The Bachelors: a tiktok story

147: History

When you woke up, you pulled out from under Josh's arm and decided to go in search of a bite to eat. You wandered out into the living room to find Chase sitting on the couch, watching TV: "Jaden didn't stay?"

Chase: "He did. He's just still in bed. I couldn't sleep."

You: "Nessa must still be asleep too."

Chase: "She got a call and left last night right after you and Josh went to your room."

You: "So- Uh- Speaking of Josh."

Chase: "How is paradise?"

You: "We are good. Really good. It's just- I need you to take it easy on him. Before you argue, I know what you said to him yesterday and I also know you're just looking out for me because you care about me but I just need you to do this, okay?"

Chase nodded his head in agreement as a smile spread across your face:
"What?"

You: "So Jaden spent the night, huh?"

Chase: "Relax, we spend the night together all the time."

You: "Oh, so you're already sleeping together?"

Chase didn't know why he lied. Maybe because she seemed hurt by the idea or maybe it was all in his head:
"If by that you mean sleeping, then yes. But no, we haven't done THAT before."

*JOSH'S POV*

When he woke up, he was disenchanted to find his girlfriend wasn't laying next to him. He pulled up his sweats to go looking for her. Before he turned the corner into the living room, he could already hear the laughing and felt the wrenching in the pit of his stomach, tighten. She saw him right away and smiled up at him: "Good morning, baby. How'd you sleep?"

Josh: "Would have been better if I woke up next to the person I fell asleep next to."

Chase pulled her attention back away as he laughed:
"Someone wakes up grumpy."

Watching them continue laughing together was the last thing he cared to see before his morning coffee so he headed straight into the kitchen to pour a cup that he could already smell. As he put the creamer back in the fridge, Jaden came up behind him and asked: "Mind if I have a cup?"

Josh: "Go ahead. Pretty sure it's your boyfriend's."

Jaden sipped his cup as he sat down and watched Josh glare towards the doorway the sound of laughter was bouncing through:
"You really don't have to worry about that, you know?"

Josh scoffed:
"You do know they slept together, right?"

Jaden sipped calmly:
"Yeah, I know."

Josh turned to look at him in shock:
"Then why aren't you worried?"

Jaden: "Because history will always be that... history. The past. What matters most is the future and that's us."

*END JOSH'S POV*

You came skipping into the kitchen with a smile:
"Baby, I know we didn't really have set plans to do anything today so would you be okay with me going shopping with Chase for a while?"

Josh: "Best friends... roommates... and now shopping buddies?"

You kissed him, playfully before carrying on as if you didn't hear the sarcasm:
"He promised to help me pick out bedroom furniture."

Josh: "I could have helped you do that? I mean, I am the one who sleeps on it with you."

You: "We could go out together later and pick out the mattress together if you want? I just already promised him we could get new furniture together. He wants to buy his own too instead of using the stuff Emma and Bryce hooked up on regularly."

Josh looked over at Jaden who seemed to give him some sort of unspoken cue:
"It's okay, babe. Just buy what you need and I'll be here when you get back."

You: "A furniture building date later?"

Josh kissed you and promised:
"I'll be here when you get home. I'll even finish cleaning up the last of the mess from the party."

You kissed him again and gushed:
"You're literally the best boyfriend ever"

Chase walked in at that moment, holding his keys:
"Ready?"

Jaden: "Josh is gonna hang out here but I gotta get to work so call me when you get home?"

Chase disappeared to walk Jaden out as you offered:
"There's plenty of food in the fridge if you wanna make yourself something and I promise I'll make it a quick trip."

Josh still seemed to be pouting but just before you moved out of his reach, he grabbed you and pulled you back. He gripped you tight against him and gave you another kiss... a better kiss:
"A super quick trip."

*JOSH'S POV*

He was clearing the scraps on his breakfast plate into the trash when Nessa walked in.

Josh: "I thought you were gone last night?"

Nessa: "I was, but now I'm home. That's how home usually works, silly."

Josh laughed: "Fair enough. How are you holding up?"

Nessa: "I'm on a mission to forget everything from my past, does that count?"

Josh: "I don't know. We had some pretty good times. It'd be sad to forget everything in your past."

Nessa: "I figured you didn't remember anything but the bad way it ended."

Josh watched her as she moved around the kitchen to make herself a drink. She stepped closer, brushing against him as she reached up into the cabinet for a straw. She looked up through her eyelashes as she asked: "Do you ever think about us still?"

Josh gulped back a sip of his hot coffee that was too large and started to choke. Nessa laughed at her ability to still make him nervous and admitted:
"Oh relax. I know you've moved on. I'm actually really happy for you."

Josh tried to recover by asking:
"So you're not just here to make her miserable?"

Nessa: "Of course not. We're friends... at least I think we are. Besides I have my sights on someone new."

*END JOSH'S POV*