AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He said the name like it was an insult, spewing it from his lips with malice.
“Jourdan,” I warned, sensing that he was getting close to working himself up past the point of no return. “I know it’s a lot to process right now. But…”
“I think we should go see her,” Jourdan cut me off. “I think me and Mom should go to Queens, and we should see her.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I advised hesitantly.
Only silence answered me on the other end of the line. It went on for long enough that I had begun to think that he’d hung up on me, but then finally, he breathed a long, wuthering sigh.
“Why not?” His voice was calmer, but there was still an edge to it that I didn’t quite like.
I paused for a moment, giving myself time to figure out how much to tell him. I figured it was best if I air on the side of just enough truth to keep my story straight.
“I just left her apartment,” I began. I heard him take a big breath, and I got the sense that he was gearing up for the onslaught of another rant, and I started talking again so that he wouldn’t have the chance.
“Her radiator went out and I went to go look at it. You know it’s procedure when I first procure something, and I’m not going to stop that now.”
There was a silent pause on the other end of the line, and I gave Jourdan all the time he needed to process.
“Did she talk to you?” He asked finally.
“A little,” I answered, knowing I was toeing a dangerous line. “Mostly, she just busted my balls about being too rich to be doing maintenance.”
He laughed softly, and the slight sound made my mood lift slightly. “Glad to know some things don’t change.”
“Exactly. But that’s just the thing. She might be as fiery as always, but shehaschanged. A lot. Me showing up in her life is bad enough right now. If you and your mom show up, it might tip her over the edge. She might run again. And it seems like her life here,” I pause to consider my words, not wanting the wrong thing. “While it might not be what you would have wanted or a life you would have picked for her, she seems alright. Don’t risk it.”
“Alright,” Jourdan blew out a breath. “I’ll wait. I’m not gonna go see her. Not yet, anyways.”
“I don’t know why, but I don’t one hundred percent believe you. But okay.”
He laughed at that, but when he didn’t outright deny it, I knew I was right. At the end of the day, the thing Jourdan and Nell had always had the most in common was their stubborn streaks. He was going to do exactly what he wanted, and no one on this planet could talk him out of it once his mind was set.
The only thing I’ve ever been able to do is clear my conscience by trying. At the very least, it didn’t sound like he was spiraling anymore, and the pacing had stopped. So that was something.
“Listen, I’m headed back to Manhattan. Want to grab dinner or something tonight? Take your mind off things?” I asked.
There was a small part of me that hoped he said no. I wasn’t entirely sure I could hide my guilt about what had just happened with Nell. But I would figure out a way to manage if that was what he needed.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Just text me, and we’ll figure out the details.”
“Sounds good, man. See you soon.”
We said our goodbyes and disconnected. I looked around me, really taking in the scenery. I considered for a moment calling for a car, but even though it was cold, the sun was shining, and the sky was clear.
In NYC, you had to take the good days in the winter when you could get them because the entire city would be covered in a layer of snow and dirty slush soon enough.
So, I decided to take my time instead.
I took the route to the subway, trying to take in as much as I could on my walk there. For the most part, Nell’s neighborhood held a lot of charm.
The brick buildings had been well maintained even if they had graffiti and murals on them. There was an open plot that looked like someone was trying to turn it into a community garden, and I made a mental note of it as I passed.
It wasn’t without its faults, but then again, there wasn’t any part of New York that was.
And as I finally got to the subway, walking down the concrete stairs and preparing to swipe my metro card, ideas for this neighborhood began to run rampant in my mind.
CHAPTERSEVEN
