Jordyn just stared at the phone for a good long minute before she put it back in its cradle. She was shocked that he still had so much animosity towards her.
She walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch behind Brayden, who sat on the floor Indian-style. He looked back at her, "Did you talk to him?"
"Yea, honey, he's going to come over here and watch you..."
The little boy frowned slightly, "Why?"
Jordyn sighed, almost wanting to spill the whole long story to him...but knew he wouldn't fully understand. And he loved Brian. "I've got to run home and get some things done...plus, I think he'd be better at getting your dad out of bed than me."
"Oh. You gonna leave for good?"
"No, not for good. I'm just going to go home...Brian needs to deal with your dad, he knows more about this than I do."
"Okay..."
Both fell into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
The doorbell rang much sooner than Jordyn expected. She walked to the door and pulled it open. Immediately, Brian's blue eyes turned cold upon setting themselves on her. He brushed past her, not even turning around as he entered saying, "You can leave now."
Rolling her eyes behind his back, Jordyn shut the door and followed him, "I have to get my things and say 'bye' to Brayden."
"You don't have to say anything to him."
She sighed, knowing that she wouldn't get anything through to him. Brayden saw Brian and jumped up from the floor, "Hi Uncle Brian!"
"Hey kiddo! What are you watching?"
"Lion King."
"Cool, your dad upstairs?"
"Yep, he sleepin'."
"Oohh okay, have you eaten?"
"Yea, me and Jordyn went to McDonald's..."
"Ohhhh, that sounds like fun."
Jordyn walked into the kitchen and grabbed her purse from the counter, then walked back into the living room. Brian was knelt down beside Brayden and both looked up as she entered. Brian smiled, a little coldly, "Brayden, why don't you say bye to Jordyn. She's going home now."
Brayden ran over, attaching himself to her lower half saying, "I wish you didn't go home now."
She smiled and lifted him up, hugging him, "I know sweetie, but I'm just going home, it's not like I'm going away forever. We had fun today, huh?"
"Yeah, I like the monkey bars at the park."
"I know you did, you're very good on them. We'll go again sometime soon, ok?"
"Promise?"
"I promise. If you need anything, you know how to dial my number?"
"Yep!"
She smiled and set him back on the floor, "Alright, you go back to watching your movie, I think your favorite part is coming up."
Brayden turned and ran back to his 'spot' on the floor and plopped down.
Jordyn walked through the hallway and into the foyer, knowing Brian was right behind her. She pulled open the door and turned, surprising him by putting her hand on the front door to keep him from shutting it in her face. "I don't know what your problem is with me, but you need to deal with it. You need to think about Nick, not how you're going to feel if something happens and Nick gets hurt again. He is like your brother Brian, I understand that you love him. Did it ever occur to you that I might as well?"
"No it didn't. And it won't."
She sighed, "I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much. You never even gave me a chance, and I think I at least deserve that. I'm not with him because of the money or because he's famous or whatever other excuse you can come up with....I'm with him because he's a nice, funny, friendly, personable guy with an amazing son."
Brian looked up at her with a bored look, "And you think I care? He's not going to get hurt, because you won't be around to hurt him. His little mood he's in? All because of you. Who wants someone around that's going to make them that depressed?"
"Brian, something is going on inside of him, not because of me. I won't make him choose between his best friend and me....because I know in the end who he'll pick."
Brian pushed her hand off the door and looked at her, "Yeah, he'll pick me," and then slammed the door in her face.
Jordyn let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and turned to walk down the steps to her car. She glanced up at Nick's bedroom window, but the shades were still drawn shut.
"How do you know that Brian?"
Brian spun around to see Nick standing at the middle of the staircase, he looked tired and worn out. But least he was out of his room now. "How do I know what?"
"That I would pick you over Jordyn if it came to that?"
"Because man, we've known each other way longer and we're best friends."
Nick sighed, running a hand across his face, "I care about her alot Brian..."
"Nick...she's just out to--"
"To help me."
"What?"
"She wants to help. She tries to understand me. She doesn't just put me away in a corner and pretend there's not a problem. Yeah, I still get depressed sometimes, it happens. Today was a bad day. Why are you here?"
"She called me."
"What?"
"She called me....wanted to know how to get you to come out of your room. I told her she had no business being here and that I was coming over...and when I did come over, I told her she had to leave.," Brian said with a sigh.
Nick groaned, "God, Bri...you are so dense sometimes. Everyone else liked her from the start, except you. I'd almost expect this from Kevin, him being the biggest brother and shit....but you? You never got to know her for the person she is...she's...she's amazing Bri."
Brian looked away, "I can't watch you get dragged down again Nick...."
"How do you know I will? Every couple fights sometimes...you and Leigh have more than a few times..."
Brian smiled slightly, "But we always make up....I watched a part of you die when Kate left."
Nick sat down on the steps, "I can't tell you that that didn't happen.....but I'm coming back Brian. And I'm sorry, but you're wrong about Jordyn. Why can't you just give her a chance?"
"I don't know....something in my brain told me not to like her when I first saw you two together...I think I just have this part of me that wants to run everyone off..."
Nick laughed slightly, "Would you quit already then? I think I'd like to actually have a relationship sometimes!"
Brian chuckled, "Nick..be serious."
"I'm trying...I really am..."
"Hey..you're actually smiling..."
"Yeah..I am. Bri....you're my best friend. And Jordyn is my girlfriend.....I don't want to choose....because in the end, I can't. She's had to get used to alot since we met....she's had to get used to the Backstreet wives, not to mention you guys....and you. She's tried to get to know you but you won't let her. I think you're afraid."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that you'll actually like her. You liked Kate?"
Brian paused, "Well.....yeah I did like Kate at first."
"And look what happened there...."
"She left."
"Exactly. Now think about it....you don't like Jordyn now?"
"Right...," He all but grumbled.
Nick stood up and walked down to stand beside his friend, "Maybe you'll end up liking her."
Brian looked up at Nick, who still seemed to tower over him, "I don't know about that..."
Nick sighed, "Will you at least try to be civil to her and get to know her before you make all your assumptions next time you see her? Everyone else likes her....everyone else has given her a chance....I gave her a chance Brian, and I think that was a pretty damn big step on my part."
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