home and stretched my legs, trying to clear my mind again. I knew I had to tell her. It was bound to come up in conversation sooner or later when I suddenly didn't have a physical therapist anymore. This was partially sick, and partially not, but I didn't care so much about not having a trainer with me. I was nearly ready to be on the ice, and I could make it the rest of the journey by myself. At the same time, I would miss Ronni and I still felt like vomiting for possibly crushing the one dream she saw as some type of redemption for her actions toward her father.

Again. Guess who couldn't sleep that night? I did use the insomnia wisely, if that's even possible. Jordan had gone out for drinks with the team, probably to get pumped for the game the next day, so I had the apartment to myself for a bit. I mean, they couldn't party that hard or stay out that late because of the game, but I did have my space. I used it to brainstorm ways to apologize and to tell her what happened. Part of me wanted to lie and tell her I didn't know who did it, but that's not a great way to start a relationship. On the other hand, telling her risked her hating me for the rest of my life which also blew away the idea of a relationship.

"That is hard..." Phoebe agreed, tossing the soccer ball around in her hand.

Ronni was MIA that morning, I had an idea as to why, and Phoebe didn't have a car. She needed a ride to the local rec center, which I conveniently knew how to get to, considering my recent exercise routine. Plus, since I was invited to the game to watch her play, it seemed pointless to go if she wasn't on the field. So, there we were, in the car, on the way to the indoor soccer field. Of course, this had to be the first day it snowed, the day I had to drive around outside. Still, I made the best of the time we spent together and took the opportunity to explain my current predicament.

"You're agreeing with me?" I asked as I parked the car. She nodded and hopped out. I knew there was a reason I liked her. I followed suit and went to the trunk, grabbing her duffle bag before slamming it shut again. "Well, what should I do? I mean... She's never going to trust me again..."

Phoebe shrugged and juggled the ball on her thighs and ankles as we walked towards the entrance, ignoring the bag that I held towards her. She's literally like my twin. I remember only wanting to bounce the puck around on my stick instead of focusing on the real world. I snagged the ball out of the air and quickly shoved the bag into her arms. She glared at me, but slung it onto her shoulder anyways. And we both have major issues concentrating on one thing for too long...

"Jeez. Chill your pants, bro. I do have a game to play soon." I grunted an apology and held the door open for her. "Look, you know Ronni. She... she'll see right through you, no matter how hard you try to hide it. Besides, hiding it is probably the worst idea anyways because it's wrong."

I gave her a look. "Because I've been such a good boy up to now? I'm definitely not on Santa's Nice list, Phoebe.."

She grinned as she lead the way through the front lobby to one of the back rooms. "Well, what better way to start by telling the truth." I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, you're a nice guy, whether you recognize it or not. It won't be easy... and she'll definitely be pissed at you but... you have to do it." I sighed as we entered the indoor soccer field. Funny, looks like they covered a hockey rink in turf...

"I know..." I mumbled under my breath, while crossing my arms over my chest. Why does it have to be so hard?

Phoebe giggled and placed her hand on my shoulder. I glanced up to see her giving me this goofy look. "You mess a lot of stuff up... make a lot of mistakes, I get that... but, you always fix them. I know you'll fix this one." With that, she brought me in for a hug. I returned the hug, welcoming any form of kindness I could get. "Besides... now you've got me in your corner. You helped me out, now it's my turn to return the favor."

She backed out of the hug and playfully patted my cheek. "Thanks." I finally had someone who knew what was going on and still wanted to stay my friend. None of my friends knew everything about me, mainly because I figured they wouldn't want to remain my friend if they knew the whole story. Phoebe, she knew a lot, and she hadn't even known me very long, and she was still here. "I appreciate it."

Phoebe teased, "Anytime, boo." She pinched my cheeks and made baby noises. Why? I don't know. At this point, I don't question it.

I slapped her away until she turned to jog onto the field. "Get out of here." I playfully kicked her in the butt until she ran away, laughing the whole time. I shook my head and sat down, ready for the game. My presence, however, didn't go unnoticed. Before I could really enjoy the game for what it was, I signed a couple autographs and took a few pictures for some Oilers fans who happened to be there. If only they knew the real Taylor Hall...

*Ronni*

I didn't say anything to anyone that night. I was too shocked by the news to imagine actually verbalizing it to anyone. I sat in my room, slept, cried, slept, cried, and then slept again. Wouldn't you if you had to break a boy's heart, finally deal with your father's death, and possibly have to leave a job you've come to love? All in one day?

