*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated thank-you all so much*
"What are you doing here?" asks Tayla as I take a seat next to her at the wrestling matches that Seth invited me to. "I never thought I would see Jordyn Batista at a NXT show. What is the special occasion?"
"I am only here to support Seth," I say as I hold Jonah on my lap. "He wanted me to come see him tonight and then we're going out afterward."
"What's going on there?" she asks as she takes Jonah from me. "I thought you hated wrestling and anything that has to do with wrestling?"
"Well, I told him I would be here so I am," I say, "I mean wrestling isn't my favorite thing in the world and I could live without it but I also want to support Seth in his dreams."
"So what's going on with you and Seth? Are you together or are you dating?" she asks.
"We're hanging out," I say. "That's it there's nothing else to it we're just hanging out and having fun."
"What kind of fun?" asks Tay.
I shrug my shoulders, "just fun nothing but hanging out. I think we may be dating occasionally but I'm not too sure."
"Tonight will be your second date, you're dating."
"We're hanging out," I say, "but he did kiss me."
"He kissed you? What did you say?"
"Nothing, I kissed him back," I say with a smile. "It just felt right. It was so perfect. We were just talking and leaned in and kissed me. I kissed him back and after we broke the kiss I wanted to kiss him again so I did. That's all that has really happened but Tay, it felt perfect. I have never been kissed like that before."
"I told you that he likes you. I knew that a long time ago. Do you like him?"
"I do," I say biting my lip. "A lot but right now I don't think I am ready for a relationship or all that other stuff. I'm just finally secure in my life and living it the way I want to. I have Jonah to think about and school. I want to be able to survive on my own and have no one take care of me. I want to move out of my nana's house, get a good job and give Jonah everything he deserves. I'm not sure I'm ready to bring a man into the mix besides after everything I went through I don't think I am ready to trust a man again."
"I understand," she says, "but not all men are like that. There are some really good ones out there. You just happened to meet one of the wrong men. You do deserve better than what you had."
"I know I deserve better but I'm not ready to actually trust a man again. I went through a lot for 4 years and that was hell. It has taken me a lot of therapy to even forgive him for everything he did to me and everything he took from me. I lost some of the best years of my life. I thought he loved me but who knows what love is at 14 years old. It was just convenience and abuse. I don't know if I will ever trust a man again."
"I'm sure you'll gain that trust back. Not all men are like that and you'll see that with Seth. I think he is a good man. I think he would be good for you but at the same time don't rush into anything you're not ready for."
"I'm trying to take it slow but it's like my heart says go and my mind says no if that makes sense. I can't fight my heart much longer but I don't want to get hurt again."
"I know, Jordyn but I don't think Seth will hurt you. You should give him a chance when you're ready. I'm proud of you for taking the first step and dating him. Just take your time, Jordyn. You'll know when you're ready."
"Thanks, Tay," I say with a smile. When I first met Tayla she wasn't exactly my favorite person in the world but I saw how much she loved Jonah and I may have upset her by kissing her husband in their kitchen but over the last couple years Tayla and I have grown closer, we've become really good friends and she is more of an older sister to me than my own older sister Chelsea who is ironically Tayla's best friend and Roman's ex-girlfriend. I never figured that one out myself. Tayla is the sweetest most caring person I know and the way she loves Jonah makes me love her even more. It's a shame she hasn't been able to have kids of her own yet because I know when she does she will be one of the best mothers I have ever known. Jonah loves her so much and she is always there to help me or to help him. I am grateful for her friendship. "How is everything going with you and Roman?" I ask as she plays with Jonah.
"Things are going pretty well," she answers. "We're going to start fertility treatments to hopefully have a baby. I can't wait to have kids with him. I have been waiting for almost 5 years. We have been through many miscarriages and a stillbirth. I am just ready to actually give him a child."
"It will happen," I encourage her. "I'm sure it will. I'm never having another baby again. I love Jonah but I am never having another kid."
"Babies are a blessing, what I wouldn't give to have one," she says.
"It will happen," I say before I change the subject. I know it is a painful one for her and she has been through a lot. "So Jonah, tell Aunt Tay what kind of birthday party you're going to have."
"What kind of birthday party are you having?" she asks enthusiastically.
"Ninja Turtles," he says with a big smile.
"That's so cool," says Tayla. "I can't wait to come. If you need any help Jordyn you know you can ask. I'll do anything you need me to do."
"Thanks but actually Seth is going to help me with it. He offered to help so we're going to work on the party together."
"Well," she says with a smile. "That's awesome. See? He isn't a bad guy, Jordyn."
"I know, I see that but Jonah's sperm donor didn't seem like a bad guy either until everything went down. Sometimes I wish I listened to my mom and dad but at 14 I thought I knew everything but I didn't."
"I think all 14 year olds think they know everything but the important thing to remember Jordyn is you were given another chance, you were saved from that life because you still have so much more life out there. You can't keep living in your past and expect every man that you meet to be like him. This is your second chance to be happy. You deserve to be happy and live the life you want."
