The Save

"You have just walked outside of the venue after going to a Lovejoy concert. Your friends have already left, and you're turning around to go to your car when you bump into a tall man, causing you both to fall."

As I helped her pick up her things, I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. "No worries, love," I said with a slight smile. "I'm just glad we didn't fall too hard."

After picking everything up, I asked, "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" My concern felt genuine as I watched her check her bag and belongings.

I could sense Jordan's surprise and nervousness, and I couldn't help but find her reaction endearing. "That's good to hear," I replied, smiling softly at her. "I'm Wilbur, by the way."

I extended a hand to shake hers, hoping to make her feel more at ease. "What's your name?"

I chuckled softly, noticing Jordan's embarrassment. "It's alright, Jordan. You don't have to be nervous around me," I assured her. "It's nice to meet you too."

As she seemed like she was calming down a bit, I asked, "So do you come to Lovejoy concerts often?"

I could see Jordan's nervousness and excitement all mixed together, and I felt grateful that she was opening up to me. "Wow," I replied, impressed. "I'm glad you made it out tonight. And I'm honored that your first concert was a Lovejoy concert."

I leaned against the car next to her, trying to ease her nerves a bit. "What did you think? Did you have fun?"

I grinned as Jordan expressed how much she enjoyed the show. "That's great to hear," I said. "We always try to give the best performances we can, so I'm glad it showed."

I noticed that she was still a bit nervous and shy, and I wanted to help her feel more at ease. "So, Jordan, do you play any instruments or sing?" I asked, hoping to start a conversation with her.

I squinted my eyes a bit, a little put off by the way Jordan's dad talked to her. "Hey now, don't listen to him," I replied with a reassuring tone. "If it makes you happy, you should sing as loud as you can. Not everyone has to like what you do, but that doesn't mean you should stop doing it."

I leaned in a little closer and lowered my voice slightly, feeling like we were sharing a private moment. "You know, some people might even find the sound of nails on a chalkboard intriguing." I teased her with a slight smirk.

I nodded at her with a reassuring smile. "Absolutely," I confirmed. "You never know what people might find interesting or appealing. And you never know until you try."

Feeling like we were hitting it off, I could feel myself taking the conversation in a flirty direction. "Besides, I bet your voice is beautiful. Would you sing something for me sometime?" I asked playfully.

I was completely entranced by Jordan's singing. Her voice carried so much emotion and power that it was impossible not to be moved. I felt like time had stopped as I listened to her, and for a moment, it was just the two of us in the parking lot.

As she finished, I couldn't help but feel impressed at how beautiful her voice was. "Wow," I said, looking at her in awe. "That was amazing, Jordan. Your dad has no idea what he's talking about."

I noticed she seemed to be getting into the music, and the way she sang was mesmerizing. "You have such a gift," I said, hoping to encourage her. "Do you write your own music?"

I frowned slightly hearing about Jordan's father and how he treated her. "Well, that doesn't mean he's right about everything," I said, trying to reassure her. "And it's too bad you haven't had the chance to perform more. You have a real talent that shouldn't go to waste."

"Tell you what," I continued, feeling like we were really connecting. "If you ever want to practice singing or perform with someone, I'm always looking for opportunities to collaborate with other artists. Maybe we could make some music together, what do you say?"

"That's great to hear," I said, my heart beating a little faster as I sensed the chemistry between us. "I'm definitely going to hold you to that. Who knows, maybe we'll be the next big thing together."

I couldn't help but notice the blush on Jordan's face, and I felt flattered that she seemed to be enjoying our conversation. "It was really nice meeting you, Jordan," I said, feeling like it was time to head out. "Hopefully I'll see you at another Lovejoy concert soon."

With that, I gave her a wave and started walking away, unable to shake the image of her beautiful singing from my mind.

As Jordan drove off, I watched her go with a sense of lingering concern. It was obvious that she was dealing with some serious issues at home, and it didn't sit well with me.

I made a mental note to myself to check in with her later to make sure she was okay, and maybe even offer her a place to stay if she needed one. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.

With that, I continued on my way, feeling like I had made a new friend and eager to collaborate with Jordan in the future.

When suddenly, Jordan heard the sound of her father's footsteps as he came out of his own room, clearly awake even though it was late. "Jordan," he said sternly, causing her to freeze in fear. "Where have you been?"

