Without You

Chapter 57

~~a while later~~

As the girls leave to go Christmas shopping I make a beeline for the garage hoping that in there working on my bike I could avoid josh for as long as their gone because I really don't want to fight with him as I work on replacing a few things tightening some loose bolts and such I hear the garage door open stupidly hoping that one of the girls decided to stay home but I knew it was not true

"Ashton?" I hear my name as footsteps come closer I get up wiping off my hands and turn to face Josh

"yes" I say "are we gonna talk about this man to man"

"I don't know Josh are we or does the whole family need to be here to witness it"

"im sorry but you seriously can't expect me to be okay with you dating my little sister"

"I don't expect you to be jumping with joy over it but I do expect you to understand that we're adults and can make our own decisions"

"I would but you're my best friend I've seen how you treat girls and I won't let my sister be treated that way"

"I'm different with her I swear ask anyone I know I don't have a very good reputation but she's different im different"

"I would love to believe that but-"

"you we're okay with her dating lucka what's different"

"he's not my best friend your not getting it Ashton I don't want to lose you"

"what? Josh you'd never lose me im your best friend I'm always going to be here"

"you don't know that if things go bad between you two-"

"they're not going to"

"you don't know that"

"I may not be able to tell the future but I know that I love her and I believe she loves me too"

"But you don't know"

"I have trust, trust that it'll work out for the better" I say in a pleading tone slightly out of breath I wait for josh's response but nothing "Josh please say something"

"I can't" he says turning and going back into the house leaving me in the garage in the ominous air of our conversation I lean up against a wall and close my eyes taking a deep breath and letting it go still with eyes closed I reach into my pocket and pull out my cigs I open my eyes to light it and then shut them again taking a long drag