"Well, I really fucked my life up," I say.
"Aw, you said a bad word," points out Jonah.
"I know I'm sorry, Baby," I say. "Mama didn't mean it. The only good thing that came out of it all was him. He's my life and my everything and I am thankful to whomever it is that made him so healthy and smart. He could have been a lot worse."
"That is a blessing," she says as she kisses the top of his head. "He is a wonderful little boy."
"I got lucky," I say with a smile, "but through it all he is what kept me alive, kept me from wanting to die. He saved my life if it wasn't for him I don't know where I would be."
"I'm glad that he saved you, Jordyn and he saved you for a reason so that you can live the life you deserve to live, so that you can experience true love and happiness," she says. "I'm proud of you," she says making me smile just as the show begins.
I show my support for Seth when he comes out for his match and cheer him on even if everyone is cheering against him. He wrestles a man I have no idea who he is but Seth ends up winning the match. He makes his way up the ramp and stops to high five Jonah and gives me a soft smile before he makes his way to the back. When the show is over I say goodbye to Jonah as he leaves with Roman and Tayla. I get the idea that Roman isn't exactly excited or pleased with the fact that Seth and I have been dating. I don't think he is a fan of who I am and a fan of what I have done. I have been spending the last 3 years of my life trying to prove to everyone around me that I am not the person I used to be and I am changing into someone I want to be. Some people don't want to believe that and want to believe that I will never become better or change who I am. Roman is one of those people. I have learned to accept it because I can't make anyone love me or like me but I know who I am and I know where I am going. I know I am not who I used to be and at the end of everything I will be better, stronger than I used to be. It hurts but at the same time I can't change anyone's opinion of me they are going to think what they want but it is for me to show them I am not that person anymore and I never will be again.
Once Seth is showered and dressed in a white button down shirt and a pair of slacks and his damp hair pulled up into a ponytail we go out to eat at a really nice Italian restaurant for dinner. I feel really underdressed in my black pants and white halter top. I just feel like I don't belong in the restaurant. It is way over the top for me but still a nice late night dinner in the candlelight. "What did you think of our show tonight?" he asks as we eat. "Did you have fun?"
"I enjoyed it," I say, "I have to be honest with you. I'm not really big in the wrestling scene. I will go to support you and cheer for you but I'm not into the whole WWE, NXT or whatever lifestyle. I have never really been interested in it. I told you wrestling practically destroyed my parents' marriage as much as they say it didn't I know it did. I never really watched it growing up so it will be hard for me to watch it now."
"I understand that," he says, "but at least you enjoyed my match. Would you go to another show?"
"I'll go to any show you want me to," I say with a smile.
"More progress from you," he says with a smile. "So tell me some more about you. I know so little about you."
"What do you want to know?" I ask before taking a sip of my water.
"Well, if you're not into wrestling what are you into, what are your interests?"
"Jonah is my interest," I answer.
"Other than Jonah," he says, "I know you're a great mom and wonderful with him but when you get free time what do you like to do?"
I shrug, "I like to write and read. I don't really have many friends except for Tayla so I don't really go out or hang out with anyone. I pretty much stay home and play with Jonah and study."
"I'm pretty much a homebody myself I have to be honest with you, Jordyn this is the most I have gone out in a couple of years. I like to use my time off to play video games and just sit around the house."
"I used to play video games with my brother when I was little but not too much into them now. You don't have to take me out anywhere you know that right? We can hang out at my place or yours whenever you want play video games, watch movies or whatever. I love to watch movies."
"Oh yeah? What is your favorite movie?"
"Dirty Dancing," I answer. "And Grease, those are my all-time favorite movies. What about you?"
"Ghostbusters, I love Ghostbusters," he answers. "Maybe we'll have to have a movie night sometime."
"Sounds good," I say before I take a bite of my food. "You know my mom makes some of the best Italian food I have ever tasted."
"Really?" he asks.
"Yes, my mama is part Italian. My Nonna was an amazing cook and she taught my mom everything she knows. She can really cook."
"That sounds awesome," he says, "so what are you Italian?"
"Italian, Greek and Filipino," I answer. "What are you?"
"Well, it's a good combination for you. You're beautiful," he says making me blush and he smiles. "It's true," he says.
"Thank-you," I blush even more breaking my eye contact with him. His stare burns intensity into my soul. "So what about you?"
"Armenian, German and Irish, everyone thinks I'm Mexican but I'm not."
"I get the Mexican thing too or Puerto Rican," I say, "but I have to tell them it is the combination of my nationalities. I'm a little darker than most."
"It's a beautiful combination," he says before he takes my hand into his. "I'm dying to know, what was it like growing up with Batista as your father?"
I let out a small chuckle and say, "the question should be more like what was it like growing up with Chelsea Batista as a sister." I don't hate my sister but I'm not a fan of her.
