Best Friends Forever? Part 3

CHAPTER 3

Just as Elizabeth was about to again exclaim how happy she was to see Jordan she felt arms slide around her waist. These arms were not as tan or muscular as the arms of her best friend Jordan’s. They belonged to her boyfriend Mike. “Hey babe. Aren’t you glad we are finally done with this hell hole?” Mike asked kissing her cheek.

“Yeah.” she answered solemnly.

She looked up at Jordan who was looking awkwardly down at his shoes. Elizabeth cleared her throat, “Um, Mike this is Jordan. Jordan this is my boyfriend Mike.”

“Oh so this is the guy you always talk about.” Mike said sounding a little angry.

Jordan smiled sheepishly at Elizabeth happy to know that even though she was in a relationship she was still thinking about him. He also knew that this kid was all wrong for her. He thought back to the nights when she would call him crying uncontrollably and he’d listen to story after story about the many things that Mike had done to hurt her. He didn’t know Mike at all, but he did know that he wasn’t fond of him. Jordan resisted the urge to punch him in the face and instead decided to offer his hand. Mike looked at him with a fire in his eyes. The same fire that was burning inside Jordan’s heart. He placed his hand back at his side and balled it into a fist. He wanted to hurt this guy as much as he had hurt Elizabeth, but he knew that if he punched him it wouldn’t help anything so he jammed his hands into his pockets and took a few deep breaths.

Elizabeth sensed the anger between Mike and Jordan, but couldn’t think of anything to do or say so instead she just watched them stare at each other. It looked like inside their heads they were fist fighting. To her it looked like Jordan was winning. Finally Mike broke the intense silence, “well, I’m leaving. I want to go hang out with my friends. Besides, I’m sure you want to catch up with him.” When he said him he sent Jordan a look of pure hatred. “Ok.” Elizabeth said, thankful that he was leaving. She looked down at her hands thinking about what he had just said. He said that he was going to hang out with his friends, but he was mad at her, and when he said that when he was mad it always meant that he was going to cheat on her. She couldn’t even count how many times he had been unfaithful. She refused to have sex with him after he did it the first time and just accepted it as if it were normal for a boyfriend to regularly cheat on their girlfriend. She knew how pathetic it made her look, but he was all she had all through high school. Jordan interrupted her thoughts, “Wow he is even worse in person than he is when you talk about him. Why do you stay with him?”

“Honestly. I don’t know anymore. After you left I didn’t know what to do so I accepted the first thing that came along and stuck with it so that I wouldn’t have to be alone.” Elizabeth answered beginning to tear up.

“Hey, don’t cry this is supposed to be a happy day for you.” Jordan said touching her cheek. “why don’t I take you out to dinner?” he asked hopefully.

“Ok.” she replied forcing a smile.

So after saying goodbye to her family her and Jordan made their way to his car.

The walk to the car was awkward and silent. “Look I’m sorry I said something about your boyfriend. I have no place to tell you how to live your life.” Jordan said brushing a stray hair away from Elizabeth’s face. God, I have to stop doing that he thought to himself. “I wasn’t trying to ruin your day or anything.”

“It’s ok. I understand. After everything I’ve told you about him it makes sense that you would hate him.”

Jordan tried to say that he didn’t hate Mike, but lying was something he could never do when he talked to her. Parents and past girlfriends sure, but not her. Not even when they were kids. “Let’s just not talk about it anymore.” Jordan suggested.

“Ok sounds like a good idea to me.” Elizabeth replied smiling with ease now.

They both climbed into Jordan’s car when they reached it. “You know,” Elizabeth began. “I’m not really all that hungry anymore.”

“Actually me either. Let’s just go to my new house and I can show you around.” Jordan suggested.

“All right.” Elizabeth agreed.