Previously in Scandal Like Never Before:
"Hey Reed!" Josh shouted in my direction. Oh god, not again. "I need to talk to you, got a minute?" This was the tone of the Josh I used to love, not the stiff Josh I had just seen. I sighed, somehow my past just doesn't want to let go.
I stepped outside so that nobody would overhear us, to avoid unnecessary rumors, and Josh followed. I immediately wrapped out my arms around me since I left my coat inside. Josh reached for my shoulder and started taking his coat off for me but I flinched back, I didn't need this right now.
"Hi Josh," I sighed, "now really isn't the best time to talk, can we do this later?" I started to walk away from Josh and back to Sawyer. I couldn't believe I was actually doing this.
"No Reed! This can't wait" He gently grabbed my wrist, his touch sending sparks up my arm and I was obliged to turn back.
"Fine you have five minutes. This better be important" Oh god, what am I getting myself into. I promised to let the past go.
He nodded his head lightly and started "Reed..I really didn't like the way..the way we left things in the hospital two weeks ago." He was stuttering and my stiff face which I was trying so hard to keep was starting to relax. Yet something ignited in me when he said those words, and all the built up hurt and anger I felt throughout those two weeks on St. Barths made itself known.
"You, you don't like the way we left things?! Do you even know what you're saying! I asked you to call me, to tell me what's up with Ivy, and you didn't even bother to do that! Why the hell should I listen to you right now when you've caused me nothing but hurt! I've wasted my emotions on you Josh, and you could hardly pretend to care. Why can't you let me be for once in my life!" I don't know what came over me, but I started sobbing, and I was glad that I wasn't in the middle of Coffee Carma at the moment. Josh just stood there, hands in his coat pockets, in the most awkward situation imaginable.
"Reed, I know I hurt you and that you don't deserve anything I've put you though this last few months, and I'm sorry."He drooped his head towards the ground, and for a moment, I just wanted to go over there and hug him, but I resisted the urge. I remembered the situation I was in, and remembered new, strong Reed.
"That's b.s. Josh and you know it. You could've easily avoided all of that." Wow, I didn't know I had it in me. I was becoming more and more like Noelle, and to be truthful, it's kind of freaking me out. But I feel empowered, and that's a nice feeling to have.
"I know that doesn't cover it, but I wanted you to know that I feel guilty for all of this. When we told each other that we need to work things out at the hospital, I thought that I could do it in those weeks. I couldn't. Reed, Ivy needed me since being shot didn't exactly leave her in a good position. And you have no idea how many times I've wanted to call you, but I just couldn't find the words, or the guts really."
"Is this really the best you could come up with Josh? Well for your information, I did figure things out. I realized that you were a lost cause that was part of my past. I did move on. You can't just come barging into my life like you belong her Josh. You can't...you can't do this to me." I was getting back at him for all the pain he put me through. The only thing that was keeping me from leaving at this moment was my still present feelings for him.
"Reed, could you tell me honestly, that when you look at me, you have nothing but hate towards me? That you have absolutely no feelings for me?" Oh he was going to far. I was on the verge of another breakdown if he kept this up.
"Yes....no. Look, I might still have feelings for you, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just come crawling back. I have a life, outside of you, Josh, and you have to realize that." Great, here come the tears again. Since when was I so emotional? Oh yeah, since always.
"Reed, I'm not asking you to do that and I still have feelings for you as well but I just want you to be happy."
"Really? And how the hell do you expect me to be happy when you're causing me to be the complete opposite?" I laughed bitterly, his statement was way overused.
"Reed..I..lo-"
"Don't even go there, Josh. Look, I know we had something, but there was so much in between that something that maybe we should just give other people a chance, me with somebody else and you with Ivy. You know? So its an official break, exactly what we agreed on at the hospital. Let's try to sort things out, and we'll see where it goes from there. I can't forgive you yet. After everything, I'm not ready for this."
"Ivy," he sighed and inhaled an icy breath "right. Okay, fine. A break it is." He seemed to have difficulty with saying the words.
"Good, friends for now. I gotta get back to Sawyer, he's probably wondering where I am." I smiled, remembering the Sawyer who was probably patiently waiting. I stretched my arms out for a hug, and he did the same, and it felt like we were saying goodbye. I inhaled his scent mixed with the always present paint smell.
"Friends. So you and Sawyer huh?" He winked.
"Just friends" I laughed. Me and Sawyer, that was what he thought? I smiled at the thought, and immediately got it out of my head.