I wanted to go to Taylor's that night and just curl up in a ball next to him, praying he could make it all go away. I've never felt so vulnerable. Then, I thought he might crack a joke... plus, if Jordan was there, things would be awkward. So, I changed my mind; I wanted Jordan comforting me instead. Then, I figured he would try and encourage me to stay positive like the perfect guy that he is, and I didn't want to have to let him down and tell him I'm not perfect like him. Then, my mind retreated back to Taylor...

In the end, I chose Theo... because he was cuddly like a Teddy Bear, and Magnus because he didn't say much. Or at least... in my mind, I chose them.

Of course, I couldn't exactly see that working out for me. I stayed alone. Annie didn't come in, probably because she thought I was asleep, and Phoebe went to bed soon after I did because she had a game the next day. So, there I was, a blubbering mess crumpled up in the covers on my bed.

The next day, I wanted to see Taylor. I decided he was the guy to go to. I don't know why I kept deciding this... I got in my car and drove to the rink, expecting him to be working with Jack or something. However, no one was at the rink. I was halfway on my way to the boys' apartment when I realized that,
A. It was a bad idea because Jordan would be there,
B. I forgot to drive Phoebe to her soccer game, and
C. Taylor had agreed to go to her next soccer game... which was that morning.

That brought me to my next stop, the rec. center that I was so sick of seeing. I walked back to the indoor field, where her team always played. I scanned the field, locating Phoebe as she waited by the bench, ready to hop back into the game. At least she made it okay... Before I took a seat in the bleachers, I searched the crowd and found Taylor, sitting at the top, signing a couple autographs, while simultaneously watching the game.

I couldn't have sprinted any faster. I ran in front of the bleachers, momentarily blocking everyone's view, and jogged to the back, where he sat. I stood there, waiting for him to finish up with his fans, when he saw me. His eyes were sad, and I couldn't figure out why. It was evident in his voice too, when he said, "Uh... guys, I'll sign these a little later, okay?" The kids frowned, but nodded and scooted down to the other end of the bleacher. Taylor jumped down and joined me on the ground. "Hey... Ronni, I was hoping I would catch you. I wanted to tell you that-" he began.

I couldn't have cared less about what he wanted to tell me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest, trying to hold back more tears. "Taylor... it's horrible..." I breathed, choking on my own air. Taylor reluctantly hugged me back, petting my head like a child. I sure felt like one...

"What happened?" he asked, tone more sympathetic now.

I sobbed into his chest for a little bit, refusing to look at him. Taylor pried me off of his chest and brought me a couple feet away from the spectators on the bleachers. Poor kid, he is probably sick and tired of dealing with me and my wack-o emotions. "I'm sorry..." I apologized, wiping my eyes.

Taylor crossed his arms over his chest and repeated, "What happened?"

And I ruined his game. I knew he was kind of looking forward to watching Phoebe play, and I just completely smashed those plans. "I just... I could lose my job, if I don't stop seeing Jordan." I sighed.

His face contorted into one of anger, confusion, and sadness, all at once. "Hey, isn't Jack technically your boss? He can resolve this, right?" Taylor asked.

I shook my head. "It was the head of the department that sent the e-mail. I mean, I'm sure Jack knows but... he'd side with his boss and tell me to break it off anyways. He's been warning me from the get-go."

"I... Well it shouldn't be that big of a deal if you're going to break up with him anyways... right?" Taylor pointed out with a hopeful smile.

I shook my head and ran a hand through my hair. "I didn't want to do that until you were on the ice and he was done adjusting to the season and... I mean that's not even the point! First, my reputation is ruined, even if I somehow manage not to get fired and convince my bosses that I'm not in a relationship with Jordan... I can't exactly put this on my resume! My future employer will call Rexall Place and learn I'm some sleaze who just wants to get in the player's pants."

Taylor gave me a skeptical look and smirked. I was not in the mood for joking, but I could tell it was coming whether I wanted it or not. "Who says that's a bad thing?" I punched him in the shoulder as hard as I could. I must have gained some muscle over the past month or so, because he actually winced in pain. Hulk SMASH! "Okay! You're right, not funny. But they won't think that... Everyone at Rexall Place is pretty chill and-"

"And that's my second issue! Someone ratted me out! Someone at Rexall Place ratted me out! Who would do that? The only guys on the team that knew were Nuge and Mags and they wouldn't say anything so... who would do that?" I wondered, biting my lip. I was mentally running through the list of people I knew at the rink, but none of them would have said anything. None of them had any reason too.

