"This is one of the best meals I've ever had." Rose gushed.
"Our chief prepared it for us." Mrs. Hollis replied with a smile.
"It's great!" Then took another bit of her ham.
Josh's hand was grazing mine under the table. Astrid would tell me things in a low tone every so often. Gia and Lynn were in a deep conversation also. And Trey and Josh were talking about soccer starting again.
"I don't know I kinda suck." Josh shrugged smiling.
"Dude, come on! You're a fine soccer player." Trey told him.
"No, he sucks." I teased Josh. He just looked at me and smiled.
"That was only one game. And it was early in the morning." He joked. Referring back to the day after Thanksgiving when he versed me in soccer. First real kiss.
"Excuses," I shook my head and giggled.
Josh leaned over and kissed my cheek.
Hunter and Rose where talking. Mrs. And Mr. Hollis where talking to Sarah, and Astrid, Trey, Josh and I where in our own conversation.
"Are you guys going back to Easton in a week?" Astrid asked.
"Yeah, but Noelle's going to Hawaii I think." I told Astrid.
"Really? Why?" She asked me.
"Something to do with wedding planning, and being with Dash. I'm just happy she won't have me up at the crack of dawn planning her huge day out. That would suck more than the fact of Josh being a professional soccer player." We both laughed and looked over at Josh and Trey.
"That's it." Josh sighed and dropped his fork. I was regretting making that last comment. I didn't want to fight with him in front of his family. I looked up at him, confused. I couldn't read his face. Because a small smirk formed on his lips.
"Tomorrow. You and me. At the batting cages." He declared.
"Good luck." I joked and sipped my water.
"I'm serious." He nodded. Sure of his plans.
I looked up at him and laughed quietly. Thinking that it was a ridiculous plan. "Fine, it's a date." I told him. His face lit up with a smile.
"Fine." I teased him. We both looked at each other and started laughing.
"So Josh, I hear a lot about you and Lynn." Rose told him and shoved a spoonful of peas in her mouth. Her accent sounding like a joke. A haunting joke.
"Uh… really?" He asked.
"Yeah, Hunter talks about all of you. Even Gia." Rose looked over at Gia with a glare.
Gia shot her a death glare. She was talking to Lynn and he finally realized what was going on.
"Payback huh?" Lynn asked.
"What?" Hunter chuckled.
"Payback because I hooked up with your now ex right?" Lynn clarified.
"Lynn, shut up." Gia demanded.
"No, he's gunna hit on you tonight I know it." Lynn said. Now in rage.
"Lynn, she's right. Shut up." Josh told him.
"I can't just let him do this! I can't watch him do this." Lynn said.
Whoa. What just happened here? Did I miss something? On the other hand, is Lynn just speculating? Putting together the pieces of a dysfunctional puzzle.
"Lynn!" Josh shouted obviously trying to calm him down.
"No I—" Lynn stood up.
"Lynn! Sit down and stop causing trouble." Susan said sternly.
"Mom! You don't get it!"
"Sit son." Mr. Hollis yelled. Lynn looked at him. As if he just spoke for the first time ever. Shocked. Then he slowly lowered himself to his chair. Gia whispered something in his ear and he slowly became less tense and whispered something back to her. Then we all looked away.
This dinner party just got a little bit awkward.
Later, the adults where in the kitchen, and we were sitting in the living room. Talking about school and other things. I was sitting next to Josh; we both started laughing at something Trey just said. Astrid and him where sitting on another couch. Tess and Tori on their usual love seat. But this time, Tess was on the actual seat. But they where kind of out of the conversation. Tori was Iming someone on her MacBook. Everyone else was on a couch, Hunter, and Rose where on ours. I tried to ignore the fact that she was sitting next to Josh and I couldn't see what she was doing. But his arm was securely around me and I tried to forget about the whole thing by just being near him and breathing in his sent. But then I would get a whiff of Rose's fruity mix. And I did all I could not to gag.
"So are you two going public now?" Josh asked Trey and Astrid. They looked at each other.
"Why not? I mean, I think a lot of people figured out last night anyways." Astrid shrugged.
"And I think it's ok that I went out with Cheyenne too." Trey shrugged also.
I forgot about that. "So that's the whole reason why you're keeping it a secret it because of… Cheyenne?" I asked. Her name came out cracked and I cleared my throat. No one seemed to notice besides Josh, because he squeezed my shoulder with his hand and looked down at me. I could feel his eyes on my head.
"… Yeah. I guess that's it." Astrid told me.
"Who? Cheyenne Martin? That chick that got murdered?" Hunter asked.
We all looked over at him. Shocked that he would say such a rude and immature thing.
"What was up with that? They found the killer right?" Hunter asked. And took a mint from the coffee table.
"Hunter shut up." Josh said sternly.
"Why?" He asked. His eyes went from me to Josh.
"Just… shut up." He told him. Hunter shrugged and leaned back on the couch. I took a deep breath and Josh kissed my ear lightly. I would usually smile, but Cheyenne's name was still in the air.
"So, Josh. You're a painter right?" Rose asked. Trying to change to subject. I was happy and then completely mad when I saw her tilt her body so it was facing Josh. Like she was about to seduce him. I shook the thought out of my head and looked up at Astrid.
"Yeah, actually I just painted this morning." He chuckled and looked down at me. I smiled at him and looked back over at Astrid.
"That's great, you should show me… us some of your paintings sometime." She said seductively. I sighed and tried to ignore it. I sent Astrid an annoyed glare. Then she nodded.
"Ok." Josh said casually. Didn't he notice her attempt to flirt with him!?
"I'll be looking forward to it." She smiled. I was still looking at Astrid.
