One Chance
Six
2013
Jordan surfaced the water. She saw Tom talking on the deck with someone. She tilted her head to the side as she climbed out of the lake. As she got closer, she still didn't recognize the person. She climbed up the steps. The guy with Tom looked up. She nearly dropped when she met his eyes. Tyler.
They instantly hugged. They hadn't spoken in almost two years. She pulled away for. She smiled up at him, holding onto his arms. He was bigger, buffer. He smiled down at her. Her hair was blonde again. Her skin was tan and water droplets were rolling down her skin.
"It's been so long!" She exclaimed as she pulled away. "You look good."
"You look, wow." Tyler said, staring into her eyes. "How have you been?"
She shrugged with a smile. It amazed her that he suddenly cared after he went back to Boston and made little to no effort to contact her.
"Another run at the cup, eh?" She smirked.
"Yeah. Don't think I'll be seeing too many more of those." He sighed.
"Shit. I totally forgot about that." Tom expressed. "Dallas, huh?"
Tyler nodded. "Guess it'll be good for me. Maybe I can lose the heartbreaker rep." He taunted.
Jordan laughed. "No, you still have it." She said as she tapped his shoulder.
She walked into the house. Tyler watched her while he frowned. Tom shook his head.
"Look, I understand why you broke it off, but not talking to her at all?" He asked.
"If I would've talked to her, I would've wanted her to come out. But Boston wasn't a good place for her." Tyler told him.
"So what's your plan now? You come back, a changed man, and plan to move her down to Dallas." Tom scoffed.
"No. I just need her to hear me out. It's all her choice from there on out." He said.
The week went on and Jordan avoided Tyler at all costs. Tom would invite him over, Jordan would go out. If she came home and Tyler was there, she'd grab her dog and head to her room. He sighed every time. Tom would shake his head at Jordan.
Tom went upstairs after her once. He knocked on her door. She grumbled a 'come in'. The door opened and her dog, Colby, ran over to Tom. He picked him up and carried him over to Jordan's bed.
"Time to grow up, Jord." He spoke, petting Colby. "I get Tyler hurt you but he's here to try to talk to you. Just give the kid a break."
She rolled her eyes. "I will when I'm ready. I don't care what he wants."
He shook his head and stood up. "You sound just like the bratty fifteen year old he met all those years ago." He said, slamming her bedroom door shut.
The next morning, Jordan sat on the beach. Colby ran free. He'd run at the water, the gallop away when the tide came on. Jordan shook her head at her dog. A chocolate lab ran over to Colby. Jordan shot up. The two dogs sniffed each other.
"Colby!" She called as she ran towards the dogs.
Colby ignored his owner. Jordan continued making her way to the dogs.
"Marshall, come here!" A male called.
Jordan looked in the direction of the voice. Of course, it was Tyler. She took a deep breath as he ran over as well. They met at the dogs.
"Wow, I guess Marshall could tell you were avoiding me." Tyler laughed.
"Can you blame me?" Jordan crossed her arms.
"I didn't want us to stop talking. I just got so caught up in hockey." He sighed. "I know that's not an excuse but I really want you back in my life."
"I want you back in mine but I don't want you to hurt me." She admitted. "And I really don't want another person I care about to just disappear on me."
He frowned, pulling her into a hug. Colby started barking, hopping up at the two. Marshall stood beside him, wagging his tail.
"Colby doesn't let me talk to boys." Jordan mumbled against his chest.
"Colby's gonna have to deal with it." He chuckled. They broke apart. "Can we talk about what happened? I owe you a huge explanation."
Jordan shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"Wait, like, here?" He cocked a brow.
"I promised my dog we'd have a beach day." She stated.
"Understandable. Can we sit though?" He quizzed.
Jordan dropped to the sand. Tyler shook his head with a smirk before he sat down beside her. He sat as close as possible. They watched as the two dogs ran at the water, then away from it when the tide came. Tyler watched how much Jordan was enjoying her dog.
"How old is he?" Tyler nodded at Colby.
"Only a couple months." Jordan told him.
They fell silent again. Tyler didn't know where to start. He just continued to watch her. Jordan exhaled, looking at him.
"Are you going to explain why you did what you did or what?" She growled.
He nodded. He took a deep breath. "I did it because here you are, this amazing girl and I'm a total asshole. I went back to Boston, thinking of you. I would talk to you and about you as much as I could. Then we started making plans to see each other and for holidays and I panicked. I didn't want the girl I'm crazy about to come to Boston and hear about the shitty rep I gave myself my first two years there before I wasn't that guy anymore.