#Taylor#

I took a deep breath. Do it. Do it. Do it. Decision time. Are you going to continue to do what's best for you or do what's right? One look at Ronni's pink, sad, scared face and I knew it wasn't much of a decision; I knew what I had to do. Not because I wanted to be with her romantically, or because I wanted to get out of this issue, but because she deserved to know.

"Look... Ronni, I have to tell you something." I sighed quietly. She gave me a perplexed look. She opened her mouth, probably to argue that it wasn't time to ramble about other topics. I put one hand on my neck and one on my hip. Ronni didn't make a sound when she saw my shift in mood. "I... I know who got you in trouble with your bosses."

Ronni gaped, putting her hands on her hips. "Who?! Who is it? How do you know anyway-Wait! Why didn't you tell me before I started ranting on and-?" she exploded.

Shit. If this is her beforehand... "I did it!" I hollered. Ronni froze, face expressionless. Her eyes, however, were full of so much emotion, it was hard to track each one; they came in waves, crashing over her repeatedly every second.

"You... you what?" Ronni put a hand to her forehead, breathing in and out as calmly as she could.

I frowned and put my hands on her shoulders, hoping it would show that I had made a dumb mistake and I still cared. It's pretty farfetched to believe that much emotion can be expressed in such a simple motion... "I am so very sorry. I... It was after the dinner with everyone and... At first I thought that you had some feelings for me and, then, I thought you didn't-didn't even care that Phoebe and I were together and I was furious! I didn't want Jordan to have you and- it was stupid and I was jealous and I am so so so sorry."

She shrunk away from my hands, eyes closed. I could hear her breathing coming out harsher now. Her face grew redder. Ronni was shaking, physically shaking with anger. I took a step back, due to my fear that she would deck me. It's totally possible.

*Ronni*

Did I hear him right? Of all people-I trusted him! He... he hasn't changed at all. Still the same selfish, juvenile, rude, obnoxious, and inappropriate ass-smelling-monkey-brat that I met my first day on the job! I'm so dumb. how could I fall for this. Seriously? Guys like Taylor don't change, not that fast, and not that much. I should have known...

"So... so instead of telling me this straight up, you were going to... what, wait until I got fired? You still hate me, is that it?" I asked. No one is that evil. After all I told him? This was my dream, my world, and he was treating it like garbage. "You knew about my dad and-"

He shook his head, holding his hands up in front of him for defense. "Nonono! I didn't know about the whole story until the other day when we were on the ice! I... I promise, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just mad and-" Oh, so that makes up for it! Yeah totally... except not at all.

"And you wanted revenge. I thought I could trust you.... You can't handle not getting what you want, so you'd stoop this low?" I hissed, balling my hands into fists. My nails were digging into my palms, and I had to remind myself to let up on the grip. "I hate you. I... I can't believe I actually thought you were decent." I'm going to be sick.

I was in the middle of storming past when he grabbed my elbow and kept me there. Maybe he shouldn't have gone to the weight room the other day. "Wait! You don't even know half of it! I... I've liked you for a while and-"

"A while?! You've been making my life a living hell for the past month! Is fighting constantly is your idea of flirting? And... and after all I did for you. I was trying so hard to help you and... you threw it in my face!" I spat, ripping my arm free of his grasp.

He ran in front of me. "I'm sorry! I... I don't know what you want me to say..." Taylor reached for my hands and held them tightly.

He gazed down at me, his bright blue eyes so pitiful and adorable. Taylor pouted and squeezed my hands a little tighter. I could feel his heart beat through his fingers, pulsing faster the longer it took me to respond. I could feel the tears burning at the back of my eyes. Don't. Give. In. "Say it's a lie..." I blinked the tears away and opened my eyes to see that Taylor's face dropped. "Say it isn't true... Say I can trust you again... and mean it." He hung his head for a second before forcing himself to look back at me. He opened his mouth, tried to say something, but choked on the word. He couldn't say any of it. "That's what I thought."

I dropped his hands and charged for the other side of the room. I barged through the doors, into the lobby, and out into the parking lot. I was halfway to my car when I felt Taylor's arms around me. "Just wait!" he commanded. He picked me up and lightly set me back down.