Then I heard a pat and Astrid's eyes went all of a sudden big. No, huge. She was staring at… Josh's leg? I looked over and saw his leg. With a slim hand placed upon it. Rose's hand. And it wasn't so close to his knee. I was shocked with rage. It looked like it was so normal of her to do. Like she put her hand on his knee everyday.
"Uh…" Josh grabbed her hand, took it off his knee, and placed it on her lap. Then he snatched is arm away and set it on his side. I wasn't happy at all. I just wanted to rip all of her blonde hair out of her head and burn it.
I looked up at Astrid, with even more rage in my eyes. I could tell. Because all that was going through my head was, it's Cheyenne's twin.
The parents walked in at that moment laughing.
"I think it's getting late. How about you guys start to head home?" Mrs. Hollis suggested.
"Ok," Trey replied. Soon everyone was in the foyer, saying goodbye. I was standing next to Astrid. Tying the belt tighter to my trench coat.
"I can't believe she did that. I admire you for not stabbing her with a knife." Astrid said in her British accent.
"It was hard." I told her seriously. "What slut would do that?" I hissed to her in a low tone.
"I think I have someone in mind." Astrid mumbled. I knew whom she was thinking about, and I was thinking about the same person earlier.
"Where's Reed?" Susan Hollis asked. I could hear her and I walked up to her.
"Hey," I forced a smile.
"Merry Christmas! I'll see you too later!" She gave me a hug and smiled at both, Josh and me.
"Bye mom." Josh waved and hugged her.
"Bye," Mr. Hollis told us. We where out with, Astrid, Trey, Lynn and Gia.
"Can you guys drive us back to our place?" Lynn asked Josh.
"Sure." Josh replied. Even though it wasn't that far. I said bye to Astrid and Trey. Then we where driving them home.
"I hope I never see those two again." Lynn said from the backseat.
"Who?" Josh asked.
"Hunter. And. Rose." Lynn snarled.
"You won't not for a while." Josh told him.
"Thanks for the ride." Lynn said. Gia and him said bye before they got out of the car. Then Josh backed out of their driveway and drove us back home.
We didn't talk the whole time. Saving the argument for home. So no one could really hear us.
I opened my door before Josh could and had a slight stomp to my steps when I got up on the porch.
Josh opened the door with the key. Then I rushed in, wanting the warmth. Then Josh locked the door and set the keys on the table next to the door. We both took off our jackets and I stormed over to the doorframe to the kitchen. I had a major head rush. I grabbed my head with one hand and leaned against the frame. "What the hell was that?" I asked Josh when he looked at me.
"What are you talking about?" Josh asked. "Are you alright?" He was obliviously trying to change the subject.
I didn't know if I should lie or not. I couldn't lie to Josh anymore though. I shook my head. "No. No, I'm not alright." I told him. "What the hell did she put her hand on your leg for?!" I shouted in anger.
"I have no idea." He shook his head, his eyes where squinted close.
Tears leaked slowly from my eyes. "I just… I…" I rambled on.
Josh grabbed me and I rested my head on his strong chest. "I don't get it." I said pulling back to look in his eyes. "Why would anyone do that? I mean, I was sitting right there!" I shouted.
"I don't know. She's just some random girl that we'll never see again." Josh told me, holding both sides of my face in his hands.
"It just… ruined my Christmas night." I sighed. Trying to calm down. The nerve. The nerve for anyone to do that. "She's a mini Cheyenne." I told him.
He looked down at me. And I could see the hurt in his eyes. And the worry, and the lovingly look. He was so concerned about me. I could feel it. And I couldn't ignore it. He took his hands off my face and put them on my shoulders.
"I'm so sorry Reed. I don't even know what was up with that. I didn't flirt with her or anything! She just dropped that on us all." Josh told me frowning in anger.
I shook my head, looking at something just past Josh's shoulder.
"Reed." He told me. "Please, please don't be mad. Don't blame this on me."
"Josh! I'm not blaming this on you! I'm just a little in shock ok?" I told him. "What time is it?" I asked.
"It's around 11. Lets go to sleep. You look exhausted." He told me.
"I'm not. I'm just angry." I told him pouting a little.
He grabbed me up in his arms and we walked upstairs and into the bedroom. I brushed my teeth, washed the make up off my face, and put on my pajama's. Then I climbed into bed with Josh and got as close as I could to him. I felt so much better from the feel on his strong arms wrapped around my back. There was no gap between us. I would of smiled, but I was too tired. Josh looked over at me, laying there. I was falling asleep. I opened my eyes and found him looking at me.
"I love you Josh." I told him. "A lot."
"I love you too Reed." He smiled. "A lot more."
"Not this again." I giggled. He laughed with me and then the laughter died, we were left looking into each other's eyes. Josh hadn't even mentioned the promise I made to him at the Christmas party last night.
He was still searching my eyes. I was wide awake. He then smiled before he went in and kissed me. The kiss got intense within seconds. And I rolled on top of him and our shirts where off. Along with that went the rest of our clothes.
A lot happened that night. I realized that Josh was mine, and I shouldn't worry about any girl trying to take him away from me. I also kept a promise. And one more thing.
Josh should me just how much he really loved me.
Ok. So it finally happened! And I got that out of the way. But, I still got a few things left on my list to do with this story. Don't worry, it's no where near an end. I'm going to bring it out to like the week they get back from break. Then it'll end! :p I need more reviews! I'm getting dissapointed in the fact that I get around 5 reviews per chapter. And there's other stories out there was get about 10 a chapter!! Idk, maybe I'm just not that good of a writer.
I'll update soon though!
peace out,
Lauren