"I didn't want you to come down and see me and think of me differently. I didn't want you to come to Boston and hear shit that could hurt you because girls in that city live to make me worse. I got scared about how much I cared about you and I choked. I choked so bad." He sighed.
Jordan stared at him. He looked at the sand. She placed a hand on his thigh. He looked at her hand and she gave his thigh a squeeze. His eyes slowly met hers. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes when her lips met his skin and kept them close.
"I forgive you, but that's it. We aren't getting back together, Tyler." She explained.
"Why?" He almost whispered.
"Because now you're all the way in Dallas which is even further!" She yelped. "Boston didn't work, what makes you think Dallas will?"
"Come with me." He said.
She laughed. "I can't just leave Tom and move to Texas."
"Why not? He'd be fine with it. I've already talked to him."
"I can't." She shook her head.
"Yes, you can. You're young, you can move to a different place for a while to be with a guy that's crazy about you." Tyler argued.
"And when we don't work out again?" She hissed.
"I'll pay for every expense it takes to get you back home." He smiled.
She shook her head. "No. You already hurt me, Tyler. I'm not risking it again."
Jordan stood, grabbed Colby, and walked up to her cottage. Tyler watched her. He groaned. He got up and walked to his cottage. He called Marshall behind him. The dog followed. Tyler walked into the cottage and slammed the sliding door. Freddy jumped.
"She wouldn't budge." Tyler confessed, dropping on the couch. "She doesn't believe anything I said. She thinks I'll hurt her again."
Freddy pulled Tyler up. He held onto his wrist as he dragged him to Jordan's cottage. Freddy didn't bother knocking, he walked straight in. Jordan walked out of the kitchen with her brows furrowed.
"You're being an asshole, Jordan." Freddy spat.
"Woah." She threw her hands up in defence. "I didn't leave him because I was scared like a little pansy."
"Let me remind you that Tyler gave you a chance after you fucked up with your little brown nose attitude." Freddy yelled.
"I was a kid." She rolled her eyes.
"And Tyler was too. He didn't realize how he felt about you because his brain was convinced he wasn't capable of that but now, you have a grown man." He pointed to Tyler. Tyler put his hand to his face and shook his head. "A grown man who just came inside, devastated, because the girl he loves won't forgive him for the biggest mistake he's ever mad." Jordan mouthed the word 'love' at Freddy. He shrugged. "Ask him yourself."
"You love me?" She asked Tyler.
He looked up slowly. "I may have used it once or twice."
"Tyler." She glared.
"Yes, I do. I didn't think of it until I was miserable about the finals and had no one there for me." He admitted.
"I wanted to be there for you like you were there for me." She breathed.
They both watched each other for some type of reaction. Freddy snuck away, leaving the two to figure themselves out. Tyler was the first to move. He stepped forward, grabbing her face. He brushed her hair back before their lips connected. He pulled away.
"I leave for Dallas tomorrow. I won't hold it against you if you don't come." He whispered before he kissed her again.
Tyler flew out to Dallas the next day. He sent Jordan a text when he landed but received nothing back. He figured she was upset about his leaving. He found his hotel room and went for a nap. He found himself awake at 11:20, staring at the ceiling. He still had nothing from Jordan. He called down to room service for some eatable therapy. Within twenty minutes, there was a knock on his door. He pulled it open, walking back to his bed.
"Are you the babe who ordered chocolate cake and the love of your life?" The girl asked.
He turned around and saw Jordan standing behind the cart. He pushed the cart out of the way and pulled her into him. His lips met hers as he lifted her. She held onto his neck as he made the kiss more heated. She pulled away.
"I can't believe you." He laughed.
"I didn't answer you because I was on fights all day. It's hard being lower class and needing to get to Dallas in a day." She teased.
"I'm so happy you're here." He confessed.
"I'm happy you're happy, but my bags are in the hall and you have cake calling your name." She kissed his nose.
He put her down, walking into the hall. He grabbed all three of her bags, tossed them into the room, and bumped the door shut. His hands grabbed her waist before he lowered her onto the bed.
"I'm moving out here." She said before his lips me hers.
"Are you sure?" He questioned.
"Yeah. I wanna be here for you, Tyler. Freddy told me how upset you are about this trade and I know you need me." She muttered.
"I always need you." He breathed before his lips pressed against hers.