I punched him in the chest; he flinched and moved back. I gave him a shot to the arm too. "No! I'm done!" I had never been violent with anyone before, but I was so pissed off, I didn't know what else to do with myself. I popped him in the stomach. Taylor was grunting and groaning at the hits I was dishing out, but it was all I could do to keep from ripping out his throat. "And don't touch me!" I marched off to my car, turning back every few seconds to make sure he wasn't following me. He wasn't. I hopped in and sped out of the lot as fast as possible.

"Hello?" Jordan called over the receiver.

I was sniffling at this point, my nose red from the friction of cheap tissues as they ran across my nose. "Hey... Can... can you come over tonight?"

"What's wrong?" he wondered, protective tone suddenly present.

"Just come...." I whimpered, before hanging up the phone. I didn't mean to be curt, but I was moments away from sobbing.

What I did was right... right? It's not like we can just make-up like always, right? This is way bigger than those stupid arguments we had about how many laps he should swim or how rude his comments were or how selfish he was. He went behind my back. He made me believe I could trust him and then he lied to me. I can't forgive him... right?

Thankfully, I wasn't alone with my thoughts for long, because a couple minutes later, the door burst open and Jordan was standing in the doorway. I looked over at him and stood, ready to try and greet him as formally as possible. I didn't make it past the coffee table; he closed the door and crossed the room in two strides, pulling me into a tight hug. "What happened?" He murmured into my hair.

I didn't cry as hard as I thought I would. I didn't really want to cry. What does crying do? Make my face wet. I think it's wet enough. I did need the hug though. "Ah sost meh hob sepause dur Furler." Okay, that's not what I said, but because I wouldn't let go of Jordan and my face was hidden, that's what it sounded like.

"What?" he chuckled as we sat down on the couch. He held me away from him so I could speak properly. Jordan wiped the lone tear that escaped my eye and left a wet trail down my cheek. "Try again." He smirked, rubbing my shoulder comfortingly.

I took a deep breath and repeated, "I lost my job because of Taylor." Jordan was shocked at first; he had no words. Then, it was clear that he was really angry, because his eyes got darker. He opened his mouth, but I didn't want to hear it until I told him everything. "Technically, I have a chance to keep it... but I have to break up with you." I rushed out the last part.

Jordan blinked at me, confused. "They... they found out? How-"

"Taylor." I rested my head on the couch and closed my eyes. I explained how I got home, checked my email, saw the job offers, and the threat against my job. I told Jordan about how Taylor had lied to both of us, told my bosses about the relationship, and about how he was trying to crush my dreams. "I hate him." I finished. I glanced over at him.

"I don't understand... You know you probably got those offers because Taylor mentioned you in an interview... Why would he try and ruin your career if-" He stopped looking at me. Jordan was now staring at the table. "Are you okay?" I shrugged. I felt better now that someone else knew. Annie wasn't home, Phoebe was obviously at the game, and I clearly wasn't telling my Uncle who wouldn't exactly sympathize with me. "He's a jackass. Really. But... you know what we have to do." He looked to me, the saddest expression present.

I shook my head and snuggled up next to him. "No. I don't want to." I pouted and clung onto his firm chest. He chuckled against my body, petting my hair. "It's not funny! I'm being serious." I wasn't being fair, considering moments ago, I was all about Taylor, but I needed someone sturdy in my life, and Jordan was clearly the boy I should have chosen.

He pulled me off of him and planted a hot, urgent kiss on my lips. "You're not picking me over your dream. I'm not going to let that happen. Besides... I think I know more than you think I do about this... situation."

#Taylor#

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "Fuck." I grumbled as I waited for Phoebe in my car. She trudged out, bag slung over her shoulder as she jogged to me. She tapped on the window and waited for me to roll it down. I poked my head out and stared up at her.

She wasn't happy either. "What happened to you?" she wondered hands on her hips. I brought my head back into the car but still stared at her as I rolled the window back up and stared at the blue Ford F-150 that sat in front of me. I heard a groan as she stomped around the car and let herself in the passenger's seat. "You left before half-time and never came back! What the fuck! I thought you wanted to-"

"Ronni came by..." I was still staring at the truck in front of me, noting that the owner had a couple nicks in on the bumper.

"Oh..." Phoebe fell silent. She deflated like a balloon as she slumped down further into the seat. I only nodded, still not making eye contact. "You tell her?" she wondered. I nodded again. After Ronni had driven away, I just went to my car and sat, replaying everything over in my head. I was trying to figure out what I could have done to make things better. Unlike movie characters in rotten situations who just have naturally bad luck, I induced the problem, and there was a shit-ton of things I could have done differently to prevent this.