"What does that mean?" he asks with a puzzled look on his face.
"It means growing up was all about her. To be the second girl was hell with her. I was always compared to the oh perfect Chelsea. She was just so freaking perfect it was sickening. She was so smart, so well behaved, so beautiful. My dad took a big interest in her and gave her so many opportunities but I was never involved. I was always overlooked because I wasn't perfect like she was. I wish I could be perfect like she was, make them proud but I wasn't. My dad was closer to Chelsea than he was to me and I did some things to upset him. I haven't even talked to him in 3 years or my mama."
"Wow," he says. "That's a lot of deep shit. I'm sorry no one is truly perfect."
"You obviously never met Chelsea."
"I'm sure she has her flaws," he says, "besides I think you're perfectly imperfect that's better than anything."
"Shut up," I say with a shy smile, "and I doubt it. She was the golden child in the house and everyone knew it. Ben of course was just as golden because he was the first son and followed in my dad's footsteps but the rest of us were forgotten about."
"Do you have more brothers and sisters?" he asks.
"Yes, I have a twin brother named Josiah, I don't really talk to him much either. He is in Arizona living his life and I have a little sister named Italy and there is Kaylee. I don't really talk to many of them. I think Ben may be the closest to me out of all of them."
"At least you have that bond with your brother that's good. I'm sorry about that. Why haven't you really spoken to them?"
"History that I don't want to get into," I answer. "It's complicated just know I don't really talk to them much anymore. Maybe one day. I would like to make things right with my mama and my dad but I doubt they would want to."
"I hope one day you can fix everything with your family and know that I will be here with you every step of the way to help you fix things with them when you're ready," he promises.
"Why are you so nice to me?" I ask. "I have never had someone care about me as much as you do."
"Honestly?"
"That's the best policy."
"To be honest," he says, "I care about you a great deal. I care about you a lot. You sit here and talk about perfection and not being perfect but I don't care about perfection and what's perfect. I think you're a wonderful mother to Jonah, I think you're an intelligent woman and I think you're a great friend. I care about you because I like you a lot. I love being a part of Jonah's life and I love being a part of your life. Roman told me to stay away from you but I don't want to stay away, I can't stay away. I want to be in Jonah's life more, I want to be in your life more. I enjoy this hanging out and dating thing we have going on but I want more. I want more than just going out to some place to eat or hanging out doing whatever. I want to be able to call you mine, I want there to be an us, I'm sorry, Jordyn but I want to make you mine and be yours. I want to be exclusive, you and me. I understand if you can't give me that but that's what I am aiming for, that's what I want. And even though Roman told me not to do this I'm going to do it anyway," he says before taking a deep breath. "Will you give me more, will you be my girlfriend?" he asks. "We'll take our relationship slow but I just need to call you mine, take you off the market before some other guy comes in and tries to sweep you off your feet. I want to be that guy so please, Jordyn? Will you give me a chance to prove to you how much I care about you and allow us to have a relationship together and allow yourself to be my girlfriend?"
"Seth," I say, "first what do you mean Roman told you to stay away from me? What does that mean?"
"Roman told me to stay away, he told me you were nothing but trouble, he told me you're not good for me. I can't stay away and I'm not going to stay away."
"First of all, Roman knows who I used to be not who I want to be. Don't listen to him. He has no business in whatever is going on with you and I. And I will handle that myself. Roman and I will have a little talk. Second of all, I care a great deal about you too and I like you a lot. And I do mean a lot," I say making him smile. "But Seth, I need time to think this through, I need time to think about it all. Can you give me some time to think? Let it play out in my head to make sure I am ready for a relationship. I promise I am not ruling it out I just want to think it through can you let me do that?"
"Yes," he says, "I can let you do that, Jordyn. I can make you happy," he promises.
"Okay," I say, "I know that you can but I just need to think everything through okay?"
"Okay," he says with a hopeful smile and my insides are twisting, my stomach is fluttering at the idea of being in a relationship with him and my heart races at the thought. I have never felt this way about anyone or anything in my life. It always happens when I am around Seth but lately the feelings have gotten stronger, my stomach flutters more and my heart beats more rapidly, he makes me blush more than usual and I truly enjoy being with him. I have a lot of thinking to do and a big decision to make.
*A/N: Why do you think Jordyn truly dislikes wrestling? Is it surprising she will still support Seth even though she dislikes his career choice? What do you think of her friendship with Tayla? Do you think Tayla is a mentor to her, someone she may idolize? Why do you think she is so against her sister Chelsea? Is she jealous of her or does she blame her for her past? What do you think of her estranged relationship with her family? Can she fix that, will she be willing to fix that? What do you think of everything Seth said to her? Do you think she will form a relationship with him? Give into her heart? Why are they so attracted to each other? How do you think Jordyn's talk with Roman is going to go? Are you surprised that Seth mentioned it to her? Why can't he stay away? Please review and thank-you for reading.