Jordan surfaced the water. She saw Tom talking on the deck with someone. She tilted her head to the side as she climbed out of the lake. As she got closer, she still didn't recognize the person. She climbed up the steps. The guy with Tom looked up. She nearly dropped when she met his eyes. Tyler.
They instantly hugged. They hadn't spoken in almost two years. She pulled away for. She smiled up at him, holding onto his arms. He was bigger, buffer. He smiled down at her. Her hair was blonde again. Her skin was tan and water droplets were rolling down her skin.
"It's been so long!" She exclaimed as she pulled away. "You look good."
"You look, wow." Tyler said, staring into her eyes. "How have you been?"
She shrugged with a smile. It amazed her that he suddenly cared after he went back to Boston and made little to no effort to contact her.
"Another run at the cup, eh?" She smirked.
"Yeah. Don't think I'll be seeing too many more of those." He sighed.
"Shit. I totally forgot about that." Tom expressed. "Dallas, huh?"
Tyler nodded. "Guess it'll be good for me. Maybe I can lose the heartbreaker rep." He taunted.
Jordan laughed. "No, you still have it." She said as she tapped his shoulder.
She walked into the house. Tyler watched her while he frowned. Tom shook his head.
"Look, I understand why you broke it off, but not talking to her at all?" He asked.
"If I would've talked to her, I would've wanted her to come out. But Boston wasn't a good place for her." Tyler told him.
"So what's your plan now? You come back, a changed man, and plan to move her down to Dallas." Tom scoffed.
"No. I just need her to hear me out. It's all her choice from there on out." He said.
The week went on and Jordan avoided Tyler at all costs. Tom would invite him over, Jordan would go out. If she came home and Tyler was there, she'd grab her dog and head to her room. He sighed every time. Tom would shake his head at Jordan.
Tom went upstairs after her once. He knocked on her door. She grumbled a 'come in'. The door opened and her dog, Colby, ran over to Tom. He picked him up and carried him over to Jordan's bed.
"Time to grow up, Jord." He spoke, petting Colby. "I get Tyler hurt you but he's here to try to talk to you. Just give the kid a break."
She rolled her eyes. "I will when I'm ready. I don't care what he wants."
He shook his head and stood up. "You sound just like the bratty fifteen year old he met all those years ago." He said, slamming her bedroom door shut.
The next morning, Jordan sat on the beach. Colby ran free. He'd run at the water, the gallop away when the tide came on. Jordan shook her head at her dog. A chocolate lab ran over to Colby. Jordan shot up. The two dogs sniffed each other.
"Colby!" She called as she ran towards the dogs.
Colby ignored his owner. Jordan continued making her way to the dogs.
"Marshall, come here!" A male called.
Jordan looked in the direction of the voice. Of course, it was Tyler. She took a deep breath as he ran over as well. They met at the dogs.
"Wow, I guess Marshall could tell you were avoiding me." Tyler laughed.
"Can you blame me?" Jordan crossed her arms.
"I didn't want us to stop talking. I just got so caught up in hockey." He sighed. "I know that's not an excuse but I really want you back in my life."
"I want you back in mine but I don't want you to hurt me." She admitted. "And I really don't want another person I care about to just disappear on me."
He frowned, pulling her into a hug. Colby started barking, hopping up at the two. Marshall stood beside him, wagging his tail.
"Colby doesn't let me talk to boys." Jordan mumbled against his chest.
"Colby's gonna have to deal with it." He chuckled. They broke apart. "Can we talk about what happened? I owe you a huge explanation."
Jordan shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."
"Wait, like, here?" He cocked a brow.
"I promised my dog we'd have a beach day." She stated.
"Understandable. Can we sit though?" He quizzed.
Jordan dropped to the sand. Tyler shook his head with a smirk before he sat down beside her. He sat as close as possible. They watched as the two dogs ran at the water, then away from it when the tide came. Tyler watched how much Jordan was enjoying her dog.
"How old is he?" Tyler nodded at Colby.
"Only a couple months." Jordan told him.
They fell silent again. Tyler didn't know where to start. He just continued to watch her. Jordan exhaled, looking at him.
"Are you going to explain why you did what you did or what?" She growled.
He nodded. He took a deep breath. "I did it because here you are, this amazing girl and I'm a total asshole. I went back to Boston, thinking of you. I would talk to you and about you as much as I could. Then we started making plans to see each other and for holidays and I panicked. I didn't want the girl I'm crazy about to come to Boston and hear about the shitty rep I gave myself my first two years there before I wasn't that guy anymore.