"Now she hates my guts." Phoebe put a hand on my shoulder and finally got me to look at her. "Honestly, she hates me."

She shook her head. "No she doesn't. I mean, maybe right now, yes, but she'll be okay. Trust me, it's better that she knows and that she heard it from you." she assured me.

I glowered at her, furrowing my brows in the process. "I practically made her cry. She was minutes away from beating me to death in the middle of the parking lot!"

"Ronni just needs to cool down. Give her some time." she insisted, gripping my shoulder tighter. "I think you both could use some sleep and some space." I nodded and put the keys in the ignition. "You're right... you're right, I'll drop you off and go home and nap and then I'll call-"

"No you won't." I turned to her as we both put our seatbelts on, ready to protest. "Don't talk to her! Give her time to decompress, okay? Nagging her about why she should forgive you probably isn't the best thing considering she's furious right now. Go home, sleep, go to work, go home, sleep, and do it all over again. Don't talk to her until she's reached a place where doesn't want to rip your throat out." I don't think that's possible...

I scrunched up my nose and glared at the road as I pulled out of the parking lot. She was right. I mean, she did know Ronni better than I did and she was also a girl, which meant she knew girls better. Still, I had to do something to make up for everything I'd done, right?

Regardless, I wasn't going to solve anything that day. I drove Phoebe back to her apartment when I recognized a familiar car in the lot. Jordan. Phoebe noticed it too and looked to me as I registered what was going on. "No-!" She started, but it was too late.

I got out of the car, fuming. I didn't even bother to slam the door. I was halfway to the entrance of the building when Phoebe jumped in front of me. I tried shoving her out of the way, but she held onto my arm. "Stop!"

"Phoebe, get off!" I wailed, trying to carefully remove her from my body. "I'm not going to do anything!"

Phoebe gripped me tighter, but I was still stronger. I shoved her away with just enough force to set myself free. Again, I didn't take into account that she was still a pretty athletic girl. She was in front of me again in seconds, hands on my shoulders, pushing against me. Her feet were stacked on the pavement diagonally, providing the perfect stance for keeping me from moving. Her legs were really strong. "Anything but ruining your friendship and relationship with two people you love dearly. What good can come of this?!" she hissed.

I stopped for a moment and she stood up straight, seeing she had my attention again. "So you're saying I should... what, just ignore this?" I asked, disbelievingly. She nodded and put her hands on her hips again. "Are you kidding? What if-what if they're... They can't just... No! It's not fair!" I realized after I said it how childish I sounded.

"Taylor... what exactly do you plan to say when you barge in there?" she wondered skeptically.

I opened my mouth to explain that I had something completely logical up my sleeve, but I couldn't even lie about that. What WAS I going to say? 'No, you're not allowed to turn to the guy who's actually been decent to you all this time. I won't allow it. You should have called me and cried to me about how mad you were... at me.' Yeah I couldn't see that going over well.

I kept my mouth shut instead and ran around in a quick circle. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to calm down... again. "That's what I thought. Now, turn around, go back to your car, and go home. Looks like you need to cool off too." Phoebe had her hands on my shoulders as she spun me around and shoved me towards my car.

I looked over my shoulder to see Phoebe picking up her bag from the ground, which I hadn't noticed, and walking towards the doors. I grumbled as I looked up at the window I knew lead to the girls' apartment. I thought I saw the curtains ruffle as I walked back, but it was probably my imagination. I got in my car and drove home, legitimately feeling guilty for the first time in a while.

*Ronni*

Jordan joined me by the window. I couldn't help but watch the two of them down there. I couldn't hear much, but I could tell what they were talking about by Taylor's face and the gestures he was making. When he decided to walk back to his car, he turned like he was going to look back at us, so I quickly closed the curtains and moved back to the couch.

Jordan joined me and put his arm around my shoulder. He brought me close so that I was resting on his chest. "It's okay..." he insisted. I just nodded and wrapped my arm around his stomach. "And... I already knew... about what we talked about earlier." I looked up at him, perplexed. Then I'm more of a bitch than I thought.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked. "Why aren't you mad?"

He shook his head. "It was up to you to tell me. And... I wanted to see if you were willing to do anything about it."

