Page 34 of Once Bitten
Marisa shook her head sadly. "Jordyn, there's no need to lie. We're here for you."
“Look, Marisa, I’m expecting company. I really need to go back and finish dinner.” Jordyn swallowed hard when she saw Alex lean back to whisper something to his friends. Sam frowned, and Taylor shook his head at her as if what she said saddened them, and she sent a glare their way.
“What was that?” Jordyn asked the men. “Sorry, I didn’t quite hear what you were telling them.”
“I was just explaining to them who your company might be,” Alex replied, smoothly.
“We hear you aren’t keeping the best kind of company, Jordyn,” Taylor said, his voice reproachful.
“That really isn’t any of your business,” Jordyn bit out.
“Well, Jordyn, it kind of is,” Marisa said, softly.
Jordyn jerked at the woman’s words. “What?” She stared at Marisa in shock, and the smaller woman shrugged.
“We are supposed to be here as a church to help guide you back to the right path. From what Alex has said, this man is not on the path that you need to be on. Alex told us all about him, how he’s tempting you away from being the good person we know you are. He’s a bad influence. You shouldn’t be alone with him, and so we are here to help you see that,” Marisa explained.
“Are you serious, Alex?” Jordyn turned to look at him, her tone incredulous. “Youhad an affair.Youcheated on mein your office, and you really think you have a leg to stand on when it comes to judging Steve's character? I cannot believe you lied about him to your friends. You have no right to judge him like that. He’s easily a better man than you.”
He scoffed. “I find that very hard to believe, Jordyn. What happened at work was a moment of weakness. I told you that.” Alex sighed at her and shook his head. “Yvonne and I understand that what we did was wrong, and we are working with the church to move past that kind of transgression. All we need is for you to come back to church, come back to me, and we can make everything like it was. Jordyn, we can be stronger after this,” he said, taking a step forward, his hands up as if he were soothing a riled animal. And for a minute, Jordyn felt like one. She felt like she was going crazy listening to Alex talk to her like she was the one in the wrong while the people with him nodded approvingly and made noises of agreement to whatever he said.
What in the hell was wrong with these people?
“You should all leave,” Jordyn told them, quietly. She stepped back and moved to close the door, but Alex stopped her, putting his hand against the door, stopping her from shutting it. Jordyn scowled at his hand. “Alex, take your hand off the door. Now.”
“No, Jordyn. We need to talk. All of us. We all care about you. Let us in,” Alex said, leaning close. He leaned against the door, and she hated that she was unable to shut it with his weight pushing on it. Why was he stronger than her? Why wasn’t she able to shut the door and be stronger than this? Unable to close the door, she reached for the only weapon she had to use against Alex.
Steve. Or rather his fear of Steve.
“I don’t think Steve is going to like this. Do you?” Jordyn narrowed her eyes at him, and she enjoyed seeing the sureness in his eyes waver. Though the moment passed all too briefly before Alex spoke again.
“Why do you think I’m not alone, huh?” he told her with a barely restrained sneer. “He won’t be so tough when there’s more than one of us to deal with.”
Jordyn's eyes went wide, and she looked behind him to the men who, while on their own weren’t equal to the size of Steve, were all still large men.
“Are you serious?” she gasped, and Alex nodded smugly. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, but I would. Let us in, and we can have a pleasant, civil, conversation, or keep us out here, and we’ll meet your company. I don’t think the numbers are really working for that thug you’re seeing.” Alex crossed his arms and watched her reaction carefully.
Jordyn knew he was right—there was no way that Steve could take on all four of the men and come out in one piece. She couldn’t believe Alex was here threatening her with this, threatening Steve’s safety and with the church members of all people. But then again, they were more Alex’s friends than anything else, so should she really be as surprised as she was at the turn of events?
After a tense moment, Jordyn threw the door wide open. “Fine,” she all but growled and then glared at Marisa. “You should be ashamed of yourself for being a part of this. I can't believe you would do this.”
The other woman put a hand up to her chest, looking bewildered, but Jordyn didn’t care. Spinning on her heel, she started stomping into her apartment when the idea hit her. Just because she was letting them in didn’t meanshe had to stay with them.
Rushing to the stove, she turned off the oven and pulled the rolls out, so they didn’t burn and set off her smoke alarm. Jordyn heard Alex and his entourage closing her front door while she hastily walked to her room, thankful that she hadn’t quite gotten around to preparing the steaks for dinner. It would have been a shame to waste them on Alex’s account. Grabbing a backpack from her closet, Jordyn quickly shoved in a change of clothes for work the next day and something to sleep in that night. She hurried into the bathroom and was tossing her toiletries and makeup into the bag when Alex found her.
“What are you doing?” he asked, seeing Jordyn slinging the backpack over her shoulder. She didn’t answer him but darted past him, her mind on getting to the front door. She didn’t owe this man or any of them any answers, and she already had her keys in hand when Marisa called out to her.
“Jordyn where are you—”
Jordyn whirled on the smaller woman with a bitter laugh. “Don’t you dare ask me where I’m going when you all showed up at my apartment to bully me into taking Alex back after he cheated on me! He lied to me!” she exploded, doing her best to get her flats on her feet without falling over. She was so angry it was hard to even walk straight, much less think or get her shoes on.
“And you!” Jordyn jabbed a finger at Sam, Taylor, and Eric. “You came as what? His backup against Steve? That’s so manly and fair, right? The four of you against him. How very noble of you all.”
“Jordyn, we have to talk this out! We were going to get married. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” Alex asked her, following her as she stormed towards her front door.
“It means about as much to me as it did to you when you were fucking Yvonne on top of that copier machine,” Jordyn told him, throwing open the door and darting outside before he could stop her.