He chuckled and said sarcastically, "Right."
"So I'll see you around" I waved and turned my back on him and enjoyed the warmth of the cafe as I opened the door.
"Yeah, see you." He voice was distant and removed. "I...love you" He whispered as quietly as possible, and I wished I hadn't heard it. I closed my eyes to that part of my life, and walked into the cafe. The hazelnut and vanilla coffee smells instantly surrounded me, and once more, all heads turned to me. I walked quickly to the table at which Sawyer was sitting to avoid an embarrassment, and took my seat next to him.
"What was that all about?" He asked me, and I didn't feel like replaying that scene in my mind, but I knew that I could trust Sawyer.
"Well, me and Josh used to be...a thing. But the whole story is that I had a stalker, Sabine, who was out to get me because I got her sister in a mental home. She was sending me emails, making me paranoid, and all that, and at the Legacy, Josh and I broke up because he disliked the Billings girls. After that, Sabine drugged my drink as well as Dash's. And you could say things went a bit too far between me and Dash and Josh found us. Everything went pretty much downhill from there. Noelle found out, I was kicked out of Billings, and then I almost got shot, but Ivy, Josh's girlfriend, got shot instead because Josh pushed me out of the way. So you could say we went through a lot. And just now, we decided to take an official break from each other." I poured everything out to Sawyer, everything that I was keeping inside me all these weeks and somewhere along the way, I started tearing up. I didn't know I had any tears left to cry.
"Wow, more like you went through a lot. But know that, you'll always have me as a friend to vent to" He smiled and pushing my hair back behind my ears, wiped a tear off my cheek with his finger. I was so glad that I had told Sawyer, the fact that he genuinely cared was so evident. It emptied my chest and I felt relieved of the burden.
"Thanks Sawyer, you have no idea how much I appreciate it" And I meant it.
"Anytime" he winked. "Now, do you mind giving me a tour of the campus? I meant it when I said that I wouldn't leave your side" I laughed, this was definitely the Sawyer I could get used to.
"Oh yeah, I completely forgot about that." As I said that, my phone vibrated on the table, and I stiffened, my paranoid reaction. I looked at the message sender, and the cellphone read Upton, and I instantly relaxed. Near death experiences can do a lot to the nerves.
Sawyer seemed to notice my reaction and looked at the phone, and for a second, tensed his knuckles. I wonder what that was all about.
"You want to answer that?" He asked, with his fists still clamped and an edge to his voice. Woah, what happened just now.
"Umm, actually, no. This can wait, your tour can't." I smiled, and found myself inwardly gaping that I actually inadvertently rejected Upton. I can text him anytime, right?
He seemed to relax at my words, and smiled a huge grin. His dimples showed, and I started laughing.
"What?" He frowned.
"Oh no, it's not you, just your dimples"
"Making fun of dimples, Brennan?" He mocked a glare and I couldn't stop smiling at the guy in front of me.
"Maybe"
"Oh you did it now, Reed. Better watch out" And I knew that this was going to lead to another snowball fight. One I was looking forward to.
"Bring it on, Hathaway" With that, I ran out of the coffee shop, letting the cold breeze redden my cheeks, and dived into the snow. Sawyer did the same so I covered his face in sludge.
My phone vibrated again, but this time it wasn't a text from Upton, but a text from Noelle. I checked it just in case it was important, and surprise surprise, it was.
Emergency Billings meeting in the Quad, under the huge oak tree.
Be there,
Noelle
Great, just as I was beginning to enjoy myself, something had to come and ruin it.
"Sawyer, I have to go, Billing emergency, I'm sorry" I apologized and felt bad for leaving him.
"Oh, well how about I come with you? Count it as part of the tour" He grinned again, and I couldn't say no so I nodded a yes, and was off to face fresh drama with my new best friend. We walked with locked elbows, gaining some smirks and stares from a few people.
I smiled inwardly, this year really was going to be interesting.
Longer Chapter, Yay! I know its dragging on a bit slow, but don't worry action and drama and romance is on the way! Lol, anyways, I was kinda dissapointed with the amount of reviews I got for the first chapter, but I hope this time you will review more, or I really will be discouraged.
Hope you like it, and please, Josh fans, don't be upset, Josh is not out of the story yet ;) Nor will he ever be...I think. haha.
I wanted to say thank you to the people who DID review, loves to all of you =) You're my first ever reviewers!
So people, learn from them, lol, and press that greenish button!
Maks