"I didn't want to hurt you." I explained, sitting up. "And I'm really sorry."

He shook his head. "I think we both knew how this was going to end anyways... it was just a matter of when. It is fine." Jordan brought me in for a tight hug. When we broke apart, he inquired, "So... are you going to take my advice? Take the opportunity?"

Jordan and I had had a long conversation about what I was planning to do now that Taylor was back on the ice and the semester was halfway through. I had many decisions still to make, not only about Taylor, but about my future. I gave a small, half-hearted smile and nodded. "Yeah... I think I will..."

He smiled and squeezed my hand tightly. "Good..." Jordan had helped to calm me down a lot over the past hour or so. He'd make any girl very lucky to have him as a boyfriend, yes, but even as a friend as well. I didn't feel the need to cry. I didn't feel the need to hit anyone. Yet, I didn't feel the need to see Taylor either.

"Hey... I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." We turned to see Phoebe kicking off her cleats by the door before quietly making her way into the room. "How are you feeling?" she asked as she came over to the couch and gave me a hug.

I shrugged and gave a weak smile back. "I'm alright. Sorry I had to steal your thunder earlier... how was the soccer game?" I asked.

Phoebe plopped on the floor and began pulling off her long socks. Jordan added, "I didn't know you played soccer. Had a game today?"

She nodded as she managed to get the first on off. "Yeah, and we won, five to two." Phoebe was now concentrating on the other sock, which seemed to be fighting against her.

"Congratulations!" I cheered.

She grinned and bowed her head. "I got a goal too." She started taking the shin-guards off, boisterously undoing the velcro.

"Nice job." Jordan complimented.

"Thanks." she picked up her sweaty socks and her shin-guards that were lying across the floor. When phoebe stood up, she shook of her equally sweaty shirt, exposing her sports bra to the world... or just Jordan and I. "I'll be right back, gotta throw this stuff in the wash."

Phoebe made her was across the room, and I could have sworn I saw Jordan watching her a little longer than usually. "Yeah well... I should get going myself. You think you'll be okay?" he asked, finally looking towards me.

I smirked and nodded as we both stood up. "Yeah, I'm good. Phoebe's here so... yeah." Phoebe paused in the doorway to the wash room and waved.

"Bye Jordan." He waved back as she retreated into the room.

When I walked him to the door, I went out into the hallway with him, closing the door behind me quietly. "I saw that." I commented.

He glanced at me confused. "I don't know what..."

"Don't even try. You're not as sneaky as you think." I laughed, replaying the moment in my mind. Jordan blushed a little and smiled, showing his gap again. I poked him in the stomach playfully. "That was fast!"

He nudged me. "Shut up."

"I could totally see you guys-" I began, smirking. Seriously, no one could resist Phoebe. Before I could finish the good-natured ribbing, Jordan pulled me in for another hug.

"Just shut up, Ron." he chuckled into my neck. I gave in and hugged him back, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Are you sure you're okay? I could stick around a little longer, help make sure you know that this is what you want to do..."

I backed away a little and shook my head. "No, you've done enough. I really appreciate it but... you should probably go home and kick his ass now." I giggled. Jordan smirked and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, show no mercy bud." I slowly leaned forward and gently pressed my lips against his. Jordan wasn't exactly kissing me back, not like we used to, but he did keep me there for a little. I gave a small smile, patted his chest, and let him go on his way. "Bye..."

"Bye, Ronni." he breathed as he backed down the hallway. He was at the elevator, waiting for the doors to slide open. When they did, she stepped in and called, "What's this?" He made a quick motion with his arms, swinging them away from one another.

I mimicked him and smirked. "No goal." He winked and retreated back into the elevator. I sighed and walked back into my apartment. Phoebe was waiting for me on the couch, changed into some sweats and a tee-shirt. "Hey.. thanks."

She cocked her head to the side. "For...?"

"For keeping Taylor away... I can't deal with him right now..." I breathed as I sat next to her. I rested my head on her shoulder and she patted it affectionately.

"So... how do you feel?" I shrugged. "You and Jordan were here a while... what did you talk about?"

I closed my eyes as she spoke. I was too tired to focus anymore. I miss sleep. "He was helping me to sort everything out... you know, with the job and Taylor and... and us."

"You and him?" I nodded. "Well, what did you decide?" She pressed.

I snuggled up next to her, wrapping myself in a warm blanket. Get it over with now. "A lot was decided..."

She laughed, "I'm all ears."