FREED

11 | The Cold Truth

"Now I know you're mad..."

"And I have every right to be!" His hands wrap around the wrist that was connected to my that was around his neck.

"Right exactly it's just- can you not choke me to death, maybe?" I narrowed my eyes keeping my hand where it is just not as much pressure.

Suddenly I heard the door open, I looked to the side of me, a small petite women with red hair. Her eyes widen and she immediately slouches.

"Oh I'm interrupting something, sorry boss."

"No wait don't leave me!" He shouts back as she closes the door.

"Talk, Jordan!"

"Okay, after I woke up from surgery a couple of Marcos men came in. They paid the doctors hush money so they could take me. Told them to say I'm dead. If they didn't they'd get shot right there."

"They forced me to work for them. I did a lot of underground work for a while. Until they trusted me to work outside." He adds.

"How did you manage to escape?"

"All the people you see here today was captured by him. I put together a group that wanted out, once we did we had to lay low for a while."

My hands removed themselves from his neck. I looked down at the necklace Jayce had given me. I held in my hand sitting silently.

"You have no idea how many times I wanted to run and tell you."

"So why didn't you?" I looked down at him.

"I had to lay low."

"Saving me in every way possible is laying low?"

"For someone who got saved dozens of times, doesn't really sound appreciative." He rose an eyebrow.

I let out a sigh. "I'm sorry it's just- I'm really thankful and I'm so relieved to see you alive, I love you. It's just..."

"Zoe, it's me."

"That's it, right there... I watched you die in my arms, your blood was on my hands. I blamed myself everyday because you died to protect me."

"Zoe-

"I grieved forever, blaming myself, nightmares almost every night.  I had to convince myself I was fine... then all of a sudden you're alive?"

His eyes were filled with guilt.

"It was so much at once... Jack died, the guys were arrested, Jacob was taken, and Marco became the mayor all in one night. My world was crashing around me, I couldn't breathe. I had no one to lean on because I was the one holding everyone up."

Finally the tears started to come out. Jordan sat up while I remained sitting on his lap, facing him.

"Jade would cry every night, Jasmine drank, smoked... Still is. She's probably in her room drinking right now, hating me. I don't know she won't talk to me."

"Zoe I'm so sorry." He wraps his arms around me as I bury my face in his shoulder, wrapping my legs around him. "I'm here now okay? I'm here."

I'm so happy he his alive. It's like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It almost seems too good to be true. First Jayce now Jordan.

"I know this might be a bad time but I have to know. Did you have a little Jayce or a little Bambi?"

I smile wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"Bambi, and her name is Zaya."

"She must be beautiful." He smiles leaning back on his hands.

"She is, you have to meet her. Come with me, for a little bit." I removed myself from his lap and sat down next to him on the bed.