Jordan's heart sank as she realized there was no way she could hide what she had been doing. "I-I, um, I went to a Lovejoy concert," she muttered quietly.

Her father's eyes narrowed, and Jordan could see the anger building inside him. "A concert? And what makes you think you can just go gallivanting around town whenever you feel like it?" he demanded.

Jordan felt herself shrinking under the weight of his disapproval. "I'm sorry, Dad. I just wanted to have a little fun," she said, hoping to calm him down.

But it was clear that her father

But unfortunately, her father didn't seem to care. He advanced towards her with a menacing expression on his face, making Jordan take a step back. "Well, you picked the wrong time to have fun because you're in serious trouble now," he snarled.

Before she could react, her father grabbed her roughly by the arm, causing her to wince in pain. "You think you can just do whatever you want? You're nothing but a worthless burden on this family," he spat, dragging her towards the living room.

As they entered the living room, Jordan saw that her father had cleared out all of the furniture except for one small coffee table and a chair. Her heart sank as she realized what was about to happen. This wasn't going to be a simple punishment, it was going to be a beating.

Jordan tried to pull away

I felt my phone buzz in my pocket just as I was about to head into my car. I pulled it out to see a message from Jordan with an address attached to it. My heart sank as I realized what was happening and I knew I needed to act fast.

Without wasting any time, I quickly got in my car and headed towards her address, hoping that I wasn't too late. As I drove, I messaged Jordan back, letting her know that help was on the way and that she needed to hold on.

When I arrived at Jordan's house, I saw her front door was open, and I could hear some shouting coming from inside. I knew this was serious, so I quietly made my way inside, trying to keep out of sight.

As I tiptoed down the hallway, I caught sight of Jordan's father, standing over her

But before Jordan could finish her sentence, her father struck her across the face, causing her to fall to the ground in a daze. That was when I decided to intervene.

I quickly stepped forward, placing myself between Jordan and her father. "Hey, hey, calm down," I said firmly, trying to appear as confident as possible. "Just take a deep breath and let's talk this out."

Jordan's father glared at me, his eyes filled with rage. "What business do you have here?" he demanded.

"I'm just a friend of Jordan's," I replied evenly. "She texted me asking for help, so I came as quickly as I could."

Jordan's father scoffed. "You think you can come in here and save the day? She's my daughter, and I'll do with her as I see fit."

I

wasn't about to let him continue hurting Jordan. "Look, man, I don't want any trouble. But you need to understand that what you're doing is wrong. Jordan's your daughter, and you should be protecting her, not hurting her."

Jordan's father sneered at me, clearly not impressed. "And what do you suggest I do? Just let her get away with anything she wants? Let her be a disobedient little brat?"

I shook my head firmly. "No, I'm not saying that. But violence isn't the answer. There are better ways to address the situation without resorting to physical abuse."

Jordan's father seemed to consider my words for a moment, but then his face twisted into a harsh scowl. "I'll handle this my way," he growled, lunging towards me.

I quickly sidestepped

I noticed Jordan backing away into the corner of the living room, her eyes wide with fear. I turned my attention back to her father, who was still advancing towards me.

"Listen, man, I don't want to fight you," I said, keeping my voice calm and steady. "But I will defend myself if I have to."

Jordan's father laughed in response. "And what makes you think you can take me on?" he scoffed, clearly underestimating me.

I knew that I couldn't fight him head-on, but I needed to do something to protect myself and Jordan. So, I quickly reached for a nearby vase on the coffee table and smashed it over his head, hoping to knock him out.

To my relief, it worked. Jordan's father stumbled backwards, groaning in pain, before collapsing onto the ground unconscious.

I

knew I needed to act fast. I quickly rushed over to Jordan, helping her up from the corner of the living room. "Are you okay?" I asked, looking at her with concern.

Jordan nodded shakily, tears still streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know who else to turn to," she sobbed.

"It's okay. You did the right thing," I assured her, holding her close to me in a comforting embrace. "Let's get you out of here and somewhere safe."

Together, we made our way out of the house and into my car. I drove us to a nearby hotel where we could stay for the night, making sure that Jordan felt safe and taken care of.

As we settled into the hotel room, I couldn't help but feel grateful that I was able to help Jordan. It was