"I didn't want you to come down and see me and think of me differently. I didn't want you to come to Boston and hear shit that could hurt you because girls in that city live to make me worse. I got scared about how much I cared about you and I choked. I choked so bad." He sighed.
Jordan stared at him. He looked at the sand. She placed a hand on his thigh. He looked at her hand and she gave his thigh a squeeze. His eyes slowly met hers. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He closed his eyes when her lips met his skin and kept them close.
"I forgive you, but that's it. We aren't getting back together, Tyler." She explained.
"Why?" He almost whispered.
"Because now you're all the way in Dallas which is even further!" She yelped. "Boston didn't work, what makes you think Dallas will?"
"Come with me." He said.
She laughed. "I can't just leave Tom and move to Texas."
"Why not? He'd be fine with it. I've already talked to him."
"I can't." She shook her head.
"Yes, you can. You're young, you can move to a different place for a while to be with a guy that's crazy about you." Tyler argued.
"And when we don't work out again?" She hissed.
"I'll pay for every expense it takes to get you back home." He smiled.
She shook her head. "No. You already hurt me, Tyler. I'm not risking it again."
Jordan stood, grabbed Colby, and walked up to her cottage. Tyler watched her. He groaned. He got up and walked to his cottage. He called Marshall behind him. The dog followed. Tyler walked into the cottage and slammed the sliding door. Freddy jumped.
"She wouldn't budge." Tyler confessed, dropping on the couch. "She doesn't believe anything I said. She thinks I'll hurt her again."
Freddy pulled Tyler up. He held onto his wrist as he dragged him to Jordan's cottage. Freddy didn't bother knocking, he walked straight in. Jordan walked out of the kitchen with her brows furrowed.
"You're being an asshole, Jordan." Freddy spat.
"Woah." She threw her hands up in defence. "I didn't leave him because I was scared like a little pansy."
"Let me remind you that Tyler gave you a chance after you fucked up with your little brown nose attitude." Freddy yelled.
"I was a kid." She rolled her eyes.
"And Tyler was too. He didn't realize how he felt about you because his brain was convinced he wasn't capable of that but now, you have a grown man." He pointed to Tyler. Tyler put his hand to his face and shook his head. "A grown man who just came inside, devastated, because the girl he loves won't forgive him for the biggest mistake he's ever mad." Jordan mouthed the word 'love' at Freddy. He shrugged. "Ask him yourself."
"You love me?" She asked Tyler.
He looked up slowly. "I may have used it once or twice."
"Tyler." She glared.
"Yes, I do. I didn't think of it until I was miserable about the finals and had no one there for me." He admitted.
"I wanted to be there for you like you were there for me." She breathed.
They both watched each other for some type of reaction. Freddy snuck away, leaving the two to figure themselves out. Tyler was the first to move. He stepped forward, grabbing her face. He brushed her hair back before their lips connected. He pulled away.
"I leave for Dallas tomorrow. I won't hold it against you if you don't come." He whispered before he kissed her again.
Tyler flew out to Dallas the next day. He sent Jordan a text when he landed but received nothing back. He figured she was upset about his leaving. He found his hotel room and went for a nap. He found himself awake at 11:20, staring at the ceiling. He still had nothing from Jordan. He called down to room service for some eatable therapy. Within twenty minutes, there was a knock on his door. He pulled it open, walking back to his bed.
"Are you the babe who ordered chocolate cake and the love of your life?" The girl asked.
He turned around and saw Jordan standing behind the cart. He pushed the cart out of the way and pulled her into him. His lips met hers as he lifted her. She held onto his neck as he made the kiss more heated. She pulled away.
"I can't believe you." He laughed.
"I didn't answer you because I was on fights all day. It's hard being lower class and needing to get to Dallas in a day." She teased.
"I'm so happy you're here." He confessed.
"I'm happy you're happy, but my bags are in the hall and you have cake calling your name." She kissed his nose.
He put her down, walking into the hall. He grabbed all three of her bags, tossed them into the room, and bumped the door shut. His hands grabbed her waist before he lowered her onto the bed.
"I'm moving out here." She said before his lips me hers.
"Are you sure?" He questioned.
"Yeah. I wanna be here for you, Tyler. Freddy told me how upset you are about this trade and I know you need me." She muttered.
"I always need you." He breathed before his lips pressed against hers.