Page 20 of Step By Step

“You don’t,” Jordan says with a hard look across the table at her.

“No, you don’t. You never did. I was always so jealous of you,” Donna admits, stunning me. “Your parents were so good to you, they were so good to me. I hated being at home. I wanted what you had too often. I don’t know when I started to take you for granted. You don’t deserve it. You think I am a rock star, but without you, I would have gone nowhere.”

Taking a deep breath, she tugs nervously at her top, as if it hit her how often she uses her beauty to get what I have wanted. “Iwasflirting with him. I am sorry. Jordan, I am sorry. Even after you told me you had a girlfriend, and even after you said it was my best friend, I didn’t back off. I am used to getting what I want. Mostly because she lets me have what I want, and it’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not. I have never pushed it, I have never stood up for myself. Today, I saw you with him and,” I turn to gaze at him a moment, glad to find his eyes on me, his hand on my thigh beneath the table. “For the first time, I wanted to push you, I wanted to tell you not to be so damngreedy. I want something for myself for the first time and I will not let anyone, even you, have it.”

Donna nods, biting her nails, a sure sign she is upset. Turning tearful eyes on me, she takes another shaky breath. “I think I knew it was serious when he talked about you. I panicked because I thought...am I going to lose her to him? I might not deserve you as my best friend after all I have done, but Ineedyou. Not for the music. For you. I amsosorry I have been selfish with you. I understand if you want nothing more to do with me, but I promise, I swear to both of you... this will not happen again.”

“It won’t,” Jordan speaks up beside me, sitting forward. “If you try to hurt her again, if I think for one moment you might forget how fucking lucky you are to have her in your life, I won’t hesitate to tell you to get lost. If you can’t handle me being part of her life, or her making music for someone else, or her standing up for herself, I will take her to my place right now and that will be that.”

Now I am the one sitting there, stunned. Yeah, yeah, thisiswhat love is. He swings his gaze to mine, his eyes softening when I beam at him. I hope he can see how much he means to me, how much this moment—a perfect moment to write songs about—is for me.

“No, no, I won’t. I won’t, you are too important to me. I hate that I ever forgot that. That I ever took you for granted. It was so heinous of me. I love you, Jenna. You are the best friend, the best person, the most brilliant woman I have ever known, and I am so lucky to know you.”

Getting up, I go to hug her, smiling when she throws herself against me, sobbing. Yeah, she is a little on the dramatic side. We agree to talk things out a little more another night, complete with drinks and maybe even dancing at a club with Tina.

“I am going to go to my parent’s place for a few nights,” she tells me to my surprise. “I need to stop avoiding them. Plus, you two can have the place all to yourselves.”

Seeing her off, I close and lock the door after her with a sigh. I feel good. I feelbetterthan good—the very best. We still have a lot to talk about, but she is an important person in my life. If I can trust her again, I think we can get past it.

“You were amazing,” Jordan praises me, winding his arms around me from behind. His face nuzzles against my neck, and I sigh again. Oh, yeah, I feel the very, very best.

“You were too, boyfriend,” I tease, letting him sway us back and forth. There is no music on, but I hardly think we need it. “You meant what you said, didn’t you? You would have taken me to your place tonight instead of letting her hurt me again.”

Spinning me in his arms, he gathers me close. His hand brushes my hair back, a smirk on his lips as he fixes my glasses. “Yeah, I meant it. It is part of being a boyfriend, yeah? Protecting your girl? I won’t hurt you, Jenna. I promise you. I sure as hell won’t stand by and watch someone else hurt you, either.”

Grinning up at him, my face aching from how much and how big he makes me smile, I nod. “Sounds like a pretty wonderful boyfriend to me. I am so glad that boyfriend is my boyfriend.”

Chuckling, he lowers his head, kissing me softly. “I am too. Come on, I promised you something earlier. A good boyfriend keeps his promises.”

I start to agree before he bends, scooping me up in his arms. I laugh as he carries me down the hall, kicking my bedroom door open with a dramatic flair. Heading for the bed, he lies me back on it gently. We push and pulling at clothes, rushing to find the pleasure we shared earlier once again.

Jordan pushes inside me slowly after making me come with his mouth. Stars burst behind my eyes as he fills me, his hands finding mine. Lacing them tightly together, he pins them above us, surging over me.

“I am going to fall in love with you, Jenna. Hell, I think I already am.”

“Me too, Jordan,” I rasp as we begin to move together.

We make love all night, sometimes with music filling the room as we get louder and hotter. Sometimes so soft and quiet, bodies pressed so close there is just air between us, our sounds of pleasure the only music at all.

I could write a hundred songs, a thousand, about how perfect he is, how perfect we are. Our song might be a pop tune with strings and soft harmonies. It could be a beating song with heavy piano and deep vocals.

But I think it’s none of that. Our song is the laughs we share together in the dark, the thumps of our hearts beating as one, and the cries of pleasure we give one another over and over.

Our song is one that does not need melodies or harmony, one we make up as we go, step by step.

Epilogue

Jordan

One Year Later...

Nodding my head to the thumping song, I pretend I am paying attention.

I am not. Not even a little. I know there is a show going on, my second annual back-to-school event. This year we featured two bands, one local to open the show and another hot up and comer.

Last year, we created chaos hosting it at the center court. Half of the stores closed down, huge crowds turned out, so we promised to do better this year. This go round we set up outside so stores remain open, revenue flows in, and we get to welcome a bigger crowd.

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