TORN (Chapter 149)

"I've had it," Courtney Rogers spat. She and Ryan had been back from Worlds for a week, and she was incensed. 

"Courtney, what's wrong now?" Ryan hissed. 

"What's wrong is you," she spat. "This season has been a disaster, and it's all your fault!"

"I don't need to listen to this," Ryan spat.

"Oh, yes you do!" Courtney said. "Because you have a decision to make. Me, or her."

"What?" Ryan hissed.

"You heard me. You're distracted, and she is the reason! You either dump Jessica, or you find yourself a new dance partner."

"You've got to be kidding," Ryan said.

"No, I am not. I've had it."

"You can't interfere in my personal life!"

"When your personal life affects our skating, yes I can!"

"It isn't. The only thing that's affecting our skating, is you. How you treat me."

"I treat you like I've always treated you, why is it a problem now? I'll tell you why-because of her. I'm not going to argue about this. We start working up our programs in, what, three weeks or so? By that time, I want her gone." With that, she stormed out of the room.


Two weeks later, Ryan and Jessie were in bed, after having made love.

"Honey, we have to talk," Jessie told him.

"What's up, Jess?"

"It's the middle of April. As of May 15th, I don't have a place to live. Warren and Sophie are going back to Massachusetts."

"Can't you just pick up their lease?" Ryan asked.

"I can't afford it. Not unless I can find a roommate, and that's tough to do in May. In September, when school starts again, I could swing it-but I won't be able to afford the place until then." She took a breath. "Unless you want to move in with me. Or me with you, whichever."

"Oh, Jess," Ryan sighed.

"Look, Ryan, I love you. We get along great. We could make it work, I know we could."

Ryan took a deep breath. "This isn't a good idea right now."

"Why not?"

"Courtney. Look, she threatened me-break up with you, or she's going to drop me from the team. Now, I have no intention of breaking up with you, but I'm trying to finesse this."

Jessie sighed. "You're not going to be able to, you should know that. Either way, you stay with me, she's going to carry out her threat. But why should you care? You can find another partner."

"One as good as Courtney? As a skater, I mean."

"Courtney's not that good, Ryan! You're the strength of that team! Ask Warren and Sophie, if you don't believe me, they see it!"

"We've been skating together for a long time. We're used to each other. I'm 22, it's too late to try to start with another partner."

Jess looked at him for a good long minute, then got out of bed and started gathering her clothes. She started pulling them on.

"Jess. Where are you going?"

"Ryan, Courtney gave you a choice. She wasn't kidding. And you've made it."

"Jess! What are you saying?"

"I'm not going to live like this. I'm not going to live with this hanging over my head. The minute you didn't dump her as a partner when she gave you that ultimatum, you made your choice." She looked at him. "Ryan, I love you-but I can't do this anymore. I'm leaving. I'm going back to Massachusetts."

"You can't!"

"Then you pick up that phone, call Courtney, and tell her you're not breaking up with me under any circumstances. No sneaking around. Put the ball back in her court." Ryan just gave her a look of despair. "You can't do it."

"Jess, this is my career!"

"No, it's not. It's just one partner. Female ice dancers looking for male partners are a dime a dozen, and you  know it. This isn't about your career, this is about Courtney. You're still loyal to her, for reasons I'll never figure out, and I can't deal with it any more." She gathered her stuff up and headed for the door. "Goodbye, Ryan." And she left.

"Jess! Come back!" Ryan yelled-but she was already gone.


The next day, Warren and Sophie came back from class to find Jess crying.

"Jess? What happened?" Sophie asked. In between her sobs, the whole story spilled out.

"I think you should give him time," Warren told her when she had finished.

"He had plenty of time," Jess sniffled. "He's had months. He knew this was coming. He must have-I certainly saw it."

Warren didn't know what to say to that. 

They had a solemn supper-enlivened only by Betsy's antics, which at least made Jess laugh a little bit. Afterwards, Warren and Sophie studied, while Jess played with Betsy to cheer herself up a bit.

Warren and Sophie were getting ready for bed, when Jess came into the room. "Do you guys mind if I sleep with you tonight? I don't feel like being alone."

"Of course," Sophie smiled at her.

None of them intended on making love. Jess just didn't want to be alone, and Sophie and Warren just wanted to comfort her. However, once they got in bed, things started to happen-and they did end up making love.


Warren and Sophie woke up the next morning, to find no Jess in the bed. They went out into the apartment, and found her in Betsy's room-packing a suitcase.

"Jess? What's up?" Sophie asked.

She smiled at them sadly. "I'm going home. To Oceanview. I've already called work and quit-told them I had an emergency at home and had to move back there. I've got a flight late this afternoon. Can you guys get me to the airport?"

"Sure," Warren told her, "but, Jess, you don't have to leave."

"Yeah, I do. I can't stick around here with Ryan around all the time. And I have to stop jumping into bed with the two of you every time my heart gets broken. I love you, and I'm grateful, but it has to stop. It's not fair to anyone. And, if I stay here, I'll just be too tempted. You two need to live your life-and I need to find one."

"Jess, you're always welcome with us," Sophie told her.

"I know that," she smiled. "You two make it too easy. But this is the second time I've come running to you two when I get dumped. It's turning into a crutch. That has to stop." She looked at them. "You guys know how I feel about you. But I don't think we could ever go back to being the Happy Threesome, not after Ryan. Not now that I know what I want. " She sighed. "Even if I can't have it with the person I want it with."

"I wouldn't count Ryan out," Warren said.

"I already have." Jessie said sadly. "He made his choice."

"We can't talk you out of this?" Sophie said.

"No, my mind is made up. Hey, I'll see you guys in a month when you get back there. Don't worry about that."

"We worry about you," Warren said.

"I'll be fine."


They took her to the airport and said goodbye. The next day, at the rink, they ran into Ryan.

"Is Jessie in your apartment?" he asked Warren.

"Jessie is in Boston," Warren told him.

"WHAT?"

"She went home. Yesterday afternoon. Nice going, hotshot-you blew it," Warren spat at him, then walked away. Ryan just looked at him watching in disbelief.



 
